All Products Archives - DeepWater Buoyancy

Exhibiting at IPF 2026

Jan 28, 2026

Oceantic Network Offshore Wind Event - IPF 2026

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at Oceantic Network’s International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2026 conference.

The event will take place February 9–12, 2026 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City.

About the Event

IPF convenes senior leaders and decision-makers from across the ocean economy. Attendees span the full spectrum of marine renewable energy—wave, tidal, floating solar—alongside innovators in marine carbon capture, floating nuclear, and maritime logistics. A growing presence of dual-use companies—whose technologies bridge defense and ocean industries—brings new opportunities for cross-sector innovation, investment, and resilience. In addition, IPF connects you with the infrastructure and services that make projects possible: ports, vessels, grid and transmission operators, finance, insurance, engineering, manufacturing, and construction.

Learn more at 2026 IPF – Oceantic Network

What is the Oceantic Network?

More than a decade ago, Oceanetic Network started as a group of Maryland businesses with a shared vision to break into the emerging offshore wind energy industry, creating jobs and economic opportunity throughout the state. They knew this would require building a domestic supply chain, strengthening cooperation and partnerships across geographies, and improving education and workforce training. What began as a small organization with a focus on building connections among businesses, developers, and policymakers in Maryland, has become the world’s largest educational nonprofit organization dedicated to offshore wind and marine renewable energy development. For the last decade, we have grown and adapted alongside the industry, remaining true to their mission to connect technology providers with a local supply chain, unlocking new opportunities and fostering collaboration to benefit the global market. 

Learn More The History of Oceantic Network – Oceantic Network

At the Booth

Matthew Henry (President) will be in attendance at our Booth – #1307. The company will be highlighting its offerings for floating offshore wind projects.

Inter-array Cable Buoyancy
Mooring Line Buoyancy

See our Full line of Buoyancy and Deployment Platforms for Subsea Instrumentation HERE.

Floating Offshore Wind Interarray Cable Buoyancy

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 forty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Product Spotlight – Instrument Bottom Mounts

Oct 7, 2025

Product Spotlight - MiniMod Small Modular Buoy

DeepWater Buoyancy is one of the world’s premier producers of subsea buoyancy products. Its portfolio of products includes standard and custom solutions for all subsea markets including ocean science, offshore energy, and military.

This month’s product spotlight focuses on DeepWater Buoyancy’s Instrument Bottom Mounts. The line of BTM-AL50 bottom mounts is designed for ADCP deployment in shallow ocean waters, rivers, coastal areas, and anywhere else where the size and remote recoverability of the AL-200 and AL-500 TRBM are not required.

Purpose-Built for Stability and Versatility

Our BTM-AL50 Instrument Bottom Mounts are designed to provide a stable platform for deploying ADCPs, current meters, and other oceanographic instruments directly on the seabed. Whether you’re working in shallow coastal waters or lakes, these mounts offer the durability and performance needed for long-term deployments.

Each Bottom Mount is constructed from high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials and is designed for ease of customization. From single-instrument setups to complex multi-sensor arrays, our mounts can be tailored to meet your specific project requirements.

Key Features

Robust Construction – Built with marine-grade aluminum for long-term durability in harsh subsea environments.
Flexible Design – Easily adaptable to accommodate a variety of instruments and deployment scenarios.
2-axis Gimbal – Precision-machined gimbal ensures ADCPs are held securely and aligned properly.
Counterweights – Optional counterweight system available for lighter instruments
Deployment Flexibility – Compatible with diver deployment, ROV handling, or over-the-side operations.
Recovery Options – Originally designed to be recovered by divers, the units can be outfitted with our Pop-Up Buoy Recovery Systems

DeepWater Buoyancy Diver-Serviceable Bottom Mount

A and B

The Instrument Bottom Mounts come in two varieties.

BTM-AL50-A

This traditional welded unit can be deployed by diver or lowered to the seafloor by line from small vessels. Instrumentation is easily accessible for battery change out or maintenance.

BTM-AL50-B

Like the traditional unit in all other ways, this robust bottom mount is collapsible for ease of transportation and lower shipping costs. The pinned and bolted design makes for a quick and easy assembly.

New Brace for Collapsible Bottom Mount

The collapsible version of the bottom mount, the BTM-AL50-B, has a number of unique benefits including ease of handling and transportation. It also allows users to deploy from smaller vessels.

Recently, we found that users were utilizing these units for applications where their greater payload would have been better suited for the welded version, the BTM-AL50-A. Our designers went to work and produced a field retrofittable and installable brace kit. Once installed, the brace increases the rigidity of the assembly rivaling the welded design.

Need a custom solution?

We specialize in adapting our designs to meet unique deployment challenges. Contact us to discuss your project and let us help you build the right bottom mount for your mission.

Contact Us
Learn More About Instrument Bottom Mounts

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

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

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Exhibiting at IPF 2025

Apr 1, 2025

Oceantic Network Offshore Wind Event - IPF 2024

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at Oceantic Network’s International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2025 conference.

The event will take place April 28 – May 1, 2025 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

About the Event

The International Partnering Forum (IPF), hosted by Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind), is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas. Industry experts from around the world converge to share best business practices, the most advanced technical and scientific findings, and policy updates impacting offshore wind. IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry, from technology and policy to safety and siting.

Taking place April 28-May 1, 2025 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, IPF offers registrants a vast array of networking opportunities to grow your business, including the popular WindMatch™ program. With the rapid expansion of offshore wind, IPF attendance helps secure your place as a leader in the industry.

Attend this webinar to learn about:

Travel information
Hotel + shuttle service details
IPF events, networking opportunities, and programming
Using WindMatch™ to plan your meetings in advance
Downloading the IPF app to plan your time
Special perks for Oceantic members
And more!

Learn more HERE.

What is the Oceantic Network?

At the Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind), our driving purpose is to inform, coordinate, and mobilize human ingenuity, enterprise, and labor to take advantage of the urgent need to tap the vast renewable energy resources that lie offshore in the world’s oceans. The collective, coordinated efforts of our members equip communities and nations to accelerate the transition to clean energy and create economic opportunities.

Over the past ten years, the Network has grown along with the industry, changing its name to expand and include industry sectors. At its ten-year mark, the Network continues to look forward and set the pace for the industry; that includes an expanded view of what offshore wind can provide the energy mix. Offshore wind is the gateway to other ocean renewables, including green hydrogen, wave energy, and more. Offshore wind as an industry will remain the main focus of the Network; however we are expanding our scope to grow and adapt as the industry does the same. With this enlarged focus, the Network changed its name from the Business Network for Offshore Wind to the Oceantic Network.

Learn More HERE.

At the Booth

David Capotosto (President and Director of Business Development) and Matthew Henry (Operations Manager) will be in attendance at our Booth – #1307. The company will be highlighting its offerings for floating offshore wind projects.

Interarray Cable Buoyancy
Mooring Line Buoyancy
Full line of Buoyancy and Deployment Platforms for Subsea Instrumentation

See our full product offering 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 forty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Ocean Business 2025

Mar 31, 2025

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy will be exhibiting at Ocean Business 2025. The event will take place April 8-10, 2025 at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK.

Please visit Dan Cote (Sales Manager) and Mike Nicholas (Sales Engineer) at Booth S10.

About the Event

Ocean Business 2025 is a hands-on event for the ocean science and technology community.

Connect with thousands of the industry’s brightest minds, and share ideas to help define the future of ocean technology. You will be able to get hands on experience with the latest technology at training and demonstration sessions in the classroom, test tank and on the water.

From cutting-edge surveying innovation to the latest marine autonomous systems, you’ll find hundreds of solutions to transform your business in 2025 and beyond. Catch up with familiar faces, make new connections, and grow your network.

Learn more here… www.oceanbusiness.com

Why We Attend

DeepWater Buoyancy is the world’s largest supplier of subsea buoyancy to the ocean science community and provides products to all offshore, subsea markets. The product line is now over 45 years old and is known throughout the world. It provides critical product design and development for even the smallest clients, sometimes producing only one custom solution. This allows all ocean engineers, project managers and scientists to get the subsea buoyancy product that is fit for their project.

Exhibiting at the Ocean Business will allow us to network with end users, ocean engineers, and partner companies

See our full product offering 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 forty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Participating in AFloat 2024

Aug 21, 2024

AFloat 2024 American Floating Offshore Wind Technical Summit

Attending

DeepWater Buoyancy is attending AFloat 2024 – American Floating Wind Technical Summit.

The event will take place on September 24 & 25 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine.

About the Event

AFloat stands at the forefront of the nation’s goal to deploy 15 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2035. Their mission is to unite stakeholders from all corners in a collective effort to advance floating offshore wind across the nation and the world! This 2-day conference is all about problem-solving, removing barriers, risk mitigation, and the formation of meaningful partnerships across industries.

The event will feature a range of inspiring keynote speakers, including industry leaders who will discuss critical topics. Attendees can engage in various breakout sessions tailored to different interests and professional levels, offering in-depth exploration of key subjects. Networking opportunities will be plentiful, allowing participants to connect with peers, experts, and potential collaborators. Interactive workshops will provide hands-on learning experiences and practical skills. Additionally, attendees can visit exhibits from top sponsors showcasing the latest innovations and services in the field.

Learn more HERE.

Why We Attend

DeepWater Buoyancy has been participating in US Floating Offshore Wind Events for many years. As the only US provider of subsea buoyancy for interarray cables, we are key to the domestic supply chain. Attending the event allows us to better understand the the products, the projects and the players. Floating Wind is a challenging proposition and collaboration amongst all the partners is key to bringing this technology to market.

In addition to cable buoyancy, we manufacture the products necessary for supporting the mooring lines. These lines often need substantial buoyancy at the interface of the chain and the synthetic mooring line.

