Things have developed almost unrecognisably since the days of having to rely on the physicality of lead lines, with contemporary, computerised sonar three-beam systems constantly raising standards and introducing new methodology. With such ever-improving technology, companies working within hydrographic surveying are striving to provide the safest, most accurate data possible to stimulate their own market growth and further propel development of maritime construction, dredging and port maintenance. Here, World Port Development observes some of the leading companies and latest technologies in hydrographic surveying, along with case studies.
RESON
At the forefront of Denmark-headquartered company Reson’s product range is its SeaBat series of multi-beam sonars, which provide high-resolution bathymetry and imagery data in real-time for detailed 3D digital representation of underwater features and seabed conditions. Deployed in both shallow water and deep ocean areas, the SeaBat multi-beam sonars are designed “to meet surveyors’ needs for cost-effective, fast and reliable operation with ultra-wide swathe coverage and outstanding submarine data collection, even in the most challenging waters”. The SeaBat range can be deployed over a shipside, mounted on remotely operated (ROV) and autonomous (AUV) underwater vehicles, or installed in the hull of a surface vessel. For imaging and mapping applications, the SeaBat range comprises downward-looking multi-beam echo sounders, providing mapping across wide areas of the seafloor, and forward-looking multi-beam imaging sonars, which offer detailed imagery of underwater structures. Following on from the successful SeaBat 8000 series, in 2004 the company launched its SeaBat 7000 series, which it boasts marked “yet another generation of state-of-the-art wideband multi-beam sonars.” Features of the sophisticated modular system include true-time-delay beam forming and advanced bottom detection with dynamic focusing, long-range and high-resolution performance. The company adds that the 7000 series allows rapid product development at minimal cost to application demands. A recent contract of note awarded to Reson came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Ocean Service (NOS). A federal agency within the United States Department of Commerce, the NOAA’s fleet supports a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries and coastal research, nautical charting, and long-range ocean and climate studies. Its ships are specially equipped and designed to support its programmes, with capabilities not found in commercial fleets, and range from oceanographic research ships capable of exploring the world’s deepest oceans, to smaller ships and launches responsible for charting US coastal waters. The contract is for the delivery of seven SeaBat 7125-SV multi-beam sonar systems for hydrographic and research applications. The SeaBat 7125-SV features a new transceiver that provides an integrated multiport serial card and is optionally available with PDS2000 – Reson’s software package for any kind of survey, positioning or dredging activity – pre-installed for data acquisition and display, as well as data processing on the same hardware platform. Four video outputs allow multiple survey and helm displays to be run. A real-time uncertainty output from the SeaBat 7125-SV may be used in PDS2000, along with information from other sensors to calculate a TPE (total propagated error). A further recent order came for the SeaBat 7125-SV came from the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which purchased a new system, its third SeaBat 7125-SV, to be integrated into the ROV, Jason. NDSF’s first two SeaBat 7125-SV systems were installed on the AUV Sentry and human-occupied vehicle (HOV), Alvin. These 6000-meter depth-rated systems provide the NDSF fleet of deep-sea exploration vehicles with ultra high-resolution bathymetric survey capabilities. Combined with data provided by other onboard sensors, and video camera footage, the Reson SeaBat 7125-SV systems add to the unique set of tools that NDSF uses to image and map the fascinating and vastly unexplored depths of the planet’s oceans.
STEMA SYSTEMS
A supplier of hydrography and oceanology-related measurement systems, Dutch company Stema Systems rightly underlines its ethic that hydrographic surveying is “an essential link in the harbour management chain”. Like Reson, Stema Systems provides both single-beam and multi-beam systems, with multi-beam technology rapidly taking precedence in recent years, due to its cost-effective and efficient service, and capability to provide accurate information to avoid excess dredging. A prominent, recent case study of the company’s 5th generation multi-beam series, R2Sonic, in action can be found in a long-term agreement between Dutch engineering company Witteveen+Bos and Rijkswaterstaat of the Dutch Ministry of Transport for monthly surveys on the Netherlands ship canal Nieuwe Waterweg. As one of the major approaches to the Rotterdam harbour, this is a real surveying challenge, with intensive shipping activities and sound velocity variations, due to tidal mixing. The R2Sonic 2024 system has been deployed on the vessel Stentor, which is also equipped with Stema Systems’ global navigation satellite system and Ixsea-Octans IV motion sensors. Prior to the survey, an acceptance test was performed at the reference object in the Maeslantkering storm surge barrier. Stema Systems states the very high resolution of the broadband system gave an astonishingly sharp image, showing the tight separations of the floating door foundations and the individual blocks of the erosion protection works. Stema describes the R2Sonic 2024 broadband multi-beam echo sounder as being “more than an excellent bathymetric device.” With a very high lateral resolution of 0.5 degrees, beam focusing, optional side-scan and snippets backscatter facilitate the system’s object recognition. The same unit can also be configured as a front-looking imaging sonar and can operate from a ship, ROV or AUV. Alongside high accuracy and resolution, the company includes among the system’s advantages and ease of operation: an embedded processor and controller to eliminate bulky topside processor and transmit electronics; a sonar user interface from the survey application software on a PC or laptop; a low weight, volume and power consumption; easy installation and operation; and compatibil
ity and durability. Applications for the R2Sonic 2024 are: hydrographic mapping, offshore site surveys, pre-post dredge surveys, historical site surveys, fisheries habitats, marine research, and coastal monitoring. A compact version, the R2Sonic 2022, is also available, and ideal for integration to small AUV, ROV or small boat operations.
