Distributor-Seminar
Oceanology International 2008, London
Autonomous Remote Sensing of Water Level and Waves
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The LOG_aLevel® - Systems
LOG_aLevel® - The Robust, Economic and Accurate Water Level Gauge
and Wave Measurement System via Ultrasound Technology
What kind of Systems does the Market need?
Robust, Low Maintenance, Economic and Accurate Measurement Systems
Redundancy of Sensing Technology
Wave Measurements
Universal Selling Properties and Advantages of the LOG_aLevel®:
Robust, Maintenance Free, Cost Effective, Low Installation Effort, Portable
Calibration Free due to Outstanding Sound Velocity Compensation
Due to low Installation Effort and cost effective systems new measuring
locations / aplications are possible
Accurate Level Measurement also at Wavy Surface
Accurate and High Resolution Wave Measurements
Solely Approved Remote Sensing Level Gage in Germany as an Alternate or
Complement to Radar
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LOG_aLevel® - Applications,
Clients and Examples
Applications:
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Water level monitoring
Wave measurement and analysis, determination of Wave Parameters
Event Alerting System for a fast detection of Storm Tides, Floods or Tsunamis
Water reservoir management to measure highly accurate the water level
Mobile Operating Level Gauge
Complete hydrological and metrological monitoring station
Monitoring Discharger of e.g. Power Stations
Clients:
• Harbour-, River- and Coastal Authorities, EPAs
• Research Institutes and Universities
• Water Resources Authorities
• Energy Producers
• Dredging and Surveying Industry
• Oil and Gas Industry
• Commercial shipping
• Tourist
Industry
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ACOUSTICS
GMBH
Storm Tide Network at Port of Hamburg
Nienstedten
Strandkai
Network consists of:
Billwerder Sperrwerk
• 4 LOG_aLevel Stations
• Integration of wind sensor
• Autonomous power supply
(wind and solar)
• Remote data transfer via GPRS
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Harburger Schleuse
The Storm-TideNetwork in the
Port of Hamburg
(Location:
Strandkai)
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Antenna
UltrasoundSensor
Controller
The Storm-Tide-Network
in the Port of Hamburg
(Location: Nienstedten)
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Flinders Ports, South Australia
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North Sea Monitoring, Büsum
(Germany)
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North Sea Monitoring,
Rochelsteert (Germany)
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BfG (Federal Institute of Hydrology)
Test in Gnevsdorf, River Havel
(Germany)
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River Vienne, France
Ultrasound-Sensor
Antenna
Controller housing
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The Mobile LOG_aLevel®
• Light weight
• No Calibration
• Easy to deploy and set-up
• Robust and reliable
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Selected LOG_aLevel® Customer Applications
• Reliable water level measurement for keel- and/or bridge clearance
• Hydrographical Survey support with precise water level, data transmission via
radio to the survey vessel
• Dredging operation support with precise water level, data transmission via radio
to the survey vessel
• Reliable Stormtide- and flood warning via SMS and level data access via VPN
• Reliable and redundant water level measurement for sluice control
• Long term water level monitoring on river for tourist management
• Integrated water/wave level- and meteorological station
• Monitoring of torrents (snow melting/heavy rain fall)
• Increasing the density of water level station in a local inland water level network
• Measurement of waves for evaluation of wave energy and estimation of loads
for quay design
• Wave measurement for a local wave model - Input and Validation
• Wave and tidal monitoring for coastal protection
• Measuring of ship induced waves for estimation of loads on shores
• Reconstrucion of damages and causer identification based on level and wave
measurement
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Modular design of the LOG_aLevel
Standard Equipment
Ultrasound-Sensor(s)
Controller Module
RS 232/485 Output
Sound velocity probe
12 V DC
Power Supply Module
Stainless steel housing
LOG_aLevel Software
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Optional Equipment
Telemetry Modules:
- Radio/GSM/GPRS/
- LAN, 0-20 mA, etc.
PCMCIA Data Logger
- AC Power Supply
- Wind Generator
- Solar Panel
- Buffer-Battery
External Sensors
- Wind, Pressure,
- Radar, Weather, etc.
GPS synchronised RTC
(integrated in Controller)
Display Module
LOG_aLevel® in big housing
Modular Construction
• Controller
• Data Logger
• Power Supply 12 V
• Power Supply 230 V
• GSM/GPRS
• 80 Ah Buffer Battery
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LOG_aLevel® - The Ultrasound-Sensor
The Innovation:
Fast, precise and remote detection of waves
and water levels
Sensor characteristics
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Narrow sound beam ensures
small footprint on water surface
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Free of disturbing minor sound beams
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Extraordinary high transmitting
power and receiving sensitivity
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Technical resolution: 0.360 mm
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Accuracy in field operation: 1 cm
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Sampling rate up to 5 Hz
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Only 250 g weight
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6 m, 8 m and 10 m range available
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Operating temperature: of -20 ° C to +70 ° C
Easy installation at any place
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jetties, wharfs, sluices, embankment
beacons, dolphins, poles, bridges
buildings, platforms, etc.
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LOG_aLevel® compared to common systems
Common Ultrasound Sensors
or Radar Sensor
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LOG_aLevel® Controller and Power Supply
Controller module for signal processing and
sensor control/data acquisition (incl. Timer),
Digital data transfer via interface RS 232 or
RS 485
and Data Logger output
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Power ON/OFF switch
Power test button
Input: 12 V
Output: Controller Power
12 V for e.g. Radio
5 V for Data Logger
24 V for e.g. Wind Gauge
LOG_aLevel® Reference-Sensor
Sound Velocity measurement due to the possible change of
temperature, air pressure and humidity
By using the directly measured
ultrasound velocity in air and
the measured travel time it is
possible to accurately
compute the water level due
to the continuously calibration.
