Sound in water - fifty years at the forefront

Transcription

1 MAXIMIZING YOUR PERFORMANCE AT SEA Sound in water - fifty years at the forefront

2 Fifty years at the forefront The first echosounder from Simrad was launched in The Skipper Sounder from 1957, was small enough to be mounted in the wheelhouse. Skipper Sounder

3 Making Waves SONARS 3 In 1953 Simrad introduced the first Sonar to the fishing world. Since then, the ways and means of fishing have evolved to become technology based. And at the forefront of this evolution, you ll find Simrad. To lead in this technological change is to shape the world of fishing and through ideas and innovations Simrad has done just that. You could say that fifty years ago, fish were relatively safe. Now though, with Simrad s help, fish can be caught in a far more efficient manner, which in turn increases profitability and makes life at sea less stressful for the fisherman. The technology of sound in water has transformed the world of fishing. And with the constant development of Sonar, Echosounders and Net Instrumentation Simrad continues to forge an unprecedented path.

4 From the Navy to commercial fishing Simrad developed the first ever fishing Echosounder and like Sonar, it was based on a military design, this time from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment. The system needed a complete redesign to make it suitable for fishing and was first launched two years before Sonar in Sonar, or Sound Navigation and Ranging, started out as a military application during the 1st World War. In fact, it was originally referred to as ASDICS, or Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee. It was devised to detect enemy submarines and ultimately destroy them. It wasn t until 1953, following a deal with the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway, that Sonar was used for anything other than military applications. Simrad s technicians had been tasked with commercialising Sonar and were preparing to revolutionise the world of fishing. It s a question as to whether Sonar would be part of the fishing world at all, if Simrad had failed in this task. The concept of Sonar in fishing was the first great leap but there were many more to come Submarine attack on a British convoy to Russia.

5 Proving Grounds SONARS 5 The Ramoen was the first commercial vessel to be fitted with Sonar. The technicians at Simrad needed a testing ground, and the Norwegian trawler would provide the perfect solution. Active Sonar which sends as well as receives was a young technology at the time of the Ramoen, so compared to today s standards, the first Sonar was bulky, expensive and not exactly user friendly. The Basdic Where as the Ramoen featured fixed Sonar, the Basdic had a handle, allowing the transducer to be directed at all angles. This opened up a whole new era for Sonar, and was the first of many innovations that Simrad has given the fishing industry. The Ramoen - the first commercial vessel with sonar. The Ramoen however, was an amazing success, because without it, the Simrad technicians would never have come up with the Basdic Hand Operated Sonar. In 1955 it became the first widely used Sonar mounted in the skiff. The Basdic Sonar sold over 5000 units and is still in use by some of the original early adopters today - testament to the build quality still apparent in all Simrad products. The Basdic, here shown in a water proof cabinet juring an exhibition in Basdic transducer unit.

6 The cost of the catch The average Sonar is not cheap. It s money well spent of course, and money recouped in a short space of time thanks to the catch improving qualities of such high-tech instruments. In the early days of Sonar though, it was simply impossible for the everyday fisherman to be able to afford this new technology. Simrad recognised this problem, and during the fifties, worked hard at lowering the cost. Come the end of the decade, Simrad had succeeded. The need for a fully functioning, affordable Sonar was fulfilled and a new era for commercial fishing the world over was ushered in.

7 The earliest fishing Sonar displayed the signal using wet paper. This system lacked defi-nition and flexibility. Simrad was the first to move from early paper based displays to full electronic screens. In 1975 the CD Sonar Situation Display introduced a true motion image that waved goodbye to paper in Sonar for good. SONARS 7

8 Sonar for all It wasn t until 1959 that Simrad made Sonar a true commercial viability. The Silde ASDIC (Sild means Herring in Norwegian) was so popular in fact, that it was blamed for depleting Herring stocks in the North Sea at the time! With the success of the Sild ASDIC, the cost of Sonar became a very important aspect for Simrad when developing future Sonar systems. The emphasis on cost has been shared with a focus on innovation ever since, which is why Simrad Sonar is still the preferred choice for commercial fishermen fifty years on. SB Sonar hull unit SK Sonar SB Sonar

9 SONARS 9 In 1968 Simrad introduced the SU Sonar series, which featured a transducer deployed by hydraulics. The success of the SU didn t deter Simrad in working to develop a more cost-effective solution and in 1975 the ST Sonar was released. It used an inflatable dome system (as an alternative to hydraulics), which created aerodynamic protection for the transducer. Another simple idea that demonstrates Simrad s forward thinking attitude and customer commitment. The ST Sonar was mounted in a special rubber dome that was inflated during use. SL Sonar SQ/ST Sonar SY Sonar

10 Evolution through innovation Mechanically steered nickel transducer from the late fifties. Having created new thinking in Sonar systems Simrad would strive to develop affordability to make the technology available to a wider market. Many of the developments in fishing Sonar we take for granted have come from the intrinsic link between cost and innovation, which has driven Simrad since day one. After commercialising Sonar during the fifties, Simrad strived to make use of emerging technologies to make its Sonar systems more efficient, easier to use, and of course more cost effective.