See our full product offering HERE.

Join Us for a Tour

Our manufacturing facility is located just 20 miles south of the event. Interested in seeing what goes on behind the scenes here at DeepWater Buoyancy? We are hosting tours of our facility on Monday, September 23rd, just prior to the conference. To schedule, please contact Dan Cote by email at dcote@deepwb.com.

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 forty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Mooring Matters: StableMoor® Buoys in the Bay of Fundy

Aug 9, 2024

StableMoor Mooring Buoy in Bay of Fundy with Ocean Tracking Network Cover

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, we look at the use of StableMoor® Mooring Buoys in a recent project by Ocean Tracking Network in the Bay of Fundy.

Project Summary

DeepWater Buoyancy and DASCO Equipment Inc. partnered with the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) to execute a major upgrade to their mooring platform for monitoring equipment in the Bay of Fundy.

OTN, in partnership with Dalhousie University, has established an acoustic system to track aquatic animals in the Bay of Fundy. Specifically, the project aims to track the effects of tidal power installations in the upper Minas passage on the local marine environment and wildlife.

Mooring Equipment Challenges in the Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy is one of the world’s most dynamic bodies of water, due to its strong tidal currents. This makes it an ideal location for tidal power projects, but challenging for moorings.

In 2010 OTN deployed a series of single point moorings with fish tracking technology. Over the next decade, the project faced numerous failures related to the mooring design such as equipment breakage, destruction of the mooring hardware leading to washups, and occasional entanglement with fishing gear. Additionally, the mooring required service every six months.

In 2023 OTN partnered with DeepWater Buoyancy and DASCO Equipment to redesign the mooring platform to reduce equipment issues and frequent servicing. A major component of that redesign included the use of a custom-built version of DeepWater Buoyancy’s StableMoor® Mooring Buoy.

StableMoor® Mooring Buoy with Single Point Mooring Assembly on Deck

Photos courtesy of Joseph Pratt, Ocean Tracking Network.

The moorings capitalized on the low coefficient of drag inherent in the StableMoor® design, as well as the robustness of the syntactic foam. Durable and corrosion-resistant stainless steel chains and shackles were utilized, and the bushings and plates updated to ensure functionality in the Bay of Fundy’s extremely dynamic tidal flow.

The mooring design changes significantly improved the performance and dramatically decreased the number of mooring failures.

Weathering the Bay of Fundy with Custom StableMoor® Buoys

Specifically engineered for high current applications, the StableMoor® is designed to reduce drag and increase mooring stability in extreme flow regimes. By decreasing frontal area (compared to spherical buoys) and increasing dynamic stability in high current areas, the StableMoor® minimizes mooring inclination and excursions. The StableMoor® Mooring Buoy is the lowest drag instrument platform available on the market today.

DeepWater Buoyancy Small StableMoor® Buoys for Ocean Tracking Network

To meet OTN’s specific needs for the Bay of Fundy monitoring project, DeepWater Buoyancy’s engineers created a smaller version of the design with custom instrument wells and hardware. To account for changes in current direction without excessive wear, 316L stainless steel mooring swivels were chosen. The stainless steel material also provides crucial durability in highly corrosive seawater.

DeepWater Buoyancy looks forward to working with OTN and DASCO to modify and perfect the monitoring platform.

What’s Next?

In 2024 another round of improvements is planned. One of the goals of the exercise is to extend the mooring’s battery life to one year, thus reducing service frequency. The plans will also investigate equipment to allow retrieval of the anchors, which are currently left on the seafloor when the moorings are recovered.

“DeepWater Buoyancy is excited to work with our long-term partners, DASCO and the team at the Ocean Tracking Network on such important work.”, said Dan Cote, Sales Manager.

What the Ocean Tracking Network Does

Headquartered at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., OTN has established an acoustic system to track aquatic animals in the Bay of Fundy. Specifically, the project aims to track the effects of tidal power installations in the upper Minas Passage on the local marine environment and wildlife.

OTN is a science, data management and partnership platform that supports research collaborations in freshwater and ocean locations across the globe. In the Bay of Fundy, OTN and its collaborators have been an integral part of monitoring fish-turbine interactions near OpenHydro turbines.

Using specialized equipment, they monitor the movements, behaviors, and environmental preferences of fish and other aquatic species. Knowledge generated through OTN collaborations is used by scientists, managers, policymakers, industry, and Indigenous and coastal communities to conserve and manage shared resources.

About DASCO Equipment

DASCO Equipment is Canada’s leader in oceanographic, hydrometric & marine survey technologies. The company’s primary business is the sales, and sales support, of this equipment, however, they also maintain a large pool of rental equipment, including acoustic doppler current profilers, multibeam and single beam echosounders, marine GPS and GNSS systems and marine survey software packages.

Learn more at www.dascoei.ca.

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., located in Maine USA, provides subsea buoyancy products for offshore energy, oceanographic, military, and technology companies around the world. Customers have relied on our products for over forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters. Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Exhibiting at IPF 2024

Apr 5, 2024

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at Oceantic Network’s International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2024 conference.

The event will take place April 22-25, 2024 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the Event

The International Partnering Forum (IPF), hosted by Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind), is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas. Industry experts from around the world converge to share best business practices, the most advanced technical and scientific findings, and policy updates impacting offshore wind. IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry, from technology and policy to safety and siting.

Located in the heart of America’s offshore energy industry, New Orleans will host 2024 IPF just as the Gulf of Mexico begins developing its offshore wind market. Taking place April 22-25, 2024, IPF offers registrants a vast array of networking opportunities to grow your business, including the popular WindMatch™ program. With the rapid expansion of offshore wind, IPF attendance helps secure your place as a leader in the industry.

Learn more HERE.

Who is the Oceantic Network?

At the Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind), our driving purpose is to inform, coordinate, and mobilize human ingenuity, enterprise, and labor to take advantage of the urgent need to tap the vast renewable energy resources that lie offshore in the world’s oceans. The collective, coordinated efforts of our members equip communities and nations to accelerate the transition to clean energy and create economic opportunities.

Over the past ten years, the Network has grown along with the industry, changing its name to expand and include industry sectors. At its ten-year mark, the Network continues to look forward and set the pace for the industry; that includes an expanded view of what offshore wind can provide the energy mix. Offshore wind is the gateway to other ocean renewables, including green hydrogen, wave energy, and more. Offshore wind as an industry will remain the main focus of the Network; however we are expanding our scope to grow and adapt as the industry does the same. With this enlarged focus, the Network changed its name from the Business Network for Offshore Wind to the Oceantic Network.

Learn More HERE.

At the Booth

David Capotosto (Director of Business Development, DeepWater Buoyancy) will be in attendance at our Booth – #2036. He will be joined by Kurt Fromhurst of Waters and David, Company, DeepWater Buoyancy’s Gulf Coast sales representatives. The company will be highlighting its offerings for floating offshore wind projects.

Interarray Cable Buoyancy
Mooring Line Buoyancy
Full line of Buoyancy and Deployment Platforms for Subsea Instrumentation

See our full product offering 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 forty-five years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Product Spotlight – MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoy

Mar 21, 2024

DeepWater Buoyancy is one of the world’s premier producers of subsea buoyancy products. Its portfolio of products include standard and custom solutions for all subsea markets including, ocean science, offshore energy, and military.

This month’s product spotlight focuses on one of DeepWater Buoyancy’s most versatile offerings: MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoys. Our customizable MiniMod™ solutions provide incremental buoyancy ideal for precision operations.

Modular Buoyancy Solutions for Light Offshore Applications

MiniMod™ modular buoys keep your offshore operations running smoothly. The compact design features an extremely durable body and fixtures to withstand harsh marine conditions, including saltwater corrosion, and high subsea pressures.

Its strength lies in its modular design. Simply add or remove blocks to adjust buoyancy as needed. Use MiniMod™ with ROVs and other marine equipment to achieve optimal load requirements with ease.

MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoys Benefit a Variety of Marine Operations

At DeepWater Buoyancy, we know that floatation requirements vary widely based on equipment weight, environmental conditions, vessel characteristics, and more. Our modular buoy design lets you modify buoyancy incrementally to account for these variable criteria.

Quick buoyancy adjustments with MiniMod™ modules help speed equipment deployment and hasten installations so you can minimize downtime and keep your offshore projects on track.

Our MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoys are ideal for light offshore operations with highly accurate lift value requirements. Applications that benefit from our MiniMod™ adjustable buoys include:

Deep sea equipment installation
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployment
Offshore equipment repairs and maintenance
Mining, oil, and gas exploration operations
Load handling
Suspended moorings

Our easy-to use modular buoy blocks are also customizable. End-plates and thru hardware provide divers and other workers with user-friendly modification methods. User-friendly hardware lets your divers and other marine workers spend less time in the water, which further enhances your operation’s safety and efficiency.

Whether you need an adjustable buoy for a short-term project or long-term flotation, the MiniMod™ has the durability and flexibility you need.

Customer Experience Highlight

In an excellent example of the advantages our MiniMod™, one of our clients recently used the modular buoy to boost buoyancy and balance underwater loads when tooling suites and steel tube flying leads (STLVs) proved too heavy for the customer’s ROV.

By incorporating the MiniMod™ equipment, the customer was able to tailor loads to accommodate the ROV’s capacity and lighten the part for easy of handling.

MiniMod Modular Buoys Are Durable and Easy to Use

The MiniMod™ modular buoy design is ideal for lighter applications. Our standard 7-modul buoy offers up to 325 kg of buoyancy and is rated for depths down to 6000 meters.

Each module features our proprietary high-strength DeepTec® solid syntactic foam with an abrasion-resistant coating of polyurethane elastomer for optimal durability. You can rely on the MiniMod to withstand challenging marine environments and rough handling.

