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Subsea positioning through the ages
Jonathan Martin
Navigation Systems Engineer
Sonardyne International
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What is sound and how can we make use of it in navigation?
Applied
Voltage
Induced
Voltage
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The dawn of underwater acoustics 200 years ago
Measuring the speed of sound in the water
1820 near Marseilles (Beudant) & 1826 Lake Geneva (Colladon and Sturm)
Determined the speed of sound at 8 degC to be 1,435m/s. This is only 3m/s in
error to currently accepted measurements.
10 miles apart
(11.2 seconds)
FLASH .. DING
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First underwater acoustics 100 years ago
Practical uses being found
1889 (Lucien Blake) suggested use of
underwater bells on navigation buoys to
give longer distance warning than lights
and sirens in air.
April 14th 1912 Titanic sinks! Lewis
Richardson files a patent for underwater
echo ranging and uses the first electro-
acoustic transducer the Fessenden
Oscillator (TX+RX). The first SONAR.
1913 Boston harbour trials a large
iceberg is detected from 2 miles away.
But he also detected and measured the
distance to the seafloor 186 feet below
and hence the first fathometer.
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First underwater acoustics 100 years ago
Practical uses being found
1889 (Lucien Blake) suggested use of
underwater bells on navigation buoys to
give longer distance warning than lights
and sirens in air.
April 14th 1912 Titanic sinks! Lewis
Richardson files a patent for underwater
echo ranging and uses the first electro-
acoustic transducer the Fessenden
Oscillator (TX+RX). The first SONAR.
1913 Boston harbour trials a large
iceberg is detected from 2 miles away.
But he also detected and measured the
distance to the seafloor 186 feet below
and hence the first fathometer.
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First acoustic range-bearing positioning systems
Drilling the Mohole in the ~1961 first DP vessel
Giant transponders
with seabed battery
pack
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First acoustic range-range positioning systems
Long baseline systems for submarine navigation
LBL ~1964
Sperry published paper on combined use of
LBL and inertial navigation subsea to search for
lost missiles in the ocean.
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Sonardyne early history 1965 - 72
Development of first instrumentation Range Meter MK 1
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Sonardyne formed in 1972
Early North Sea Oil & Gas projects
1972 IOS Sand Waves
1975 BP West Sole
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Homer Pro (2012)
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ROV Homer (2012)
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Rangemaster Sonardynes First LBL
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Before GPS - Transit
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The Beginning of Sonardyne LBL
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LBL Long BaseLine
Vessel Tracking
100s/1000s of Metres
Seabed transponder array
at known co-ordinates
Single element Transceiver
Ranges are observed and
position calculated
Very Precise
Precision independent of
water depth
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LBL Long BaseLine
Subsea Vehicle Tracking
Seabed transponder array
can also be used to position
subsea vehicles such as an
ROV
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SIMRAD HPR beacons
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AODC Emergency Beacons
The Wildrake Diving Incident
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Pan & APS3
COMPATT Mk1 LF MF EHF
Programmable Acoustic Navigator (PAN)
Measurement of ranges to seabed transponders for LBL navigation
APS3 running on a HP Series 200 or HP Series 300
Telemetry
Data Loggers
Template monitoring
Spool-piece metrology
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Saipem Ragno
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Salvage of the Mary Rose (1982)
Sonardyne LBL
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Bigger projects and deeper water
First tension leg platform installation Hutton field in 143m
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Bigger projects and deeper water
First tension leg platform installation Hutton field in 143m
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TLP even deeper
Auger
Mars
Ram Powell
3,214ft
2,860ft
2, 940ft
All positioned using LBL
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COMPATT Mk4
LF MF EHF
10 years after the release of COMPATT Mk3
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COMPATT 5
Wideband signal technology
10 years after the release of COMPATT Mk4
20 years after the release of COMPATT Mk3
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Correlation Processing - Tone Burst
Signal
Replica
Filter Response
Detection
Threshold
Reasonable
Timing
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Wideband Signals
Signal spectrum is widened by the modulation process and consists of a
large number of frequency components, none of which is individually
dominant.
The bandwidth of Wideband signals is approximately 4kHz
In binary phase coding the carrier is switched between +/-180
according to a digital code sequence
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Wideband Codes
Gold codes are selected for optimal
cross-correlation properties
Encryption enables the separation of
signals by code in addition to frequency
thereby increasing the number of signals
available for a finite transducer bandwidth
700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
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Sonardyne Wideband uses the
same type of signal technology as
GPS
Correlation processing enables multiple
broadband signals to co-exist within the
same frequency space
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Wideband Range Correlation Processing
Signal
Replica
Response
Large
Peak
Detection
Threshold
Very
Accurate
Timing
Perfect Match
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Toneburst vs. Wideband Detection in Noise
Wideband Signal
Time of Arrival estimate and
hence range measurement is far
more accurate.
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Timing
Resolution
Toneburst
Time of Arrival less accurate.
Timing accuracy degrades with
increasing noise.
Timing
Resolution
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Signal Processing
Acoustic signals summary
Narrowband signal (tone)
Range only
Wideband 2
Range & telemetry of data
Wideband 1
Separate range & telemetry
Ultra Wideband2 Signals
= More Energy
= Greater Signal to Noise Ratio
= Better Performance
+PLUS
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Ormen Lange
120Km Offshore (Norwegian Coast)
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Orman Lange
Wideband Proven in an Extreme Environment
Compatt 504
(C5 + DQ + Gyro)
Compatt 503
(C5 + Incl.)
