Ruggedized Chip Scale Oceanographic Sensors for Ships and UUVs

To protect against corrosion, a ship’s Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) distributes electrical energy between sections of the hull. The ICCP control system measures voltages using seawater silver/silver-chloride reference electrodes and adjusts the electrical potentials appropriately. Because changes in seawater chemistry near the hull will change the electrical potentials, there is a need for real-time oceanographic measurements that the ICCP can use to provide feedback control.   In this Phase I Project, TDA will develop an integrated concept and design for a chip-scale oceanographic sensor that can be integrated onto a ship or unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) hull to accurately measure ocean water chemistry in real-time. TDA’s design will involve solid state devices including miniaturized electrodes, control circuitry, and sensors that are affordable and can be mass produced with screen printed manufacturing techniques. Our sensor device (4” x 3” x 2”) will make highly accuracy measurements of T, pH, conductivity, TDO (total dissolved oxygen), as well as chloride and sodium ions.  The overall objective is to create a chip scale sensor that integrates the threshold oceanographic chemical parameter measurements required by Navy into a single device without causing interference on the reference electrodes.