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2022 Maine Exporter of the Year

2022 Maine Exporter of the Year

May 27, 2022

Tekmar and DeepWater Buoyancy IPF 2022

Award Announced

The Maine International Trade Center has selected DeepWater Buoyancy as the Maine International Trade Center 2022 Exporter of the Year.

The Exporter of the Year Award is presented to a manufacturer that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to international trade through increased exports.

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy designs, engineers, and manufactures subsea buoyancy products for oceanographic, offshore oil & gas, and technology companies around the world.

Company Co-President & Director of Business Development David Capotosto explained, “Anyone that wants to put something heavy at the bottom of the ocean and get it back someday, probably needs us.” About 35% of what they produce is exported to more than 40 countries around the globe. When the pandemic slowed oceanographic research and shut down international trade shows in 2020, the company pivoted to robust digital marketing efforts to reach new customers and has recently partnered with a company in the UK to establish business in the growing offshore wind industry.

“For a small Maine company of 25 people to be doing business all around the world, your entire team has to be firing on all cylinders. We have a lot of experience in international markets, and 2021 ended up being one of our strongest years. It’s an honor to be among the great Maine companies who have been named Exporter of the Year,” said Mr.Capotosto.

The award was given as a part of the annual Maine International Trade Day.  Learn more HERE

As a part of the award ceremony, a video was produced.  The video showcases DeepWater Buoyancy’s history, team and products, while highlighting the international aspects of the business.

DeepWater Buoyancy International Representatives

DeepWater Buoyancy has a robust network of representatives and agents throughout the world. Click on the image to find a representative in your region.

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

Tekmar Secures Contract for US Wind Project

May 26, 2022

Tekmar Secures US Wind CPS Order

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.

 

Tekmar Partner Product Page

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo
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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo
IPF 2022

IPF 2022

Mar 29, 2022

Tekmar and DeepWater Buoyancy IPF 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.

IPF 2022 Offshore Wind Conference

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

Tekmar Group Offshore Wind Subsea Field

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo

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

Oceanology International 2022

Oceanology International 2022

Mar 2, 2022

Exhibiting at Oceanology International 2022

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at Oceanology International 2022.

The event will take place from March 15-17 at the ExCel London.

About the Event

Oceanology International brings together 500+ exhibitors in the only event that links the three key players in the industry: businesses, academics and government. Visit us in 2022 for innovative live on-water demonstrations and interactive seminars looking into the future of our industry.

With over 8,000 attendees targeted for 2022, it is a must-attend event for those involved in exploring, monitoring, developing or protecting the world’s oceans, from seabed to surface and beyond.

Join us at ExCel London to discover game-changing innovations and solutions transforming the future of ocean technology.

Learn more at the website – www.oceanologyinternational.com

Oceanology International 2022 Banner

At the Stand

Deepwater Buoyancy will be represented at the event by Mouna Benlemrid.  Mouna is principal of DeepBlue Technology and one of our premier ocean science representatives in Europe.   Please come visit us at Stand K20.

At the event, we will be highlighting our full range of products for the ocean science community, including our line of midwater ADCP buoys.

ADCP Buoys - Spherical, Elliptical, StableMoor

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

Representative Spotlight – DeepBlue Technology

Representative Spotlight – DeepBlue Technology

Jan 29, 2022

Rep Spotlight DeepBlue Technology France

DeepWater Buoyancy has the finest domestic and international representative network for subsea buoyancy.  What follows is the next in a series of articles on our representative groups. 

In this installment, we are highlighting our French representative group – DeepBlue Technology.

Introduction

DeepBlue Technology was founded in 2018 to provide complete oceanographic measurement solutions for diverse applications such as, environmental monitoring, navigation safety, maritime works, aquaculture, and renewable marine energy.

The company was founded by Mouna Benlemrid who took advantage of her signal processing and acoustics engineering background and her knowledge of the French ocean science market to build strong relationships with oceanographic customers.

From its base in Bordeaux, France, DeepBlue Technology works to create a bridge between global equipment manufacturers and the French market, including the overseas territories.  Its main customers are the major French players working in the oceans and inland waters: research institutes, universities, harbors, engineering offices, and dredging companies.

Mouna Benlemrid of DeepBlue Technology

Working with DeepWater Buoyancy

Ms. Benlemrid has been working with DeepWater Buoyancy’s product line since 2015 and has a deep working knowledge of the products and their applications.  As such, DeepWater Buoyancy was selected as the first manufacturer that the company chose to represent.  Since that time, the companies have worked together to provide French customers with the premier global flotation systems to deploy and recover their instrumentation.

They provide standard and customized buoys such as, Spherical and Elliptical ADCP Buoys for research deployments of the National Research Institute and the National Marine Service. They are also working closely with customers to develop bespoke solutions based on specific situations.

