/2017 Archive


IN PRINT – “From the Field”

IN PRINT – “From the Field”

Editorial Focus

DeepWater Buoyancy was found In Print in the December Issue of the Ocean News and Technology.  The article was an Editorial Focus entitled “From the Field”.  It is a question and answer session with DeepWater Buoyancy’s Director of Business Development, David Capotosto.

Download a PDF of the article HERE

…or read the full text of the article below.

The Article – From the Field

Could you give us some company history?

To understand our company history, I have to take you back to 1979.  In that year, David Cook founded Flotation Technologies (Flotec) to produce subsea buoyancy products made from syntactic foam.  Mr. Cook was one of the inventors of syntactic foam and had been working with it for over a decade.  He and his family grew Flotec into a leader in oceanographic buoyancy products, pioneering buoyancy for instruments like ADCPs and transponders. In the early 2000s, the company proceeded to develop and to produce best-in-class oil and gas subsea products, including drill riser buoyancy and distributed riser & umbilical buoyancy, arguably some of the most challenging subsea foam products.

Flotec was acquired in 2008 by a Houston-based subsea equipment and service provider.  In 2013, DeepWater Buoyancy acquired the rights and designs for the legacy Flotec material technology and products when its parent company was in the process of closing the New England facility. Since then, DeepWater Buoyancy has been producing, improving and growing the Flotec product line, which has been the industry standard for decades.

What are your standard products?

Our standard product line is vast and covers applications in numerous markets.  It is, of course, principally subsea buoyancy, but also includes related, subsea deployment products.

At the heart of the DeepWater Buoyancy product line are the subsurface ADCP buoys.  These buoys, originally developed for Teledyne RD Instruments’ ADCPs, are considered the gold standard within the industry.  Consisting primarily of both spherical and elliptical buoys, the product line also includes the unique StableMoor® Mooring Buoys.  These torpedo-shaped buoys are engineered to house ADCPs and other sensors for high current data collection applications.  By design, the StableMoor® reduces drag and increases mooring stability in extreme flow regimes, thereby producing superior data sets.

 

However, DeepWater Buoyancy’s product line goes well beyond ADCP buoys.  In the oceanographic market there are bottom mounts, instrument collars, and cable floats.  For offshore oil & gas, there are installation blocks, modular buoys, deepwater marker floats and ROV buoyancy.  In addition to DeepTec® syntactic foam products and custom-engineered components, there are also plastic, polyurethane and fabricated metal products for use subsea.

We continue to develop the standard product line as projects and opportunities arise.  Recently we have added mooring line fairings, a new modular installation buoy and a pop-up buoy recovery system.

What have been some of the challenges?

One of the largest challenges we face is lead time.  There has always been downward pressure in this area.  But with the changes in the O&G market, it seems to have intensified.  Overall project timelines are shortened and this, coupled with other factors, can affect procurement schedules.

And of course, when designing a system, buoyancy is often the last item to be specified, as the balance of the system’s weight needs to be characterized before uplift can be calculated.

Could you talk about an especially challenging case study?

We were contacted by a large offshore services provider preparing to do a large metocean study in Brazil for a subsea oil production site.  They had been awarded the contract but needed seven of our 64” diameter elliptical buoys.  Additionally, they needed to have the buoys customized.  In order to meet their deployment timeline, they asked us to produce them in half of the time that would normally be required.

How did you overcome those challenges?

Integral to our business and manufacturing strategy is the ability to execute almost all the required manufacturing processes in house.  That means we have control of the sequence of operations and can expedite internally, as opposed to relying on and pressuring outside subcontractors.

Our operations team was engaged in the challenge and rose to it.  The systems were delivered on time to the customer and allowed them to deploy on schedule.

What are your largest market sectors?

Our largest markets are oceanographic and military/government.  Additionally, we have been strong in the offshore oil & gas market and are looking to see growth in that market as the industry recovers.

What have been some of your custom products?

I am glad you asked this question. Custom products are certainly a strong suit of ours.

Often a client can’t find their ideal solution in the product line.  Sometimes it is simply a matter of customizing some feature of a standard product.  But often it requires our team to start with a clean sheet of paper – or perhaps better stated – a new solid model file.  Either way, we will design and produce a custom product to meet the requirement.

The company’s design philosophy is, “A customer should have a product that meets the application, and not be forced to adjust their application to an off-the-shelf product.”  Whether an iteration of an existing design or a completely new design, the goal is to produce the finest, most appropriate, and cost-effective solution for any given application.

Part of the strength of this custom offering is our engineering team with state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology.  But it also includes the vast manufacturing capability and know-how in house.  We have a wide assortment of internal manufacturing processes and tools; from foam manufacturing, to welding, to machining, to urethane spray coating.  And we have a seasoned staff of capable technicians with decades of experience with these processes and these product lines.

