Brazil’s most advanced ROV support vessel (RSV), the Fugro Aquarius, has specified acoustic positioning technology supplied by Sonardyne Brasil Ltda., to support its subsea inspection, repair and maintenance activities in the region.

Already delivered and fully commissioned, the Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) system is being used to track the precise position of the vessel’s Work-class ROVs in water depths of upto 3,000 metres. It is also providing the vessel’s dynamic positioning (DP) system with position reference data to allow it to remain on-location whilst survey operations are underway.

Launched in 2015, the 83 metre long Fugro Aquarius has been designed specifically for the Brazilian market with over 60% of local content. This April, Petrobras awarded the vessel a one year contract to carry out work including subsea video and data acquisition, site investigations and asset integrity monitoring.

For their new vessel, Fugro specified that the Ranger 2 be configured with Sonardyne’s deep water optimised GyroUSBL 7000. The unique design of GyroUSBL incorporates a USBL transceiver and high survey-grade inertial sensor in the same unit. This combination increases precision by eliminating common sources of system error such as lever arm offsets, pole bending and ship flexing.

Deployed through the hull using a Sonardyne-built machine, GyroUSBL calculates the position of the vessel’s two Fugro-built 150HP ROVs by measuring the range and bearing to the Wideband Mini Transponder(WMT) fitted to each vehicle. Small and lightweight,

WMTs offer reliable tracking performance in crowded offshore environments where multiple vessels frequently conduct simultaneous operations in close proximity to each other.

[blockquote author=” Barry Cairns, Regional Head of Sonardyne Brasil Ltda.”]”it demonstrates their commitment to investing in the best available subsea technology for their IRM operations offshore Brazil”, adding, “We’re confident they will quickly see a return on that investment in the form of faster and more efficient survey operations and greater vessel utilisation.”[/blockquote]

For more information on Ranger 2, click here

Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) technology from Sonardyne Inc., Houston, has been selected to help navigate Canada’s flagship undersea research vehicle, ROPOS. The order for a 4,000 metre depth rated, 600 kHz Syrinx DVL was placed by the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility (CSSF), the not-for-profit corporation who operate ROPOS, following a trial to evaluate its capabilities. This concluded that Syrinx was able to maintain, and regain bottom lock over a wide range of altitudes and seafloor terrains including soft fine sediment and rugged steep slopes close to hydrothermal vents.

ROPOS (Remotely Operated Vehicle for Ocean Sciences) is a modular Work-class ROV which can be reconfigured to operate at different depths and from different size vessels depending on the science mission. In the setup Syrinx has been chosen to support, ROPOS is a free-flying 4,000 metre rated vehicle equipped with HD cameras, powerful lighting and a comprehensive suite of environmental probes, sampling skids and sensors.

Sonardyne’s Syrinx differs from other DVLs through its use of fully linear signal processing, low noise electronics and adaptive bottom lock. These features enable Syrinx to operate at altitudes up to 50 percent higher than conventional 600 kHz DVLs with the high resolution performance of a 1200 kHz DVL, all whilst navigating over undulating and challenging terrain of any type.

Alongside its class-leading precision and accuracy, Ethernet and serial output means that Syrinx can be employed as a standalone DVL, as part of an integrated navigation system, or perform both functions at once, allowing both vehicle pilots and science teams to simultaneously share the output from Syrinx.

Syrinx has been designed to be easy to install, set-up and use, and can make use of existing DVL mounting arrangements on host vehicles. Available in depth ratings up to 6,000 metres, CSSF selected the 4,000 metre rated, corrosion resistant titanium model for ROPOS. It will be fitted to the vehicle’s dedicated navigation instrument skid which keeps any offset errors between sensors to a minimum,

[blockquote author=” Vincent Auger, IT and Navigation Manager at CSSF “]”Our first dive with Syrinx installed on ROPOS was on an active hydrothermal vent site in the Indian Ocean. The bottom there is very rugged; essentially as rugged as it gets, but Syrinx coped with the challenge very well and demonstrated reliable bottom lock throughout the mission.”[/blockquote]

[blockquote author=” Kim Swords, Senior Application Engineer with Sonardyne in Houston”]”We’re delighted that CSSF is the latest scientific organisation to recognise the ownership benefits offered by our new Syrinx. It takes away the need for DVLs of different operating frequencies, it is deeper rated than its rivals and it has lower servicing costs thanks to innovations such as individually replaceable transducer capsules.” She added, “And given the strength of international currencies against Sterling at the moment, our UK-manufactured Syrinx represents excellent value for money.”[/blockquote]

For more information on Syrinx, please click here.

Photo credit: Ed McNichol (CSSF)

Maritime security company, Sonardyne International Ltd., UK, has supplied forward-looking sonar technology to MARSS Group of Monaco for a 120 metre-plus private vessel that was recently delivered to its new owner in Europe. The announcement was made on the opening day of SMM in Hamburg, where Sonardyne is exhibiting on Stand 124 in Hall B6.

The NOAS (Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance Sonar) system was specified for the unnamed vessel to allow it to explore remote, poorly charted places with the assurance that potentially hazardous underwater obstacles can be identified and avoided. The contract also included the supply of Sonardyne’s market-leading diver detection sonar, Sentinel. This complements the NOAS installation to enable the detection of underwater intruders approaching the vessel when stationary.

Integrated into the vessel’s MARSS Group NiDAR command and control system (C2), NOAS images the water column over a wide field of view to offer long range detection and mapping of the seabed, delivering reliable early warning of collision and grounding hazards. When shallow water or an obstruction is detected, NOAS automatically alerts the crew to the danger in order that they can take avoiding action.

NOAS has multiple imaging modes to suit both open water cruising and shallow water, close-in manoeuvring. In 2D mode, the system aids navigation by continuously monitoring 180 degrees in front of the vessel for underwater objects up to 1.5 kilometres away. When sailing close to shore and approaching harbours, NOAS’ 3D mode creates a highly detailed image of the seabed directly ahead of the vessel, displaying water depth and terrain information on an interactive 3D moving map. Uniquely, NOAS stores the sonar imagery for the terrain it has recently passed over, enabling users to instantly explore alternative routes without the need for re-scanning should a sudden change in course be required.

The compact design of the NOAS sonar assembly enables it to be fully enclosed within the bulbous bow of a vessel with nothing protruding external of the hull to affect hydrodynamic performance. This makes the system particularly suitable for retro-fitting into existing vessels and unlike similar forward-look sonars, NOAS can be serviced and maintained without the need for dry docking.

For this project, Sonardyne’s Sentinel diver detection sonar was also integrated with the vessel’s NiDAR installation of ship-mounted cameras and radars to provide a comprehensive off-board surveillance capability. Should any underwater intruders approach the vessel whilst it is in harbour or moored in a secluded bay, the crew will be immediately alerted to their presence, speed and direction – even what type of diving equipment they are wearing.

[blockquote author=” Nick Swift, Sonardyne’s Business Manager for Maritime Security”]”Inaccurate nautical charts and unmarked underwater obstructions represent a major threat to all types of vessel including expeditionary cruise ships, large yachts and military ships. This is where our NOAS underwater forward-looking sonar technology provides a solution, vastly improving the situational awareness for captains and their crews.”[/blockquote]

[blockquote author=” Rob Balloch, Senior Vice-President Sales for MARSS Group “]”MARSS has been associated with the Sentinel sonar and the Sonardyne team for many years and we’re proud to be the launch customer for their new NOAS. Integrating it with the other vessel sensors in our NiDAR command and control platform provides a turnkey-solution that enhances vessel safety and security.”[/blockquote]

For more information about NOAS, click here