Docking for an autonomous ocean sampling network

In this paper, we examine the issues associated with docking autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating within an Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN). We present a system based upon an acoustic ultrashort baseline system that allows the AUV to approach the dock from any direction. A passive latch on the AUV and a pole on the dock accomplish the task of mechanically docking the vehicle. We show that our technique for homing is extremely robust in the face of the two dominant sources of error-namely the presence of currents and the presence of magnetic anomalies. Our strategy for homing is independent of the initial bearing of the dock to the AUV, includes a method for detecting when the vehicle has missed the dock, and automatically ensures that the AUV is in a position to retry homing with a greater chance of success. Our approach is seen to be extremely successful in homing the vehicle to the dock, mechanically attaching itself to the dock, aligning inductive cores for data and power transfer, and undocking at the start of a fresh mission. Once the AUV is on the dock, we present a methodology that allows us to achieve the complex tasks with ensuring that the AUV is securely docked, periodically checking vehicle status, reacting to a vehicle that requires charging, tracking it when it is out on a mission, archiving and transmitting via satellite the data that the AUV collects during its missions, as well as providing a mechanism for researchers removed from the site to learn about vehicle status and command high-level missions. The dock is capable of long-term deployments at a remote site while respecting the constraints - low power, small size, low computational energy, low bandwidth, and little or no user input - imposed by the amalgamation of acoustic, electronic and mechanical components that comprise the entire system     

海洋结构智能监测与振动控制技术的最新进展

海洋结构本身能够有效感知、信息传输及自动适应环境为海洋结构的设计者展现了新的前景，并且导致新型海洋结构的开发。综述近几年来智能海洋结构的研究进展，包括海洋结构的智能振动控制和在线连续监控机敏技术，探讨了海洋结构智能控制的方式，提出海洋结构智能控制需要进一步研究的问题。     

端口受控哈密顿方法的电力双推进无人船航向航速控制

以电力双推进无人船航速航向控制为主要研究问题,使用永磁同步电机作为无人船螺旋桨的驱动电机,采用基于端口受控哈密顿(PCH)方法,有效的降低了系统损耗,使无人船驱动系统输出功率得到了优化。仿真结果表明,系统能较快达到稳定状态,实现了无人船的速度控制要求,提升了无人船系统的续航能力。     

基于BP神经网络的深水自升式海洋平台智能控制模型试验研究

基于BP神经网络控制方法设计了一种适用于自升式海洋平台的智能控制系统。为了验证该控制系统的有效性,以墨西哥湾海域某典型深水自升式海洋平台为原型,根据动力相似准则按照1∶40的相似比设计海洋平台试验模型,采用磁流变阻尼器作为实施该智能控制方法的控制器,并对其主要参数进行了设计。在此基础上,在波浪水池中分别对有、无安装控制系统的自升式海洋平台模型进行了多工况的波浪试验,通过对比安装控制系统前后平台结构的响应幅度,研究了控制系统的振动控制效果。试验结果表明:基于BP神经网络的磁流变阻尼智能控制系统能够有效地控制自升式海洋平台结构的动力响应,且控制效果稳定。     

A task-based hierarchical control strategy for autonomous motion of an unmanned surface vehicle swarm

In this paper, a hierarchical control framework with relevant algorithms is proposed to achieve autonomous navigation for an underactuated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) swarm. In order to implement automatic target tracking, obstacle avoidance and avoid collisions between group members, the control framework is divided into three layers based on task assignments: flocking strategy design, motion planning and control input design. The flocking strategy design transmits some basic orders to swarm members. Motion planning applies the potential function method and then improves it; thus, the issue of autonomous control is transformed into one of designing the velocity vector. In the last layer, the control inputs (surge force and yaw moment) are designed using the sliding mode method, and the problem of underactuation is handled synchronously. The proposed closed-loop controller is shown to be semi-asymptotically stable by applying Lyapunov stability theory, and the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated via numeric simulations of a homogeneous USV swarm.     

Analysis of ocean color spectra (II)

A method for evaluating the radiance due to sky light reflected by the sea surface and radiance emerging from the sea is described. The calculation is made as a function of the sun altitude, sky condition and sea state for varying optical properties of sea water. As a result of the contribution of reflected sky light, the shape of the spectral distribution for radiance just below the surface is considerably distorted above the surface, especially when chlorophyll concentrations are high. Special attention is paid to the ratio of radiance emerging from the sea to total upwelling radiance at the wavelength of 670 nrn. The variation in the ratio with wind-speed is small and the ratio decreases with increase in the atomospheric turbidity factor.     

Analysis of ocean color spectra (I)

By using the two-flow optical model, the variation in the irradiance reflectance of the ocean just below the surface has been calculated for varying water optical properties, for the interpretation of remotely-sensed ocean color data. The input variables used in our model are the concentration of phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a), the absorption coeffiicient of yellow substance, the particle scattering coefficient, the ratio of the back-scattering coefficient to the total scattering coefficient of particles, and the ratio of the absorption to scattering coefficients for particles.The irradiance reflectance increases monotonically with the ratio of the back-scattering coefficient to the total scattering coefficient. Spectral changes occur in the irradiance reflectance for increases in chlorophyll-a concentration and yellow substance as well as the ratio of the absorption to scattering coefficients.Because slightly different mathematical expressions have been derived by other investigators using the two-flow model, an evaluation of the resulting calculation differences is presented and discussed.     

