BIRNS Grows Its Sales Team
Manufacturer of ISO 9001:2008, NAVSEA PRO-020-certifed lighting and connector systems BIRNS, Inc. has expanded its sales team with the appointments of Alan Whitebook and Jenny Ong. As sales Applications Engineer, Whitebook will be responsible for the active sale of the company’s advanced deep submergence connectors and cable assemblies (electrical, coaxial, optical, electro-optical and electro-opto-mechanical) to worldwide users, comprising a combination of new prospects and existing customers. Whitebook brings more than 20 years of sales and design of military, aerospace and commercial
Tampnet Awarded Johan Sverdrup Contract
Tampnet, provider of high-capacity, low-latency based telecommunication infrastructure and services for the offshore oil and gas industry, was awarded a contract by Statoil for connecting the Johan Sverdrup field to their existing 2,500km subsea fiber infrastructure in the North Sea. This contract and turn-key project will optimize and strengthen the telecommunication infrastructure for this modern and digitalized field development. Tampnet said its offshore network is built with continuous improvement and expansion in mind. Hence, throughout the North Sea the company has a number of potential
Innovative Subsea Crane Ordered for RSV Conversion
Brazilian ship owning company CBO’s vessel CBO Manoella is currently being retrofitted from an offshore platform supply vessel (PSV) into a ROV Support Vessel (RSV). As part of the conversion project, CBO has assigned Rolls-Royce to equip the vessel with a new patented hybrid dual draglink (DDC) subsea crane, marking the first installation of a subsea crane designed to be able to use either fiber or steel wire rope. Marcelo Martins, CBO, Technical Director said, “This is one of two vessels CBO is now retrofitting from PSVs to RSVs, and we are very satisfied about
ThunderFish AUV Program Gets $745,000 Boost
in underwater robotics.” “Technological innovations in sensors, high performance computing and robotics now enable next generation underwater vehicles that are highly autonomous, cost effective, light weight and easier to operate. We look forward to continuing to develop advanced marine technologies and products to meet the ever-evolving demands of our growing customer base.” RDC is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador’s research and development (R&D) performance. RDC works with R&D stakeholders including
South Bay Cable Celebrates 60
commitment to quality and customer service, allow South Bay Cable to experience steady growth. With increased production capabilities and strong footholds in both commercial and military markets, South Bay looks forward to future challenges. (As published in the May 2017 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
IKM Reports Progress at Snorre B and Visund
IKM Subsea was awarded a ROV services contract for the fields Visund and Snorre B in the North Sea last August. The contract provides for the testing and installation of an electrical, permanently seabed installed RROV (Residential - ROV). The system will interface with IKMS’s Onshore Control Center via Tampnet, a dedicated fiber-based network system for the platforms in question. The systems are equally design to operate on the 4G mobile broadband system. “We are proud that Statoil has given IKM the thrust and opportunity to deliver ROV service in the form of an
NKT Names New Cable-laying Vessel NKT Victoria
The new NKT cable-laying vessel was named NKT Victoria at a ceremony at the power cable plant in Karlskrona, Sweden. The act was carried out by the regional Governor of Blekinge and marks the starting point of a new era of NKT turnkey high-voltage offshore cable system capabilities. NKT took delivery of the new vessel on April 10, 2017. NKT Victoria lays high-voltage offshore cables with high precision based on e.g. DP3 (Dynamic Positioning) capability and a remotely operated vehicle using cameras and sonar. If not incorporated in the power cable itself, fiber optic cables for monitoring
Sea Habitats Altered by More Invasive Seaweed-Study
Walking along the beaches of New England, it is easy to spot large amounts of a fine red seaweed clogging the coastline, the result of sweeping changes in the marine environment occurring beneath the water. To further investigate, researchers at the University of New Hampshire looked at seaweed populations over the last 30 years in the Southwestern Gulf of Maine and found the once predominant and towering kelp seaweed beds are declining and more invasive, shrub-like species have taken their place, altering the look of the ocean floor and the base of the marine food chain. In the study
TE Debuts New Wet-mate Connector
construction with 4, 7 or 12 electrical circuits enables many configurations for use in electrical, signal and distribution networks in subsea control systems. TE’s HydraElectric connector supports upcoming industry standards for subsea control system power distribution. Rugged marine systems require connectors with high speed communication capabilities and the ability to manage a range of operating currents. Qualified for both 1500 VDC and 1000 VAC pin to pin, the HydraElectric connector enables copper-based high speed Ethernet and supports the industry standards for Ethernet
