Un-tethered Velocity of Sound Profiling Sensor (UVOSPS)

"Accurate knowledge of the Sound Velocity Profile (SVP) is necessary to interpret SONAR signals correctly. The Navy requires sensors, for wide deployment in existing sonobuoys, capable of determining the SVP. Surpassing the limitations and costs oftethered solutions, IVC proposes the Un-tethered Velocity of Sound Profiling Sensor (UVOSPS). This system is a stack of miniature probes that are periodically released to sink and transmit temperature and corresponding depth to the buoy using ultrasoniccommunications. The simplicity of the system is the release mechanism-a harmless crystalline structure (with a predictable dissolving rate) erodes and releases a wired receiver and then periodically the un-tethered probes. As a probe sinks, it beginstransmitting the real-time SVP information to the ultrasonic receiving transducer. The probe continues to transmit until all battery power is consumed-at least a depth of 300m. The crystal material dissolution properties will allow a "factoryprogrammable" acquisition rate. The initial UVOSPS units will contain 24 probes to be released evenly over 72 hours. The advantage of this method is the incredibly simple and inexpensive sensor system. There are no moving components and no long tethers,yet it is capable of gathering data for a very detailed and accurate SVP. Sonobuoys are used throughout the waters of the world for measurement of ocean currents, temperatures, pollution, waves, depth