Using this approach, we have produced everything from small components for AUVs, to acoustic baffles, to custom buoyancy blocks for the OOI project that are the size of a small automobile.

One recent example

The National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) in Southampton UK approached us with a requirement for a 6000m benthic lander for the RAPID array project.  RAPID ARRAY has been deploying bottom pressure recorders across the Atlantic since 2004.  The NOC team wanted to address issues in previous designs and make improvements.

We worked closely with them to design a new system from scratch using solid modeling.  The system included buoyancy, framework, instrument clamps and hardware.  The lander is dropped to the seafloor where it collects data.  The product is equipped with a dual acoustic release system which allows it to drop ballast when it is time for recovery.  Once the ballast is dropped, the system is positively buoyant and returns to the surface.

The product was jointly developed and the system was built entirely in our facility.  NOC integrated all the instruments and deployed in Spring of this year.  Recovery is planned for Spring of 2020.

 

Have there been any AHA moments?

Along the way there have certainly been some “AHA moments”.  Those moments, when related to products, are often a result of collaboration with the gifted ocean scientists, ocean engineers and the numerous instrument manufacturers with whom we work.

There have also been a few material science “AHAs”.  After all, at the center of what we do is the development of syntactic foam, that amazing material that provides buoyancy but resists being crushed by the pressure of ocean depths.  Of course, I can’t share those moments with you as our syntactic foam technology is proprietary.

What have been some of the most interesting projects?

Our StableMoor® buoy has provided us with some interesting applications.  It is a product that allows for a stable mooring to gather data in high current sites.  Last year the National Renewable Energy Laboratories and the University of Washington used the product in a unique way to study turbulence in potential site of subsea turbines for renewable energy production.  Understanding turbulence is important in these sites as turbulence places stress on the turbine blades.

Read a related article  HERE   –   Download a copy of the NREL paper HERE

The product was fascinating in that the buoy housed a number of instruments, the primary instruments were the turbulence sensors.  To get the data that was required, there was a turbulence sensor placed in the nose of the buoy.  But there were also two additional sensors placed at the end of special carbon-fiber wings.

These kinds of projects are interesting because they challenge us to produce unique and robust designs and because they take our buoys to some of the most hostile and chaotic areas of the ocean and in the midst of that difficult environment, support the gathering of important data.

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

IN PRINT – Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System

IN PRINT – Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System

New Product

DeepWater Buoyancy was found In Print in the December Issue of the Ocean News and Technology.  The article was a New Product Announcement for the Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System.

See a PDF of the printed article HERE

See the original announcement post HERE

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

IN PRINT – Don’t Let the Ocean Knock You Down

IN PRINT – Don’t Let the Ocean Knock You Down

Article

DeepWater Buoyancy was found In Print in the December Issue of the Marine Technology Reporter.  The article was called “Don’t Let the Ocean Knock You Down”.  Written by Dean Steinke of DSA, the article is a print version of the DeepWater Buoyancy Mooring Matters article, Mooring System Numerical Modeling.

In the article, Dean discusses the role of finite element-based simulation and visualization software in mooring design.

See a PDF of the printed article HERE

See the Mooring Matters post HERE

Watch the simulation video HERE

 

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

NEW Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System

NEW Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc. announces that it has developed a Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System (PUB) and added it to their line of subsea buoyancy products. The PUB allows for direct retrieval of seabed packages, such as anchors, anchor lines, and bottom-mounted frames and instruments.

The new product was introduced in October at the 2017 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop in San Diego, California.  It was well-received by representatives, distributors, partners, and end-users.

“We are excited to add the pop-up system to our product line,” said Dan Cote, Sales Manager.  “It gives our customers yet another buoyancy tool for deploying and recovering subsea equipment.”

Pop-Up Buoy Product Details

Easily mounted to any framework, the assembly sits on the seafloor until the acoustic release is activated. Once the release completes its disconnection, the buoy subassembly lifts free from the canister subassembly and rises to the surface. A synthetic line connects the buoy directly to the framework of the seabed item and allows for retrieval.

The standard recovery system is designed to work with both the legacy Teledyne Benthos 875 shallow water release, as well as the new R500 series release. Though this model is built specifically for the Teledyne Benthos acoustic releases, the company can also fit the design to releases from any manufacturer.

“This year Teledyne Benthos discontinued its long-standing product offering, the PUB-875,” explained David Capotosto, Director of Business Development. “This left our distributors and the end users in a supply dilemma.  We saw this change and the introduction of the new R500 release from Benthos as an opportunity to serve our clients and, at the same time, to improve the concept.  As with all DeepWater Buoyancy designs, the unit is thoughtfully designed and ruggedly-built for the offshore environment.”

