Baseline issue 13

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Kit Introducing our new 6G subsea equipment and accessories

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Technology Syrinx: The evolution of a DVL that’s always been in our DNA

THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE FROM SONARDYNE ISSUE 13

24 Ocean Science Sonardyne LRTs prove their capability in Scandinavia

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Asset Monitoring Smart subsea data acquisition for smarter decision making

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Construction Survey Flexible and scaleable: SPRINT subsea INS grows with your needs

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been thinking that the development of 6G might have reached its peak, you may need to reconsider after reading this issue of Baseline. In fact, we have so much new 6G hardware ready and waiting, our new products section has been extended to fit it all in.

KIT starts on page 4, where you’ll find new transponders, LBL transceivers, a new USBL system and a host of accessories to help you maximise the performance from your Sonardyne acoustic technology.

But 6G isn’t the only area of technology our research and development engineers have been working on in recent months.

We can finally reveal Sonardyne’s next big step is a Doppler Velocity Log called Syrinx.

Engineering directors Simon Partridge and Darryl Newborough speak to Baseline on page 12 to find out what sets Syrinx apart from other DVLs. As the article states, the arrival of a Sonardyne DVL “fills a small but significant technology gap” in our portfolio. It’s a point worth emphasising as Sonardyne is also now the only company where you can acquire acoustic positioning, inertial navigation and DVL technology that’s designed from the ground up to work seamlessly together.

Having access to qualified and regularly updated knowledge about the integrity of your subsea assets and reservoir conditions is of the utmost importance for making the right decisions at the right time.

The solution? Subsea surveillance and monitoring throughout the life of a field. The special feature on page 20 looks at how Sonardyne’s versatile range of data telemetry solutions, downhole sensor loggers and new ‘SMART’ acoustic monitoring system can be used to assess production and decrease intervention costs – savings which of course are very welcomed in the current climate.

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Baseline » Issue 13 Front Cover A Sonardyne Lightweight Release Transponder (LRT) readied for deployment by a field engineer of Luode Consulting, a Finnish-based environmental monitoring company. The LRT’s gathered data from water and ice quality monitoring in the Gulf of Finland and were deployed over many months in harsh environmental conditions below the ice. Read the full article on page 24.

In this issue...

04 Kit A first look at the latest additions to the 6G product family – transponders, transceivers and accessories designed to enhance your LBL and USBL operations.

08 News A new Sonardyne trials and research vessel, global OHSAS certification, Sentinel being used in a large scale naval exercise and the world’s biggest construction vessel puts its trust in Ranger 2.

12 Technology With the introduction of Syrinx, Sonardyne’s first ever DVL, you can now get everything under one roof. Discover the features that set it apart from its rivals on page 12.

18 Subsea Asset Monitoring A report on how we are creating smarter acoustic and optical links to help you make smarter decisions about the performance of your oil field assets.

24 Ocean Science Read the case study that highlights the reliability of Sonardyne acoustic release transponders in one of the harshest operating environments known to man.

26 Construction Survey Why invest in a separate subsea gyro and INS for your ROV when with SPRINT, you get both in one? Read how pay as you go pricing provides a cost-effective method of ownership.

28 Community Introducing The Sonardyne Foundation, the charity set up to provide financial support and guidance to some of the UK’s best and brightest young engineers.

30 International The latest news from Sonardyne’s regional offices around the world, including marking the 10th anniversary of the Indian Tsunami detection system, and how more than ever, 6G is impacting on field developments around the world.

31 Know How Hints and tips on how to get the best out of your Sonardyne technology.

David Brown Head of Marketing

Baseline Magazine The Customer magazine from Sonardyne

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Editorial Team Mark Talmage-Rostron, Managing Editor David Brown, Head of Marketing Design and Art Direction TruthStudio Ltd. www.truthstudio.co.uk Photography Astonleigh Studios www.astonleighstudio.co.uk (Pages 04, 05, 06, 07, 12, 13, 24, 26, 28, 31).

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NOAA Photo Library ©www.photolib.noaa.gov (Page 24) Colour repro by Northend Print Ltd. Printed by Northend Print Ltd. Every effort is made to ensure that information is correct at the time of going to press.

Baseline is printed on 150gsm Satimat Green, a 75% recycled paper.

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Published by Sonardyne International Ltd. Blackbushe Business Park,Yateley, Hampshire GU46 6GD United Kingdom.

6G®, Sonardyne Matrix®, Sonardyne Wideband®.

BlueComm® and Sentinel IDS® are UK registered trademarks of Sonardyne International Ltd. All other company or product names used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. © Sonardyne International Ltd 2015.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

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Baseline » Issue 13

»KIT New arrivals in the ever expanding

6G product family

MINI ROVNAV 6

WIDEBAND SUB-MINI 6 PLUS

Mini by name, not by nature

Robust navigation, less interference

The Mini ROVNav LBL transceiver is back by popular demand – reengineered to deliver 6G standards of performance and functionality. The 3,000 metre rated unit is based on field proven WMT 6 mechanics and incorporates a built-in Omni-directional acoustic transducer.

This, together with its small size, offers the freedom to fit the unit where line of sight with LBL transponder arrays can be best maintained; at the front, at the back or even underneath the ROV. Fitting two Mini ROVNav 6s further reduces the risk of acoustic masking when manoeuvring close to structures, and like several other 6G transceivers, Mini ROVNav 6 also has the capability to double up as a USBL tracking beacon.

The Wideband Sub-Mini 6 Plus (WSM 6+), our latest model of 6G mini-sized USBL transponder / responder, has arrived.

It supports two-way Wideband and Wideband 2 protocols for improved robustness of navigation when compared to the out-going WSM 6. It is so low power that it is always Wideband enabled, therefore no wake up signal is required.

The Class D linear transmitter increases the controllable power range and provides a cleaner spectrum; this improves the simultaneous operation and energy efficiency. A re-designed transducer guard provides greater protection against accidental knocks when deployed. The WSM 6+ is available in 1,000 metre and 4,000 metre depth ratings.

WIDEBAND RELEASE TRANSPONDER 6

Deploy it…track it… release it The all new Wideband Release Transponder 6 (WRT 6) combines the features of two transponders in one. The result? An acoustic release transponder which you can now use with a Ranger 2 USBL system to deploy, position and release seafloor equipment and instrument moorings. WRT 6 inherits its looks from our ultra-tough, ultra-reliable Oceanographic Release Transponder – an instrument that’s accumulated thousands of deployments globally. On the inside, ORT electronics have been replaced with the same pedigree as the all new WSM 6+, which supports full two way Wideband and Wideband 2 protocols. When it comes to landing heavy loads on the seabed, the WRT’s safe working load can be increased using the load amplification frames that are already available for ORTs.

BATTERY DISCONNECT PLUG

Conserving battery power; increasing savings The low power electronics found within all 6G transponders ensures they are designed to stand the test of time once deployed in the field. And now thanks to the Battery Disconnect Plug, it is possible to save energy even when they are sitting on the shelf awaiting their next project.

Inside the rubberised plug, is a magnet. When the plug is inserted into the endcap of a compatible transponder, the battery of the unit becomes isolated from the main electronics – the equivalent of opening up the unit and manually disconnecting it. All the time the plug is attached, up to 1% of the battery’s capacity can be saved per week; savings that quickly mount up.

As you no longer have to open a transponder to access the battery to disconnect prior to storage or shipping, time is also saved and the risk of mis-handling components or ‘o’ rings is eliminated.When you’re ready to setup, test and configure your transponder, simply pull out the plug to re-connect the battery.

The Battery Disconnect Plug feature will be fitted as standard at no extra cost on an extensive list of 6G transponders manufactured after May 2015.

Replacement endcap kits are available for existing owners. Contact your local office for more details.

METROLOGY STAB AND RECEPTACLE

The perfect match In metrology campaigns, the accurate setup of acoustic positioning instruments when being installed on a structure is critical.A process complicated by the fact that every different metrology and structure installation is unique, meaning there is never any single defined connection or interface point.

To remove the sources of error that can occur from mis-mounting, the Sonardyne Stab and Receptacle has been developed to allow precise installation of Compatts or GyroCompatts on any structure or subsea equipment. Confirmation that the stab attached to the transponder has been accurately docked in the receptacle, comes via a tell-tale indicator flag that pops-up when mating is successful.

Using the Sonardyne Stab and Receptacle, the traditional (and time-consuming) method of rotating of a stab in a hub during metrology operations to determine stab-to-receptacle slop, can be eliminated.This offers the potential to complete acoustic metrologies in less than six hours. The receptacle uses an industrystandard bolt hole pattern to allow dimensional control measurements to be made prior to the installation of the receptacle.

The Stab also features an alignment bar, rather than alignment pins, to aid docking and provide superior heading alignment.

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Baseline » Issue 13

»KIT Product Focus: Ultra-Short BaseLine Systems

TRACK DOWN YO MINI-RANGER 2

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Scout

HPT 3000 – Better by design

C R E A S I

A highly portable and affordable ‘all-in-one’ acoustic positioning system designed for tracking divers, ROVs and towfish in waters up to 1,000 metres in depth. Scout is easy to install, and set up on small workboats, even RIBs, making it the ideal tool for use in inland and coastal waters such as lakes, rivers, harbours and estuaries.

