AUV Hugin (IT1.9)

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Hugin 3000

AUV is an underwater autonomous vehicle equipped with 200/400 kHz Multibeam, 105/410 kHz Side Scan Sonar, CO₂ sensor, O₂ sensor, Nitrates sensor and Fluorimeter. CTD sensor is used mainly for navigation, but acquired data are available for scientific purposes.

Payload Technical Specifications:

Multibeam: Kongsberg Maritime EM 2040

•                    Frequency: 200/300/400 kHz
•                    Ping Rate: (max) 50Hz
•                    Swath coverage sector: 200-300 kHz  ≤136°
•                                                           400 kHz ≤120°
•                    Depth resolution: 2mm

 Side Scan Sonar: Edgetech transducer array

•                              Frequency range: 105/410 kHz

 CO₂ sensor: CONTROS HydroC

•                     Measuring range: 200-10000 µatm
•                     Temperature range: 3 - 30 °C
•                     Resolution: <1 µatm
•                     Initial accuracy: ±1% of reading

O₂ sensor:  Aanderaa Data instruments AS Oxygen optode 4831F DW

•                     Measuring range: O₂ concentration 0-1000 µM
•                                                  Air Saturation 0-300%
•                     Temperature range: -5 +40 °C
•                     Resolution: O₂ concentration <0.1 µM
•                                        Air Saturation 0.05%
•                     Accuracy: O₂ concentration <2 µM or 1.5%
•                                      Air Saturation <1.5%

Nitrate sensor: SeaBird Electronics Deep SUNA UV

•                          Depth Rating: 2000m
•                          Limit of detection: Seawater (with T-S correction) 0.5 µM
•                                                       Seawater 2.0 µM
•                          Range of detection: 3000 µM
•                          Best accuracy: ±2 µM (±0.028 mg/l -N)
•                          Precision (short term): Seawater (with T-S correction) 0.3 µM
•                                                              Seawater 2.4 µM
•                          Drift (per hour lamp time): Seawater (with T-S correction) <0.3 µM
•                                                                    Seawater <1.0 µM

Fluorimeter: WET Labs ECO Triplet FLbbCD

•                       Scattering: Wavelengths 470, 532, 650 or 700 nm
•                                         Sensitivity 0.003 m^-1
•                                          Range 0.5 m^-1 
•                        Chlorophyll fluorescence: Ex/Em 470/695 nm
•                                                                 Sensitivity 0.025 µg/l
•                                                                  Range 0.5 µg/l
•                       Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM): Ex/Em 370/460 nm
•                                                                                             Sensitivity 0.28 ppb
•                                                                                             Range 0-375 ppb

Suitable Vessel/Boat, Chase Boat, harbor facility (i.e. crane)

AUV is used to study the sea and seabed from an oceanographic and geophysical point of view, providing data with a higher resolution than would be possible with conventional systems from the surface. It has operational capabilities comparable to those of a research vessel, with very low operating costs. On board the AUV are instruments for mapping the seabed and numerous environmental sensors, making this object a genuine autonomous underwater laboratory. The data collected will allow numerous studies to be carried out, ranging from the analysis and monitoring of any specific marine area due to its portable characteristic present in the area to the study of the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, analysing in detail the mechanisms of ocean acidification. These characteristics make this tool highly important for monitoring phase at CO2 storage sites, as it is equipped with sensors capable of detecting even very low CO2 leaks and providing very detailed images of the seafloor. OGS is the only research institute in Italy that owns an AUV of this scale, representing a significant facility for ECCSEL.