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LOG_aLevel®, additional Power Supply
Input: 100 V - 240 VAC /50/60 Hz
Output: 12 VDC; 3,5 A
Standard Lead-Gel-Buffer Battery 80 Ah will support
the LOG_aLevel system with a current consumption
of 500 mA for more than 6 days with power
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Standard Solar Panel
Standard Wind
Generator
85 Wp = 340Wh/day
200 Watts at 20 Knots
LOG_aLevel® Data Logger Module
- Standard card size 1 GB CF Industrial Grade, up to 2 GB cards supplied
- In continuous mode at 5 Hz sample rate a 1 GB card has space for 6 months of data
IMPORTANT:
The file with the level data is ALWAYS called "PEGEL.LOG" and MUST ALWAYS be in the directory of the
data medium. It must be available on the data medium before the measuring campaign. The data
logger is not able to create this file by itself.
The Compact Flash-Card may not be pulled out during operation. In such case, the level LOG_aLevel
station must be turned off and then set again in operation.
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LOG_aLevel® GSM/GPRS and Radio Module
GSM/GPRS transmission to
dynamic DNS or fixed IPAddress via the internet
• Licence or Licence-Free Versions
available
• Up to 50 Km range depending on
Antenna, Power and Environment
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LOG_aLevel® additional Modules
and Sensors
RS232/485 converter
to LAN
Display Module to show the
direct water level in the office,
on a dredger or survey ship
Analogue output Module
Anemometer to measure
wind speed and direction
and the virtual temperature
Multi-parameter weather
station with the 6 most
essential weather data
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The LOG_aLevel® - Software
for data logging and control
Real-Time visualizing of Water Level
and the Wave Parameter (H1/3)
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The LOG_aLevel® - Software
for data logging and control
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How to set the LOG_aLevel® Adjustment Level
1. Execute a LOG_aLevel measurment with Adjustment level=0
2. The result is the distance between sensor and water surface
in a negative value
3. Subtract from the actual local datum this value and use the
result as Adjustment level for this station. So you get the
exact tide level measured with the LOG_aLevel
Example:
LOG_aLevel
Zero measurment= - 3 m (adj. Level=0)
Actual local datum: 4.5 m
4.5 m – (-3 m)= 7.5 m
With 7.5 m adjustment level, the LOG_aLevel
will show the result 4.5 m actual tide level
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LOG_aLevel® Questions and Answers
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When starting LOG_aLevel® Software, you receive “System Error, Code: 2”.
Reason: You have chosen the wrong COM Port in the LOG_alevel.ini.
Solution: Find out the right COM Port in your Windows Device Manager and change then in
the LOG_aLevel.ini in row COMParams= port=X (1 is standard)
LOG_aLevel® does not start to measure
Reason: Battery has a too low voltage
Solution: Charge battery (without load about 13.5 V)
LOG_aLevel® does not start to measure and battery has been already charged
Check if sensor is “pinging” by listening at the sensor. If no, check cables and connectors.
Press button at power supply to check voltage with blue light. Check fuse. If sensor pings,
check if RS232 cable is the original crossed cable (pin 2 and 3 crossed).
LOG_aLevel® just starts for some seconds to measure, indicated by blue LED in SW
Reason: Controller was set by the software to “sleep mode”
Solution: Connect Laptop to controller, start software and change to continuous mode or
periodic mode
LOG_aLevel® results only show value of adjustment level value
Reason: LOG_aLevel® sensor is not connected
Solution: check cables and connectors
LOG_aLevel® results show values too high
Reason: reference track is not working or connected
Solution: check in the data LOG-file if value for sound velocity is around c=33000. If
c=22900, reference sensor does not work. Check reference sensor, cables and
connectors.
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LOG_aLevel® General Advantages
1.
Calibration and maintenance free
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Robust, precise, economical and compact
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Modular system to fulfil different customer requirements and easy upgrade and maintenance
due to simple exchange of modules
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Reliable even under extreme conditions: flood, ice, storms, debris, fog, etc.
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Low installation effort as stationary or mobile version
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Accurate level measurements even with wavy surface
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Redundancy or alternative to conventional level measurement techniques
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Completely autonomous operation possible
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Worldwide approved, tested and in operation
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Easy to use Windows-Software for data logging and control
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LOG_aLevel® around the World
LOG_aLevel is used on all continents in more than 28
countries under all possible environmental conditions
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LOG_aLevel® Selected References
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Rijkswaterstaat: Ministry of Transport + Watermanagement, (RIZA), The Netherlands
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Port of Hamburg (Hamburg Port Authority), Germany
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US-Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District (USACE), USA
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Project: North Sea Monitoring System: Government Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
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Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG), Koblenz (Federal Institute of Hydrology), Germany
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National Institute of Ocean technology (NIOT), India
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Port of Le Havre (Port Autonome du Havre), France; Port of Seoul, Korea
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MRTS, Varanday-Oil and Gas Terminal, Russia
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Geofísica y Posicionamiento Satelital GPSCA, Maracaibo Lake, Venezuela
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Ecologia, Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, River Vienne, France
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Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Brandenburg (Waterways and Shipping Board), Germany
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Bayer. Landesamt für Wasserwirtschaft (Bavarian Ministry of Environment), Germany
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Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB-Berlin), Germany
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Agency for Water Management, Coast and Nature Protection of Lower Saxony), NLWKN –
Norderney, Germany and NLWKN – Brake, Germany
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University of Moscow, Russia, University of Tallinn, Estonia
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Flinders Ports, Australia
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Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, United Kingdom
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Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
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