Erodibility study of sediment in a fast-flowing river

Determination of sediment stability in the field is challenging because bed shear stress (BSS), a determining factor of sediment erosion, can’t easily be directly measured. To tackle this challenge and reliably assess sediment erodibility in a fast flowing river, a standalone underwater camera system and a new insitu flume (ISF) were developed and applied in this study. The camera system was used to record sediment movement and the new ISF was used for measuring critical bottom shear stress (CBSS). The camera can be deployed alone in water to record videos or take pictures with light emitting diode (LED) lighting and flexible schedule settings. The ISF is based on the concept that the amount of force needed to erode the same particle under different flow conditions should be similar. Two high resolution Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) also were deployed in the field to collect velocity-depth profiles which are used by conventional methods to calculate BSS with the law of the wall. The sediment erodibility was then assessed based on the comparison between the obtained CBSS and BSS and then further verified with the recorded observations from the deployed camera. The results reveal that the widely used conventional method can produce large uncertainties and is not adequate to provide meaningful conclusion under these conditions.     

An ecosystem-based framework for governance and management of maritime cultural heritage in the USA

A new federal administration, alongside initiatives proposed by the President's US Commission on Ocean Policy, provides a timely and critical opportunity for maritime archaeologists and cultural resource managers to re-consider management frameworks for maritime cultural heritage in the USA. Policy is urgently needed that defines governments’ roles and responsibilities in protecting and managing maritime cultural heritage in federal waters. Implementation of a regional governance structure based on the tenets of ecosystem-based management is proposed in this paper to manage and develop these resources effectively. Through regional governance, the maritime heritage of the USA can be conserved for future generations, keeping its citizens connected to deep-rooted maritime traditions and contribute to the well-being, economic growth and development of coastal communities.     

Application of the ALE technique for underwater explosion analysis of a submarine liquefied oxygen tank

The design of submarines has continually evolved to improve survivability. Explosions may induce local damage as well as global collapse to a submarine. Therefore, it is important to realistically estimate the possible damage conditions due to underwater explosions in the design stage. The present study applied the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) technique, a fluid–structure interaction approach, to simulate an underwater explosion and investigate the survival capability of a damaged submarine liquefied oxygen tank. The Lagrangian–Eulerian coupling algorithm, the equations of state for explosives and seawater, and the simple calculation method for explosive loading were also reviewed. It is shown that underwater explosion analysis using the ALE technique can accurately evaluate structural damage after attack. This procedure could be applied quantitatively to real structural design.     

Aspects of the measurement of the acoustic transfer function in a cavitation tunnel

Model scale experiments represent one of the most effective, and probably the most commonly used, approaches for the study of cavitating propeller noise. Despite this, the acquirement of consistent data of propeller noise from tests in model scale facilities is still a challenging task. Data collected with such an approach are usually affected by several scale effects and facility related issues which make such experiments still very complex. Among others, the effect of the facility itself as acoustical surrounding must be carefully addressed in order to properly estimate propeller source levels in ideal free field conditions. This is currently carried out, when possible, by measuring facility transfer functions and applying such functions as a correction to measured noise spectra. The development of robust procedures for the measurement of these transfer functions is thus very important. In the present work, this problem is addressed by discussing in details techniques, merits and possible problems related to this topic.     

Analytical design of an underwater construction robot on the slope with an up-cutting mode operation of a cutter bar

In this paper, the movements of the analytical models of complete underwater tracked vehicle (UTV) and cutter bar (CB) tool systems on a surface as well as their movements up and down a slope in the up-cutting mode operation are fully studied and analyzed. First, the mathematical expression of the mechanics, for which the forces, moments, and energy from the CB to the UTV are analyzed, is related. Next, analyses on the systemic parameters and their sensitivity are conducted to observe the variations of the operational and geometric parameters, as well as the cutter-tool and material-condition effects on the force, moment, and power components. Also, a design process composed of seven typical steps is proposed as the reference of a trencher-machine design. The important design parameters of the trenching machine such as the length of the CB, the nose radius of the CB, and the height of the pivot point are designed according to the proposed design process; furthermore, these parameters are used for the estimation of the slope-angle range when the trencher system is working on the slope. To demonstrate the application of derived equations to practical problems of the machine design, a number of numerical simulations are performed. Through the numerical simulations, the important parameters of the system such as the tangential force, F_t, the tractive thrust, H, the normal reaction, V, the cutting moment, M_c, the maximum carrier weight, W, and the available power are analyzed. From these, as a reference data for the designing of a trencher machine, the previous design of the system can be improved.     

