2000m Aquadopp 3D current meter
The most versatile ocean current meter available
The 2000m Aquadopp is designed for deployments down to
2000m and it has all the capabilities of the
standard
Aquadopp. It is a modern, yet well-proven instrument and
it undoubtedly the most versatile single-point current meter
on the market. Relative to the standard system, it has a
larger diameter (about 84mm vs. 75mm) but it is still made
of all plastic parts. As a result, the 2000m model is lighter
than the pure-titanium 6000m model and it represents an affordable
alternative for the deployment in intermediate waters.
The transducer sensor head is made from machined Delrin
materials and the orientation of the beams is the same as in
the standard "moring head" configuration.
In the deep ocean, there are fewer particles than in the
upper 500m of the water column. Considerable work has been
done with the Aquadopp to understand the factors that affect
the acoustic signal strength and to improve the magnitude of
the returned echo. This work is reflected in current electronics
and transducer design. Verified performance in the deep ocean
is documented
here.
The most common application for the 2000m Aquadopp is
deep-water moorings, where one or more instruments are
mounted on a cable that stretches from the bottom to a
subsurface float. The instruments can either be clamped
directly to the cable or a
fin can be used to make sure
the instrument is always oriented into the flow.
Unique features
The 2000m Aquadopp has several unique features that makes
it the instrument of choice for deep water moorings:
- The Aquadopp records all relevant parameters to the internal recorder, including acoustic signal strength, tilt, compass, battery voltage, and status/error code.
- The sampling strategy is very flexible. The measurement interval, the averaging interval and the exact pinging rate can all be set independently in the deployment planning menu included as part of the standard software.
- The compass includes a hard iron calibration routine that makes it possible to remove the effects of the cable and the mounting clamps on the compass measurements.
- Using the diagnostic mode, the detailed mooring motion (heave, rotation, tilt) can be measured and understood.
- The acoustic signal strength is recorded in order to provide a direct measure of the acoustic conditions.
Diagnostic Mode
In addition to the regular data collection, the Aquadopp can be set to
collect data at 1Hz for a specified duration and at user specified intervals.
This diagnostic mode is a unique feature for the Aquadopp. This mode was
originally introduced to learn more about mooring motion, but it quickly proved
popular also for wave data collection.
Key Features
Detailed specifications are provided in the
PDF brochure.
Recorder Parameters (standard):
- 3D Velocity (East/North Up or X/Y/Z or Beam 1/2/3)
- Acoustic signal strength (Beam 1/2/3)
- Compass
- Tilt
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Battery voltage
- Status code
- Error code
- In diagnostic mode, all the above parameters are recorded.
Power:
- Internal battery or external DC source. AC/DC converter comes standard with the Aquadopp
External Interface:
- Two analog input channels (0–5V) can be powered and read by the Aquadopp and integrated into the standard data structure
Data communication:
- I/O: RS232 or RS422 at baud rates of 300 to 115200. Binary and ASCII
- Analog outputs: (3 velocity components)
- User control: Handled via WIN32 software or ActiveX components
Data Recording:
- Capacity: 9 MB, upgradable with 24 MB, 76 MB or 152 MB extra boards
Mechanical:
- Delrin® housing and transducer head, titanium screws
- Weight in air is about 4.4kg, in water approximately 1.2kg
Options:
- Increased recorder size
- External battery housing
- Internal wiring harness for different communication protocols
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