Cable Repair Restores Power Scilly to Islanders
CWind’s specialist cable installation vessel, the C.S. Sovereign, has completed a power cable repair to reconnect the Isles of Scilly to mainland electricity. The power cable was damaged late February by an anchor, a common occurrence with telecommunications and power cables. The C.S. Sovereign, along with her crew of cable engineers and specialist cable equipment and machinery, was contracted for the repair and rapidly mobilized. Using remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) deployed from the back deck of the C.S. Sovereign, the vessel and technical team onboard surveyed
Oceaneering Bags Anadarko Umbilical Contract
Oceaneering International, Inc. said it has secured a contract from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to supply the umbilical for Anadarko’s Constellation subsea tieback in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The contract is for a dynamic and static electro-hydraulic steel tube control umbilical, and associated hardware. Oceaneering plans to design and manufacture the umbilical at its facility in Panama City, Fla. The control umbilical for the Constellation project is expected to be used to transmit hydraulic control fluid and chemicals, as well as provide the electrical power and fiber
To Create a Sustainable Future – Digitalize Offshore Energy
U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and a $1.2 million contribution from Dong Energy, Siemens Wind, GE Energy Solutions, Scottish Power Energy Networks, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Hydrasun, Nova Innovation, British Approvals Service for Cables, JDR Cables and the European Marine Energy Centre. The Holistic Operation and Maintenance for Energy from Offshore Wind Farms (Home-Offshore) team will include scientists and engineers from Manchester, Warwick, Cranfield, Durham and Heriot-Watt universities. Over the next three years, Home-Offshore will create an advanced
Buoy Harnesses Wave Energy to Power Instruments at Sea
A new buoy from Danish company Resen Waves harnesses wave energy to provide continuous power and real time data connectivity to autonomous instruments and machinery in the oceans as a plug and play solution. While instruments and machinery in the sea have traditionally been powered by batteries, PV or diesel generators, this typically requires regular ship operation to replace batteries or supply of fuel and maintain diesel generators. This is not always possible due to weather and can become costly, meaning power is often economized by cutting back on data transmission, which limits the
Forum Brings Multiplexer Technology to Rental Market
Forum Subsea Rentals, a Forum Energy Technologies business, has announced that new multiplexer video and data acquisition technology is available to their global rental market following significant investment in MacArtney’s EMO range. The acquisition of DOMINO-7 Mk II and NANO-MUX multiplexers has been made in response to a growing demand for compact, lightweight designs which deliver enhanced operational efficiencies while supporting a complex array of subsea sensors. The investment not only expands Forum’s extensive range of multiplexers, it brings the newest kit - the NANO-MUX- to
Hydro Group Completes MeyGen Contract
cable up to the nacelle, including the dynamic cable, the in-board connection system and the mechanical loading system, transmitting a power output of 1.5MW at 4.0kV per turbine and incorporating fibre optic links. Mr Whyte continued: “As offshore installation costs are the highest in any marine infrastructure, minimising those costs has been a strong focus for us. We design our systems to mate and de-mate (connect and disconnect) in less than one hour to ensure offshore installation cost is reduced. “Further to this, Hydro Group’s system is designed for minimal maintenance
JNPT Gets Radiological Detection Equipment at Exit Gates
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai has become the first major port in the country to install radiological detection equipment (RDE) at all its exit road and rail gates. An official press release said the Marine Department of the port had taken up the project and the work was awarded to the public sector Electronic Corporation of India (ECIL) in 2012 at a total cost of Rs. 23.324 crore. Twenty-eight Vehicle Monitor Systems have been installed at the Road, Rail, Exit Gates. Out of these 11 are at North Gate Complex, 3 at the South Gate Complex
SoCal Tech Focus: BIRNS
Oxnard, Calif. based BIRNS, Inc. opened in 1954, and has been serving the global marine industry ever since with high performance lighting and connector products.The technological advancements in the field of cable assembly development have been rapid and exciting in the last decade in particular. BIRNS has been creating new connectivity solutions that provide immense performance characteristics in relatively small packages. In its flagship connector line, the BIRNS Millennium series, BIRNS customers are able to rely on a 6km open face rated assemblies that combine high and low voltage electrical
