Feature Technology Case Study Ever wondered how to ... · Colour repro by ProCo Print Ltd.Printed by ProCo Print Ltd.Every effort is made to ensure that information is correct at

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08FeatureEver wondered how to optimiseyour USBL positioning system?Sonardyne explains how

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16TechnologyJonathan Martin talks to Baseline about the challengesof bringing Lodestar to market

22ProductionThe people and processesinvolved in meeting record levelsof demand

26Case StudySonardyne Wideband onboardthe World's largest crane vesselin the Gulf of Mexico

Baseline

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Is Your Underwater Perimeter Secure?Sentinel Intruder Detection SonarSentinel is a new Intruder Detection Sonar designed for the protection of marine assets fromunderwater attack. Small and lightweight, Sentinel can be easily and quickly deployed in avariety of scenarios including: seafloor, jetty or from over the side of a vessel.

From a single node, Sentinel can be expanded into a fully networked solution with multipleheads that can be integrated into a remote Command and Control system that forms a securecost-effective perimeter. Sentinel’s automated detection, classification and tracking software isproven to minimise false alarms by ensuring only genuine threats trigger an alert. Find out howSentinel can protect your underwater perimeter, visit www.sonardyne.com

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04 News Products and People08 Feature USBL System Optimisation14 Photo Story Sound Surveyor Launch15 Hardware Focus On Transponders16 Technology Lodestar20 Case Study Shallow Water Construction

22 Our People Production Department26 Case Study Thialf Installation28 Technology DTU and SIPS Inline Unit30 International News around theworld31 Help & Advice Ask Dave

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Front CoverA buoy-mounted surfacetransceiver,part of Sonardyne’sTsunami Detection System.When an alert is triggered,an Inmarsat-C satellite terminalon the buoy relays data to ashore station from wherewarnings can be issued.

Back CoverA 5,000 metre rated subseaLodestar AHRS unitmanufactured from Ferralium.Turn to Page 16 for the storyof its development.

Marketing ManagerDavid Brown

Marketing Co-ordinatorAndrew Covey

Strategic Developmentand Marketing DirectorRob Balloch

Art DirectorMichael Lindley at TruthStudiowww.truthstudio.co.uk

PhotographyAstonleigh Studios,Alton,Hampshire, UKwww.astonleighstudio.co.uk(Pages 04, 05, 16, 18, 22, 24,25, 28, 29 and 31).

Baseline Magazine is editedby Rob Balloch with DavidBrown and Andrew Covey.

Published by SonardyneInternational Ltd. BlackbusheBusiness Park,Yateley,Hampshire GU46 6GD.United Kingdom.© Sonardyne InternationalLtd 2007.www.sonardyne.com

No part of this magazinemay be reproduced withoutpermission of the publisher.Colour repro by ProCo PrintLtd. Printed by ProCo PrintLtd. Every effort is made toensure that information iscorrect at time of goingto press.

WELCOME BACK TO Baseline, Sonardyne’s regular magazine

that presents the latest news, technology and insights into

our products and capabilities.

Since Issue 1, we’ve successfully launched Lodestar, our

new Inertial Navigation System. On Page 16, you can learn

more about the development of this exciting new product in

an interview with key members of the Lodestar engineering team.

In a detailed feature article starting on Page 08, we explain to users of USBL

systems how they can best optimise the performance from their equipment to ensure

success.The quality of reference sensors and deployment methods are amongst the

factors discussed.

Sentinel Intruder Detection Sonar (Page 07), is yet another example of the record

levels of investment the company is making at the moment. Designed to counter the

threat of underwater attacks against ships, ports and offshore installations, Sentinel is

the first of a new generation of maritime security products to be released by Sonardyne.

Unprecedented demand combined with almost impossible delivery deadlines.

Find out more about the challenges Operations Director Tim Moore and his team face

on Page 22.

Of course, we are not forgetting the continual development of Sonardyne

Wideband™. By far the largest single R&D effort is dedicated to developing improved

positioning capabilities that will enable us to deliver trusted solutions to all of our core

oil and gas markets now and well into the future.

As Baseline Issue 2 goes to press, we’re already on the look out for interesting

stories to bring you in Issue 3, until then, best wishes.

Rob Balloch, Editor

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04 Baseline » Issue 2

NEWS

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OUR PEOPLE

Richard Binksrejoins the teamI rejoined Sonardyne as Sales Director in

May this year! Sonardyne has seen

tremendous growth so it’s a fair question

as to why they needed my skills if they were

doing so well in my absence!

Part of the answer is about

understanding where we are on the offshore

industry’s typical cycles of boom and bust.

Current large forward order books are

difficult to see beyond, but a longer term

market vision is essential.This requires

a two way dialogue with our customers,

so hopefully I will be talking to many of

you directly.

Sonardyne has not only grown but

continues to build on its core skill set with

Gyro,Inertial and Sonar technologies.

Across all our busy offshore product sectors

we are seeing both demand and increasing

windows of opportunity. The growing

success story is Wideband with accuracies

at MF now setting new bench marks and

allied robust telemetry offering potential in

subsea control and integrated solutions.

“Sonardyne has not onlygrown but continues tobuild on its core skill set”

Going back to the industry “cycles”,

its definitely still boom!! We cannot throw

caution to the wind,but my role in quantifying

the market,will ensure that a “caution” factor

does not limit our resources.One thing I do

need, is a new crystal ball so if you still have

a clear one,please send it to me!!

Allseas choose Widebandfor KG-D6 Indian fielddevelopmentSonardyne Wideband continues to be the

positioning technology of choice for the

Swiss-based pipelay specialist Allseas Group.

The company’s latest order is for Long

BaseLine (LBL) hardware that includes a

substantial quantity of Wideband Compatt

5 acoustic transponders and five Data

Fusion Engines that will be used to support

both LBL and Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL)

subsea positioning operations.Two of

Sonardyne’s recently launched subsea

Lodestar attitude and heading reference

units have also been ordered and will be

used to aid the high accuracy installation

of structures on the seabed.

Allseas has specified that all of the

subsea equipment be rated to 5,000 metres

operating depth. Commenting on this

decision, Sonardyne’s Derek Donaldson

said:“This reflects Allseas’ belief that future

contracts will find them operating in

increasingly deeper waters. By investing in

appropriate acoustic positioning technology

now, the company believes that they can

future-proof their investment offering them

a competitive advantage when bidding for

complex deepwater operations.”

The new equipment will initially be

used to provide field wide positioning for

the Allseas fleet mobilised on the KG-D6

project for Reliance offshore India.Although

this work is expected to take place in water

depths averaging 1,000 metres,Allseas

surveyors anticipate that the size of the

project will result in considerable acoustic

congestion brought about by multiple

vessels operating within close proximity to

each other.“Overcoming this was a major

driver in the choice of Sonardyne

Wideband as the technology provides over

200 non-interfering navigation channels”

added Derek.

The use of Sonardyne’s unique ‘ping

stacking’ acoustic interrogation technique

was also said to be an influencing factor.

The method enables the USBL system to

transmit acoustic interrogations to subsea

transponders before the last reply was

received.This enables the operator / vessel

DP system to receive a position update

every second regardless of water depth.

Whilst ping stacking will not be used on the

initial deployment of the equipment in India

it will offer significant advantages when

installing structures in ultra deep water.

The Sonardyne equipment will be

mobilised onto vessels including Allseas’

new vessel Audacia, deepwater pipelay

vessel Lorelay and Highland Fortress

pipeline survey vessel. Solitaire, the World’s

largest pipelay vessel, was also upgraded

to Fusion Wideband USBL earlier in the year.

Baseline » Issue 2 05

Scout USBL has a new aluminium bronze

transceiver now supplied as standard.

The new design is shorter, more rugged

and offers dramatically better corrosion

resistance making it suitable for longer

term deployment. The design also offers

better protection to the transducer, and as

most Scouts are used as portable systems,

it comes with a collar to protect the

transducer during installation and storage

on or off the vessel.

