CS126 – Hiduron 191 – The Hydrophone Deployment System

The exact positioning of a floating design oil production platform is critical to ensure that the drilling station is accurately located and maintained. The location of the Hutton tension leg platform in the North Sea is continuously monitored, and corrections made, by a computer-controlled guidance system to which signals are fed by hydrophones located at the four corners of the platform inside the ballast tanks forming part of the hull.

The hydrophone deployment system, especially designed by the Keymat Products Department of Fenner Fluid Power for the Hutton platform, uses four-metre-long cylindrical housing in HIDRON 191 (UNS C72420, NES 835, DEF STAN 02-835) for the Hydrophones which are retractable and can be lowered by up to two metres below the hull.

HIDURON 191 was chosen for most of the principal components of the systems such as the weld constructed flanged cylinders, seal housing assemblies and fasteners for its high strength, excellent resistance to seawater corrosion and good resistance to biofouling.

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