Category: Updates

The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has awarded a major contract to Applied Acoustic Engineering (AAE) for the supply of a number of USBL tracking systems and associated equipment.
Following sea trials in Japan and a competitive tender process, JMSDF took the decision to invest in seven of AAE’s Alpha Portable systems, after witnessing and accepting the key criteria of tracking stability, portability and ease of use. Predominantly intended for use with their naval search and rescue dive teams, JMSDF have also specified AAE’s 210 Micro/Remote transponders as the ideal beacon to attach to its divers.

The contract award, issued in conjunction with Toyo Corporation, AAE’s exclusive representatives for Japan, reaffirms the company’s position as a leading manufacturer of subsea acoustic systems for commercial and military applications.

Sales Manager for AAE, Gavin Willoughby commented “This is a hugely significant order for our company which demonstrates our capability and enhances our reputation as a major supplier to the defence industry. We are extremely proud to add JMSDF to our portfolio of high profile clients”.

At the Oceanology International event in London this week, Applied Acoustics celebrated the sale of their 150th USBL tracking system to Seascape BV from The Netherlands. Sales Manager Gavin Willoughby handed over the award to Gert-Jan de Rooij the Sales Engineer from Seascape at a small ceremony on their stand, a most fitting venue as that was where the Easytrak USBL was introduced to the industry at a previous Oceanology Exhibition.

At the presentation Gavin commented that Easytrak had become a generic term for subsea tracking in a very short time and he was delighted to mark this significant sale. He noted that even though this particular order was from a European country, Easytrak systems had been shipped from the Great Yarmouth factory to every corner of the world to many different clients operating in the subsea environment, reinforcing its true versatility.

Fugro Survey (Middle East) Ltd has become the latest offshore company to endorse Applied Acoustics’ S-Boom sub bottom profiling system, after purchasing the equipment for their geophysical survey operations based out of Abu Dhabi.

Developed for shallow water, ultra-high resolution surveys, the S-Boom system had been undergoing extensive trials with Fugro during the late summer of 2011 before being accepted and selected at the end of the year.

Gavin Willoughby, Applied Acoustics Sales Manager commented, “As the market leader in the Middle East in the field of offshore survey, we are delighted that Fugro has chosen to work with our systems, and I am confident that such an investment will significantly add value to their operations and enhance their position in the Middle East region”.

S-Boom sub bottom profiling systems combine the power of three modified boomer plates to provide a single pulse, driven by a single source power supply. The fusion of these three transducers delivers a source level high enough to significantly increase sub-bottom penetration without loss of data quality.
Capable of operating at a maximum energy setting of 1000 Joules per pulse, and firing at three pulses per second, the S-Boom has achieved penetration results of over 200ms through sand and limestone whilst delivering the high quality resolution records expected from boomer systems.

The Easytrak Nexus has been successfully deployed on various subsea tracking surveys across the globe since its introduction in 2009 and is currently being used nearer to home during the geophysical survey of sections of North Sea, close to shore.

The Geosurvey Department of Emu Ltd, a marine development, research and planning company based in Southampton, UK, is using the Applied Acoustics’ system on several high resolution Windfarm Engineering and UXO (Unexploded ordnance) surveys off the East coast. It is currently on the 12m vessel Emu Surveyor, being used to track towed sensors in less than 5m of water. Two further Nexus systems are on hire for similar jobs, one on the 24m Survey vessel RV Discovery and one on a charted vessel Nabcat II.

Emu has found the Nexus system particularly reliable and accurate in shallow water environments compared to other USBL systems they have used, and have been impressed with the consistency of results.

“We undertake a wide range of geophysical and hydrographic surveys for a variety of customers including scour monitoring, pipeline surveys and ports and harbour surveys in addition to the Coastal Windfarm Engineering and UXO survey we are currently engaged in,” said Richard Hamilton, Marine Geophysicist with Emu, “and of course in each case we always employ the latest technology from our survey vessels to provide cost effective world class results. The selection of the Easytrak Nexus system for positioning and tracking towed sensors is yet another example of us sourcing the best kit available.”

