SeaSoar
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SeaSoar is the world's leading open ocean towed data acquistion vehicle. It is a robust, high performance towed undulating vehicle designed to be deployed from dedicated research vessels. It has a proven record of reliability over many thousands of miles of operation.
It remains the first choice of leading oceanographic institutes who wish to make deep-water measurements because it has a large payload capacity and is capable of being towed at speeds from 9 to 12 knots,and undulation regimes from the surface to 500m on faired cable. All data is transmitted to and from the vehicle via a conductive tow cable and interface unit to a PC for vehicle control, data storage and real-time display of data. |
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- Applications and Features
Applications Oceanographic data gathering for: - Ecosystem health monitoring
- Real-time collection of oceanographic data
- Fisheries Research
- Military oceanography
- Upper ocean dynamics
- EEZ monitoring
Features - Highly stable, reliable and robust vehicle with proven hydrodynamic characteristics.
- Established hydrodynamic design
- Large payload capacity with excellent accessibility to instrumentation
- Versatile choice of instrumentation
- Wide tow speed range (9 to 12 knots)
- Undulation depth range from 0 to 500m
- PC based operating system
- Custom configurations
- Generates its own power for vehicle control
- Real-time vehicle control with manual override
- Emergency override command for critical situations
- Bottom Information System
- 'At Sea' training provided
- Description
SeaSoar is a highly versatile towed undulating vehicle used to deploy a wide range of oceanographic monitoring equipment. Developed by Chelsea Technologies Group from an original design by the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK) it has a proven record of reliability over many thousands of miles of operation. SeaSoar has undergone a number of revisions over the last ten years, but recent major re-designs to the deck control unit and hydraulic unit have resulted in a much-improved SeaSoar II.
SeaSoar is capable of undulating from the surface to 500 metres at tow speeds of up to 12 knots (with faired cable) following a controlled and adjustable undulating path through the ocean. Maximum depth achieved is dependent upon system configuration. The PC based SeaSoar Deck Control Unit onboard the ship enables the operator to have real-time computer control over the vehicle's flight profile together with the storage and display of the flight parameters.
Sampled data, obtained from sensors mounted in SeaSoar, are transmitted to the towing vessel for processing, display and storage via a multi-core tow cable. The high data rate and versatility of sensor and sampling packages make SeaSoar II an effective and productive platform for large scale data collection.
The payload area is located within a stainless steel, deep-sided frame which provides strength and volume for instrumentation installation. Quick release stainless steel panels, top and bottom, can be removed without tools and give maximum possible accessibility to the payload.
- Specification
SeaSoar Body Length: 2m Height: 0.98m Width: 1.60m Weight In Air: 150kg (including hydraulic unit, excluding sensors) Operating Profile Control: Profile input at deck unit for automatic control of wings or manual over-ride Depth Range: 0 to 500m faired cable (0 to 100m unfaired) typically Towing Speed: 9 to 12 knots Maximum rate of change of depth: +/- 3m/s (faired cable) +/- 1m/s (unfaired cable). Payload dependent Engineering Details Flight Programme: CFlight Wing servo: Moog analogue control with depth sensor feedback loop Materials: Strengthened glass fibre reinforced body; Stainless steel frame & towing yoke Support Systems Winch: Dedicated winch & cable system is required. Users individual requirements dictates type of winch. Cable: Rochester 7-H-314AXX (high strength armour) or equivalent. Fairing: Indal Technologies Flexnose® fairing is recommended for increased depth and undulation range performance Instrument Payload Combinations of: CTG fluorometer, Transmissometer, Nephelopmeter, Bioluminescence, Irradiance meter, Nitrate/Nitrate sensor, Plankton Sampler, and SeaWifs bands sensors.
In view of our continual improvement, the designs and specifications of our products may veray from thsoe described.
- Deployment
Learn more about your options for deployment - Winches, Cables and Fairing
- Deck Units
- Downloads
Video shows the SeaSoar towed oceanographic vehicle being deployed from HMS Echo