CASE STUDY – DB 24000 EOL – SINTEF

CHALLENGES OF THE PROJECT

• The buoy was being deployed in the Trondheim Fjord with very low temperatures : -20°C to -30°C ;
• The buoy had to be able to perform measurements even during the Norwegian winters with very few sun light to recharge solar panels (hybrid power production system innovation) ;
• The deployment conditions were very challenging due to the size (5m diameter) and weight (12 tons) of the buoy ;
• The buoy needed to have full integration capacity to support the volume of equipment and the energy required.

EOL SYSTEM, AN AUTOMATIC AND SMART WINCH

The EOL 24000 buoy is equipped with a winch –  including a sea condition detector – performing several measurements thanks to a cage full of sensors diving at 55 meter depth at a speed of 10cm per second. The winch is remotely controllable : speed, depth, dive frequency. It is also equipped with 4 moon pools through its structure allowing to perform even more underwater measurements.

“From measuring the plastic or gas content of the water to capturing images as imperceivable to the human eye as phytoplankton, the research possibilities of this project are endless.”

John Caskey, Hydrosphere’s managing director