Optimal Node Placement in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

KAUST Repository

Felamban, M.

2013-03-25

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are expected to play a vital role in the exploration and monitoring of underwater areas which are not easily reachable by humans. However, underwater communication via acoustic waves is subject to several performance limitations that are very different from those used for terresstrial networks. In this paper, we investigate node placement for building an initial underwater WSN infrastructure. We formulate this problem as a nonlinear mathematical program with the objective of minimizing the total transmission loss under a given number of sensor nodes and targeted coverage volume. The obtained solution is the location of each node represented via a truncated octahedron to fill out the 3D space. Experiments are conducted to verify the proposed formulation, which is solved using Matlab optimization tool. Simulation is also conducted using an ns-3 simulator, and the simulation results are consistent with the obtained results from mathematical model with less than 10% error.

A Survey on Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: Progresses, Applications, and Challenges

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Premalatha J.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The endangered underwater species always drew the attention of the scientific society since their disappearance would cause irreplaceable loss. Asia is home to some of the most diverse habitats in the earth, but it is estimated that more than one in four species are endangered. In Underwater, a lot of factors are putting marine life under immense pressure. Extreme population pressure is leading to pollution, over-fishing and the devastation of crucial habitats. Consequently, the numbers of almost all fish are declining and many are already endangered. To help these species to survive, their habitat should be strictly protected. This can be achieved by strictly monitoring them. During this course, several parameters, constraints about the species and its environments are focused. Now, advances in sensor technology facilitate the monitoring of species and their habitat with less expenditure. Indeed, the increasing sophistication of underwater wireless sensors offers chances that enable new challenges in a lot of areas, like surveillance one. This paper endorses the use of sensors for monitoring underwater species endangered in their habitat. This paper further examines the key approaches and challenges in the design and implementation of underwater wireless sensor networks. We summarize major applications and the main phenomena related to acoustic propagation, and discuss how they affect the design and operation of communication systems and networking protocols at various layers.

Silent Localization of Underwater Sensors Using Magnetometers

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Jonas Callmer

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Sensor localization is a central problem for sensor networks. If the sensor positions are uncertain, the target tracking ability of the sensor network is reduced. Sensor localization in underwater environments is traditionally addressed using acoustic range measurements involving known anchor or surface nodes. We explore the usage of triaxial magnetometers and a friendly vessel with known magnetic dipole to silently localize the sensors. The ferromagnetic field created by the dipole is measured by the magnetometers and is used to localize the sensors. The trajectory of the vessel and the sensor positions are estimated simultaneously using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF. Simulations show that the sensors can be accurately positioned using magnetometers.

A flexible liquid crystal polymer MEMS pressure sensor array for fish-like underwater sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kottapalli, A G P; Asadnia, M; Miao, J M; Barbastathis, G; Triantafyllou, M S

2012-01-01

In order to perform underwater surveillance, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) require flexible, light-weight, reliable and robust sensing systems that are capable of flow sensing and detecting underwater objects. Underwater animals like fish perform a similar task using an efficient and ubiquitous sensory system called a lateral-line constituting of an array of pressure-gradient sensors. We demonstrate here the development of arrays of polymer microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensors which are flexible and can be readily mounted on curved surfaces of AUV bodies. An array of ten sensors with a footprint of 60 (L) mm × 25 (W) mm × 0.4 (H) mm is fabricated using liquid crystal polymer (LCP) as the sensing membrane material. The flow sensing and object detection capabilities of the array are illustrated with proof-of-concept experiments conducted in a water tunnel. The sensors demonstrate a pressure sensitivity of 14.3 μV Pa −1 . A high resolution of 25 mm s −1 is achieved in water flow sensing. The sensors can passively sense underwater objects by transducing the pressure variations generated underwater by the movement of objects. The experimental results demonstrate the array’s ability to detect the velocity of underwater objects towed past by with high accuracy, and an average error of only 2.5%. (paper)

Underwater Electromagnetic Sensor Networks—Part I: Link Characterization

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Gara Quintana-Díaz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs using electromagnetic (EM technology in marine shallow waters are examined, not just for environmental monitoring but for further interesting applications. Particularly, the use of EM waves is reconsidered in shallow waters due to the benefits offered in this context, where acoustic and optical technologies have serious disadvantages. Sea water scenario is a harsh environment for radiocommunications, and there is no standard model for the underwater EM channel. The high conductivity of sea water, the effect of seabed and the surface make the behaviour of the channel hard to predict. This justifies the need of link characterization as the first step to approach the development of EM underwater sensor networks. To obtain a reliable link model, measurements and simulations are required. The measuring setup for this purpose is explained and described, as well as the procedures used. Several antennas have been designed and tested in low frequency bands. Agreement between attenuation measurements and simulations at different distances was analysed and made possible the validation of simulation setups and the design of different communications layers of the system. This leads to the second step of this work, where data and routing protocols for the sensor network are examined.

Game Theory-Based Cooperation for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks: Taxonomy, Review, Research Challenges and Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammed, Dalhatu; Anisi, Mohammad Hossein; Zareei, Mahdi; Vargas-Rosales, Cesar; Khan, Anwar

2018-02-01

Exploring and monitoring the underwater world using underwater sensors is drawing a lot of attention these days. In this field cooperation between acoustic sensor nodes has been a critical problem due to the challenging features such as acoustic channel failure (sound signal), long propagation delay of acoustic signal, limited bandwidth and loss of connectivity. There are several proposed methods to improve cooperation between the nodes by incorporating information/game theory in the node's cooperation. However, there is a need to classify the existing works and demonstrate their performance in addressing the cooperation issue. In this paper, we have conducted a review to investigate various factors affecting cooperation in underwater acoustic sensor networks. We study various cooperation techniques used for underwater acoustic sensor networks from different perspectives, with a concentration on communication reliability, energy consumption, and security and present a taxonomy for underwater cooperation. Moreover, we further review how the game theory can be applied to make the nodes cooperate with each other. We further analyze different cooperative game methods, where their performance on different metrics is compared. Finally, open issues and future research direction in underwater acoustic sensor networks are highlighted.

Game Theory-Based Cooperation for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks: Taxonomy, Review, Research Challenges and Directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalhatu Muhammed

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Exploring and monitoring the underwater world using underwater sensors is drawing a lot of attention these days. In this field cooperation between acoustic sensor nodes has been a critical problem due to the challenging features such as acoustic channel failure (sound signal, long propagation delay of acoustic signal, limited bandwidth and loss of connectivity. There are several proposed methods to improve cooperation between the nodes by incorporating information/game theory in the node’s cooperation. However, there is a need to classify the existing works and demonstrate their performance in addressing the cooperation issue. In this paper, we have conducted a review to investigate various factors affecting cooperation in underwater acoustic sensor networks. We study various cooperation techniques used for underwater acoustic sensor networks from different perspectives, with a concentration on communication reliability, energy consumption, and security and present a taxonomy for underwater cooperation. Moreover, we further review how the game theory can be applied to make the nodes cooperate with each other. We further analyze different cooperative game methods, where their performance on different metrics is compared. Finally, open issues and future research direction in underwater acoustic sensor networks are highlighted.