The new mechanics, and recently

introduced easy to use software for Scout,

shows Sonardyne’s commitment to the

continuous improvement of its products.

Are you looking for a new career

challenge? Here at Sonardyne, we’re

always looking for highly motivated

and talented individuals to join our

team.Our website has details of how

to contact our HR department, together

with a list of current vacancies.

Aberdeen-based NCS Survey Ltd has

made its first major investment in

Sonardyne Wideband LBL. Formed in June

2005, NCS Survey has become the fastest

growing independent survey company in

the sector and has until now utilised

acoustic equipment hired in from rental

companies to support its activities.

Commenting on the order,Andy Gray,

managing director of NCS, said “We have

used Sonardyne equipment successfully on

subsea projects on many occasions and felt

that the time was now right for us to make

the investment.” He added “Our business is

expanding steadily and having our own LBL

equipment will give us greater flexibility

and the freedom to serve our clients even

more effectively.”

Pictured left to right during the Ocean BusinessExhibition in March:John Ramsden (Sonardyne),Chris Erni (NCS) and Derek Donaldson(Sonardyne)

Orange DPT transponders shown mounted on BOP and riser

New Scout USBLTransceiver

DEEP WATER DRILLING

Hakuryu 5 upgrades to MRAMS

NCS Survey invests in Wideband LBL

OUR PEOPLE

In a truly international

operation, Japan Drilling

have upgraded their

acoustic riser angle system

onboard the Hakuryu 5

to Ranger MRAMS.The

system is Sonardyne’s latest

generation Marine Riser

Angle Monitoring System

and utilises Wideband

signal technology to

provide robust telemetry

and riser/BOP positioning.

The MRAMS system

was shipped to the rig when

it was in the US, but was not

actually installed until May

when it was in dry dock in

Singapore.The rig then

sailed to Japan where,in

July,Sonardyne engineer

Nge Aik Moh set the system

to work and provided

operator training.

The rig’s crew were

reported to be impressed

by the ease of use of the

system and the reliability of

the BOP/riser angular data

provided by the wideband

telemetry signals.


NEWS

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PROJECT UPDATE

Tsunami system on watchin the Bay of Bengal

The Sonardyne tsunami detection system underwent stringent testing at the acoustic tank facility at NIOT, Chennai.Senior project engineer Nick Street fromSonardyne (pictured above) and Rangarajan from Elektronik Lab accompanied the NIOT team during the launch of the system

As Baseline goes to press,we’ve just heard that

our newly installed tsunami system successfully

detected a tsunami wave created by an

earthquake registering 6.2 on the Richter Scale

in the Bay of Bengal shortly before midnight

on 25th July.

In the last edition of Baseline, we reported

on the development of a system from

Sonardyne that is the first link in a chain of

communication systems that provide early

warning of an approaching tsunami wave.

Developed in response to the devastating

effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami,

the Sonardyne system is based upon a

Compatt 5 subsea transponder that uses

the latest Wideband acoustic signal

technology to provide dependable

communications through deep water.

If the Compatt detects the change in

water pressure that results from the minute

variation in sea level (as little as 1 centimetre

in 4000 metres depth depending on the

algorithm used) following an earthquake

in the deep ocean, and which travels at

hundreds of kilometres per hour and

providing a tsunami warning. It also reduces

the Compatt’s power consumption which

enables it to remain in continuous monitoring

mode on the seabed for up to four years.

Commenting on the installation,

Rangarajan from Elektronik Lab said:

“As a soon as the Compatts were on the

seabed, they began their standard tsunami

reporting sequence.That gave the NIOT

team onboard a great deal of confidence

in the Sonardyne technology and its

capabilities” he added.

perhaps leads to a 10 metre high tsunami

wave on a distant beach.

Following side-by-side trials of

competing systems in late 2006 and early

2007, the National Institute of Ocean

Technology of India (NIOT) chose

Sonardyne’s tsunami detection system for

its Bay of Bengal monitoring programme.

In March, engineers travelled to India to

oversee the deployment of the first two

systems in 2,700 metres and 3,500 metres

water depth. Over the coming months, a

further eight systems will be deployed in

the region to establish a complete network

of tsunami monitoring stations.

The use of Sonardyne’s new intelligent

Wideband technology has made it possible

for NIOT to increase the efficiency of the

through-water communication needed when

...STOP PRESS:TSUNAMI UPDATE...STOP PRESS TS


Sonardyne chose the Underwater Defence

Technology exhibition in Naples, Italy to

reveal to a surprised audience its new

Intruder Detection Sonar (IDS), Sentinel.

Designed to counter the threat of underwater

attacks against ships, harbours, coastal

industrial installations and offshore oil

platforms, the introduction of Sentinel follows

a major investment in engineering and

acoustic technology to create the world’s

smallest and best performing underwater

intruder detection sonar.

With a sonar head measuring just

44 centimetres tall by 33 centimetres

diameter, the Sentinel sonar array is

considerably smaller than any other system

currently available. It nevertheless provides

a full 360 degrees of coverage and is

capable of reliably detecting underwater

targets up to 900 metres away.Weighing just

35 kilogrammes the system can be

deployed in many different ways, including

over the vessel’s side, mounted rigidly or

in a seabed frame.

The reliable detection of underwater

targets and their discrimination from marine

mammals is a notoriously difficult problem.

Sentinel overcomes this challenge by

combining state-of-the-art sonar

technology, commercial off-the-shelf

(COTS) processing units and automated

detection, classification and tracking

software.This has been proved in extensive

trials over the past year to confirm a system

that can work in a wide range of difficult

acoustic underwater environments while

ensuring that only genuine threats are

highlighted.This minimises false alarms

and reduces the dangerous tension that

these can generate.

With maritime facilities such as oil

and gas refineries, LNG terminals, power

stations and oil platforms already deploying

conventional terrestrial security systems,

including thermal imaging, radar and

ground sensing devices, Sentinel now

closes the defensive circle.

Commenting on the launch of Sentinel,

Rob Balloch said,“Sentinel is the first of

a new generation of maritime security

products to be released by Sonardyne.We

have brought together many of the leading

experts in their specialised disciplines

to develop the unique technology that can

deliver trusted solutions to the customer

in the most challenging underwater

conditions such as noisy, shallow harbours.

We have listened to what the customers

really wanted from a diver detection system

and believe Sentinel is the first practical,

cost-effective solution to the threat presented

by underwater intruders.”

SOFTWARE UPDATE

Major CASIUSupdate released

Sonardyne’s Rob Balloch and Andy Meecham pictured with the Sentinel sonar head and commandworkstation during the UDT exhibition in Naples in June this year

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Sonardyne causes a stirwith Sentinel IDS

A completely new version of CASIUS, a

software tool used with Sonardyne’s USBL

systems, is now available offering substantial

improvements over the previous version.

CASIUS was introduced by Sonardyne

to independently verify the accuracy of

USBL systems and simultaneously calibrate

them by resolving the alignment errors

between the acoustic transceiver, the

vessel’s motion sensors and GPS antenna.

The new software is now totally

integrated into Ranger and Scout USBL

software as part of the easy to use

Calibration Wizard. Excel is no longer

needed, processing is almost

instantaneous, corrections are automatically

applied, client reports are supplied in pdf

format and no addtional security dongle is

required. In Fusion USBL, CASIUS runs as a

separate application with the same features.

For more information about the new

version of CASIUS, or to arrange an

upgrade, please email our customer

support team at [email protected]

Installation of a Sonardyne Type8021 USBL transceiver on anover-the-side deployment pole


Technology

Optimising USBL

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Optimising theperformance ofyour USBL systemThe USBL positioning technique is highly convenient,enabling positioning of a large number of subsea targetsover a wide range of geometries and water depths andall from the surface vessel. The downside is that there area number of sources of error and care needs to be takento ensure system design, configuration and userunderstanding mitigate as many of these as possible.When this is achieved remarkable performance can result.Baseline talks to Simon Partridge, Engineering Director,to discover more.