The system is available in three different models depending on experience level and tracking needs; Scout, Scout Plus and Scout Pro.

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Mini-Ranger 2 D E P T H A N

Need to go deeper or track further? Then why not consider Mini-Ranger 2, the latest addition to Sonardyne’s USBL line-up? With Mini-Ranger 2, your subsea projects will benefit from the same Wideband 2 digital signal processing technology that’s earned Ranger 2 its enviable reputation for precision and accuracy – but for significantly less cost.With an operating range of 2,000 metres and the ability to track 10 transponders,Mini-Ranger 2 is perfect for nearshore surveys on small, quiet vessels, or use on pipelay and construction barges.

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Ranger 2

A P A B I L I T

Ranger 2 is Sonardyne’s highest specification USBL system. It allows multiple subsea targets to be tracked to beyond 6,000 metres, whilst simultaneously providing a highly repeatable position reference for dynamically positioned (DP) vessels. Ranger 2 boasts an extensive feature list to meet the needs of complex survey operations.

This includes the freedom to use any 6G (and many third party) transponders, intricate vehicle and offset tracking, inertial navigation aiding and redundant configurations. Transceiver options are similarly extensive; Inverted USBL, GyroUSBL and deep water optimised, to name a few. All support LBL and data modem operating modes.

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HPT 3000 is a 6G compatible ‘High Performance Transceiver’ for use with Sonardyne’s new Mini-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) system.

It is the smallest and lightest 6G transceiver available, offering advantages for portable installation on very small boats. It is designed for shallow to medium water depths on typically quieter vessels.

The transceiver features a new design of receiver array and transmitter which are optimised to provide excellent performance in shallow water, at high elevations as well as in deeper water. USBL precision is dependent on the baseline between the receiver elements and signal to noise. This is where the HPT 3000 excels in that the larger diameter array provides excellent precision and noise rejection, dramatically better than USBL systems on the market with much smaller diameter arrays.

A key new feature of the HPT 3000 is that communications are all Ethernet based, which means connection to the topside computer (via the Ethernet Serial Hub) is simple and easy for users and can be connected through a ship’s network. It also enables better inwater diagnostics such as being able to allow the operator to listen audibly and visualise signals and noise in the water. Available in durable Aluminium Bronze or lightweight Aluminium Alloy.

Baseline » Issue 13

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OUR IDEAL USBL SONARDYNE USBL TRANSCEIVERS

Whatever the task, there’s one designed to meet your needs

Scout USBL An entry-level USBL transceiver that’s small, easy to use and accurate. Deploy it from a small boat and start tracking straight away. Not compatible with 6G.

HPT 5000 Enables subsea targets to be tracked with precision and repeatability over a wide range of water depths and elevations.

Supports high speed 6G data telemetry mode.

GyroUSBL 5000 / 7000 Integrates a Lodestar subsea INS sensor and HPT transceiver in one unit. GyroUSBL is pre-calibrated for rapid and cost-effective deployment on vessels of opportunity. Available with standard and deep water optimised arrays.

HPT 7000 A USBL and LUSBL transceiver optimised for noisy dynamically positioned drilling and construction vessels operating in deep water. Vessel and thruster noise is rejected.

HPT 13000 A specialist USBL transceiver available to support tracking projects in the deepest water. The large array and advanced multielement processing enables transponders to be tracked with ultimate precision.

Tilted Arrays When tracking underwater targets at shallow angles, a tilt adaptor keeps the target in the ideal operating envelope of the array. Available for many Sonardyne transceivers.

GyroiUSBL A subsea vehicle based transceiver that turns conventional USBL tracking on its head. Designed for projects using deep tow, long layback survey platforms requiring high precision.

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Baseline » Issue 13

NEWS INVESTMENT

Sonardyne’s Echo Explorer – Equipped to stand the test

As the demand for more capable and versatile underwater technology has risen, so has the requirement for more robust inwater testing and development. To answer the call, Sonardyne’s new Echo Explorer trials and research vessel is purpose built for the task. The 12 metre long powerful catamaran has been coded to MCA Category 2, allowing speedy transits out to 60 miles from any port by day or night. Destination reached, her two moon pools provide the facility for the deployment of a range of acoustic, inertial, sonar and optical technologies, whilst the larger central moon pool and hydraulic crane can be used to deploy much larger subsea equipment. Speaking of size, a large cabin provides ample space for a fully equipped workshop, along with a swivel 19-inch rack for easy access and setting up of equipment – including both current and future technologies. Full trials have already taken place, so she is completely operational and has already begun simulating both array of static and dynamic aspects of offshore construction and positioning operations.

EXPLORATION AND SURVEILLANCE

250 million measurements and counting for Shell hell has used high speed acoustic modem technology from Sonardyne to successfully recover survey data from a network of long-life seabed sensors deployed in the North Sea. To date, the network of Autonomous Monitoring Transponders (AMTs) has collected over a quarter of a billion measurements as part of an uninterrupted production monitoring study lasting six years.

The AMTs were originally deployed in 2010 to meet Shell’s research and production monitoring requirements. Every few hours, each AMT within the field-wide network gathers readings from a variety

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of inbuilt sensors. These include; pressure, range, temperature, pitch, roll and sound velocity. The measurements are logged and time-stamped and can be recovered ondemand from the surface using Sonardyne’s 6G High Power Transceiver (HPT) acoustic telemetry modem.

For this latest data harvesting campaign, the MV Elizabeth fishing vessel was chartered and an over-the-side deployment pole installed for the deployment of the HPT. Sonardyne’s over-the-side deployment pole is designed for easy installation, disassembly and transportation. Once removed, it can be transferred to another vessel or stored until

the next time it is required.

“As we were using a vessel of opportunity for this project, an over-the-side deployment pole was the preferred costeffective and fit-for-purpose practical solution,” commented Phil Riddell, Senior Operations Surveyor at Shell.

The acoustic communication protocols within HPT enable large amounts of data to be extracted quickly and efficiently from 6G instruments such as AMTs. A vast amount of data was wirelessly collected and not a single byte was lost, thereby demonstrating the extremely high reliability of 6G as an underwater data carrier.

Baseline » Issue 13

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

CONSTRUCTION SURVEY

Sonardyne achieves OHSAS 18001 accreditation around the world

Fusion 6G chosen for $10 billion Moho Nord field development

onardyne’s UK sites in Yateley, Aberdeen and Plymouth have been awarded OHSAS 18001 Safety Management System Standard accreditation.

The news follows similar recent announcements from Sonardyne’s overseas subsidiary companies; Sonardyne Brasil Ltda., Sonardyne Asia Pte. Ltd. and Sonardyne Inc., each of whom have earned OHSAS 18001 certification.

“As an international organisation that’s committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of all our employees wherever they work in the world, we are extremely pleased that Sonardyne’s entire UK operation now joins our regional centres in obtaining OHSAS 18001 certification,” said John Ramsden, Sonardyne’s Managing

TEC, an Acteon company, has awarded Sonardyne a multimillion pound contract to supply Fusion 6G Long BaseLine acoustic positioning technology for the Moho Nord subsea project situated 75 kilometres off the coast of Congo.

The equipment will be used to support the installation of 230 kilometres of rigid pipeline, 23 kilometres of flexible pipes, 50 kilometres of umbilicals and numerous manifolds, plus over 50 subsea structures and rigid jumpers.

The project’s construction phase will run for two years with Technip’s rigid pipe S-lay and heavy-lift construction vessel, G1200, and multi-purpose deepwater vessel, Deep Pioneer, utilised as the primary installation vessels. First oil is expected during 2015, rising to an estimated 140,000 barrels of oil per day by 2017.

Fusion 6G is the industry standard tool for subsea construction and survey operations, specified for its versatility, ease of use and low risk.

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The LBL equipment being supplied to UTEC includes high spec Compatt 6 seabed transponders, ROV-mounted transceivers, associated topside hardware and software.

Oilfield construction requires accurate and repeatable positioning, a requirement met by the digital Wideband 2 signal architecture found exclusively within 6G products. The technology is proven to offer robust acoustic performance in challenging conditions, fast baseline measurements, improved multipath rejection around structures and real-time range diagnostics for quality control.

Sonardyne’s Vice President of Europe and Africa, Barry Cairns said,“Moho Nord joins a premier list of deep water field developments benefiting from the technical and commercial advantages offered by 6G. UTEC and their project partners have chosen to invest in the best available subsea positioning technology that will add significant value during the entire life of the Moho Nord project and beyond.”

John Ramsden, Managing Director for Sonardyne proudly displays Sonardyne International Ltd.’s OHSAS 18001 certification.

Director. “Conducting our operations in an efficient and safe environment, where the risk of incidents and accidents occurring is minimised, is our number one focus.

Earning accreditation across our business proves that first and foremost, Sonardyne places the wellbeing of its staff and business partners at the heart of its operation. It also provides our clients with the complete peace of mind that they are dealing with an organisation that fulfils its contractual obligations in a totally safe and secure way.”

Technip’s rigid pipe S-lay and heavy-lift construction vessel, G1200, and multi-purpose deepwater vessel, Deep Pioneer, will be used to support the Moho Nord subsea development project.

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Baseline » Issue 13

NEWS MARITIME SECURITY

Sentinel excels during international naval exercises onardyne’s leading diver detection sonar technology played an important part in a major international exercise organised to train naval forces in mine countermeasures, maritime security operations and harbour protection.

