Scripps Institution of Oceanography (sometimes referred to as SIO, Scripps Oceanography, or just Scripps) in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world.
Hundreds of ocean and earth researchers conduct scientific research with the aid of oceanographic research vessels and shorebased laboratories. Scripps manages several research vessels including: RV Roger Revelle, RV Melville, RV New Horizon, RV Robert Gordon Sproul, and RP FLIP. These vessels are floating laboratories so the winches are a mission critical element to the voyage. The winches are used in a wide variety of configurations; raising and lowering rosettes and CTDs, trawling, coring, AUV/ROV deployment, etc..
To ensure accuracy and safety, Scripps has used MTNW Line Control Instruments winch monitoring displays and software for over 15 years. Recently however, the UNOLS safety committee changed the winch monitoring standards for all vessels. To help Scripps come into compliance with these new changes in Appendix A safety standards, MTNW engineers have been onsite in late 2010 to provide a fleet-wide upgrade to their winch monitoring systems. Our engineers provided new sensors, new wiring, upgraded LCI-90 to LCI-90i displays, installed several large scoreboard displays, and provided data-logging software. According to the changes in Appendix A, for the highest factor of safety, the operators are required to monitor their winches at least 20 times per second for data-logging, 10 times per second for a display screen and have access to an on screen graph of line tension.
The MTNW LCI-90i display combined with our WinchDAC software can provide this level of information monitoring seamlessly. We are excited to be helping modernize Scripps research vessels and we look forward working with the rest of the UNOLS vessels for the next 15 years.
