Sonardyne upgrades systems – by David Goodfellow
Underwater system specialist Sonardyne International of Hampshire UK launched what it calls its 6th Generation (6G) product range at last month’s Oceanology International at London’s ExCel, an event which attracted well over 6,000 visitors from nearly 100 countries.
The new range comprises a mix of acoustic positioning, inertial navigation and wireless communication systems. They include a multi-mode Compatt 6 subsea transponder using Sonardyne’s Wideband 2 ultra-wide bandwidth signals. Programmed to operate autonomously without ROV or vessel control support and successfully tested by a leading oil company over the last 12 months, the system is claimed to allow a wider range of applications than conventional seabed positioning transponders.
Another variant of the new Compatt 6 technology is Fetch, a small low cost wireless system designed to freefall to seabeds and autonomously log sensor data over extended periods. At the same time, the company has also developed its first sidescan sonar, Solstice, for use with AUVs.
The first sale of a 6G system was announced during Oceanology, with an order from a major Chinese civil engineering concern for a Long Base Line (LBL) acoustic positioning facility together with Compatt 6 transponders and Fusion 6 software. Sonardyne also said that aspects of its new technology would shortly undergo joint trials with Technip in the Jubilee oil field 60km offshore Ghana.
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