BIODEEP MEETING(Venice, October 13-15 2003)

Problems experienced during 2001 cruise

• Unreliable performance in high pressure (>2500 mwd) of SCIPACK/SCISKID umbilical cable some deployments aborted

• Failure of MODUS thrusters detailed surveys made with extreme difficulty

• Failure to some components STAND-BY

• Insufficient quality of the video documentation system bad images taken

Remedial actions

• New SCIPACK/SCISKID umbilical cables manufactured and tested

• 3 lengths now available: 10, 25 and 200 m

Remedial actions

• All failed components repaired and/or replaced

•SCIPACK TV camera

•SCIPACK altimeter

Thrusters

The electronics of all thrusters have been updated by the manufacturer Tecnadyne and became more reliable.The entire MODUS system has been tested before conducting the SN-1 observatory recovery in May 2003 successfully. Nevertheless 2 thrusters showed problems during the GNDT recovery, without harming the mission.

For BIODEEP cruise the configuration shall be:•2 thruster mounted on MODUS•2 thruster available as spare

For the BIODEEP mission we don’t see a risk, as a wide range of operation is not necessary.

Comparison between ‘old’ and improved Video-System

Component 2001 cruise Improvements

Cameras Needed: 4 at MODUSavailable 4: 2x col, 2x b/w

Needed: 4 at MODUSavailable 6: - 3x b/w (incl. 1x Hi-Res),- 3x col (incl 1x Zoom)Control-Racks 1x Video (=2

Monitors), 1x Steering, 1x Sonar

2x Video (=4 Monitors), 1x Steering, 1x Sonar

Video-Line One VGA signal in-line for two Monitors

One VGA signal splitted for four Monitors=better quality images

Video-Recording Two Recorder for two Monitors

Four Recorder for four Monitors

 

left: 2001 cruise equipment for MODUS steering and control units

right: new configuration with additional second 19” Video-System rack

Video documentation system

New Zoom-Camera from DeepSea-Power&Light: Super SeaCam 6000, 12xZoom, autofocus

Comparison between ‘old’ and improved Video-System

 

Configurations for 2003 cruise

 

200 m

• sw/brine interface• body brines + HP5l

survey10 m 15 m

System upgrades

 

• more sensors transmissometer added to SCIPACK CTD. Integration of other sensors possible (CH4, pH, Eh, O2, etc.), depends on budget

• possibility to explore the second interface of Urania basin long cable provided

• sensors at two levels (e.g. at two ends of the Niskin bottles) for a more accurate sampling at the interface no sensor provided by CONISMA not implemented

• Additional TV camera on SCIPACK no budget for that in BIODEEP

• Integration of IMBC multicorer TUB and IMBC to coordinate