Game Theory-Based Cooperation for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks: Taxonomy, Review, Research Challenges and Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammed, Dalhatu; Anisi, Mohammad Hossein; Vargas-Rosales, Cesar; Khan, Anwar

2018-01-01

Exploring and monitoring the underwater world using underwater sensors is drawing a lot of attention these days. In this field cooperation between acoustic sensor nodes has been a critical problem due to the challenging features such as acoustic channel failure (sound signal), long propagation delay of acoustic signal, limited bandwidth and loss of connectivity. There are several proposed methods to improve cooperation between the nodes by incorporating information/game theory in the node’s cooperation. However, there is a need to classify the existing works and demonstrate their performance in addressing the cooperation issue. In this paper, we have conducted a review to investigate various factors affecting cooperation in underwater acoustic sensor networks. We study various cooperation techniques used for underwater acoustic sensor networks from different perspectives, with a concentration on communication reliability, energy consumption, and security and present a taxonomy for underwater cooperation. Moreover, we further review how the game theory can be applied to make the nodes cooperate with each other. We further analyze different cooperative game methods, where their performance on different metrics is compared. Finally, open issues and future research direction in underwater acoustic sensor networks are highlighted. PMID:29389874

Distributed estimation of sensors position in underwater wireless sensor network

Science.gov (United States)

Zandi, Rahman; Kamarei, Mahmoud; Amiri, Hadi

2016-05-01

In this paper, a localisation method for determining the position of fixed sensor nodes in an underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN) is introduced. In this simple and range-free scheme, the node localisation is achieved by utilising an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that transverses through the network deployment area, and that periodically emits a message block via four directional acoustic beams. A message block contains the actual known AUV position as well as a directional dependent marker that allows a node to identify the respective transmit beam. The beams form a fixed angle with the AUV body. If a node passively receives message blocks, it could calculate the arithmetic mean of the coordinates existing in each messages sequence, to find coordinates at two different time instants via two different successive beams. The node position can be derived from the two computed positions of the AUV. The major advantage of the proposed localisation algorithm is that it is silent, which leads to energy efficiency for sensor nodes. The proposed method does not require any synchronisation among the nodes owing to being silent. Simulation results, using MATLAB, demonstrated that the proposed method had better performance than other similar AUV-based localisation methods in terms of the rates of well-localised sensor nodes and positional root mean square error.

A Secure Communication Suite for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

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Angelica Lo Duca

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we describe a security suite for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks comprising both fixed and mobile nodes. The security suite is composed of a secure routing protocol and a set of cryptographic primitives aimed at protecting the confidentiality and the integrity of underwater communication while taking into account the unique characteristics and constraints of the acoustic channel. By means of experiments and simulations based on real data, we show that the suite is suitable for an underwater networking environment as it introduces limited, and sometimes negligible, communication and power consumption overhead.

An Optical Fibre Depth (Pressure) Sensor for Remote Operated Vehicles in Underwater Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Duraibabu, Dinesh Babu; Poeggel, Sven; Omerdic, Edin; Capocci, Romano; Lewis, Elfed; Newe, Thomas; Leen, Gabriel; Toal, Daniel; Dooly, Gerard

2017-01-01

A miniature sensor for accurate measurement of pressure (depth) with temperature compensation in the ocean environment is described. The sensor is based on an optical fibre Extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) combined with a Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG). The EFPI provides pressure measurements while the Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) provides temperature measurements. The sensor is mechanically robust, corrosion-resistant and suitable for use in underwater applications. The combined pressure and temperature sensor system was mounted on-board a mini remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in order to monitor the pressure changes at various depths. The reflected optical spectrum from the sensor was monitored online and a pressure or temperature change caused a corresponding observable shift in the received optical spectrum. The sensor exhibited excellent stability when measured over a 2 h period underwater and its performance is compared with a commercially available reference sensor also mounted on the ROV. The measurements illustrates that the EFPI/FBG sensor is more accurate for depth measurements (depth of ~0.020 m). PMID:28218727

Localization of Energy Harvesting Empowered Underwater Optical Wireless Sensor Networks

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir

2017-12-20

In this paper, a received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is developed for energy harvesting underwater optical wireless sensor networks (EH-UOWSNs), where the optical noise sources and channel impairments of seawater pose significant challenges for range estimation. Energy limitation is another major problem due to the limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of an underwater sensor node. In the proposed framework, sensor nodes with insufficient battery, harvest the energy and starts communicating once it has sufficient energy storage. Network localization is carried out by measuring the RSSs of active nodes, which are modeled based on the underwater optical communication channel characteristics. Thereafter, block kernel matrices are computed for the RSS based range measurements. Unlike the traditional shortest-path approach, the proposed technique reduces the shortest path estimation for each block kernel matrix. Once the complete block kernel matrices are available, a closed form localization technique is developed to find the location of every optical sensor node in the network. Furthermore, an analytical expression for Cramer Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived as a benchmark to compare the localization performance of the proposed technique. Finally, extensive simulations show that the proposed technique outperforms the well-known network localization techniques.

Secure Cooperation of Autonomous Mobile Sensors Using an Underwater Acoustic Network

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Gianluca Dini

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Methodologies and algorithms are presented for the secure cooperation of a team of autonomous mobile underwater sensors, connected through an acoustic communication network, within surveillance and patrolling applications. In particular, the work proposes a cooperative algorithm in which the mobile underwater sensors (installed on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles—AUVs respond to simple local rules based on the available information to perform the mission and maintain the communication link with the network (behavioral approach. The algorithm is intrinsically robust: with loss of communication among the vehicles the coverage performance (i.e., the mission goal is degraded but not lost. The ensuing form of graceful degradation provides also a reactive measure against Denial of Service. The cooperative algorithm relies on the fact that the available information from the other sensors, though not necessarily complete, is trustworthy. To ensure trustworthiness, a security suite has been designed, specifically oriented to the underwater scenario, and in particular with the goal of reducing the communication overhead introduced by security in terms of number and size of messages. The paper gives implementation details on the integration between the security suite and the cooperative algorithm and provides statistics on the performance of the system as collected during the UAN project sea trial held in Trondheim, Norway, in May 2011.

Short-Range Sensor for Underwater Robot Navigation using Line-lasers and Vision

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Peter Nicholas; Nielsen, Mikkel Cornelius; Christensen, David Johan

2015-01-01

This paper investigates a minimalistic laser-based range sensor, used for underwater inspection by Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). This range detection system system comprise two lasers projecting vertical lines, parallel to a camera’s viewing axis, into the environment. Using both lasers...

The simplified interaction tool for efficient and accurate underwater shock analysis of naval ships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aanhold, J.E. van; Trouwborst, W.; Vaders, J.A.A.

2014-01-01

In order to satisfy the need for good quality UNDEX response estimates of naval ships, TNO developed the Simplified Interaction Tool (SIT) for underwater shock analysis. The SIT is a module of user routines linked to LS-DYNA, which generates the UNDEX loading on the wet hull of a 3D finite element

EARLY DETECTION OF NEAR-FIELD TSUNAMIS USING UNDERWATER SENSOR NETWORKS

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L. E. Freitag

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a novel approach for near-field tsunami detection, specifically for the area near the city of Padang, Indonesia. Padang is located on the western shore of Sumatra, directly across from the Mentawai segment of the Sunda Trench, where accumulated strain has not been released since the great earthquake of 1797. Consequently, the risk of a major tsunamigenic earthquake on this segment is high. Currently, no ocean-bottom pressure sensors are deployed in the Mentawai basin to provide a definitive tsunami warning for Padang. Timely warnings are essential to initiate evacuation procedures and minimize loss of human life. Our approach augments existing technology with a network of underwater sensors to detect tsunamis generated by an earthquake or landslide fast enough to provide at least 15 minutes of warning. Data from the underwater sensor network would feed into existing decision support systems that accept input from land and sea-based sensors and provide warning information to city and regional authorities.

Equation Chapter 1 Section 1Cross Layer Design for Localization in Large-Scale Underwater Sensor Networks

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Yuanfeng ZHANG

2014-02-01

Full Text Available There are many technical challenges for designing large-scale underwater sensor networks, especially the sensor node localization. Although many papers studied for large-scale sensor node localization, previous studies mainly study the location algorithm without the cross layer design for localization. In this paper, by utilizing the network hierarchical structure of underwater sensor networks, we propose a new large-scale underwater acoustic localization scheme based on cross layer design. In this scheme, localization is performed in a hierarchical way, and the whole localization process focused on the physical layer, data link layer and application layer. We increase the pipeline parameters which matched the acoustic channel, added in MAC protocol to increase the authenticity of the large-scale underwater sensor networks, and made analysis of different location algorithm. We conduct extensive simulations, and our results show that MAC layer protocol and the localization algorithm all would affect the result of localization which can balance the trade-off between localization accuracy, localization coverage, and communication cost.

