Acoustics on target

2015-05-02

In the framework of the PILE & TIDE project, SOACSY and GEOCEAN completed a SEACHIRP survey in the Alderney race (Raz Blanchard).

The PILE & TIDE project is conducted in partnership by GEOCEAN and UCBN (CAEN University). It aims to set up an efficient procedure and methodology for tidal turbines installation. The project is supported by ADEME (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management).

The Alderney Race (the French call it Raz Blanchard) is a strait that runs between Alderney and Cap de la Hague, a cape at the northwestern tip of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy. A strong current runs through the race. The current is intermittent, varying with the tide, and can run up to about twelve knots during equinoctial tides.

The seabed is mainly rocky with local sands, cobbles, pebbles and gravels areas. The main objective of the survey was to detect and localize these coarse sediments areas.

The SeaChirp measurements were conducted on the CELTIC WARRIOR  (15m catamaran) between the 25th and 27th April 2015. The equipment worked well, the collected data quality was fit for purpose and no HSE incident occured.

News

Naval mines can be either visible on the surface (moored or floating mines) or detectable underwater as bottom mines. Underwater mines can become buried by waves and currents in sandy bottoms or by impact in muddy soil. As a consequence, naval mines become undetectable by conventional HF vessel-mounted mine-hunting sonars as well as towed sonars or those mounted on unmanned vessels.

ECA, which has specialized in robotics for naval mine countermeasures for over 50 years, providing solutions to over 30 navies worldwide and SOACSY, developers of innovative acoustic systems and survey services, have signed a licensing agreement in order to provide an efficient solution for buried mine detection and classification. SOACSY’s seaCHIRP technology sets a new standard in sub-bottom profiling data quality, resulting in improved signal/noise, accurate interpretation of detected objects and cost-effectiveness. Combining super-wideband technology with high resolution beamforming and SAS processing, which was designed for precision sub-seabed exploration and assessment, seaCHIRP collects data, processes it on-line in low resolution and visualizes it for quality. Then, collected data are post processed and can be interpreted using the proprietary seaLOGS software.

ECA Group will industrialize seaCHIRP technology to provide navies with a fully operational solution to detect and classify buried subsea mines. ECA Robotics Belgium will manage development and industrialization of the technology, leveraging the Group’s continuing work in HF SAS and developing a real-time solution for data processing, using proprietary (patent pending) algorithms for efficient and accurate synthetic aperture processing.

The aim is to integrate a buried mine neutralization capability in ECA’s Unmanned MCM Integrated System (UMIS), a comprehensive drone-based system for mine warfare operations, developed for surveying and securing large or complex zones at sea as well as in coastal areas. This modular solution is based on a wide range of unmanned vehicles that can be configured in line with user and operational requirements. UMIS also integrates the UMISOFT software suite, allowing easy and complete management of the entire unmanned mission from preparation, planning and supervision, to data acquisition, processing analysis and management.

LES EOLIENNES EN MER DE DIEPPE LE TREPORT (EMDT) selected the Soacsy multibeam sub-bottom profiler seaCHIRP TM3D to carry out a geophysical survey on Dieppe-Le Tréport Wind Farm site. The survey was performed in the Spring of 2018. Its purpose was twofold:

  •  first, to determine whether potential explosive devices (UXO), and especially low magnetic contents ones (LMB), are present in the seabed,
  • and secondly, to search for potential archaeological remains.

Two vessels were mobilized. The first one, to perform bathymetry (mapping of the seafloor) and sub-bottom survey. The second one to achieve magnetic detection of objects.

GEOxyz was the survey Main Contractor and SOACSY provided equipment, spare, measurement assistance, on-board and office data post-processing and interpretation.  

EMDT is a consortium of Engie, EDP Renewables, and the Caisse des Dépôts.

SOACSY will be featured at the International Conference on Sonar Systems & Sensors (ICONS 2018) on February 22-24.