Learn More

Learn more about the Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System HERE

See all our product types HERE

Download a datasheet HERE

Pop-Up Buoy Product Image

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

For further sales information:  Dan Cote, Sales Manager  |  sales@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 502 1400

For further company information:  David A. Capotosto |  davidcap@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 468 8545

 

Pop-Up Buoy with Syntactic Foam Collar removed showing Teledyne Benthos R500 Acoustic Release

PUB-875 PUB-R500 Benthos
PUB-875 PUB-R500 Benthos

 

Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System with Teledyne Benthos Acoustic Release installed.

PUB-875 PUB-R500 Benthos
PUB-875 PUB-R500 Benthos
Sponsoring the 2017 MTS Houston BBQ

Sponsoring the 2017 MTS Houston BBQ

Sponsoring

DeepWater Buoyancy is sponsoring the 2017 MTS Houston BBQ.  The event will take place on Thursday, October 26th at Seanic Ocean Systems in Katy, Texas.

The Event

The event is a great opportunity to network with MTS professionals in a relaxed atmosphere.  DeepWater Buoyancy’s Sales Manager, Dan Cote, will be available at an exhibit table to introduce guests to our product line or to discuss an application.  Dan will be joined by members of our Gulf Coast representative group Waters and David.

In addition to refreshments, a wonderful barbecue dinner, exhibits and social networking, there will also be door prizes and a silent auction. This is a great event and several hundred participants are expected. Bring along your colleagues and invite your clients ….spouses are also welcome.

Details

Location Click here for map

Seanic Ocean Systems
25310 Clay Road
Katy TX 77493

Learn more HERE

About MTS

The Marine Technology Society was incorporated in June 1963 to give members of academia, government and industry a common forum for the exchange of information and ideas. The guiding purpose is:

“To promote awareness, understanding, advancement and application of marine technology.”

Today, MTS is a growing organization, boasting a membership of businesses, institutions, individual professionals and students who are ocean engineers, technologists, policy makers and educators.

MTS Mission

  • Facilitate a broader understanding of the relevance of marine technology to wider global issues by enhancing the dissemination of marine technology information
  • Promote and improve marine technology and related educational programs
  • Advance the development of the tools and procedures required to explore, study and further the responsible and sustainable use of the oceans.

MTS’s long-range vision is to be:

“The leading authority and advocate for marine technology and resources while promoting member success and public understanding.”

 MTS Website

Exhibiting at 2017 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop

Exhibiting at 2017 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy will be exhibiting at the 2017 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop.

When: October 15-18, 2017
Where: Catamaran Resort, San Diego, CA USA

Summary

Teledyne Marine and DeepWater Buoyancy invite you to join us for the newly expanded Te​​ledyne Marine Technology Workshop in which speakers, influencers, and attendees from around the globe will converge to explore, learn, and share their experiences on a broad range of technologies.​ DeepWater Buoyancy team members will be on hand to discuss ways in which our product line works intimately with the Teledyne Marine products.

(more…)

NEW Mooring Line Cable Fairing

NEW Mooring Line Cable Fairing

Introduction

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc. has added a new product to their successful line of Mooring Line Cable Fairings.  The new fairing is designed to accommodate 1/4″ jacketed wire rope.  It is the latest item in the company’s portfolio of products for subsea mooring systems.

Vortex-induced Vibration

Under certain flow conditions, taut mooring lines can vibrate or “strum”. The strumming is caused by vortices that result from the water passing over the line diameter. Strumming not only creates cable fatigue, it can have a detrimental effect on instruments in the mooring string.

Mooring Line Cable Fairing

DeepWater Buoyancy’s mooring line cable fairings reduce strumming by eliminating this vortex action.  Less strumming means less fatigue on the line. Additionally, the fairing design reduces drag on the mooring line resulting in less mooring layover. As an example, the drag coefficient for a 3/8” jacketed wire cable is 1.20, whereas the mooring line fairing is 0.17. This is an improvement of over 85%.

Fairings are made of durable ABS plastic. They are easily loaded onto the mooring line during deployment simply by separating the ends of the fins and installing over the line.

Unlike other solutions, this product can be installed over select portions of the line, requires no maintenance, does not suffer from tangling problems, and resists biofouling.

The standard units are designed for 1/4″ and 3/8″ jacketed wire rope and are 12” in length. Other diameters and lengths can be produced upon request. End clamps are also available to limit the vertical movement of the fairing on the line.

