Closed-loop randomized kinodynamic path planning for an autonomous underwater vehicle

A randomized kinodynamic path planning algorithm based on the incremental sampling-based method is proposed here as the state-of-the-art in this field applicable in an autonomous underwater vehicle. Designing a feasible path for this vehicle from an initial position and velocity to a target position and velocity in three-dimensional spaces by considering the kinematic constraints such as obstacles avoidance and dynamic constraints such as hard bounds and non-holonomic characteristic of AUV are the main motivation of this research. For this purpose, a closed-loop rapidly-exploring random tree (CL-RRT) algorithm is presented. This CL-RRT consists of three tightly coupled components: a RRT algorithm, three fuzzy proportional-derivative controllers for heading and diving control and a six degree-of-freedom nonlinear AUV model. The branches of CL-RRT are expanded in the configuration space by considering the kinodynamic constraints of AUV. The feasibility of each branch and random offspring vertex in the CL-RRT is checked against the mentioned constraints of AUV. Next, if the planned branch is feasible by the AUV, then the control signals and related vertex are recorded through the path planner to design the final path. This proposed algorithm is implemented on a single board computer (SBC) through the xPC Target and then four test-cases are designed in 3D space. The results of the processor-in-the-loop tests are compared by the conventional RRT and indicate that the proposed CL-RRT not only in a rapid manner plans an initial path, but also the planned path is feasible by the AUV.     

Wave tank and bench-top control testing of a wave energy converter

An increasing number of experiments are being conducted to study the design and performance of wave energy converters. Often in these tests, a real-time realization of prospective control algorithms is applied in order to assess and optimize energy absorption as well as other factors. This paper details the design and execution of an experiment for evaluating the capability of a model-scale WEC to execute basic control algorithms. Model-scale hardware, system, and experimental design are considered, with a focus on providing an experimental setup capable of meeting the dynamic requirements of a control system. To more efficiently execute such tests, a dry bench testing method is proposed and utilized to allow for controller tuning and to give an initial assessment of controller performance; this is followed by wave tank testing. The trends from the dry bench test and wave tank test results show good agreement with theory and confirm the ability of a relatively simple feedback controller to substantially improve energy absorption. Additionally, the dry bench testing approach is shown to be an effective and efficient means of designing and testing both controllers and actuator systems for wave energy converters.     

Feedback control system for blow-out preventer positioning

During the drilling of ultra-deep-water subsea petroleum wells, a blow-out preventer (BOP), a piece of safety equipment, must be assembled on the wellhead. The BOP is suspended using the drilling riser during the wellhead approach operation, and the riser's top end is connected to the floating platform rig. This article presents a feedback control system for the automatic approach of the BOP to the wellhead. Compared to state-of-the-art controls, ours does not require ancillary thrusters installed alongside the riser nor inclination sensors atop of the drilling riser. Additionally, our proposed control embeds a closed-loop dynamic positioning system, thus retaining the characteristics of the original control system and adding an extra closed-loop. This eases implementation of the BOP approach control to an existing platform. To calculate the optimal gains for the BOP controller, we assume a linear system for the riser, including only the pendulum-shape. The simulation is carried out using nonlinear models for both riser and floating platform. We assume an International Towing Tank Conference standard semi-submersible platform, coupled with a 3000-m free-hanging vertical riser for the time-domain simulation. The results show the BOP tracking to be a step-shaped input signal under current and wave loads. A discussion of the performance of feedback control under different environmental loads is also included.     

An efficient and robust approach to predict ship self-propulsion coefficients

Achieving a reliable and accurate numerical prediction of the self-propulsion performance of a ship is still an open problem that poses some relevant issues. Several CFD methods, ranging from boundary element methods (BEM) to higher-fidelity viscous Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) based solvers, can be used to accurately analyze the separate problems, i.e. the open water propeller and the hull calm water resistance. However, when the fully-coupled self-propulsion problem is considered, i.e. the hull advancing at uniform speed propelled by its own propulsion system, several complexities rise up. Typical flow simplifications adopted to speed-up the simulations of the single analysis (hull and propeller separately) lose their validity requiring a more complex solver to tackle the fully-coupled problem. The complexity rises up further when considering a maneuver condition. This aspect increases the computational burden and, consequently, the required time which becomes prohibitive in a preliminary ship design stage.The majority of the simplified methods proposed in literature to include propeller effects, without directly solve the propeller flow, in a high-fidelity viscous solver are not able to provide all the commonly required self-propulsion coefficients. In this work, a new method to enrich the results from a body force based approach is proposed and investigated, with the aim to reduce as much as possible the computational burden without losing any useful result. This procedure is tested for validation on the KCS hull form in self-propulsion and maneuver conditions.     