Fiber-Optic Connector Technology for O&G Ops
may have generous lead-ins to guide the mating halves together. Connecting Traditional Packaging to Subsea Applications To a great extent, subsea fiber optic connectors use new ways of packaging tried-and-true technologies, rather than radically new and unproven approaches. TE Connectivity Marine Oil & Gas adapts technologies that were well-established for telecom, network, aerospace and military applications to subsea applications. Subsea connector technology relies on ultra physical contact (UPC) and, more recently, angled physical contact (APC) for better performance (especially with
Manned Sub to Survey Titanic Wreckage
A new mission will send the first manned submersible to the Titanic wreck since 2005. The mission will see a survey expedition team use the latest subsea imaging technology and a newly built manned submersible to assess the condition of the shipwreck and document artifacts in the debris field. The OceanGate Expeditions exploration team will conduct annual surveys of the wreck in collaboration with experts from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory AIVL at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of an ongoing long-term study to document the current condition of the Titanic
Hydro Group Grows Australian Network
subsea cable and connector specialist Hydro Group plc has partnered with MacTaggart Scott Australia as the firm increases its positioning in the region. The partnership is focused on consolidating Hydro Group’s current work on the Royal Australian Navy Collins Class Submarines and to extend its services to aid the Australian capability for Future Submarine and Future Frigate. Additionally, the company will offer its expertise in specific marine cabling systems. Complementing the work Hydro Group undertakes, MacTaggart Scott provides solutions from analysis
Why Did the El Faro Sink?
Deep-sea vehicles locate data recorder on the seafloor On October 1, 2015, the 790-foot cargo ship El Faro sank near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin. All 33 crew members died in the tragedy. The ship was equipped with a voyage data recorder, or VDR, that could reveal clues to understand what happened, but it was lost in the depths. The VDR was mounted on the mast on the ship’s navigation bridge. A search expedition mounted in October located the wreck and discovered that the bridge had separated from the hull. Days later, when the search team located the bridge, the mast
Drymate Connector Aids Wave & Tidal Development
Marine energy facility EMEC provides the hard infrastructure necessary to test wave and tidal energy prototypes at sea. The electricity produced at EMEC’s test sites is fed into an onshore substation through subsea cables, and is then connected into the national power grid. Connected to the subsea end of EMEC’s cable, SEA’s Drymate Connector provides pressure balanced make and break connectivity. This enables rapid connection, proven in operation at the EMEC test site. The connector also includes termination using a Partial Discharge (PD) free, testable
Atlantic Canada Profiles: SULIS
; Fully-corrected 100-degree ultra wide-angle field of view (diagonal) Large 1-inch sensor for increased light sensitivity 20-megapixel stills capture Full manual controls, including a broadcast-quality control panel. (As published in the January/February 2017 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Atlantic Canada Profiles: SubC Imaging
. SubC has patents pending around the viewing medium, involving stitching the videos together, to create a 360 spherical view around the ROV. Multiple clients can simultaneously digitally pan, tilt and zoom within the spherical view. (As published in the January/February edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Sapphire Windows Meet Harsh Subsea Requirements
Custom fabricated sapphire windows that can withstand extreme pressures and the rigors of harsh subsea applications while providing optimum visibility are available from Meller Optics, Inc. of Providence, Rhode Island. Meller Sapphire Windows are ideal for subsea UAV applications requiring a clear, hard optical material that can withstand high pressures to 10,000 psi and resist salt water, chemicals and fast moving particles. Featuring Mohs 9 hardness which is second only to diamond, they can be manufactured to specification in a wide range of sizes with varying thicknesses, mounting profiles, steps
Global Marine Systems Awarded ACMA Contract Extension
Global Marine Systems Limited announced has that it has been awarded the renewal of the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement (ACMA), alongside its Atlantic partner for maintenance services, Orange Marine. The new contract began on January 1, 2017, and runs for five years, through to December 2021. ACMA is a non-profit cooperative subsea maintenance agreement consisting of 60+ members. ACMA members are companies responsible for the operations and maintenance of undersea communications and power cables, as well as Oil & Gas Platform operators, in the Atlantic, North Sea and