Learn More

Learn more about mooring line cable fairings HERE

Download a datasheet HERE

See all our product types HERE

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

For further sales information:  Dan Cote, Sales Manager  |  sales@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 502 1400

For further company information:  David A. Capotosto |  davidcap@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 468 8545

DeepWater Buoyancy in MTR100

DeepWater Buoyancy in MTR100

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy has again been selected for the prestigious Marine Technology Reporter “MTR100”.  Marine Technology Reporter (MTR) magazine is the world’s largest audited circulation publication serving the global Marine Technology Market. This month, MTR released its 12th Annual Listing of 100 Leading Subsea Companies.

In his opening editorial, Gregory Trouthwein, MTRs Associate Producer and Editor, said, “This year we saw another record number of applicants from around the globe for inclusion in our annual innovation showcase. This year’s MTR100 features technologies from 13 countries and four continents…”  DeepWater Buoyancy is proud to be amongst a distinguished collection of companies that include: Teledyne Marine, General Dynamics, and Sonardyne International, to name just a few.

In addition to being selected, a short article about DeepWater Buoyancy was included in the publication.

MTR100 Article

DeepWater Buoyancy Inc. reports that it is the world’s largest producer of subsea buoyancy products for the oceanographic industry and has a vast product line of buoyancy solutions for offshore oil and gas, energy and technology companies. This product portfolio has been built over the course of 35 years serving these industries. Though products for shallow water applications are offered, the company specializes in deepwater, providing solutions to depths of 6,000 meters and beyond.

DeepWater Buoyancy’s headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in New England, the birthplace of syntactic foam. New England is also where David Cook formed Flotation Technologies (Flotec). Incorporated in 1979, Flotec grew into a recognized world leader in the manufacture of deepwater buoyancy products that included ADCP Buoys, distributed buoyancy modules and drilling riser buoyancy. Flotec was purchased in 2008 by a subsea equipment manufacturer.

In 2013, DeepWater Buoyancy acquired the rights and designs for the legacy Flotec material technology and products when its parent company was in the process of closing the New England facility. Since then, DeepWater Buoyancy has been producing, improving and growing the Flotec product line, which has been the industry standard for decades. DeepWater Buoyancy also stocks parts for these legacy products and provides design and application assistance.

At the heart of the DeepWater Buoyancy product line are the subsurface ADCP buoys. These buoys were originally developed for Teledyne RD Instruments’ ADCPs. Consisting primarily of both spherical and elliptical buoys, the product line also includes the unique StableMoor® Mooring Buoys. These torpedo-shaped buoys are engineered to house ADCPs and other sensors for high current data collection applications. By design, the StableMoor® reduces drag and increases mooring stability in extreme flow regimes, thereby producing superior data sets.

However, DeepWater Buoyancy’s product line goes well beyond ADCP buoys. In the oceanographic market there are bottom mounts, instrument collars, and cable floats. For offshore oil and gas, there are installation blocks, modular buoys, deepwater marker floats and ROV buoyancy. In addition to DeepTec® syntactic foam products and custom-engineered components, there are also polyurethane and fabricated metal products for use subsea.

Learn More

Download a copy of the MTR100 publication HERE

See the DeepWater Buoyancy product portfolio HERE

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

For further sales information:  Dan Cote, Sales Manager  |  sales@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 502 1400

For further company information:  David A. Capotosto |  davidcap@deepwb.com  |  +1 207 468 8545

We are Exhibiting at Oceans 17

We are Exhibiting at Oceans 17

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at the Oceans 17 conference in Anchorage Alaska. The conference begins on September 18th.

Visit Us

Please come visit us at Booth 716 and meet Dan Cote, Sales Manager.  Dan will be joined by Matthew Henry, DeepWater Buoyancy’s Plant Manager.

About the Conference

Every autumn, the Marine Technology Society and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society sponsor OCEANS, a prestigious conference/exhibition that draws an international audience of more than 2,000 attendees:

  • Over 500 professionally reviewed technical papers, including sessions focused on local themes.
  • Plenary sessions with leaders from industry, academia, the military and government.
  • 100+ exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in products and services.
  • A student poster session featuring outstanding projects from around the world and other student activities.
  • Tutorials, workshops, demonstrations, government listening sessions, social/networking opportunities, professional field trips …and much, much more.

Learn More

More about the conference… oceans17mtsieeeanchorage.org

Send us an email to schedule a visit at the show… sales@deepwb.com

Representative Spotlight – Saderet Ltd. in the UK

Representative Spotlight – Saderet Ltd. in the UK

DeepWater Buoyancy has the finest international representative network for oceanographic subsea buoyancy.  What follows is the next in a series of articles on our representative groups.  This time we are highlighting our representative in the UK – Saderet.  Founded and still led by Andy Smith, Saderet is another of our representatives who have many years of experience integrating our buoyancy solutions into subsea moorings and structures. Saderet services our customers in this region from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton to the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Scotland, in applications ranging from ADCP deployment to monitoring of aquaculture to support of offshore oil and gas operations.