1Precision, bias and accuracyIt is very important to understandthese words. USBL systems can behighly precise but inaccurate dueto systematic biases or they canbe accurate but imprecise due

to random errors (see diagram overleaf). Onlyby understanding the nature of the error, canyou hope to begin to resolve it.

2Signal to NoisePositioning quality is hugelyeffected by the level ofsignal from the target beingtracked compared with thebackground noise level

seen by the USBL transceiver (SNR) below thevessel. Decreasing SNR causes increasingrandom error.

The noise from thrusters and machineryonboard varies tremendously from vessel-to-

vessel and tends to increase in heavierweather conditions as thrusters are moreactive. Sonardyne has developed a rangeof different USBL vessel transceivers whichare designed with increasing capability forrejecting vessel noise. Choosing the righttransceiver for the vessel and applicationis important.

Choosing the right transponder is criticaltoo. The higher the output power the greaterthe SNR. This either improves the systemperformance or increases the operating range.Increasing the output power reduces batterylife, and so choosing a transponder that hassufficient output power to ensure low randomerrors, while providing sufficient battery lifeis important.

Sonardyne’s family of Widebandtransponders can increase the SNR withouthaving to increase the peak power level andtherefore size of the transponder. In addition >>

USBL PositioningUltra-Short BaseLine positioning systemscalculate the position of a subsea targetby measuring the range and bearing ofa transponder from the vessel


Technology

Optimising USBL

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directional transducers focus the valuable signaltowards the USBL system rather than wastingenergy when operating in deep water or atlong ranges.

3ElevationWhen a transponder is underthe vessel, the estimation ofdepth is extremely good,provided the averagesound velocity (SV) through

the water column is accurate, as mainlyderived from the range measurement.

When the transponder is at higherelevations, the azimuth or bearing estimationremains very good but the elevation estimationdegrades. However this can easily be mitigatedby using depth aiding, for example, byconfiguring the system to use the depth sensorsfitted to most Sonardyne transponders.

4RefractionUSBL systems measure boththe range and direction toa transponder.

The range measurementcan be affected by changes

in the effective SV throughout the water column.Refraction causes the signal path to bend asthe sound speed changes, which means thatthe measured distance will have a bias error.This is a particular issue when tracking atransponder at a high elevation angle and overlong range, as the time that the signal spendsin each sound speed layer will vary accordingto the angle that it meets that layer.

When tracking a transponder mainly belowthe vessel, refraction is minimal so an averagesound speed can be used with little problem.

Refraction does not affect the estimate ofhorizontal direction, however, it does causethe estimated elevation of the transponder tobe in error, since the USBL system is measuringthe direction of arrival at the transceiver andnot the true direction to the transponder.

When operating at high elevations andlong ranges, for example when tracking atowfish at a long layback, depth aiding willreduce both the random and systematic errorsthat arise.

In addition, if an SV profile is available,then the USBL system can correct for thesystematic refraction errors. It is important,

Random error (red cone):Causes position scatteraround the true beacon positionSystematic error (green cone):Causes positionscatter to be biased away from the true beaconposition

Elevation:The green cone illustrates an area of60 degrees below the vessel’s USBL tranceiver.Outside of this area, it is recommendedtransponder depth aiding is used

Refraction:A sound speed profile showing thevariation of speed of sound with depth


however, when using SV profiles to be awarethat profiles can change within the operatingarea. SV profiles can change significantly atdifferent stages of the tide and between dayand night. Using an inaccurate SV profile cancause greater errors than just using an averagesound speed figure.

5Reference sensorsUSBL systems need to removethe huge effects of vesselmotion. To do this they useheading, pitch and roll motionsensors on the vessel. These

come in a variety of types, ages and cost. Thequality of these can dramatically limit positioningquality by introducing random error and bias.The better the sensor and installation, the betterthe performance of the total system.

Sonardyne USBL systems support a widerange of industry standard motion sensors.However, it is important to make sure that theaccuracy of sensor installed is appropriateto the accuracy required and the water depth.If operating mainly below the vessel then pitchand roll is critical. If more out to the side, forexample towfish tracking, the accuracy ofheading sensors is more critical.

Older sensors tend to be of poorer qualityand can cause errors due to data latency.Analogue output sensors can introduce scalingand sign convention error, and so it is importantto make sure that these are set-up correctly.

Users need to make sure the sensors arerigidly mounted and fitted as near to theroll/pitch centre of the vessel as practical andthat they are compensated by GPS velocityand heading inputs if appropriate. Watch outfor filter settings in the sensors which can overfilter data and introduce latency. If the latencyis known, Sonardyne USBL systems can be set-up to compensate.

If a separate pitch and roll sensor (VRU)and heading sensor are used (Gyro) then itis important that the two reference frames arealigned within a degree or so or errors canresult. This is the significant advantage ofintegrated heading and attitude sensors.

Sonardyne can now provide a premiumquality heading and attitude sensor of its owncalled Lodestar which is specifically designedto compensate USBL systems for vessel motion.(Turn to page 16 for more information).>>

(Above) Dual Lodestar units installed on a vessel for highlatitude trials in northern Norway.The unit comprises of sixsensing elements, three Ring Laser Gyros (RLG) and threeLinear Accelerometers, running a Sonardyne developedgyrocompass algorithm

(Left) With iUSBL systems, the transceiver is installed on theROV or towed vehicle and requires motion compensationfrom subsea AHRS

(Below) A subsea gyro installed directly above a USBL transceiveron an over-the-side deployment pole

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Technology

Optimising USBL

6USBL transceiverdeploymentThe deployment of theUSBL transceiver is critical.It should ideally be rigidlymounted to the vessel well

below the keel away from any weatheror vessel induced aeration.

The motion compensation sensor shouldbe mounted at the roll/pitch centre of the vesselwhere it is subject to the least motion inducedacceleration. Sonardyne supply through-hulldeployment systems that are extremely rigidand ideal for high accuracy USBL positioningin deep water.

It is not always practical, however, to installsuch a permanent deployment system andother alternatives are required. Manyoperational installations have shown that ifcare is taken then moon pool and over-the-sidedeployment systems can be very accurate.

In these cases, fitting an integrated headingand attitude sensor to the top of a moon poolpole or over-the-side deployed pole cancompensate for movement relative to the vessel,such as when lowering and raising the pole.If the pole flexes substantially, then, althoughmore exposed, putting the sensor at the bottomof the pole can improve performance bycompensating for bending of the pole.

Sonardyne now also manufacture a highquality portable over-the-side deployment system.This is practical to transport and install on anyvessel, whilst still enabling survey grade qualityUSBL system performance.

7Verification ofsystem accuracyAs discussed, USBL systemperformance varies so it isimportant for users to knowthe actual performance

achievable on the particular vessel.Sonardyne has comprehensive models

that account of all system componentsdiscussed to help customers predict thetheoretical system accuracy.

Sonardyne’s CASIUS software andprocedures verify to the client the actual accuracyof the system achieved and simultaneouslycalibrates the whole system to removesystematic biases. This must be undertakenusing the Sonardyne software provided as

With over thirty years of experience in the deployment of transponders and transceivers from all typesand sizes of vessels, Sonardyne has the experience to ensure that clients achieve the solution that isbest matched to their application


calibration using external software packagesoften introduces significant timing errors.

A transponder should be deployed ina suitable depth of water. The USBL softwarethen guides the operator through the datacollection process where range and GPSobservations are acquired during a seriesof vessel manoeuvres. Simultaneously, USBLand motion sensor data is logged. The newCASIUS software, now incorporated into theUSBL system, provides an accuracy verificationreport for the user or client containing theactual USBL system accuracy. In additionit computes the GPS antenna offsets from theacoustic transceiver, the pitch, roll and headingcorrections and sound speed through thewater column to be used by the system.