KONGSBERG
With a broad portfolio of new and upgraded multi-beam and sonar systems, Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime has plenty of progress within hydrographic profiling to show off, as evidenced by its demonstrations at this year’s Oceanology International exhibition, at London’s ExCeL.The company purports that its new multi-beam echo sounder, the EM 2040, is “the first system to bring all the advanced features of deep-water multi-beams to the near-bottom-sounding environment.” Designed to meet all requirements for shallow water mapping and survey inspection, the basic EM 2040 has four units: a transmit transducer, a receive transducer, a processing unit, and a workstation. To complete its set-up, data input from a motion sensor and a positioning system is required, as well as the sound speed profile of the water column between the transducers and the bottom. Sound speed at the transducer is an optional input. The transducers may be delivered mounted on a frame together with the motion sensor and a sound speed sensor, factory aligned for ease of mounting. New imaging sonar products from the company include the 1171 series of Kongsberg Mesotech scanning sonar heads, offered in multi-frequency, obstacle avoidance imaging and ultra-high scan profiling configurations. A further presentation from Kongsberg at Oceanology International comes in the shape of GeoAcoustics’ latest generation of survey-quality dual frequency side scan sonar systems, as well as sub-bottom profilers with versatile mounting and application options. GeoSwath Plus, which is available for Kongsberg’s Remus AUVs in addition to other manufacturers’ AUVs, is also among its Oceanology International exhibits, shown in its latest compact version for portable small boat operations.
CODAOCTOPUS
In January, US-headquartered company CodaOctopus received an order from Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors bv for the supply of an Echoscope 3D Real Time Sonar System. This follows Van Oord’s purchases of Echoscope systems in 2008, which were successfully deployed on the Ras Laffan LNG port expansion project in Qatar. The newly ordered 3D Real Time Sonar System will be incorporated into Van Oord’s existing pool of units, which are initially being used for two large-scale projects in the Netherlands. These involve the visualisation of live underwater excavation operations as part of the construction of a new metro station in Amsterdam, and providing crane operators with critical real-time visualisation during the removal of the existing concrete breakwater structure and the construction of replacement walls in the Maasvlakte 2 part of the Mainport Development Project in Rotterdam. CodaOctopus boasts that the Echoscope, which is approximately the size of a briefcase, “outperforms all other sonar imaging systems”, delivering high-resolution, 3D underwater images in real-time. Generating over 16,000 beams simultaneously, it produces 3D sonar images of both moving and stationary objects, and is capable of up to 12 updates per second. With the addition of motion sensor inputs, data can be positioned accurately in 3D space and adjacent pings can be used to create mosaics online. CodaOctopus states that the resulting whole-area visualisation allows for extremely rapid reconnaissance and inspection.
BLUEVIEW / SEATRONICS
In January 2010, global supplier of subsea equipment, Seatronics Ltd, extended an agreement with US company BlueView Technologies to market the latter’s miniature multi-beam sonar systems worldwide. Based in Seattle, the majority of BlueView’s sales have hitherto been within America, selling more than 300 commercial systems for use on remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), underwater vessels, surface boats and fixed surveillance platforms. With an already impressive customer list, BlueView intends to build up its business even further with the aid of Seatronics’ worldwide marketing network within the marine electronics sales and rental field. Seatronics managing director David Currie said: “We initially started the agreement for Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern regions, but due to popular demand and reputation we have recently expanded the distribution to the Gulf of Mexico region, meaning we now have a worldwide agreement to supply these high tech products. With the support that Seatronics can provide for the units in the field, I am confident we will see a rapid uptake of the BlueView products,” he continued. “Seatronics already has a number of models available for demonstration, sale or rental in all of their bases.”