STING is a self-contained, tethered probe with a streamlined body and a long (up to three meters), slender steel shaft protruding from the nose cone. It is designed to be simple and fast in operation; a typical survey event can be accomplished and a basic analysis completed in less than 30 minutes. The STING Mk.II can be used off vessels ranging in size from a large dinghy to a major naval or survey vessel. The only vessel requirements are a laptop or desktop PC computer and room for the operator to store the line that is hauled in.
The operation of the STING Mk.II is designed so that first time users may operate the system with minimal instruction. The unit is released from a vessel so that it drops freely through the water, reaches terminal velocity, and impacts into the sea floor vertically with its calibrated shaft and foot. Internal microprocessor-based electronics record the deceleration as the shaft embeds itself into the layers of the bottom sediment. Since a typical seabed impact event lasts under a second, it is possible to commit multiple impacts to the built-in memory bank. Successive drops can be performed during a single deployment by simply raising the probe several meters off the bottom. After the unit is brought back to the surface the data is downloaded to a PC workstation. Sophisticated analysis software, included with the probe, determines various kinematic parameters for each impact event and computes an estimate of the seabed bearing strength profile. The data obtained are presented in the format of bearing strength versus penetration depth. This data also gives an indication of the strata of the sediment. The data may be exported into any tabbed-ASCII format program, such as Microsoft Excel.
Usable in sediments ranging from very soft mud to medium density sand, the STING is customizable for each sediment type by changing the impact shaft and foot configuration. Four foot sizes are available, with the largest being used for very soft mud, and the smallest being used for sand. The shaft may be set up to penetrate one, two or three meters into the sediment, although full penetration may not be accomplished with the longer sizes in sand and other hard sediments.
Data acquisition can be
initiated by water immersion or optionally by hydrostatic pressure level. The
immersion (conductivity) switch starts the acquisition as soon as a pair of
electrodes is shorted by the water. The conductivity trip point is menu driven
and may be set for different salinity levels, including fresh water. Units equipped
with the optional depth measurement system may be programmed to start the data
logging process at a predetermined water depth, thus economizing memory usage.
The depth measurements may be recorded alongside the acceleration data if so
desired.
STING was developed by the Canadian Department of National Defense with the technical collaboration of A.G.O. Environmental Electronics Ltd, who now manufactures the device under license. JASCO Research Ltd brings to the partnership years of experience in the applied physical sciences and an established record as a developer of advanced scientific analysis software and instrumentation.
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