The onset of fish colonization in a coastal defence structure (Chioggia,Northern Adriatic Sea)

Coastal defence structures constitute the most extensive hard substrates of the Northwestern Adriatic Sea and are known to sustain rich benthic and nektonic communities. To appreciate the pattern of colonization, we studied the fish assemblage of a recently deployed breakwater. We compared observations from two years, the different sides (landward and seaward) of the barrier, and the two fringes, characterized by timing of work completion. The results indicate that colonization, still in process, follows different patterns among species. Benthic and necto-benthic species presented a striking increase in abundance and richness in the second year of colonization, while more mobile species did not evince any variation between years. Differences in mobility among species suggest that the latter group may have reached the breakwater from nearby artificial substrates, whereas the former colonized the new structure as recruits. In addition, fish assemblages differed between the two sides, likely due to variation in the environmental characteristics, and according to depth, reflecting species preferences.     

Experimental Study of a Command Governor Adaptive Depth Controller for an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are increasingly being used in advanced applications that require them to operate in tandem with human divers and around underwater infrastructure and other vehicles. These applications require precise control of the UUVs which is challenging due to the non-linear and time varying nature of the hydrodynamic forces, presence of external disturbances, uncertainties and unexpected changes that can occur within the UUV’s operating environment. Adaptive control has been identified as a promising solution to achieve desired control within such dynamic environments. Nevertheless, adaptive control in its basic form, such as Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) has a trade-off between the adaptation rate and transient performance. Even though, higher adaptation rates produce better performance they can lead to instabilities and actuator fatigue due to high frequency oscillations in the control signal. Command Governor Adaptive Control (CGAC) is a possible solution to achieve better transient performance at low adaptation rates. In this study CGAC has been experimentally validated for depth control of a UUV, which is a unique challenge due to the unavailability of full state measurement and a greater thrust requirement. These in turn leads to additional noise from state estimation, time-delays from input noise filters, higher energy expenditure and susceptibility to saturation. Experimental results show that CGAC is more robust against noise and time-delays and has lower energy expenditure and thruster saturation. In addition, CGAC offers better tracking, disturbance rejection and tolerance to partial thruster failure compared to the MRAC.     

Field measurements and monitoring of wastewater discharge in sea water

This paper reports a study of the field measurements and monitoring of wastewater discharge in sea water at Bari East (Italy). A wastewater sea outfall system is an integral and fundamental part of each wastewater treatment with ultimate sink in the sea water. The design of a water treatment plant and wastewater outfall must take into account the use of the environmental water, the values of physicochemical parameters to be respected in order to safeguard the use itself and the quality of the environmental water where wastewater is issued. In the present study measurements of sea current velocity components were carried out with a VM-ADP (Vessel-Mounted Acoustic Doppler Profiler). Salinity, wind directions and velocities were assessed with, for one survey, the total faecal coliforms and other biochemical parameters. It was emphasized that the measurements necessary for monitoring cannot be concentrated in the wastewater outfall pipe zone only, but should be extended to a neighbouring area of the outfall pipe, with an extension depending on the wastewater discharge, the polluting charge and the magnitude of the sea currents and the winds typical of the zone of interest. The analyses presented in this paper confirm that the sea zones close to the wastewater outfall pipe are particularly sensitive and vulnerable. Such results must be considered in the planning of a wastewater outfall pipe.     

Traveling wavefront ray tracing and its applications

The current discussion of whether marine geodesy is something entirely new or part of oceanography or geodesy can be clarified by re‐examining our notions about the basic business of geodesy. This paper contends that the same basic geodetic services, which were needed for millenia to chart and control new territory, are being adapted now to the marine environment to suit modern accuracy standards. In a brief historical review it is shown that conceptually, the oceanic regions were always an integral part of geodetic concern. The oceans were certainly part of the world for the ancient map makers and for Pythagoras’ spherical earth model. Notions connected with the marine geoid were implied in ancient speculations. Distances and directions at sea, even depths, were determined to meet the requirements of the times. With the modern sophistication in geodetic theory and measuring techniques, these ideas became more refined and demanding in turn, but they were there all the time. For obvious reasons, land geodesy developed faster; marine geodesy will catch up now, because only now there is the technical capability and also an urgent economic motivation.     

