ADCPs - Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers

VM Ocean - 100|75/55 kHz ADCP

The Signature VM package delivers vessel-mounted current profiler AD2CP capabilities based on present-day technology

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

VM Ocean - 100kHz

Vessel-mounted ADCP capabilities with an optional scientific echosounder for biomass measurements into the mesopelagic zone [300-400m]

Overview

Nortek’s vessel-mounted VM Ocean (100 kHz) opens up new opportunities to measure currents and to study biomass simultaneously.

Until now, epipelagic and upper mesopelagic VM ADCP surveys could not deliver the resolution, precision or range to examine the ocean boundary layer in detail. To study biomass in the upper-ocean boundary layer, you had to add a separate scientific echosounder.

Modern people desire state-of-the-art tools that are coherent and convenient to operate. The VM Ocean 100 kHz grants access to current and echogram measurements to non-daily users as Ph.D.'s, biologists or offshore engineers.

Highlights

A coherent and modern system that is convenient to operate
Four beams for current profiling with a range between 300-400m
Optional scientific echosounder with multiple modes for biomass measurements
Modern graphical interface with current and range corrected echogram
Outstanding bottom-track performance [560m]
Ideal for ocean USV's due to low power requirements
Optional AHRS for improved tilt compensation in dynamic environments
VM or stand-alone applications

Applications

Large size offshore USV's and manned ocean vessels
Ocean surveys
Offshore operations
Current or large scale turbulence studies
Internal wave detection
Upper-ocean boundary-layer studies
Detection of fish, krill or plankton in the water column
Studies of tidal currents
Condition monitoring

VM Ocean - 55kHz

Dual-frequency long-range vessel-mounted ADCP capabilities covering the mesopelagic zone [up to 1000m]

Overview

The VM Ocean 55 kHz is a dual-frequency profiler that combines high-resolution profiling and long-range profiles into one instrument opening up opportunities for physical oceanography, biologist and marine engineers.

The novel piston transducer design empowers a high single ping precision which is crucial in obtaining long-range data from moving platforms. Options as a true heading GNSS timeserver will further complement the ADCP data.

The convenient to use and modern software turn long-range current measurements at hand to non-daily users as Ph.D. students, biologists or operational engineers.

Recorded files can automatically be processed for a concise overview of the day.

Highlights

A coherent and modern interface that is convenient to operate
Piston transducer design bringing high single ping precision
Three beams for current profiling operating on 75 or 55 kHz
Detailed boundary layer up to 675m (75 kHz) and coarse long-range profile up to 900-1000m (55 kHz)
6m fine to 20m coarse resolution
Outstanding bottom-track performance [1000m]
A relative light weight and compact AD2CP for VM and stand-alone applications
Ideal for ocean USV's due to low power requirements
Optional AHRS for improved tilt compensation in dynamic environments
VM or stand-alone applications

Applications

Large size offshore USV's and manned ocean vessels
Ocean surveys
Offshore operations
Current or large scale turbulence studies
Internal waves
Deep ocean studies
Studies of tidal currents
Condition monitoring

Learn more about Nortek VM Ocean here.

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: Processor/memory

Intel i5, 8 GB

Hard disk

SSD 256 GB

Operating System

Windows® 10

Housing Material

Non corrosive

Dimensions

482x87x400mm

PC Input

100-240 V AC

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 and mouse

Total Weight [kg]

7

Year of last update

2023

Length [m]

0.46

Width [m]

0.46

Height [m]

0.37

Weight in air [kg]

29

Weight in water [kg]

13

Min. operating power [V]

24

Max. operating power [V]

48

Max. operating depth [m]

1500

Max. battery lifetime [days]

365

True Bottom Tracking Capability

Y

Max. speed of boat [km]

40

Max. range to bottom [m]

1000

Other specifications: Real-time interfacing

Ethernet

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: Pressure

Y

Conductivity

N

Oxygen

N

Turbidity

N

Tides

Y

Waves

N

Acoustic modem

Y

Relocation of transponder

N

Wave direction

N

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]

400|900-1000

Number of beams

4|3

Max. Number of cells per beam

200

Min. blanking distance [m]

2

Min. cell size [m]

3

Max. cell size [m]

20

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

3.51

Minimum accuracy

± 0.5 cm/s

Long-term accuracy

Better than 0.5 cm/s

Maximum sampling rate for Water velocity measurements

1 Hz

Maximum sampling rate for Bottom velocity measurements

0.5 Hz

Maximum sampling rate for Depth measurements

0.5 Hz

No. of beams for Depth measurements

5

Single ping std

38 cm

Minimum altitude

2 m

Maximum altitude

400 m

Echo intensity Sampling

Yes

Echo intensity Resolution

0.01dB

Echo intensity Dynamic range

130 dB, vertical beam

Echo intensity No. of beams

5

Echo intensity Beam width

8,7 @120 kHz

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

0.1 m

Storage temperature

-20 °C to 60 °C

Standard range

-4 °C to 36 °C

Pressure

0-1500 m (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

20 m Ethernet cable

IO

Ethernet

DC Input

24 V DC

Shock and vibration

IEC 60068-1 / IEC 60068-2-64

EMC approval

IEC 61000

Depth rating

1500 m – Bottom track is limited to surface vessels

Connectors

Straight fitted MCBH6F (Ethernet)

Housing

Small instrument housing

Material

POM with titanium fasteners

Center working frequency [kHz]

100|75/55

Nadir angle [deg]

20

Lost data at far boundary [%]

10

Max. ping rate [Hz]

1

Cell overlap [%]

25

Max. velocity [m/s]

14.6

Speed dependent uncertainty: horizontal [%]

1

Speed independent uncertainty: horizontal [cm/s]

0.5

Speed dependent uncertainty: vertical [%]

0.3

Speed independent uncertainty: vertical [cm/s]

0.2

Surface reference capability

Y

Surface current measurement

Y

Compensation for sound speed

Y

Single ping rejection of outliers

Y

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

0.9

Standard Sensors: Temperature: min [°C]

-4

Temperature: max. [°C]

40

Temperature: uncertainty [°C]

0.1

Tilt: max. [deg]

90

Tilt: uncertainty [deg]

0.2

Compass type

Solid State

GNSS Positioning Sensor: Communication

Ethernet

Data and Software: Acquisition

Signature VM

Configuration

Signature VM (partly) Advanced navigation GNSS compass

Display

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

Status

Signature VM, GNSS, Heading

Output data

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