It is held by the Defence R&D Organization (Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India) at the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory in Kochi, India.

The paper was written by Bertrand Dubus (CNRS Lille), Manell Zakharia (French Naval Academy) & Philippe Plantevin (Soacsy).

Read the abstract in preview: Time-frequency analysis in sonar transducer design and characterization

DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 50 MÉDITERRANÉE 2016
SOACSY, "Révélation in Extenso"

SOACSY were delighted to be named winners of the 2016 Revelation in Extenso prize at the Deloitte Palmares Technology Fast 50 Mediterranee 2016.

VATTENFALL selected the Soacsy multibeam subbottom profiler seaCHIRP™3D to carry out an UXO survey on the Horn Rev3 Wind Farm site. FUGRO EMU was the survey Main Contractor and SOACSY provided equipment, measurement assistance and data post-processing.   

HORN REV3, the site of interest, is a shallow area (glacial, with sea deposits of sand) in the eastern part of the North Sea, about 10 miles off the western-most point of Denmark, Blåvands Huk. The water's depth is between 12 m and 20 m. Some of the area is an old minefield from World War II.

The multipurpose vessel MV VICTOR HENSEN, 40 m long, was used. The SEACHIRP3D  measurements were conducted between 06th August and 05th October 2015. 
Thanks to the multi-beam system, it was possible to cover a minimum width of 24 m at each line. 265 line files were processed representing 492 line km.

The data were processed on board to allow delivery to Fugro EMU within 36 hours for the high priority items and 48 hours for the others from acquisition.

SOACSY is pleased to announce that the POSIDONIA-SCAN project has been selected by ADEME (French environment and energy management agency) in the framework of the “Initiative PME Biodiversite” European program.

Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica) is a plant covering most of the Mediterranean seafloor, protected species since 1988 because it provides a large part of the vital oxygen to the sea flora and fauna.

The main objective of the POSIDONIA-SCAN project is to develop an acoustic system specially developed to provide additional information with a non-destructive process about the meadows and the meadow’s sub-seabed to the economic stakeholders of the coastline and/or for environment management in order to:

- Support to the selection of new mooring areas, environment-friendly, and to dimension the ecological anchorages, with an effective cost and in a non-destructive way
- Improve the knowledge of the matte (subsurface rhizomes and roots) for a better preservation
- and monitor the Posidonia evolution.

EDF (Electricité de France) awarded a contract to SOACSY for a SEACHIRP survey close to the KEMBS Hydroelectric power plant near Mulhouse (68).

In the framework of a new Hydroelectric power plan building, it is necessary to bury a power cable between both sides of the “Grand Canal d’Alsace” channel. The burial depth should be at least 1.5 m in order to avoid any navigation risk.

The objective of the survey was to provide a detailed understanding of the seabed levels, characteristics and shallow geology in order to find the best cable route corridor.

The SEACHIRP measurements were conducted between the 20/07/2015 and the 23/07/2015. The equipment worked perfectly, the collected data quality was fit for purpose and no HSE incident occured. 19 line files were processed representing 12 line km.

The sun was invited to the survey.

In the framework of the PILE & TIDE project, SOACSY and GEOCEAN completed a SEACHIRP survey in the Alderney race (Raz Blanchard).

The PILE & TIDE project is conducted in partnership by GEOCEAN and UCBN (CAEN University). It aims to set up an efficient procedure and methodology for tidal turbines installation. The project is supported by ADEME (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management).

The Alderney Race (the French call it Raz Blanchard) is a strait that runs between Alderney and Cap de la Hague, a cape at the northwestern tip of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy. A strong current runs through the race. The current is intermittent, varying with the tide, and can run up to about twelve knots during equinoctial tides.

The seabed is mainly rocky with local sands, cobbles, pebbles and gravels areas. The main objective of the survey was to detect and localize these coarse sediments areas.

The SeaChirp measurements were conducted on the CELTIC WARRIOR  (15m catamaran) between the 25th and 27th April 2015. The equipment worked well, the collected data quality was fit for purpose and no HSE incident occured.

