Image 1: Testing the Sonardyne Mini Ranger 2 system with the AquaTitans Submersible Support Container
Newly formed specialist manned submersible services provider AquaTitans says it has chosen underwater tracking systems from marine technology company Sonardyne to support underwater vehicles used by scientists, researchers and filmmakers.
The Glasgow-based company, formed by submersibles specialists Alan Green and William Arthur in 2022, will use Sonardyne’s Mini-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) positioning system as part of its new containerised submersible support system.
For use from small expedition vessels to large, open-decked offshore support ships, vessels of opportunity or even quaysides, the AquaTitans container concept comes with everything needed to operate submersibles. The package includes dedicated support equipment for underwater communications, re-charging batteries, oxygen and air re-supply, together with accurate and reliable underwater tracking.
The company’s first two 20 ft containerised systems will be used with Triton 3300/3 submersibles; three-man vehicles built by Triton Submarines that are able to carry science and research specialists to depths of 1,000 m. The first delivery was made in Q1 2023.
For work with underwater platforms like submersibles, Mini-Ranger 2 offers a portable and quick to mobilise, versatile tracking and communications system. It provides submersible pilots with the confidence, accuracy and safety assurance they need on critical tasks during dives, saving valuable operational time.
Image 2: Underwater communications and subsea tracking from the AquaTitans Submersible Support Container
It is ideal for use on vessels of opportunity and even from the quayside, offering performance, without cost and complexity of a permanently installed USBL system. It is able to track up to 10 underwater targets out to 995m operating range, as standard, using Sonardyne’s market-leading 6G hardware and Wideband 2 digital acoustic technology.
The operating range is extendable to 4,000m and, with an optional robotics pack, Mini-Ranger 2 can also provide underwater vehicle command and control.
Alan Green, who has been working with submersibles since his first job working with submarine rescue company Rumic in 2002, says Mini-Ranger 2 was an obvious choice for their containerised solution for submersible operators.
“Sonardyne’s deep water USBL systems are deployed on a number of projects and when we spoke with the submersible pilots and operators, this was the preferred system” he says. “We didn’t need to look elsewhere. The Mini-Ranger 2 has been proven to be reliable, accurate and easy to use; all critical factors when selecting subsea equipment. With confidence in the tracking data, the pilot can quickly locate targets subsea and avoid losing valuable dive time transiting to the wrong location. It is all part of ensuring that the scientists and researchers are able to maximise their time underwater and receive the best experience possible.
“We’re pleased to be supporting AquaTitans in their new venture,” says Alan MacDonald, Sales Manager at Sonardyne. “Both Alan and William are highly experienced operators and their containerised solution will make submersible operation from vessels or even waterside locations far easier, reducing equipment set-up and integration complexities. Mini-Ranger 2 fits perfectly into that ethos.”