ADCP Buoys - Spherical, Elliptical, StableMoor

Representation

In addition to DeepWater Buoyancy, the company also represents the following equipment manufacturers:

  • YSI (Xylem Analytics) with flexible instruments for water quality measurements
  • Aanderaa ( Xylem Analytics) with a very large and high quality panel of solutions for water’s physical properties measurements
  • Seaber the french developer of the highly innovative micro AUV YUCO
  • AML Oceanographic with the high accuracy probes
  • IM Solutions with the versatile French Autonomous Surface Vehicles.

Its strong technical background allows DeepBlue Technology to have a deep understanding of its customers’ challenges and opportunities, so that it might propose the most relevant solution among its suppliers and to advise on installation and maintenance.

See the full line of products HERE.

To learn more about DeepBlue Technology or to speak with Mouna Benlemrid, please contact us 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 years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo
Floating Wind Solutions 2022

Floating Wind Solutions 2022

Jan 21, 2022

Tekmar and DeepWater Buoyancy Floating Wind Solutions 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/

Floating WInd Solutions Banner

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
Tekmar Group Offshore Wind Subsea Field

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo

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

Subsea Tieback Forum 2022

Subsea Tieback Forum 2022

Jan 19, 2022

DeepWater Buoyancy at SSTB 2022

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at the 2022 Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition.

The event will take place March 1-3, 2022.

This year’s event will again be held at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

 

About the Event

Subsea Tieback’s firm foundation is its conference program. The audience is comprised of field supervisors and operations planning personnel, as well as engineering staff and management. The content addresses new operational issues, challenges, and solutions associated with global deepwater subsea operations. Dialog among strategic decision makers is facilitated through focused presentations, extended question and answer sessions, and networking. This exchange of knowledge represents experiences, applications, and current, real-world project examples.

There is not a “call for abstracts” for this event. The conference advisory board will once again solicit a number of key presentations by industry leaders. Papers are not required. As in the past, only by participating in this conference will you be able to receive its benefits, as proceedings will not be published and no Press is ever allowed in the conference area. This is truly a closed forum with open discussion, where the information shared inside the conference room stays inside the conference room.

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact conference director, David Paganie (dpaganie@endeavorb2b.com) or conference manager, Gail Killough (gkillough@endeavorb2b.com).

Learn more at the website – subseatiebackforum.com

SSTB 2022 Banner

At the Booth

DeepWater Buoyancy’s Sales Manager, Dan Cote, will be in attendance at our Booth – #701.  He will be joined by our Gulf Coast Representatives, Waters and David.  At the booth, DeepWater Buoyancy will be highlighting its line of Oil and Gas Production Buoyancy.  This line includes buoyancy for Umbilicals, Jumpers, and Pipelines.

Straked Jumper Buoyancy Oil and Gas GOM

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

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo
DeepWater Buoyancy & Tekmar Group Sign MOU

DeepWater Buoyancy & Tekmar Group Sign MOU

Aug 16, 2021

DeepWater Buoyancy & Tekmar Group Sign MOU

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., a leading producer of subsea buoyancy products for offshore oil & gas, energy, oceanographic, and technology companies, is pleased to announce it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tekmar Group (AIM: TGP), a leading provider of technology and services for the global offshore energy markets.

Under the MOU, the companies will bring together their complementary engineering capabilities, and extensive track records in their respective fields, to enhance the range of services and technologies they offer customers, whilst helping to integrate and optimize offshore project supply chains.

The partnership is focused on the new and emerging floating offshore wind market which has an exponential growth forecast of 10GW installed capacity by 2030. Tekmar Group and DeepWater Buoyancy will provide greater value across the life of a floating wind project by offering a collective package of geotechnical assessment and engineering analysis, cable and mooring system design, cable protection and stabilization solutions, cable buoyancy, and mooring line buoyancy. Additionally, they will offer bespoke product solutions for the unique elements of floating offshore wind projects, such as cable disconnection systems.

The partnership further supports Tekmar Group’s organic growth strategy by strengthening its presence and manufacturing capability in the US fixed offshore wind market, an emerging but increasingly important market for the Group. The partnership also provides DeepWater Buoyancy with greater access to the European market, where their products complement Tekmar Group’s existing offering.

Gary Howland, Group Sales Director at Tekmar Group said “Aligning with DeepWater Buoyancy gives Tekmar Group access to over 40 years of innovation in subsea buoyancy products. This strengthens the unrivalled service and technology capability we already offer across a subsea project’s timeline. The partnership supports Tekmar Group’s ambition for the global floating wind market and the US fixed offshore wind market, where we now have stateside expertise and manufacturing capability. We look forward to building a strong and rewarding relationship with DeepWater Buoyancy.”

David Capotosto, Co-President & Director of Business Development at DeepWater Buoyancy commented “This new partnership represents both companies’ commitment to serving the rapidly growing offshore wind market and will enable us to offer a wider range of products and service solutions to our customers. We look forward to leveraging Tekmar Group’s vast offshore wind experience and their extensive global reach to drive the partnership forward.”