8Increase yourupdate rateTo some extent, random errorcan be reduced by collectingmore observations. If there istime and the target is stationary,

a more precise fix can be achieved byaveraging over a number of observations.Increasing the update rate and using respondermode can achieve this in a shorter period oftime. Automatic averaging is provided inSonardyne USBL software.

Sonardyne systems can use simultaneousinterrogation modes where all transpondersreply to a single interrogation signal everypositioning cycle. This is not always possiblewhen using transponders from other vendorswhich require individual interrogation signalsfor each transponder. Another benefit ofsimultaneous interrogation is that it reducesthe number of signals in use, leaving more ofthe frequency band available for use byother vessels.

The use of Sonardyne’s unique ‘pingstacking’ acoustic interrogation technique alsoprovides an advantage when working in deepwater by enabling USBL system users to transmitacoustic interrogations to subsea transpondersbefore the last reply was received. This cansubstantially improve dynamic trackingperformance, producing a smoother track.

9Go Wideband toimprove performanceSonardyne Widebandacoustic signals improveUSBL performance. Theyenable more transponders

to be used without interference issues. Theyimprove the SNR, as discussed earlier, reducing

the random errors seen, particularly on noisyvessels or you can reduce the transpondersoutput power level and so increase the batterylife. The signals are more robust so improvingdetection, particularly in harsh environments,at high elevations or where there is substantialmulti-path.

10SummaryChoose the mostappropriate USBLtransceiver for aparticular vessel,the right

transponder for the application and installa good quality integrated heading and attitudesensor in the right place. Ensure the USBLdeployment is rigid or compensate appropriatelywhere necessary. Verify the actual accuracyachieved and calibrate the system usingSonardyne’s new CASIUS software. Use depthaiding and SV profiles when required andchoose the best interrogation method. Withgood planning and configuration your USBLsystem performance can be exceptional. BL

QuickSet Wideband –What is it?

QuickSet Wideband provides a set ofeasy-to-use pre-set Wideband channelsfor Sonardyne Wideband transponders.

Connect to the transponder then set itsidentity to A1 etc. using the softwareprovided. Then enter A1 in the USBLsystem and off you go.

The A1, A2, C3 etc. identity denotes theinterrogation and reply signals, theturnaround time as well as the addresscode for commanding the transponder.

Using A1, B1 and C1 allows individualinterrogations to support different updaterates per transponder, whereas A1, A2and A3 use the same interrogation givingfaster cycle times.

If you require more flexibility or want totrack more transponders, then go toAdvanced User mode and have completeaccess to independently set interrogation,reply signals and turnaround time.

Scatter plot illustrating the dramaticimprovement in repeatability and precision ofSonardyne Wideband signals (blue) overtraditional tone burst signals (red)

Improves dynamic trackingperformance by producinga smoother track”

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Our Resources

Launch of MV ‘Sound Surveyor’On Friday 15th July 2007 Sonardyne launched its new trials and research vessel ‘Sound Surveyor’in Plymouth, England.

The 12 metre long high speed catamaran offers a large stable survey platform.With both dual moon pools and a hydraulic

crane, a variety of equipment from transceivers to our Falcon ROV, can be easily deployed.The cabin provides ample space

for the installation of equipment that will allow an excellent work environment whilst maintaining easy communication

with the bridge and back-deck.Sound Surveyor, and its entry into service, has been keenly anticipated by Sonardyne

employees and customers alike.The advanced work platform will enable the continued development of both existing and

future technologies.Of particular benefit will be the ability to simulate both static and dynamic aspects of offshore

construction and positioning operations from a single vessel.Realistic customer acceptance testing and training is clearly

a foundation for successful operations offshore.Sound Surveyor is now online and its work schedule is filling up fast.


Hardware

In-water equipment

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Focus On:Transponders

ORT & DORT2,000/6,000 Metres

Tough,reliable acoustic

releases designed for

deep water deployment

BPT200 Metres

Designed to provide

accurate tracking of a

vessel relative to an

underwater turret buoy

LRT500 Metres

A compact, low cost

acoustic release with

integrated receive and

transmit capabilities

COMPATT 53,000 Metres

The ultimate Wideband

LBL transponder for

advanced construction

survey operations

WSM1,000/3,000 Metres

A small Wideband

transponder/ responder

designed for positioning

ROVs and towfish

DPT & DPTi3,000 Metres

A full size transponder

designed for DP

reference and riser

angle monitoring

COMPATT 55,000/7,000 Metres

High power directional

transponder for deep

water LBL positioning

TZ/COASTAL500 Metres

A low cost,versatile

transponder for a wide

range of shallow water

subsea applications

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Technology

Project Manager,Jonathan Martin, talksto Baseline about thechallenges of bringingLodestar to market

Lodestar


Heading in the rightdirection

Ask anyone in the industry what Sonardyne do and they’ll probably tell you acousticpositioning. Until recently, they would have been largely correct. However, behindthe scenes the company has been busy investing in people, processes and technologyto add new depths to their capabilities. Baseline finds out about how one suchdevelopment is set to establish Sonardyne as a leading provider of high quality headingand attitude sensors and aided inertial navigation systems.

viable alternative was to turn their attentionto creating an in-house solution.

From the moment the Sonardyne boardagreed to accept this challenge, the companybegan to harness the experience and expertiseof some of the world’s leading authorities inmotion sensor and inertial navigationtechnology. For many joining the Lodestardevelopment team, such as Principal EngineerMikael Larsen and Project Manager JonathanMartin, it was an opportunity to work clearfrom the product legacies that accumulate withevery established firm. They were starting witha blank sheet of paper on which they coulddesign the best integrated inertial navigationand heading reference system in the world.

The Lodestar team identified that the idealsolution lay in combining both a true gyro- >>

FOR MANY YEARS Sonardynehas strived to make its LBLand USBL systems as good asthey can be. Developments inacoustic positioning technologysuch as Wideband havecreated products that canprovide centimetric accuracy

regardless of water depth. Outside of theacoustics, one of the largest factors that impactsupon performance is the provision of highaccuracy position, heading and attitudeaiding data. Existing off-the-shelf solutionsrelied too heavily on military specificationsensors and for the oil and gas industry, thismade them unsuitable due to the restrictionson export and support. The company realisedthat to further improve their systems, the only

vertical motion of the unit.” “By combining a motion sensor and

gyrocompass in the same unit, significantadvantages can be gained in relation to systemcalibration as the heading and motion frameshare a common internal alignment axis”added Mikael.

In addition to the advanced algorithms,the development team has also introducedmany practical features into the Lodestar.The inclusion of 4GB on-board memory canbe used to store raw data in situations wherereal-time uploading may be unnecessary orimpractical. This can simplify subsea projectssuch as template positioning by eliminatingthe need for an acoustic uplink.

An internal Lithium-ion battery was acomparatively simple but potentially valuabledevelopment that has been largely overlookedby manufacturers until now. Its inclusion allowsLodestar to maintain performance and protect

compass algorithm and INS (Inertial NavigationSystem) algorithm in the same unit. This uniqueapproach means that the unit would align instatic or near static conditions, without anyexternal GPS aiding, thus eliminating the needfor time consuming and expensive vesselalignment manoeuvres that some north seekingINS solutions require.

Gyrocompass algorithm As Jonathan Martin explains: “The gyrocompassalgorithm calculation we developed for theAHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System)produces output in real time for heading,roll and pitch of the vessel or subsea vehicle.Because of the high precision of the six sensingelements (three RLGS and three accelerometers),we produce a highly accurate solution for eachorientation in the local level frame. The unitalso provides a robust heave measurementsolution by applying a heave filter to the

stored data for up to 3 hours if the power to anROV or surface vessel is lost.