Analysis of ocean color spectra (III)

The spectral measurements of the attenuation coefficient of sea water and the absorption coefficient of suspended particles and of yellow substance were made with a spectrophotometer for the sea waters sampled in Tokyo Bay. These parameters can be used to compute the expected spectral irradiance reflectance. Some relationships between the optical properties of sea water and the concentration of dissolved organic carbon, the dry weight of suspended matter and chlorophyll-a concentration are presented. On the basis of these results, the possibility of modelling the relationship between optical and material properties is discussed.     

Multivariable sliding mode control for autonomous diving andsteering of unmanned underwater vehicles

A six-degree-of-freedom model for the maneuvering of an underwater vehicle is used and a sliding-mode autopilot is designed for the combined steering, diving, and speed control functions. In flight control applications of this kind, difficulties arise because the system to be controlled is highly nonlinear and coupled, and there is a good deal of parameter uncertainty and variation with operational conditions. The development of variable-structure control in the form of sliding modes has been shown to provide robustness that is expected to be quite remarkable for AUV autopilot design. It is shown that a multivariable sliding-mode autopilot based on state feedback, designed assuming decoupled modeling, is quite satisfactory for the combined speed, steering, and diving response of a slow AUV. The influence of speed, modeling nonlinearity, uncertainty, and disturbances, can be effectively compensated, even for complex maneuvering. Waypoint acquisition based on line-of-sight guidance is used to achieve path tracking     

Micro-scale profiler (MSP) for measurement of small-scale turbulence in the ocean

This paper describes a free-fall micro-scale profiler (MSP) which can measure vertical profiles of microscale velocity shear, temperature gradient, and conductivity gradient of both fine and microscale ranges, together with the vertical profiles of temperature and conductivity. The measurable vertical scales of the microscale shear range from about 50 cm to 2 cm. The MSP was designed to perform profiling to depths of 500 m with a nominal fall speed of about 70 cm sec⁻¹. Retrieval of the instrument is accomplished by a 700 m Kevlar string of 1.5 mm in diameter wound on a portable winch, after ballast has been released at a present depth by a mechanical rupture disk. The results of sea trials show that the microscale shear spectrum nearly corresponds with the theoretical one derived on the assumption of homogeneous turbulence.     

Cycladophora davisiana (Radiolaria) in the Okhotsk Sea: A key for reconstructing glacial ocean conditions

Cycladophora davisiana, a radiolarian species dwelling at mesopelagic depths, is known as a representative glacial fauna due to its unique distribution during glacial periods. In the present ocean, abundant production of C. davisiana is only observed in the Okhotsk Sea, indicating an adaptation of C. davisiana for seasonal sea-ice covered conditions. We found pronounced abundant production of C. davisiana during the early to middle Holocene in the Okhotsk Sea, suggesting more favorable conditions for C. davisiana than the present Okhotsk Sea. In order to clarify the reason, oceanographic conditions during the Holocene were reconstructed based on biomarkers, lithogenic grains including ice-rafted debris (IRD), biogenic opal, and total organic carbon (TOC) in two sediment cores from the Okhotsk Sea. These indicators suggest that the pronounced C. davisiana production may be attributed to: 1) a supply to mesopelagic depths under intensified stratification of fine organic particles derived from coccolithophorids, bacteria, and detrital materials; and 2) cold, well-ventilated intermediate water formation.     

Stability based approach to design cold-water pipe (CWP) for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

Cold-water pipe (CWP) is a novel, most-challenging component of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) floating structure which is installed to transport the deep seawater to the board. For commercial scale, the transported seawater flow rate will be in the order of 10² m³/s. This large amount of internal flow may trigger instability which leads to the failure of CWP. Considering this issue, the present paper aims to design commercial-scale OTEC CWP focusing on the effects of internal flow to the stability of the pipe. The design analysis is deliberated to select the pipe material, top joint configuration (fixed, flexible, pinned) and bottom supporting system (with and without clump weight). Initially, the analytical solution is built by taking into account the components of the pipe dynamics. Separately, a fully coupled fluid-structure interaction analysis between the pipe and the ambient fluid is carried out using ANSYS interface. Using scale models, the results obtained from the analytical solution are compared with the ones from numerical analysis to examine the feasibility of the analytical solution. After being verified, the analytical solution is used to observe the dynamic behavior of the CWP for 100 MW-net OTEC power plant in the full-scale model. The results yield conclusions that pinned connection at the top joint is preferable to decrease the applied stress, clump weight installation is necessary to reduce the motion displacement and Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) is the most suitable material among the examined materials.     