Maximization of the Supportable Number of Sensors in QoS-Aware Cluster-Based Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

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Thi-Tham Nguyen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a practical low-complexity MAC (medium access control scheme for quality of service (QoS-aware and cluster-based underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASN, in which the provision of differentiated QoS is required. In such a network, underwater sensors (U-sensor in a cluster are divided into several classes, each of which has a different QoS requirement. The major problem considered in this paper is the maximization of the number of nodes that a cluster can accommodate while still providing the required QoS for each class in terms of the PDR (packet delivery ratio. In order to address the problem, we first estimate the packet delivery probability (PDP and use it to formulate an optimization problem to determine the optimal value of the maximum packet retransmissions for each QoS class. The custom greedy and interior-point algorithms are used to find the optimal solutions, which are verified by extensive simulations. The simulation results show that, by solving the proposed optimization problem, the supportable number of underwater sensor nodes can be maximized while satisfying the QoS requirements for each class.

A GPS-free passive acoustic localization scheme for underwater wireless sensor networks

KAUST Repository

Mirza, Mohammed; Shakir, Muhammad; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2011-01-01

Seaweb is an acoustic communication technology that enables communication between sensor nodes. Seaweb interconnects the underwater nodes through digital signal processing (DSP)-based modem by using acoustic links between the neighbouring sensors

Event Coverage Detection and Event Source Determination in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

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Zhangbing Zhou

2015-12-01

Full Text Available With the advent of the Internet of Underwater Things, smart things are deployed in the ocean space and establish underwater wireless sensor networks for the monitoring of vast and dynamic underwater environments. When events are found to have possibly occurred, accurate event coverage should be detected, and potential event sources should be determined for the enactment of prompt and proper responses. To address this challenge, a technique that detects event coverage and determines event sources is developed in this article. Specifically, the occurrence of possible events corresponds to a set of neighboring sensor nodes whose sensory data may deviate from a normal sensing range in a collective fashion. An appropriate sensor node is selected as the relay node for gathering and routing sensory data to sink node(s. When sensory data are collected at sink node(s, the event coverage is detected and represented as a weighted graph, where the vertices in this graph correspond to sensor nodes and the weight specified upon the edges reflects the extent of sensory data deviating from a normal sensing range. Event sources are determined, which correspond to the barycenters in this graph. The results of the experiments show that our technique is more energy efficient, especially when the network topology is relatively steady.

A Localization Based Cooperative Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

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Nadeem Javaid

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Localization is one of the major aspects in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs. Therefore, it is important to know the accurate position of the sensor node in large scale applications like disaster prevention, tactical surveillance, and monitoring. Due to the inefficiency of the global positioning system (GPS in UWSN, it is very difficult to localize a node in underwater environment compared to terrestrial networks. To minimize the localization error and enhance the localization coverage of the network, two routing protocols are proposed; the first one is mobile autonomous underwater vehicle (MobiL-AUV and the second one is cooperative MobiL (CO-MobiL. In MobiL-AUV, AUVs are deployed and equipped with GPS and act as reference nodes. These reference nodes are used to localize all the nonlocalized ordinary sensor nodes in order to reduce the localization error and maximize the network coverage. CO-MobiL is presented in order to improve the network throughput by using the maximal ratio combining (MRC as diversity technique which combines both signals, received from the source and received from the relay at the destination. It uses amplify-and-forward (AF mechanism to improve the signal between the source and the destination. To support our claims, extensive simulations are performed.

Event localization in underwater wireless sensor networks using Monitoring Courses

KAUST Repository

Debont, Matthew John Robert; Jamshaid, Kamran; Shihada, Basem; Ho, Pin-Han

2012-01-01

We propose m-courses (Monitoring Courses), a novel solution to localize events in an underwater wireless sensor network. These networks consists of surface gateways and relay nodes. GPS can localize the position of surface gateways which can

Underwater Animal Monitoring Magnetic Sensor System

KAUST Repository

Kaidarova, Altynay

2017-10-01

Obtaining new insights into the behavior of free-living marine organisms is fundamental for conservation efforts and anticipating the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. Despite the recent advances in biotelemetry, collecting physiological and behavioral parameters of underwater free-living animals remains technically challenging. In this thesis, we develop the first magnetic underwater animal monitoring system that utilizes Tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors, the most sensitive solid-state sensors today, coupled with flexible magnetic composites. The TMR sensors are composed of CoFeB free layers and MgO tunnel barriers, patterned using standard optical lithography and ion milling procedures. The short and long-term stability of the TMR sensors has been studied using statistical and Allan deviation analysis. Instrumentation noise has been reduced using optimized electrical interconnection schemes. We also develop flexible NdFeB-PDMS composite magnets optimized for applications in corrosive marine environments, and which can be attached to marine animals. The magnetic and mechanical properties are studied for different NdFeB powder concentrations and the performance of the magnetic composites for different exposure times to sea water is systematically investigated. Without protective layer, the composite magnets loose more than 50% of their magnetization after 51 days in seawater. The durability of the composite magnets can be considerably improved by using polymer coatings which are protecting the composite magnet, whereby Parylene C is found to be the most effective solution, providing simultaneously corrosion resistance, flexibility, and enhanced biocompatibility. A Parylene C film of 2μm thickness provides the sufficient protection of the magnetic composite in corrosive aqueous environments for more than 70 days. For the high level performance of the system, the theoretically optimal position of the composite magnets with respect to the sensing

Localization Algorithms of Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Guangjie; Jiang, Jinfang; Shu, Lei; Xu, Yongjun; Wang, Feng

2012-01-01

In Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs), localization is one of most important technologies since it plays a critical role in many applications. Motivated by widespread adoption of localization, in this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of localization algorithms. First, we classify localization algorithms into three categories based on sensor nodes’ mobility: stationary localization algorithms, mobile localization algorithms and hybrid localization algorithms. Moreover, we compare the localization algorithms in detail and analyze future research directions of localization algorithms in UWSNs. PMID:22438752

Blind equalization for underwater communications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blom, K.C.H.

2014-01-01

Underwater wireless (sensor) networks would vastly improve man's ability to explore and exploit remote aquatic environments. Despite underwater sensor and vehicle technology being relatively mature, underwater communications is still a major challenge. The most challenging characteristics of the

Latency-Optimized and Energy-Efficient MAC Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks: A Cross-Layer Approach

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Cheng Xiuzhen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the energy constraint for fixed sensor nodes and the unacceptable long propagation delay, especially for latency sensitive applications of underwater acoustic sensor networks, we propose a MAC protocol that is latency-optimized and energy-efficient scheme and combines the physical layer and the MAC layer to shorten transmission delay. On physical layer, we apply convolution coding and interleaver for transmitted information. Moreover, dynamic code rate is exploited at the receiver side to accelerate data reception rate. On MAC layer, unfixed frame length scheme is applied to reduce transmission delay, and to ensure the data successful transmission rate at the same time. Furthermore, we propose a network topology: an underwater acoustic sensor network with mobile agent. Through fully utilizing the supper capabilities on computation and mobility of autonomous underwater vehicles, the energy consumption for fixed sensor nodes can be extremely reduced, so that the lifetime of networks is extended.

An Efficient Data-Gathering Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

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Nadeem Javaid

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Most applications of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs demand reliable data delivery over a longer period in an efficient and timely manner. However, the harsh and unpredictable underwater environment makes routing more challenging as compared to terrestrial WSNs. Most of the existing schemes deploy mobile sensors or a mobile sink (MS to maximize data gathering. However, the relatively high deployment cost prevents their usage in most applications. Thus, this paper presents an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV-aided efficient data-gathering (AEDG routing protocol for reliable data delivery in UWSNs. To prolong the network lifetime, AEDG employs an AUV for data collection from gateways and uses a shortest path tree (SPT algorithm while associating sensor nodes with the gateways. The AEDG protocol also limits the number of associated nodes with the gateway nodes to minimize the network energy consumption and to prevent the gateways from overloading. Moreover, gateways are rotated with the passage of time to balance the energy consumption of the network. To prevent data loss, AEDG allows dynamic data collection at the AUV depending on the limited number of member nodes that are associated with each gateway. We also develop a sub-optimal elliptical trajectory of AUV by using a connected dominating set (CDS to further facilitate network throughput maximization. The performance of the AEDG is validated via simulations, which demonstrate the effectiveness of AEDG in comparison to two existing UWSN routing protocols in terms of the selected performance metrics.