“Sonardyne’s AHRS is suitable for anyapplication that requires the accuratemeasurement of heading, heave, roll and pitchin a dynamic marine environment. These mightinclude platform stabilisation, DP, subseastructure monitoring and towfish or vehicleoperations down to 7,000 metres” commentsMikael. He continues “We’ve worked hard todevelop a product that will move the bench-marks for motion sensor technology”.

Lodestar revealed In March this year, Lodestar AHRS made itsfirst public appearance at the Ocean Businessexhibition in Southampton. At its unveiling,Rob Balloch, Sonardyne’s StrategicDevelopment Director said; “This is animportant development for Sonardyne as acompany as it introduces our technical

Lodestar

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Technology

Data outputsLodestar has fourdigital data outputsand an ethernet portfor interfacing tonavigation and surveysystems

Battery Back-upAn internal Li-ionbattery provides up tothree hours ofoperation in the eventof mains supply failure

CompatabilityLodestar is compatiblewith all of Sonardyne'sLBL and USBL acousticpositioning systems andis available in surfaceand subsea versions

Fast Spin-upLodestar has been designed tobe ready for use within fiveminutes of being powered up

Variable powerBoth versions of Lodestaraccept a wide range ofpower supply inputs tosuit all types of vessel andsubsea vehicle

ConnectorsHigh quality,industrystandard

Reference plateAn integralreference plate isdesigned to makeinstallation andalignment easierand more accurate

INS capableLodestar isupgradeable to full INScapability throughfirmware upgrades

expertise, experience and service back-upto a new market within the offshore andmarine industries”.

This milestone marked the end of theprogramme of intensive in-house testing andthe beginning of customer validation trials,the first of which was aboard the UK’s newlycommissioned flagship research vessel ‘RRSJames Cook’ in the Bay of Biscay.

The state-of-the-art, 5,300 tonne vessel isowned by the Natural Environmental ResearchCouncil and is based at the NationalOceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton.

Onboard, the Sonardyne team interfaceda Lodestar AHRS to the vessel’s own RangerUSBL acoustic positioning system which wasoperating with a directional Compatt 5 subseatransponder deployed in 4,870 metres of water.

In order to qualify the performanceof Lodestar, the Ranger system was initiallyconfigured using the vessel’s own high quality,

industry established, dual GPS antenna-aidedAHRS. A ‘box-in’ calibration of the Compattwas performed using a static cardinal pointtechnique that involved manoeuvring the vesseland transceiver directly above the Compatt,and also fore, aft, port and starboard of theCompatt at a 500 metre radius. To verify theoffsets derived, the process was repeated withthe vessel on reciprocal headings.

A second box-in was then undertaken butthis time with the Lodestar AHRS interfaced intoRanger. The previous box-in had proved thatthe dimensional control offsets were valid andtherefore reciprocal data was not required.

The Lodestar box-in showed a 1DRMSvalue of just 7.2 metres which in 4,870 metresof water reflects a staggeringly low error ofjust 0.12% of slant range for 63.2% of allobservations. Even better still, the 2DRMSof just 17.1 metres reflects an error of 0.29%of slant range for 98.2% of all observations.

“When compared to the industry standardAHRS used in the trial, this equates to an overallimprovement in accuracy of 6.2 metres. To putthis into context, that’s close to the length of twoclassic Minis” remarked Jonathan.

Inertial navigationHaving successfully completed the develop-ment of the Lodestar AHRS, the team’s attentionis focused upon taking the final steps towardsthe goal of a fully integrated and robust INSand heading reference system. Over the comingmonths a rigorous programme of offshore testingusing a variety of industry standard aiding inputswill be carried out. As each of these inputs isadded into Lodestar, the INS algorithm willbecome more and more robust.

“For everyone that’s been involved withthe project over the last two years, the nextchapter in the Lodestar story promises to be themost rewarding so far.” concludes Jonathan. BL


Lodestar – Origins of the name Lodestar is a star that guides,particularly with reference to thenorth pole star Polaris, and hence isappropriate for the name of a truenorth seeking compass

EXTREME TESTING

Lodestar High Latitude Trials

To illustrate the extent of the Lodestar testing programme, the

latest round of offshore testing saw two Sonardyne Lodestar units

successfully trialled in the northernmost part of Norway by

Aquadyne, Sonardyne’s Oslo-based associate company.

The high accuracy gyrocompasses were taken to Svalbard, an

archipelago lying in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe,

about midway between Norway and the North Pole. It consists of

a group of islands ranging from 76° to 81° North, and 10° to 35°

East.The trials were carried out at sea on a vessel lying off

Spitsbergen Island at 78.21 degrees north.

The accuracy of heading from all compasses decreases with the

seclant of the latitude. Other gyrocompasses have been used at

relatively high latitude and have experienced problems with

alignment and stability of the heading output.With increasing use

of survey grade heading and attitude systems in the far north, it

was important that Lodestar was put through its paces.

The trials were aimed at testing multiple Lodestars for alignment

time and heading accuracy. They were installed on a vessel and

data logged when both static and during lengthy transits to the

frozen glaciers of the Svalbard region.The Lodestars survived

their journey to the north, aligned to true north faster than

expected, ran continuously for days and provided very successful

data that exceeded expectations.The high latitude data from the

trials will enable the performance to be further improved.

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THE PERFORMANCE AND

accuracy of Sonardyne’s

Wideband technology in

deep water is well known.

However, an ultra shallow

water test for the system

came earlier this year on a project taking

place in Malaysia in just five metres of water.

Port Dickson, 60 kilometres from Kuala

Lumpur on the Malaysian Peninsular, is the

location for a new coal fired power station

being built to help supply domestic

demand for electricity.

A key stage of construction was the

installation of a submerged outfall culvert

carrying cooling water from the power

station out to sea.The sections of concrete

culvert would stand on piles running

alongside a new tanker unloading pier that

was also under construction.

Prior to the setting-down the culverts

on the piles, the various engineering and

construction parties needed to conduct an

‘as-built’ survey which involved taking high

precision measurements between each

pile. For this crucial stage, the accuracy and

performance of Sonardyne’s Fusion Long

BaseLine (LBL) technology was identified

as the optimum solution.

The challenge of acoustic positioning

operations in very shallow, tidal waters is a

notorious one. Of primary importance is the

determination of the speed of sound in water

which is a key requirement for accurate LBL

positioning (see Ask Dave Page 31).

In deep water environments, the speed

of sound varies relatively slowly with depth.

However, in shallow tidal waters, different

salinities and temperatures flow over one

another in a very chaotic way. The resultant

variation of sound speed gives rise to ray

bending whilst reverberation from the sea

surface and seabed create multipaths that

can limit the acoustic ranges available for

reliable positioning.

Shallow water challengefor Fusion LBL

Case Study

Civil engineering in South-East Asia


Positioning operations were run from a

survey shack on the back of a small crane

barge moored next to the piles. Onboard,

a Data Fusion Engine (DFE) was interfaced

to a Medium Frequency (MF) RovNav 5

transceiver that would control all the

transmission and reception of acoustic

signals to and from the array of Compatt 5

transponders in the water. In addition, a

sound speed sensor in direct read mode

was interfaced directly to the DFE so that

the continuously changing sound speed

could be monitored using the numerical

and graphical tools within the Fusion

operating software.

As with all high accuracy metrology LBL

work, the array of four transponders were

installed in seabed frames to prevent them

moving around in the current and therefore

affecting the accuracy of the measurements

being taken.One of the benefits of Wideband

signal technology is that it is now possible to

obtain positional accuracies at MF that were

previously obtainable only at EHF frequency.

Geometric and environmental

limitations dictated that co-ordinates (and

in-turn relative distances between the piles)

could not be expressed in absolute terms.

Therefore coordinates were derived

relative to 0, 0 which was taken as the point

at which the two diagonal baselines met.

With everything purely relative, every set of

four piles was considered its own individual

array or quadrilateral brace.

