Lithium batteries power submarine seismic network
A
Saft Lithium Battery Division product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 1, 2003
Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology is now operating the first node of a seismic network on the floor of the Ionian Sea with power from Saft's primary lithium batteries.
Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) is now operating the first node of a seismic network installed on the floor of the Ionian Sea with power from Saft's primary lithium batteries.
A Saft 14V 2000Ah primary lithium battery pack is providing power for 200 days of autonomous operation for the first node of a seismic network installed on the floor of the Ionian Sea, over 2km beneath the surface.
The aim of the network, being set up by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Geofisica), is to improve its seismic monitoring compared to its core infrastructure, which was previously totally land-based.
The submarine nodes are being built by Tecnomare (the ENI group's marine engineering company).
Their functions include listening for tectonic activity at various frequencies and hydroacoustic transmission of the data back to a surface ship.
The first node with its Saft HEL 14-1920 battery was deployed in October 2002 at a depth of 2105m, where the water pressure is 210 atmospheres (20,265kN/m2).
After many weeks of testing Tecnomare reported the node to be a great success, particularly highlighting the reliable operation of the battery at this extreme depth.
Development and reliable operation of marine observatories - especially those running for as long as a year at depths of 4km - will depend completely on the availability of enabling technologies, such as battery power, underwater communications capability, materials, electronics and so on.
In the initial phase of this project the node is completely autonomous, but it will later be linked back to shore by an undersea cable connection.
The Saft batteries will then provide power backup for basic functions including data acquisition and local data storage.
Earthquakes are quite common in the regions near what INGV calls the SN-1 node.
Among the most recent and destructive was one at Syracuse in 1990 - as well as Catania (1693) and Messina (1908) that destroyed the two cities.
Geologists and tectonic specialists note that for the last 85 million years, the African plate has been moving up under the Eurasian plate at the rate of one cm a year.
The particular shape of the Italian peninsula makes it difficult to ensure effective monitoring of the principal marine seismogenetic structures with only a land-based network.
The Italian researchers are now planning further submarine nodes to increase their ability to detect seismic activities.
The node weighs 1500kg at surface level - and 800kg when submerged on the seafloor 25km offshore of Sicily.
Along with its four Saft lithium-thionyl chloride batteries (with more than four hundred LS 33600C cells) its components include five significant devices: a three-component broadband seismometer operating at 100Hz; a prototype gravitometer, at 1Hz; a hydrophone at 80Hz; a three-component current meter at 2Hz; and a sensor that makes conductivity (salinity), temperature and depth/pressure readings.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact Saft Lithium Battery Division
Tel +33 1 49 93 1752
Other Saft Lithium Battery Division stories
-
Batteries provide peak power
The VL6A high-power cell is designed for civil applications that require peak power, for example in windmill blade pitch control. -
Lithium-ion battery is intrinsically safe
Saft has broken new ground in rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology with the launch of an intrinsically safe cell suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. -
Lithium-ion batteries power emergency warmers
Saft is supplying its rechargeable MP lithium-ion batteries to Biegler Medical Electronics for use in the infusion devices that it manufactures to warm blood or other transfusable liquids in emergency -
Lithium cells assure swimming-pool safety
The Aquasensor is a life-saving swimming pool alarm device that is powered by solar panels and Saft lithium batteries. -
Batteries help defend against chemical terrorism
Environics has selected Saft rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to provide a reliable source of power for its new ChemPro 100 handheld chemical agent detector.
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