An Efficient Data-Gathering Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Nadeem; Ilyas, Naveed; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Alrajeh, Nabil; Qasim, Umar; Khan, Zahoor Ali; Liaqat, Tayyaba; Khan, Majid Iqbal

2015-11-17

Most applications of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) demand reliable data delivery over a longer period in an efficient and timely manner. However, the harsh and unpredictable underwater environment makes routing more challenging as compared to terrestrial WSNs. Most of the existing schemes deploy mobile sensors or a mobile sink (MS) to maximize data gathering. However, the relatively high deployment cost prevents their usage in most applications. Thus, this paper presents an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)-aided efficient data-gathering (AEDG) routing protocol for reliable data delivery in UWSNs. To prolong the network lifetime, AEDG employs an AUV for data collection from gateways and uses a shortest path tree (SPT) algorithm while associating sensor nodes with the gateways. The AEDG protocol also limits the number of associated nodes with the gateway nodes to minimize the network energy consumption and to prevent the gateways from overloading. Moreover, gateways are rotated with the passage of time to balance the energy consumption of the network. To prevent data loss, AEDG allows dynamic data collection at the AUV depending on the limited number of member nodes that are associated with each gateway. We also develop a sub-optimal elliptical trajectory of AUV by using a connected dominating set (CDS) to further facilitate network throughput maximization. The performance of the AEDG is validated via simulations, which demonstrate the effectiveness of AEDG in comparison to two existing UWSN routing protocols in terms of the selected performance metrics.

Proteus II: Design and Evaluation of an Integrated Power-Efficient Underwater Sensor Node

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kleunen, W.A.P.; Moseley, N.A.; Havinga, Paul J.M.; Meratnia, Nirvana

2015-01-01

We describe the design and evaluation of an integrated low-cost underwater sensor node designed for reconfigurability, allowing continuous operation on a relatively small rechargeable battery for one month. The node uses a host CPU for the network protocols and processing sensor data and a separate

An Environment-Friendly Multipath Routing Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network

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Yun Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN is a promising technique by facilitating a wide range of aquatic applications. However, routing scheme in UASN is a challenging task because of the characteristics of the nodes mobility, interruption of link, and interference caused by other underwater acoustic systems such as marine mammals. In order to achieve reliable data delivery in UASN, in this work, we present a disjoint multipath disruption-tolerant routing protocol for UASN (ENMR, which incorporates the Hue, Saturation, and Value color space (HSV model to establish routing paths to greedily forward data packets to sink nodes. ENMR applies the mechanism to maintain the network topology. Simulation results show that, compared with the classic underwater routing protocols named PVBF, ENMR can improve packet delivery ratio and reduce network latency while avoiding introducing additional energy consumption.

Passive aquatic listener (PAL): An adoptive underwater acoustic recording system for the marine environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anagnostou, Marios N.; Nystuen, Jeffrey A.; Anagnostou, Emmanouil N.; Papadopoulos, Anastasios; Lykousis, Vassilios

2011-01-01

The ambient sound field in the ocean is a combination of natural and manmade sounds. Consequently, the interpretation of the ambient sound field can be used to quantify these processes. In the frequency range from 1 to 50 kHz, the general character of ocean ambient sound is a slowly changing background that is closely associated with local wind speed, interspersed with shorter time scale events such as rain storms, ships and animal calls. At lower frequencies the underwater ambient sound budget includes geologically generated sound activities including underwater volcanic eruptions, seismic and seepage faults that generate bubbles, etc. that can also potentially be classified and quantified. Acoustic data are collected on hydrophones. Hydrophones are simple, robust sensors that can be deployed on most ocean instrumentation systems including surface or sub-surface moorings, bottom mounted systems, drifters, ARGO floats or autonomous underwater platforms. A dedicated oceanic underwater recorder called a passive acoustic listener (PAL) has been developed. A principal issue is to accurately distinguish different sound sources so that they can be quantified as part of a sound budget, and then quantified if appropriate. Based on ongoing data collected from the Poseidon II network the retrieval potential of multi-parameters from underwater sound, including meteorological (i.e., precipitation and winds) and in general geophysical, anthropogenetic (i.e., ships, submarines, etc.) and biological (whales, etc.) sources is presented.

Passive aquatic listener (PAL): An adoptive underwater acoustic recording system for the marine environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anagnostou, Marios N., E-mail: managnostou@ath.hcmr.g [Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Department of Inland Waters, Anavissos (Greece); Nystuen, Jeffrey A. [Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Department of Inland Waters, Anavissos (Greece); Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Anagnostou, Emmanouil N. [Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Department of Inland Waters, Anavissos (Greece); Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, CT (United States); Papadopoulos, Anastasios [Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Department of Inland Waters, Anavissos (Greece); Lykousis, Vassilios [Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Department of Oceanography, Anavissos (Greece)

2011-01-21

The ambient sound field in the ocean is a combination of natural and manmade sounds. Consequently, the interpretation of the ambient sound field can be used to quantify these processes. In the frequency range from 1 to 50 kHz, the general character of ocean ambient sound is a slowly changing background that is closely associated with local wind speed, interspersed with shorter time scale events such as rain storms, ships and animal calls. At lower frequencies the underwater ambient sound budget includes geologically generated sound activities including underwater volcanic eruptions, seismic and seepage faults that generate bubbles, etc. that can also potentially be classified and quantified. Acoustic data are collected on hydrophones. Hydrophones are simple, robust sensors that can be deployed on most ocean instrumentation systems including surface or sub-surface moorings, bottom mounted systems, drifters, ARGO floats or autonomous underwater platforms. A dedicated oceanic underwater recorder called a passive acoustic listener (PAL) has been developed. A principal issue is to accurately distinguish different sound sources so that they can be quantified as part of a sound budget, and then quantified if appropriate. Based on ongoing data collected from the Poseidon II network the retrieval potential of multi-parameters from underwater sound, including meteorological (i.e., precipitation and winds) and in general geophysical, anthropogenetic (i.e., ships, submarines, etc.) and biological (whales, etc.) sources is presented.

A GPS-free passive acoustic localization scheme for underwater wireless sensor networks

KAUST Repository

Mirza, Mohammed

2011-10-01

Seaweb is an acoustic communication technology that enables communication between sensor nodes. Seaweb interconnects the underwater nodes through digital signal processing (DSP)-based modem by using acoustic links between the neighbouring sensors. In this paper, we design and investigate a global positioning system (GPS)-free passive localization protocol using seaweb technology. This protocol uses the range data and planar trigonometry to estimate the positions of the discovered nodes. We take into consideration the small displacement of sensor nodes due to watch circles and placement of sensor nodes on non-uniform underwater surface, for precise localization. Once the nodes are localized, we divide the whole network .eld into circular levels that minimizes the traf.c complexity and thereby increases the lifetime of the sensor network .eld. We then form the mesh network inside each of the circular levels that increases the reliability. The algorithm is designed in such a way that it overcomes the ambiguous nodes errata and re.ected paths and makes the algorithm more robust. The synthetic network geometries are so designed which can evaluate the algorithm in the presence of perfect or imperfect ranges or in case of incomplete data. A comparative study is made with the existing algorithms which proves our newly proposed algorithm to be more effective. © 2011 IEEE.

