Acoustic capability

Nortek has provided metocean survey and consulting company Partrac with its Signature250 acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and accompanying subsurface buoy.

The instrument allows users to measure currents and directional waves up to 200m for current profiling, and 150m for wave height and direction, making it useful for deeper-water wind turbine sites.

“We needed an instrument for deeper water that could still measure both current profiles and the wave climate. The Signature250 has proven to provide exceptional data thus far,” said Pete Wilson, operations director at Partrac.

Nortek is supporting Partrac to provide floating windfarm developers with detailed and accurate data on metocean conditions at potential development sites.

Using ADCPs, Partrac can extend its capabilities and adapt to increasingly complex offshore environments.

Oceanographic deployments in harsh environments are, by their nature, a risky business, but those risks need to be minimised. Sensors and ancillary equipment must be robust, reliable, and easy to retrieve. Lost or faulty sensors mean lost data, and potentially lost business for companies required to deliver accurate data to their clients on time.