11 SONARS 11 At the beginning of the eighties Simrad introduced digital signal processing a system which is still unique to Simrad today. It offers faster and more accurate processing in addition to simplifying the electronics and also makes it possible to upgrade without extra hardware. In the early eighties Simrad introduced the SX202, which was the first 90 o vertical tilt sonar on the market. The true motion display showed ships track, the fish target and motion in colors. The development of advanced transducer technology demands considerable patience, accuracy and hours of testing. The first Multibeam sonar, the SM600, gave better range, greater target definition and was easier to understand. All at a much lower cost.

12 The first long range omni directional sonar, the SR240, was introduced in This new technology gave better verticle views and much improved target defininition. Coming of age... Sonar screen without, and with interference from other sonars in the area. The Simrad sonars are tailor made for various types of fishery. The SP90 low frequency long range sonar is optimized for searching for tuna. Dual beam The combination of horizontal and vertical beams, displays the school of fish from above and from the side at the same time. It is not necessary to go over the target to see the vertical distribution on the echosounder. Omni stabilizing The constant pitch and roll of the sea surface makes it extremely difficult to track a target perfectly. Simrad s answer to this problem is Omni Stabilising: a system that allows the beam to stay on the target, independent of a vessel's movement.

13 Simrad prides itself on being close to its customers and whenever a need of the fishing industry is identified, Simrad is first with a solution. In fact, many of Simrad s solutions remain unique to this day, such as the 90 vertical tilt Sonar, which was first seen in the early eighties. The 90 vertical tilt Sonar allows forward fish detection helping fishermen to find and track large schoals of fish. The first Sonar capable of this was the SX202, which proved one of Simrad s biggest challenges to date. Commitment and hard work paid off though, and Simrad is still the only company to offer 90 vertical tilt Sonar today. Simrad has concentrated its efforts over the last few years on building a Sonar system that operates using PC based technology. The goal of which is to make Sonar systems upgradeable through software, and not via the usual hardware route. This is another first in Sonar technology from Simrad to add to the very long list. SONARS 13 Dedicated transducer profiles and frequencies, used for different fishing applications. The new Simrad sonars tracks targets others can t see!

14 The first steps... In 1962 transistors replaced radio valves reducing size and power consumption dramatically. This enabled echosounders to be used on much smaller fishing boats. The first ever fishing echosounders came from Simrad in This gave the fisherman a real advantage in being able to see the depth, bottom contours and even fish! CK Scientific echosounder Partnersounder S160 Echosounder

15 ECHOSOUNDERS 15 A typical trawlers bridge from Simrad has been the leading manufacturer of Echosounders since day one. Fishermen trust Simrad to provide the very best in build quality and to come up with better, more advanced designs. It s a wellplaced trust as Simrad has shaped the path of the Echosounder in the same way as it has Sonar. Early Echosounders were distinctly lacking in performance. Range was short and results weren t always reliable. Simrad recognised this and concentrated its efforts on boosting power and efficiency. In parallel to this, Simrad worked on improving readouts, which were originally black and white, on wet paper. Both sets of problems have now been solved, and Simrad Echosounders are extremely high-tech tools, but we didn t get to this standard in one giant leap EK Scientific echosounder EX Echosounder EQ Echosounder

16 Material Advances Nickel transducer The first Transistor based Echosounder Simrad has always strived to provide the very best electronic tools for all types and size of vessel. In 1962, Simrad introduced the first ever transistor based Echosounder. The EC series had a powerful 20W transmitter and ran on a 24v DC supply, making it ideal for use by smaller vessels. It proved popular and was mimicked by companies from all over the world. New developments in design have made Simrad transducers more effective and needing less power output per channel. These instruments are highly sensitive at any depth and capable of detecting single fish below 1000 meters. Multi element transducer Split beam transducer Nickel transducer Split beam transducer Split beam transducer, Composite Technology Recordings The first Echosounders used wet paper to depict the results of an echo and gave only a 2 step black and white picture. The advance to dry paper gave bettert definition with 12 step grey scale recording. The natural progression of this was the Skippersounder, which had dry paper with full colour readouts and 32 step recording. But it wasn t until 1978 and the microprocessor driven EK400 that Echo information could be viewed on a screen (CTR).