Easytrak Nexus is a rack-mounted USBL positioning system incorporating Digital Spread Spectrum Technology in its design. This reduces the transmitted acoustic signals’ susceptibility to interference enabling the calculation of accurate positioning information. The technology also rejects unwanted reflected signals that have made operating in challenging locations such as ports and harbours difficult in the past.

The North Sea survey work currently being undertaken by Emu represents the early stages of significant windfarm expansion plans formulated by the UK Government that is committed to raising the proportion of energy derived from renewable sources from 2.4% to 15% by 2020.

Watergate Technical Services based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, purchased two Applied Acoustics’ Easytrak USBL tracking systems in 2010 and they quickly became a key, successful operational tool. The company’s offshore operations cover the full range of subsea services such as pre-installation pipe route surveys, SEWOP positioning, site hazard surveys, subsea riser and mattress installations.

Watergate Survey Manager, Ugo Nwangwu, maintains the Easytrak System with its 900 Series Beacons fits perfectly in their deep water survey operations in the Nigerian Gulf of Guniea and Bight of Bonny.

Prior to the purchase of the tracking system diver positioning and tracking had been challenging during subsea riser and mattress installations during pipelaying projects. However, once Easytrak was deployed, interfaced with GPS and gyro compass, precise positioning and heading determination of the diver and mattress installation frame became much easier. During a recent operation mattress laying operation off Warri in the Gulf of Guinea, accuracy of less than one metre was achieved, even when working in a near shallow environment.

The ability to interface the unit with a navigation computer also makes the operation free of ambiguity as the positioning information can be displayed at strategic offices as well as at the dive shack. This visible confirmation of operations underwater provides the client with all the necessary confidence in the accuracy and efficiency of the Watergate operation.

“Our Easytrak tracking system has made our positioning operational work very easy,” said Mr Nwangwu, “raised our operational standards and delighted our customers.”

By harnessing the combined power of three of their AA202 Boomer Plates to provide a single pulse, the Applied Acoustics’ S-Boom System is re-defining the boundaries of shallow seismic surveying. Already recognised for producing high resolution seabed profiles, the fusion of these three transducers delivers a source level high enough to significantly increase sub-bottom penetration without loss of data quality.

Capable of operating at a maximum energy setting of 1000 Joules per pulse, and firing at three pulses per second, the S-Boom has achieved penetration results of over 200mS through sand and limestone whilst delivering the high quality resolution records expected from boomer systems. The high repetition rates and pulse stability allow for faster surveying, adding to the system’s overall versatility.

As with all Applied Acoustics’ sub bottom systems, the S-Boom forms part of a modular package able to operate from a number of energy sources from the renowned CSP range. For optimum results, the fast charging CSP-S1200 power supply has been designed as the energy source of choice for this system, although the system can operate just as well with a source from the larger CSP-S range. Furthermore, some existing variants of the CSP-D range can also be used at lower settings and longer pulse intervals.

The new 3510 PAM Portable has been specifically designed to meet the harsh operating conditions associated with offshore marine operations. Housed in a water-proof rugged enclosure with a clear LCD display and splash proof key pad, the PAM Portable is perfectly designed for operations on deck. It is a multi-functional tool used for beacon configuration and testing, a command unit for acoustic release transponders, and has acoustic telemetry/command and control applications.

In addition, the 3510 PAM Portable configures the Applied Acoustics’ 1000 Beacons via a serial link, is Spread Spectrum compatible and operates the new 1500 Series Acoustic Release Transponders recently introduced to satisfy the growing number of oceanographic applications.

The PAM Portable is supplied with a lightweight Test Transducer and for subsea applications such as ranging, relocation, release operation and telemetry a new 3190 Dunker Transducer, with its integral 30 meter cable and protection cage.

The portability of the unit, long battery life, intuitive key pad menu functions and its weather proof features make it a truly versatile tool, ideal for offshore use.

One of the latest renewable energy sources currently being investigated for future large scale commercial deployment is tidal energy that exploits the natural ebb and flow of coastal tidal waters. As with other energy sources offshore, innovations to harness tidal forces often throw up additional operational difficulties particularly to do with positioning of the devices on the ocean floor and their connections to shore.