Path Diversity Improved Opportunistic Routing for Underwater Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Weigang; Wang, Haiyan; He, Ke; Zhao, Ruiqin

2018-04-23

The packets carried along a pre-defined route in underwater sensor networks are very vulnerble. Node mobility or intermittent channel availability easily leads to unreachable routing. Opportunistic routing has been proven to be a promising paradigm to design routing protocols for underwater sensor networks. It takes advantage of the broadcast nature of the wireless medium to combat packet losses and selects potential paths on the fly. Finding an appropriate forwarding candidate set is a key issue in opportunistic routing. Many existing solutions ignore the impact of candidates location distribution on packet forwarding. In this paper, a path diversity improved candidate selection strategy is applied in opportunistic routing to improve packet forwarding efficiency. It not only maximizes the packet forwarding advancements but also takes the candidate’s location distribution into account. Based on this strategy, we propose two effective routing protocols: position improved candidates selection (PICS) and position random candidates selection (PRCS). PICS employs two-hop neighbor information to make routing decisions. PRCS only uses one-hop neighbor information. Simulation results show that both PICS and PRCS can significantly improve network performance when compared with the previous solutions, in terms of packet delivery ratio, average energy consumption and end-to-end delay.

Path Diversity Improved Opportunistic Routing for Underwater Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weigang Bai

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The packets carried along a pre-defined route in underwater sensor networks are very vulnerble. Node mobility or intermittent channel availability easily leads to unreachable routing. Opportunistic routing has been proven to be a promising paradigm to design routing protocols for underwater sensor networks. It takes advantage of the broadcast nature of the wireless medium to combat packet losses and selects potential paths on the fly. Finding an appropriate forwarding candidate set is a key issue in opportunistic routing. Many existing solutions ignore the impact of candidates location distribution on packet forwarding. In this paper, a path diversity improved candidate selection strategy is applied in opportunistic routing to improve packet forwarding efficiency. It not only maximizes the packet forwarding advancements but also takes the candidate’s location distribution into account. Based on this strategy, we propose two effective routing protocols: position improved candidates selection (PICS and position random candidates selection (PRCS. PICS employs two-hop neighbor information to make routing decisions. PRCS only uses one-hop neighbor information. Simulation results show that both PICS and PRCS can significantly improve network performance when compared with the previous solutions, in terms of packet delivery ratio, average energy consumption and end-to-end delay.

Application of Sensor Technology for the Efficient Positioningand Assembling of Ship Blocks

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Sangdon Lee

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes the application of sensor technology to assemble ship blocks efficiently. A sensor-based monitoring system is designed and implemented to improve shipbuilding productivity by reducing the labor cost for the adjustment of adequate positioning between ship blocks during pre-erection or erection stage. For the real-time remote monitoring of relative distances between two ship blocks, sensor nodes are applied to measure the distances between corresponding target points on the blocks. Highly precise positioning data can be transferred to a monitoring server via wireless network, and analyzed to support the decision making which needs to determine the next construction process; further adjustment or seam welding between the ship blocks. The developed system is expected to put to practical use, and increase the productivity during ship blocks assembly.

Dynamics of the congestion control model in underwater wireless sensor networks with time delay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Tao; Hu, Wenjie; Liao, Xiaofeng

2016-01-01

In this paper, a congestion control model in underwater wireless sensor network with time delay is considered. First, the boundedness of the positive equilibrium, where the samples density is positive for each node and the different event flows coexist, is investigated, which implies that the samples density of sensor node cannot exceed the Environmental carrying capacity. Then, by considering the time delay can be regarded as a bifurcating parameter, the dynamical behaviors, which include local stability and Hopf bifurcation, are investigated. It is found that when the communication time delay passes a critical value, the system loses its stability and a Hopf bifurcation occurs, which means the underwater wireless sensor network will be congested, even collapsed. Furthermore, the direction and stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions are derived by applying the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. Finally, some numerical examples are finally performed to verify the theoretical results.

Advanced flooding-based routing protocols for underwater sensor networks

OpenAIRE

Isufi, E.; Dol, H.; Leus, G.J.T.

2016-01-01

Flooding-based protocols are a reliable solution to deliver packets in underwater sensor networks. However, these protocols potentially involve all the nodes in the forwarding process. Thus, the performance and energy efficiency are not optimal. In this work, we propose some advances of a flooding-based protocol with the goal to improve the performance and the energy efficiency. The first idea considers the node position information in order to reduce the number of relays that may apply flood...

A Support Vector Learning-Based Particle Filter Scheme for Target Localization in Communication-Constrained Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xinbin; Zhang, Chenglin; Yan, Lei; Han, Song; Guan, Xinping

2017-12-21

Target localization, which aims to estimate the location of an unknown target, is one of the key issues in applications of underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs). However, the constrained property of an underwater environment, such as restricted communication capacity of sensor nodes and sensing noises, makes target localization a challenging problem. This paper relies on fractional sensor nodes to formulate a support vector learning-based particle filter algorithm for the localization problem in communication-constrained underwater acoustic sensor networks. A node-selection strategy is exploited to pick fractional sensor nodes with short-distance pattern to participate in the sensing process at each time frame. Subsequently, we propose a least-square support vector regression (LSSVR)-based observation function, through which an iterative regression strategy is used to deal with the distorted data caused by sensing noises, to improve the observation accuracy. At the same time, we integrate the observation to formulate the likelihood function, which effectively update the weights of particles. Thus, the particle effectiveness is enhanced to avoid "particle degeneracy" problem and improve localization accuracy. In order to validate the performance of the proposed localization algorithm, two different noise scenarios are investigated. The simulation results show that the proposed localization algorithm can efficiently improve the localization accuracy. In addition, the node-selection strategy can effectively select the subset of sensor nodes to improve the communication efficiency of the sensor network.

Event localization in underwater wireless sensor networks using Monitoring Courses

KAUST Repository

Debont, Matthew John Robert

2012-08-01

We propose m-courses (Monitoring Courses), a novel solution to localize events in an underwater wireless sensor network. These networks consists of surface gateways and relay nodes. GPS can localize the position of surface gateways which can then distribute their locations through the network using acoustic modems. Relay nodes are deployed to remain static, but these untethered nodes may drift due to water currents, resulting in disruption of communication links. We develop a novel underwater alarm system using a cyclic graph model. In the event of link failure, a series of alarm packets are broadcast in the network. These alarms are then captured by the underwater m-courses, which can also be used to assure network connectivity and identify node failures. M-courses also allow the network to localize events and identify network issues locally before forwarding results upwards to a Surface Gateway node. This reduces communication overhead and allows for efficient management of nodes in a mobile network. Our results show that m-course routing reduces the number of sends required to report an event to a Surface Gateway by up to 80% when compared to a naïve routing implementation.

Latest Trends in the Monitoring of Ships’s Hull Underwater Part and Analysis of Its Effectiveness

OpenAIRE

Urbahs, A; Carjova, K; Vulans, P; Straume, R

2012-01-01

Ship operation is not possible without regular maintenance, inspection and certification, established by international and domestic law, where one of the main goals is an effective operation of a ship. To achieve this, it is important to reduce time and costs involved in carrying out the surveys. This paper explores the law under which it’s required for ship to have inspection of underwater part; identifies problems of ship’s hull underwater part; analyze latest trends in ship's hull underwat...

Using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles as Sensor Platforms for Ice-Monitoring

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Petter Norgren

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Due to the receding sea-ice extent in the Arctic, and the potentially large undiscovered petroleum resources present north of the Arctic circle, offshore activities in ice-infested waters are increasing. Due to the presence of drifting sea-ice and icebergs, ice management (IM becomes an important part of the offshore operation, and an important part of an IM system is the ability to reliably monitor the ice conditions. An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV has a unique capability of high underwater spatial and temporal coverage, making it suitable for monitoring applications. Since the first Arctic AUV deployment in 1972, AUV technology has matured and has been used in complex under-ice operations. This paper motivates the use of AUVs as an ice-monitoring sensor platform. It discusses relevant sensor capabilities and challenges related to communication and navigation. This paper also presents experiences from a field campaign that took place in Ny-Aalesund at Svalbard in January 2014, where a REMUS 100 AUV was used for sea-floor mapping and collection of oceanographic parameters. Based on this, we discuss the experiences related to using AUVs for ice-monitoring. We conclude that AUVs are highly applicable for ice-monitoring, but further research is needed.