The International Mine CounterMeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) runs off the Bahrain coastline every 18 months, testing the navy’s abilities to keep sea lanes open and safe. 6,500 personnel and 38 warships from 44 navies took part, making it the third and largest so far.

Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar (IDS) has been developed to detect divers and small underwater targets, thereby providing local underwater situational awareness. The sonar is the world’s most deployed system, protecting military ports, harbours and vessels, in addition to shore-side critical national infrastructure, commercial ports and vessels. It reliably detects, tracks and classifies targets including surface

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Sentinel reliably detects, tracks and classifies underwater intruders approaching vessels, ports and harbours.

swimmers, divers and underwater vehicles approaching up to 1 kilometre away, from any direction.

During the three week long exercises, the Sentinel system was deployed in a variety of scenarios to demonstrate its capabilities as a rapidly deployable technology for protecting strategic marine assets. Divers from the participating

countries were challenged to evade detection during simulated assaults on various naval assets protected by Sentinel.

On each occasion, Sentinel successfully alerted operators to the approaching threat.

“With a quarter of the world’s navies in attendance, this was the perfect environment to demonstrate Sentinel’s capabilities in protecting high value offshore facilities, ports and critical waterside infrastructure,” commented Nick Swift, Sonardyne’s Business Manager for Maritime Security.

The small design of Sentinel’s sonar head enables a variety of deployment options including lightweight frames for short term deployment, through-hull or over-the-side deployment for installation on vessels. This made it perfect for use in these particular naval military exercises.

From as early as 2008, the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) selected Sentinel for its Integrated Swimmer Defence programme following rigorous trials.

CONSTRUCTION SURVEY

Biggest construction vessel uses an acousti llseas’ gigantic new pipelay and decommissioning vessel, Pioneering Spirit, will set records when it enters service later in 2015. And when it does, Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine) positioning technology will be onboard, playing a big role.

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Longer, wider, heavier At 382 metres long and 124 metres wide, the Pioneering Spirit is almost as long as the Empire State Building and as wide as London’s Big Ben is tall. Its cranes will be able to lift loads of 48,000 tonnes and it has enough deck space to

deliver or remove a complete topside module and jacket in one trip. It can even raise and lower itself in the water by 25 metres to cope with huge weight demands of offshore installations. In pipelay mode, the Pioneering Spirit’s tension capacity is 2,000 tonnes, twice that of the Allseas’ Solitaire.

Fast, accurate and repeatable subsea positioning information will be key to enabling the vessel to successfully carry out its work. For this reason, Allseas selected Ranger 2 as the acoustic position reference for the vessel’s Kongsberg dynamic positioning (DP).

Delivered and installed

whilst the Pioneering Spirit was still under construction in Korea, Ranger 2 measures the range and bearing from a vessel-mounted acoustic transceiver to a transponder deployed on the seabed or attached to a pipe as it is lowered from the surface.

The vessel’s relative position to the transponder is continuously reported to the DP system in order that the vessel can be manoeuvred to remain in the required location, regardless of water depth and operating conditions.

6G and Wideband 2 Ranger 2’s impressive level of

performance comes from the unique combination of digital Wideband 2 signal technology and Sonardyne’s 6G hardware platform on which the system is built.

Since their introduction, Wideband 2 and 6G enabled products have made a major impact on subsea operations around the world – lowering costs, improving efficiencies and reducing risk.

Consequently, many field development projects now specify 6G as the standard for all life of field activities.With its Ranger 2, the Pioneering Spirit is equipped to arrive on location and begin working alongside other

Baseline » Issue 13

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TRAINING

Equipping operators with the skills to succeed s offshore projects become ever more complex, demand for more capable and versatile Sonardyne acoustic positioning technology has risen.

Of course with any Sonardyne product, clients have the peace of mind that it is tried and tested. Once in the field though, extracting the maximum performance out of the product can often rely on the experience of the operator. That’s where Sonardyne’s in-water and simulator-based

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Training helps lower operational risk and maximises equipment performance.

product training courses prove their worth.

“These days it is vital that those overseeing acoustic operations are both confident and capable in their ability to understand the equipment they’re using, spot potential issues before they arise, and should a problem be encountered, have the confidence to quickly and effectively resolve it.” That’s according to Mark Hanson, Sonardyne’s Training Manager.

To address that requirement, Sonardyne’s extensive programme of training courses offer operators the chance to gain hands-on experience with systems and get the very best out of them once they are installed and commissioned. This helps to reduce risk and the possibility of costly downtime being encountered.

Sonardyne’s Training Academy in Plymouth, south-west England is the main centre for training. It boasts an impressive collection of training resources including permanently deployed subsea equipment.

With courses restricted to only six delegates, pupils receive individual attention from their instructors and are actively encouraged to ask questions at any time.

When in-water training is not practical, simulators allow the creation of highly realistic scenarios so operators can practice their operations in a safe and risk-free environment before undertaking the task in the field.

This approach enables courses to be held at one of Sonardyne’s regional centres in Aberdeen, Houston, Singapore and Brazil.

Courses can also be arranged at client’s offices or even onboard their own vessel.

And if clients don’t see it, doesn’t mean that Sonardyne can’t do it. Bespoke courses can also be arranged with a syllabus designed to fulfil an individual client’s needs.

Details of Sonardyne’s standard courses for 2015 are available on the website.

Please visit www.sonardyne.com/support and follow the link to Training Courses.

ic positioning system with a big reputation vessels without any delay or interruption to ongoing operations.

Alan MacDonald, Sales Manager for Sonardyne in Aberdeen commented, “Allseas are a major user of Sonardyne technology and we are delighted that Ranger 2 USBL has been chosen for their flagship vessel. This investment reaffirms the robustness, versatility and ease of use that our 6G products brings to Allseas’ offshore operations.”

Turn to page 06, to find out more about Sonardyne’s line up of USBL systems.

Allseas Group, owners of the world’s largest construction vessel Pioneering Spirit, have put their faith in Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 acoustic positioning technology.

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Baseline » Issue 13

Technology Technology: Syrinx DVL

RE-ENGINEERING THE DNA OF A DVL

In 2007, Sonardyne surprised the industry by adding inertial navigation to its renowned acoustic positioning technology portfolio. Diversification into sonar imaging and optical communications quickly followed. Now in 2015, Sonardyne is entering the Doppler Velocity Log marketplace with ‘Syrinx’. So why has Sonardyne decided to develop its own DVL, what makes Syrinx unique and why should anyone invest in it? In search of answers to these questions, Baseline spoke with the architects behind the new DVL, engineering directors Simon Partridge and Darryl Newborough, to get the inside track.

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Baseline » Issue 13

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Baseline » Issue 13

Technology Product Focus: Syrinx DVL – A Doppler Velocity Log for surface and subsea vehicles

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aseline: So why introduce a DVL now?

Simon Partridge: “A Sonardyne DVL fills a small but very significant technology gap that currently exists in our extensive line-up of subsea positioning and navigation equipment.

As a business, we are committed to the development and creation of innovative and exciting technologies. So from the outset, we were quietly confident that with the engineering experience within Sonardyne, a market leading product could and would be developed.

And if initial test results are anything to go by, we weren’t wrong.

Having an intimate understanding of the instrument allows us to provide the best possible subsea navigation solution using tightly integrated DVL, INS and 6G acoustics.”

Darryl Newborough: “Surprisingly there aren’t that many other DVLs out there, so users’ expectations have remained largely unchanged for

Engineering directors Simon Partridge (left) and Darryl Newborough review the technological developments found within Syrinx.

years. However electronics and signal processing techniques have moved on considerably so we spotted an opportunity to re-set the performance benchmark.”

Baseline: So how did you approach the instrument’s development?

SP: “With a DVL, small velocity errors grow into larger position offsets with distance travelled, so it is critical in the development of a DVL that these small errors are minimised as much as possible. In this case, the devil really is in the fine detail.

As with anything from Sonardyne, when we set out down the development path, we aim to make it the best possible. We looked to the medical ultrasonics sector where billions has been spent on development, combining what we found with the best transducers manufactured in-house and the best signal processing; two areas where we excel. We also had to understand the fundamental physics, so we developed an advanced simulation and modelling capability to exercise candidate signals and signal processing architecture.”

DN: “We can essentially ‘fly’ our DVL in a 3D synthetic world and model the propagation of sound from Syrinx to the seabed and back again.

This hugely helped in choosing beam widths, signals, electronics and processing techniques. We then ensured the software architecture was fully linear and highly configurable and finally ensured we could stream or log all raw acoustic data. This enables us to post process the raw data, including navigation sensor data, so trials data can be reprocessed and visualised to help in development. This has all led to what we believe are significant improvements in DVL precision and integrity.

In addition to the signal processing and environmental simulator improvements, the transducer design is critical to the performance of the DVL. To get the best performance, hundreds of hours of finite element modelling have been conducted with forensic material analysis to perfect the transducer design.”

Baseline: So how long has it been in development?

SP: “It has been in development behind the scenes for some years now as we did not want to rush things. We fully understand the commercial risk and technical pressures that are present in our markets so before releasing it, we wanted to make it the best product possible and ensure it was thoroughly developed and tested.”

DN: “The core architecture on which Syrinx is built is now validated, so engineering efforts can concentrate on optimising system performance, mechanical packaging and honing the user experience.