OceanGate Begins Building a New 5-man Sub
Manned submersible operator OceanGate Inc. said it has started building Cyclops 2, an all-new privately owned sub capable of taking five people to depths of 4,000 meters – or approximately two and half miles deep – for human exploration of more than 50 percent of the ocean depths. Having been in development for several years, with initial design and engineering beginning in 2013, Cyclops 2 has now entered the construction phase with an order for two titanium hemispheres and two matching titanium to carbon fiber interface rings from fabricator of reactive metals Titanium Fabrication
Airborne Hydrographic Survey Commissioned After NZ Earthquake
of the South Island. RAN LADS commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant Commander Susanna Hung, explained the mission. “We will fly over the area and collect hydrographic survey data, which will reveal what has happened below the waterline, and identify any shifts in the ocean floor which mariners need to be aware of.” The RAN’s Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry (ALB) system has been developed by Fugro for safe, high speed and cost effective surveys of shallow coastal areas. Under a long term contract to the RAN, Fugro provides the LADS technology, a de Havilland Dash 8-202
Mildon Appointed President, Hydro Group
in Pinellas County, Fla. With nearly 40 years’ experience in undersea product development from complex sonars to sensors and undersea cable and connectors, Mildon has held a number of senior positions, most recently as technical director at Nest Technical Services. He has led teams in submarine penetration designs, under water connectors and numerous fiber optic inter-connect products. In his new role Mildon will be focused on shaping and delivering Hydro Group Systems to carry the same vision of Hydro Group Plc, based in Aberdeen, Scotland. Along with developing this vision in
New Cyanobacteria-Sensitive Optics for Enviro-T2 In-Line Fluorometer
Turner Designs’ Enviro-T2 detects Cyanobacteria in a low-cost in-line monitor Enviro-T2 is an in-line fluorometer suited for drinking water or wastewater facilities that want to detect cyanobacteria and algae in their water flow. It is an accurate, single-channel fluorometer which easily integrates with data collection systems providing a 4 – 20 mA output proportional to the fluorescence from chlorophyll in water. The Enviro-T2 Red Excitation Fluorometer has maximum sensitivity for better detection of cyanobacteria; the Enviro-T2 Blue Excitation Fluorometer is configured with maximum
AUVs Under Ice: Past Milestones, Promising Future
The marine environments beneath ice are arguably some of the least accessible on earth. Ice is a formidable physical barrier that can range in thickness from centimeters to hundreds of meters—an impediment that has not diminished our desire to uncover the secrets that lie beneath. In the heyday of manned submarines, under-ice was seen as an important operating theater, where the ability to listen and monitor one’s foes was crucial. As manned submarines have given way to unmanned vehicles, the duties of under-ice research have widened to include more fundamental motivations
US Shore Landing for Monet Submarine Cable
TE SubCom said it has completed the U.S. shore landing for the Monet Submarine Cable, a 10,556km cable that will connect Boca Raton, Fla. to Fortaleza and Praia Grande, Brazil, where shore landings were completed earlier this year. Monet is owned by Google, Algar Telecom, Angola Cables and ANTEL. The 100G-capable cable system will provide a low latency route from Brazil to North America with a minimum bandwidth of 60 Tbps. “With our system supply partners at TE SubCom, we’ve seen tremendous progress on Monet in the past several months, making today’s U.S. shore
World's First Fabrication of Subsea Well Part Using LiDAR Data and 3D Printing
Fugro and 3D at Depth, a global provider of advanced subsea LiDAR systems and solutions, announce the world's first application of subsea LiDAR data used to 3D Print an accurate 1:1 physical model of a damaged well part. The ability to use accurate spatial data in subsea part fabrication with 3D printing, introduces a wide range of possibilities to reduce costs across intervention planning and Life of Field programs. The subsea part fabrication was part of a larger project conducted in early 2016, using 3D at Depth's subsea LiDAR SL 2 technology and point cloud
Aqua Comms Taps Bayliff as CEO
cable development, private equity and government clients in the industry, and Vice-Chairman of the United Nations joint task force that examined the gathering of disaster mitigation and climate information from the global web of undersea cable systems. He also served as CEO and a board member of Huawei Marine Networks, which he led from a start-up to initial success in the subsea cable construction industry while introducing several major, technological advances into the marketplace. Prior to this, he was a member of the executive team of FLAG Telecom where he served as an officer and deputy chairman
