Do Vessel Motions affect your Research Data?
Whether you are towing a camera or a towfish, or deploying scientific equipment under the vessel, Active Heave Compensation can assure high data quality in all weather conditions.
Applications
AHC
CTD / Rosette
Grabbing
Core Sampling
ROV Operations
Plankton Sampling
Towing AHC
Towed Cameras
Other Towed Bodies
Sidescan Sonars
ROTV
Plankton Sampling
Install mTrack AHC Controller and take the Vessel Motion out of the Equation.
• Off-the-shelf AHC controller with integrated MRU.
• A game-changer that makes AHC affordable even for smaller winches and cranes used for subsea operations.
• Includes all the tools you need for easy installation and commissioning, no need for expensive experts.
Features
AHC
Keep your scientific equipment stable independent of vessel motion.
Auto Depth
Deploy your equipment smoothly and precisely to the desired depth, or to set depth intervals.
Follow Seabed
Maintain constant distance to the seabed when towing camera or Towfish.
Active Heave Compensation vs Constant Tension
Scientific winches are usually fitted with a constant tension function (CT) that is intended to stabilize the equipment in the sea, but since the scientific equipment is usually lightweight and has a streamlined shape, CT has a little stabilizing effect in bad weather.
Active Heave Compensation (AHC) measures the boat's movement and controls the winches so that this movement is filtered out and the equipment in the sea is kept in stable position regardless of weight and shape.
AHC technology has mainly been available on large offshore winches, but Scantrols new solutions make it economically feasible to add AHC to small and medium winches.
How to Retrofit mTrack to Existing Winches
Many winches are suitable for AHC operation, reuse of your winch represents a major cost reduction compared to buying a new winch and results in a reduced carbon footprint.
We can help you determine if your winch is suitable for AHC.
Have questions or would you like to discuss your project?
If you have any questions about AHC, your application, or next steps, you are welcome to reach out directly.
Suzy Zhu
International Sales Manager
Email: suzy@scantrol.com
Phone: +47 465 20 370
Jan Kjærstad
CEO
Email: jan.kjarstad@scantrol.com
Phone: +47 911 59 434
We are happy to review your setup, answer technical questions, or schedule a meeting
Henry Boddington,
International Sales Manager
Email: henry@scantrol.com
Phone: +47 901 57 044
Frequently Asked Questions
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Active heave compensation measures vessel motion and controls the winch so that heave is filtered out, keeping scientific equipment in a stable position in the water regardless of its weight or shape. This maintains data quality for research operations conducted in variable sea conditions.
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Constant tension is designed to stabilize equipment through winch tension alone. Because scientific equipment is typically lightweight and streamlined, constant tension has limited stabilizing effect in bad weather. Active heave compensation directly counteracts vessel motion instead, providing stability independent of the equipment's weight or shape.
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AHC is used with CTD/Rosette samplers, grabbing equipment, core sampling tools, ROV operations, and plankton sampling gear, as well as towed equipment such as cameras, sidescan sonars, and ROTVs. Each application uses a pre-configured mTrack setup for its specific deployment method.
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Yes. mTrack's Follow Seabed function maintains a constant distance between towed equipment, such as a camera or towfish, and the seabed, adjusting automatically as vessel motion and seabed depth change during the tow.
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Yes. Many existing winches on research vessels are suitable for AHC operation. Reusing the existing winch reduces cost compared to purchasing new equipment and avoids the added carbon footprint of a full winch replacement.