DVLs are exposed to all sorts of abuse, so Syrinx naturally possesses all of the characteristics our transponders and transceivers are renowned for; compactness, ruggedness and robustness.”

Baseline: Who is Syrinx aimed at then?

SP: “There are always horses for courses and this horse is aimed at providing class leading performance on ROVs, larger deep water AUVs and manned submersibles. It is not the smallest, but it is very important to understand that in this case, size matters. A DVL’s transducer size is set by frequency, beam width and performance in noise. The larger elements have narrower beams so more signal is focussed on the seabed and they are better at detecting the signal in the noise. So a bigger ‘head’ enables greater precision and higher altitude performance.”

Baseline: So how is Syrinx different to other DVLs? DN: “Importantly Syrinx employs fully linear signal processing, unlike most DVLs in the market today. This enables the signal processing to be done in a different way.

The result is a 600 kHz DVL that operates both at high elevations and extremely low heights off the seabed. It provides very low noise, high precision velocity measurement in a wide range of seabed bottom types – rocks, mud, weed, steep drop-offs etc. The signals have been chosen very carefully to maintain bottom track and new algorithms ensure bottom ‘lock’ is always optimised – unlike other DVLs we tested which were prone to losing bottom track for some time.

We undertake everything in-house; the electronics, signal processing and transducer design, manufacturing, repair and support.

Acoustically the performance is fantastic with excellent transducers and very low noise electronics.”

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Technical File

Baseline » Issue 13

SONARDYNE SYRINX 600 KHZ DVL

Reasons to Invest Performance Class-leading precision and accuracy comparable with a 1200 kHz sensor combined with a reliable and adaptive bottom lock.

Altitude 140 metre high altitude range and low noise, low altitude performance.

Update Rate High update rate at < 1 m range. Improved velocity accuracy metrics to navigation systems.

Multiple Outputs Standard output telegrams ease integration into 3rd party nav systems.

Concurrent outputs (Serial and Ethernet) support use by both ROV and Survey teams.

Depth Rating Standard 4 km rated Titanium housing option for Work class ROVs, options for 3 km and 6 km housings.

Configuration On-board web interface for configuration, diagnostics and inbuilt test.

Tight Integration Integration with SPRINT INS provides unmatched DVL aided navigation, even in challenging bottom lock conditions.

Servicing Factory interchangeable transducer elements reduces servicing and repair costs.

Trusted Supplier INS, acoustic positioning, and now DVL technology from a trusted subsea company.

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Baseline » Issue 13

Technology Product Focus: Syrinx DVL – A Doppler Velocity Log for surface and subsea vehicles

Offshore Trials

Range and Precision (Left) In extensive sea trials in Plymouth, UK, Syrinx delivered class-leading precision in a wide range of water depths and bottom types.

These included steep drop offs, whirl pools and flat muddy areas.

(Below left) The DVL really is in the detail.

The ability to log raw data and diagnostic information is extremely important when trying to attain the best possible performance.

Software enables raw data to be reprocessed and visualised to optimise Syrinx for customers’ specialist applications.

The Syrinx 600 kHz DVL has been designed and developed to offer an altitude range that is comparable to a 300 kHz DVL, with the precision previously only achieved using a 1200 kHz DVL.

SP: “Syrinx has been designed and engineered for the offshore environment, one we have a real in-depth understanding of and market leadership position in. All the research into signal, transducer and electronic design adds up to a class-leading instrument with higher and lower altitude performance, high update rates and better resolution.

The simple to use web browser interface provides access to configuration settings, diagnostics and data logging.”

Baseline: So how has it been tested?

SP: “We’ve been using DVLs of different types for many years now to support the development of our subsea inertial navigation systems. We know when and why they go wrong. We know how to test them and that is against a high accuracy kinematic GPS aided INS on a vessel.

Luckily we have the ideal setup and environment for this – our sea trials facility in Plymouth, UK. From here we have access to a very wide range of water depths and bottom types. There’s steep drop offs, whirl pools, flat muddy areas – you name it, we have it.

The results have been extremely encouraging. We have also tested Syrinx in our test tanks and at large flow tanks. We are highly confident about its class-leading precision. But precision is no good unless it has good integrity and reliability. So we have also done long term pressure and temperature testing that will continue to ensure we have class-leading reliability as well. The process has been thorough and exhaustive.”

DN: “Syrinx has also undergone independent comparative testing by a leading university in the UK, confirming class-leading performance.

With Syrinx, you get the same precision as if from a high frequency DVL and the same high altitude performance as from a lower frequency DVL. It is essentially three sensors in one focussing on ROVs and the larger deeper water AUVs. In addition to the performance testing, the instrument is being tested to DNV 2.4 Environmental and EMC standard. This is extremely important as it ensures the instrument is reliable and will not interfere with other navigation equipment.”

Baseline: What other features set Syrinx apart?

SP: “Syrinx supports serial and Ethernet ports, a web browser interface, as well as the industry standard output telegrams, so it can be a straight replacement for existing units and hence easy to integrate into other INS systems. There are dual underwater connectors for reliability and flexibility and individual transducers can be replaced (not the whole array) if damaged. This significantly reduces repair bills and supports high resolution Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling (ADCP) mode.”

DN: “From experience, the ability to log data and diagnostic information is extremely important when trying to attain the best possible performance. Software enables raw data to be reprocessed and visualised to optimise Syrinx for customers’ dedicated applications.

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Performance Specifications Sonardyne Syrinx 600 kHz St dev at @ 1m/s St dev at @ 3 m/s St dev at @ 5 m/s Long Term Accuracy Minimum Altitude Maximum Altitude

±0.2 cm/s ±0.5 cm/s ±0.6 cm/s ±0.2% ±0.1 cm/s 0.5 m 140 m

Parameters

Data Output Rate

10 Hz max

Water Reference Velocity

Accuracy

±0.2% ±0.1 cm/s

Power

Voltage Range (DC Input) Maximum Transmit Power

24 V (±10%) 218 dB

Bottom Velocity

1 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.2 0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.6

Velocity (m/s)

Operating Frequency

(Above) Syrinx outputs high resolution velocity computations in X, Y and Z (Janus) or beam orientation.

(Below) Syrinx’s ADCP capability has been proven in trials at our test facility in Plymouth and independently by a leading UK university.

0

AFT - STBD Radial velocity (mm) 400

5

Environmental

Depth Rating

Housing Material

3,000 m, 4,000 m or 6,000 m Aluminium or Titanium

300 10

200

15

100 0

20

–100 –200

Hardware

Communications Internal Logging

Concurrent RS232 and Ethernet 64 GB Internal Memory

The instrument can store a lot of data that can be rapidly downloaded via the Ethernet connection using the embedded FTP server. The webserver makes it simple to configure using any PC with a web browser – so no PC software is required.”

Baseline: Does it link into other products you offer?

SP: “Certainly. Sonardyne is now the only company that make high accuracy acoustic positioning systems, inertial navigation systems

“Having an intimate understanding of the instrument allows us to provide the best possible subsea navigation solution using tightly integrated DVL, INS and acoustics.”

(SPRINT) and a DVL under one roof. Coupling them together in the right way mechanically is an advantage, but tightly coupling them together at the data level enables a world of advantages that no one has properly explored yet. Getting all your subsea navigation technology from the same company also has tremendous commercial, service and support advantages for our customers.”

30 35

Depth (m)

25

6000

–300 –400 OBS# 6100

6200

6300

6400

6500

6600

6700

DN: “The ultimate performance differential of Syrinx will be realised when tightly coupled to our SPRINT INS. It’s a two-way relationship with Syrinx providing beam velocity data to SPRINT and in return, SPRINT aiding the DVL with information to ensure bottom lock is maintained even in the most difficult environments.”

Baseline: When do you expect to have a final product to go to market with?

SP: “Pre-production units are being readied for field evaluation trials with key customers in a range of deployment scenarios over the coming months. The product feedback will be incorporated into a full scale production run planned for this autumn. We are also looking for feedback on customers own requirements and applications. At Sonardyne we are good at customising our technology for particular customers’ needs. Syrinx is designed to be scaleable and flexible.

So we will make bespoke versions, different frequencies and integrate into other peoples systems as the market demands.”

DN: “This is a really exciting time for us and our customers. Echoing what Simon said earlier, with the arrival of Syrinx, it completes another piece of the Sonardyne product jigsaw. We are now uniquely placed to offer high accuracy acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, sonar, communications and now velocity from a single and trusted supplier.” BL

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Baseline Âť Issue 13

Subsea Asset Monitoring Technology: Monitoring, Data Capture and Analysis

SMART SUBSEA DATA FOR SMARTER DECISION MAKING

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Telemetry Sonardyne 6G enabled instruments have a full acoustic modem capability.

The advanced Wideband 2 telemetry inside is designed to be highly adaptive to ensure robust performance in all environmental conditions and water depths.

3 Data Loggers Sonardyneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acoustic Data Loggers are ideal for well appraisal projects, where frequent downhole pressure and temperature readings need to be logged over several weeks.

ROV portability enables the units to be easily redeployed to other wells, making them a cost-effective solution for reservoir evaluation.