17 ECHOSOUNDERS 17 In the early days, the only material available to make transducers which form the essential component of an Echosounder was nickel. This was expensive, heavy, and as Simrad would soon find out, not very efficient. For much of the 70 s, Simrad technicians worked on finding a better material for the transducers, and by 1976, were ready to release the greatest innovation since Echo Integration the moulded multi-element ceramic transducer. Whereas nickel was about 25% efficient, ceramics offered approximately 50-75% effeciency. With this one invention, Simrad could offer a more capable, more sensitive and less power hungry Echosounder than before. It had also made Echosounders a more affordable prospect to fishermen. The innovations didn t stop here though A big scientific tranducer from the early sixties with 24 nickel elements. The small, commercial transducers had only one each. New txt? Wet paper recording. (2 step) Dry paper recording. (12 step) Color recording. (32 step) CTR recording.

18 Takes fishfinding to a new level 1989 saw Split-beam technology taken one step further with the introduction of Dynamic Ranging, which covers all signals from the smallest to the largest from plankton to whales. The first Echosounders from Simrad using this method set standards, which still exist today Size matters Simrad has always shaped the echosounder landscape but in 1984, it changed forever. Research into split-beam technology was about to pay off with the release of the Simrad ES series. Early echosounders gave different results for same sized fish, depending on where in the beam they were located. This is because the beam strength gets weaker away from its centre. Split-beam technology measures the exact position of the fish in the beam, and compensates to give an exact picture of the fish making it possible to measure size distribution in advance. As a tool for the fisherman, split-beam technology is one of the most invaluable that has ever been created. Simrad s dedicated approach to research, and its long standing commitment to the needs of the fisherman made this possible Fish Size histogram Fish Plot Echogram Bottom Expansion White line, bottom lock and A-scope presentation. Split beam display. Multi-frequency presentation.

19 ECHOSOUNDERS 19 Simrad ES60 Echosounder with Single, Dual or Split Beam By choosing various modules, with different transceiver frequencies, transmitting powers and transducers you can build a fish finding system to suit your needs. Dual vertical and horizontal presentation and Dual frequency feature, improves the ability to separate and identify various species. ES60 Echosounder

20 First Sight... Before the advent of net instruments, the fisherman was practically fishing blind. There was no way of telling the position of the trawl and nets would be destroyed on uneven ground, schoals would be missed and time would be wasted all adding extra stress to an already stressful job! It was obvious to Simrad that the fisherman needed to see under the water. He needed to know the net s position in relation to the bottom, the surface, the fish and the vessel. He needed to know how much fish is in the net, at what rate it s filling up. Though dedicated catch sensors were to come later, Simrad started to tackle these problems and in 1965, released the cable based FH Trawl Eye. Simrad, using Up/Down Echosounder technology was able to offer a wealth of information about the net, though the real revolution was yet to come The need for net instruments Net Instrumentation arrived later than Sonar and Echosounder. The technology existed, but it wasn t until the sixties, when pelagic trawls started to grow in size that it was really needed. Once the need had been identified though, Simrad went straight to work and was the first company to offer net instrumentation.

21 Cable Ties The trawl is often towed at great distances from the vessel, making cable based net instrumentation too expensive for bottom trawlers. So, in 1969, Simrad introduced a brand new acoustic system called the FL Trawl Link. It was the first wireless based Net Instrumentation system and its lack of cable made it a viable option for the smaller operator. It offered all the functionality of the earlier Trawl Eye system without the expense of a cable. The Trawl Link didn t kill off cable based systems they are still around today but cable free set-ups are less prone to damage, making them the obvious choice for bottom trawlers. Though Simrad had successfully implemented acoustic net instrument technology, there was still a long way to go, and many problems to overcome if the full trawl picture was ever going to be presented to the fisherman without the use of cable. CATCH MONITORING 21 Simrad FL Trawl Link monitor

22 Net instruments Seawater Switch The FL Trawl Link had an On/Off switch that was activated by pressure when submerged making it a very energy efficient unit. This mechanical device sparked the idea for the switch devices, which form part of Simrad s net sensors today. (The first electronic seawater switch ) Simrad ITI is a complete wireless trawl positioning and monitoring system designed to improve control and efficiency in pelagic and bottom trawling. The system allows the skipper to monitor the exact position of the gear and what is happening in and around the trawl, providing crucial information for effective, profitable and responsible fishing. The Catch Indicator A catch indicator was required to measure how full the net was. Simrad established a research team who realised that the mesh opening in the cod end would change depending on how full it was. With this knowledge, the team created a small device that utilised rubber connected to a sensor, which measured the holes and became the first ever catch indicator.