The increased precision in the timing

resolution of Wideband acoustic signals

together with improved performance in

noisy and reverberant environments was

the main reason for Wideband being chosen

for the Kaiji Project; a choice that was

justified by the impressive performance of

the system in difficult operating conditions.

What proved especially effective was the

ability to interact with the signal processing

and fine tune the system to ensure

detection of the direct signal as opposed

to the indirect or ‘multipath’ signal.

The challenges inherent with the

shallow water environment have traditionally

discouraged the use of LBL acoustic

positioning.This view may change in light

of this successful project that illustrated

the capabilities of the Wideband system

to improve performance in the presence

of multipath, and prove that Sonardyne LBL

acoustics really can be accurate independent

of water depth.

Allied to this beneficial user-to-system

interaction, was the robustness of the

The choice of Widebandwas justified by theimpressive performanceof the system in difficultoperating conditionsWideband signal architecture that allowed

the baseline observations to be collected

with repeatable precision and speed. Such

performance bred confidence in the

positioning solution which was supported

by the statistical QC for each array giving

RMS values of 3 millimetres or less.

For many in the construction team,

the Kaiji Project was their first foray with LBL

and the prospect of controlling the system

seemed quite daunting. However, with the

system running reliably and ease of use,

the team soon became competent in its

operation, allowing the Sonardyne field

engineer to leave the site after just a few

days.The construction team successfully

completed the LBL survey ahead of

schedule giving valuable additional time

to for the installation phase of the culverts

in the following weeks.

Case Study

Civil engineering in South-East Asia


(Above) The water outfall culvert is made up oflarge pre-formed concrete box sections shownhere awaiting installation

(Left) Deployment of a Compatt 5 LBLtransponder installed in a rigid frame.An arrayof four transponders was used on the project

(Below left) Construction of the culvert took placein just five metres of water making the challengefor Sonardyne engineer James Hope (Below) thatmuch more demanding

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Building for successUnprecedented demand combined with almostimpossible delivery deadlines; two issues anyoneinvolved in the oil and gas industry will be all too familiarwith. Baseline visits Ocean House, Sonardyne’smanufacturing headquarters 40 miles south-west ofLondon to find out how Operations Director Tim Mooreand his team are rising to these challenges.


OurPeople

Production – From manufacture to delivery

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For Operations Director Tim Moore (left) andManufacturing Manager Keith Boghurst (far left),balancing the demand from the market withproduction output is a complex challenge.Effectiveplanning, investment in the right resources andabove all team work, is the key to their success



OurPeople

Production – From manufacture to delivery

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For a large proportion of the working day,Keith can be found on the shop floor in one ofSonardyne’s five main production cells: SIPS,Nav, LBL, FAB and INS.

As Keith explains “The SIPS cell looks afterour marine seismic and ocean bottom cableproducts, Nav covers USBL transceivers andtopside systems such Data Fusion Engines.LBL takes care of all transponders and subseatransceivers, FAB manages our transducer buildwhilst INS, our newest cell, is exclusivelydedicated toassemblinggyrosand INS systems”.

Across the five cells, Keith has gone to greatlengths to ensure that each production team ismulti-skilled so if someone is on leave or off work,the impact upon output is minimal. “Each cellis headed-up by our most experienced people,all of which have been with the company foryears” Keith explains. “Their in-depth productknowledge, attention to detail and expertiseare some of the reasons Sonardyne has sucha good reputation in the field.”

HOW SOON CAN Ihave it?” If there’sone question thatsums up a typicalday for Tim Moore,it would be this one.When you considerthat in 2006/07,

the company shipped over 50,000 productscontaining more than six and a quarter millionparts to all corners of the world, the scale ofthe task involved in keeping everyone happysoon becomes apparent.

At any one time, Tim’s team has six monthsof production capacity forecasted. “The decisionof what to build, how many and when is basedon many factors” comments Tim. “The forecastfrom the sales team, past history, marketintelligence, even the price of barrel of oil areall factors that go into the mix” he adds.

“It’s when we get an order out of the bluethat my production planners really have to earn

their money” Tim continues. “Whereverpossible they have to find slots in an alreadytightly orchestrated schedule whilst understandingthe implications of moving delivery dates.”

The small team of highly experiencedplanners don’t like to say “No” to anyreasonable request and are very successfulat balancing demand with capacity.

One of the tools supporting their day-to-day activities is a scheduling and resourceloading software package called ‘Preactor’.Not only does it allow the team to loadupcoming work, it also helps to generatedaily work lists for the shop floor.

Running to planMaking the decision of what to build and forwhen, is just the start of the story. Managingthe assembly-through-to-delivery process isManufacturing Manager Keith Boghurst. AsTim’s right-hand man, it’s Keith’s job to ensurethat the production schedule runs to plan.

“


Training and recruitment With such a heavy reliance on skilled people,Tim and Keith face the perennial issue ofrecruitment. Although this is an industry wide

problem at the moment, the geographiclocation of Sonardyne’s factory makes findingthe right calibre of people as much of achallenge as building the equipment in thefirst place.

“Where we are in the south-east is knownas the Silicon Valley of the UK; an area betweenthe M3 and M4 motorways into London”says Tim. “All around us we have large blue-chip electronics manufactures such as Nokia,Motorola and Sun Microsystems competing for

the same, experienced people we are after.”One initiative aimed at addressing this

issue is Sonardyne’s apprenticeship schemethat was established five years ago. Its long

term aim is to equip people with the skill setthe company requires. “The scheme hasproved very successful and a great returnon investment. The former apprentices are allnow full-time employees making a significantcontribution to the company” remarks Keith.

As well as having the right humanresources, Sonardyne strives to ensure thatthe right physical resources are also available.Sonardyne’s factory was purpose built withthis in mind and boasts four large acoustic test

tanks, pressure vessel for depth testing,environmental chambers and dedicatedtransducer assembly lab.

New facility“When we need additional tools, whetherit’s just a new bench instrument or a completeadditional test tank, as we’ve just had installed(see Baseline Issue 1), there’s a willingness tomake that investment” said Tim.

For the last couple of years, Sonardyne’smanagement team had recognised the needfor additional production space above andbeyond what was available at Ocean House.With this in mind, when the large factoryopposite Ocean House recently came on themarket, it was the perfect opportunity for thecompany to dramatically increase capacity.

“As the ink dries on the contract, we’vegot a bit of work to do before it’s operational.The new facility presents us with many differentpossibilities, but above all, it will allow us togrow over the coming years” Timenthusiastically adds.

Testing, testingOne process that should not to beunderestimated is the huge amount of effortthat goes into testing and quality checkingevery product before it leaves the building.For example, every subsea instrument goesthrough a rigorous in-water test and calibrationthat checks its performance and functionalitybefore it’s boxed up.

The company has put much effort intogaining and maintaining its ISO 9001:2000certification which offers customers assuranceof Sonardyne’s quality control procedures.Tim explains: “My team of inspectors are avital link in the chain. We are always going toget last minute panics on a Friday afternoon;it’s the nature of the offshore industry. However,this doesn’t mean corners are cut. If we haveto make a courier wait whilst we do the finalquality checks, that’s the way it has to be”.

Tim and Keith pride themselves in meetingcustomers’ demands by setting their highlymotivated and dedicated teams tough butachievable goals. They are clearly successful;in 2006/07 they broke all company recordsfor the amount of equipment they built. Withno let up in demand, their records look setto be broken again sometime soon. BL

(Far left) Transponder assembly in one ofSonardyne’s five production cells, (Left top) qualitycontrol is integral to every step of themanufacturing process, (Left middle) everyproduct is rigorously tested in-water before beingdespatched, (Left bottom) Sonardyne’s head-quarters and to its right, the recently acquiredsecond manufacturing facility, (Above) last year6.25 million individual parts were issued toproduction, (Below) over 50,000 products are nowdespatched each year

When we need additional tools, whether it’s just anew bench instrument or a complete additional testtank, as we’ve just had installed, there’s a willingnessto make that investment”

“

Gulf of Mexico – Upgrading the Thialf

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Case Study

Sonardyne engineer Julian Rickards completes the removal of the Thialf’s HiPAP® transducer. The Sonardyne Big Head (right) awaits installation

OVER THE LAST two years,

operators have become

increasingly aware of

the importance of

mitigating acoustic

interference between

construction and drilling vessels.