Synthetic straps hold the syntactic foam modules together, enhancing buoyancy while preventing metal hardware corrosion. The straps also make the interlocking modules easier to handle, so you can quickly add or remove blocks as needed throughout your operation.

The MiniMod™’s rugged design and interlocking modules ensure years of trouble-free use for even the most extreme marine environments. Contact DeepWater Buoyancy to schedule a consultation and learn how MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoys can streamline your offshore operations.

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

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

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Floating Wind Solutions 2024

Jan 31, 2024

Tekmar and DeepWater Buoyancy Floating Wind Solutions 2023

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy will be exhibiting at the Floating Wind Solutions 2024 conference.

The event will take place from February 5-7 at the Hilton Americas in Houston, Texas.

About the Event

Floating Wind Solutions Conference & Exhibition 2024 will showcase the many capabilities of the established Global Offshore Supply Chain and create a platform for bridging Supply and Demand while facilitating development of this industry. Floating Wind Solutions’ mission is to utilize this platform to bring together the many critical players within the Wind and Offshore industries enabling accelerated adoption of Floating Wind Energy globally. This premier event’s primary goal is to accelerate the Energy Transition, by focusing on the industrialization and commercialization of Floating Wind Energy. A world class Advisory Board ensures a world class program that is extremely focused on the principles of this mission.

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact Andrew Chadderton (andrew.chadderdon@questfwe.com).

Find the Program Agenda here – floatingwindsolutions.com/agenda

Learn more at – floatingwindsolutions.com

Floating Winds Solutions Offshore Wind Event 2024

At the Booth

DeepWater Buoyancy’s Sales Manager, Dan Cote, and Director of Business Development, David Capotosto, will be in attendance at our Booth #505 where they will be highlighting the company’s buoyancy offerings for floating wind platforms.

These include:

DeepWater Buoyancy Offshore Floating Wind Cable Buoy

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Mooring Matters: The C-Streams Project

Oct 20, 2023

Mooring Matters - C-Streams Project - October 2023 Comparison

This month’s technical highlight discusses the C-Streams Project – Studying How the Gulf Stream Affects the Climate System.

The C-Streams Project is a collaborative research project by The University of Liverpool, the University of Miami, the National Oceanography Center, the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and the British Antarctic Survey.

The project deployed a variety of scientific instrumentation into the Gulf Stream on a customized DeepWater Buoyancy StableMoor® Mooring Buoy. The C-Streams Project team will use these instruments to monitor the flow of carbon and nutrients in the Gulf Stream. Project scientists hope the results will provide insight into the Gulf Stream’s role in the ocean carbon cycle and how it affects global climate change.

The C-Streams Project

The C-Streams Project is a four-year, £4 million collaborative research project supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

Headed by Professor Ric Williams of The University of Liverpool, the C-Streams Project will observe how the current speed, turbulence, and other factors can affect carbon and nutrient circulation in the Atlantic Ocean.

Most ocean carbon exchange occurs through two mechanisms:

Phytoplankton photosynthesis, which requires nutrient-dense water
Chemical exchange between seawater and atmospheric carbon dioxide

By observing the flow of nutrients and carbon in the Gulf Stream under varying conditions, the C-Stream Project seeks a deeper understanding of these dynamic carbon exchange processes.

“We will use this data alongside the latest state-of-the-art ocean and climate models to provide us with some answers as to how the Gulf Stream affects the carbon cycle, a hitherto ignored aspect of the climate problem,” explains Professor Ric Williams.

The Deployment

Deploying sensitive instrumentation in the turbulent Gulf Stream involves significant coordination between scientists, mooring specialists, sailors, and engineers. Instruments require stability to ensure consistent readings, which means a mooring system capable of withstanding the Atlantic Ocean’s changeable and sometimes violent weather.

To launch the C-Streams Project, scientists successfully deployed two DeepWater Buoyancy StableMoor® Mooring Buoys holding a variety of scientific instrumentation into the Gulf Stream through the Florida Straits.

Thanks to the captain and crew of the Walton Smith, principal scientist Professor Lisa Beal (University of Miami), the mooring expertise of Eduardo Jardim (University of Miami), Dr. Pete Brown and Darren Rayner (National Oceanography Centre), and the project research team, the launch went smoothly.

The team also deployed three biogeochemical moorings designed by Darren Rayner. These additional moorings included buoys, sensors, and autonomous vehicles.

Over the next four years, the deployed equipment will obtain data, take measurements, and collect samples to assess how the Gulf Stream current affects nutrients and carbon transport. The C-Stream Project team will analyze this information to determine whether the Gulf Current’s interactions enhance or inhibit the ocean’s carbon dioxide uptake.

On-deck View of the StableMoor Mooring Buoy for Study of Gulf Stream

Photos courtesy of University of Miami mooring technician Eduardo Jardim.

The Buoy

It takes a special buoy to provide a stable platform for instrumentation in high-speed ocean currents like the Gulf Stream. Specifically engineered for these types of applications, DeepWater Buoyancy’s StableMoor® buoys provide excellent mooring stability in extreme flow environments.

With a tapered cylindrical design, the StableMoor® reduces drag and minimizes mooring inclination and excursions. The decreased frontal area provides superior dynamic stability in high current areas compared to traditional spherical buoys. A high-strength GRP tail and stainless-steel mooring swivel ensure optimal flexibility and stability in the Gulf Stream’s strong, changeable currents.

David Capotosto, DeepWater Buoyancy’s Director of Business Development, is excited to see how the project evolves. “It is always amazing to see how ocean scientists and engineers utilize our products,” he says. “This project showcases our team’s ability to deliver on our design philosophy: to provide our end users with a product that is fit to their application.”

Resources

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc. DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., located in Maine USA, provides subsea buoyancy products for offshore energy, oceanographic, military, and technology companies around the world. Customers have relied on our products for over forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters. Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Mooring Matters: Fixed vs. Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Jul 25, 2023

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, we have asked our colleagues at Tekmar Group to give us a primer on Fixed versus Floating Offshore Wind Turbines.

The article looks at the benefits and challenges of each.

Harnessing the Power of the Winds

As the world transitions towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, offshore wind power has emerged as a critical player in the renewable energy sector. While fixed offshore wind turbines have been the predominant choice for harnessing wind energy over the years, recent advancements have introduced a new contender: floating offshore wind turbines.

This article will explore the differences between fixed and floating offshore wind turbines, examining their advantages, challenges, and potential for revolutionizing renewable energy generation.

Fixed Offshore Wind Turbines: Stability and Reliability

Fixed Offshore Wind Turbines, as the name suggests, have a direct rigid connection to the seabed, so they are ‘fixed’ in a permanent static position. These structures consist of large wind turbines mounted on monopile, jacket, or gravity-based foundations, typically installed in water depths up to 60 meters. Fixed turbines have been widely deployed across Europe, where the industry has rapidly matured.

One of the significant advantages of Fixed Offshore Wind Turbines is their stability. Being directly fixed to the seabed provides a stable static structure, allowing these turbines to withstand harsh weather conditions, including strong winds and rough seas. Fixed turbines offer relatively straightforward installation and maintenance due to their permanent positioning. This factor reduces maintenance costs and reliability, enabling consistent power generation compared to more dynamic structures.

Fixed and Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Graphic

Floating Offshore Wind Turbines: Unlocking Deep Waters

On the other hand, Floating Offshore Wind Turbines offer a solution to harness wind energy in deeper waters, where fixed turbines are impractical. These turbines are not static or directly affixed to the seabed but moored in place using offset anchors or foundations and mooring lines. Floating turbines are particularly suitable for water depths exceeding 60 meters and can operate in areas with challenging seabed conditions.

One of the primary advantages of floating offshore wind turbines is their ability to tap into wind resources in locations inaccessible for fixed turbines. This opens up vast areas of deep waters worldwide for wind energy development. Floating turbines also benefit from stronger and more consistent winds found farther offshore, leading to potentially higher energy production. Moreover, installing floating turbines further from the shore reduces visual impacts and mitigates potential conflicts with other marine activities.

Challenges and Innovations

While both Fixed and Floating Offshore Wind Turbines have advantages, they also face distinct challenges. For fixed turbines, the major limitation lies in water depth constraints, limiting their deployment to relatively shallow waters.

Although promising, floating offshore wind turbines face challenges related to their relatively nascent stage of development. The technology requires further refinements to enhance stability, reduce costs, and improve power output. However, significant progress has been made in recent years, with several pilot projects and demonstration sites showcasing the potential of floating turbines. Innovative floating foundation designs offer improved stability and reduced motion on high seas.

Future Prospects

The emergence of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines presents exciting possibilities for expanding wind energy capacity. Countries with limited shallow coastal areas can tap into abundant wind resources by venturing into deeper waters. Additionally, advancements in floating turbine technology are expected to lead to cost reductions, increased reliability, and scalability.

Meanwhile, Fixed Offshore Wind Turbines continue to be a reliable and maturing technology that has proven its worth over the years. They will likely remain dominant for near-shore projects and regions with suitable seabed conditions.

Tekmar DeepWater Products for Offshore Wind

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., located in Maine USA, provides subsea buoyancy products for offshore energy, oceanographic, military, and technology companies around the world. Customers have relied on our products for over forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

H2O Conference 2023

Jun 9, 2023

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy will be showing with Canadian Representative group, DASCO Equipment, at the 2023 H2O Home to Overseas Conference.

Please stop by booth 504 to visit Matt Davis and team, as well as DeepWater Buoyancy’s Director of Business Development, David Capotosto.

The event will take place Monday, June 12-14, 2023, at the Halifax Convention Center in beautiful Atlantic Canada.

