Deepwater currents are notoriously difficult to measure, the problems of working at depth, moorings, frame design, deployment and recovery all need to be taken into consideration for a successful deployment and recovery.  This becomes even more demanding when working in the vicinity of an offshore platform.

OSIL (Ocean Scientific International Limited) have designed a cost effective system for these testing deployments using the SonTek’s Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and surrounding it with their own deployment frame.  The SonTek ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) is a high-performance, 3-axis, water current profiler that is accurate, reliable, and easy to use. The ADCP uses state-of-the-art transducers and electronics designed to reduce side-lobe interference problems that plague other current profilers.

With a range of 180m the SonTeK ADCP has greatly expanded the ability to make detailed current measurements in these challenging field applications.  The OSIL deployment frame ensures the rig stays upright on the seabed and that there is no interference to the ADCP.  In addition to this the frame has a double failsafe recovery system utilising 2 off Sonardyne acoustic releases per frame.   The first of these systems are scheduled for deployment in the Middle East during the summer of 2009.

For more information about and also about the SonTek ADCP, and OSIL’s extensive range of products and services, please visit the OSIL website at www.osil.co.uk or call 023 9248 8240.