Technology company Kongsberg will provide scientific sensors and scientific handling equipment for Germany's future ocean research vessel, the 125-metre Meteor IV.
The vessel will be built by MeyerFassmer Spezialschiffbau (MFSB) for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The vessel, due for delivery in 2026, will replace the existing research vessels Meteor and Poseidon.
Kongsberg Discovery will supply Meteor IV with two multi-beam echosounders used for seabed mapping at various depths.
Kongsberg Discovery will also provide a motion gyro compass, whose sensors use GNSS signals and inertial measurements. These combine with the echosounders to create an exact picture of the seabed.
To monitor ecosystems and marine life, Meteor IV will use Kongsberg Discovery's high-precision scientific echosounder with acoustic Doppler current profiler capability. This may be used to measure the velocity of fish in a water column.
The echosounder measures speed and direction of currents in a water column. This helps researchers understand how organisms, nutrients, and other biological and chemical constituents are transported through the ocean.
Kongsberg Maritime will supply a complete integrated scientific handling system for Meteor IV, enabling safe and efficient operations with cables and ropes up to 12,000 metres in length.
The scientific winch system will comprise two direct pull winches, two conventional twin drum traction winch systems, and a third traction winch system, which includes Kongsberg Maritime's field-proven cable traction control unit (CTCU) suitable for use with synthetic fibre rope.
The delivery score also includes overboard handling units such as a stern A-frame, two handling beams, a corer handling system, and cranes.
The vessel's control system, fully developed and maintained in-house by Kongsberg Maritime, will feature the proprietary predictive active heave compensation (AHC) algorithm, providing accurate winch system response matched to vessel motion, by aid of Kongsberg Discovery's motion reference unit (MRU).