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Having access to qualified and regularly updated knowledge about the integrity of your subsea assets and reservoir conditions is of utmost importance for making the right decisions at the right time. The solution is continuous subsea surveillance and monitoring throughout the life of field. Global business manager for Subsea Asset Monitoring, Stephen Fasham, reviews Sonardyne’s capabilities and describes how they’re creating smarter links between the seabed and the analyst’s desktop.

>>

4 SMART The new Subsea Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Transponder (SMART) brings together low power electronics, long duration data logging, subsea data processing and acoustic telemetry into a single, easily deployed instrument.

2 Application Solutions In this example, Sonardyne’s monitoring, positioning and remote control equipment is mounted along the entire length of a pipe bundle. Data including pipe pressure, tow tension and heading can all be captured, with a less than 30 second update rate.

5 Leak Detection Automatic Leak Detection Sonar (ALDS) actively monitors hydrocarbon leaks around subsea oil and gas assets in more than one billion cubic feet of seawater, with 360° of coverage from a single mounted sensor location.The system can detect multiphase leaks below 1 barrel per day at ranges in excess of 500 metres in deep water.

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Baseline Âť Issue 13

Subsea Asset Monitoring Technology: Monitoring, Data Capture and Analysis

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monitoring is to understand how subsea systems are performing, as well as enabling faults to be detected at an early stage. The data generated by monitoring systems needs to be analysed in order to determine if the integrity of the system is jeopardised and decide on what potential actions should be performed. This analysis can be carried out at the surface, but in some cases, where large data volumes are generated subsea, moving the data processing subsea enables systems to operate autonomously â&#x20AC;&#x201C; warning the operator when predefined thresholds are exceeded. By managing the data actively, systems can have long operating times whilst still being battery operated.

For example, risers for both drilling and production are increasingly requiring robust, long-term instrumentation to give manufacturers, contractors and operators a real-time scorecard on the cyclic abuse Mother Nature dishes out, and how much remaining life is in their equipment as a result. Information including; position, inclination and water current profile for risers, riser towers, mooring lines and turret buoys can be determined using multi-function Sonardyne 6G HE PURPOSE OF

transponders as part of an integrity monitoring solution.

The value of the monitoring system can be enhanced by connecting external sensors which use the transponders to telemeter data to the topside for analysis. By way of example, ultrasonic corrosion monitoring allows users to determine the current extent and predict the future corrosion of the metallic parts of the structure.

As the capability of monitoring equipment improves, and the benefits for production efficiency and savings on inspection and maintenance regimes are demonstrated, asset monitoring looks set to be a growth sector for the future.

Data Telemetry Solutions Subsea wireless telemetry is useful in the oil and gas industry where subsea valves and actuators need to be controlled or monitored at the surface. Sonardyne has an unrivalled portfolio of acoustic and non-acoustic wireless communications technologies and systems for use in the harshest of offshore environments.

Our acoustic systems are proven to perform robustly in areas of high ambient noise and reverberation caused by proximity to vessels, subsea structures and ROVs. For this reason, we are repeatedly called upon to

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Sonardyne 6G positioning and telemetry instruments installed to provide high update rate pipe bundle monitoring and precise laydown positioning.

Baseline » Issue 13

provide clients with equipment and systems where high reliability is imperative. Our 6th generation (6G) acoustic instruments, which are the basis of our acoustic communications solutions, provide unprecedented levels of flexibility in terms of frequency, transmission power level and user data transfer rate.

The versatility of 6G enables Sonardyne to tailor the equipment configuration to match the application as well as the prevailing acoustic conditions. Where telemetry needs are allied to a positioning requirement – often the case when working with Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels – a Sonardyne USBL positioning transceiver can double-up as a data modem. Should the monitoring system only require wireless data transfer, the surface transceiver can be a winch-deployed dunker. Options for subsea transponders are extensive, and include long-life battery packs and

“For the first time, BlueComm enables customers to collect large payloads of sensor data without needing to recover instrumentation to the surface. BlueComm has been used to recover sensor data from subsea observatories at depths of over 2,000 metres.” housing materials matched to the deployment location; warm or cold, deep or shallow.

As well as point-to-point links, Sonardyne is also able to provide solutions beyond the normal range of a single acoustic communication link. Data hopping along a chain of subsea units significantly extends range, with systems in the field connecting wellhead sensors to vessels over 10 kilometres away through difficult seabed conditions.

A more recent addition to the Sonardyne communications product portfolio is BlueComm, which adds Free Space Optical (FSO) communications to established acoustic products. BlueComm uses high power LED emitters to provide data links with up to 20 Mbps bandwidth, over distances up to 200 metres. For the first time, BlueComm enables customers to collect large payloads of sensor data without needing to recover instrumentation to the surface. BlueComm has been used to recover sensor data from subsea observatories at depths of over 2,000 metres.

The high data rate has also been demonstrated for wireless transmission of high definition video signals, providing the option for ROVs to deploy remote wireless cameras and observe complex operations from multiple viewpoints. BlueComm has also demonstrated its capability for tetherless vehicle control, where it can be integrated with an acoustic system to provide longer range communications and/ or backup should the optical channel be disrupted.

BlueComm is a game changer. It has moved subsea communications systems from the equivalent of dial-up to broadband. By making high speed wireless connections a reality, BlueComm opens up new applications where wired systems are impractical or unaffordable.

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Application Solutions Whilst our 6G telemetry products can be used ‘simply’ to transfer data from external sensors, where we differ from other acoustic communications providers is in how we use our engineering capability to take leading products and systems and evolve them to meet the changing needs of our customers. That includes integration of third party sensors and systems that interface to external systems. It’s what many would call ‘a complete application solution.’

An example of one such application is the provision of acoustic monitoring systems for pipeline bundle tow operations. Engineering requirements here are complex, requiring positioning and monitoring transponders to be mounted at regular intervals along the entire length of the pipe bundle.

This aids in control of the shape of the bundle, as well as providing pipe pressure, tow tension, heading, roll and pitch from inertial sensors and flooding valve control. All this with a less than 30 second update rate – as data is relayed acoustically up the pipeline to the tug or survey boat. This particular technique is now tried and tested, having been used for many years for pipeline bundles which can now be as long as10 kilometres.

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(Above) A (red) Sonardyne AMT interfaced to a ADCP for data acquisition.

(Below) Deployment of an AUV equipped with BlueComm.

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Baseline » Issue 13

Subsea Asset Monitoring Technology: Monitoring, Data Capture and Analysis

Downhole sensor loggers By definition, a standalone data logger is a data capturing device that, once initialised, can log automatically data and store it in its on-board memory. Data stored in memory can be ‘harvested’ acoustically and downloaded into a computer for analysis to provide information on the history of parameters or events.

Sonardyne’s Acoustic Data Logger has a track record of more than 25 years of successful installations, with the current generation incorporating Sonardyne’s Wideband acoustic technology in a design which allows the subsea unit to be deployed and retrieved by an ROV. When combined with the feature of ROV portability, the system is the ideal solution for initial well appraisal, where frequent downhole pressure and temperature readings need to be logged over a period of a few weeks. These units can then be redeployed to another well, making them a very cost-effective solution for reservoir evaluation.

However, the new system is equally suitable for long-term deployments where it can be left installed on a wellhead – logging data for several years without intervention.

The subsea unit can be interfaced to all industry standard downhole gauges, whilst custom interfaces can be supplied on request. Logging intervals can be varied by acoustic command from 1minute to 7 days, a feature governed by the battery power consumed by the gauges and interface circuitry each time a measurement is made. Using a standard battery, the life will be greater than two years if gauges are read only a few times per day, but may reduce to a few weeks if gauges are read every few minutes.

The flexibility of the system enables additional external battery packs to be added by an ROV to Sonardyne data loggers, enabling them to meet the widest range of downhole monitoring needs.

3

SMART One of the limitations of acoustic monitoring systems is the restricted bandwidth of the data link. That being said, great strides have been made with the last two generations of Sonardyne product, evolving them to a point where user data rates can now be as high as 9,000 bps with reliable connections.

However, the fundamental physics of the acoustic channel means that further advances in data rate will be limited. The addition of new platforms such as BlueComm are one way of overcoming this constraint, along with Sonardyne continuously working on ways of making that limited channel work harder, or we could say ‘smarter’ for their customers.

Part of that continuous development is the Subsea Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Transponder or SMART unit. A new development from Sonardyne, the unit builds on the 6G instrument platform but adds a new layer of data processing to enable more intelligent subsea systems. SMART is a flexible platform which can be outfitted with a wide range of internal sensors including pressure, temperature, inclinometers and accelerometers, to name just a few. It is also capable of interfacing to external sensors (digital and analogue) such as chemical sniffers, strain gauges and Doppler current profilers.

Where SMART is different is that the functionality doesn’t stop at secure logging. With redundant storage of sensor data, information

4

Make the SMART move SMART brings together low power electronics, long duration data logging, subsea data processing and acoustic telemetry into a single, easily deployed instrument. Plus, it has the flexibility to interface with a wide range of internal and external sensors and other data sources to provide operators with key data.

Advanced Acoustic Telemetry SMART shares its acoustic telemetry module and transducer technology with the award-winning Compatt 6. Utilising Sonardyne Wideband 2, SMART can transmit acoustic data at rates up to 9,000 bps to Sonardyne’s existing range of topside transceivers.

Advanced Data Acquisition and Processing System (ADAPS) ADAPS is the heart of SMART. As a highly capable processor, it can run sophisticated user specified algorithms, as well as simple data analyses such as Min/Max/Mean statistics and thresholding for alarms and critical event reporting.

