Towed Undulating Oceanographic Vehicles
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Chelsea has been at the forefront of the design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of commercial quality, towed undulating instrumentation platform and systems for over 30 years. These undulating platforms have to date gathered millions of miles of ocean data. Such success is perhaps not surprising in view of the benefits these tools offer both scientists and surveyors. The sheer quantity of data that can be reliably collected from these vehicles while a vessel is underway, has led to the sale of more than 150 towed vehicle systems to research, commercial and defence organizations around the world.
Chelsea's vehicle have collectively travelled millions of kilometres through the oceans and seas, demonstrating an impressive reliability record and generating a wealth of operational experience, offering a simple robust method of mapping the upper ocean layer as well as mapping coastal characteristics.
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- Towed Vehicles Comparisons
Chelsea has a vehicle to suit your needs and budgets Chelsea Technologies Group is the world's leading designer & manufacturer of towed oceanographic platforms. We can offer small portable systems for use from small research vessels or ships of opportunity to large, dedicated sysstems that are permanently installed on ocean goging research vessel. 
Specification Comparisons: NuShuttle SeaSoar II AquaShuttle III Length: 1.39m 1.3m 1.5m Width: 0.38m 0.5m 1.60m Height: 0.50m 0.575m 0.98m Weight in Water: 66kg 72kg 150kg Towing Speed (knots) 8 to 25 5 to 15 6.5 to 12 Depth Range: (unfaired cable) 0 to >120m 0 to >160m 0 to 500m Depth Range: (faired cable) 0 to 65m 0 to 80m 0 to 100m Dive/Climb Speed up to 1m/s up to 2m/s up to 3m/s NuShuttle: Low cost, large payload vehicle which can be towed from research vessels & ships of opportunity at speeds of 5-15 knots, to operational depths of 150m. SeaSoar: World's leading open ocean towed undulating vehicle capable of undulating from the surface to 500 metres at tow speeds of up to 12 knots. AquaShuttle III: Stable, highly robust, undulating vehicle, capable of tow speed from 8-25 knots. The vehicle will undulate from the surface to 120 metres. - Deployment
Chelsea Technologies Group can supply complete turnkey towed undulating vehicle systems with deployment equipment including a winch, cable, and when required fairing to suit user applications. Customers may already have deployment equipment available, and in these cases we can access its suitability for use.
Chelsea offers customer support, advice and assistance to ensure you get the best out of your towed vehicle system. Professionally qualified personnel can provide commissioning and full training on all parts of the system. We will work in partnership with you to ensure a long and useful life for your vehicle.
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Cable and Fairing Vehicle undulation performance is cable dependent, and for real-time control and data acquisition, the Rochester 7-H-314A-XX cable provides the strength, weight and diameter ratios which yield the impressive performance from our range of vehicles. All cables are supplied with standard connectors providing simple cable management and maintenance. Undulating performance is extended, when required, by use of fairing mounted to the cable. Use of fairing reduces strumming, but more significantly reduces the drag on the cable through the water, and enables the greater depths that can be achieved. Many of our customers have chosen this option as it is both robust and cost effective. Further information on cables and fairing can be found in the following datasheets:
Rochester Tow Cable - Dataline (R) - 7-H-314A (18 x 18 High Strength Armor) (pdf) Cortland Fibron "Fibrocomm" Communications Cable - DCS0003 (pdf) Indal Fathom Fairing - Flexnose (R), Fairing Series FA-478-350-1 (pdf) Deck Equipment - Winches Chelsea can offer a wide choice of winches, specifically designed for its range of undulating vehicles. Winch models vary from light weight systems, designed for the smaller vehicle which can be easily fitted and removed from small craft such as dive, fishing or coastal research boats. On the other end of the scale, we can also offer high performance dedicated winch systems, designed to accommodate faired cable, with integral load cells and cable feed metres, which are generally fitted to larger research and surveying ships. These winches can be offered as either hydraulically or electrically powered, or when required separate hydraulic power units can be provided. Simple sheaves designed for both faired and non-faired cable can also be offered. Further information on winches can be found in the following datasheets:
Lebus Model No. W1514 - NνShuttle Winch, Electric , Light Duty Roller Type Spool (pdf) Lebus Model No W1593 - NνShuttle Winch, Electric, Light Duty Sheave Type Spool (pdf) Lebus Model No W1515 - Hydraulic Nν-Shuttle Winch, Light Duty (pdf) Lebus Model No W1525 - SeaSoar Winch - Electric, Faired Cable Winch (pdf) Lebus Model No W1523 - SeaSoar Winch - Hydraulic, Faired Cable Winch (pdf) Lebus Model No W1510-2 - AQUAshuttle Winch - Hydraulic, Faired Cable Winch (pdf) Lebus Model No 16599-A - AQUAshuttle Winch - Electric, Faired Cable Winch (pdf) Lebus Model No 16575-A - AQUAshuttle Winch - Hydraulic, Heavy Duty (pdf) Lebus Model No 16617 - AQUAshuttle Winch - Electric, Heavy Duty (pdf) Lebus Power Units - For use with Hydraulic Winches (pdf) Sheave Assembly Lebus Model No 16391-A - Sheave Assembly for Faired Cable (pdf)
Lebus Model No 16567-A - Sheave Assembly for Unfaired Cable (pdf) Winch Instrumentation Line tension, line length & line speed, indication panel assembly (pdf) Typical vessels to deploy towed vehicles Chelsea's undulating vehicles are deployed regularly from a range of vehicles including ships of opportunity, small survey boats, Royal Navy vessels and dedicated research vessels. - Deck Units
Learn more about your options for Deck Units - Download
- Videos
Video of SeaSoar
Chelsea can offer small portable systems for use from small research vessels or ships of opportunity to large, dedicated systems that are permanently installed on ocean going research ships.
Chelsea has always adhered to a 'system building approach' within its oceanographic bodies, communications and instrumentation range. This enables clients to start with a basic system, which can be augmented, if required, when further funds become available. As part of this 'starter pack' approach we can investigate the possibility of utilizing a client's existing instrumentation or deck equipment in order to minimize cost. We can also offer complete turn-key systems comprising of a complete instrumentation package, vehicle, tow cable, winch and data acquisition package to cover specific user needs.
With over 150 towed vehicle systems in use worldwide Chelsea's reputation for reliability is truly unequalled
Chelsea has been at the forefront of the design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of commercial quality, towed undulating instrumentation platform and systems for over 30 years.
Such success is perhaps not surprising in view of the benefits these tools offer both scientists and surveyors. The sheer quantity of data that can be reliably collected from these vehicles while a vessel is underway, has led to the sale of more than 150 towed vehicle systems to research, commercial and defence organizations around the world.
Chelsea's vehicle have collectively traveled millions of kilometers through the oceans and seas, demonstrating an impressive reliability record and generating a wealth of operational experience, offering a simple robust method of mapping the upper ocean layer as well as mapping coastal characteristics.