One such company experienced in hydrographic/seabed survey and recently involved in the installation and testing of a tidal energy test rig off the Orkney Isles in Scotland, is local survey company Triscom Marine Ltd. A specialist in subsea positioning techniques pioneered in the offshore oil & gas construction, Triscom have recently added the latest USBL positioning system, the Applied Acoustics’ Easytrak Nexus, to its equipment pool to meet the increasing requirement for accurate underwater positioning tasks.

“We were required to inspect some subsea cabling in the area of a massive OpenHydro tidal turbine off the island of Eday in Orkney,” stated Tristan Thorne the Senior Surveyor, “because it was important to know what was happening in the deep inlet where surges of water are funnelled along a particular channel. As the turbine is mounted on the seabed, deep enough not to interfere with shipping traffic, its positioning is critical as are the cables in the vicinity that lead to shore.”

“We carry out a lot of work like this mapping inshore cable routes which are often in shallow and dynamic environments,” said Tristan, “and very often we find damage or anomalies that must be accurately marked for reporting to clients. The Nexus is the perfect design to perform very well in this capacity as the results achieved are accurate and repeatable in the most challenging acoustic environments.”

In initial trials this summer the Easytrak system was deployed firstly with a small ROV used to visually inspect and verify a cable route for a seabed-mounted current profiler, then again with a towed sidescan sonar for a salvage contract.

“We were looking for a very small seabed asset in a difficult tidal site, and towing the sonar in a straight line was impossible, but we were able to track it with the Nexus and this gave us an accurate fix on our targets.
After the sonar sweeps, the Nexus guided the ROV to these targets and enabled us to locate the missing asset, survey it and report its position to our client.”

Since the trials, Triscom has continued its use of the Nexus in a range of contracts including the ongoing support of the major tidal generator trial. Demand is also high for this Nexus outside Triscom’s traditional operational area as the company has successfully hired its system to other industries in between its own contracts.

“Easytrak Nexus is generally impressive,” stated Tris, “We mount the system’s transceiver on a pole aboard our survey vessel and track the ROV’s, divers, sonars, crane hooks and virtually anything underwater with a high degree of accuracy.”

Tristan admits that the Nexus system has quickly become an essential piece of kit for this company because it greatly adds to its operational efficiency – particularly he says, as “its interoperability with industry standard beacon types is great too.”

The Easytrak Nexus is the latest generation of USBL tracking systems from Applied Acoustics that has Spread Spectrum Technology incorporated into it to improve the accuracy of positioning information. This technology also rejects unwanted reflected signals that have made operations in challenging locations such as ports and harbours difficult in the past. It is a rack-mounted system with built in PC that displays positioning information on a separate monitor where the activity of up to ten subsea targets within a specified operating area can be viewed.

An Applied Acoustics’ rack-mount USBL tracking system is has recently been deployed in the northern Arctic Ocean. The system, the Easytrak Nexus, is the most sophisticated of the Easytrak systems, with spread spectrum technology for high accuracy performance. Working with a variety of dynamic underwater targets, the Nexus was used during a geohazard survey by McGregor Geosciences Limited, a marine geosciences and seabed mapping company based in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

For the second consecutive year, from May to October 2010, McGregor Geosciences was contracted to map seafloor and shallow seabed structures in the high Arctic. The work was being carried out to identify potential drilling hazards and provide baseline environmental information in advance of offshore drilling. For the work, McGregor mobilized two survey vessels, the R/V Strait Explorer and the R/V Poseidon EA 303, ships that are ideally suited for operations in ice prone arctic waters.

The survey vessels were tasked with collecting multibeam bathymetry with backscatter, 2D High Resolution seismic, sub-bottom profiles, side scan sonar, box and gravity cores, grab samples, water sampling and profiles as well as video/stills photography, with the deployment of current meter moorings at four locations. Both vessels were fully staffed with a team of survey and geoscience experts that carried out all phases of the acquisition, processing, interpretation and reporting for the project.