水声定位技术的发展现状与展望

文章简述了传统的3种声学定位系统的工作原理、系统构成以及各自的优缺点,分别举例说明了市场上典型产品的性能、应用情况,并重点介绍了当前声学定位技术发展的新情况,预测了声学定位技术在未来的发展趋势。     

Estimation of near-field characteristics of tsunami generation by submarine landslide

Underwater landslide can trigger impulsive waves with high amplitude and run-up, which may cause substantial damage. In this work, the experimental investigations are performed to study the impulsive wave characteristics caused by underwater landslides. The effects of landslide geometry and kinematics on wave characteristics are studied by performing 84 laboratory experiments. The influences of thickness, volume and shape of failure mass on the characteristics of initial wave are discussed. The impacts of water body conditions such as the slope of sliding bed and the initial submergence of underwater landslide are also examined. The present experimental data as well as the available data in the literature are used to provide an applied method for prediction of the initial wave amplitude. The present prediction method is properly verified by several experimental, numerical and real case data.     

集成深拖与AUV对洋中脊热液喷口的联合探测

热液喷口探测是目前国际上的热点,探测技术方法也多种多样。阐述了集成深拖与自治水下机器人(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,AUV)探测技术,重点介绍了集成深拖的组合特性。针对热液喷口的探测需求,根据集成深拖与AUV两种方法的优点,提出两种技术方法的联合探测。以一个实际探测的区块为例,讨论了两种方法联合探测的实效性。指出该技术方法可更快速地探测热液的异常范围,同时可降低AUV下潜的盲目性,也可以减少AUV的下潜次数,节约了海上调查时间,提高探测效率。最后指出了现场探测与数据分析需进行深拖位置校正和关注底流及地形对热液羽状流空间分布的影响两个重要问题,为未来的热液探测提供了指导作用。     

Underwater glider modelling and analysis for net buoyancy, depth and pitch angle control

Underwater glider is an autonomous underwater vehicle that glides by controlling their buoyancy and attitude using internal actuators. By changing the vehicle's buoyancy intermittently, vertical motion can be achieved. Characteristics of glider motion include upward and downward movement in a saw tooth pattern, turning and gliding in a vertical spiral motion and gliding without using thrusters or propellers. This paper presents the modelling and identification on net buoyancy, depth and pitching angle of an underwater glider system. A ballast tank subsystem is considered appropriate for the identification process since it is the main parameter for the motion control. By selecting the ballast rate as the input, three aspects of the dynamics of a glider can be observed: buoyancy, depth of the glider and pitching angle. The MATLAB System Identification Toolbox^TM is used to obtain a mathematical model of the glider ballast-buoyancy, ballast-depth and ballast-pitching angle conditioning system. The best three parametric estimation models are chosen, and the results of the comparison between simulated and estimated outputs are presented. The information obtained from the modelling and identification approaches are used for USM's Underwater Glider Prototype controller design. The information observed during this procedure are utilised for optimisation, stability, reliability and robustness analysis of the underwater glider.     

Potential deposition of biogenic silica source sediment in the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Underwater Delta estimated with satellite remote sensing

Biogenic silica sediment constitutes one of the critical sources of particle income in the oceans. In this paper, satellite remote sensing of primary production, sinking flux, and molar ratio of Si/C were utilized to elucidate potential biogenic silica sediment in the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Underwater Delta. Primary production retrieval showed that daily primary production in the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Delta was 3.3–10.8?Mt?d^?1, with 5.8?Mt?d^?1 on average. Sinking flux, retrieved with in situ observations and satellite remote sensing, was within the range of 109–657?mg?Cm^?2?d^?1, or about 23% of total primary production, on average. A molar ratio of Si/C of 0.11–0.45 interval was used in the area, for the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Delta was similar to coastal water and affected by many factors. Considering that phytoplankton in the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Underwater Delta is mainly diatom (80% on average), about 0.21–0.88 billion tons of biogenic silica source sediment is produced in the area annually. With the reduction of land source sediment occurring in recent years in the area, biogenic silica sediment may be one of the dominant sediment sources for maintaining the future stability of the Paleo-Yangtze Grand Underwater Delta.