Introduction

Since 1998 Saderet has successfully served the land and marine survey industry with leading products and solutions. Founded by Andrew Smith the company now employs 7 and is based in the Isle of Man. Geographically the company offers equipment worldwide with a particular emphasis on the UK, Europe including Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Russia.

The company specialises in representing manufacturers of complimentary equipment so that complete equipment packages can be provided from one source. An example of this is Deepwater Buoyancy whose sub-sea platforms are offered in tandem with oceanographic instruments also represented and supplied by Saderet.

Representation

In addition to Deepwater Buoyancy the company also represents the following offshore equipment manufacturers including:

  • Teledyne RDI Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers and associated oceanographic instruments including CTD’s.
  • Teledyne Odom single and multi-beam sounders for seabed mapping together with the associated speed of sound measurement systems.
  • Teledyne TSS gyro compasses, motion sensors and pipe/cable trackers.
  • Hemisphere GNSS. Saderet is the official HGNSS Distributor for Europe and the Middle East and has established a 45 strong dealer network to promote and support the navigation and heading systems product line. The company also offers OEM board level receivers and Saderet assists customers in the integration of these products into their own systems.
  • QPS software packages for hydrographic survey, dredging, rig moving and many other offshore engineering applications.
  • Edgetech acoustic release systems for subsea equipment recovery. Edgetech also offers side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiling systems for vessel towed or AUV/ROV mount.
  • Satel UHF and VHF radio modems for data telemetry, DGPS, RTK and vessel tracking applications such as rig moving operations.
  • Chesapeake Technology sub-bottom data acquisition and processing software for geotechnical studies including offshore site surveys.

Services

Saderet also supports clients with installation, technical support and training services as required. This is backed by factory trained engineers with many years of offshore industry experience. The company also offers first line repairs to keep customers operational, and some product lines are offered from stock to help with fast mobilisations.

Markets

Principle markets for the company include land and marine survey companies, harbours, container ports, universities, Government marine institutes, fish farms, OEM system integrators, dredging contractors, superyachts, racing yachts, marine archaeology, ROV and autonomous underwater/surface vehicles, pilotage, TV outside broadcast, precision agriculture, and fellow marine equipment suppliers and rental organisations.

Learn more about Saderet Ltd.

www.saderet.co.uk

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Saderet Office Isle of Man UK

Saderet offices on the Isle of Man.

Mooring Matters:  Mooring System Numerical Modeling

Mooring Matters: Mooring System Numerical Modeling

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, Dean Steinke of Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd., discusses the role of finite element-based simulation and visualization software in mooring design. 

He demonstrates this capability with a video of the simulation showing an analysis of our three different ADCP buoy geometries – spherical, elliptical and the unique StableMoor® design.

 


Mooring System Numerical Modeling

“Don’t let the ocean knock you down.”

Using dynamic analysis software to assess mooring deployment, recovery, and performance in current and waves.
By Dean Steinke, PEng – April 5, 2017

Introduction

For many years moorings have been designed using basic mass-drag-buoyancy calculations, spreadsheets, rules-of-thumb, black magic scripts, and a dose of ‘salty-sea-dog’ experience. With these methods, we can frequently estimate a line size to use or an approximate anchor weight. But sometimes despite our experience we still have questions. This article looks at increasing the precision of mooring analyses using numerical modeling software designed for ocean engineers.

Software for single point moorings has come a long way in recent years. Finite element-based cable analysis programs have been tested and developed by oceanographic institutions and ocean engineers for various purposes (towed bodies, ROVs, moorings, etc.). However, their use has been typically limited to a few advanced numerical modelling specialists who had both the expertise and patience to wade through the complex analysis process. In recent years, increasingly-refined software has been developed. This software has benefited from increased computational power and advances in 3D graphics. We can now get a much clearer picture as to what is happening with our moorings subsurface through simulation and visualization.

The video below demonstrates an analysis carried out by my firm, Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd, using our ProteusDS software. Based in Canada, we have cut our teeth over the last decade simulating many different types of ocean technologies, including single point moorings.

Analyzing Buoy Pitch and Knockdown in Current

The video shows four buoys of various styles (spherical, ellipsoid, and streamlined) being loaded by current. As the current ramps up to 3.6 knots, the knockdown and pitch of the buoys increase. There are two key forces at play – buoyancy and drag. The buoyancy provides a vertical restoring force that keeps the buoy from pitching. Conversely, hydrodynamic drag pitches the buoys about their mooring connection point.

