OCEAN RESEARCH SHIPS
KAIREI Deep Sea Research Vessel
The KAIREI was built at Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and delivered to the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) in March 1997.
The KAIREI is designed to support KAIKO, a 10,000m class remotely operated vehicle, as well as to serve as deep sea research vessel.
Features
1. The KAIREI is equipped with an A-frame crane for launching/retrieving the KAIKO, which can be remotely controlled from the aft wheelhouse.
2. To support the operation of the KAIKO, the KAIREI is equipped with a hybrid-navigation system and acoustic navigation system, which are centrally monitored in the mission control & computer office.
3. To carry out a comprehensive geological survey of trenches and structure of the deep sea bottom, the KAIREI is equipped with various exploration equipment such as a 11,000m multi-narrow beam echo sounder, a sub-bottom profiler, multi-channel seismic profiler, etc.
4. Underwater radiation noise from the KAIREI is sufficiently reduced to ensure a low noise level for operation of the underwater acoustic instruments at their full performance levels.
5. A distributed computer system functions as an acoustic navigation system and a hybrid-navigation system, and various nautical data stored there are accessible from scattered terminals through a local area network (LAN) aboard.
6. A long hangar on the upper deck amidships is used for maintenance/ replenishment of the KAIKO.
7. To improve maneuverability at low speeds, the KAIREI is equipped with two controllable pitch propellers (CPP) driven by two diesel engines, two rudders, and a bow thruster. They can be controlled by a joy-stick control system.