Tekmar-and-DeepWater-Buoyancy-ink-floating-wind-MoU

David Capotosto, Director of Business Development for DeepWater Buoyancy, and Gary Howland, Group Sales Director for Tekmar Group, sign the MOU during a video teleconference.

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo

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

DeepWater Buoyancy Logo
Subsea Tieback Forum 2021

Subsea Tieback Forum 2021

Aug 9, 2021

Subsea Tieback 2021

Exhibiting

DeepWater Buoyancy is exhibiting at the 2021 Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition.

The event will take place August 31 through September 3, 2021.

This year’s event will again be held at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

 

About the Event

Subsea Tieback’s firm foundation is its conference program. The audience is comprised of field supervisors and operations planning personnel, as well as engineering staff and management. The content addresses new operational issues, challenges, and solutions associated with global deepwater subsea operations. Dialog among strategic decision makers is facilitated through focused presentations, extended question and answer sessions, and networking. This exchange of knowledge represents experiences, applications, and current, real-world project examples.

There is not a “call for abstracts” for this event. The conference advisory board will once again solicit a number of key presentations by industry leaders. Papers are not required. As in the past, only by participating in this conference will you be able to receive its benefits, as proceedings will not be published and no Press is ever allowed in the conference area. This is truly a closed forum with open discussion, where the information shared inside the conference room stays inside the conference room. 

If you have any questions about the conference program, please contact conference director, David Paganie (dpaganie@endeavorb2b.com) or conference manager, Gail Killough (gkillough@endeavorb2b.com).

Learn more at the website – subseatiebackforum.com

SSTB 2021 Banner

At the Booth

DeepWater Buoyancy’s Sales Manager, Dan Cote, will be in attendance at our Booth – #604.  He will be joined by our Gulf Coast Representatives, Waters and David.  At the booth, DeepWater Buoyancy will be highlighting its line of Oil and Gas Production Buoyancy.  This line includes buoyancy for Umbilicals, Jumpers, and Pipelines.

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

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

Mooring Matters: Studying Krill Populations Using Moored ADCPs

Mooring Matters: Studying Krill Populations Using Moored ADCPs

Mar 24, 2021

Glass Sphere Flotation Alternative

For the next installment in our series of technical articles, ADCP manufacturer Nortek and scientists at NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center bring us a case study on the use of moored ADCPs from Antarctica.

The study shows how changing conditions require changing technological solutions, in this case to monitor krill populations in the Southern Ocean.

 

Antarctic Krill

Antarctic krill are an important resource for many marine animals and are fished by humans (Photo: NOAA AERD).

Introduction

At its largest, an individual Antarctic krill measures only 6 cm in length, not much longer than a golf tee. Despite their size, these tiny creatures are of great ecological importance in the Southern Ocean. Tens of thousands of krill swim together in large swarms that can reach several kilometers in length. These aggregations of krill are an important food source to many marine animals, including whales, seals, and penguins.

Pressures on krill populations are growing as climate change and ocean acidification intensify. In addition to these changing ocean conditions, commercial fishing of krill resources is becoming more common. Responsibly managing krill populations and fisheries is crucial to conserving the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Monitoring Krill for Ocean Conservation

Fisheries must be aware of krill abundance and distribution as to not harvest krill from an area of particular ecological importance. Scientists at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in the USA are working to better understand the interactions between krill, their predators, and their environment, to ensure sustainable management of krill resources.

Krill populations have been studied by NOAA’s Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program within the Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division (AERD) since 1986. Historically, these researchers have relied on annual ship-based research surveys to observe krill fishing areas. Data from these surveys are used to advise the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) on fishery management strategies.

Conducting ship-based research is becoming a less viable option for krill management research, however, not only owing to its expensive and time-consuming nature, but because of shifting conditions leading to changing fishery operations. Decreasing levels of sea ice have extended the season of krill fishing into the autumn and winter, and in recent years fishing has been concentrated into smaller areas.

These changes in the timing and distribution of krill fishing created the need for a new monitoring system to observe krill populations.

Leaopard Seal in Antarctica

Around half of a leopard seal’s diet is made up of fish and krill, according to National Geographic. The other half? Animals like Gentoo penguins, who also rely on krill as a food source (Photo: NOAA AERD*).

A New Approach Using Moored ADCPs and Gliders

AMLR scientists developed a plan to monitor krill populations at higher spatial and temporal resolutions than before by relying on ADCP technology. The researchers settled on a two-part deployment plan: six moorings, each equipped with a Nortek Signature100 ADCP with an integrated echosounder, and two gliders, equipped with echosounders and other sensors.

Nortek Signature 100 ADCP

The Signature 100 ADCP with integrated echosounder has an effective range of 300-400 m, allowing the researchers to observe the entire water column.

This system allows researchers to collect data on krill movement and density at appropriate temporal and spatial resolutions. The moored ADCPs provide detailed data at their respective locations, and the moving gliders collect data over a larger geographic area. Relying on this technology allows for data collection over several months, at a much lower cost than with a ship-based research program.

NOAA Deployment of DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP Buoy

Deployment of the moorings in the Southern Ocean will occur year after year to monitor krill populations.

