Ekinox-A Get Accurate roll, pitch, heave, surge & sway

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An Offshore Support Vessel, or OSV, support offshore oil and gas exploration, production and various maritime operations.

OSVs transport supplies, equipment, and personnel to and from offshore platforms, conduct maintenance, and assist with underwater operations. They are essential for maintaining the efficiency and safety of offshore projects.

Active Heave Compensation (AHC) in cranes is a technology used to counteract a vessel’s vertical motion caused by waves. It ensures that loads lifted or lowered by the crane remain stable and unaffected by the sea’s movement.

AHC systems are particularly critical in offshore operations, where cranes are often used to lift and lower heavy equipment, cargo, or subsea devices from vessels or platforms in dynamic sea conditions. These systems use sensors (such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, or motion reference units) to measure the vessel’s heave (vertical movement) caused by wave action.

Based on this real-time data, the crane’s AHC system automatically adjusts the winch or hoisting mechanism to counteract the heave, ensuring that the load stays at a constant position relative to the seabed or a fixed reference point. Offshore cranes typically use hydraulic or electric systems to make these precise adjustments. The crane’s winch or hoist is rapidly adjusted to lift or lower the load in sync with the vessel’s motion, effectively “canceling out” the vertical motion caused by the waves.

By stabilizing the load during lifting or lowering operations, AHC minimizes the risk of accidents, load swinging, or equipment damage. It allows for safer, more precise operations, especially during the placement of subsea structures or when handling delicate equipment.

Hydrographic surveying is the process of measuring and mapping physical features of bodies of water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. It involves collecting data related to the depth, shape, and contours of the seafloor (seafloor mapping), as well as the location of submerged objects, navigational hazards, and other underwater features (e.g. water trenches).

Hydrographic surveying is crucial for various applications, including navigation safety, coastal management and coastal survey, construction, and environmental monitoring.

Hydrographic surveying involves several key components, starting with bathymetry, which measures water depth and seafloor topography using sonar systems like single-beam or multi-beam echo sounders that send sound pulses to the seafloor and measure the echo’s return time.

Accurate positioning is critical, achieved using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to link depth measurements to precise geographic coordinates.

Additionally, water column data, such as temperature, salinity, and currents, are measured, and geophysical data is collected to detect underwater objects, obstacles, or hazards using tools like side-scan sonar and magnetometers.

Wave measurement sensors are essential tools for understanding ocean dynamics and improving safety and efficiency in marine operations. By providing accurate and timely data on wave conditions, they help inform decisions across various sectors, from shipping and navigation to environmental conservation.

Wave buoys are floating devices equipped with sensors to measure wave parameters such as height, period, and direction.

They typically use accelerometers or gyroscopes to detect wave motion and can transmit real-time data to shore-based facilities for analysis.