Partrac’s Voyager II sea flume is the only commercially available ocean rated benthic flume, which is designed for in situ studies of threshold, erosion velocity and erosional behaviour of undisturbed marine muds. Benthic flumes apply a controlled flow stress (or velocity) onto the surface of submerged bottom/bed sediments and various instruments monitor and record erosion as it proceeds.

The Voyager II sea flume is depth rated to 400m, and features small water samplers and a sediment sampler (based on the Kajak system) in addition to the core benthic flume. Adjustable brackets allow for the addition of lights, cameras and other instrumentation.

The flume has an outer diameter of ~2m and a height of 0.5m.

The Cohesive Strength Meter is a field instrument that directly measures the surface erodibility of marine, fluvial and terrestrial sediments. It permits rapid assessment of sediment critical entrainment stress and provides a relative measure of erosion rate. This information is important for the understanding of benthic habitat stability, contaminated sediment dispersal, river bank and agricultural land stability, and the geomorphology of estuaries and coastal areas.

The instrument is highly portable and can be carried by hand to a field site or transported in the lightweight custom designed back pack system (optional extra). It is capable of conducting up to 100 tests per run and with up to 80 predefined test routines, the CSM is internationally recognised as the leading device for the rapid in situ measurement of sediment erosion.

Dimensions: CSM – 0.4 x 0.33 x 0.18 m; Accessory Case – 0.4 x 0.33 x 0.18 m

Weight: 9kg

Memory: Up to 100 tests per run and up to 80 predefined test routines available

Battery: 12 volt re-chargeable Ni-cad 2.2 Ah (70 hours usage before recharge)

Sensing Head: Light source – infrared 940 nm (repeatability +/- 0.015 % FSD); area of sediment tested is 60 mm2

Display: LCD Alphanumeric

Comms: Serial Port – RS232

Software: Windows® compatible

Water Reservoir: Internal, 0.9 litre

Air Supply: External 0.3 – 3.0 litre dive bottle (depending on specification ordered), refillable at most diving equipment retailers; final air supply regulation down to 70 psi, jet pressure variable 0 - 60 psi, calibrated to within +/- 0.015 % FSD (full scale deflection)

Air Reservoir: Internal, stainless steel 0.4 litre

Accessory Case: Contains sensing head and fill bottle, unit charger, main air hose, regulator and spare water filters; note that the air supply tank also fits into the case (depending on size ordered) or more conveniently in the optional backpack system (sold separately); all cases are made of Polypropylene and are fully watertight

Optional Extras: On-site training provided by Partrac staff; Backpack carry system for easier portability; Additional air cylinders; Software upgrade for sediment deposition rate measurements