During the Offshore Survey 15 Conference in the National Oceanography Center (Southampton, UK), Anne Chabert, Chief Geophysicist of FUGRO EMU presented the conventional and new marine geophysical methods for UXO detection.

According to Anne Chabert, a one sensor solution will not provide sufficient information for UXO detection. A multisensory solution on a towed platform could provide a better compromise between costs/schedules and reducing the UXO risk.

The new SOACSY’s SEACHIRP3D equipment, offering a large swath and good detection performance, was proposed as part of the solution…

In the framework of an EDF Energy (Electricité de France) nuclear plant extension, SOACSY and FUGRO EMU conducted a SEACHIRP survey on the Sizewell site, near the small fishing village of Sizewell in Suffolk, England.

The project was:

- 39 line km
- On the Fugro Seeker (12m catamaran, 12 hours operation per day, going to port every night)
- Measurements conducted between 04th and 13th Febuary 2015
- 3 days of survey; 6 days of stand by weather
- Water's depth 3 to 10m
- Geology: sands, gravels, pebbles
 

FUGRO EMU commissioned SOACSY to perform a SEACHIRP survey on the Courseulle and Fécamp EMF wind farm sites (offshore Normandy, France).

EMF is a consortium led by EDF Energies Nouvelles (the specialized subsidiary of the French state-controlled power company) and including DONG Energy. The objective of the survey was to provide a detailed understanding of the seabed shallow geology in order to find the best inter array cable route corridors.

The project characteristics were:

-524 line km (Courseulle: 203 line km; Fécamp: 321 km) / 492 lines (Courseulle: 310 lines; Fécamp: 182 lines)
-On the RV Discovery (25 m - 24 Hour Multi-Purpose Research Vessel)
-Water's depth 20 m to 40 m
-Courseulle geology: sand and/or gravels with shells, shell fragments and rock overlaying a soft to stiff clayey unit
-Fécamp geology: the survey area is covered by a heterogeneous sediment layer with dominantly gravel, pebble and cobble mixed in a clayey-sandy matrix. This superficial layer is more likely the result from the weathering of the chalky bedrock. Chalky substratum outcrops on the seafloor locally.

 

Developed in partnership with FUGRO TOPNAV and GEOCEAN in the framework of a CITEPH program (www.citeph.fr/en), the SEACHIRP3D is a multi-beam sub bottom profiler combining super wide band Chirp technology with Beam forming and Synthetic Aperture Sonar processing.
This new technology offers unparalleled detection / localization performance and, thanks to its large swath, allows a complete seabed coverage with a reduce number of survey lines.
Its outstanding performance and its robust design make it the ideal tool for UXO and debris surveys.
Thanks to our sponsors SUBSEA7, DORIS ENGINEERING and ENTREPOSE CONTRACTING.

FUGRO EMU commissioned SOACSY to perform a SEACHIRP survey on the Saint-Nazaire EMF wind farm sites in Loire Atlantique (France).

EMF is a consortium led by EDF Energies Nouvelles (the specialized subsidiary of the French state-controlled power company) and including DONG Energy. The objective of the survey was to provide a detailed understanding of the seabed shallow geology in order to find the best inter array cable route corridors.

The project characteristics were:

- 222 line km / 129 lines
- On the RV Discovery (25 m - 24 Hour Multi-Purpose Research Vessel)
- Water's depth 20 m to 40 m
- Geology: large areas of cobbles and dolomitised limestone outcrops.

Previous campaigns carried out on site, using the following equipment: seismic reflection mono-trace –source Boomer, Seismic reflection mono-trace – source Sparker,  Sub bottom profiler CHIRP 3.5 kHz and 10 kHz, provided limited results.

The SEACHIRP measurements were conducted between 17 and 22 September 2014. The equipment worked well, the collected data quality was fit for purpose and no HSE incident occured.