海(湖)效应降雪的研究进展

回顾国内外有关海(湖)效应降雪的主要研究成果,依据海(湖)效应降雪的定义,对其产生机制、大尺度环流背景及多尺度相互作用、影响因素和空间形态分类等方面进行的总结和分析.表明,海(湖)效应降雪过程存在多尺度相互作用,海(湖)气温差、热力不稳定、风向风速、地形、云物理过程等是其关键影响因素,并影响其空间分布形态.数值模拟和多普勒雷达资料是主要研究手段.在此基础上,经进一步分析指出,未来我国应重点深入开展海效应降雪的空间分布形态及其产生机制研究,提高海效应降雪的精细化预报能力.     

海洋工程人因可靠性研究进展

海洋结构物在其生命周期的设计、建筑和工作等阶段中发生的灾害性事故（船舶和海洋平台的碰撞、搁浅、腐蚀病劳破坏、沉船、火灾、爆炸等）大多与人为错误和组织错误（ＨＯＥ有关,据统计,大约６０％～９０％的事故意 由ＨＯＥ引起,因此海洋工程中进行人因可靠性分析研究很有必要,在全面回顾近年来各国在这一领域的研究现状,分析和总结人因可靠性评估（ＨＲＡ）研究方法的基础上,重点介绍了失效模式及影响分析（ＦＭＥＡ）,事     

Gastric lavage as a non-lethal method for stingray (Myliobatiformes) diet sampling

Understanding the trophic interactions of ecologically important mesopredators such as Myliobatiformes (stingrays) is vital, but, given their susceptibility to overexploitation, the collection of stomach contents for dietary analysis necessitates the use of non-lethal methods. We provide a detailed method of using gastric lavage to collect stomach contents from the ‘Vulnerable’ porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus at the St Joseph Atoll of the Amirantes Group, Seychelles. Rays were captured by hand, inverted and restrained while a plastic hose, connected to a bilge pump, was inserted into the stomach to flush out the contents. A high percentage (94.5%) of gastric lavage attempts resulted in the collection of stomach contents. There was no visual evidence of stress or short-term, post-release mortality and, given the success and relative ease of this technique, we conclude that the described method of gastric lavage is an effective, non-lethal means of obtaining stomach contents from stingrays.     

A review of the National Oceanic Satellite System (NOSS) and prospects for ocean remote sensing in the near future

Abstract

The concept of sensing oceanic parameters from space has been clearly demonstrated by the data from NASA's SEASAT. As the next step, a triagency team from NASA, NOAA, and DOD developed a program for a national system, the National Oceanic Satellite System (NOSS). The NOSS was to be an end‐to‐end system, a five‐year quasi‐operational demonstration to satisfy the most critical of the user agencies (NOAA and Navy) requirements for oceanographic data. Unfortunately, NOSS became an early victim of the Administration's efforts to reduce the Federal budget. The search for less costly (less capable) alternatives continues. In the meantime, the accuracy of our operational forecasts suffers and critical requirements go unsatisfied.     

Overview of geostationary ocean color imager (GOCI) and GOCI data processing system (GDPS)

GOCI, the world??s first geostationary ocean color satellite, provides images with a spatial resolution of 500 m at hourly intervals up to 8 times a day, allowing observations of short-term changes in the Northeast Asian region. The GOCI Data Processing System (GDPS), a specialized data processing software for GOCI, was developed for real-time generation of various products. This paper describes GOCI characteristics and GDPS workflow/products, so as to enable the efficient utilization of GOCI. To provide quality images and data, atmospheric correction and data analysis algorithms must be improved through continuous Cal/Val. GOCI-II will be developed by 2018 to facilitate in-depth studies on geostationary ocean color satellites.     

A simulation of radiation imagery for ocean color satellite

The ocean color satellite is mainly applied to measure the water constituents such as chlorophyll, suspended material and yellow substance. The leaving water radiance is very small part of the total radiance arrival at the sensor about 3%-15%,and depends on the properties of the orbit and sensor. Before the satellite is launched on the orbit, it needs to simulate the radiation imagery in order to evaluate the quality and availability of the satellite data.
If the parameters of satellite orbit, the properties of sensor as well as the characteristics of the atmosphere and water have been known, the radiation scattered by air molecule and aerosol, reflected solar radiation, water leaving and total radiation arriving at the sensor can be simulated by the models of radiation transfer in the atmosphere, air/water and subsurface water. In this paper, the mechanism, models and procedures of the radiation simulation are first discussed and employed to simulate a series of imageries for the Chinese satellites FY-lA, FY-1B, and ROCSAT-1 (Taiwan, China), and American satellite Ses STAR. Their results show that the solar irradiance arrived at water surface and the sun glitter mainly affect the quality and availability of satellite data, which depend on the orbit properties. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to improve the quality and availability of a:ean color satellite data.     

海洋站自动观测数据在线质控系统开发与应用

海洋站自动观测数据主要质控手段为延时月报质量审核,尚没有实时在线质控系统得到业务化应用.本文提出了一种海洋站自动观测数据在线质控系统,通过对水文气象等海洋观测要素进行逻辑分析,确定其极值区间和变化率区间阂值,将实时海洋观测数据与闽值进行比较,对错误或异常数据发出警示信息,提醒观测员进行处理,实现对海洋观测数据的在线质控...