The risk of down time and associated

loss of revenue caused by simultaneous

multiple vessel operations (SIMOPS) is very

real, unless proper planning and selection

of the most suitable acoustic solution is

made in advance.

Responding to this situation, Heerema

Marine Contractors recently chose to install

Sonardyne Wideband acoustic technology

aboard Thialf, the World’s largest deepwater

crane vessel, which is currently at work in

the Gulf of Mexico; an area well known for

acoustic congestion.

Thialf is a 201 metre long semi-

submersible construction vessel equipped

with two cranes capable of a tandem lift of

14,200 tonnes.The vessel is equipped with

Class III Dynamic Positioning with

propulsion coming from six 5,500 kW

retractable azimuth thrusters.

The Thialf’s unique capabilities are

currently being used for SIMOPS in fields

where the number of acoustic systems in use,

leave little or no bandwidth available for the

vessel’s existing HiPAP® systems to operate.

The Sonardyne Wideband solution

supplied to Thialf involved the replacement

of the existing HiPAP® equipment with a

Dual Redundant Wideband L/USBL (Long

and Ultra-Short BaseLine) system utilising

two ‘Big Head’ transceivers.Wideband

L/USBL offers truly independent multi

operational capability through the availability

of hundreds of operating channels.The

technology also provides a highly repeatable

Wideband for the World’slargest crane vessel


(Above) Thialf is the world’s largest crane vessel capable of lifting over 14,000 tonnes(Below) Compatt 5 transponders provide high accuracy subsea positioning of a pile

position reference for the DP system with

cross linked redundancy between

processors and transceivers.

The Big Head transceiver was chosen

because it has been specially developed to

reject thruster and other vessel generated

noise from the side and from above. It is

optimised to receive signals within a ±50°

cone which results in an improved signal-to-

noise ratio enabling the system to provide

accurate positioning on the noisiest of

vessels and in the deepest water.

A Ranger-Pro USBL topside was also

installed for survey operations and will utilise

one of the Big Head transceivers. Ranger-

Pro is notable for the ease with which it can

be used and the speed with which new

operators can become confident in working

with it.The system can work with a single

reference transponder at an operating range

of up to 7,000 metres but also has the ability

to track up to ten mobile targets.

A particular feature of Ranger-Pro is the

fast simultaneous tracking of transponders

using ‘common interrogation channels’.

For example, ten Sonardyne Wideband

Sub-Mini transponders (WSMs) can all be

updated in less than two seconds in 1,000

metres of water.The method is significantly

faster than sequential modes of interrogation

that traditionally could take up to 15 seconds

or more for the same number of targets.

For vessels with two cranes, such as the

Thialf, simultaneous updates of transponder

positions whilst lowering structures provides

much better depth feedback and hence

installation control.

Heerema Marine Contractors also

purchased a Fusion LBL software licence.

This is capable of running on the Ranger-

Pro hardware and demonstrates the

flexibility and cost-effectiveness of

Sonardyne’sWideband system architecture.

Fusion LBL is available to position multiple

subsea targets and structures on the seabed

within an array of Compatt 5 transponders

to achieve the highest attainable levels of

accuracy independent of water depth.

Typical operations might involve positioning

anchor piles, manifolds or templates and

multiple ROVs working in close proximity

to each other as well as streaming sensor

data from gyros, precision digiquartz

pressure sensors, inclinometers and the like.

The installation aboard the Thialf offers

a truly comprehensive and advanced

positioning capability.

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Technology

Systems and Products

SIPS 2 Inline TransceiverBuilt to withstand wrapping onto streamer cable drums, the Inline XSRS transceiverallows operators to dramtically improve the efficiency of their back-deck operations

The Inline XSRS transceiver is the latest

addition to Sonardyne’s SIPS 2 streamer

positioning product range.

SIPS 2 (Seismic Integrated Positioning

System) uses a network of acoustic

transceivers attached to each streamer,

air gun and tailbuoy/ navbuoy to measure

ranges between each other and the survey

vessel.This enables both the shape of the

towed array to be known and the positions

of the hydrophones, relative to the survey,

to be precisely determined.

Offering the same performance advantages

as existing ‘clip-on’ XSRS transceivers, the

new Type 8085 unit is designed to fit in-

between streamer sections thus allowing

streamers to be deployed and recovered

without having to attach or remove any

acoustic hardware.This allows for faster

and more efficient survey operations whilst

improving back-deck health and safety.

Like all SIPS 2 XSRS’, the Inline XSRS uses

Digital Signal Processing with multiple

modulation modes to suit different operating

conditions.The rugged intelligent transducer

array reduces surface and bottom bounce

effects using beam steering technology.

Communications and power are picked up

from the streamer, whilst all other lines are

passed through the unit in a shielded cable

bundle. By eliminating the need for an

internal battery pack the safety risks and

downtime in replacing batteries, whilst

streamers are deployed, is removed.

The unit is manufactured from Titanium which

offers both exceptional corrosion resistance

and high strength.

Manufactured from Grade 5 Titanium,the Inline XSRS is designed to withstandhigh operational loads and wrapping ontodrums.It has a working load of 30kN anduses industry standard 37 pin Syntrakconnectors to connect into the streamer

SIPS 2 Inline TransceiverFacts & Figures

● Fully compatible with existing

‘clip-on’SIPS 2 XSRS units allowing

users to mix and match hardware

● Requires no new software or

operator training

● No need to remove during streamer

deployment and recovery

● No limitations on transceiver

position due to coil locations

● External and internal seals to

prevent canister flooding

● Designed to integrate with TSS

and Syntrak streamers

● Less unit losses due to in-water

debris


Technology

Systems and Products

Deck Test UnitAn easy-to-use splash-proof transponder unit for testing Compatt 5, DTU and WSMtransponders in the workshop or the harsh environment of the back-deck

The DTU is powered by Lithium-ionbatteries providing up to 8 hours ofcontinuous testing.The unit can also bemains powered and is environmentallyprotected to IP65 making it suitable foruse in most operating conditions

The Type 8063 Deck Test Unit (DTU) has

been developed as a fully portable, splash-

proof transponder test unit.The DTU now

supercedes Sonardyne’s popular ANT

product as the primary test equipment for

Sonardyne and other acoustic instruments,

whether in the workshop or on the back-deck.

The DTU is capable of transmitting and

receiving both Sonardyne Wideband™

and tone acoustic signals in order to test

and set-up the functionality of all MF

frequency Compatt 5s, DPTs and WSM

transponders. Ranging, acoustic command

function and the release mechanism can all

be tested prior to deployment, using the

test transducer.

The unit offers the potential for significant

time and cost savings with a range of

practical features based on Sonardyne’s

long experience of supplying technology to

the offshore and oceanographic industries.

For example, if a serial connection is made

to the Compatt 5 or DPT, the DTU will extract

all the transponder settings needed to be

able to test the unit, simplifying the testing

operation.The results of tests performed

by the device are stored internally in a test

record that can be uploaded via a USB port

to a PC for long-term storage whilst the

large LCD display is designed for both

sunlight reading and low-light conditions.

Although initially programmed to perform

acoustic and cable-connected tests on

Compatt 5s, DPTs and WSMs, the DTU’s

firmware can be easily upgraded by the

user so that the unit can be used for testing

other acoustic positioning instruments and

their functionality.

