Case Study: Klein System 5900 Side Scan Sonar

Klein Marine System’s flagship 5900 high-resolution and high-speed side scan sonar is designed for use as either a conventional towed system or a payload for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). Klein recently tested its newest sonar features in Israel on the USV Seagull, Elbit’s versatile platform for mine hunting and antisubmarine warfare. Among these features is the ability to control and stream full-resolution side scan sonar images via satellite.During a recent test…

Royal Navy Unveils Fish-like Submarine Concepts

A crewed mothership shaped like a manta ray, unmanned eel-like vessels equipped with sensor pods which dissolve on demand to avoid enemy detection and fish-shaped torpedoes sent to swarm against enemy targets. Though these vehicles look more like something designed in Hollywood for the next sci-fi blockbuster, they’re actually new concepts developed by the U.K Royal Navy to transform the future of underwater warfare.

JFD Wins DSRV Contract from Republic of Korea Navy

The subsea operations and manufacturing company JFD, a part of James Fisher and Sons, has received a multi-million dollar contract for the design and build of an advanced Deep Search and Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).The DSRV will be delivered as a part of a submarine rescue capability being provided to the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).The contract, awarded by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME)…

Eighth and Final Royal Navy Frigate Upgraded with Sonar 2087

Following an extensive refit, HMS Portland has become the final Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to be fitted with Thales U.K.’s Sonar 2087, a towed array sonar system that enables warships to hunt submarines at considerable distances and locate them beyond the range from which they can launch an attack. Portland has now returned to service, with a rededication ceremony on March 21. The 12-month multi-million pound refit in Rosyth Royal Dockyard of Portland’s sensors…

Cenpes Leading Petrobras’ R&D Effort

Petrobras expects to raise a net $4.3 billion in global capital markets each year to fund its investment plan over the next five years, according to Chief Financial Officer Almir Barbassa. During a presentation to analysts on March 19th, Barbassa explained that the expected increase in crude oil production during the 2013-2017 period, which covers the investment plan, had allowed Petrobras to reduce its net financing needs by 50% compared with the 2012-2016 investment plan.

Economics of Dyneema-based Ropes

Traditionally thought an expensive alternative to traditional steel wire and conventional polyester-based synthetic ropes, offshore ropes and mooring systems made with Dyneema have been making inroads. End users such as ConocoPhillips, Shell and Petrobras are working with systems based on the high-strength, low-weight fiber of DSM Dyneema. Coupled with their durability and longevity, these rope systems…

GE Improves Propulsion Systems Efficiency

GE’s Power Conversion business unveiled a new power and propulsion system at OTC that they say reduces fuel consumption by controlling engine speed on platform support vessels. The Variable Frequency Active Front-End power and propulsion system, or VF-AFE, enables ship owners using conventional power system components to lower engine speeds when feasible, cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions and maintenance requirements, the manufacturer claims.

DNV Release 'Safeti Offshore' Software

DNV Software launches a software solution for offshore risk analysis of offshore structures in challenging environments. Harsher environments, life extension and more demanding regulatory and business requirements are some of the challenges the offshore industry faces. However, a complete software tool to evaluate the full range of potential hazards and associated risks has until now not been available.

GE to Supply Turbomachinery to Statoil

GE Oil & Gas and Norway-based Statoil Petroleum AS have signed two new, five-year frame agreements that call for GE to supply turbomachinery equipment as well as services to support Statoil’s installed fleet of GE turbomachinery. GE’s equipment will be deployed primarily for Statoil’s onshore and offshore projects in Norway, as well as for other global activities, between 2013 and 2018. GE’s first…

Naval Aviation History in the Making Aboard CVN 77

Unmanned aircraft accomplishes first ever ‘touch-and -go’ aboard aircraft carrier CVN 77. The Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) has begun touch-and-go landing operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush following on board launching. For UCAS-D, this represents the most significant technology maturation of the program. Ship relative navigation and precision…

Glimpse of Robotic Maritime Future at IMarEST Lecture

A former National Hydrographer of the UK addressed marine engineers at the recent IMarEST Gordon Hodge Memorial lecture. ‘Radical new technologies are approaching the maritime industry on a steady bearing and it is time to respond.' This was the key message former National Hydrographer of the UK, Rear Admiral Nick Lambert expounded. Today remote controlled drones are routinely deployed in Afghanistan and theatres of war elsewhere in the Middle East.

