ADCPs - Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers

VM Coastal - 1000|500|250 kHz ADCP

Field-Proven Vessel-Mounted ADCPs for Commercial and Scientific Applications.

Nortek’s vessel-mounted ADCP current survey package – called Signature VM – opens up new and unprecedented opportunities to the community, while offering operational convenience and reduced complexity. Data quality can be safeguarded, and both errors and initial installation time can be substantially reduced by using an integrated system where each is module is pre-qualified.

Nortek

Rud, NO

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Description

The VM Coastal safeguards data quality, opens up new and unprecedented opportunities to the scientific community, and offers operational convenience and reduced complexity.

The VM Coastal package includes the Signature1000, 500 or 250, allowing for great versatility in both the vessel-mounted and bottom-mounted configurations. By using a state-of-the-art and user-friendly vessel-mounted package, measurement errors and initial installation time can be greatly reduced.

Applications

Coastal surveys, up to 200 m depth
Port and harbour mapping
Studies of tidal currents
Sediment transport studies
Large-scale mixing studies

VM Coastal - 1000kHz

Fast pinging AD2CP for current measurements and high-resolution echograms in shallow water [30m]

Overview

The VM Coastal 1000 kHz is an optimal instrument for smaller navigational rivers, estuaries and shallow coastal zones. The 16Hz ping rate permit concurrent measurements of current, depth, bottom track and water column echograms.

Echograms are measured with cm resolution down to the bottom, a common area with high suspended sediment load and where a standard VM-ADCP is not able to measure.

Obtaining data from a compact vessel or USV in a river or near-shore environment can be challenging due to sudden accelerations, course changes or wave-induced motion. The true heading GNSS time server and the optional AHRS accommodate extending the operational limit.

Coastal or river surveys are mostly transient installations. The compact VM-ADCP is convenient to be used on each vessel or USV. By using a state-of-the-art and user-friendly vessel-mounted package, measurement errors and initial installation time can be greatly reduced.

Highlights

A coherent system that is quick and convenient to operate
Fifth echosounder beam for sediment measurements down to the bottom
Simultaneous current and depth information in one place
High (16Hz) ping rate for profiling from smaller dynamic platforms and turbulent environments
Ethernet ADCP and GNSS timeserver, offering tight network timing
Optional AHRS for improved tilt compensation in dynamic environments
Outstanding bottom-track performance [30m]

Applications

Medium size USV's and manned vessels
Navigational rivers, estuaries and coastal surveys, up to 30 m depth
Current or turbulence studies
Sediment transport studies
Biomass studies
River discharge studies using Qrev
Studies of tidal currents
Condition monitoring

VM Coastal - 500kHz

Fast pinging AD2CP for current measurements and high-resolution echograms in the littoral zone [70m]

Overview

The VM Coastal 500 kHz is the right instrument for the larger navigational rivers up to coastal surveys. The 8Hz ping rate permits concurrent current measurements, depth, bottom track and water column echograms.

Echograms are measured with cm resolution down to the bottom, a common area with high loads of suspended sediment and where a standard VM-ADCP can't measure.

Obtaining data from compact vessels in large rivers or coastal environments can be challenging because of sudden accelerations, course changes or wave induced motion. The true heading GNSS time server and the optional AHRS can widen the operational limits.

The 70m bottom track range safeguards a proper velocity correction even in difficult conditions.

Coastal or river surveys are often transient installations. By using a state-of-the-art and user-friendly vessel-mounted package, measurement errors and initial installation time can be greatly reduced.

Highlights

A coherent system that is quick and convenient to operate
Fifth echosounder beam for suspended sediment measurement down to the bottom
Simultaneous current and depth information in one place
High 8Hz ping rate for profiling from medium size platforms or turbulent environments
Ethernet ADCP and GNSS timeserver, offering tight network timing
Optional AHRS for improved tilt compensation in dynamic environments
Outstanding bottom-track performance, even in challenging conditions [70m]

Applications

Large navigational rivers, estuaries and coastal surveys, up to 70 m depth
USV's intended for estuaries or coastal environments
Medium-sized inshore or coastal operating manned vessels
Current or turbulence studies
Sediment transport studies
Biomass studies
River discharge studies using Qrev
Studies of tidal currents
Condition monitoring

VM Coastal - 250kHz

Fast pinging AD2CP with range for vessels operating on the continental shelf [200m]

Overview

The VM Coastal 250 kHz grants precision, a high ping rate and range for those who want to cover the continental shelf.

By using a state-of-the-art and user-friendly vessel-mounted package, measurement errors and initial installation time can be greatly reduced.

Coastal seas can be a challenging environment to work in. Besides the true heading GNSS time server, the optional AHRS can widen the operational limits. The 200m bottom track range safeguards a proper velocity correction even in difficult conditions.

Highlights

A coherent system that is quick and convenient to operate
3Hz ping rate for profiling from coastal vessel and environments
Ethernet ADCP and true heading GNSS timeserver, offering tight network timing
Optional AHRS for improved tilt compensation in dynamic environments
Outstanding bottom-track performance, even in difficult conditions [205m]
Optional 5th beam for current and wave measurements in stand-alone mode
Increased pingrate & range, yet delivering the same accuracy alike slight higher frequency instrumentation on the market

Applications

Large size offshore USV's and manned vessels
Estuaries and deep coastal surveys, up to 200 m depth
Current or turbulence studies
Sediment transport studies
River discharge studies using Qrev
Studies of tidal currents
Condition monitoring

Do you have questions about this product?