An Underwater Acoustic Vector Sensor with High Sensitivity and Broad Band

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Hu Zhang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Recently, acoustic vector sensor that use accelerators as sensing elements are widely used in underwater acoustic engineering, but the sensitivity of which at low frequency band is usually lower than -220 dB. In this paper, using a piezoelectric trilaminar optimized low frequency sensing element, we designed a high sensitivity internal placed ICP piezoelectric accelerometer as sensing element. Through structure optimization, we made a high sensitivity, broadband, small scale vector sensor. The working band is 10-2000 Hz, sound pressure sensitivity is -185 dB (at 100 Hz, outer diameter is 42 mm, length is 80 mm.

Localization with a mobile beacon in underwater acoustic sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangho; Kim, Kiseon

2012-01-01

Localization is one of the most important issues associated with underwater acoustic sensor networks, especially when sensor nodes are randomly deployed. Given that it is difficult to deploy beacon nodes at predetermined locations, localization schemes with a mobile beacon on the sea surface or along the planned path are inherently convenient, accurate, and energy-efficient. In this paper, we propose a new range-free Localization with a Mobile Beacon (LoMoB). The mobile beacon periodically broadcasts a beacon message containing its location. Sensor nodes are individually localized by passively receiving the beacon messages without inter-node communications. For location estimation, a set of potential locations are obtained as candidates for a node's location and then the node's location is determined through the weighted mean of all the potential locations with the weights computed based on residuals.

Localization with a Mobile Beacon in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangho Lee

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Localization is one of the most important issues associated with underwater acoustic sensor networks, especially when sensor nodes are randomly deployed. Given that it is difficult to deploy beacon nodes at predetermined locations, localization schemes with a mobile beacon on the sea surface or along the planned path are inherently convenient, accurate, and energy-efficient. In this paper, we propose a new range-free Localization with a Mobile Beacon (LoMoB. The mobile beacon periodically broadcasts a beacon message containing its location. Sensor nodes are individually localized by passively receiving the beacon messages without inter-node communications. For location estimation, a set of potential locations are obtained as candidates for a node’s location and then the node’s location is determined through the weighted mean of all the potential locations with the weights computed based on residuals.

Measuring pH variability using an experimental sensor on an underwater glider

Science.gov (United States)

Hemming, Michael P.; Kaiser, Jan; Heywood, Karen J.; Bakker, Dorothee C. E.; Boutin, Jacqueline; Shitashima, Kiminori; Lee, Gareth; Legge, Oliver; Onken, Reiner

2017-05-01

Autonomous underwater gliders offer the capability of measuring oceanic parameters continuously at high resolution in both vertical and horizontal planes, with timescales that can extend to many months. An experimental ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensor measuring pH on the total scale was attached to a glider during the REP14-MED experiment in June 2014 in the Sardinian Sea in the northwestern Mediterranean. During the deployment, pH was sampled at depths of up to 1000 m along an 80 km transect over a period of 12 days. Water samples were collected from a nearby ship and analysed for dissolved inorganic carbon concentration and total alkalinity to derive the pH for validating the ISFET sensor measurements. The vertical resolution of the pH sensor was good (1 to 2 m), but stability was poor and the sensor drifted in a non-monotonous fashion. In order to remove the sensor drift, a depth-constant time-varying offset was applied throughout the water column for each dive, reducing the spread of the data by approximately two-thirds. Furthermore, the ISFET sensor required temperature- and pressure-based corrections, which were achieved using linear regression. Correcting for this decreased the apparent sensor pH variability by a further 13 to 31 %. Sunlight caused an apparent sensor pH decrease of up to 0.1 in surface waters around local noon, highlighting the importance of shielding the sensor from light in future deployments. The corrected pH from the ISFET sensor is presented along with potential temperature, salinity, potential density anomalies (σθ), and dissolved oxygen concentrations (c(O2)) measured by the glider, providing insights into the physical and biogeochemical variability in the Sardinian Sea. The pH maxima were identified close to the depth of the summer chlorophyll maximum, where high c(O2) values were also found. Longitudinal pH variations at depth (σθ > 28. 8 kg m-3) highlighted the variability of water masses in the Sardinian

Measuring pH variability using an experimental sensor on an underwater glider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Hemming

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Autonomous underwater gliders offer the capability of measuring oceanic parameters continuously at high resolution in both vertical and horizontal planes, with timescales that can extend to many months. An experimental ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET sensor measuring pH on the total scale was attached to a glider during the REP14-MED experiment in June 2014 in the Sardinian Sea in the northwestern Mediterranean. During the deployment, pH was sampled at depths of up to 1000 m along an 80 km transect over a period of 12 days. Water samples were collected from a nearby ship and analysed for dissolved inorganic carbon concentration and total alkalinity to derive the pH for validating the ISFET sensor measurements. The vertical resolution of the pH sensor was good (1 to 2 m, but stability was poor and the sensor drifted in a non-monotonous fashion. In order to remove the sensor drift, a depth-constant time-varying offset was applied throughout the water column for each dive, reducing the spread of the data by approximately two-thirds. Furthermore, the ISFET sensor required temperature- and pressure-based corrections, which were achieved using linear regression. Correcting for this decreased the apparent sensor pH variability by a further 13 to 31 %. Sunlight caused an apparent sensor pH decrease of up to 0.1 in surface waters around local noon, highlighting the importance of shielding the sensor from light in future deployments. The corrected pH from the ISFET sensor is presented along with potential temperature, salinity, potential density anomalies (σθ, and dissolved oxygen concentrations (c(O2 measured by the glider, providing insights into the physical and biogeochemical variability in the Sardinian Sea. The pH maxima were identified close to the depth of the summer chlorophyll maximum, where high c(O2 values were also found. Longitudinal pH variations at depth (σθ > 28. 8 kg m−3 highlighted the variability of

A scalable global positioning system-free localization scheme for underwater wireless sensor networks

KAUST Repository

Mohammed, A.M.

2013-05-07

Seaweb is an acoustic communication technology that enables communication between sensor nodes. Seaweb technology utilizes the commercially available telesonar modems that has developed link and network layer firmware to provide a robust undersea communication capability. Seaweb interconnects the underwater nodes through digital signal processing-based modem by using acoustic links between the neighboring sensors. In this paper, we design and investigate a global positioning system-free passive localization protocol by integrating the innovations of levelling and localization with the Seaweb technology. This protocol uses the range data and planar trigonometry principles to estimate the positions of the underwater sensor nodes. Moreover, for precise localization, we consider more realistic conditions namely, (a) small displacement of sensor nodes due to watch circles and (b) deployment of sensor nodes over non-uniform water surface. Once the nodes are localized, we divide the whole network field into circular levels and sectors to minimize the traffic complexity and thereby increases the lifetime of the sensor nodes in the network field. We then form the mesh network inside each of the sectors that increases the reliability. The algorithm is designed in such a way that it overcomes the ambiguous nodes errata and reflected paths and therefore makes the algorithm more robust. The synthetic network geometries are so designed which can evaluate the algorithm in the presence of perfect or imperfect ranges or in case of incomplete data. A comparative study is made with the existing algorithms which proves the efficiency of our newly proposed algorithm. 2013 Mohammed et al.

Hydrodynamic design of an underwater hull cleaning robot and its evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Man Hyung Lee

2012-12-01

Full Text Available An underwater hull cleaning robot can be a desirable choice for the cleaning of large ships. It can make the cleaning process safe and economical. This paper presents a hydrodynamic design of an underwater cleaning robot and its evaluation for an underwater ship hull cleaning robot. The hydrodynamic design process of the robot body is described in detail. Optimal body design process with compromises among conflicting design requirements is given. Experimental results on the hydrodynamic performance of the robot are given.

ECS: Efficient Communication Scheduling for Underwater Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Hong

2011-03-01

Full Text Available TDMA protocols have attracted a lot of attention for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWSNs, because of the unique characteristics of acoustic signal propagation such as great energy consumption in transmission, long propagation delay and long communication range. Previous TDMA protocols all allocated transmission time to nodes based on discrete time slots. This paper proposes an efficient continuous time scheduling TDMA protocol (ECS for UWSNs, including the continuous time based and sender oriented conflict analysis model, the transmission moment allocation algorithm and the distributed topology maintenance algorithm. Simulation results confirm that ECS improves network throughput by 20% on average, compared to existing MAC protocols.