氨氮急性攻毒对水产经济动物棘胸蛙(Paa spinosa)蝌蚪死亡率、排氨率、耗氧率及窒息点的影响

以体长(1.932±0.204)cm、体质量(1.386±0.055)g的棘胸蛙蝌蚪为实验动物,在水温(24±0.2)℃、DO(7.30±0.01)mg/L、pH 7.30±0.01条件下,采用静水停食法开展了氨氮对蝌蚪的急性攻毒实验,并以此为基础,测定了不同氨氮质量浓度胁迫下棘胸蛙蝌蚪的排氨率、耗氧率、氧氮比及窒息点。结果表明:(1)蝌蚪对氨氮急性攻毒具明显的运动避毒行为,濒死个体的背部皮肤和肝脏均具明显的色变症状;(2)氨氮对蝌蚪的急性致死率具明显的剂量—时间效应,24h、48h、72h、96h LC50依次为177.5、151.7、148.6和146.8mg/L,毒性时段蓄积程度系数呈持续下降趋势,24—48h、48—72h、72—96h的时段MAC值分别为84.04%、10.1%和5.86%;(3)蝌蚪夜均、昼均、日均及时段排氨率随氨氮质量浓度增加均呈阶梯式下降趋势,其中时段排氨率与对照组均无显著差异的为9.80mg/L实验组,夜均、昼均、日均及时段排氨率与对照组均无显著差异的仅为2.45mg/L实验组(P0.05);(4)氨氮对蝌蚪呼吸耗氧具低毒兴奋效应,其夜均、昼均和日均耗氧率随氨氮质量浓度增加均呈先升后降趋势,峰值氨氮质量浓度范围均为4.90—7.35mg/L(P0.05),与对照组均无显著差异的仅为14.70mg/L实验组(P0.05),窒息点含氧量随氨氮质量浓度增加呈先降后升趋势,谷底出现于4.90mg/L实验组(P0.05),与对照组无显著差异的仅为9.80mg/L实验组(P0.05);(5)实验期间,蝌蚪氧氮比(O:N)波动于18.87—25.34之间,昼均和日均氧氮比(O:N)随氨氮质量浓度增加均依次呈"上升—稳定—下降—再稳定"之趋势,两者的峰值氨氮质量浓度范围分别为4.90—14.70mg/L和4.90—9.80mg/L,夜均氧氮比(O:N)呈先升后降趋势,峰值出现于7.35mg/L实验组(P0.05)。     

长江口盐度梯度下不同形态碳的分布、来源与混合行为

河口碳的生物地球化学过程是全球碳循环的重要组成。通过测定溶解无机碳（DIC）及其稳定同位素丰度（δ13C_DIC）,溶解有机碳（DOC）,有色溶解有机物（CDOM）,颗粒有机碳（POC）及其稳定同位素丰度（δ13C_POC）与元素比值（N/C）及相关指标,研究了2014年7月长江口盐度梯度下不同形态碳的分布、来源和混合行为。结果表明,DIC浓度、DOC浓度、POC含量分别为1 583.2~1 739.6 μmol/L,128.4~369.4 μmol/L和51.2~530.8 μmol/L,这些不同形态碳及CDOM的荧光组分的分布模式相似,均是从口内到口外,整体呈现先增大后减小的趋势,并与盐度呈现非保守混合行为。添加作用主要发生在在口门处最大浑浊带附近。与含量相反,从口内到口外,δ13C_DIC和δ13C_POC均呈现逐渐减小再增大的趋势,在口门附近达到最低值,分别为-9.7‰和-26.7‰。在口门附近不同形态碳含量上升及δ13C_DIC、δ13C_POC的降低可能主要与沉积物再悬浮及微生物作用有关。基于蒙特卡洛模拟的三端元混合模型的结果显示,河口内外POC来源变化明显,口内POC以陆源有机碳贡献为主,平均为62.3%,口外海源贡献逐渐增加。CDOM相关参数结果表明长江口CDOM主要来自陆源输入,海源及人类活动等也对其产生影响。     

浙江省三疣梭子蟹产量波动及潜在影响因素分析

依据2000—2015年浙江省三疣梭子蟹(Portunustrituberculatus)渔获量的数据,以及影响渔获量的因素(管理类因素、环境类因素和营养关系类因素等共11个因子),使用广义加性模型(GAM)对各类因素对三疣梭子蟹渔获量的影响进行了分析。结果显示,赤潮面积、捕捞努力量和放流数量对三疣梭子蟹渔获量影响显著(P0.01)。3个因子的累积解释比率达98.3%,其中,赤潮的解释比率最大,达到47.2%,捕捞努力量的解释比率为37.8%,放流数量的解释比率为13.3%。三疣梭子蟹渔获量随着赤潮面积增加有所减少,随着捕捞努力量的加大有迅速增加的趋势,与放流尾数呈现正相关趋势。三疣梭子蟹渔获量的波动受诸多因素的影响。今后需开展更深入的研究,找到可能影响三疣梭子蟹渔获量的其他关键因素。     