Deck Test UnitFacts & Figures

● Test transponders acoustically

including Wideband ranging

● WSM Responder test capability

● Supplied in a portable,rugged and

splash-proof case

● Continuous battery life of 8 hours

with Lithium-ion battery

● Universal mains-powered charger

● Display suitable for bright sunlight

and low-light conditions

● Electronic manuals available via

USB connection to PC

● Firmware upgrades to test other

instruments

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International

News from around the World

SE Asia – SingaporeJohn RamsdenVP Asia

USA – HoustonSpencer CollinsVP Americas

UK – AberdeenDerek DonaldsonVP Europe and Africa

Brasil – MacaéGavin HuntingRegional Manager

Although it’s been hectic since

I rejoined Sonardyne, its great

to be back. One of my first tasks

was to strengthen the team up

here in Aberdeen.With this in

mind Barry Cairns who was

based in Blackbushe has re-

located to Aberdeen and brings

with him a wealth of technical

knowledge.

World’s largest

In March, the world’s largest

pipelay vessel Allseas’ ‘Solitaire’

upgraded its acoustic positioning

system to the latest wideband

solution. Installation was

completed in just one and a

half days.

Following this record breaker,

we’ve just upgraded Heerema’s

‘Thialf’, the world’s largest

crane vessel for work in the

acoustically crowded Gulf of

Mexico (Page 26).These two

vessls add tremendous prestige

to our track record.

Allseas fleet

Allseas have continued with

their investment in Wideband

technology. A complete LBL

and USBL spread of equipment,

together with two Lodestars, will

provide field wide positioning

for the Allseas fleet mobilised

on the KG-D6 project for

Reliance offshore India.

Sonardyne Asia have been

very busy over the last quarter

not only in terms of sales and

support but also with training,

product releases and a regional

agents meeting.

Training

Product training has been

conducted in the Singapore

office utilising the virtual acoustic

link with the main training centre

in Plymouth, UK.This link allows

an office based training scenario

in Singapore to use real acoustics

at the UK training centre by way

of an internet link which has

proven both successful and

popular.

Agents seminar

All the Sonardyne agents from

around Asia came into Singapore

for a seminar covering all the

existing product lines and

also the latest releases of

equipment including Lodestar

and Sentinel.

Stop Press:Tsunami update

As Baseline goes to press, we’ve

just heard that our newly

installed tsunami system (Page

06) successfully detected a

tsunami wave created by an

earthquake registering 6.2 on

the Richter Scale in the Bay of

Bengal shortly before midnight

on 25th July.

The expansion of activity

continues for us here at

Sonardyne Brasil.This period is

proving very busy for installation

and commissioning of new

systems as well as upgrading

of existing ones.

The construction survey market

is going through a period of

significant growth.This is

reflected by the number of RSVs

currently been mobilised and

also recently awarded contracts.

We have now nearly completed

the installation phase of the RSV

CBO Rio which will be working

for Petrobras.This is fitted with

Fusion USBL, LBL and a

hydraulic deployment machine.

Commissioning of the system

has already begun.

Coming up soon we will

commence mobilisation on the

second RSV, also from CBO,

which will have a very similar

scope of supply.

Drilling market

On the drilling side of things

we will be upgrading systems

on the Ocean Alliance, Seillean

FPSO and also installing and

commissioning of a new

Wideband Ranger MRAMS

system on the recently arrived

Ocean Whittington.

The first half of the year has

been exciting and dynamic.

New recruits have included Dan

Zatezalo joining our field support

team, Nicki Howard in admini-

stration and Brandon Bowie into

sales, following an honorable

discharge from the US Navy.

SIMOPS

A key activity for Sonardyne Inc.

has been the support of the Oil

Majors including Chevron and

Shell to provide solutions to

manage interference problems

caused by SIMOPS with Narrow

Band positioning systems in the

Tahiti, Deimos and Mars fields.

Through proactive involvement

and management by the Major’s

the optimal solution to install

Sonardyne Wideband systems

on a number of vessels was

implemented. Installations

included Heerema’s Thialf,

Highland Fortress,Transocean’s

Cajun Express and Transocean’s

Discoverer Spirit.

Deep water USBL

Activity has also been strong

across all of our product range

in deep water applications.With

demand particularly strong for

permanent vessel based USBL

systems as owners shift focus

from dedicated PSV’s or AHTS

to multi-role capability.

Ask Dave

cc


Help & Advice

Your questions answered

If there’s something you’ve always been

meaning to ask us,then I’m here to get

you the answer.Whether its a technical

query or a handy hint,email me your

questions at [email protected].

Some of the best questions will appear

in the next issue of Baseline.

QI am currently planning a

Wideband LBL job in an area

where there is significant

variation of sound speed.

How could this affect the

system performance? What can l do to

optimise the system for this environment?

AAn error in sound speed

causes a systematic error

which will scale the signal

travel time and thus the

computed range to the detriment of

calibration and tracking quality.

To visualise the effect, think of a

histogram displaying the measured

ranges against frequency of occurrence.

Ideally the dataset should be free from

systematic error and subject only

to random error.This will give a ‘short

and tall’normal distribution trend line.

If sound speed is not accounted for

sufficiently, the histogram will reflect

this with a larger measurement spread.

Sometimes this can be seen as two distinct

groupings of reciprocal measurements

if the sound speed changed during

baseline calibration.

The significance of this error has

been exacerbated due to the repeatable

centimetric precision achievable over

greater distances using Wideband LBL

than was previously possible with tone

systems. Indeed,the greater the distance

the greater the significance of sound

speed error.To achieve the quoted

0.03m overall accuracy of Wideband LBL,

I recommend regularly monitoring sound

speeds across each baseline using

Compatt 5’s with sound speed sensors

which offer an accuracy of +/- 0.06m/s.

QHi Dave,I have a ROV-Homer

transceiver that I need to set-

up to receive signals from a

37kHz emergency pinger.

How do I go about it?

AThis is a straightforward one.

Using the PC software supplied

with the ROV-Homer simply

select AODC Channel A or

Channel B from the list of transponders

available.The ROV-Homer will then be

able to pick up the signals from the

pinger. Remember,in this case the ROV-

Homer will only give you a direction to

the pinger as you are not actually

interrogating it to calculate range.

QWe have received updates

for our Fusion and Ranger

software.

I want to prepare some

notes for our users on how to

interface Ranger to our navigation

software.To do this I would like to run the

software in simulate mode and acquire

some screen grabs of the report

configuration for a Kongsberg SSB output.

I can get the software into simulate

mode,with a vessel position and a

transponder however I get a message

zero transponders can be tracked at a

time when I try to enable the output.

We have a Fusion Office dongle.

Should the Ranger software recognise this

or is a separate dongle needed?

AYou will need to send in

an email to our Customer

Support Team to get your

dongle updated as a Fusion

Office dongle is not recognised by Ranger.

They can do this update remotely, just

follow the instructions that you receive.

QWe are using a Fusion USBL

system with a Wideband MF

RovNav 5 on one of our ROVs

but we are having some

problems when we try to use

it as a USBL responder. It appears to be

set up correctly for responder mode but

when the vehicle that we have the

instrument attached to is put online it

will not track and comes up with an error

message saying that it is unable to track.

Could you please have a look at our

job set-up and see if we have a problem?

ATo operate the RovNav 5 as

a responder you must first

ensure you are running Fusion

USBL Survey software and not

just the standard Fusion USBL software.If

you are not, go to Start Menu\ Programs\

Sonardyne\ Pharos. Survey will be one

of the icons listed.

Once this is done,unplug the RovNav

5 from the responder card in the back of

your NCU.You will then need to plug it

into the transceiver card. However,as

your USBL transceiver is currently using

this card,you will need to fit a second

transceiver card.This will allow you to

use the USBL transceiver whilst operating

the RovNav in responder mode.

I would advise you to create a new job

to start this set-up to prevent making lots

of changes to an existing job which could

cause conflicts.

With over 20 years experience here at Sonardyne, Dave Mould has all the answers

cc

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