Our country's first full-ocean-depth trace metal CTD winch system completes deep-sea operation demonstration application

On April 21, reporters learned from Dalian Maritime University that China’s independently developed first all-ocean deep, trace-metal CTD (temperature–salinity–depth instrument) winch system—the “Haiwei CTD11000”—recently completed a deep-sea operations demonstration and application during the 33rd voyage of the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey Bureau’s “Marine Geology 2” vessel in the South China Sea. The two deep-sea towing operations completed had cable deployment lengths of more than 11,000 meters each, with the maximum deployed cable length reaching 11,249.4 meters, validating the deep-sea operation capability of the domestically produced deep-sea winch system.

Deep-sea and polar research winch systems are used for hoisting and retrieving deep-sea and polar survey instruments and are basic configuration equipment on research vessels. Backed by the national key R&D program “Deep-Sea and Polar Key Technologies and Equipment” (key special project), the “Haiwei CTD11000” was jointly developed by Dalian Maritime University and multiple enterprises. The system has an active heave compensation function. The entire system is fully domestically produced, independently controllable, and capable of supporting scientific operations across the full ocean depth and in all sea areas. ( Xinhua News Agency )