FT520 Piston Corer
Yielding higher quality results from improved recovery and reduced sediment disturbance, the Feritech Piston Corer is an option alongside the standard gravity corer.
The Piston Corer is a standard and very popular tool within marine survey. The improved recovery and less disturbed sediment sample yields a higher quality result compared to that of a standard gravity corer.
The piston reduces internal friction between the sediment and the liner, this helps to prevent samples plugging the liner and reducing the sample return.
The system is supplied with configurable weights allowing for 49-816kg of additional weight (available in steel and lead), controlling penetration for a range of projects – coastal environments to deep water locations, and everything in between.
Product Highlights
- Full ocean depth rating
- 1-12m barrels in 1m increments
- Configurable weights from 49-816kg available in
steel or lead - Manual or automatic releasing trigger
- Type A barrel – OD 101.6mm, sample – 84mm
- Type B barrel – OD 127mm, sample – 106mm
- Hydrostatic safety release
- Consumables in stock
- Various LARS options available
Automatic drop trigger
Once the trigger weight or small gravity corer on the messenger wire touches the seabed, it releases the piston corer from the trigger mechanism, slackens its grip and drops down to the end of the lift wire. This simplifies recovery as there is no gap between the trigger and the corer.
Hydrostatic safety release
The Feritech Piston Corer is fitted with our hydrostatic safety release system, which is designed to prevent false triggering, dramatically improving operational safety in any conditions. This means that the corer only triggers when it reaches a predetermined water depth.
launch and recovery system
The piston corer has an optional, over-the-side LARS. This greatly improves deployment and recovery efficiency and the changing of barrels much simpler and safer. It improves safety for engineers working with the equipment ensuring the corer is securely held on deck and can be handled securely.
How does a Piston Corer work?
The Piston Corer is used to collect a core of material from the seabed. With a maximum length of 9m it is suitable for near offshore marine operations and geotechnical analysis. Its trigger mechanism of the Kullenberg design.
On the way down through the water column, the Feritech hydrostatic safety release arms at the set depth, allowing the piston corer to release when it reaches the sea floor.
The piston corer is released when a weight (or small gravity corer) on the end of a messenger wire touches the seabed and allows the tripping arm to open.
Once released the main piston corer free falls into the sea floor under its own mass.
As the piston corer penetrates the seafloor, the piston inside stops at the sea floor. The action of the piston creates a pressure differential at the top of the sediment column that encourages marine soil to enter the core liner in an undisturbed state.
At the same time the Feritech trigger arm and mechanism slackens its hold on the lifting wire and drops down to be on top of the corer, once again ready for simple recovery.
After a few seconds the coring process is complete and the system is recovered back on to the vessel so that the core can be processed.