Commissioned with tailor-design low-noise electric propulsion system, R/V TKK can mitigate underwater radiated noise (URN). The vessel has outstanding science handling abilities, equipped with state-of-the-art acoustic transducers, with highly precise dynamic positioning performance, Trace Elements and Isotopes Sampling System (TEISS), and broad-band data transmission capability, enabling it to carry out multi-disciplinary field observations in global ice-free waters.
General Specifications
- Overall Length
- 77.7 meters
- Beam
- 16.24 meters
- Draft
- 5.0 meters
- Gross Tonnage
- 3,611
- Operational Speed
- 11 knots
- Maximum Speed
- > 14 knots
- Endurance
- > 50 days
- Area of Working Deck
- 432 square meters
- Area of Laboratories
- 407 square meters
- Range
- > 12,500 nautical miles
- Capacity
- 54（18 crew, 36 scientists）
- Plate Cutting
- March 31, 2015
- Launching
- May 8, 2016
- Delivery
- April 15, 2017
- Preliminary Design
- The Glosten Inc. (Glosten)
- Detailed Design
- Marine Design & Research Institute of China (MARIC)
- Building
- Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI)
Quiet Ship
R/V TKK is installed with customized low-noise electric propulsion system, highly skewed fixed pitch propellers and thrusters. Damping techniques for noise and vibration control are also applied to the main equipment and cabins onboard.
Trace-metal Clean Sampling
R/V TKK is China’s first research vessel equipped with Trace Elements and Isotopes Sampling System (TEISS), which complies with GEOTRACES criteria.
Bolt-down System for Easy Mounting
R/V TKK is the first research ship in China that installs versatile bolt-down system in all scientific working areas, both outdoor and indoor. The 2’x2’ bolt-down grids allow equipment be easily mounted on the working deck, which greatly enhances the efficiency and flexibility of the sea-going operations onboard.
Shipboard Equipment and Facilities
Winches
- CTD winch - 10,000 m of 8.18 mm coaxial cable
- Hydrographical winch - 8,000 m of 8.18 mm coaxial cable
- Traction winch system - two storage drums, one carries 15,000 m of 14.3 mm steel wire rope, and the other carries 6,000 m of 17.3 mm electro-optic cable
- Two portable clean winches are available in complement to the permanently installed systems:
- TEISS winch - 8,000 m of 15.25 mm Kevlar cable, for ultra-clean seawater sampling
- Clean winch - 4,000 m of 9.525 mm Kevlar cable, for deployment of in-situ pumps collecting TEIs particle samples
Cranes
Stern A-frame - SWL 15T
Main Crane - 20T@10m, 13T@15m
Telescopic Hydro Boom - 15T@0m, 6T@5m
CTD Davit - SWL 2.5T
Aft Auxiliary Crane - 4.5T@11.3m
Corer Pipe Handler - SWL 8T
For Marine Geophysics
- Full Ocean Depth Multibeam Echosounder - Kongsberg EM 122 (1° x 2°)
- Medium water Multibeam Echosounder - Kongsberg EM 710 (1° x 1°)
- Sub-bottom Profiler - Kongsberg SBP 120 (6°)
- Single-beam Echosounder - Kongsberg EA 600 (12/38/200 kHz)
- Fishery Research Echosounder - Simrad EK80 (18/38/70/120/200/333 kHz)
- Marine Gravimeter - DGS AT1M
- Navigation System - SeaPath330+
- USBL - Kongsberg HiPAP 101
- KleyFrance 3T Calypso Piston Corer
- Deep-sea Remotely Operated Platform
Oceanographic and Meteorological Instruments
- CTD - Seabird 911 Plus with dual C-T sensors (24-bottle and 36-bottle rosette each)
- Moving Vessel Profiler - AML MVP300
- Thermosalinograph - Seabird SBE21
- Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler - TRDI OS38, OS150, WHMariner300
- Automatic Weather Station - Vaisala AWS430
- Air-sea Flux System - Campbell EC3000
- Doppler Weather Radar - SCR-CPD
Scientific Working Areas
Laboratories
- Main Lab - 126 m2
- Electronics Lab - 55 m2
- Clean Lab - 19 m2
- Wet Lab - 32 m2
- General Purpose Lab - 35 m2
- Atmospheric Lab - 14.5 m2
- Data Processing Room - 36 m2
- Underway System Lab - 10 m2
Facilities
- -80 °C, -20 °C, +4 °C freezers and refrigerated storage rooms
- Illuminated incubator
- Ice generator
- Water purification systems
- Fume hoods
- Taps (freshwater, distilled water and un-contaminated seawater), power outlets, compressed air outlets and network interfaces are available in all work areas.