Evaluation of Underwater Adhesives and Friction Coatings for In Situ Attachment of Fiber Optic Sensor System for Subsea Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Henry H.; Le, Suy Q.; Orndoff, Evelyne S.; Smith, Frederick D.; Tapia, Alma S.; Brower, David V.

2012-01-01

Integrity and performance monitoring of subsea pipelines and structures provides critical information for managing offshore oil and gas production operation and preventing environmentally damaging and costly catastrophic failure. Currently pipeline monitoring devices require ground assembly and installation prior to the underwater deployment of the pipeline. A monitoring device that could be installed in situ on the operating underwater structures could enhance the productivity and improve the safety of current offshore operation. Through a Space Act Agreement (SAA) between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Astro Technology, Inc. (ATI), JSC provides technical expertise and testing facilities to support the development of fiber optic sensor technologies by ATI. This paper details the first collaboration effort between NASA JSC and ATI in evaluating underwater applicable adhesives and friction coatings for attaching fiber optic sensor system to subsea pipeline. A market survey was conducted to examine different commercial ]off ]the ]shelf (COTS) underwater adhesive systems and to select adhesive candidates for testing and evaluation. Four COTS epoxy based underwater adhesives were selected and evaluated. The adhesives were applied and cured in simulated seawater conditions and then evaluated for application characteristics and adhesive strength. The adhesive that demonstrated the best underwater application characteristics and highest adhesive strength were identified for further evaluation in developing an attachment system that could be deployed in the harsh subsea environment. Various friction coatings were also tested in this study to measure their shear strengths for a mechanical clamping design concept for attaching fiber optic sensor system. A COTS carbide alloy coating was found to increase the shear strength of metal to metal clamping interface by up to 46 percent. This study provides valuable data for

An adaptive grid to improve the efficiency and accuracy of modelling underwater noise from shipping

Science.gov (United States)

Trigg, Leah; Chen, Feng; Shapiro, Georgy; Ingram, Simon; Embling, Clare

2017-04-01

Underwater noise from shipping is becoming a significant concern and has been listed as a pollutant under Descriptor 11 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Underwater noise models are an essential tool to assess and predict noise levels for regulatory procedures such as environmental impact assessments and ship noise monitoring. There are generally two approaches to noise modelling. The first is based on simplified energy flux models, assuming either spherical or cylindrical propagation of sound energy. These models are very quick but they ignore important water column and seabed properties, and produce significant errors in the areas subject to temperature stratification (Shapiro et al., 2014). The second type of model (e.g. ray-tracing and parabolic equation) is based on an advanced physical representation of sound propagation. However, these acoustic propagation models are computationally expensive to execute. Shipping noise modelling requires spatial discretization in order to group noise sources together using a grid. A uniform grid size is often selected to achieve either the greatest efficiency (i.e. speed of computations) or the greatest accuracy. In contrast, this work aims to produce efficient and accurate noise level predictions by presenting an adaptive grid where cell size varies with distance from the receiver. The spatial range over which a certain cell size is suitable was determined by calculating the distance from the receiver at which propagation loss becomes uniform across a grid cell. The computational efficiency and accuracy of the resulting adaptive grid was tested by comparing it to uniform 1 km and 5 km grids. These represent an accurate and computationally efficient grid respectively. For a case study of the Celtic Sea, an application of the adaptive grid over an area of 160×160 km reduced the number of model executions required from 25600 for a 1 km grid to 5356 in December and to between 5056 and 13132 in August, which

A matched Bow-tie antenna at 433MHz for use in underwater wireless sensor networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdou, A A; Shaw, A; Mason, A; Al-Shamma'a, A; Cullen, J; Wylie, S; Diallo, M

2013-01-01

Electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation underwater is been disregarded because of attenuation at high frequencies, however the theory predicts that propagation is possible at some useful distance in the lower Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. Common transceivers rely on narrowband antennas and matching circuit. The aim of this paper is to design a broadband 433MHz bow-tie antenna and experiment it in air and water without a matching circuit. This antenna could be attached to wireless transceivers and form a Wireless Sensor Network for deployment in various underwater applications. The bow-tie antennas were designed, simulated and constructed in laboratory. Experiments were setup carefully by using a completely isolated transmitter from electronics to avoid airborne transmission. The 433MHz. bow-tie proved its suitability for use in Underwater.

SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF GREEDY ROUTING PROTOCOL IN VIEW OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND NETWORK LIFETIME IN THREE DIMENSIONAL UNDERWATER WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SHEENA KOHLI

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN comprises of a number of miniature sized sensing devices deployed in the sea or ocean, connected by dint of acoustic links to each other. The sensors trap the ambient conditions and transmit the data from one end to another. For transmission of data in any medium, routing protocols play a crucial role. Moreover, being battery limited, an unavoidable parameter to be considered in operation and analysis of protocols is the network energy and the network lifetime. The paper discusses the greedy routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks. The simulation of this routing protocol also takes into consideration the characteristics of acoustic communication like attenuation, transmission loss, signal to noise ratio, noise, propagation delay. The results from these observations may be used to construct an accurate underwater communication model.

Efficient Data Gathering in 3D Linear Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Using Sink Mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbar, Mariam; Javaid, Nadeem; Khan, Ayesha Hussain; Imran, Muhammad; Shoaib, Muhammad; Vasilakos, Athanasios

2016-03-19

Due to the unpleasant and unpredictable underwater environment, designing an energy-efficient routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) demands more accuracy and extra computations. In the proposed scheme, we introduce a mobile sink (MS), i.e., an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), and also courier nodes (CNs), to minimize the energy consumption of nodes. MS and CNs stop at specific stops for data gathering; later on, CNs forward the received data to the MS for further transmission. By the mobility of CNs and MS, the overall energy consumption of nodes is minimized. We perform simulations to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme and compare it to preexisting techniques. Simulation results are compared in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss, transmission loss and packet drop ratio. The results show that the proposed technique performs better in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss and scalability.

Efficient Data Gathering in 3D Linear Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Using Sink Mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariam Akbar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Due to the unpleasant and unpredictable underwater environment, designing an energy-efficient routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs demands more accuracy and extra computations. In the proposed scheme, we introduce a mobile sink (MS, i.e., an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV, and also courier nodes (CNs, to minimize the energy consumption of nodes. MS and CNs stop at specific stops for data gathering; later on, CNs forward the received data to the MS for further transmission. By the mobility of CNs and MS, the overall energy consumption of nodes is minimized. We perform simulations to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme and compare it to preexisting techniques. Simulation results are compared in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss, transmission loss and packet drop ratio. The results show that the proposed technique performs better in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss and scalability.

Efficient Vector-Based Forwarding for Underwater Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Xie

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs are significantly different from terrestrial sensor networks in the following aspects: low bandwidth, high latency, node mobility, high error probability, and 3-dimensional space. These new features bring many challenges to the network protocol design of UWSNs. In this paper, we tackle one fundamental problem in UWSNs: robust, scalable, and energy efficient routing. We propose vector-based forwarding (VBF, a geographic routing protocol. In VBF, the forwarding path is guided by a vector from the source to the target, no state information is required on the sensor nodes, and only a small fraction of the nodes is involved in routing. To improve the robustness, packets are forwarded in redundant and interleaved paths. Further, a localized and distributed self-adaptation algorithm allows the nodes to reduce energy consumption by discarding redundant packets. VBF performs well in dense networks. For sparse networks, we propose a hop-by-hop vector-based forwarding (HH-VBF protocol, which adapts the vector-based approach at every hop. We evaluate the performance of VBF and HH-VBF through extensive simulations. The simulation results show that VBF achieves high packet delivery ratio and energy efficiency in dense networks and HH-VBF has high packet delivery ratio even in sparse networks.

