Category: Updates
Applied Acoustics proudly announced that it reached a significant milestone at the Oceanology International exhibition in London recently. The company has been supplying subsea acoustic equipment for 21 years and celebrated with a champagne and strawberries reception on their stand at the show.
Managing Director Adam Darling reflected on the last 21 years by saying, “We started from very small beginnings in a former goat shed in a tiny Norfolk village and now our products are in use all over the world. I particularly wanted to thank our customers for their loyalty over the years, as well as our many overseas agents, so a reception here seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“It’s been really enjoyable and the years have passed quickly but I’m now looking forward to the next 21” he added.
Established in 1989 and based in Great Yarmouth, UK, Applied Acoustics designs and manufactures subsea positioning and USBL tracking systems, and marine seismic power supplies for offshore survey companies, defence and oceanographic institutions. A worldwide network of representatives ensures customer service on a global scale.
Applied Acoustics launched a powerful new seismic energy source at Oceanology. An extension to the range of market leading seismic power supplies, the CSP-S12000 features a maximum output energy level of 12000 joules, bringing a new dimension to shallow seismic reflection surveys.
Designed for use specifically with the upgraded 12KJ Delta Sparker, the CSP-S12000 has been created following customer demand for increased seabed penetration and operations in deeper waters. With its fast charge rate of 2500 Joules per second, the new CSP-S can operate at maximum power once every 5 seconds, allowing surveyors access to geology previously difficult to profile with portable, surface towed equipment.
Although the CSP-S12000 is the largest unit in the company’s range of geophysical power supplies, it still fits comfortably within a single 21U robust housing, removing the need for separate enclosures for the capacitor banks. This single box solution also gives the system portability, and the ability to be transferred between vessels of opportunity.
Technical Manager Neil MacDonald explained, “We’ve many CSP units working throughout the world both in coastal waters and deeper out to sea providing reliable sub-bottom profiling data for a variety of applications, so this new unit will provide the valuable extension to that range that geophysicists need.”
Applied Acoustics unveiled their new USBL tracking system at Underwater Intervention in New Orleans this February. Called the Easytrak Alpha, it is the introductory and most compact of their range of subsea tracking systems. Ideally suited for small vehicle 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.
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, spread spectrum model and a fully portable version. The support of a wide range of transponders for positioning and release completes the versatility of the USBL systems on offer.
Applied Acoustics’ Field Engineer Mark Eccleston is recently back from Korea where he lead a training course covering all operational aspects of the new Easytrak Nexus, the latest USBL tracking system from the company. KORDI, the Korean Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institute, purchased the system unit following comparative trials over the summer months and it was put through its paces in the waters of Geoje Bay, SW of Busan, this October.
“The Korean engineers were very pleased with Nexus,” said Mark. “It has lots of special features which make it really flexible and versatile, and now with multiple target tracking and Spread Spectrum Technology for improved range stability, its accuracy could be demonstrated very clearly. Although my Korean is very limited, anyone could see the performance was good – the system spoke for itself.”
As with all Easytrak systems, Nexus works with a variety of Applied Acoustics’ underwater targets and beacon types including pingers, responders, release and positioning transponders. The Broadband Spread Spectrum Technology, which rejects unwanted reflected signals, makes operations easier in challenging locations such as the shallow waters of ports and harbours.
Applied Acoustics, a leading manufacturer of undersea positioning, tracking and sub-bottom profiling equipment, has a new 6000m rated pressure testing facility. Newly constructed in 2009, this facility is now available for hire at the Great Yarmouth factory.
The chamber has a maximum operating pressure of 690 bar and has an internal diameter of 340mm with a useable length of 1500mm. This allows for most transducer assemblies and towfish designs to be catered for. Assemblies of up to 500kg can be handled by the overhead hoist.
The Pressure Test Tank is sunk into the ground to ease the handling of the Devices Under Test (DUT) and is positioned close to roller-shutter doors for access. The Pressure Test Tank also has the facility to offer penetrator openings through the top end cap.
Hire rates are based on half, full-day or longer periods as required.
Increased sales in Applied Acoustics’ underwater positioning equipment and seismic survey systems has necessitated their move into larger premises. The new facility, more than twice the size of the previous building, houses spacious production areas, test facilities and administrative offices as well as a new suite to be used as a Training Centre. In addition, the company has invested in a spectacular new 6000m pressure test tank which will allow it to develop products for full ocean depth operations.