About the Event

The Home to Overseas Conference, is rapidly becoming Canada’s premier event for the ocean technology sector and is attracting significant international participation covering sectors such as marine defense, marine energy (offshore extractive and renewable), marine environmental monitoring, marine transportation, aquaculture, fisheries, and marine tourism.

Learn more here… www.h2oconference.ca

About DASCO Equipment, Inc.

DASCO Equipment is Canada’s leader in oceanographic, hydrometric & marine survey technologies.. The company’s primary business is the sales, and sales support, of this equipment, however, they also maintain a large pool of rental equipment, including acoustic doppler current profilers, multibeam and single beam echosounders, marine GPS and GNSS systems and marine survey software packages.

Learn more at dascoei.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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Ocean Business 2023

Apr 11, 2023

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy will be exhibiting at Ocean Business 2023. The event will take place April 18-20, 2023 at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK.

Please visit Dan Cote (Sales Manager) and Jordan Tremblay (Sales Engineer) at Booth S10.

About the Event

Ocean Business 2023 is the global meeting place for ocean science and technology professionals.

Connect with thousands of the industry’s brightest minds, and share ideas to help define the future of ocean technology.

From cutting-edge surveying innovation to the latest marine autonomous systems, you’ll find hundreds of solutions to transform your business in 2023 and beyond.

Learn more here… www.oceanbusiness.com

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

IPF 2023

Mar 3, 2023

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy and Tekmar Group are exhibiting together at the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2023 conference.

The event will take place March 28-30, 2023 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland

About the Event

The International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF) is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas. Hosted by the Business Network for Offshore Wind, IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry, from technology and policy, to safety and siting.

In addition to plenary presentations and cutting-edge workshops from public officials and industry leaders, IPF offers registrants a wide array of networking opportunities to grow your business, including the popular WindMatch™ program. With the rapid expansion of offshore wind, IPF attendance helps secure your place as a leader in the industry.

2023 marks the tenth anniversary of IPF as it returns to where it all started: Baltimore, Maryland

With its central location and world-class harbor in Baltimore, Maryland is moving forward with offshore wind. With over 2 GW in deployment, planned facilities or towers, monopiles and cables, Maryland will be a hub of manufacturing and logistical activity for the U.S. offshore wind industry.

IPF 2023 Offshore Wind Conference Infographic

Who is the Business Network for Offshore Wind?

The Business Network for Offshore Wind is a nonprofit, educational organization with a mission to develop the offshore wind renewable energy industry and its supply chain. The Network partners with industry and government to build an innovative supply chain that will create and sustain jobs, benefiting local economies and ensuring a cost-effective clean energy portfolio. We advance this through collaboration, education, and innovation, bringing together global developers, policymakers, academia, and leading experts to grow this new and vital offshore wind industry that provides a practical solution to climate change and creates well-paying jobs.

We are the offshore wind experts. Join us by becoming a member.

If you are involved in the offshore wind industry, you do not want to miss IPF.

If you have questions about your registration, please contact the Network’s registration team at ipfregistration@offshorewindus.org for the quickest response. You can also contact the 2023 IPF Call Center: (972) 349-7620. Call Center Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday

Learn more at the website – www.offshorewindus.org/2023ipf

At the Booth

Gary Howland (Group Sales Director, Tekmar Group), Fraser Gibson (Managing Director, Ryder Geotechnical Ltd) and David Capotosto (Director of Business Development, DeepWater Buoyancy) will be in attendance at our Booth – #450. The companies will be highlighting their combined offerings in support of floating offshore wind projects.

Enabling the Future of Floating Wind

Complete Engineering & Product Offering for Inter-Array & Export Cables
Extensive Track Record of over 100 Offshore Wind Projects
Vast Experience in Engineering & Product Design for Offshore Energy Markets

Learn about the partnership HERE

See the Tekmar Partner Products page HERE

Tekmar Group & DeepWater Buoyancy Offshore Wind Banner

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Floating Wind Solutions 2023

Jan 26, 2023

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy and Tekmar Group are exhibiting together at the Floating Wind Solutions 2 conference.

The event will take place from January 30 to February 1 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston Texas.

About the Event

Floating Wind Solutions (FWS ’23) is the ultimate opportunity for those who are presently involved in or seeking entry into floating wind. FWS facilitates network opportunities with the right experienced people while gaining knowledge of the technical solutions available. Floating Wind Solutions’ mission is to utilize this platform to bring together the many critical players within the wind and offshore industries enabling accelerated adoption of Floating Wind Energy globally. This premier event’s primary goal is to accelerate the Energy Transition, by focusing on the industrialization and commercialization of Floating Wind Energy. A world class Advisory Board ensures that the program maintains its sharp focus on the principles of the mission.

Exceptional growth in the harvesting of Floating Wind Energy will be reliant upon the technology and experience of companies historically focused on the offshore Supply Chain. With few exceptions, these companies are the only ones who have ever designed, constructed or installed permanently moored structures of any kind. In addition, traditional Major Offshore Energy Operators are leading investors, developers and operators of Floating Wind Energy Projects.

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact Andrew Chadderton (andrew.chadderdon@questfwe.com).

Learn more at the website – https://floatingwindsolutions.com/

At the Booth

Tekmar Group’s Howard Curtis and DeepWater Buoyancy’s David Capotosto, will be in attendance at our Booth – #503. At the booth, the companies will be highlighting their combined offerings in support of floating offshore wind projects.

Enabling the Future of Floating Wind

Complete Engineering & Product Offering for Inter-Array & Export Cables
Extensive Track Record of over 100 Offshore Wind Projects
Vast Experience in Engineering & Product Design for Offshore Energy Markets

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Tekmar Secures Contract for US Wind Project

May 26, 2022

Tekmar Group Secures Significant Contract for a US Offshore Wind Project

We are pleased to announce that our UK partner, Tekmar Group, has been awarded a significant contract for Cable Protection Systems (CPS) for an offshore wind farm project in the U.S.

The company announced the award on May 25th.

The Contract

Under the contract, Tekmar will provide an integrated engineering solution, including Cable Protection Systems (CPS), for the offshore wind project across the pond.

The CPS is expected to be delivered in 2023, according to the company.

“This landmark contract award strengthens our position in the US offshore wind market and represents an important milestone in expanding our geographical presence, a key driver of our growth strategy”, said Alasdair MacDonald, CEO of Tekmar Group, who also added that the contract built on the company’s recent contract momentum, including the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

Work in the US

In the U.S., the company supplied Seaway 7 with TekLink cable protection systems and TekDuct cable crossing protection for the now-operational 12 MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) demonstration project.

The U.S. currently has two commercial-scale offshore wind farms under construction: Vineyard Wind 1 in Massachusetts and South Fork in New York.

Working with DeepWater Buoyancy

Last year, Tekmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the DeepWater Buoyancy for collaboration in the offshore wind sector. While the partnership with DeepWater Buoyancy is focused on the US Offshore Floating Wind market, it also involves supporting Tekmar’s organic growth strategy by strengthening its presence and manufacturing capability in the US bottom-fixed offshore wind market. The arrangement also provides DeepWater Buoyancy with greater access to the European market.

Recently, Tekmar and DeepWater Buoyancy worked together to deliver a first of a kind solution consisting of buoyancy and ballast for a thermoplastic composite pipe. Learn more here… LINK or here…LINK

Learn about the joint offerings for the US Supply Chain here… LINK

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., located in Maine USA, provides subsea buoyancy products for offshore energy, oceanographic, military, and technology companies around the world. Customers have relied on our products for over forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

IPF 2022

Mar 29, 2022

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy and Tekmar Group are exhibiting together at the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum (IPF) 2022 conference.

The event will take place April 26-28, 2022 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

About the Event

The International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF) is the premiere offshore wind energy conference in North America. Hosted by the Business Network for Offshore Wind, IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry, from technology and policy, to safety and siting.

In addition to panels and presentations from public officials and industry leaders, IPF offers registrants a wide array of networking opportunities to grow your business, including the popular WindMatch™ program. With the rapid expansion of offshore wind, IPF attendance helps secure your place as a leader in the industry.2022 IPF will take place on April 26-28 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Be sure to save the date.

If you are involved in the offshore wind industry, you do not want to miss IPF.

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact at ipfregistration@mcievents.com

Learn more at the website – www.offshorewindus.org/2022ipf

At the Booth

Tekmar Group’s Global Sales Manager, Gary Howland and DeepWater Buoyancy’s Director of Business Development, David Capotosto, will be in attendance at our Booth – #122. At the booth, the companies will be highlighting their combined offerings in support of floating offshore wind projects.

Enabling the Future of Floating Wind

Complete Engineering & Product Offering for Inter-Array & Export Cables
Extensive Track Record of over 100 Offshore Wind Projects
Vast Experience in Engineering & Product Design for Offshore Energy Markets

Learn about the partnership HERE

See the Tekmar Partner Products page HERE

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Floating Wind Solutions 2022

Jan 21, 2022

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy and Tekmar Group are exhibiting together at the Floating Wind Solutions 2022 conference.

The event will take place from March 1-3 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston Texas.

About the Event

Floating Wind Solutions (FWS ’22) is the ultimate opportunity for those who are presently involved in or seeking entry into floating wind. FWS facilitates network opportunities with the right experienced people while gaining knowledge of the technical solutions available. Floating Wind Solutions’ mission is to utilize this platform to bring together the many critical players within the wind and offshore industries enabling accelerated adoption of Floating Wind Energy globally. This premier event’s primary goal is to accelerate the Energy Transition, by focusing on the industrialization and commercialization of Floating Wind Energy. A world class Advisory Board ensures that the program maintains its sharp focus on the principles of the mission.