Compatt 501
(C5 + SVS)
Compatt 509
(C5 + DQ)
Compatt 502
(C5 + SVS)
Compatt 504
(C5 + DQ)
Template set down
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USBL - Theory of Operation
LBL to USBL
Long Baselines reduced to
Ultra Short Baselines
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Acoustic Positioning Techniques
Ultra Short BaseLine (USBL)
Range is derived from timing and
sound speed
Direction is derived from
differences in phase of the signal
at the array transducers
Precision dependent on water
depth and quality of vessel
sensors
Centimetres
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USBL - Theory of Operation
LBL to USBL
Long Baselines reduced to
Ultra Short Baselines
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A History of Sonardyne
40 Years of Customer Support
LUSBL Support
CASIUS Trials
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6G Products
Compatt6
Gyro/INS Compatt
AMT
Mini
Compatt
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6G enabling large LBL arrays
Gumusut, Malaysia
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IMU Production
A platform for AHRS and INS
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James Cook
USBL Trials in 4,870m Water Depth
7.2m (0.12% of slant range) 1 DRMS (63.2%) of observations
CASIUS Results Statistic
A CASIUS in 4,870m Water Depth Bay of Biscay
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Spitsbergen 80N
All true gyrocompasses degrade with latitude
Track the g vector and the rate at which the g vector rotates, in order to
establish the local navigation frame
At the poles the g vector and the earth axis of rotation are coincident
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AHRS practical considerations for marine use
- mechanical integration, high performance USBL
OTS deployment pole -
Ormen Lange Field
(850m depth) May 2009
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GyroUSBL Convenience in deep water
Gulf of Mexico 2011 - 1478m Water Depth
Setup:
HPT7000 GyroUSBL
Customer over the side pole
Benefit:
0.32% slant range accuracy out of the box
calibration free (still needs verification)
0.13% slant range accuracy post calibration
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Modern acoustic positioning & communication systems
Remarkable precision has been achieved
7 miles
USBL precision <11.2 m 1DRMS, anywhere inside the 610
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GyroCompatt
REPLACED
BY
GyroCompatt provides in a single housing:
Heading, Heave, Pitch & Roll output
Sound velocity probe
Two way acoustic telemetry link (command & data)
Fully functioning Compatt transponder
Acoustic on/off switched internal battery pack
Data logger capability for offline processing
Wireless AHRS
Offline processing
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Nautilus - Early Subsea Inertial Navigation
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Subsea INS for ROV tracking USBL Aided INS
Key Features:
INS aided by DVL and USBL
data
Improved precision
Ability to operate at greater
depths while maintaining
suitable precision
INS
USBL
+ + +
Vessel GPS
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Long Layback and Touchdown Monitoring
USBL + DVL AINS
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IRM
OOS - Pipeline Out Of Straightness
With USBL disabled for 10 minutes the real time DVL aided drift of 20cm, which
can be further reduced by post processing
Setup:
USBL, DVL and Depth
aided
Offline Post Processing
Position Requirement:
20cm relative accuracy
in 50m distance
Post Processed Real Time (coarse configuration)
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DP INS
DP Telegram
at 1-5 Hz
Lodestar INS
USBL
Transceiver
DP Desk
Benefits:
Higher update rate
Depth independent high
update rate to DP desk
Provides full navigation
state (velocity etc)
Less on the seabed
Lower acoustic updates
possible
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USBL aided INS (DP-INS)
Some Advantages:
1Hz output to DP desk with truthful dynamics.
(no crude low pass filtering or smoothing!)
Improved precision
No drop-outs (aeration & thruster wash) = improved weather operating window
Independent high accuracy velocity, angular rate and true acceleration
- potential for improved DP control system performance and robustness
Increased battery life update rate dependent on acoustic quality .
Truth by post-processed GPS
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Subsea INS for ROV tracking Sparse LBL Aided INS
+ DVL + Depth
INS
Data Fusion Engine
+ +
DVL Pressure Sensor
Key Features:
INS aided by DVL and range
data
Improved precision
Ability to operate at even
greater depths while
maintaining suitable precision
Independent verification of
USBL
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ROV INS - SPRINT
Sparse LBL aided INS
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So where are we going next?
Smarter Systems, Easier To Use?
So systems need to be
Easy to use
Wizards and short form guides
Adaptive, intelligent
Reliable
Independence & redundancy
Onshore support
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So where are things going in the future?
Automation & telepresence getting people out of the way completely
2 x Sonardyne COMPATT 6 & Waveglider deployed off US East coast
Environmental monitoring as part if IOOS Oceanographic programme
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So where are things going in the future?
Automation & telepresence getting people out of the way completely
2 x Sonardyne COMPATT 6 & Waveglider deployed off US East coast
Environmental monitoring as part if IOOS Oceanographic programme
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Sonardyne BlueComm technology
Real time wireless video transmission at ~2000m depth
Full frame rate video transmission
with black and white cameras used
for low light contrast
Seabed node deployed by JASON
ROV to Medea depressor/ tether
management system
Transmission range of 100+ meters
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Acknowledgements
This presentation was compiled with the help
and supporting material provided by
John Partridge, Simon Partridge,
Nick Street, Andrew Sedden, Bernard Kiddier,
Chris Handley and Chris Pearce.
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Thank-you
THE END
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