Page 10: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2006)

10 MTR November 2006 news

Sonardyne Ranger USBL

Acoustic Positioning System

Trials of Sonardyne's Ranger USBL (Ultra-Short BaseLine) system were con- ducted by Artec Subsea AS aboard its

ConCat survey vessel. The Ranger system was installed alongside the permanent suite of advanced survey equipment carried aboard the 30 ft. boat which can be folded for transport inside a standard 40 ft. con- tainer. Developed to be easy to set-up and use, Ranger is the newest addition to

Sonardyne's USBL product family. It pro- vides a cost-effective solution for hydro- graphic survey and DP (Dynamic

Positioning) reference tasks in up to 2,000 m water depth and incorporates

Sonardyne's innovative Wideband signal technology enabling faster, more reliable and more accurate subsea navigation.

Following delivery and installation, the

Ranger system was immediately set to work providing ROV positioning on a cable route survey off northern Norway. Artec

Subsea's Managing Director, Tore Brekke says that he chose the system after being impressed by its specifications and per- formance during testing. "Now that we are using Ranger we are very happy as the posi- tioning it is providing is proving very sta- ble." He added "The system's portability means that we can use Ranger on a wide range of ROV (Remotely Operated

Vehicle) and towfish-based projects includ- ing high precision seabed mapping, off- shore construction and site surveys.

Geometrics Delivers to

Scripps

Geometrics Inc. has delivered an environ- mentally safe, 48-channel, 24-bit digital seismic streamer (GeoEel series) to the

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). Installed by Geometrics personnel on the SIO research vessel, Roger Revelle, the narrow-diameter, easy-to-handle digital streamer will be used primarily for deep water research.

The Geometrics GeoEel is reportedly the first commercial high-resolution-digital streamer to be filled with a non-toxic, non- flammable silicone oil derivative, thus eliminating fire hazards or fines in environ- mentally-sensitive areas from accidental

Fuel-cell Subs for the German Navy

In late September the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and

Procurement signed a contract for the delivery of two 212A class submarines. The con- tract was signed with the consortium "ARGE 2. Los 212A," the ARGE being made up of the companies Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft and Nordseewerke, which belong to the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard alliance.

Both submarines will be equipped with an air-independent propulsion system based on the hydrogen fuel cell. The second batch for the German Navy will be constructed according to the already tried and tested general design for the first four submarines and will likewise be built in non-magnetic steel. In addition to expanded and improved sur- face and underwater sensor technology, the new submarines of class U212A have major innovations in the field of communication. This means that the submarines can be optimally deployed in Network Centric Warfare. They are also equipped for deploy- ment of special forces. The delivery date for the two submarines is fixed for 2012 and 2013.

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