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Nortek Signature100vm low
Nortek Signature VM Ocean 55k Hz frontview
Figure 7
IMG 20210823 091134
Nortek Signature100vm low Nortek Signature VM Ocean 55k Hz frontview Figure 7 IMG 20210823 091134

VESSEL-MOUNTED CURRENT PROFILER

VM Ocean (100|75/55 kHz)

Delivers vessel-mounted ADCP capabilities with an optional scientific echosounder for biomass measurements.

  • A coherent and modern system that is quick and convenient to operate
  • A novel transducer design allows focusing on measurement precision (75 kHz) and a 1000 m profiling range (55 kHz)
  • Optional scientific echosounder with multiple modes for biomass (100)
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Technical specification (PDF)
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Overview

  • Until now, epipelagic and 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.

    Nortek’s vessel-mounted Signature VM Ocean in the 100 kHz version opens up new opportunities to measure currents and to study biomass simultaneously. The 55 kHz version offers long-range current profiles with a proper precision.

Highlights

  • A coherent and modern system that is quick and convenient to operate
  • Automated processing
  • VM or stand-alone applications
  • A novel transducer design allows focusing on measurement precision (75 kHz) and a 1000 m profiling range (55 kHz)
  • Four beams for current profiling with a range over 300 m (100)
  • Optional scientific echosounder with multiple modes for biomass (100)

Applications

  • Offshore operations
  • Internal waves
  • Upper-ocean boundary-layer studies (100)
  • Detection of krill or plankton in the water column (100)
  • Deep-water current profiles, ocean discharge (55)

    • Toggle all

    • Water Velocity Measurements - Signature VM 100 kHz

      Profiling range** 300-400 m
      Doppler processing Broadband & Narrowband
      Cell size 3-16 m
      Max no. cells 200
      Min. blanking 2
      Minimum accuracy 1% of the measured value ± 0.5 cm/s
      Velocity resolution 0.1 cm/s
      Maximum sampling rate 1 Hz (1/3 Hz with BT and echosounder)
      Velocity range (along beam) 5 m/s
      No. of beams 4 slanted at 20°
      **) Depending on acoustic scattering condition.

    • Water Velocity Measurements - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      Profiling range** 685/900-1000 m
      Doppler processing Broadband/Broadband & Narrowband
      Cell size 5-20 m
      Max no. cells 200
      Min. blanking 2
      Minimum accuracy 1% of the measured value ± 0.5 cm/s
      Velocity resolution 0.1 cm/s
      Maximum sampling rate 1 Hz
      Velocity range (along beam) 5 m/s
      No. of beams 3 slanted at 20°
      **) Depending on acoustic scattering condition.

    • Bottom velocity measurements - Signature VM 100 kHz

      Single ping std @ 3 m/s TBA
      Long-term accuracy TBA
      Minimum altitude 5 m
      Maximum altitude 540 m
      Velocity resolution 0.01 mm/s
      Maximum sampling rate 1/2 Hz (1/3 Hz with VP and echosounder)

    • Bottom velocity measurements - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      Single ping std @ 3 m/s TBA
      Long-term accuracy TBA
      Minimum altitude 50 m
      Maximum altitude 1000 m
      Velocity resolution 0.01 mm/s
      Maximum sampling rate 1/2 Hz

    • Echo intensity (slanted beams) - Signature VM 100 kHz

      Sampling Same as velocity for slanted beams
      Resolution/dynamic range 0.5 dB/70 dB
      Dynamic range 70 dB slanted beams
      Transducer acoustic frequency 100 kHz
      No. of beams 4 slanted at 20°
      Beam width 6.1°

    • Echo intensity (slanted beams) - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      Sampling Same as velocity
      Resolution/dynamic range 0.5 dB/70 dB
      Dynamic range 70 dB slanted beams
      Transducer acoustic frequency 75 and 55 kHz
      No. of beams 3 slanted at 20°
      Beam width 4.5°-5.5°

    • Echosounder option - Signature VM 100 kHz

      No. of beams 1 vertical
      Transducer acoustic frequency 70-120 kHz
      Sampling 1 Hz (1/3 Hz with VP and BT)
      Transducer beam width 15° @ 70 kHz, 8.7° @ 120 kHz
      Resolution 0.375 –4 m
      Resolution/ dynamic range 0.01 dB/130 dB
      Transmit pulse Monochromatic 70 kHz, 90 kHz and 120 kHz or frequency chirp (90 kHz, 50% BW)
      Transmit power 7.5-120 W adjustable
      Chirp signal processing Pulse compression or binned frequency response

    • Echosounder option - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      No. of beams N/A
      Transducer acoustic frequency N/A
      Sampling N/A
      Transducer beam width N/A
      Resolution N/A
      Resolution/ dynamic range N/A
      Transmit pulse N/A
      Transmit power N/A
      Chirp signal processing N/A