Data Logging and Processing A low power data logger is a key ingredient of SMART, enabling data received from external and internal sources to be securely archived using redundant storage. SMART processes raw data subsea to provide value added functions.

Bite Size Data By reducing high bandwidth sensor data to small critical packets, SMART enhances users’ knowledge of the subsea world.

By efficiently managing power consumption, long deployment times can be achieved from the internal battery pack.

Power SMART is available with a choice of alkaline or long-life lithium battery packs to suit operational deployment requirements.

Flexible Data Acquisition SMART includes digital and analogue inputs which can be configured to connect to multiple data sources. Internal sensors are available for motion measurement, including accelerometers, angular rate sensors and inclinometers, along with standard and high precision pressure and temperature sensors. External sensors can be interfaced as well.

Baseline » Issue 13

“Subsea Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Transponder – or SMART – is a new development from Sonardyne. The unit builds on the 6G instrument platform, but adds a new layer of data processing to enable more intelligent subsea systems.” can be processed within the unit to produce summary data from simple statistical averages through frequency domain analysis, to more sophisticated processing using complex algorithms. These can either be created by Sonardyne or provided by customers. The summary data can then be transmitted at regular intervals to a topside system giving the customer near real-time information about the condition of whatever the SMART unit is monitoring.

The value of being able to get regular data updates, rather than waiting for periods of up to a year to get access to data from existing ROV retrievable logging units, can be significant for operators. The ability to reduce the level of conservatism applied to the design of structures, such as risers, through improved knowledge of fatigue life evolution, can result in much greater savings than the cost of the SMART units.

Other applications for SMART include pipeline commissioning and monitoring and, with its inherent flexibility, we’re still finding new places where SMART can help both existing and new customers.

Automatic Leak Detection Although all care is taken to ensure that subsea oil and gas structures and assets are protected and sealed against the dangers of hydrocarbon leaks, there still exists the danger of environmental damage occurring as a result of leaks. That’s why early detection of small leaks is vital. It prevents leaks from increasing in size and severity and allows companies to quickly take action to contain the spill, before it becomes an environmentally threatening and costly disaster.

The Automatic Leak Detection Sonar (ALDS) continuously monitors for hydrocarbon leaks around subsea oil and gas assets in more than one billion cubic feet of seawater, with 360° of coverage from a single mounted sensor location. The system is very sensitive and is capable of detecting multiphase leaks below 1 barrel per day at ranges in excess of 500 metres in deep water. All of which can be achieved without the need for skilled sonar operators to constantly monitor the system.

Sonardyne ALDS functions as an active sonar by projecting a short duration, high bandwidth ultrasonic pulse into the water and listening for echoes from any objects such as subsea structures, ROVs or hydrocarbon leaks. The advanced software in ALDS is then capable of differentiating and localising a potential leak from all the other sonar targets. When such a leak is detected, ALDS then automatically produces an audible and visible alarm. Data on the leak size and position are shown on a display and can also be exported to other monitoring or control systems via an Ethernet link.

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Looking to the future Although we’ve been extracting oil and gas offshore since the ‘70s, for much of that time we’ve had very little information about the condition and performance of the subsea equipment and structures that are part of that process. The developments that Sonardyne has been part of in the last few years, have made accessing this information a more realistic and affordable option. However, there is still a long way to go.

If we compare the oil and gas sector to comparative capital intensive industries – power generation and aerospace spring to mind – we are still playing ‘catch-up’. The latest generation of aero engines have up to 5,000 monitoring points, with data from the worldwide fleet all being analysed 24/7 by the manufacturers. With the advent of high data rate technologies such as BlueComm, and the ability to analyse data in-situ through tools such as SMART, we at Sonardyne are working with our customers to close that gap.

The potential benefits are great; longer equipment life, higher production rates and reduced intervention costs, all of which contribute to the bottom line. Monitoring makes sense, subsea, as much as it does in the sky! BL

5

(Above) Sonardyne’s Acoustic Data Logger has a 25 year track record; the current 6G design allows the unit to be deployed and retrieved by an ROV. (Below) ALDS installed on a deepwater production template.The system is capable of detecting leaks of less than 1 barrel per day.

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Baseline » Issue 13

Ocean Science Case Study: Lightweight Release Transponders

Sonardyne’s LRTs punch

above their weight for Luode Consulting

FINLAND

Loviisa Helsinki Esbo

RUSSIA

Gulf of Finland RUSSIA ESTONIA

hey may be lightweight in name, but Sonardyne’s Lightweight Release Transponders (LRTs) are true heavyweights when it comes to performing as acoustic release transponders.

With a depth rating of 500 metres, a high safe working load, long battery life and a highly reliable screw-off release mechanism which ensures a positive release to overcome any bio-fouling, the Type 7986 possesses all the essential characteristics that users demand.

Interestingly, unlike similar low-cost release transponders, LRTs also have both receive and transmit functions, enabling accurate slant ranges to be measured, release actuation to be confirmed and their position to be accurately determined.

LRTs are controlled using the Type 7967 Deck Unit which is initially used to program the acoustic identity of the LRT, test the transponder and load the release

T

nut prior to deployment. Once deployed, the deck unit can measure ranges to the transponder and prior to sending a secure release command, relocate the transponder.The deck unit can be controlled via RS232, enabling raw range data to be logged to a PC. LRTs are also compatible with Sonardyne's ROV-Homer and Homer-Pro target relocation systems. Deployed at a point of interest, the LRT can be interrogated, weeks or years later, to provide range and direction guidance to a ROV pilot or diver wishing to home back on to it.

Field proven Of course they say to fully test something, you first need to experience it. And when it comes to evidence-based displays of its abilities, this versatile acoustic instrument has proven itself time and time again in the field in some of the most inhospitable conditions.

That’s why Luode Consulting, a

Finnish-based environmental monitoring company chose Sonardyne LRTs to support its water and ice quality research in Scandinavia. Using them to deploy and recover specialist recording instruments, Luode Consulting has now completed over 350 studies across the region, including under-ice thickness profiling and water cooling monitoring close to nuclear power stations, without a single failure or instrument loss.

During winter, sea ice plays a crucial environmental and economic role for many Scandinavian countries, affecting everything from fishing, walking and skiing, to the ice roads that connect remote communities. Continuous year-round water quality monitoring ensures that the impact from offshore and nuclear energy industry activities upon ice formation, together with naturally occurring phenomena, can be closely observed.

Instrument moorings To collect data for its research, Luode

Baseline » Issue 13

Consulting uses instruments such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) moored on the seabed using Sonardyne LRTs. At the end of the study period, the instruments and their valuable data are recovered by transmitting an acoustic signal from the surface to the LRT to activate its release mechanism, thereby allowing all the equipment to

“Luode Consulting has now completed over 350 studies... without a single failure or instrument loss.” float back up to the surface.

“In Scandinavia, environmental permissions require nuclear power station operators to monitor how the water used to cool reactors behaves when reintroduced into the open sea,” explained Antti Lindfors, Director of Marine Applications at Luode Consulting.

“For these campaigns, including over 50

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under-ice installations to date, we place multiple LRT instrument strings in waters surrounding nuclear power plants.We can deploy them either before the ice season starts or after the ice has formed using ice breaker vessels. Using the LRTs, we have been able to create monitoring networks without the need for divers or traditional surface buoys – these are impossible to use during these projects due to ice movement.”

Long term deployment Many of the deployments carried out by Luode Consulting last weeks or months, however the LRT’s long battery life provides its researchers with the option to deploy instruments for several years if required to do so.

In one example for a long term environmental monitoring study in the Baltic Sea, Luode Consulting deployed LRTs at over 30 locations along the route of a new pipeline, some close to where pipelay barges and support vessels were

operating and some during the ice cover season.

“The LRT’s long endurance and ability to both receive and transmit acoustic signals made it particularly suitable for use on our work in the Baltic,” continued Antti.“We only had a limited period of daylight to recover each mooring.

Since the LRTs provide confirmation that they have released and enable two way range measurements to be made, we were able to track each mooring up to the surface, quickly locate it and recover it onboard.”

Sonardyne LRTs at a glance: • Safe working load of 125 kg • Depth rated to 500 metres • Over 4 years deployment with longlife lithium battery pack • Thousands of secure identities; field programmable with deck unit • Reliable ‘screw-off’ release • Rugged, compact design

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Baseline » Issue 13

Construction Survey Product Focus: SPRINT – Subsea aided inertial navigation for ROVs and AUVs Precision: Extending the reach of your operations SPRINT makes optimal use of acoustic aiding data from USBL and LBL positioning. The SPRINT final position is also enhanced through the aiding of other sensors such as a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and a depth sensor. This improves position precision, short term accuracy, reliability and integrity whilst reducing operational time and vessel costs, extending the operating limits of USBL and the efficiency of LBL. The additional integrity of the INS significantly reduces delays during periods of challenging subsea acoustic conditions, with the high output update rate allowing for improved subsea vehicle control and positioning.

SPRINT has been developed with flexibility and expandability included by design.

As Malik Chibah, INS Group Manager at Sonardyne explains, you can upgrade to INS and switch capability as your needs grow, and with pay-as-you-go pricing, you only pay for the features you need.

