gridComm Secures Communication for ONC 3 Kilometers Deep

gridComm has provided technology that enables Ocean Networks Canada to monitor and read ocean floor sensors placed 3,000 meters under sea level and 25 kilometers apart.

Ocean Networks Canada has been monitoring deep ocean and coastal environments for ten years. One of the objectives of this project is to detect and model tsunamis using pressure sensors known as bottom pressure recorders (BPRs).

BPRs can sense water level changes from the seafloor down to a millimeter, and are deployed 3000 meters below sea level to detect tsunamis resulting from earthquakes. Each BPR is installed and linked to a junction box residing 25 kilometers away (also on the ocean bed) using copper wires. At each end of the BPR and junction box, a gridComm GC8802 PLC module is installed to enable reliable communications over the copper lines. The data collected from the sensor array is made accessible to the land office via satellites in real time. This data gives the land office early notice for emergency responses which include issuance of tsunami warnings.

“Our ocean floor sensor project is an extremely important one and has the ability to save lives,” noted Tom Qiu, marine equipment specialist for Ocean Networks Canada. “Prior to implementing gridComm technology, we had tried using fiber cable and other PLC devices with no success. Fiber cable is very expensive and snaps easily in deep water, and other PLC devices simply didn’t work. gridComm’s technology, combined with their professional, responsive team did the trick, and we were able to successfully initiate our project.”

Another gridComm PLC device, the GC9200, is also employed in Ocean Networks Canada’s program. It is fitted inside a remotely operated vehicle, which resembles submarine, and provides maintenance and configurations for the BPR and the GC8802 module. Both GC9200 and GC8802 make use of gridComm’s GC2200 PLC module. Reportedly, this fundamental communications enabler represents the next generation of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) multi-redundant channel PLC transceivers and enables a real-time, adaptive and self-configuring network over noisy power lines.

“We’re proud to be part of the groundbreaking work that Ocean Networks Canada is doing,” said Nge Tuck Long, vice president of sales and marketing for gridComm. “Our field-proven, industry-leading, robust and reliable technology can be counted upon to deliver the highly accurate communications necessary – under any conditions.”