    • Other - Signature VM 100 kHz

      Temperature sensor range / accuracy -4 °C to 40 °C / 0.1 °C
      Pressure Piezo resistive
      Standard range 0-1500 m (inquire for options)
      Accuracy/precision 0.1% FS / Better than 0.002% of full scale
      Compass and tilt Solid-state magnetometer and accelerometer
      Data recording 16 GB (inquire for options)
      Data cable 10 m Ethernet cable. Other lenghts available
      IO Ethernet
      DC input 24-48 V DC

    • Other - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      Temperature sensor range / accuracy -4 °C to 40 °C / 0.1 °C
      Pressure Piezo resistive
      Standard range 0-1500 m (inquire for options)
      Accuracy/precision 0.1% FS / Better than 0.002% of full scale
      Compass and tilt Solid-state magnetometer and accelerometer
      Data recording 16 GB (inquire for options)
      Data cable 30 m Ethernet cable (inquire for options)
      IO Ethernet
      DC input 48 V DC

    • Dimensions - Signature VM 100 kHz

      Maximum diameter 455 mm
      Maximum length without room for internal batteries 392 mm
      Weight in air 29 Kg (5 beams)

    • Dimensions - Signature VM 75/55 kHz

      Maximum diameter 650 mm
      Maximum length without room for internal batteries 314 mm
      Weight in air 57 Kg

    • Environmental, Signature VM ADCP

      Operating temperature -4 °C to 40 °C
      Storage temperature -20 °C to 60 °C
      Vibration IEC 60068-1/IEC60068-2-64
      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

    • Processing unit

      Processor/memory Intel i5/8 GB
      Hard disk SSD, 500 GB
      Operating system Windows® 10
      Housing Half 19" 2 HE case
      Dimensions 265x110x340 mm
      Input 24 V DC, 20 W typical (230|120 V AC adaptor supplied)
      Total weight 5.75 Kg
      Connections Power, Signature ADCP, AN_GNSS, 2x HDMI, 2xLAN, 3x USB

    • Nortek Signature VM acquisition software

      Acquisition Signature VM - binary, GNSS compass - binary
      Timing < 0.6 s, IEEE1588/PTP for absolute time stamping (GNSS/Signature VM)
      Configuration Signature VM (partly) GNSS Advanced navigation
      Display Vessel track in map, Bottom-track velocity, Bottom-track depth, Velocity magnitude and direction, Echo amplitude (slanted beams), Echo correlation (slanted beams), corrected relative volume backscatter (100)
      Status Signature VM + AN_GNSS compass
      Output Online: NMEA data formats. Offline: CSV, ASCII VMT, MATLAB, MATLAB VMT, MATLAB QRev, KML

    • GNSS compass option

      Brand and model Advanced Navigation GNSS compass v2
      Position accuracy (with RTK) Horizontal : 0.01 m, vertical: 0.015 m
      Heading accuracy 0.2 °
      Supported navigation systems GPS L1_L2, GLONASS G1_G2, GALILEO E1_E5b, BeiDou B1_B2
      Heavy accuracy 0.05 m
      Communication Ethernet 10/100
      Timing PTP, NTP timeserver functionality
      Protocol NMEA 0183, AN Packet protocol, TSS1, Simrad, RTCM

    • AHRS option

      Accelerometer dynamic ± 2 g
      Gyro dynamic range ± 250°/sec
      Magnetometer dynamic range ± 1.3 Gauss
      Pitch and roll range/resolution ± 90° (pitch), ± 180° (roll)/0.01°
      Pitch and roll accuracy ± 2° (dynamic)3), ± 0.5° (static, ± 30°)
      Heading range / resolution 360°, all axes/0.01°
      Heading accuracy ± 3° (dynamic)3), ± 2° (static, tilt < 20°)
      Sampling rate Same as measurement rate

    • Toggle all

    •  Main product

      01

      Signature100 VM Ocean

      02

      Signature55 VM Ocean

    •  Probe type /head

      01

      4-beam head (100)

      02

      5-beam head (adds 95 kHz center transducer for echo sounder)(100)

      03

      3 beam head (55)

    •  Housing

      01

      Short, no room for battery (external battery canister for bottom-mount use) (same as currently stated; same for 100 and 55)

    •  Memory

      01

      16 GB SD card data logger

      02

      64 GB SD card data logger

      03

      128 GB SD card data logger

    •  Pressure sensor

      01

      Pressure sensor, 0-1500 m, accuracy 0,1% of FS (standard)

      02

      Pressure sensor, 0-100 m, accuracy 0,1% of FS (option)

    •  Cables

      01

      AD2CP: 10 m Ethernet cable with MCIL6MP, Power/RJ45 at dry end (standard)

      02

      AD2CP: 10-100 m Ethernet cable (specify length) with MCIL6MP-PWR/RJ45

    •  Mounting

      01

      Vessel-mounted over the side

      02

      Vessel hull-mounted

      03

      Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) mounted (please inquire)

    • Other

      01

      Compass and tilt sensor

      02

      AHRS (option)

      03

      High Accuracy Heading GNSS (RTK) (option)

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