Analysis of EMD algorithm for identification and extraction of an acoustic signal in underwater channel against wind driven ambient noise

Sonar generated acoustic signals transmitted in underwater channel for distant communications are affected by numerous factors like ambient noise, making them nonlinear and non-stationary in nature. In recent years, the application of Empirical Mode Decomposition （EMD） technique to analyze nonlinear and non-stationary signals has gained much attention. It is an empirical approach to decompose a signal into a set of oscillatory modes known as intrinsic mode functions （IMFs）. In general, Hilbert transform is used in EMD for the identification of oscillatory signals. In this paper anew EMD algorithm is proposed using FFT to identify and extract the acoustic signals available in the underwater channel that are corrupted due to various ambient noises over a range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz in a shallow water region.Data for analysis are collected at a depth of 5 m and 10 m offshore Chennai at the Bay of Bengal. The algorithm is validated for different sets of known and unknown reference signals. It is observed that the proposed EMD algorithmidentifies and extracts the reference signals against various ambient noises. Significant SNR improvement is alsoachieved for underwater acoustic signals.     

An Analytical Solution for Dynamic Response of the Plate with Different Impedances Subjected to Underwater Explosion

In this paper, the transmitted part of the incident wave is considered to revise Taylor’s solution, which is used to extend its application for analytical models to predict the response of the plate with different material properties. The influence of the material properties and the boundary condition of the plate on fluid and structural dynamics is systematically investigated. The analytical results are compared with those of detailed dynamic FE simulations and the two are in good agreement. The results indicate that the analytical method is valid and suitable for the plates with different material properties subjected to underwater explosion. It is found that Taylor’s results of the plate with small impedance are invalid, which indicates a potential application field for the analytical method.     

鲐鱼灯光围网渔船水上集鱼灯水中照度分布及优化配置的理论计算

采用叠加法照度计算模式,根据一组鲐鱼灯光围网渔船中3艘不同渔船的水上集鱼灯布置参数,使用自行开发的水上集鱼灯水下光场计算系统,对各船的水中照度分布进行了计算,获得船舷右侧中部水深方向200 m范围内不同深度的照度,并使用Surfer 8.0软件绘制等值曲线图,结果表明:主灯船在总功率为180 kW的情况下,10 lx的等照度曲线水平方向最远在56 m左右,水深方向不超过20 m;离船水平距离40 m、垂直距离40 m处的照度约为0.01 lx。副灯船在总功率为120 kW的情况下,10 lx的等照度曲线水平方向最远在46 m左右,水深方向不超过18 m;离船水平距离33 m、垂直距离38 m处的照度约为0.01 lx。网船在总功率为40 kW的情况下,10 lx的等照度曲线水平方向最远在45 m左右,水深方向不超过15 m;离船水平距离30 m、垂直距离35 m处的照度为0.01 lx左右。从集鱼灯的配置情况来看,主灯船、副灯船与网船目前的配置均较好,但主灯船在灯距增大到0.26 m、灯高增大到5 m时可增加1.6%的有效水体体积,副灯船在灯距减少到0.28 m、灯高增大到5 m时可增加2.1%的有效水体体积,网船在灯距增大到0.64 m、灯高增大到9 m时可增加1.7%的有效水体体积。计算结果还表明,大幅度的增加光诱渔船的集鱼灯功率并不能很有效的提高该船的光诱范围。     

北极冰下水声通信中改进的最小均方/四次方直接自适应均衡器

本文提出了一种适用于北极冰下水声通信的最小均方/四次方直接自适应均衡器（LMS/F-DAE）。它能处理基带复信号,与LMS相比,具有更好的均衡效果。考虑到均衡器的稀疏特性,在其代价函数中加入自适应范数（AN）作为约束。它能根据均衡器系数的大小自适应变化：对于小系数,此约束项存在以加快收敛速度;对于大系数,此约束项不存在以减小均衡误差。利用第九次中国北极科学考察得到的实验数据验证AN-LMS/F-DAE的性能。结果表明,与传统的LMS/F-DAE相比,AN-LMS/F-DAE能提升均衡器的稀疏性且均衡性能更优。     

某外海工程超长大直径钢管桩变形原因简析与加强方案研究

某外海工程在沉设超长大直径钢管桩施工过程中,发生钢管桩在海床泥面附近严重变形的情况。通过对本工程超长大直径钢管桩产生变形的可能性原因进行分析,同时对其变形处局部加强处理方案进行一系列的研究论证,并对加强处理方案进行比选优化后,最后采用一可靠的加强处理方案。为类似工程避免发生此类质量事故和钢管桩局部变形水下加强处理提供参考。     

水下工程项目监理的任务与条件

结合近年来参与有关水下工程检测和项目监理的实践体验 ,从总结水下工程项目的基本特征着手 ,分析了水下工程项目监理的主要任务 ,并结合对于实施水下工程项目监理必备装备条件的探讨 ,介绍了国内外现有水下监测技术装备的开发应用状况