Mooring Design and Considerations

Each of the six initial moorings was outfitted with a Nortek Signature100 ADCP with an integrated echosounder, mounted upward-looking in a subsurface DeepWater Buoyancy elliptical buoy. Each mooring also had several CTDs, double releases and anchor weights.

The default depth for the top of each buoy was 350 m unless the deployment site was shallower; the shallowest site was 175 m deep with the buoy at 165 m. A low-frequency ADCP such as the Signature 100 allows for measurement of current speeds throughout the entire 350 m water column and operates at the correct frequency to identify krill. The integrated echosounder further simplifies the mooring design and deployment considerations.

 

DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP Buoy and Mooring Diagram

The moorings were designed to keep the ADCPs stable to gather accurate measurements (Slide: George Cutter, NOAA).

A DeepWater Buoyancy elliptical buoy was chosen to keep the ADCPs in a stable position. Keeping the ADCP upright and stable is crucial for gathering accurate ADCP and echosounder measurements. Selecting a buoy shape is a balance between size, draw down (how much the currents push the buoy), and drag. An elliptical buoy is smaller and reduces drag, but can be more easily moved by currents, as it acts as a “kite” in high velocity conditions. Knowing the current conditions in the area were generally less than 0.5 m/s, the researchers chose an elliptical buoy for the moorings.

Using the System to Gather Information about Krill

To estimate krill biomass using the ADCPs, the AMLR team used backscatter data as an index of krill biomass. The ADCPs were calibrated in a controlled tank before deployment to ensure the same amount of returned acoustic energy correlated with the same krill density for each mooring. The integrated echosounder on the Signature100 provides a “picture” of krill in the water column, further confirming these observations.

DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP Buoy and Mooring Diagram

Using backscatter and echosounder data, the researchers painted a picture of krill in the Southern Ocean.

After a season of deployment, the team was able to collect data to truly “see” krill in the Southern Ocean. The ADCPs will be deployed again year after year, and the data will be used in CCAMLR to manage fishery tactics and conserve the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

*All images of marine mammals were taken in accordance with U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act Permit #160472.

Nortek ADCP Deployment Solutions

Nortek instruments are even better with the best ADCP deployment products.  DeepWater Buoyancy produces a full line of deployment products for Nortek subsea acoustic instruments.

See our solutions HERE

Learn More

Krill is an important food resource for both animals and humans, and krill harvesting must be done in a sustainable manner, based on accurate, scientific observations. Learn more about combining current and biomass measurements for unprecedented insight into ocean resources in this video.

DeepWater Buoyancy ADCP Buoy and Mooring Diagram

About Nortek

Nortek designs, develops and produces scientific instruments that apply the Doppler principle to underwater acoustics in order to measure water in motion, such as currents and waves.

Learn more at nortekgroup.com

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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 DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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Instrumenting a Mooring Webinar

Instrumenting a Mooring Webinar

Feb 23, 2021

Teledyne marine Link - Instrumenting a Mooring

Looking to learn more about design and deployment of subsea instrument moorings?  Join us for an online session to look at this from a variety of perspectives.

We have brought together a team with vast and varied experience in deploying ADCPs and other instruments.  DeepWater Buoyancy and Ocean Data Technologies will join an upcoming Teledyne Marine Link webinar.

The event begins March 10 at 10:00 EST.  It will include three presentations, as well as some time for Q&A.

Register here – LINK

About the Event

Instrumenting a Mooring: Technology, Tips, & Design Considerations

There are a lot of things to be considered when designing, deploying and recovering subsea instruments.  In this webinar we bring together perspectives from three companies that are leaders in subsea moorings for ocean science.  Collectively they will present concepts related to the instruments, the buoys, frames and bottom mounts, and the process of successfully deploying and recovering these packages.

  • Paul Devine from Teledyne Marine will discuss Mooring Types and Tips for ADCPs.
  • Dan Cote of DeepWater Buoyancy will present information on Subsea Buoys and Bottom Mounts.
  • Jon Wood of Ocean Data Technologies will share Mooring Wisdom: Design, Deployment, and Recovery of Subsea Moorings.

About the Presenters

Paul Devine Teledyne Marine

Paul Devine, Regional Sales Manager – Teledyne Marine

Paul Devine was trained as a coastal engineer and successfully deployed (and retrieved) a number of ADCPs for sediment transport studies.   After joining RD Instruments in 1999, Paul has been helping customers to collect reliable oceanographic information from both shallow and deep water moorings.  Paul gets very excited by low frequency swells, western boundary currents and stable moorings that produce high quality ADCP data.

 

Paul Devine Teledyne Marine

Dan Cote, Sales Manager – DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc.

Dan Cote has over 25 years of experience in all aspects of subsea product design, manufacturing, and sales, and is well-known in the industry. He leads the DeepWater Buoyancy sales and sales engineering team.

 

Jon Wood Ocean Data Technologies

Jon Wood, President – Ocean Data Technologies, Inc.

