KONGSBERG going deeper at Oceanology International

The Kongsberg Maritime stand at Oceanology International 2006 in London 21st - 23rd March will play host to a range of updated and new hydroacoustic technology, reference systems, underwater positioning systems and cutting edge underwater cameras.

You will find us at Oceanology International 2006, ExCel London, 21st - 23rd March 2006, Stand 650.

Hydroacoustics
Launched at Oi06, the EM 302 is a new, improved version of the EM 300 multibeam echo sounder, which is currently the market leading product formarine geology mapping of the seabed, for depths to 5000 - 6000m. The new product will include all earlier features, and will use chirp technology to obtain extended range capability. It will also offer high-density signal processing and increased number of soundings for improved resolution.

The EM 122 is an improved version of the EM 120 multibeam echo sounder, which is currently the preferred system for mapping of the seabed to full ocean depth. It will use similar technology as EM 302 for improved resolution. The EM 122 will offer a wider swath and higher survey efficiency than any other deepwater mapping system.

Also announced at Oi06, is the SBP 300 multibeam sediment profiler, designed for integration with EM 302. This powerful FM chirp system with narrow stabilised beams covers a swath of up to 30 degrees and offers typical sediment penetration of 100msec for water depths to 5000m. 3D imaging of the sediment structure is possible. The system works with multiple pulses in the water and uses a special pulse shading mechanism to eliminate interference with other acoustic systems.

Fishery Research
The new multibeam technology in the Simrad ME70 has several improvements compared to the traditional single beam methodology, enabling more accurate and flexible assessment. It provides a greatly increased sampling volume, which enables improved input to stock estimate models. The ME70 can also see fish close to the bottom, which before now, was considered a 'blind zone' for fishery research. The first ME70 was installed onboard French research vessel, 'Thalassa' and the second, for the IMR (Norwegian Marine Institute), has now been installed onboard 'GO Sars'.

Reference Systems
The Seapath 20, a highly accurate GPS compass from Kongsberg Seatex has been updated with the inclusion of SBAS - Satellite Augmentation System, using the EGNOS and WAAS signals. In areas where EGNOS/WAAS corrections are available, tests confirm position accuracy of 1.5 m 95% CEP or better from Seapath 20 making it an ideal reference system for all survey operations.

Also developed and produced by Kongsberg Seatex, RADius was introduced to the market at Oi04 and has since been adopted by several leading operators. RADius is a unique solution designed to provide highly accurate and reliable relative positioning data based on FM-CW radar principles.

Underwater Positioning Systems
A range of new HiPAP systems will be introduced at OI06, extending the applications of HiPAP technology with its unique active beam steering transducer technology.

A new portable acoustic positioning system, the HiPAP 350P, will be launched. The positive market response to HiPAP technology is proven with the many systems sold prior to 'wet' testing of the highly accurate HiPAP 350P. Also introduced at the show, the HiPAP 450 offers a cost effective solution for easy upgrade to the industry standard HiPAP 500.

Kongsberg Maritime was the first to introduce Ultra deepwater systems in 1987 and has since been the market leader. The HiPAP 100 is the latest ultra deepwater system which uses low frequency HiPAP technology to achieve ranges up to 12,000 metres and includes transponders rated up to 6,500 metres.

The latest developments in Hydroacoustic Aided Inertial Navigation (HAIN) technology will be presented at the show. HAIN is now proven by Offshore Operators, Subsea Construction and Survey Companies as a major tool in cost reduction of deepwater field developments in conjunction with HiPAP systems, which are installed on the majority of offshore field development vessels. The use of HAIN and HiPAP in deep water developments in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea and West Africa has resulted in reduced vessel time and reduced subsea hardware whilst improving ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) navigation by combining the advantages of acoustic positioning and inertial navigation.

Underwater camera
Kongsberg Maritime will unveil a new underwater HDTV camera at Oi'06. The oe14-500 is designed and priced to be used for all general purpose ROV inspection tasks. In addition to HDTV video the camera has an inbuilt 2.7 mega pixel digital stills capability. A water compensated optical zoom lens provides a close-up inspection capability combined with the flexibility of a 10x magnification for powerful stand off inspections.

In addition a new IR remote control will be launched, which allows long line drive and camera control set up. Camera control can be single wire, two wire and RS485, with RS232 and Ethernet being available as factory set options. The inclusive Kongsberg Maritime GUI provides control of extensive camera functionality via the digital link.