Exceptional growth in the harvesting of Floating Wind Energy will be reliant upon the technology and experience of companies historically focused on the offshore Supply Chain. With few exceptions, these companies are the only ones who have ever designed, constructed or installed permanently moored structures of any kind. In addition, traditional Major Offshore Energy Operators are leading investors, developers and operators of Floating Wind Energy Projects.

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact Andrew Chadderton (andrew.chadderdon@questfwe.com).

Learn more at the website – https://floatingwindsolutions.com/

At the Booth

Tekmar Group’s Global Sales Manager, Gary Howland and DeepWater Buoyancy’s Director of Business Development, David Capotosto, will be in attendance at our Booth – #508. At the booth, the companies will be highlighting their combined offerings in support of floating offshore wind projects.

Enabling the Future of Floating Wind

Complete Engineering & Product Offering for Inter-Array & Export Cables
Extensive Track Record of over 100 Offshore Wind Projects
Vast Experience in Engineering & Product Design for Offshore Energy Markets

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

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 forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

DeepWater Buoyancy Chosen for Strohm TCP Jumper

Dec 7, 2021

DeepWater Buoyancy & Tekmar Group Sign MOU

DeepWater Buoyancy Joins Tekmar Energy in Support of Strohm’s first “TCP” Jumper

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc, in partnership with Tekmar Group (AIM: TGP), is pleased to announce that it has been chosen to design, manufacture, and supply buoyancy in support of Strohm’s first-of-its-kind, spoolable Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) Jumper.

About the Project

Strohm (previously Airborne Oil & Gas), the world’s first and leading manufacturer of fully-bonded TCP, was awarded a contract earlier this year to supply a first-of-its-kind spoolable TCP Jumper to connect a subsea vehicle to the vertical transport system of a newly converted deep-water polymetallic nodule collection vessel. The vehicle will operate to depths of 4500 msw.

Strohm Chief Operating Officer Martin van Onna said: “TCP is a lightweight, corrosion-free, versatile technology used to support many different applications across multiple underwater sectors in varying depths. Ensuring the stability and security of the TCP Jumper with a subsea protection and buoyancy solution that is completely reliable and equally as durable as our product, is extremely important to the success of the project. Tekmar is a market leader with a sustainability focus that aligns with our own energy transition strategy. We look forward to working together”.

Working with Tekmar

Tekmar Energy has been chosen by Strohm to supply Bend Stiffeners, Ballast Modules, and Buoyancy Modules for the TCP solution to ensure it does not exceed load and bend design limitations. Tekmar Energy will manufacture the Bend Stiffeners and Ballast Modules at their Newton Aycliffe facility in the North East of England. DeepWater Buoyancy will manufacture the Buoyancy Modules in Maine USA under a recently-signed agreement with Tekmar Group plc.

Gary Howland, Group Sales Director at Tekmar Group commented: “Tekmar Energy is delighted to have been chosen by Strohm to protect this exciting project. We look forward to working with Strohm and to strengthening our relationship. We are also thrilled to secure a contract in partnership with DeepWater Buoyancy. The award demonstrates how working together enables us to offer customers a broader range of solutions and technologies”.

DeepWater Buoyancy Tekmar Strohm TCP Distributed Buoyancy

Module Design

The modules are designed as distributed buoyancy to create a “lazy wave” in a section of the pipe. This creates compliance in the system, minimizing stress on the TCP. The design is similar to that used in the company’s product line for other offshore energy applications such as, Jumper Buoyancy, Umbilical Buoyancy, Buckle Mitigation Buoyancy, and Buoyancy for Floating Offshore Wind Cables.

The modules have a buoyant core of high-performance DeepTec® syntactic foam within a custom, rotationally-molded polyethylene shell. The modules are designed with an integral elastomeric clamping system that allows them to remain securely in place, resisting both axial and torsional loads. The elastomeric system also accommodates changes in the diameter and shape of the TCP during deployment, operation, and recovery.

About Tekmar Group

Tekmar Group plc, based in Darlington UK, provides market-leading technology and services to the global offshore energy markets through its primary operating companies Ryder Geotechnical Limited, AgileTek Engineering Limited, Subsea Innovation Limited, Tekmar Energy Limited, and Pipeshield International Limited.

Learn more at www.TekmarGroup.com

About DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., located in Maine USA, provides subsea buoyancy products for offshore energy, oceanographic, military, and technology companies around the world. Customers have relied on our products for over forty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

HardBall® Float – The Solid Choice

Jul 17, 2020

The Solid Choice

An excellent alternative to glass sphere flotation, DeepWater Buoyancy’s Hardball® Floats provide subsea buoyancy for a wide variety of oceanographic applications. Made for the demands of subsea moorings, as well as the rigors of handling on the decks of vessels, HardBall® Floats are built of strong solid materials for years of reliable service.

No need for a protective covering. No need to handle carefully. No need for regular inspection and maintenance. No danger of implosions at depth. Just rugged, versatile subsea buoyancy.

Using Glass Spheres?

Glass spheres have been used as “inexpensive” buoyancy for years. They have had a relatively low cost for the amount of buoyancy that they provide.

While it is true that they have been a less expensive capital investment, users know that they have long-term operating costs. Because of their design, they require regular inspection and maintenance.

For example, as the spheres age the butyl tape around the equator gives up and begins to degrade. Maintaining and replacing the seals is a specialized task that requires the right equipment. Not everyone has the capability to perform this procedure.

Dan Kot, Senior Engineering Assistant in the Ocean Bottom Seismology Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has a great deal of experience with glass spheres in a variety of applications. “Woods Hole has been successfully using glass spheres for many years,” Dan writes. “But it has not been without its cost. To be successful we have had to be diligent about our regular inspection and maintenance practices. Even with proper procedures, we are always keenly aware of the extra time, added expense, and inherent risks associated with this product.”

Risks of Glass Spheres

Despite being rated for pressures of up to 10,000psi, glass spheres are fragile on deck and must be handled with care. In fact, they are so delicate, they require a “hard hat” to protect them.

Additionally, there is the subsea operational risk. On occasion, the glass spheres implode at depth. A scratch, chip, spalling on the equator, or other imperfection can create a situation where the spheres lose their integrity. Occasionally, the defect cannot be seen with the naked eye. Spheres that appear fine will sometimes implode under subsea pressure.

Imploded glass sphere floatation and hard hat

Images of an imploded deep sea glass sphere and hardhat during mooring recovery. Photo courtesy of Dan Kot, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from the Crustal Reflectivity Experiment Southern Transect cruise. Learn more about it here… LINK

Implosion is a violent event that creates an instantaneous loss of buoyancy. The implosion can also create a chain reaction that causes loss of other spheres by the shock wave and can damage instrumentation. All this can put the mooring and the mission at risk. Because of this risk, subsea engineers have to adjust their mooring design to keep spheres at a distance from each other, as well as from instrumentation.

Robert Weller, Senior Scientist at Woods Hole writes, “We have a mooring that has been interesting because there is an acoustic observatory on the sea floor nearby and the observatory tells us how many glass balls implode when we deploy a new mooring each year. We have puzzled over the ball failure rate there, which has been a bit higher than our other moorings.”

Images of imploded subsea glass flotation with its protective shell after mooring recovery. Photos courtesy of Jim Potemra, Researcher, University of Hawaii. Images from the Woods Hole Hawaii Ocean Time-series Site. Learn more about it here… LINK

What a Drag

In addition to being used as reserve buoyancy, glass spheres are occasionally used in structures to support instruments. In these cases, the spheres (in their hard hats) are mounted to framework. This can leave the deployment solution as an awkward, high drag object.

On occasion, glass spheres in their hard hats are strung together on cables or chains. When things go awry, recovering this kind of jewelry can result in quite a mess.

A tangled knot of glass spheres on a chain after recovery of a mooring. See original photo and details here at the NOAA and Teacher at Sea Blog… LINK

The Solution

What is the solution for providing maintenance-free, versatile buoyancy that you can deploy with confidence?

DeepWater Buoyancy HardBall® Floats.

Available in a wide range of sizes and depth ratings the HardBall® Float lives up to its name. The buoyant core of the float is made of only the highest strength, epoxy-based DeepTec® solid syntactic foam – no macrospheres or other high-risk fillers are used.

This solid core is housed in a thick-walled, high-density polyethylene exterior for maximum impact and abrasion resistance. This durable shell also provides resistance to biofouling.

Here is a summarized list of features and benefits:

Buoyancy in a simple spherical package
Available for numerous depths and diameters that provide varying uplift
Always solid foam – no fillers
No hard hat required!
Comes with a standard through hole for mounting
Can be provided with eye nut mounting hardware
Can be mounted inline with mooring

Hardball - Glass Sphere Floatation Alternative

Learn More

See our HardBall® Float product page here… LINK

Need a Bigger Sphere?

At times you may want even more buoyancy to be inline with your mooring line. Consider our larger buoyant spheres – Hydro-ﬂoat® Mooring Buoys Learn about them here… LINK

Want to Mount Instruments in Your Sphere?

We have that covered too. We can mount multiple instruments in a larger buoyant package. Solves mounting and buoyancy in one solution. Take a look at our full line of deployment products here… LINK

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 fourty years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Buoy Conversion Kit for Teledyne RDI Pinnacle ADCP

Oct 10, 2019

Announcement

In a joint product release with Teledyne RDI, DeepWater Buoyancy announced a new product – the Buoy Conversion Kit for Teledyne RDI Pinnacle ADCP.

This kit allows the use of Teledyne RDI’s new Pinnacle ADCP on existing DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP buoys.

Designed in collaboration with Teledyne Marine’s Product Development Team, the kit includes an ADCP clamp, top frame, and lift strap system.