LODESTAR AHRS

Scalability: Switch to INS and back again Demands and timescales of your operations scale and flex. So why then shouldn’t your ROV’s navigation solution? The Lodestar hardware inside SPRINT has been developed with flexibility and expandability included by design. The same hardware can be used as a premium survey grade vehicle gyro, and an acoustically aided INS for subsea survey and construction. Upgrade and switch capability when your application demands it with remotely activated in-field upgrades. And because you only pay for the services you use, it’s the most cost-effective and low risk solution on the market.

Gyroscopes and Accelerometers: Performance and reliability that’s out of this world If you’ve flown on a commercial airliner in the past 10 years, it’s likely the aircraft used the same gyroscopes and accelerometers as employed

by SPRINT to get you to your destination safely. Even NASA’s Rosetta space probe, which navigated more than 6.4 billion kilometres with amazing precision to rendezvous with a comet, used the same sensors as SPRINT. But not only are SPRINT’s ring laser gyros and accelerometers precise, they are also dependable. Life programmes conducted by the

UPGRADE KIT

A premium grade all-in-one gyrocompass and motion sensor developed for subsea vehicle applications that require the precise measurement of heading, heave, roll, and pitch in a highly dynamic environment. Back-up battery and onboard memory ensures that motion sensing is maintained during vehicle brown-outs. Upgradeable to SPRINT S5 and S10 inertial navigation plans.

Lodestar AHRS Features • High output rate (100 Hz+) • All computation inside Lodestar unit • Uses Ring Laser Gyroscopes resilient to temperature and vibration • Topside connection via a single RS232 or Ethernet connection • Battery backup • Onboard data storage provides redundant storage of log files • AHRS always available regardless of aiding

LODESTAR SPRINT S5

Improve the speed and efficiency of subsea vehicle operations with high quality SPRINT inertial measurements aided by your USBL. Position targets in any water depth, over long laybacks and during challenging acoustic conditions. High update rate allows greater vehicle control and is suitable as an ROV DP station keeping input. USBL vendor independent.

Lodestar S5 Features • Dual AHRS and Acoustically Aided INS algorithms • Resilience to outliers • Vendor independent USBL aiding • DVL aiding (User auto configuration) • Pressure depth aiding • Subsea multiplexer (Raw sensor feeds available topside) • Course or fine time synch (ZDA or ZDA+1PPS) options • Full navigation outputs available • Flexible configuration for all aiding sensors (Configurable lever arms, DVL calibration routine)

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US-based manufacturer running over 15 years have demonstrated Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) in excess of 400,000 hours for both gyroscopes and accelerometers – several times more than comparable fibre optic and monolithic ring laser gyro sensors.

Track Record: Saving time and money around the world It’s in real world situations during high value projects that SPRINT proves its worth. Allseas, Bibby, Fugro, iSurvey and Saipem, to name a few, continuously invest in Sonardyne’s SPRINT technology for their operations and the results show. Bibby Offshore used SPRINT to assist in a variety of inspection, repair and maintenance surveys using deep-rated ROVs. Installed as standard items on their ROVs, Bibby Offshore realised the benefits of increasing the accuracy of all ROV positioning activities, along with more efficient data processing. Norwegian survey and positioning specialists, iSURVEY Group AS, chose to invest in SPRINT to support its ROV surveys and deep water marine construction activities. The purchase followed trials of the system in the North Sea, during which SPRINT was subjected to a detailed technical appraisal and delivered immediate cost savings and major operational benefits.

Applications, Applications, Applications: SPRINT supports it The versatility offered by SPRINT means that whatever your subsea operation, SPRINT will make a positive impact upon it; extending your capability, saving time and reducing the risk of operational errors. Here are some applications that SPRINTs are supporting worldwide; ROV and towfish positioning, hydrographic survey, offshore construction, trenching, multibeam survey, ROV DP mid-water station keeping, touchdown monitoring and structure placement. What will you do with yours?

All in one Unit: Simple to install, always ready SPRINT comprises of Lodestar subsea hardware installed on the ROV

REMOTE UPGRADE

LODESTAR SPRINT S10

Upgrade to SPRINT S10 and enjoy the time and cost saving benefits of our most advanced subsea INS. Improves LBL efficiency by using full or sparse seabed arrays (2 to 3 beacons) without sacrificing precision.

Aiding from vehicle-mounted sensors such as DVLs further improves precision, accuracy and the reliability of the navigation solution.

which is interfaced using a single serial or Ethernet connection through the vehicle’s umbilical to a topside computer running the monitoring and display software. All navigation algorithms are processed subsea, so that Lodestar can maintain its dual capability of inertial navigation (INS) and attitude / heading (AHRS) measurement capability, even if there is a loss of communications from the surface or vehicle-supplied power.

Vendor Independent: Built for 6G, and many more Sonardyne’s Sixth Generation (6G) vessel-based acoustic transceivers and subsea transponders maximise the performance of SPRINT by providing the most precise and reliable acoustic aiding input. Whilst the USBL aiding from Sonardyne Ranger 2 ensures an optimal acoustic / inertial integration, SPRINT can accept position aiding from any USBL system vendor that uses correctly time-stamped positions in an industry standard telegram.

Instant INS: Out the blocks and straight to work With two sources of heading and attitude for quality control and an instantaneous INS start, no lengthy North alignment period for SPRINT is required. In fact, that period can be cut from around 20 minutes to just five and can be performed during normal vehicle movement. With the addition of a DVL that can be mounted anywhere on the ROV and calibrated subsea, a 0.1% position error for distance travelled (<1m error after 1km travelled) can be achieved.

Global Support: Planning makes perfect Any subsea operation has the potential to throw up the unexpected.

To ensure that every project is a success, our INS experts are there when you need them. They are supported by a global team of experienced engineers on-call 24/7, ready to travel anytime. So if you need help, don’t wait till it’s too late. Pick up the phone and call. BL

SPRINT AT A GLANCE

• Flexible and easy to use software provided for configuration and monitoring – INS expert knowledge not required

Lodestar S10 Features

• Extends the operating limits of USBL and increases the efficiency of LBL positioning

All the features of SPRINT S5 plus:

• Provided with serial and Ethernet communications hub

• Tightly coupled Fusion 6G LBL aiding • Sparse array capability • Zero velocity (ZUPT) aiding for precise static positioning

• Historical quality control and diagnostics provided • Optional upgrade to provide post processed navigation – helps improve navigation and correct real time errors • Speeds-up ROV operations and ultimately saves vessel time • Vendor-independent USBL aiding • Comprehensive operational support and training available

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Community The Sonardyne Foundation

Sonardyne has been supporting engineering education in a modest way for a decade or so, by sponsoring students through university engineering courses and funding post-graduate research projects.

The Company has also funded ‘outreach’ programmes, with university lecturers going into schools to foster interest in engineering among younger children.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE,TODAY

(Top) Professor Robert Winston at the opening of the Sonardyne Centre, Alton College in November 2013. (Above) The Sonardyne Centre building.

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B

ACK IN 2012, a bigger opportunity

presented itself at a local Hampshire sixthform school, Alton College, which has a very good reputation for teaching engineering and design technology to 16 to 18-year olds. The College had well-equipped but cramped workshops in which students undertook personal design-and-build projects, from concept to finished prototype, using a wide variety of technologies. With an unsatisfied demand for these courses, the school governors had the vision to plan and commence construction of a new “Engineering and Design and Technology” building. By the time the building’s foundations were rising, the recession resulted in loss of funding and construction work was halted.

In 2011, with no prospect of government funding being re-instated, and the exposed foundations and steelwork deteriorating, the College either had to bury the foundations, or raise the money to re-start the construction work. The College secured the backing of the locallyresident Chairman of Rolls-Royce to launch an appeal in January 2012, and this came to the attention of John Partridge, Chairman and Founder of Sonardyne. Now John remembers with affection his time as an apprentice at Rolls-Royce in Bristol, though it was then the Bristol Aeroplane Company’s Engine Division and Rolls-Royce were competitors.

So John and his wife Betsan made a donation to the appeal and persuaded the Board of Sonardyne International to match their donation.

While waiting for the appeal to raise sufficient money to re-start the building work, Sonardyne forged closer relations with Alton College, with Director Graham Brown giving lectures, and with John and other staff giving technical support to student projects.

“Let’s just get on with it” Towards the end of 2012, it was obvious that it would take years to raise the money, so John suggested to the College Appeal Manager, Rebecca Stotesbury-Galhardi, “Let’s just get on with it. By the beginning of the next academic year, you can be teaching 100 extra students in a really modern and inspiring building.” So John secured the backing of the Board of Sonardyne International to underwrite the whole cost of completing the building.

Fortunately, a survey revealed that the exposed steelwork was all in good condition and the original builder was immediately available.

So construction re-started at the beginning of January 2013 and the building was opened by Professor Robert Winston in November. The vision and planning of The Principal, Jane Machell, and the Board of Governors, together with the architect’s imaginative design, has resulted in a building that is an attraction in itself, a pleasure to teach in, and has encouraged many more students to take up engineering-related subjects.

Sonardyne’s only suggested change of specification for the building was to upgrade the planned education-grade machine tools to professional machine tools as used in Sonardyne’s own machine shop.

The Head of Engineering at the College, Adrian Dee, has been delighted with the capabilities of these machines. The college kindly named the building ‘Sonardyne Centre’, which makes all employees proud to have their contribution to the community recognised.