MacArtney Supplies EMO Mux Systems to Unique System
The newly established MacArtney Canada office has delivered EMO multiplexer systems designed to offer up to 2,000 watts of DC power distribution for Unique System LLC (USA), a Unique Maritime Group company and integrator of turnkey subsea and offshore solution providers based in New Iberia, La. and Houston. Unique System, which specializes in the supply of equipment for sale and rental to the diving and offshore industries in the Gulf of Mexico region, has taken delivery of two EMO DOMINO-7 Mk-2 fiber optic multiplexer systems at its Houston branch, joining the company’s ROV rental pool
TE Subcom Supplies MAREA Submarine Cable System
Facebook, Microsoft, and TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, has announced that TE SubCom has been named the system supply partner for the new MAREA submarine cable across the Atlantic Ocean. TE SubCom has completed the route survey and begun manufacture of the system at its facility in Newington, New Hampshire. The parties are on track to begin laying cable using TE SubCom’s state-of-the-art cable installation ships next year, with a scheduled completion date of October 2017. As announced by Facebook and
Facebook, Google among Builders of New Transpacific Cable
Undersea communications technology company TE SubCom has partnered up with Facebook, Google and Pacific Light Data Communication Co. Ltd. (PLDC) to co-build a 12,800 km transpacific submarine cable system that will provide the first direct undersea route between Hong Kong and Los Angeles with ultra-high capacity transmission. Scheduled for commercial launch in summer of 2018, the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) will become the highest-capacity transpacific route when completed largely thanks to TE SubCom's C+L technology, which effectively doubles the available bandwidth and capacity per fiber
ROV Tech File: Meet the Phantom T5 Defender
. It is equipped with a 12 gauge “shotgun” explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) device that fires its disrupter at point-blank range to disable a potential threat. The underwater drone has been under development for 18 months, tested in real-life situations by dive teams and marine units of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, military bomb teams, search and rescue agencies and homeland security tactical units. Utilizing the fully integrated Greensea system, the Phantom T5 Defender is piloted either manually with joysticks or automatically using waypoints
Alaska’s (Hidden) Frontier
and subterranean of the seafloor. This makes Alaskan waters one of the most comprehensive, dynamic and economically viable platforms to work with. The platform includes 45,000 miles of sophisticated shoreline, two oceans, three seas and the Gulf of Alaska. It also has the world’s largest submarine canyon with depths to 24,000 feet, extreme tidal ranges with 16 knot currents known as tidal racing, ice-free ocean, frozen ocean and a seasonal mix of both. Alaska is 53 miles from Russia, it boarders Canada, connects to the Arctic and is the northern gateway for Pacific Ocean maritime
GM Deep Sea Mooring Secures Det Norske Oljeselskap Contract
Global Maritime Deep Sea Mooring, a provider of offshore mooring services in Norway, has signed a contract with Norwegian operator Det norske oljeselskap to support Prosafe’s semi-submersible Safe Zephyrus accommodation rig in the Ivar Aasen North Sea field. The contract also includes support to the Maersk Interceptor ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig. Deep Sea Mooring, which has already installed the pre-lay system, will supply mooring and pre-lay equipment; offshore personnel; mobilization and demobilization services; and operational planning for the Safe Zephyrus accommodation
MTR100: Lankhorst Ropes
; family and LANKO ‘Strong & Light’ family, which provide an optimal combination of breaking strength, life-time safety and ease of handling . Email: [email protected] www.lankhorstropes.com (As published in the July/August 2016 MTR100 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
MacArtney Supplies LISST-VSF to Europe
Specialized instrument made specifically for ocean optics communities is to be applied by German Center for Materials and Coastal Research providing a scientific basis for sustainable development and future-oriented coastal management. The coasts represent an important field of research. The area in which land and water meet is a hot spot of species diversity and exchange processes and calls for closer analysis and assessment. This is undertaken by e.g. Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, German Center for Materials and Coastal Research. They will be using a LISST-VSF which is going to be deployed
MTR100: Silicon Sensing Systems
to FOG-based products – as well as systems suitable for a wide range of navigation and stabilization requirements. With a heritage dating back more than 100 years, Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd and its predecessor companies have a unique record in delivering gyroscope systems to the marine industry. Based in Plymouth in the southwest of the U.K., Silicon Sensing Systems produces low-cost highly reliable gyros. Having gained entry into the consumer car market, the company now produces up to 4 million devices per year, and more than 30 million to date. The company is now jointly owned