Jon D. Wood is a Senior Ocean Engineer and President/Founder of Ocean Data Technologies, Inc. He has more than 35 years of experience observing and analyzing physical oceanographic processes, specifically ocean currents, tides, and waves. He has designed and installed hundreds of oceanographic moorings throughout the world – from estuary stream flows knee-deep in mud to deep-sea benthic moorings at 4500 meters depth.  From the Gulf of Maine to West Africa to Indonesia to Australia. Not at all immune to seasickness, he made perhaps the worst career choice possible.

 

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 DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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In Print – February Cover of Sea Technology

In Print – February Cover of Sea Technology

Feb 15, 2021

DeepWater Buoys on Cover of Sea Technology FEB 2021

DeepWater Buoyancy is proud to grace the cover of the latest Sea Technology magazine this month.

Link to the magazine – Sea Technology February 2021 Issue

 

About the Photo

So what is happening in the photo?  We asked Sidney Bilski of Metocean Services International, owner of the photo.

“This photo depicts a deepwater (3,150 meter) mooring being prepared for deployment.  The mooring was for collecting a full water column current profile and water quality.  It was outfitted with a combination of single point current meters, ADCPs, CT loggers and water level recorders. This was deployed for Total offshore Namibia for a period of 1 year.”

 

Sea Technology Cover FEB 2021

About Metocean Services International

Metocean Services International is one of DeepWater Buoyancy’s international sales representatives.  They provide a full suite of metocean services globally, including oceanographic and meteorological data collection, integrated systems with live data display, metocean data processing & analysis, metocean desktop studies and marine weather forecasting.

From offices in South Africa and Australia, MSI has conducted projects in over 50 countries worldwide for a range of markets including government, oil & gas, engineering, mining, academic, survey, ports & harbours, construction & drilling, aquaculture and renewables.

Learn more at their website – www.metoceanservices.com

The Original Photo

Here is the full original photo for an unobstructed view of the mooring laid out on the vessel.

In view you can see both a Spherical ADCP Buoy and some Hydro-float® Mooring Buoys.

Original Photo of DeepWater Buoys on Deck Total Mooring

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 DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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Representative Spotlight – Waters and David

Representative Spotlight – Waters and David

Jan 26, 2021

Glass Sphere Flotation Alternative

DeepWater Buoyancy has the finest domestic and international representative network for subsea buoyancy.  What follows is the next in a series of articles on our representative groups.  This time we are highlighting our representative in the US Gulf Coast – Waters & David Co.

Founded in 1981, the Waters & David team has many years of experience in offshore oil and gas operations, the Military and Government sector, and all other aspects of the subsea market. It is a pleasure to work with such a professional group who, like DeepWater Buoyancy, have robust long-standing relationships in the GOM region.

Introduction

Since 1981 Waters & David has served the recreational and commercial marine, marine safety, heavy lift, utility, towables, government, and oceanographic markets with leading products and solutions.

Founded by Bert David and Peter Waters, the company is now owned by long-time manufacturer representatives Chris Kelly, Clayton Smith, and Kurt Fromherz.

The Waters & David office is located in historic New Orleans, Louisiana.  The team travels the Central Gulf South states spanning the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida panhandle to the Texas-Mexico border bringing extensive knowledge to both the customer and the manufacturer.

DeepWater Buoyancy US Gulf Coast Representatives

Working with DeepWater Buoyancy

Waters and David joined the DeepWater Buoyancy team of sales representatives at the start of 2015.  Since then, they have been instrumental in supporting our customers in the Gulf Coast with products such as jumper buoyancy, umbilical buoyancy modules, and ROV skid buoyancy.  Additionally, they have worked closely with our end users there on many custom solutions.

DeepWater Buoyancy US Gulf Coast Representatives

Representation

In addition to DeepWater Buoyancy, the company also represents the following equipment manufacturers including Ameritool, Booyah Clean, Dometic, Dutton Lainson, Fiamm, Indeeco, Jabsco, Kent Safety Products, Kidde, MPI, Optronics, Rule, Taco Marine, Taylor Made Products, Tie Down, and Yale Cordage.

See the full line of manufacturers here… LINK

Capabilities

As a manufacturer, trying to sell into an unfamiliar market can not only be confusing, but also quite costly.  It can take months, if not years, to understand the dynamics of a given territory.  Identifying potential customers, the individuals to actually call on, and ultimately qualifying those customers can be very time consuming.  Add in the cost of traveling a large geographic area on a regular basis and it might not seem worth the time and expense.

For nearly forty years Waters & David has developed both working and personal relationships with the key decision makers at each of their accounts maximizing their principal’s penetration into the marketplace.

The fact that they have represented many of their lines for more than thirty years attests to their dedication and long-term commitment to their principals.

To learn more, please contact us 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 years, from the ocean surface to depths exceeding six thousand meters.

Learn more at DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

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2020 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

2020 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

Sep 28, 2020

2020 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

Sponsors and Exhibitors

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at the 2020 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

Due to travel restrictions, this year’s event will be entirely virtual. 

