ATLAS IS³ Project Process for NIO India on Schedule
At the end of 2010, the National Institute of Oceanography in India (NIO) chose Atlas Hydrographic to deliver an ATLAS IS³ for their new research vessel Sindhu Sadhana, currently under construction at ABG shipyard in Surat, India.
NIO with its headquarters at Dona Paula, Goa, is a large oceanographic laboratory of international reputation. The institute has about 200 scientists and since its foundation in 1966 the focus of research has been on observing and understanding the special oceanographic features that the North Indian basin offers.
Although NIO owns a 60m research vessel named Sindhu Sankalp, vessels from other countries or the Government of India have been hired frequently in order to be able to conduct all the different oceanographic applications. With the 80m new-build Sindhu Sadhana, which is already in production at ABG shipyard in Surat, India, the institute will increase independency and flexibility.
NIO has awarded Atlas Hydrographic a contract to supply a hydrographic turnkey solution. In this context Atlas Hydrographic specifically designed an ATLAS Integrated Survey Sensor System (ATLAS IS³) according to NIO's needs.
The system will be composed by the following components:
- ATLAS DESO 35 shallow water single beam echosounder with thermal printer
- ATLAS DESO 35 DS deep sea single beam echosounder with thermal printer
- ATLAS HYDROSWEEP MD/50 shallow water multibeam echosounder
- ATLAS HYDROSWEEP DS deep sea multibeam echosounder
- ATLAS PARASOUND parametric deep sea sub-bottom profiler
- Software for sensor control, data acquisition, post processing and seabed classification
- Peripheral sensors for sound velocity, positioning, heading and ship motion
- Network infrastructure with data distribution, central data storage system, in-house and on-board post processing facilities, helmsman displays and repeaters
Within this system configuration the ATLAS DESO single beam echo sounders will provide precise depth information in all water depths. Efficient multibeam surveys in shallow and deep water will be realised by the ATLAS HYDROSWEEP third generation echo sounders.
The high-end research sonar can be used not only for bathymetry, but also for water column profiling and seabed classification using side scan and backscatter information. Through continuous improvement in recent years today's ATLAS HYDROSWEEP multibeam echo sounders are characterised by high performance signal processing with a high number of beams, frequency modulated (chirped) pulses and the innovative multi-ping technology.
As a consequence of these enhancements NIO will benefit from high-resolution, data density as well as increased coverage also at higher ship speed. These system functionalities will be supplemented by deep sediment profiling of the ATLAS PARASOUND sub-bottom profiler. The complete system will be integrated as a puzzle piece to sensors and scientific instrumentation on board of the vessel supplied by other sources.
In order to make the operators capable to handle the ATLAS IS³ a six weeks training takes place at the "ATLAS test lake" in Bremen at this time. A group of NIO scientists will be trained in terms of software application, maintenance and operation.
Delivery of the ATLAS scope of supply will be completed in this year. The new multidisciplinary oceanographic research vessel is expected to join NIO by 2012 and will have capabilities to undertake basin-scale observations then. Moreover, it will enable Indian oceanographers to take up studies not only in the seas around India, but also in any part of the Indian Ocean.
