Marine Electronics
April 2008 Issue
Sonardyne Upgrades Acoustic Monitors for Nuclear Ships
Sonardyne International Ltd. (Yateley, England) has completed the latest stage of a program to upgrade a monitoring system that it installed aboard nuclear fuel transport ships more than 20 years ago.
The system was developed in 1985 for British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL)—which is now known as International Nuclear Services Ltd. (Warrington, England)—to provide an emergency relocation and remote monitoring ability if one of its ships should sink.
The new systems being installed across the fleet incorporate the latest Sonardyne wideband technology, which provides a superior acoustic link, representatives said.
BNFL originally commissioned Sonardyne to design an acoustic system that would enable a sunken ship to be relocated from a safe distance and for the condition of its radioactive cargo to be monitored before any salvage attempt is made.
Sonardyne supplied each ship with four custom-engineered acoustic transponder modems, interfaced to two data acquisition units (DAUs).
The transponders were located on the fore, aft and port and starboard superstructure of each ship so that there would be a clear acoustic transmission path to the surface from at least one transponder regardless of the ship’s final resting position.
Each DAU has internal pitch, roll and depth sensors and is also connected to radiation and hatch cover sensors in each hold.
The data provided by the sensors is transmitted acoustically and provides a clear picture of the condition of the ship before it is approached.
The Pacific Sandpiper was the first vessel to be equipped with the Sonardyne system, in August 1985, and it has just become the latest to be upgraded.
The original equipment has now been replaced with the latest wideband technology.
It also includes operating software that enables the crew to test the system before each voyage and to monitor it while at sea, said Sonardyne. For more information, visit www.sonardyne.co.uk.
Fairstar Executes Submersion Test For Heavy Transport Vessel Fjord
This February, Fairstar Heavy Transport NV’s (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) heavy transport vessel Fjord successfully completed three days of extensive tests on all aspects of the ballast system. The tests were executed in Malta.
The recently converted Fjord is now ready and capable of loading and transporting floating and non-floating heavy cargoes of all kinds, said the company.
The tests culminated in a complete submersion of the vessel’s hull to a depth of approximately 20 meters below the surface.
This gave about 11 meters of water above the main deck.
Achieving this milestone demonstrates that the vessel is able to accommodate heavy floating cargoes, such as semisubmersible drilling rigs with thrusters, deep-drafted nuclear submarines and jack-up rigs with big spud-can protrusion, the company said.
"The submersion test was a complete success," reported Dave Hangoor, Fairstar’s operations manager, from Malta. "All systems were checked by our technical team and were put to a rigorous inspection before, during and after the submersion. The Fjord is equipped with one of the most sophisticated ballast control and loading systems in the world. The submersion was smooth, controlled and the stability profile of the Fjord was exceptional. We are delighted with the vessel’s performance and look forward to taking the vessel into service."
The Fjord has passed the most important test for a vessel of this type, according to representatives. The precision and control demonstrated by the vessel will sharpen the company’s competitive advantage and position it to go after the most valuable cargoes of the most demanding clients, they continued.
"It has been a difficult challenge, but everyone here in Malta has worked tirelessly to solve any problems that have presented themselves," said Philip Adkins, chief executive officer of Fairstar. "We expect to finalize the final paperwork from DNV [Det Norske Veritas, Oslo, Norway] in the coming week, after which the Fjord will enter the global fleet of heavy transport vessels. We have an experienced crew on board, a strong support team on shore and one of the most modern, versatile vessels afloat." For more information, visit www.fairstar.com.
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