Unmanned Surface Vessels: C-Stat Mobile Buoy USV System

In recent years, the proliferation of unmanned surface vessels deployed for hydrographic missions has mushroomed as the collaborative effects of propulsion, software and sensor technologies has cumulatively made these vessels, large and small, more capable for a multitude of missions. In this edition, and on the heels of the Ocean Business exhibition last month in Southampton, Marine Technology Reporter examines recent developments.

Atlantic Towing and Jaya Seal Second Offshore Deal

Offshore energy services provider Jaya Holdings Ltd. reached an agreement to sell a second new state-of-the-art anchor handling tug supply vessel Jaya Sovereign to Canadian buyers, Atlantic Towing Ltd. The vessel’s delivery is expected by the end of 2013. The Jaya Sovereign is a sister ship of the Jaya Supreme which was delivered to Atlantic Towing in November of last year. Both vessels are among the most sophisticated anchor handlers ever built at a Singapore shipyard.

New Products from OceanTools

OceanTools Ltd. debuted  two new products with the revamp of its MA500 Altimeter  and launch of OceanCAM subsea camera. OceanTools recently completed a redesign of their popular MA500 Precision Altimeter. DSP electronics combined with frequency swept CHIRP technology are housed in a robust hard anodized aluminum housing rated to 3,000 meters as standard. The MA500D utilizes a new, highly efficient composite transducer array enabling altitude measurement with millimetric accuracy and resolution.

TRDI Provides Navigation on OceanServer AUVs

Teledyne RD Instruments’ (TRDI) has received an order for 10 custom-designed Explorer Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) to provide precision navigation and current profiling onboard OceanServer Technology’s Iver3-580 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). The DVLs will be installed onboard vehicles designed for customers and applications which include: the U. S. Navy for mine clearance operations, several universities for various research programs…

Inertial Navigation System to Boost Wind Turbine Installation Precision

Manufacturer of advanced inertial navigation systems (INS), Exail, has secured a contract to supply three Hydrins INS to Pliant Offshore, an offshore measurement specialist.The units will be integrated into Pliant Offshore’s installation measurement system to improve the accuracy and efficiency of wind turbine installations. Pliant’s technology is designed to provide real-time measurements of the inclination and position of structures, such as monopiles, during installation.

Teledyne Marine Launches Intrepid – A GNSS/Inertial Navigation System

Teledyne Marine introduces the Intrepid, a GNSS/Inertial Navigation System. The system is integrated with the SeaBat T20-ASV processor and comprises a compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and two GNSS antennas, delivering reliable and precise positioning.With the Intrepid on board, no manual interfacing between sensors is required, as the system automatically streams data to third-party software.

Lagersmit, Subsea Global Solutions Strengthen Partnership in Southeast Asia

Lagersmit, a provider of advanced sealing solutions and a member of The Timken Company, and Subsea Global Solutions, a leader in underwater ship repair and marine services, announced the renewal and expansion of their long-term partnership.The collaboration strengthens both companies’ presence in Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian maritime market, ensuring shipowners, operators, and OEMs in the…

Researchers Link Antarctic Ice Loss to Subsurface “Storms”

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have identified stormlike circulation patterns beneath Antarctic ice shelves that are causing aggressive melting, with major implications for global sea level rise projections.In a paper published recently in Nature Geoscience, the scientists say their study is the first to examine ocean-induced ice shelf melting events from a weather timescale of just days versus seasonal or annual timeframes.

Warship Design Unveiled for UK's Next Generation GCS

The latest design of the Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS), the next generation of warships, has been unveiled. The Ministry of Defence has released images showing the basic specification of the T26 GCS, which is a significant milestone in the development of this programme. The creation of the vessel will sustain thousands of jobs in the shipbuilding industry. The multi-mission warship…