subject: How To Choose Your Supplier Of Sound Velocity Profilers [print this page] A sound velocity profile is obtained when speed of sound is plotted against ocean depth. Equipment that provide this facility are known as sound velocity profilers. These instruments are important in oceanographic surveys as they provide significant data pertaining to currents.
Sound velocity profilers can use a electronic digital time of flight sound velocity sensor to supply very precise sound velocity profiles. Some instruments additionally have a 0.01% pressure sensor, and include a synchronised sampling method to ensure that all sensors are sampled at precisely the same time during a profile.
Profilers may be manufactured from titanium and incorporate significant memory making them appropriate for fast profiling to a depth of 6000m.
Features of sound velocity profilers cover genuine accuracy of 0.02m/s (Total Error Budget), Precision (peak to peak noise) of 0.002m/s, operating range of 1375m/s to 1900m/s (covering all environments from fresh water to the Dead Sea and the Marianas Trench) and data rates up to 60Hz (instrument dependent).
They also design,create, market and service a big selection of sea based technology instruments to support other related Industries. These industry sectors range from port and Harbour Authority Management, Conservation, Oil and Gas and defence. However they all have a typical demand and that is the precise recording of marine conditions and the ongoing alterations to those conditions and environments.
Many Sound Velocity profile Suppliers also manufacture and distribute a number of Oceanographic and Hydrographic Instruments and Equipment. All of these items are inter-related because of the particular characteristics of the fresh water and sea water environments in which they work. The scenarios present in each of these environments, which may well vary greatly in composition, temperature and pressure, requires that the construction of these hydrographic instruments needs to be as robust as possible and not susceptible to corrosion or reaction to their working conditions.
As a consequence, Sound Velocity Profile Providers and Manufacturers, are first and foremost precision engineering companies that have adapted their skills to create and manufacture top quality engineered merchandise for the marine environment.
There are a variety of related devices that sound velocity suppliers also normally make. These are, tide gauges, Sound Velocity Sensors, Current Meters (sometimes called Current Flow Meters or Tidal Flow Meters), Echosounders (or Bathymetry Equipment) and Wave Recorders. All of these products have uses that relate to the precise measurement of fluctuations within the marine environment that result in the alteration of water temperature, depth, speed, pressure, composition, conductivity or direction.
These devices may be branded to have different product names but essentially they carry out the same generic procedures but with varying focus.
From a real life usage point of view, the following applications and project types apply, namely, Hydrographic Survey, Military or Defence, Metrology and Positioning Systems, ROV (Remote Operated Vehicles) and AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) Applications, Hydrometric Measurement Projects and Surveys and Seismic Issues, Harbour Operations and Studies and Port Operations, Dredging Operations, Scientific and Academic Projects relating to the Renewable Energy, marine environment, and Oil and Gas Industries.
Sound velocity profile providers with these manufacturing qualities will be in a position to advise on probably the most appropriate solution for the job at hand and the marine environmental conditions that the profiler will work in.