A pitch of greater than 20 degrees is not recommended for ADCPs, as the inclinometers which allow for compensation of buoy pitch typically only have a range of 20 degrees. Mooring designers would try to limit ADCP buoy pitch to only a few degrees if possible. In addition to uplift and drag, buoy pitch also depends on the length of the mooring and weight of mooring equipment (chain, shackles, line, etc.).

The example shows that increased buoyancy is effective in preventing knockdown and limiting pitch, as the AF49-750 buoy has the lowest pitch and knockdown of the elliptical and spherical buoys. However, this buoy still pitches significantly at the higher currents, whereas the streamlined StableMoor® buoy, with its reduced drag and configurable connection point, is effective at maintaining low pitch and knockdown.

The ProteusDS model uses 6 degrees of freedom for the buoys (heave, sway, surge, roll, pitch, and yaw). Although this case is essentially 2D, the solver solves for the position in 3D. The effect of the attachment point and location of drag loading affect the pitch calculated by the software.

Figure 1 The ProteusDS software pre-processor is shown. This software allows users to add mooring elements such as shackles and swivels from a central library. Line types such as Amsteel Blue or wire rope can likewise be selected.

Transient Loading and Acoustic Release Damage During Mooring Deployment

One aspect not often considered by mooring designers is what happens during deployment. As shown in the video, the simulation allows for prediction of launch transients, which ensures that shackles and lines are properly selected to handle the deployment loads.

We’ve observed that acoustic releases get damaged during deployment when they are placed too close to the anchor. ProteusDS can be used to check that the acoustic release’s downward momentum will not cause it to crash into the seabed or anchor.

Mooring Systems ADCP Simulation

Figure 2 Mooring deployment analysis showing launch transient loading.

Mooring System Recovery

A few questions I’m asked from time to time are: How long will it take for the mooring to come to the surface? and, How far might the mooring drift as it comes to the surface? The mooring recovery section of the video shows how you can assess this.

In the case considered, the AF36-750 mooring rises at about 2.7 meters per second. If this mooring was deployed at 750 meters, it would take between 4 and 5 minutes to surface!

Although no current was applied in the example, current can be applied in the simulation to determine how far it might drift in the time it takes to get to the surface.

Mooring Systems ADCP Simulation

Figure 3 ProteusDS post-processing software showing rendered view of the mooring systems being tested.

Interaction of Waves with Subsurface Moorings

Much like current, waves can cause an ADCP mooring to pitch and move. The example in the video shows the impact of the subsurface orbital wave motion on the mooring line and buoy. A JONSWAP wave spectrum is simulated to check how much the buoy will pitch. Clearly, in this case, a bottom mounted ADCP frame would be preferred – but we don’t always have the equipment we need on hand. It’s good to have tools to check the impact of waves on our moorings.

Conclusions

DSA has carried out a series of simulations in consultation with DeepWater Buoyancy using our ProteusDS software. The software is designed to help mooring designers and builders to answer practical questions about mooring performance. Most would agree that the software’s 3D visualization capabilities shown in the video are really cool, but I believe that the real value of the software is that we don’t have to speculate what is happening subsea. We can now get a clear picture.


About Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd.

Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd. is an ocean engineering consultancy and software company based in Canada. DSA provides progressive and accessible dynamic analysis expertise and software to enable those working with vessels, structures, lines and technologies in harsh marine environments to reduce risk. DSA provides software and services to the aquaculture & fisheries, defence, marine renewable energy, naval architecture, ocean technology, and offshore sectors.

Learn more at www.dsa-ltd.ca

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

 

New Representative in Western Canada

New Representative in Western Canada

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc. has announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with ASL Environmental Sciences, an oceanographic products and service company located in British Columbia, Canada. ASL will act as sales representative and distributor of the DeepWater Buoyancy oceanographic product line in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, as well as in Alaska, USA.

ASL Environmental Sciences is a world class company with more than 35 years of experience in oceanographic, acoustic, remote sensing, and ice research products and scientific consulting services. Their products include the well-known, industry standard Ice Profiler, deployed in hundreds of locations world-wide.  They also provide clients with consulting services including: Flow Measurement, Numerical Modeling, Wave Measurement & Analysis, Sediment Transport and Ice Studies.

ASL is also a sales representative for Teledyne RD Instruments’ line of ADCP products in the same region. TRDI/ASL PR   DeepWater Buoyancy’s reliable ADCP deployment products (former Flotation Technologies designs) have supported Teledyne ADCPs for survey and research clients around the world for decades.

For more information go to:  www.aslenv.com

Or contact:

  • Ben Garrett | Oceanographic Services Scientist | Teledyne Marine Product Sales
  • Tel: +1 (250) 656 0177 x161
  • Cell: +1 (250) 661 9209
  • Fax: +1 (250) 656 2162
  • Email: bgarrett@aslenv.com
Exhibiting at U. S. Hydro 2017

Exhibiting at U. S. Hydro 2017

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at the U. S. Hydro 2017 conference in Galveston, Texas.  The conference begins on March 20th.