“The successful launch of several new products in recent years has meant our production facilities have been rather congested,” explained Managing Director Adam Darling, “but now with much more space we can offer a greater product range, shorter lead times and more products from stock.”
The staff have worked hard and a healthy order book reflects their efforts, so I’m delighted we can step up to provide an even better service in the months ahead.” he added.
Applied Acoustics was established in 1989 and now manufactures a wide range of positioning beacons, USBL subsea tracking systems and seismic sub-bottom profiling equipment used by commercial companies and academic institutions worldwide. Their latest new product, the rack-mounted, spread spectrum Easytrak Nexus was launched recently at Ocean Business in Southampton.
The new facility was officially opened by Norfolk MP Tony Wright on April 23rd with local VIPs, customers and suppliers invited to toast the company’s success.
Applied Acoustic Engineering launched its latest USBL tracking system at Ocean Business in Southampton, UK, in April. The new system, Easytrak Nexus, represents the latest in a series of innovative developments in subsea acoustic tracking by the company. Now incorporating Spread Spectrum Technology, Nexus combines its high accuracy performance with versatility and ease of operation.
The rack-mounted Easytrak Nexus determines the position of a dynamic subsea target through the transmission and reception of acoustic signals between the submerged transceiver and the target beacon. By incorporating Spread Spectrum Technology, the frequency of the transmitted signal is able to be varied, reducing its susceptibility to interference and enabling the calculation of accurate positioning information. Spread Spectrum Technology also rejects unwanted reflected signals that have made operating in challenging locations such as ports or harbours difficult in the past.
As with all Easytrak systems, Nexus works with a variety of underwater targets and beacon types including Pingers, Responders, Release and Positioning Transponders. Furthermore, Nexus operates in both traditional ‘tone-burst’ and new Spread Spectrum modes. The Spread Spectrum (SS) Beacons include an enhanced 1000 Series with a depth telemetry option and a Bi-directional Spread Spectrum version for improved range stability. With low-power consumption the bi-directional Spread Spectrum beacons can be connected to peripheral devices subsea to send back digital data, for example current flow or heading, as well as simultaneously being used as navigation transponders.
Nexus has a built in PC running embedded Windows XP with a solid state HD. The positioning information is displayed on a separate monitor where activity of up to ten subsea targets within a specified operating area can be viewed. These targets can be Applied Acoustics’ beacons or those operating in the same frequency range from other sources.
Applied Acoustic Engineering’s range of sub-bottom profiling equipment has recently won critical acclaim during a number of operations in the harsh working conditions north of the Arctic Circle, firstly as part of a research study by the University of Bergen and secondly in the search for hydrocarbons beneath the seabed.
Scientists from Bergen, Norway, have been conducting studies to determine the origin of the Alpha Ridge north of Greenland which required them to obtain seismic data from the seabed underneath autonomous drifting buoys placed on multi-year ice. Personnel from the university had developed their own sparker sound source to suit their specific requirements, but needed an energy supply to operate remotely, in sub-zero temperatures, for a period of approximately 6 months, recharging itself from its own power supply.
Applied Acoustics’ technicians, in conjunction with the university, tackled this challenge by developing a novel seismic energy supply capable of firing a 4.8KJ shot using energy harnessed from the sun. A series of solar cells were incorporated into the unit to recharge the capacitor banks easily and sufficiently, creating a viable and environmentally friendly way round what could have been a major obstacle. The successful arrangement meant that with the buoy drifting at an average speed of 5km/day, the system could fire the sparker every 50m of movement.
The reflected seismic energy, received by a single hydrophone, was digitised and recorded, and sent to Bergen via the Iridium Satellite Network. This enabled the University’s scientists to monitor the operation remotely, returning to the region to retrieve the equipment at the end of the project. Three of these drifting seismic buoys are planned for further deployment in the Spring of 2009.
Elsewhere in the Polar region, Applied Acoustics’ geophysical capabilities have been put to the test in a very different way. Their 6000J Delta Sparker with CSP-S energy source have been utilised in geohazard surveys off the northern Alaskan coast to establish the presence, or not, of shallow gas, active faulting and potential hydrate zones. The Ultra High Resolution (UHR) multichannel seismic surveys utilised a 48-channel streamer at 6.25m spacing in conjunction with the multi-tip Delta Sparker array.