About the ADCP Buoy Conversion Kit

DeepWater Buoyancy collaborated with the Teledyne RDI product development team throughout the design of the Pinnacle ADCP. Features were incorporated into the Pinnacle housing to allow for secure mounting of the instrument in DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP buoys. Darryl Symonds, Director of Marine Measurements Product Lines for Teledyne RD Instruments said, “We have been working with the DeepWater Buoyancy team (formerly Flotation Technologies) for decades. This latest collaboration on the Pinnacle product is just the most recent in a long history of successful co-design that started with the very first subsea spherical ADCP buoy in 1986.”

The kit consists of three assemblies: the clamp, the frame and the buoy lifting straps.

The Clamp

The clamp is similar to the standard ADCP clamp in that it is made of urethane and fastened with titanium hardware for superior corrosion resistance. It is unique, however, in that it has a “keying” feature that ensures that the Pinnacle is “clocked” correctly. Unlike a standard ADCP, the Pinnacle has no obvious “lobes” to ensure that the beams pass between the top frame legs. Instead, it has a flat face. So the joint engineering team placed a key on the Pinnacle housing to match a feature on the clamp to ensure beam location.

In addition to this key, there is a slot in the Pinnacle housing that matches a rim in the clamp. This ensures that there is no axial movement of the instrument during handling and deployment.

The clamp has composite loops that allow a fiber lifting strap to be passed through. These straps allow for safer and easier handling and mounting of the ADCP into the buoy.

The Top Frame

The conversion kit frame is noticeably longer than a standard ADCP frame. This is to provide the appropriate space above the transducer face for the acoustic beams to develop. Additionally, the frame has a feature to allow the connection of the Buoy Lifting Strap for safe handling.

Like all DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP frames, it is manufactured with 316L stainless steel. It is then electropolished and fitted with replaceable zinc anodes for superior corrosion resistance. The frame arbor is fitted with isolation bushings and allow connection to the mooring line with standard shackles.

The Buoy Lift Strap System

Also included in the conversion kit is a Buoy Lift Strap System. Designed with Ocean Engineer Jon Wood of Ocean Data Technologies, the strap system allows for safe deployment and retrieval of the buoy. The strap allows the buoy to be lifted without placing unnecessary stress on the extended frame members and for the buoy to be lifted with its axis horizontal. In addition to the safeguarding of frame and instrument, the horizontal lift allows for a shorter lift height to minimize the A-frame and hoist specifications necessary for deployment and recovery. Jon Wood also points out, “In addition to being a tool for deployment and recovery, the strap system appears to act as a vane and reduces spinning motion of the buoy.”

About the Pinnacle

Once again, Teledyne RD Instruments takes its rightful place as the leader in deep-water current profiling technology. Building upon the tremendous 20-year success of their industry-standard Long Ranger ADCP, Teledyne RDI is pleased to introduce their next-generation long-range ADCP—the Pinnacle 45.

Rated to a depth of 2000 m, the 45 kHz phased array Pinnacle ADCP delivers a 1000 m current profiling range with a decreased size and weight, a game-changing field-swappable configuration, and a long list of impressive new features and product enhancements, including:

Swappable Configuration: Convert from Self-Contained to Real-Time without an additional purchase
Adaptable: Independent or Interlaced long range and high resolution modes allow users to optimize their system for unique deployment requirements, offering the best of both worlds in a single instrument.
Continuous Sampling: Pinnacle’s 4 beams ping simultaneously (as opposed to individually), allowing for simultaneous sampling of a full profile.
Easy Data Access: Redundant MicroSD memory cards for added data security.
Compass Enhancements: Pinnacle includes both heading field calibration and magnetometer data, allowing you to utilize either or both and to turn your mooring faster.
Deployment Status Indicator: External LED light ensures you know the system is operational when deployed.
Advanced Monitoring: Health Monitoring and leak detection provide users with the peace of mind that their system is operating as intended.
Increased Data: 20° phased-array beam allows you to measure within 6% of range to surface (air/sea or bottom), closing the gap on missed data.
Rugged and Robust: Independent main electronics housing and battery compartment and a no metal in contact with the water designed housing and transducer limit the risk of damage from leaks.
Long Life: Alkaline or lithium battery compatible, with 18-month deployment durations possible on 4 Li batteries.

Learn how you can reach your Pinnacle at: www.teledynemarine.com/Pinnacle

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.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

About Teledyne RD Instruments

With well over 30,000 Doppler products delivered worldwide, Teledyne RD Instruments is the industry’s leading manufacturer of Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) for current profiling and wave measurement applications; and Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) for precision underwater navigation applications. Teledyne RDI also supplies Citadel CTD sensors for a variety of oceanographic applications.

Learn more at www.teledynemarine.com/rdi/

Mooring Matters: Uncertainty in Buoy Drag Coefficients

Jun 26, 2019

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, Ryan Nicoll of Dynamic Systems Analysis, Ltd. (DSA) looks at controlling uncertainty in buoy drag coefficient when designing oceanographic moorings.

Ryan is the Chief Technical Officer of DSA and has vast experience in both software development and use of software in oceanographic mooring design.

How to Control Uncertainty in Buoy Drag Coefficient when Designing Oceanographic Moorings.

By Ryan Nicoll, PEng – CTO of DSA, Ltd.

Introduction

It was the summer of 1991 and I stood in front of the first hedge maze I’d ever seen before. What could be more fun to a young boy that getting lost in a hedge maze and finding your way out?

I had a simple plan: get totally lost as quickly as possible by making random choices. Then I’d take my time to find my way out. So, I ran straight in at full speed, turning left or right at each turn without thinking about it.

Ryan’s first strategy for solving hedge maze: run fast, think later!

The plan completely backfired. By a complete fluke, within a minute or two, I made it to the exit of the maze. I couldn’t believe that I got straight to the end of the maze by making random decisions.

Making random decisions may work once in a while in solving a hedge maze. But you can’t make a random decision for a drag coefficient for an oceanographic buoy. These buoys can be substantial structures. Because they’re substantial, the drag forces on them can also be substantial. If they have even remotely complex shapes, it’s difficult to really know what the drag coefficient is.

We’re going to look at three ways to evaluate oceanographic buoy drag coefficients. These ways increase in complexity but still give you something to start with. These three ways to determine the drag coefficient are using:

Lookup tables
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Field deployment data

First, we’re going to cover the use of lookup tables.

Lookup tables are a fantastic starting point

They provide drag coefficients for quite specific shapes and geometries. Helpfully, there are often tables with parameters that help you zero in on your particular shape. For example, a lookup table for a squat cylinder shows a few different values of drag coefficient based on the length to diameter ratio. Lookup tables are easy to use. You find the shape that is closest to what you’re working with, and then that’s the drag coefficient that you use in your calculations.

Cylinder drag coefficient lookup table from Applied Fluid Dynamics Handbook by Blevins

Where do these lookup tables come from?

These lookup tables are the results of decades of research and experiments. These experiments measured the total drag force on these shapes in different flow conditions. The resulting drag coefficient is computed from the data and then published in the lookup tables for future reference.

But there are also quite a few limitations

It’s rare to get an exact match to the shape you want. Even with basic shapes like cylinders, your particular form may be out of range of the lookup table. Or you may have only a few examples to work with from the lookup tables you have on hand.

So, while lookup tables give you a starting point, it still leaves some uncertainty. This takes us to the next approach that can be used to resolve the drag coefficient: computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

You can work directly with your specific buoy geometry

Previously, we learned that lookup tables were produced by decades of painstaking research and experiments that measured the total drag force on actual structures. CFD software calculates the dynamics of fluids flowing past structures. Essentially, you can use CFD to run your own virtual experiment on your specific structure directly on your computer.

Pre-processing StableMoor® geometry in Altair HyperMesh in preparation for CFD analysis in Altair AcuSolve

Almost any kind of geometry can be used in a CFD tool. Software tools like Altair HyperMesh make it easy to work with 3D models generated from CAD software. This software prepares the geometry for use in a CFD program like Altair AcuSolve. Regardless of the CFD program used, once the geometry is in place, you can set the water flow conditions you want to check. Then, when you run the program, it calculates the corresponding drag coefficient for that geometry in those conditions. This is a significant improvement from lookup tables because you can use much more precise geometry. You aren’t left trying to guess which shape best fits your specific oceanographic buoy.

But there’s a different kind of uncertainty when working with CFD

As incredible as CFD tools are, the dynamics of fluid flows can be incredibly complex. There are also many inputs and settings for the CFD flow physics models. In some particular circumstances, some of these settings can make substantial changes in the output of the drag coefficient calculations. So how do we deal with this new kind of uncertainty? This brings us to the next and final section, validation with field deployment data.

Nothing is more real than reality

If you put an oceanographic buoy in a known water current and you can measure the total drag force, well, you’ve got the actual drag coefficient! Of course, it makes sense that this would eliminate those niggling uncertainties that remain with the previous two methods. We are indeed working with the exact shape, unlike the lookup tables. And we are working with real water flows, unlike an approximation of the water flow as calculated by CFD.

This creates a bit of a chicken and egg problem

We do need to know in advance what the drag coefficient is before we design and deploy the mooring. Otherwise, the mooring is at risk if it deflects far too much, or if it breaks. However, these risks can be controlled with a staged approach using a smaller mooring in lower flow speeds, or even scale model tests in a flow tank. These scale model tests are the kinds of tests done over decades of research to make lookup tables.

What about the cost of a field deployment?

Of course, making a field deployment is incredibly complex and expensive. You need a ship and crew to deploy the equipment. The equipment itself is costly as well. It can be a complicated job to just measure the flow at a site, never mind also some characteristic of the mooring response. But that only shows how unique and valuable the knowledge of the specific drag coefficient is for that particular structure. And that drag coefficient can be used again for new mooring designs and for different locations with different flow speeds in the future.