Visit Us

Please come visit us at Booth 41 and meet David Capotosto, Director of Business Development.  David will be joined by Chris Kelly.  Chris is from Waters and David, DeepWater Buoyancy’s Gulf Coast representative group.

About the conference…

The U.S. Hydro 2017 Conference, presented by The Hydrographic Society of America, will be held at the Moody Gardens Hotel: Spa, Golf Course and Convention Center in Galveston, TX on March 20 – 23, 2017.  U.S. Hydro 2017 is a continuation of the series of hydrographic conferences. This is the sixteenth U.S. Hydrographic conference and follows on the U.S. Hydro 2015, held in National Harbor, MD.  In addition to the technical papers, the conference will feature an extensive series of Workshops, social program, Exhibition Hall, and a Student Outreach program.

Learn more here… ushydro2017.com

Send us an email to schedule a visit with us at the show… sales@deepwb.com

Exhibiting at Ocean Business 2017

Exhibiting at Ocean Business 2017

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at Ocean Business 2017 in Southampton, UK.  The conference is from April 4th to April 6th.  Please come visit us at Booth W28 and meet Dan Cote, Sales Manager and David Capotosto, Director of Business Development.

Ocean Business is a hands-on ocean technology exhibition and training forum.  Learn more here… oceanbusiness.com

Send us an email to schedule a visit with us at the show… sales@deepwb.com

 

Mooring Matters:  Choosing the Correct Acoustic Release

Mooring Matters: Choosing the Correct Acoustic Release

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, Rob Morris, Product Line Sales Engineer for EdgeTech, examines how to choose the proper acoustic release for an application.


Introduction

In my role as Product Line Sales Engineer for acoustic releases and actuated products, I am frequently asked, “What acoustic release should I use for my application?”

The choice of release depends on many factors, such as water depth, length of the deployment, release load and lift load, and expected ambient noise. Biofouling or silting can also be a problem in some areas and should be taken into consideration as well.  Following are some examples of applications and the related solutions.

Factors Choosing Acoustic Release

Factors affecting the selection of an acoustic release.

Deploy an in-line mooring with multiple instruments in deepwater (5000 to 6000 meters) for 1 to 2 years

In this case, I would recommend a deepwater acoustic release with full transponding capability that can handle a large anchor (1000kg or more).   Because of the cost of the mooring instruments and the value of the data, it is critical the mooring be recovered. Therefore, a tandem release set-up for redundancy would also be desirable.

The transponding capability (tilt, release status and ranging) is very useful for deepwater operations to locate the mooring before releasing, to receive release status, and to track the mooring as it rises to the surface. Please also consider that depending on depth and how much buoyancy and drag the mooring has, it could take up to an hour for the equipment to reach the surface. (See Jon Wood’s article on buoy ascent here. LINK) And if there are subsea currents in the area the mooring could be a couple of miles away when it finally reaches the surface.

Shallow water and a heavy load

Sometimes scientists and ocean researchers find themselves in need of deploying a heavy package in shallow to mid-water settings and there is a desire to use an existing acoustic release that was acquired previously based on water depth requirements, but not release loads.  To address the situation a strongback can be added to the acoustic release as a cost-effective way to increase the release and lift load rating of a mid-water acoustic release.

Deploy an in-line mooring in shallow water in harsh environments, such as the High Arctic, for 1 year

Because of the remote location and the harsh coastal environment, the PORT MFE (Push Off Release Transponder) is ideal for deployments of this kind.  The mechanical drive off system is the best choice for deployments where normal release mechanisms can experience growth or sediment build up. Unlike traditional releases that use a metallic lever mechanism for their release function, the PORT uses a non-corrosive link that is physically pushed off of the unit when commanded.  This eliminates the often troublesome issues of biofouling and corrosion that causes failures in other units.

Here is a real life example of this.  20 moorings were deployed to log fish tracking information in a remote area in the High Arctic.  The user planned to recover the moorings in 12 months, but due to weather conditions and the inability to schedule ship time, the moorings were left in place for 4 years.  When the user finally made it back to the deployment site, they were very happy to recover all 20 of the releases. The Push Off Release mechanism easily overcame the heavy marine growth that had built up over 4 years.

The releases were covered with so much marine growth they can barely be seen in the photo below.

Acoutic Release Biofouling Buoys

Marine growth covering buoys deployed in shallow water.