The event is from October 5-14.

 

2020 Global Oceans Event

About the Event

Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward.

Join the thousands of professionals who have made OCEANS their home for continued learning:

  • Businesses, institutions, individual professionals and students who are ocean engineers, technologists, policy makers and educators
  • Members of academia, government and industry who want a common forum for the exchange of information and ideas
  • Professionals interested in all aspects of science, engineering, and technology that address research, development, and operations pertaining to all bodies of water; this includes the creation of new capabilities and technologies from concept design through prototypes, testing, and operational systems to sense, explore, understand, develop, use, and responsibly manage natural resources
  • Individuals interested in sessions that are scientific, literary, and educational in character that strive for the advancement of the theory and practice of electrotechnology, allied branches of engineering, and related arts and sciences, applied to all bodies of water; and the maintenance of high professional and ethical standards among its members and affiliates.

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

Learn more at www.DeepWaterBuoyancy.com

HardBall® Float – The Solid Choice

HardBall® Float – The Solid Choice

Jul 17, 2020

Glass Sphere Flotation Alternative

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.”

Subsea glass sphere flotation
Imploded glass sphere floatation

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.

Tangled glass sphere flotation

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.

 

Glass Sphere Buoyancy Option

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

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Subsea Tieback Forum 2020

Subsea Tieback Forum 2020

Feb 5, 2020

Sponsoring

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at the 2020 Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition.

The event will take place on February 18-20, 2020.

This year’s event will again be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

 

About the Event

Subsea Tieback’s firm foundation is its conference program. The audience is comprised of field supervisors and operations planning personnel, as well as engineering staff and management. The content addresses new operational issues, challenges, and solutions associated with global deepwater subsea operations. Dialog among strategic decision makers is facilitated through focused presentations, extended question and answer sessions, and networking. This exchange of knowledge represents experiences, applications, and current, real-world project examples.

There is not a “call for abstracts” for this event. The conference advisory board will once again solicit a number of key presentations by industry leaders. Papers are not required. As in the past, only by participating in this conference will you be able to receive its benefits, as proceedings will not be published and no Press is ever allowed in the conference area. This is truly a closed forum with open discussion, where the information shared inside the conference room stays inside the conference room. We hope you will join us in San Antonio, Texas for the 20th Anniversary Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition!

Learn more at the website – subseatiebackforum.com

At the Booth

DeepWater Buoyancy’s Sales Manager, Dan Cote, will be in attendance at our Booth – #305.  He will be joined by our Gulf Coast Representatives, Waters and David.  At the booth, DeepWater Buoyancy will be highlighting its line of Oil and Gas Production Buoyancy.  This line includes buoyancy for Umbilicals, Jumpers and Pipelines. 

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

2020 Blue Innovation Symposium

2020 Blue Innovation Symposium

Jan 3, 2020

Sponsoring

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at the 2020 Blue Innovation Symposium.

The event will take place on January 14-16, 2020.

This year’s event will be held at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.

 

About the Event

The Blue Innovation Symposium is the premier event in New England for connecting the marine technology industry for education, networking and facilitating partnering opportunities. Held in Newport, Rhode Island, this conference brings together a broad spectrum of representatives of the marine technology industry from the US and beyond.

Last year’s conference brought together more than 250 attendees, 36 corporate sponsors, and key community members including representatives from the US Navy, the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the University of Rhode Island, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET), and many more.

The symposium intends to bring together leading-edge marine technology companies for programming aimed at providing an overview of current trends in the industry, and a showcase of companies to discuss their new technologies.

The Blue Innovation Symposium is organized by Salve Regina’s Office of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education as part of our effort to connect the University with industry, organizations, state and federal agencies, and other key stakeholders in order to grow the region’s economy.

Visit the website at… blueinnovationsymposium.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

2019 Houston Chapter MTS BBQ

2019 Houston Chapter MTS BBQ

Nov 1, 2019

Sponsoring

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at the Annual MTS Houston BBQ.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 7th.

This year’s event will be hosted by Ashtead Technology Offshore, Inc

 

About the Event

The Houston Section of the Marine Technology Society, the largest Section of the Society, will host its Annual Barbecue Social and Fundraiser on November 7, 2019. This annual event has become a much-anticipated tradition along the Gulf Coast, attracting around 600 to 800 offshore industry professionals and their guests. The Barbecue is open to anyone wishing to attend.

Hosted By

Ashtead Technology Offshore, Inc.
14825 Northwest Freeway, #900
Houston, TX 77040
Phone:( 281) 398-9533
https://www.ashtead-technology.com/

Program
3:00 PM – Exhibitor Set up – arrive no later than 4:00 PM
4:00 PM – Registration & Food service for Exhibitors
5:00 PM – General Registration begins
6:30 PM – Food Service begins for attendees
7:15 PM – Announcements
7:30 PM – Silent Auction ends
8:30 PM – Evening Concludes

Networking Opportunities
This relaxed and casual environment is your opportunity to connect and mingle with a variety of industry members.