The deployment of the CSP-D and Delta Sparker system offered speed of mobilisation as it required only a two-man operation and a readily available single-phase generator on a vessel of opportunity rather than a cumbersome air compressor and air-gun arrangement on a dedicated platform.
The Automatic Variable Input Power (AVIP) circuitry of the CSP-S also proved important. By smoothing the input voltage to the energy source, a soft start is provided which gradually increases the power output, reducing the load on the equipment and keeping generator requirements to a minimum.
The project was mobilised in the western Alaskan port of Nome in October 2008 and in order to maximise weather conditions the survey was performed ‘single pass’ with good quality high resolution data achieved.
Applied Acoustics have recently returned from a police diving conference where the latest equipment and techniques for policing maritime operations were discussed. Gavin Willoughby, Sales Manager, gave a presentation about Easytrak, the underwater tracking system which can provide police diving teams with vital underwater location information.
Easytrak is used to plot targets, plan the route to a specific seabed or lake location of interest while the divers’ path is monitored on shore or on a vessel above in real-time. Gavin explained, “Underwater dive operations are fraught with difficulty and one of the biggest challenges is knowing where you are, where you’re going and where you’ve been. With Easytrak on the team it’s possible to save a lot of time during a search – plus your colleagues know exactly where you are, so it adds to your safety.”
Applied Acoustics has appointed a new agent in Italy. Mepeco S.r.l , based in San Donato Milanese, near Milan, has been operating since 1978 and supplies equipment and services for oil and gas exploration, drilling and production as well as Ocean Engineering. Applied Acoustics’ range of sub-bottom profiling equipment, subsea location and tracking devices will sit very well with Mepeco’s other sensors, instruments and components for oceanography and hydrography.
Roberto Balistrieri, Sales and Technical Director of Mepeco, is delighted to have added the Applied Acoustics’ products to his company’s portfolio. He says, “These products are very well known throughout the world for their high quality, engineering excellence and reliability so I am very pleased to be able to offer these to our clients in Italy, and some of the former Yugoslav countries.”
Commenting on the development Gavin Willoughby, Sales Manager of Applied Acoustics, said, “The appointment of specialist organisations to represent our products is a vital part of our overall sales strategy, so we are delighted to welcome Mepeco to our team of agents, and look forward to building a successful working relationship with them. This appointment will strengthen our presence in Southern Europe and will help to bring the Applied Acoustics name to the attention of new and existing markets.”
Applied Acoustics have added a further streamer hydrophone to their range of sub-bottom profiling products. Up to now the company has offered standard streamer hydrophones with 1-8 or 20 element designs but from July it is introducing a 12 element hydrophone spacing, with the array calculated to offer the optimum resolution and penetration for either sparker or boomer applications.
The length of the hydrophone streamers, as with the other variants, remains at 4.5m with a robust 50m tow leader as standard, but the elements are spaced at 250mm. Extensive trials proved this was an ideal specification to bridge the gap between earlier models.
Applied Acoustics supply complete seismic sub-bottom profiling systems including the Seismic Energy Source, the Seismic Sound Source (boomer or sparker) as well as streamer hydrophones so can provide the best package of components tailored to each application. Several hundreds of these systems are in use worldwide by marine survey companies, government departments and academic institutions.
Applied Acoustics, based in Gt.Yarmouth UK, has been manufacturing sub-bottom profiling systems for over 15 years. With advances in technology the company has been able to steadily enhance its product range to meet the ever increasing demands of the industry as regards both performance and safety. For example, the discharge mechanism has evolved from a mechanical device to a solid state switch and the mains supply demand has improved due to the efficiency and averaging rate of the charger. A very recent development, the ‘Dual Voltage Setting’ adds extra versatility by enabling the operator to ‘tune’ the boomer to a lower operating frequency and thus obtain both increased penetration and resolution. Across the product range, output current is monitored shot by shot for fault conditions. Operator safety has always been a top priority so several dual layer features are incorporated to ensure very high safety standards are met.
In the past year alone the company has launched three new Seismic Power Sources; the CSP-D and CSP-P with their special dual voltage output and the CSP-S, a compact ‘all in one’ 6000 Joule power source.
Launched at Oceanology International in London in March, the CSP-S provides both requirements geophysicists have when examining the subsea sediment layers; high resolution, shallow penetration or low resolution, high penetration. It operates both with lower powered boomer plates, such as the AA300 boomer as well as the 6000J sparkers.