Developed in partnership with UK-based multinational defence technology company QinetiQ for the Martime Signature and Environmental Sectors, the Hydraq QQ1000, is a combination of acoustic and auxiliary sensors suitable for seabed, rising cable, or suspended cable deployment.
Providing enhanced metrology, the instrumented hydrophone has applications spanning underwater noise measurement and environmental use for Port and Harbour Authorities, including compliance with environmental legislation, through to recording of marine mammals, generic noise pollution, and identification of individual vessel sound signatures at sea, which are of value to the maritime and defence sectors.
Seiche’s Hydraq QQ1000 sensor meets the challenges of accurately measuring radiated noise and anthropogenic noise pollution in the marine environment. The acoustic measurement bandwidth is compatible with current noise standards, including ISO, DNV and STANAG.
Hydraq QQ1000 can also act as a sensor for hydrodynamic pressure variation. It incorporates an accurate high-resolution pressure sensor to provide hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure data, giving direct measurement of water depth at the hydrophone. A direct measurement of hydrophone depth can improve 3D position fixing, as acoustic determination of hydrophone depth depends on reflections from a variable or ‘unreliable’ surface.
Mark Burnett, Director (Special Operations) at Seiche Group, commented: “In August 2023, IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved Revised Guidelines for the Reduction of Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) from Shipping to Address Adverse Impacts on Marine Life (MEPC.1/Circ.906). The Guidelines stipulate a requirement for the evaluation and ongoing monitoring of URN as an essential step towards assessing the effectiveness of efforts to reduce noise in the oceans through measurement of ship URN. As a consequence, we expect to see an increasing appetite for technology that can monitor multiple aspects of underwater noise, enabling mitigation measures to be put in to place that reduce impact on marine mammals”.
James Nicholson, former Chief Scientist of Underwater Threat Representation and Signature Services at QinetiQ, added: “The development of this device is based on many years’ experience of radiated noise measurement in both deep and shallow water environments”.
Download the datasheet for further information.