Exhibitors
Some 80 exhibit tables are available to companies associated with the offshore industry where you can to display your technology and products to prospective customers. This year there will be 5 Test Tank Exhibitors to demo your equipment in the test tank. A Silent Auction will include a wide variety of donated items along with autographed sports memorabilia provided by Diamonds in the Rough.

Fundraising
As the Section’s leading fundraiser of the year, the money raised supports the Section’s vibrant scholarship program. Each year, the Houston Section donates around $160,000 in scholarships and student support. Close to 100 students attend from local universities and a scholarship award program will take place the evening of the Barbecue. There is even a section of the Barbecue allocated to local high school robotics clubs where their robotics are on display.

Have Questions? Interested in Sponsorship or Exhibit Opportunities, contact Melissa Wood, melissawood@tdi-bi.com, 713-208-1734.

Learn more and register HERE

About MTS

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

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

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

MTS Mission

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

MTS’s long-range vision is to be:

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

 MTS Website

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

Buoy Conversion Kit for Teledyne RDI Pinnacle ADCP

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/

2019 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

2019 Oceans Conference and Exhibition

Oct 1, 2019

Sponsors and Exhibitors

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at the Oceans Conference and Exhibition.

The event is being held in Seattle, Washington on October 27-31.

We will be represented at the event by Dan Cote, our Sales Manager and Matthew Henry, our Plant Manager.  If attending, please be sure to stop by our exhibit table and visit with them.

 

About the Event

Join the leading innovators, analysts, and producers of marine technology, research, and education gathering for the OCEANS’19-Seattle conference. Come meet your fellow professionals and students, hear from experts about their latest activities and ideas, and discuss your needs with the best suppliers of marine and maritime products in the exhibit hall. Thousands of professionals make the OCEANS conference their home for continued learning and so can you.

You can expect to meet with:

  • Members of industry, academia, and government who want a common forum for the exchange of information and ideas
  • Professionals involved in science and engineering that addresses research, development, and operations in all bodies of water
  • Students interested in scientific and educational advancement in the theories and practice of electrotechnology and mechatronics
  • Businesses and institutions interested in maintaining high professional and ethical standards among members and affiliates
  • Policy makers and administrators who want to know what is available to address monitoring, warning, and remediation issues

Conference theme: Blue Sea, Blue Sky, Blue Tech

  • Learn about new opportunities in the blue economy
  • Experience local and sustainable practices throughout, including use of compostable products, reduced plastics, recycling and other “blue efforts”
  • Learn about Washington State’s new Blue Economy maritime business plans and progress

Learn More 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

2019 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop

2019 Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop

Sep 19, 2019

Sponsors and Exhibitors

DeepWater Buoyancy is co-sponsoring and exhibiting at annual Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop . 

The event is being held in San Diego California on October 6-9.

We will be represented at the event by Dan Cote, our Sales Manager.  If attending, please be sure to stop by our exhibit table and visit with him.

 

About the Event

Join Teledyne Marine for their newly expanded users’ workshop in which speakers, influencers, and attendees from around the globe will converge to explore, learn and share their experiences on a broad range of products, applications and technology.

​ ​​​​Give us a few days of your time, and we’ll give you access to all twenty-three Teledyne Marine brands.  We understand that your time and travel are valuable. That’s why we’re offering you intensive one-on-one access to 23 leading industry brands ready to share their technology and answer your questions. Our OneTeam is ready to assist!

Four concurrent industry speaker tracks spanning Offshore Energy, Defense, Security, Oceanographic, Hydrographic, Hydrologic, Aquaculture and Civil Engineering. Learn from your peers and industry experts as they present their field applications using Teledyne products and technology to solve some of their most complex challenges.​

Product and software training

Soar up the learning curve with three full afternoons of product and software training provided by our in-house experts, long-time users, and third party solution providers. Whether you’re a new user or seasoned professional, you’re guaranteed to take away new information to optimize your operations.

Dockside and on-water demonstrations

See our technology in action! Gain invaluable hands-on experience with some of the newest technologies out there. We’ll be hosting on-water and dockside demonstrations, combined with technical presentations and Q&A sessions to ensure your full understanding of our products and technology.

One-on-one meetings with Teledyne Marine team members

Get your questions answered via one-on-one meetings with our vast array of Teledyne Marine team members. From general managers, to engineers, to sales, to technical service—we’ll have someone on site to assist you with any questions or concerns via a private meeting.

A Hydrometry Workshop for our hydrologic customers

Teledyne Marine doesn’t end at the coast. We have a full line of solutions for our hydrology professionals, with a track dedicated to your needs.

A great new venue you’re sure to love

This year’s event will be hosted at Paradise Point Resort and Spa. There’s so much to love about this venue with its relaxed vibe, beautiful guest rooms, tropical flair, and enhanced meeting and demo space.