Obtaining the distribution of quiescent periods directly from the power spectral densities of Sea waves

There is a growing practical interest in the ability to increase the sea states at which marine operations can be safely undertaken by exploiting the quiescent periods that are well known to exist under a wide range of sea conditions. While the actual prediction of quiescent periods at sea for the control of operations is a deterministic process, the long term planning of future maritime tasks that rely on these quiescent periods is a statistical process involving the anticipated quiescence properties of the forecasted sea conditions in the geographical region of interest. It is in principle possible to obtain such data in tabular form either large scale simulation or from field data. However, such simulations are computationally intensive and libraries of appropriate field data are not common. Thus, it is clearly attractive to develop techniques that exploit standard wave spectral models for describing the quiescence statistics directly from such spectra. The present study focuses upon such techniques and is a first step towards the production of a computationally low-cost quiescence prediction tool and compares its efficacy against simulations. Two significant properties emerge for a large class of wave spectral models that encompasses the ubiquitous Neumann and Pierson Moskowitz or Bretschneider forms. Firstly, the auto-correlation function of the wave profile that are required to produce the quiescence property can be obtained analytically in terms of standard special functions. This considerably reduces the computational cost making desktop computer-based planning tools a reality. Secondly, for each class of these parametric spectra, the probability of a given number of consecutive wave heights (normalised to the significant wave heights) less than some critical value is in fact independent of absolute wave height. Thus, for a broad class of practically interesting wave spectra all that is required to obtain the statistical distribution of the quiescent periods is simple rescaling.     

2015年台风“彩虹”过境后下山冷急流引起的南海北部海域异常海面降温

This study deals with a unusual cooling event after Typhoon Mujigea passed over the northern South China Sea(SCS) in October 2015. We analyze the satellite sea surface temperature(SST) time series from October 3 to 18,2015 and find that the cooling process in the coastal ocean had two different stages. The first stage occurred immediately after typhoon passage on October 3, and reached a maximum SST drop of –2℃ on October 7 as the usual cold wake after typhoon. The second stage or the unusual extended cooling event occurred after 7d of the typhoon passage, and lasted for 5d from October 10 to 15. The maximum SST cooling was –4℃ and occurred after 12d of typhoon passage. The mechanism analysis results indicate that after landing and moving northwestward to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau(YGP), Typhoon Mujigea(2015) met the westerly wind front on October 5. The lowpressure and positive-vorticity disturbances to the front triggered meridional air flow and low-pressure trough,thus induced a katabatic cold jet downward from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) passing through the YGP to the northwestern SCS. The second cooling reached the maximum SST drop 4d later after the maximum air temperature drop of –9℃ on October 11. The simultaneous air temperature and SST observations at three coastal stations reveal that it is this katabatic cold jet intrusion to lead the unusual SST cooling event.     

南海东北部陆架边缘第四纪高分辨率层序地层和沉积体系演化及其控制因素

The northeastern shelf margin of the South China Sea(SCS) is characterized by the development of large scale foresets complexes since Quaternary. Based on integral analysis of the seismic, well logging and paleontological data, successions since ～3.0 Ma can be defined as one composite sequence, consist of a set of regional transgressive to regressive sequences. They can be further divided into six 3 rd order sequences(SQ0–SQ5) based on the Exxon sequence stratigraphic model. Since ～1.6 Ma, five sets of deltaic systems characterized by development of wedge-shaped foresets complexes or clinoforms had been identified. High-resolution seismic data and the thick foresets allowed further divided of sub-depositional sequences(4 th order) of regression to transgression, which is basically consistent with published stacked benthic foram O-isotope records. Depositional systems identified in the study area include deltaic deposits(inner-shelf deltas and shelf-edge deltas), incised valleys, and slope slumping massive deposits. Since ～1.6 Ma, clinoforms prograded from the southern Panyu Lower Uplift toward the northern Baiyun Depression, shelf slope break migrated seaward, whereas the shelf edge of SQ0 migrated landward. The development of incised valleys in the continental shelf increased upward,especially intensive on the SB3 and SB2. The slumping massive deposits increased abruptly since SB2, which corresponds to the development of incised valleys. The evolution of depositional systems of continental slope mainly controlled by the combined influence of sea level changes, tectonic movements, sediment supply and climate changes. Since ～3.0 Ma, relative sea level of the northern SCS had been experienced transgression(～3.0 Ma BP) to regression(～1.6 Ma BP). The regional regression and maximum transgressions of the composite sequences were apparently enhanced by uplift or subsidence related to tectono-thermal events. In addition,climatic variations including monsoon intensification and the mid-Pleistocene transition may have enhanced sediment supply by increasing erosion rate and have an indispensable influence on the development of the incised valleys and 5 sets of deltaic systems since ～1.6 Ma.