AUTOMATED SUBSURFACE PROFILER FOR DRIFTING BUOYS

POLAR RESEARCH LABORATORY HAS DEVELOPED RELIABLE DRIFTING BUOY SUSPENDED SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING SUBSURFACE TEMPERATURES, CONDUCTIVITY/TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE (DEPTH) AT SELECTED POINTS ALONG A SUBSURFACE SENSOR STRING. A TREMENDOUS DEMAND EXISTS FOR MEASUREMENTS OF THIS TYPE AS WELL AS FOR DATA FROM OTHER SENSORS WHERE PROFILE TYPE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED. THE DRIFTING BUOY IS THE IDEAL VEHICLE FOR MAKING THESE MEASUREMENTS, BUT STRINGS OF SOME TYPES OF SENSORS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. A SIMPLE PROFILER IS PROPOSED THAT ALLOWS A SINGLE SENSOR PACKAGE TO BE USED AND TO BE TRAVERSED ACROSS THE DESIRED DEPTH RANGE. MEASUREMENTS CAN BE TAKEN AT POINTS THAT ARE SELECTED VIA EPROM PROGRAM IN THE BUOY. PROFILERS PER SE ARE NOT NEW, BUT EXISTING SYSTEMS OR THOSE UNDER DEVELOPMENTARE EXPENSIVE, LARGE AND/OR ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO DRIFTING BUOYS. PRL HAS DETAILED FAMILIARITY WITH THE DRIFTING BUOY ENVIRONMENT AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET TO INSURE LONG LIFE OPERATION OF SUBSURFACE ATTACHMENTS. PRL HAS COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY DESIGN ANALYSIS OF THE PROFILER AND PROPOSES TO PERFORM A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS AND TO CONDUCT PRELIMINARY SEA FEASABILITY TESTS.