A full day dedicated to network in a relaxed environment

Paradise Point is the perfect place for us to host our pre-conference networking day. We’re offering all of our guests and their families free access to this beautiful resort’s water sport equipment, yoga classes, and pedal bikes for a fun and relaxing Sunday with our team and your industry peers.

Learn More 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 Teledyne Marine

Beginning as a small collection of unique marine solution providers and expanding to a powerhouse of highly engineered, high performance solutions for a broad range of markets, Teledyne Marine now offers the largest breadth of marine technology in the industry.

With technologies divided into 5 core segments; Imaging, Instruments, Interconnect, Seismic and Vehicles, Teledyne Marine sales staff can address not only brand level solutions, but turn-key, customized systems that leverage our full range of technology. Our goal is to provide one-stop purchasing capability, world-wide customer support, and the technical expertise to solve your toughest challenges.

A Sea of Solutions…..One Supplier.

Learn more at teledynemarine.com

DeepWater Buoyancy in 2019 MTR100

DeepWater Buoyancy in 2019 MTR100

Aug 1, 2019

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy has again been selected for the prestigious Marine Technology Reporter “MTR100”.

Marine Technology Reporter (MTR) magazine is the world’s largest audited circulation publication serving the global Marine Technology Market. This month, MTR released its 14th Annual Listing of 100 Leading Subsea Companies.

DeepWater Buoyancy is proud to be amongst a distinguished collection of companies that include: Teledyne Marine, Kongsberg, Hydroid, and Sonardyne International, to name just a few.  In addition to being selected, a short article about DeepWater Buoyancy was included in the publication that highlighted some of the growth that has taken place over the past 12 months.

Strategic Growth

In the last 12 months the company has been working to a strategic plan to grow its capabilities on several fronts, including QSHE, products and processes.

Quality and Health and Safety have always been in important to DeepWater Buoyancy and the state-of-the-art practices of these disciplines are ingrained in its culture.  In the past year, the company has validated those practices by third parties.  The company received its registration to the ISO9001:2015 standard and received SHARP status from OSHA.

In addition to continued product development in the existing line, new products added to the product line include highly-engineered solutions for deep water oil and gas such as Jumper Buoyancy, Umbilical Buoyancy and Buckle Mitigation Buoyancy. 

Lastly, to coincide with the offering of new products, new capabilities have been added to the facility in the form of manufacturing equipment, computer-aided engineering tools, and product and material test equipment.

All of these changes are leading to increased ability to serve the growing market demand for subsea buoyancy products.

 

DeepWater Buoyancy’s Benthic Lander.

 

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

About Marine Technology Reporter

Marine Technology Reporter magazine is the world’s largest audited circulation publication serving the global Marine Technology Market. From offshore energy to subsea defense to science and technology, MTR covers it all.

Each issue is packed with the latest cutting edge technology from the industry’s leading companies, as well as exclusive insights and market analysis that are critical in today’s subsea industry.

If it is subsea industry related technology you seek, you will find it in Marine Technology Reporter Magazine.

Learn more at www.marinetechnologynews.com

Nautilus Exploration Program

Nautilus Exploration Program

Jul 10, 2019

Announcement

DeepWater Buoyancy is proud to announce that it is now a Major Partner in support of the Nautilus Exploration Program, an ocean research program led by the Ocean Exploration Trust and its president, Dr. Robert Ballard. 

As a partner, DeepWater Buoyancy will provide buoyancy expertise and engineering, as well as buoyancy products for ongoing expeditions.

DeepWater Buoyancy & Subsea Research

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

However, DeepWater Buoyancy’s product line goes well beyond ADCP buoys.  There are bottom mounts, instrument collars, and cable floats.  Also, there is a full line of installation blocks, modular buoys, and ROV buoyancy.  In addition to DeepTec® syntactic foam products and custom-engineered components, there are also plastic, composite, polyurethane and fabricated metal products for use subsea.

If a client can’t find their ideal solution in the product line, DeepWater Buoyancy will design and produce a custom product.  The company’s design philosophy is, “A customer should have a product that meets the application, and not be forced to adjust their application to an off-the-shelf product.”  Whether that is modifying an existing design or starting with a blank sheet of paper, the goal is to produce the finest, most cost-effective solution for any given application.

Ocean Exploration Trust Mission

The E/V Nautilus is operated by the non-profit organization Ocean Exploration Trust, founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard to engage in pure ocean exploration. Its international programs center on scientific exploration of the seafloor and many of the expeditions are launched from aboard Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, a 64-meter research vessel operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust. In addition to conducting scientific research, they offer expeditions to explorers on shore via live video, audio, and data feeds from the field. They also bring educators and students of all ages aboard during E/V Nautilus expeditions, offering them hands-on experience in ocean exploration, research, and communications.

Nautilus Live

Follow the expeditions live online and learn more about the Nautilus Exploration Program at www.nautiluslive.org

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

Mooring Matters: Uncertainty in Buoy Drag Coefficients

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:

  1. Lookup tables
  2. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  3. 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