Questions about price, availability, and/or retailers
Questions about technical specifications and usage
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Specifications

General: Max. operating depth [m]

300

True Bottom Tracking Capability

Y

Year of last update

2023

Length [m]

0.23

Width [m]

0.23

Height [m]

0.22

Weight in air [kg]

4.5

Weight in water [kg]

1

Min. operating power [V]

15

Max. operating power [V]

48

Max. battery lifetime [days]

365

Max. speed of boat [km]

43

Max. range to bottom [m]

205

Processor/memory

i5 processor/8 GB

Hard disk

500 GB SSD

Operating System

Windows 10

Housing Material

Non-corrosive

Dimensions

265x110x340mm

PC Input

24 VDC, 20W typical

Connections

Power, Signature ADCP, AN GNSS, 2 x HDMI, 2 x LAN,3 x USB, 2 x USB-C, 1 x RS232 (optional)

Operator control

Remote desktop or keyboard mouse

Total Weight [kg]

5,75

Other specifications: Real-time interfacing

Ethernet and serial

Min. external power [Voltage]

24

Max. external power [Voltage]

48

Max. cable length [m]

1000

Baudrate [kbit/s]

20000

External battery container

Y

Data acquisition software and processing software

Signature VM, Ocean Contour

Auxiliary Sensors: Conductivity

N

Oxygen

N

Turbidity

N

Tides

Y

Waves

Y

Pressure

Y

Acoustic modem

Y

Relocation of transponder

N

Wave direction

Y

Speed of sound

Y

Deployment method: Moving vessel

Y

Bottom mount

Y

Inline string mooring

Y

Data Buoy

Y

Marine structures

Y

Doppler Current Profiler: Max. typical profiling range [m]

30/70/200

Number of beams

4 5

Nadir angle [deg]

25

Max. Number of cells per beam

256

Min. blanking distance [m]

0.2

Max. ping rate [Hz]

16

Min. cell size [m]

0.2

Max. cell size [m]

8

Speed dependent uncertainty: horizontal [%]

0.3

Speed independent uncertainty: horizontal [cm/s]

0.3

Center working frequency [kHz]

1000/500/250

Lost data at far boundary [%]

10

Cell overlap [%]

25

Max. velocity [m/s]

11.8

Speed dependent uncertainty: vertical [%]

0.1

Speed independent uncertainty: vertical [cm/s]

0.1

Surface reference capability

Y

Surface current measurement

Y

Compensation for sound speed

Y

Single ping rejection of outliers

Y

Maximum sampling rate for Water velocity measurements

15 Hz

Maximum sampling rate for Bottom velocity measurements

8 Hz

Maximum sampling rate for Depth measurements

4 Hz

No. of beams for Depth measurements

5

Single ping std

1 cm

Minimum altitude

0,2 m

Maximum altitude

205 m

Echo intensity Sampling

Yes

Echo intensity Resolution

0,5 dB

Echo intensity Dynamic range

70 dB

Echo intensity No. of beams

5

Echo intensity Beam width

2,9 degrees

Velocity resolution of Bottom velocity measurements

0,01 mm/s

Velocity resolution of Water velocity measurements

0,1 cm/s

Velocity resolution of Depth measurements

0,001 m

Storage temperature

-20 degrees C to 60 degrees C

Standard range

-4 degrees C to degrees 36 C

Pressure

300 m (please inquire for options)

Accuracy/precision

0,1% FS / Better than 0,002% of full scale

Compass and tilt

Yes, please inquire for optional AHRS

Data recording

16 GB, please inquire for options

Data cable

10m, please inquire for options

IO

Ethernet

DC Input

24 V DC or 120/230 VAC

Shock and vibration

IEC60068-2-64

EMC approval

IEC/EN 61000-6-2, 61000-6-3

Depth rating

300m, please inquire for options

Connectors

Straight fitted MCBH6F and MCBH8F

Housing

300m rated

Material

POM

Uncertainty of single ping horizontal velocity for default cell size [cm/sec]

4.71

Uncertainty of single ping vertical velocity for default cell size [cm/sec]

1.55

Minimum accuracy

0.5 cm/s

Long-term accuracy

Better than 0.5 cm/s

Standard Sensors: Temperature: min [°C]

-4

Temperature: max. [°C]

40

Temperature: uncertainty [°C]

0.1

Compass type

Solid State

Tilt: max. [deg]

90

Tilt: uncertainty [deg]

0.2

GNSS Positioning Sensor: Brand and model

Advanced Navigation, GNSS Compass Aries G2

Position accuracy (with dGNSS) / postprocessed

1,0m / 0,015m

Heading accuracy / post-processed

0,2 degrees

Supported navigation systems

Advanced Navigation GNSS Compass Aries G2

Protocol

AN packet protocol

Communication

Ethernet

Timing

PTP

Data and Software: Acquisition

Signature VM

Timing

PTP

Configuration

Signature VM, Signature Deployment

Display

Vessel track in map, Bottom-track velocity, Velocity magnitude and direction, Echo amplitude, Echo correlation, Vertical echogram; corrected relative volume

Status

GNSS and ADCP status displayed in Signature VM software

Output data

Binary AD2CP, NMEA data strings online (velocity, BT and depth) CSV, ASCII VMT, Qrev VMT, KML offline