23 Exploding trawl CATCH MONITORING 23 Throughout the seventies, Simrad came up with a multitude of ideas and innovations that form the basis of the high-tech net instrumentation we have today. A particular problem that arose in the Blue Whiting fishing grounds to the West of Ireland would be the catalyst for one of Simrad s most notable achievements. Fishermen were complaining of damage to expensive nets as fish expanded on coming to the surface, in turn causing a full net to practically explode, showering fish everywhere! Effective and responsible fishing with Simrad ITI monitoring system. FA100 Catch sensor FA701 Catch sensor ITI Catch sensor 1991 PS30 Catch sensor 2000

24 The Complete Picture Simrad FA100 catch indicator, commonly known as Eggs. Net instrumentation is subject to extreme stress, especially on the power block or net drum. Simrad s modern sensors are sealed entirely in polyurethane for protection, making them virtually unbreakable. They look great too with the PI range recently winning a top Norwegian design award! Catch indicator, and indeed net instrumentation technology reached a high in 1980, with the release of the FR500. This cable system featured an up/down transducer, temperature/depth sensor, a true motion display and a cable free FA100 catch sensor. It was the birth of the modular pick & play systems used today. Commonly known as Eggs, the FA100 sensors were completely sealed, making them highly durable. This raised the problem of how to power them, so Simrad introduced a rechargeable battery and charging cabinet to solve this particular problem. Simrad s PI system launched in 2000, is the natural progression of the FA100. The general idea of a fully sealed unit remains the key but many new features such as a seawater switch and even easier recharging reinforce the fact that Simrad is still the leading innovator in net instrumentation. Depth sensor Bottom contact sensor Temperature sensor Catch sensor Rip sensor Spread/Remote sensors

25 Designed to survive... CATCH MONITORING 25 The PI sensors are the natural progression of the FA100 catch indicator. A typical mounting of a bottom contact sensor on a trawl. A major problem fisherman have faced for years is net damage caused by hitting obstacles on the seabed. Simrad recognised the problem and Like all the best ideas, the solution is simple: hang a weight, connected to a PI sensor, from the bottom of the net. When the weight hit s the ocean floor the line slackens, telling the sensor that the net is too close to the bottom. Simple!

26 A history in Fishery Research 1959 Triton The research vessel Johan Hjorth. Collaboration is an aspect of Simrad s past that has given rise to many of the breakthroughs made. As well as the Bergen Institute in Norway, Simrad has worked with the Norwegian Research Institute and the Naval Institute. ITI Catch Monitoring EK60 Echosounder 1970 The research vessel G.O. Sars II. SP70 Sonar One of the great milestones was the introduction of the Echo Integrator. The acoustic knowledge and technology aquired through the development of scientific echosounders and sonars is transferred into all Simrad fish finding equipment. FS20 Catch Monitoring 2003

27 FISHERY RESEARCH 27 The new Norwegian research vessel G.O. Sars III is equipped with two independent drop keels, one with echosounder transducers the other with multi beam echosounder transducers for hydrographic use. The drop keel reduces interference from air bubbles, increasing the performance and accuracy of the survey. The split beam multifrequency echosounders enable accurate measurement and improved potential for fish species identification. EM1002 Echosounder EM300 Echosounder Neptun SM2000 FR Sonar Topas PS040

28 Highlights of Simrad s sound in water innovations 1953 First Sonar / Echosounder 1955 Basdic hand operated Sonar 1957 First commercial fishing Sonar 1959 Sild ASDIC released 1961 First Echosounder for fishery research 1962 First Echosounder using transistors 1965 FH Trawl Eye cable based trawl instruments 1969 FL Trawl Link radio based trawl instruments 1970 Echo Integration 1974 Hydraulic deployed SU Sonar 1976 Moulded multi element ceramic transducers / Catch sensors 1977 First Sonar screen display 1978 First microprocessor menu-driven Echosounder 1979 FA100 Acoustic catch sensor / ST Sonar with inflatable dome deployment Multi-beam Sonar / Digital signal processing 1984 First 90 vertical tilt Sonar / Split-beam Echosounders 1989 Dynamic Range Echosounder / Spherical transducer Sonar 1991 ITI introduced 1992 First Trawl Sonar 1996 First multi-frequency Sonar 1998 Computer style operation of Echosounders 2000 PI Sensors introduced / Computer style operation of Sonar MAXIMIZING YOUR PERFORMANCE AT SEA