The birth of The Sonardyne Foundation Meanwhile, John decided to set up a charity as a basis for permanent support for engineering education, and donate to a wider range of causes which the Board fully supported.

It is intended that the charity will eventually be independent of Sonardyne, but it presently relies on donations out of the Company’s profits to build up sufficient funds to invest and provide a regular income for the charity’s future. The focus now is to seek out students to sponsor, paying their university tuition fees on engineering courses, so helping them avoid indebtedness for many years into their careers. For its own contribution to undergraduate education, the Company offers vacation work in the Engineering Department and year-long industrial placements.

The Sonardyne Foundation has also recently commenced donations to the Royal Institution, once Michael Faraday’s home and laboratory, to support three years of Masterclasses in Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science for children around the South East of England.

Apprenticeships and Foundation Degrees In Sonardyne’s early years, the Company employed ready-trained ex-apprentices from the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough.

But the RAE suffered from government cut-backs and apprenticeships were gradually reduced. For many years now, new production staff have been trained through traditional apprenticeships at Sonardyne, but design engineers have been recruited directly from universities or industry.

“The Foundation has recently commenced donations to the Royal Institution, to support three years of Masterclasses for children around the South East of England.”

Recently Sonardyne started offering Student Apprenticeships for potential design engineers. This is linked to three year Foundation Degree courses with academic engineering subjects taught at college on a dayrelease basis, similar to Student Apprenticeships common in 1950s UK. But the history of work-place engineering education in the UK goes back to the 1920s and 1930s. After the First World War, start-up companies in the new technology of aviation had to train their own aerodynamicists, designer draftsmen, stressmen etc., and so set up training schools. An apprentice from the De Havilland Aircraft Company, went on to head engineering at GE’s aero-engine division. Designers from companies such as Miles Aircraft and Airspeed all had their own training schools and some of their designers went on to prominent positions in Boeing. By the late 1950s, the Bristol Aeroplane Company had thousands of apprentices on the payroll, but due to the slimmingdown of manufacturing in the UK, the surplus of trained employees for smaller companies dried up.

Sonardyne’s Student Apprentice scheme is in its early days and experienced staff still have to learn to mentor and teach potential design engineers, but this applies to all technology-based companies wanting to succeed in the future. BL

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International News from our Regions Around the World Brazil – Rio das Ostras

increased demand for our SPRINT USBL and LBL product in Construction and Survey operations off the back of the increased popularity of Lodestar GyroUSBL. Whatever your requirements in whatever industry, we’re geared to provide the subsea acoustic and inertial technologies that help deliver successful projects from start to finish.

6G leads the way Richard Binks Offshore Business Development Director

Training to succeed Here in Brasil, project engineering remains at a high level of prominence, and we’ll continue to invest in people by building the knowledge of our field engineers via internal training programmes. Part of that process is to rotate our field engineers so they spend a few weeks every year working in the UK with our senior engineers – learning from the best.

All roads lead to inertial There is commitment in the region to extend the use of inertial navigation technology to help position vessels, rigs and ROVs. Older dynamically positioned vessels are all being upgraded to full or partial integrated inertial/acoustic systems.

Sonardyne’s Marksman DP-INS is now a standard solution to meet these specifications and can be seen at work across the region. It delivers significant operational efficiencies for all users, reduces risk and extends vessel capability. ■

With instability in oil prices, the oil and gas industry are being hard pressed to cut back on operational expenses. With that in mind, the spotlight continues to fall on Sonardyne 6G equipment as it successfully proves its worth in improving efficiency and reliability and providing major financial savings on operational scenarios. That along with our proven track record in reliable, robust and time saving operations has seen our region remaining active in many subsea projects as we remain the informed choice for a growing number of oil and gas companies going forward. ■

Barry Cairns VP Europe and Africa

It’s challenging times In 2015, we’re looking to build on the positives of 2014 which saw business growth throughout the region. Encouraging signs are already there as we’re witnessing

USA – Houston

SE Asia – Singapore Simon Reeves Senior Vice President

Committed to health and safety

Anthony Gleeson Vice President

Widening our Scope UK – Aberdeen

Technology (NIOT) in India. Able to be deployed to depths of up to seven thousand metres, the system has been used by NIOT to remotely monitor for the changes in water pressure that may indicate a tsunami is on its way before triggering an alarm to alert vulnerable communities. With powerful undersea earthquakes that cause tsunamis affecting coastal communities, NIOT and other similar institutes around the world are recognising that early detection using Sonardyne’s easy to deploy technology can help prevent wide-scale loss of life.■

Late last year we appointed Scope Engineering as our agents in Australasia and surrounding territories. Since then, their team has collaborated with us on several commercial opportunities within subsea asset monitoring, exploration and reservoir surveillance, ocean science, vessel positioning and offshore drilling. We look forward to them helping us further expand our regional offering and assisting clients to reduce risk, minimise costs and improve capability.

10 reliable years of tsunami detection This year marks the 10th anniversary of the use of Sonardyne’s tsunami detection system by the National Institute of Ocean

Following Sonardyne Brasil Ltda and Sonardyne Asia Pte Ltd offices receiving OHSAS 18001 HSE accreditation last year, we’re proud to say we’ve been awarded the same status. It shows our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our staff by taking the necessary steps to minimise the risk of incidents and accidents occurring as we conduct business operations.We believe that this level of dedication will also benefit our commercial partners going forward too.

Strengthening the team To bolster our support for the Survey and Construction market here in the Gulf of Mexico, Mark Chiddy has joined our commercial team. Mark brings a wealth of business development experience gleaned from his time spent as a surveyor and operations manager with leading companies such as Thales and Fugro (South Africa), Operatec (Angola) and Pisces Offshore Ltd (Nigeria). His qualifications include a BSc in Survey Engineering and he has already proven to be a major asset to the business in the short time that he has been with us. ■

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Help & Advice

THE KNOW ?

HOW How to improve depth resolution when tracking at high elevation with a USBL system Together with other USBL tracking systems, Sonardyne’s USBL systems calculate beacon depth more reliably when the beacon is directly below the transceiver.

As the elevation angle of the beacon with respect to the transceiver increases from zero (directly below the transceiver),

Our highly experienced product specialists are available to help you maximise the performance from your Sonardyne technology. Get in touch: support@sonardyne.com

Getting the fastest position and sensor update rates When using Compatts and GyroCompatts, survey and construction LBL teams carrying out tasks such as mattress installation and structure monitoring, are always seeking to get the fastest possible acoustic updates from their Sonardyne equipment.

One technique to achieve this is to use two transceivers, for example, a ROVNav 6 and a Dunker 6. The first interfaced directly to Fusion for positioning (Easting, Northing), whilst the other is interfaced to the SensorView software for streaming sensor data. SensorView is excellent for seabed structure installations, returning approximately 1Hz sensor update rates.

You can use a 6G Compatt for positioning and a Lodestar 6G GyroCompatt for structure orientation.

For best performance when using both, separate the Positioning Compatt address and the Lodestar GyroCompatt address across the frequency band.

You will then be able to output SensorView data to Sonardyne Fusion or any other survey application using industry standard telegrams.This will significantly increase position/data update rate.

the accuracy of the computed depth solution will degrade. This is an effect caused by changing phase angles in the response signal as detected by the different receiver transducers in the transceiver head.

To improve depth resolution in high elevation tracking (> 30°) the operator is given the option to enable Depth Aiding.

This causes the depth sensor data from the beacon to be used in the navigation solution and will ensure that good depth resolution is achieved in difficult high elevation tracking scenarios.

SensorView software allows you to stream real-time subsea sensor data direct to your desktop.

Q “I have recently had a Sonardyne Deployment Machine and L/USBL transceiver fitted. Is there any maintenance I should be aware of?”

A Yes. After commissioning and start-up of the system, the L/USBL transceiver, deployment machine, and gate valve will need a minimum of preventative and corrective maintenance to ensure the correct operation of the machine and consistent acoustic performance from the transceiver.

The procedures can be carried out without affecting the calibration offsets (CASIUS) of the L/USBL transceiver.

We recommend that the maintenance which comprises visual inspections of bracing points and fixings, greasing routines, and also exercising of the moving parts (particularly the gate valve), is carried out on a monthly basis. Full details of these procedures can be obtained from our Customer Support team. From a purely operational point of view, failure to carry out the maintenance can lead to mechanical issues such as vibration of the pole which can have a significant impact on the performance of your system.

Carrying out the correct preventative maintenance routines can not only prolong the life of your deployment machine, but also greatly improves the performance of the acoustic system and reduce the risk of operational down time.

NOW IT’S IN OUR SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT RANGE. Introducing Syrinx. Our new 600 kHz Doppler Velocity Log that employs full linear signal processing to provide very low noise, high precision velocity measurements in a wide range of seabed bottom types and altitudes. Standard output telegrams make it simple to integrate Syrinx into third party navigation

systems, whilst concurrent Serial and Ethernet outputs support separate use by ROV and Survey teams.

With high accuracy acoustic positioning, aided inertial navigation and now DVL technology all under one roof, there’s now even more reason to put your trust in Sonardyne.

© Copyright Sonardyne International Limited. Specifications subject to change without notice. Printed 03/15

DVL NAVIGATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN OUR DNA .