MTR100: Novacavi
with Aquancable, a range of unique bespoke cables for maritime and underwater technologies including high performance tow cables, ROV cables, fiber optic hybrid cables, umbilicals, armored cables, as well as subsea detection and instrumentation cables. Novacavi is also focusing on its range of custom marine coax tow cables. Among them both heavy steel armored coax tow cables for harsh specialist applications and lightweight, neutral, positively or negatively buoyant coax tow cables for underwater environment. Email: [email protected] www.novacavi.it (As published in the July/August
Allspeeds Unveils its Largest Fiber Rope Cutter
Allspeeds has unveiled its largest standard Webtool fiber rope cutter so far: the Webtool SL165 softline ROV tool, capable of cutting soft and fiber ropes up to 165mm diameter. Deployable either on the manipulator arm of a work class ROV or integrated within a maritime handling system, the cutter operates at any water depth. Fiber rope is widely used in subsea anchoring, equipment deployment and construction, as an alternative to steel wire. The need to handle higher loads has prompted the use of larger diameter ropes. In the event the rope needs to be cut, the Webtool guillotine cutting action
MTR100: Focal Technologies Corporation
Focal Technologies, a Moog Inc. company, has 32 years experience in the marine industry, specializing in providing electrical slip rings, fiber optic rotary joints, hydraulic utility swivels and fiber optic multiplexer solutions for the worldwide marine industry including ROV, seismic, FPSO turret and oceanographic applications. From design to deployment, Focal’s team specializes in providing solutions for the worldwide marine industry, with innovation and performance incorporated along the way. Product features include hybrid packages that combine fiber, electrical, and fluid rotary
MTR100: MacArtney
Worsøe, Vice-President, Technology Bjarke T. Ovesen, Vice-President, System Solutions Lasse Rasmussen, Vice-President, Engineering Number of employees worldwide: 300 in group companies, 160 in associated companies. (As published in the July/August 2016 MTR100 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
MTR100: Chelsea Technologies Group
within the Chelsea Technologies Group crosses throughout the company’s core market sectors with key state-of-the-art technologies commonly adopted through the market groups. Chelsea Instruments Ltd. was established in 1965 as a spin off from Imperial Collage, London. It merged in 2001 with Marine Acoustics Ltd. to form Chelsea Technologies Group Ltd. A team of scientists and engineers are engaged in design, development, production engineering and marketing of a wide range of oceanographic sensors, sonar systems, acoustic transducers and towed vehicle systems. Applications include environment
MTR100: Saab Seaeye
Founded in 1986, electric underwater robotic systems manufacturer Saab Seaeye produces a diverse range of pioneering ROVs and system packages for virtually all subsea tasks across a range of industries, including oil and gas, renewable energy, hydro and civil engineering, marine science, aquaculture, nuclear engineering, telecoms, security and emergency, salvage, seabed mining, leisure and defense. It has a turnover of around $70 million. Technologically, the Saab Seaeye vehicle range comes in various sizes, power and tasking options that extend from compact systems to work systems. They extend
Galway Bay Observatory Goes Live
Subsea observatory off Ireland’s coast goes live with Teledyne Marine interconnect Ireland currently imports most of its energy from sources outside the country, but has an excellent natural resource in the form of ocean power off of its west coast, in Galway Bay. To take advantage of this clean, natural energy resource would make a major environmental and social contribution, and reduce Ireland’s carbon impact. Harnessing the energy from ocean activity will require a detailed understanding of the ocean’s behavior in this location, then subsequent commercial development to
MTR100: Allspeeds Ltd
a new blade-on-blade cutting design that maintains the roundness of the steel wire rope cross-section makes it much easier to re-use cut ropes during drilling operations. Email: [email protected] www.allspeeds.co.uk (As published in the July/August 2016 MTR100 edition of Marine Technology Reporter
Teledyne Maintains Course
In what has become something of an MTR100 tradition, MTR visits with a trio of executives from Teledyne, a diverse company with links in each sector of the market, for insights on current developments and future trends. This year we speak with Mike Read, President of Teledyne Marine; William Egan - Vice President Sales & Marketing – Imaging & Instruments for Teledyne Marine; and Ken Nagengast, SVP, Global Technology & Group CTO. Teledyne has grown steadily, serving as a market consolidator over the past decade. Please discuss the overall corporate strategy devised to align