Reliable, accurate and well serviced equipment is the key to the success of any marine project and to augment the suite of McGregor equipment on board, the Easytrak Nexus system was amongst a wide range of acquisition materials and ocean sensors supplied to McGregor by ROMOR Ocean Solutions of Dartmouth Nova Scotia, to fully kit the two survey vessels.

“We’re dedicated to supplying our customers with the best the market can provide to ensure their operations run as smoothly and efficiently as possible,” explained Matthew Davis, ROMOR’s Sales Manager, “and our purchase of Easytrak Nexus for our rental pool is just another example of sourcing exactly what our client’s need.”

Used for the first time in Canadian waters, the Nexus is mounted in the Ops Room of the survey vessel where it can monitor the activity of up to 10 subsea targets within a specified operating area displaying their position on a separate monitor in real-time.

Rick Hunter, General Manager of McGregor Geosciences confirmed that both survey vessels, mobilized from Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia in early May, have now returned to port following a successful mission.

The Easytrak Nexus purchased by ROMOR is the first system in North America. ROMOR is the Canadian representative for Applied Acoustics with 25 years’ experience in the marine marketplace, offering instrumentation, integrated solutions and technical services for the Canadian geophysical and oceanographic industries.

The latest Applied Acoustics rack-mount USBL tracking system is now available from a number of rental agencies covering the globe. The system, the Easytrak Nexus, now incorporates Spread Spectrum Technology for increased operational efficiency and like all Easytrak systems, it combines its high accuracy performance with versatility and ease of operation.

“Nexus has proved its worth in a number of comparative trials so we’re pleased that rental outlets have added the tracking system to their inventories, recognising it has the sort of operational performance their customers require,” commented Sales Manager, Gavin Willoughby.

The rental units are available for the UK and Europe/Africa region from Sonar Equipment Services in Great Yarmouth, ROMOR Atlantic in Canada for Americas, and Sea & Land Technologies and Hydronav in Singapore for the Far East/Australia region.

Applied Acoustics’ new USBL underwater tracking system is making its first appearance at Seawork in June. Called the Easytrak Alpha, it is the introductory and most compact of their range of subsea tracking systems.

Ideally suited for small ROV operations or basic diver tracking, Alpha is a condensed and cost-effective system for monitoring close range subsea targets.

The Alpha system is centred on a desktop command console connected to the submerged transducer and to the host PC via a USB port. With its own internal GPS receiver, Alpha calculates the target’s position as well as its range and bearing. With the ability to offer hemispherical tracking, Alpha is ideal for shallow water applications from small work boats in coastal waters, estuaries and lakes. A fully portable version with integral computer and display will also be available by the summer of this year.

Alpha joins other Easytrak systems in a range of subsea tracking units from Applied Acoustics that offer true flexibility in operation, including a rack-mounted and spread spectrum model. The addition of a wide range of transponders for positioning and release completes the versatility of the USBL systems on offer.

Many Applied Acoustics’ tracking systems are in use across the globe by commercial marine survey companies, oceanographic institutions and defence industries, all supported by a network of overseas agents.

Great Yarmouth based Applied Acoustic Engineering Ltd has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. The Award is recognition of its outstanding achievement in boosting export revenues by over 300% during six years of continuous growth, and selling more than 70% of its products overseas. This extraordinary performance has been made possible through innovation of highly technical products and sustained support of a strong network of overseas representatives.

“This is tremendous news for us,” said Managing Director Adam Darling, “We have competitors all over the world, so it’s great to know that what we do in terms of engineering excellence, customer service and fast response technical support, really pays off. Our sales figures reflect our team effort in the truest sense. I’m pleased for everyone in the company because the recognition of a Queen’s Award is about as good as it gets in business.”

The company designs and manufactures underwater acoustic positioning, tracking and survey equipment sold mainly to the commercial offshore energy market but increasingly sales have been secured with oceanographic research institutions and naval defence industries. Applied Acoustics’ largest overseas market is the USA followed by the Far East. New markets established in recent years include Australia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and India. The company is gearing up for more orders in 2010 with job openings planned for May.

The Queens Award is a highly prized recognition of business achievement requiring an exceptional overall standard of commercial success and corporate responsibility. Internationally recognised, it is universally regarded as one of the most prestigious business accolades in the world.