StableMoor deployment for turbulence measurement by APL

Let’s look at a specific example

DeepWater Buoyancy’s StableMoor® Buoy is a streamlined float designed to work in high flow conditions. It’s a fairly specific shape. When reviewing lookup tables, there are a few examples that are pretty close, but not exact. Is it more like a rounded rectangle, or cylinder? How can the tail ring be accounted for? There’s only so much we can answer using this approach. The rounded block has a range of 0.25 and 0.55, so we could try 0.55. It may seem a bit random, but that’s the best we can do at this stage. The next stage is using a CFD software tool.

Lookup table drag coefficient values for rounded block from the Applied Fluid Dynamics Handbook by Blevins

We used the CFD program Altair AcuSolve to compute the drag forces on the actual geometry of a StableMoor Buoy in a few flow speed conditions. Based on the projected area from the main hull, the CFD calculated drag coefficient is 1.0. This is higher than the rounded block lookup table values because the tail ring adds extra drag to the system. At this stage we have a good idea of the buoy drag coefficient to use. To improve on this, the final stage is a validation using field data.

Altair AcuSolve CFD calculations show the flow structure surrounding the StableMoor® Buoy

Oceanographers at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory deployed a short mooring with a StableMoor Buoy® in a high flow tidal channel. The onboard sensors measured the flow velocity as well as the altitude of the StableMoor® Buoy off the seabed. As the total drag forces on the mooring and StableMoor® Buoy deflect the system, the altitude of the StableMoor® Buoy decreases. This reduction in altitude is often called knockdown.

APL mooring schematic with StableMoor® Buoy.

We reconstructed the mooring in ProteusDS to compare the results to the measured the knockdown. Using a drag coefficient of 1.0 for the StableMoor® Buoy showed knockdown within the measured range of values from the field deployment: at about 2m/s flow speed, the system shows about a 1m knockdown. So this looks like the CFD software tool did a pretty good job. This builds confidence to use the drag coefficient and the CFD analysis process again for other mooring designs.

We covered a lot of ground in our search for ways to find a drag coefficient

Now it’s time for a quick review. A starting point to resolve a drag coefficient is to use lookup tables. These represent decades of work from real experiments on various shapes. But often there’s not an exact fit to the oceanographic buoy geometry you’re working with.

The next step is to try using a CFD software tool. These software tools can use the specific buoy geometry you’re working with and provide you with the drag coefficient. While these software tools are powerful, they are still an approximation to potentially very complex fluid physics.

Indeed, there’s no replacement for reality, and so the final step would be some kind of real measurement of the buoy in actual flow conditions. While this can be a massive effort, it does provide a valuable validation of the drag coefficient for a particular buoy that can be used again in similar conditions.

Working with drag coefficients may make you feel like you are running around in a maze

You can’t just pick a drag coefficient randomly, rush on to the next step in the mooring design process, and expect success. You may be doing this if you have only a limited lookup table to work with.

Next step

Request a demo license for ProteusDS and explore how the knockdown of your specific mooring configuration can change with different drag coefficients. Use the parts library to get a good starting point in evaluating oceanographic mooring knockdown quickly.

Thanks to APL and DeepWater Buoyancy

Thanks to Jim Thomson and Alex de Klerk from APL and David Capotosto and Dan Cote from DeepWater Buoyancy for sharing technical pointers and information on the mooring deployment and StableMoor® Buoy.

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.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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

Mooring Matters: Sustained Measurements of Crucial Ocean Currents – PART 2

Feb 28, 2019

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, Dr. Peter Spain of Teledyne RD Instruments discusses the development of ADCP technology and the use of syntactic foam buoyancy in subsea moorings for sustained measurements of ocean currents.

In Part 2 of this article Dr. Spain presents examples of moored ADCP arrays from around the world.

If you missed Part 1, find it HERE.

Sustained Measurements of Crucial Ocean Currents – PART 2

Moored ADCP Arrays Around the Globe

By Peter Spain Ph.D., Teledyne RD Instruments

Moored ADCP Array: Mozambique Channel

Located off the east coast of southern Africa, the Agulhas Current is one of the world’s major currents. It exerts diverse influences, ranging from marine transport and local biodiversity to earth’s climate system.

Different parts of the Greater Agulhas System exhibit complex circulation patterns that can change substantially from year-to-year. To understand and assess causes for this variability, scientists began studying currents that feed the Agulhas.

In 2003, the Dutch research organization NIOZ and its partners began Long-term Ocean Climate Observations (LOCO). This effort included a long-term observational program off the east coast of Africa at 17°S.

The researchers installed an extensive array of tall moorings across the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel. The LOCO project redeployed the mooring array several times. The full array was sustained for seven years and a reduced array even longer.

During LOCO, the upper 500 m contained the strongest currents. During several settings of the array, many moorings were topped with upward 75 kHz ADCPs from Teledyne RDI.

Figure 1 – Teledyne RDI’s Long Ranger 75 kHz ADCP.

Figure 2 – Six-year record of volume transport through the Mozambique Channel—from moored ADCP velocity data.
Credit: J. Ullgren et al. (NIOZ) 2012. LINK

The design of these LOCO moorings built on experience at this site. An initial 12-month mooring campaign had recorded currents much stronger than expected. This led to difficulties with mooring blow-over and instrument loss.

Even so the observations revealed intriguing findings. There was no persistent Mozambique Current; rather, transport through the Channel were due to a regular train of large (300-km diameter) eddies.

Fig.3. A later setting of LOCO moorings in Mozambique Channel. ADCP profiles are indicated. Scales: depth (m), distance(km).
Adapted from H. Ridderinkhof et al. (NIOZ) 2010. LINK

The LOCO moorings included many elliptical floats to reduce drag in these strong currents. These changes reduced subsequent blow-over excursions to tens of meters.

The data set spans many years with consistently impressive spatial coverage across the Mozambique Channel.

The Dutch scientists revealed that the pronounced changes in water volume moving through the Mozambique Channel varied at three different time scales. For shorter time scales, large eddies passing southward dominate changes in transport. For seasonal periods, wind-stress patterns over the Indian Ocean basin are influential.

At interannual time scales, the variation in transport was larger than seasonal. Although large-scale climate fluctuations were identified to be the cause, the response in the Mozambique Channel was delayed almost a year.

Exposing these changes over time – and their subtle climate connection – was possible only with the sustained measurements from the moored array. Surface drifters, floats, and gliders are quickly swept away by strong surface currents.

REFERENCES

Ridderinkhof et al. (NIOZ), 2010. LINK
Ullgren et al. (NIOZ), 2012. LINK

Moored ADCP Array: Faroe Bank Channel Overflow

In recent times, the role of the deep ocean in the global climate system has gained wider attention. Cold, dense waters sinking in the Nordic Seas supply the deep circulation of the global ocean.

Using seabed-mounted ADCPs, there has been long-term monitoring of these waters where they move through deep channels in overflow regions, such as Faroe Bank Channel. More recent studies have looked above the seabed plume at sites downstream from the Channel. This work uses moored ADCPs.

A key element in achieving this coverage was the use of Teledyne RDI ADCPs mounted in DeepWater/Flotec’s syntactic foam buoys. The ADCP time series helped to describe the variability in eddy action and the dominant periodicity. Also, the ADCP profiles showed the velocity signal reached through the water column.

Figure 4 – Mooring Design. Teledyne RDI ADCPs are in top and mid-water buoys supplied by DeepWater/Flotec.
Credit: I. Fer (Univ. Bergen) 2016. PDF: LINK

Researchers at University of Bergen (Norway) wanted to clarify how the cold, deep plume changes due to entrainment of overlying ambient water. Of interest are the final volume of the plume and how its water properties have been altered before confluence with other deep flows. For these features provide the persistent signature of these waters in the deep global circulation.

Field work used a range of sensors and methods. Researchers wanted to see motions across diverse time and spatial scales. In particular, the researchers used moored ADCPs to span the whole plume. Mooring observations were merged with satellite observations and computer-modeling results.

Just downstream of the Faroe Bank Channel, an array of eight moorings measured currents for one year. The moorings were mostly in two lines located in quite different terrain. The first was in a confined channel about 25 km from the main sill. The second was 85 km downstream where the flow is less constrained. Moreover, by that distance, turbulent motions prevail with enhanced mixing through the plume.

The moorings carried Teledyne RDI ADCPs at various frequencies: 75, 150, and 300 kHz. ADCPs closer to the plume were housed in elliptical floats to reduce drag. ADCPs at higher altitude were mounted in spherical floats. Some of the latter carried both up- and down-looking ADCPs.

Figure 5 – Map of mooring array near Faroe Bank Channel. Credit: E. Darelius et al. (Univ. Bergen) 2015. Link

Three 300 kHz ADCPs were dedicated to studying mixing processes. They sat in the core of the plume and profiled its upper interface with high resolution in time and in the vertical.

The currents within the seabed plume are quite strong – almost 1 m/s at the first line. By the second mooring line, the speeds had mostly dropped though the vertical extent of the plume had increased substantially. Of interest was the plume’s high-speed core; it was more confined and had gained speed – due to moving downslope.

To examine blow-over effects on the moorings, the researchers used Richard Dewey’s software for Mooring Design and Dynamics. They constructed time series of the vertical position and tilt of the instruments using measured currents as input. Ground truth was provided by records from pressure sensors.

The researchers wanted to capture the behavior of the whole overflow plume – especially its structure and variability. The farther section had distinct differences, showing strong eddy motions that varied over 3-5 days. Also, the transport of the plume had increased by 30% at that line. The researchers were especially surprised to see how the plume’s volume was altered: not just gaining volume by entraining overlying waters but by losing colder deeper water.