New Site Data Collected for Fundy Tidal Project
of what’s happening at the FORCE test site.” The platform was retrieved in mid-July, and analysis of sensor data is now underway. Reliable site data is critical to all aspects of in-stream tidal energy development, including both turbine design and understanding any effects on the marine ecosystem. The Fundy Advanced Sensor Technology (FAST) program encompasses three separate underwater platforms, onshore radar, meteorological instruments, and a tide gauge. Headlining the program is FAST-1. At 4.5-tonnes and 4-metres in length, this platform is designed for frequent deployment
Demo Event Showcases Cutting-edge Offshore Instrumentation
Technologies, the two-day event featured specialist equipment manufacturers from the US, Canada and France who took the opportunity to highlight developments in a range of areas. Using Forum’s newly opened purpose built 6x5x4.5m test tank in Aberdeen, representatives from ITER systems, EMO Marine Technologies and Remote Ocean Systems (ROS) were able to display a number of products that had not previously been demonstrated in Scotland’s North-East. Christian Blinkenberg, sales director for global services at Forum, said: “Financial pressures across the industry have placed
Cables Installed for NEPTUNE Research Observatory
Following last year’s work in recovering failed fiber optic cables serving the NEPTUNE deep sea research observatory off the west coast of Canada, the U.K. headquartered Global Marine Systems Limited has now completed the final part of this maintenance contract after installing the replacement cables. An initiative of the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada operates extensive monitoring networks and undersea observatories for scientific research. One of these is NEPTUNE, the subsea infrastructure for which comprises an 800 km loop of fiber optic cable connected to
The Island of Gold, the Leopard and the Falcon
gold and other valuable mineral reserves created by hydrothermal activity from hot water venting at 300°C which contains dissolved metals that form ore deposits when cooled. Seeing the potential for extracting these minerals, Tokyo University has engaged Kaiyo Engineering, a specialist marine science company, to undertake seabed research using two Saab Seaeye robotic systems, the Leopard and the Falcon, to explore the feasibility of mining the gold, cobalt and the copper-rich manganese crust. The University’s program is a quest to establish world-leading exploration technologies
Underwater Center Links with Bibby for ROV Apprenticeships
Scottish subsea training facility, The Underwater Center, has partnered with Bibby Offshore to provide ROV apprentices with the opportunity to gain practical, unique hands-on experience. The apprentices, who are employed by Bibby Offshore but are still too young to go offshore, will benefit from operational experience in the field with live ROVs and will undertake a wide variety of tasks including the mobilization/demobilization of the work class ROV. The first two apprentices have completed three weeks of training where they gained experience in the Center’s mechanical
Fiber-rope Retrofit Extends Subsea Crane Capabilities
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has launched a fiber-rope retrofit option for its subsea cranes; the modular upgrade replaces the crane's original steel wire rope with synthetic fiber rope, using the same technology as MacGregor’s fiber-rope crane, the FiberTrac 1500, introduced earlier this year. These cranes combine MacGregor's offshore crane technology with the fiber-rope tensioning technology perfected by Parkburn Precision Handling Systems. According to MacGregor, fiber rope’s advantage when used in this context is that it weighs virtually nothing in water, so regardless of the
iXblue Offers a Full Range of INS for All AUV Types
iXblue Offers a Full Range of INS for All AUV Types With Phins C3, C5 and C7 range, iXblue now provides fully scalable systems that cover all inertial navigation needs for any size of AUV. Based on iXblue’s silent true solid state Fiber-Optic Gyroscope technology, the Phins Compact Family guarantees high accuracy, unrivalled reliability and proved robustness. The iXblue’s Phins Compact Family has been designed to offer the AUV industry players the ability to choose an inertial navigation system adapted to their vehicle, whatever their size and mission, from accurate
MacArtney Expands into Atlantic Canada
Business acquisition of EMO Marine Technologies Ltd. (EMO Marine) consolidates MacArtney’s presence on the Canadian east coast; acquiring the Canadian company ensures optimum positioning of the sixth regional operation in the North American market Canadian manufacturer of subsea communication systems, EMO Marine, is the latest acquisition of the MacArtney Group. EMO Marine is a technology company founded in 2012 specializing in engineering and manufacturing of a range of fiber optic video/data transmission systems appropriate for various marine and subsea applications. MacA
