Offshore staff
KONGSBERG, Norway – Kongsberg Maritime has launched a tool that detects scouring, corrosion, deformation, and marine growth on underwater structures.
The new K-Observer system, part of Kongsberg Maritime’sModular Subsea Monitoring (MSM) network, provides remote hydro-acoustic 3D monitoring using the dual-axis scanning sonar (DAS) to continuously monitor the seabed and the substructure.
The 3D point cloud data created by the DAS is logged and transmitted to shore via the telemetry infrastructure of the K-Observer system (cabled, wireless, or satellite), which is designed for long-term installations, and performs autonomously, from sensor control, data acquisition, to data processing, presentation of results, and issuing of alarms (e.g., by text message or email).
K-Observer scans and interprets the condition of the seabed around the base of the structure (scouring and sediment displacement), as well as the state of the substructure itself (deformation, marine growth, and corrosion), so experts on shore can initiate immediate action or preventive maintenance if required, said Kongsberg Maritime.
K-Observer not only monitors and observes the depth of the seabed around each subsea structure but also provides insight regarding the current state of the substructure itself. This translates into lower intervention costs for maintaining the structure within the design parameters and avoids reductions in the life span of the structure associated with unstable foundations and vibration-induced structural fatigue.
09/24/2014