Capturing any changes in the volume and makeup of the cold, dense overflow plumes is demanding. Yet this information is vital for improved understanding of the mechanisms of the deep circulation. For climate studies, sustained measurements from moored ADCP arrays provide a unique time-series view of these deep, narrow, and strong flows.

REFERENCES

I. Fer (Univ. Bergen), 2016. PDF: LINK

E. Darelius et al. (Univ. Bergen), 2015. LINK

Moored ADCP Array: East Australian Current

The East Australian Current (EAC) commands the western edge of the South Pacific. Fed by tropical waters, the EAC moves warm water southward for 2500 km along the Australian coast. Its transport is about 20 million cubic meters per second – about 40 times the Amazon River’s discharge.

Near Coffs Harbour on the north coast of New South Wales, much of the EAC turns eastward across the Tasman Sea towards New Zealand. Some residual flow moves farther south, largely as energetic eddies.

Fig.6. East Australian Current System. Credit: C. Kerry et al. (Univ. NSW) 2016. LINK

Seasonal and decadal changes in the southern extent of the warm EAC water have been attributed to altered atmospheric conditions – notably wind patterns. Casualties of changing water properties range from fisheries to kelp forests.

From April 2012, Australian scientists deployed an extensive mooring array across the EAC. This work was part of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System – IMOS. Installed for 16 months at first, the array has been redeployed. The researchers selected a location at 27°S to discern the typical state of this major boundary current. Farther south, energetic eddies cloud the description.

Fig.7. EAC Moored Array (without M5). Black arrows show ADCP profiling coverage. Colored dots show sensors.
Credit: B. Sloyen et al. (CSIRO) 2016. LINK

Across the continental slope, each mooring carried up- and down-looking ADCPs. They were combined to profile currents to 1000 m depth. Throughout the array, all ADCPs were mounted within DeepWater/Flotec’s spherical buoys of syntactic foam.

The EAC moored array included seven moorings that carried almost 150 instruments. Moorings were heavily instrumented In the upper ocean to measure with high vertical resolution.

Moorings were fitted with many temperature and salinity probes for calculating fluxes of water properties. For measuring the upper ocean, these probes had to be immersed in the strong currents. Some issues with mooring blow-over followed.

Most moorings were over the continental slope where the poleward Current is generally located. Two moorings were located farther offshore in 5000 m depths to capture the width of the EAC system.

Figure 8 – Combining three ADCPs to profile 1000 m in EAC M2 mooring. Credit: IMOS Instrumentation 2015. PDF: LINK

In fact, large equatorward transport was observed at the offshore edge of the mooring line – 27% of the poleward volume.

Averaged over the deployment, the ADCP measurements showed strong currents in the EAC are limited to the upper 600 m. A subsurface peak at 50-100 m depth provided a bullseye in the flow distribution. On average, poleward currents reached 1500 m; below that depth, currents were slight. For this situation, the volume moving poleward was 22 million cubic meters per second – about 70% of transport through the Florida Straits.

Snapshot views of the moored section showed the distribution of EAC currents to be coherent though very dynamic. At times, the EAC was concentrated over the continental slope whereas at other times it was wider and deeper. When the EAC was more confined, flows at depth could be equatorward across vast expanses. At other times, equatorward flow had disappeared.

Statistical analysis of the flow patterns showed two dominant modes where the EAC was either hugging the continental slope or centered farther offshore. In the latter mode, flows nearer to the shelf headed equatorward. These modes varied with multi-monthly periods that were attributed to remote forcing.

A large fraction of the Australian population lives on the eastern seaboard. The influence of the East Australian Current on their living environment is now more widely appreciated. Yet developing this understanding has been – and remains – challenging.

For scientists to see long-term trends and large-scale connections, moored arrays must collect sustained time series. And for collecting this information, Teledyne RDI ADCPs mounted in DeepWater Buoyancy flotation provide a go-to combination.

REFERENCES

2016 Sloyan, K. Ridgway, and R. Cowley (CSIRO), 2016. LINK

IMOS Instrumentation, 2015. LINK

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.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

About Teledyne RD Instruments

With well over 30,000 Doppler products delivered worldwide, Teledyne RD Instruments is the industry’s leading manufacturer of Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) for current profiling and wave measurement applications; and Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) for precision underwater navigation applications. Teledyne RDI also supplies Citadel CTD sensors for a variety of oceanographic applications.

Learn more at www.teledynemarine.com/rdi/

NEW Pop-Up Buoy for Sonardyne LRT

Feb 14, 2019

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc. announces that it has developed a new Pop-Up Buoy Recovery System (PUB) for the Sonardyne LRT Acoustic Release. The product was developed at the request of Fugro GB Marine.

Like the original product, the new PUB allows for direct retrieval of seabed packages, such as anchors, anchor lines, and bottom-mounted frames and instruments.

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 lifts free from the canister and rises to the surface. A synthetic line connects the buoy directly to the framework of the seabed item and allows for retrieval.

The buoy is outfitted with an electropolished 316 stainless steel frame. The canister holds 75 meters of 1/4″ synthetic line. (Other line lengths are available upon request.) The recovery buoy is made from high-strength DeepTec® solid syntactic foam. The foam is finished with an abrasion-resistant, polyurethane elastomer coating.

The canister is made from PVC. It has a rugged design and has attachment features to permit various mounting configurations, including easy mounting to our BTM-AL50 tripod bottom mounts.

To learn more about the PUB – CLICK HERE

Acoustic Release Product Details

Sonardyne’s Lightweight acoustic Release Transponder (LRT) is depth rated to 500 meters making it the ideal choice for deploying and recovering seafloor instrumentation and equipment in continental shelf waters.

Field replaceable alkaline or lithium battery packs give a listening life of 18 months and 51 months respectively. A “screw-off” release mechanism ensures a positive release action that overcomes any biological growth and all external parts are made of high strength plastics that provide excellent environmental corrosion resistance.

LRTs are controlled using a deck unit and remote transducer on 10 meters of cable. The deck unit is initially used to program the acoustic identity of the LRT, test the transponder and load the release nut prior to deployment. Once deployed, the deck unit can measure ranges to the transponder and prior to sending a secure release command, relocate the transponder. The deck unit can be controlled via RS232 enabling raw range data to be logged to a PC.

Unlike similar low-cost release transponders It has both receive and transmit functions, enabling accurate slant ranges to be measured, release actuation to be confirmed and its position to be accurately determined.

The transponder is also compatible with Sonardyne’s ROV-Homer and Homer-Pro target relocation systems. Deployed at a point of interest, the LRT can be interrogated weeks or years later to provide range and direction guidance to a ROV pilot or diver wishing to home back on to it.

To learn more about the LRT – CLICK 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.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

About Sonardyne

We are a leading independent global provider of underwater acoustic, inertial, optical and sonar technology and this is what we do. We track, we position, we control, we monitor, we detect, we recover, we image, we locate, we navigate, we avoid, we engineer, we service and we support. We can do this for you, wherever you are operating in the world, safely and responsibly, within your budgets and to your timescales. Find out how by getting in touch with us today.

Learn more at www.sonardyne.com

Product Spotlight – ADCP Buoy Frames

Jan 8, 2019

DeepWater Buoyancy is the world’s largest producer of subsea buoyancy products for the oceanographic community. At the heart of the product line are the deployment solutions for ADCP applications, including spherical and elliptical buoys, the low-drag StableMoor® buoy, trawl-resistant bottom mounts (TRBMs) and diver serviceable bottom mounts.

This article will spotlight DeepWater Buoyancy’s frame designs for ADCP buoys.

For more information, click HERE.

In the early days of acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCPs) most units on the market were designed with four transducer beams. To most effectively accommodate these four-beam ADCPs, buoys were produced with four tie-rods that pass through the buoy and end frames with four legs that attach to the tie-rods. This design allowed for the beams of the ADCP to pass between the frame legs, unobscured.

Advances in ADCP technology have since led to ADCPs with as few as three beams and as many as nine transducer beams. In some cases, a center (vertical) beam is included in the configuration. These technological advances in ADCP design have led to changes in the design of the framework for ADCP buoys.

ADCPs with various transducer configurations.

In the case of a three-beam ADCP, buoys are now offered with three tie-rods and end frames with three legs that pass between the beams. For customers who have previously purchased a buoy outfitted for a four-beam ADCP, but now look to use a three-beam ADCP, a frame is available that mounts on the four tie-rods and transitions to three legs to pass between the beams. Additionally, a buoy can be outfitted with a four-beam frame on one end and a three-beam frame on the other for compatibility with both systems.

ADCP Buoy Top Frame made for a 3 beam ADCP to be mounted in a buoy with four tie-rods.

When a buoy is at the top of a mooring and a vertical beam is used, or when an ADCP with several beams is used, typical frames would block the beam or beams. And since the buoy is at the top of the mooring string, the need for a top arbor is eliminated. In this case a ring frame is used. This frame serves to protect the ADCP head during deployment, recovery, and handling on the deck of a vessel, but will not obstruct the beam pattern.

Ring Frame for ADCP with center vertical beam.

All frames are manufactured with 316L stainless steel. The frames are then electropolished and fitted with replaceable zinc anodes for superior corrosion resistance. Frames with arbors on them are fitted with isolation bushings and allow connection to the mooring line with standard shackles.

Our extensive in-house design, machining, metalworking, and welding capabilities allow us to make an endless variety of these frames to support and protect not only ADCPs, but also a wide range of other instrumentation. DeepWater Buoyancy’s engineering staff will work with you to design the exact frame that best meets the needs of your equipment, pass through loads, and time at depth.

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.

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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Purpose-Built for Stability and Versatility

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New Brace for Collapsible Bottom Mount

Need a custom solution?

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MiniMod™ Small Modular Buoys Benefit a Variety of Marine Operations

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MiniMod Modular Buoys Are Durable and Easy to Use

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