Deploy and recover an instrument package including the anchor leaving nothing behind on the seafloor

Sometimes there are regulations that require all equipment to be removed from the seafloor when the job is completed.  Sometimes the solution for this application would be to use a Pop-up system. A Pop-up system combines the acoustic release, flotation and line in one package. When acoustically commanded by a deck unit, the acoustic release and the top portion of the pop-up package will float to the surface. The release and surface flotation remains connected to the bottom section by a high strength synthetic line for easy retrieval leaving nothing behind on the seafloor.

Deploy and recover an instrument package in an area where fishing trawlers work

Often science and commerce work in the same space.  So in the case where instruments need to sit on a seafloor where trawling is done, the solution is a TRBM (Trawl-Resistant Bottom Mount) with integrated flotation and an acoustic release.

Top View Trawl-Resistant Bottom Mount

DeepWater Buoyancy Trawl-Resistant Bottom Mount

 

In this design, all the instruments and an acoustic release are integrated into a low-profile, trawl-resistant, deployment package.  When commanded, the release activates and the flotation module will rise to the surface with all the instruments.  The float has a line attached to it that is also attached to the ballast on the seafloor so that everything can be recovered.  In some instances a dual release arrangement is also used within the TRBM.

TRBM Dual Acoustic Release

Dual Acoustic Release setup in a DeepWater Buoyancy Trawl-Resistant Bottom Mount (TRBM).

No matter what application you have, choosing the correct release is an important decision.  If you are not sure what release to use for your application I am always available to help.

Choose wisely.

Rob Morris


About EdgeTech

EdgeTech Marine develops and produces a variety of standard and specialized marine products and systems including acoustic releases and USBL systems, side scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers, bathymetry systems.

Contact us at www.edgetech.com

EdgeTech Video

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Contact us at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com


 

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Representative Spotlight – UVS in Australia

Representative Spotlight – UVS in Australia

DeepWater Buoyancy has the finest international representative network for oceanographic subsea buoyancy.  What follows is the first of a series of articles on our representative groups.  First in line is our representative in Australia and New Zealand – UVS.  Originally led by its founder Russell Priest, UVS has been representing this product line for over 20 years. Now under the leadership of Darren Burrowes and Neil Hodges, and part of the BlueZone Group, UVS services our customers in this region from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville, Queensland to CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Division in Hobart, Tasmania and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand.

Introduction

UVS was founded in 1973, supplying equipment and services to Australia’s first Offshore Oil & Gas field, and now enjoys a unique and preeminent position in the underwater electronics market in Australia with over 50 representations and a strong repeat business from satisfied customers who have dealt with UVS for many years. UVS has a track record of innovation: in the 1970s selling, supporting and operating the first Remotely Operated Vehicles in Australia; introducing Teledyne ADCP technology in the 1980s and developing the first ADCP service centre outside of the Teledyne organisation; and supporting Liquid Robotics “Wave Glider” vehicles for the Royal Australian Navy since 2011.

BlueZone Group

In 2015 UVS and its sister companies ATSA Defence Services and UVS Trenchless were joined under a common umbrella, the BlueZone Group. These three companies share resources, offices and ownership, and growth strategies for the group are centred around exploring and developing synergies between diverse markets in Australia. The common theme of all business operations is sales, support and service to customers operating in the challenging conditions of Australia’s deep oceans, coastal seas, rivers and water infrastructure.

UVS Australia Team

Locations & Staff

UVS maintains an Australia-wide footprint with 38 staff operating from offices and fully-equipped workshops in Newcastle, Melbourne and Perth. This model enables UVS to offer local service, backup and sales to customers across Australia. The UVS sales team undertakes continuous training to maintain current knowledge of a wide product range. The sales team is supported by service and engineering staff who work nation-wide to complete projects to high quality and customer satisfaction. Together the combined capability provides a complete service to customers supporting complex electronic systems in harsh environments.

Capabilities

The UVS capability is based on the following features:

  • Wide Product Portfolio: With a wide product portfolio UVS can provide a “one-stop-shop” for many customers.
  • Supply to Multiple Markets including Defence; Offshore Oil & Gas, Oceanographic; Hydrographic and Water Resources. Where there are synergies between market areas we look to leverage these for the benefit of our customers, reducing costs, providing faster delivery or developing innovative solutions resulting from bringing new vision and ideas from one market to another.
  • Sales and service synergy: The strong sales capability of UVS is matched by a highly capable service and engineering capacity in underwater technology and systems engineering. UVS has completed multiple engineering projects for customers to meet tight deadlines and demanding operational conditions.

Learn more about UVS Pty Ltd

www.uvs.com.au

Learn more about BlueZone Group

www.bluezonegroup.com.au

 

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy creates subsea buoyancy products for leading companies in the oceanographic, seismic, survey, military and offshore oil & gas markets.   Customers have relied on our products for over thirty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

 

Liquid Robotics Wave Glider