Cross Deployment Networking and Systematic Performance Analysis of Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengxian Wei

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs have become a new hot research area. However, due to the work dynamics and harsh ocean environment, how to obtain an UWSN with the best systematic performance while deploying as few sensor nodes as possible and setting up self-adaptive networking is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Consequently, sensor deployment, networking, and performance calculation of UWSNs are challenging issues, hence the study in this paper centers on this topic and three relevant methods and models are put forward. Firstly, the normal body-centered cubic lattice to cross body-centered cubic lattice (CBCL has been improved, and a deployment process and topology generation method are built. Then most importantly, a cross deployment networking method (CDNM for UWSNs suitable for the underwater environment is proposed. Furthermore, a systematic quar-performance calculation model (SQPCM is proposed from an integrated perspective, in which the systematic performance of a UWSN includes coverage, connectivity, durability and rapid-reactivity. Besides, measurement models are established based on the relationship between systematic performance and influencing parameters. Finally, the influencing parameters are divided into three types, namely, constraint parameters, device performance and networking parameters. Based on these, a networking parameters adjustment method (NPAM for optimized systematic performance of UWSNs has been presented. The simulation results demonstrate that the approach proposed in this paper is feasible and efficient in networking and performance calculation of UWSNs.

Ship Sensor Observations for Deep Sea Medicines 2003 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown during the "Deep Sea Medicines 2003: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico" expedition...

Equipment and appliances for underwater operations. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krueger, P.

1976-01-01

The 6/75 edition of 'mt' reported on the 'ARGE underwater appliances' and the study on 'design development of appliances and equipment for underwater use' in a brief summary. One of these designs, the 'unmanned DSWS underwater appliance' was described in detail. The present article describes three further design developments mentioned in the above study and which are based on unmanned appliances connected to the mother-ship. These designs were developed by Preussag-Meerestechnik. (orig.) [de

Underwater Acoustic Wireless Sensor Networks: Advances and Future Trends in Physical, MAC and Routing Layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Climent, S.; Sanchez, A.; Capella, J.V.; Meratnia, Nirvana; Serrano, J.J.

2014-01-01

This survey aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research on underwater wireless sensor networks, focusing on the lower layers of the communication stack, and envisions future trends and challenges. It analyzes the current state-of-the-art on the physical, medium access control

UTOFIA: an underwater time-of-flight image acquisition system

Science.gov (United States)

Driewer, Adrian; Abrosimov, Igor; Alexander, Jonathan; Benger, Marc; O'Farrell, Marion; Haugholt, Karl Henrik; Softley, Chris; Thielemann, Jens T.; Thorstensen, Jostein; Yates, Chris

2017-10-01

In this article the development of a newly designed Time-of-Flight (ToF) image sensor for underwater applications is described. The sensor is developed as part of the project UTOFIA (underwater time-of-flight image acquisition) funded by the EU within the Horizon 2020 framework. This project aims to develop a camera based on range gating that extends the visible range compared to conventional cameras by a factor of 2 to 3 and delivers real-time range information by means of a 3D video stream. The principle of underwater range gating as well as the concept of the image sensor are presented. Based on measurements on a test image sensor a pixel structure that suits best to the requirements has been selected. Within an extensive characterization underwater the capability of distance measurements in turbid environments is demonstrated.

Surface Ship Shock Modeling and Simulation: Two-Dimensional Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young S. Shin

1998-01-01

Full Text Available The modeling and simulation of the response of a surface ship system to underwater explosion requires an understanding of many different subject areas. These include the process of underwater explosion events, shock wave propagation, explosion gas bubble behavior and bubble-pulse loading, bulk and local cavitation, free surface effect, fluid-structure interaction, and structural dynamics. This paper investigates the effects of fluid-structure interaction and cavitation on the response of a surface ship using USA-NASTRAN-CFA code. First, the one-dimensional Bleich-Sandler model is used to validate the approach, and second, the underwater shock response of a two-dimensional mid-section model of a surface ship is predicted with a surrounding fluid model using a constitutive equation of a bilinear fluid which does not allow transmission of negative pressures.

Chain-based communication in cylindrical underwater wireless sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Nadeem; Jafri, Mohsin Raza; Khan, Zahoor Ali; Alrajeh, Nabil; Imran, Muhammad; Vasilakos, Athanasios

2015-02-04

Appropriate network design is very significant for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs). Application-oriented UWSNs are planned to achieve certain objectives. Therefore, there is always a demand for efficient data routing schemes, which can fulfill certain requirements of application-oriented UWSNs. These networks can be of any shape, i.e., rectangular, cylindrical or square. In this paper, we propose chain-based routing schemes for application-oriented cylindrical networks and also formulate mathematical models to find a global optimum path for data transmission. In the first scheme, we devise four interconnected chains of sensor nodes to perform data communication. In the second scheme, we propose routing scheme in which two chains of sensor nodes are interconnected, whereas in third scheme single-chain based routing is done in cylindrical networks. After finding local optimum paths in separate chains, we find global optimum paths through their interconnection. Moreover, we develop a computational model for the analysis of end-to-end delay. We compare the performance of the above three proposed schemes with that of Power Efficient Gathering System in Sensor Information Systems (PEGASIS) and Congestion adjusted PEGASIS (C-PEGASIS). Simulation results show that our proposed 4-chain based scheme performs better than the other selected schemes in terms of network lifetime, end-to-end delay, path loss, transmission loss, and packet sending rate.

Chain-Based Communication in Cylindrical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadeem Javaid

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Appropriate network design is very significant for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs. Application-oriented UWSNs are planned to achieve certain objectives. Therefore, there is always a demand for efficient data routing schemes, which can fulfill certain requirements of application-oriented UWSNs. These networks can be of any shape, i.e., rectangular, cylindrical or square. In this paper, we propose chain-based routing schemes for application-oriented cylindrical networks and also formulate mathematical models to find a global optimum path for data transmission. In the first scheme, we devise four interconnected chains of sensor nodes to perform data communication. In the second scheme, we propose routing scheme in which two chains of sensor nodes are interconnected, whereas in third scheme single-chain based routing is done in cylindrical networks. After finding local optimum paths in separate chains, we find global optimum paths through their interconnection. Moreover, we develop a computational model for the analysis of end-to-end delay. We compare the performance of the above three proposed schemes with that of Power Efficient Gathering System in Sensor Information Systems (PEGASIS and Congestion adjusted PEGASIS (C-PEGASIS. Simulation results show that our proposed 4-chain based scheme performs better than the other selected schemes in terms of network lifetime, end-to-end delay, path loss, transmission loss, and packet sending rate.

A hybrid path-oriented code assignment CDMA-based MAC protocol for underwater acoustic sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huifang; Fan, Guangyu; Xie, Lei; Cui, Jun-Hong

2013-11-04

Due to the characteristics of underwater acoustic channel, media access control (MAC) protocols designed for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs) are quite different from those for terrestrial wireless sensor networks. Moreover, in a sink-oriented network with event information generation in a sensor field and message forwarding to the sink hop-by-hop, the sensors near the sink have to transmit more packets than those far from the sink, and then a funneling effect occurs, which leads to packet congestion, collisions and losses, especially in UWASNs with long propagation delays. An improved CDMA-based MAC protocol, named path-oriented code assignment (POCA) CDMA MAC (POCA-CDMA-MAC), is proposed for UWASNs in this paper. In the proposed MAC protocol, both the round-robin method and CDMA technology are adopted to make the sink receive packets from multiple paths simultaneously. Since the number of paths for information gathering is much less than that of nodes, the length of the spreading code used in the POCA-CDMA-MAC protocol is shorter greatly than that used in the CDMA-based protocols with transmitter-oriented code assignment (TOCA) or receiver-oriented code assignment (ROCA). Simulation results show that the proposed POCA-CDMA-MAC protocol achieves a higher network throughput and a lower end-to-end delay compared to other CDMA-based MAC protocols.

A Hybrid Path-Oriented Code Assignment CDMA-Based MAC Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huifang Chen

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Due to the characteristics of underwater acoustic channel, media access control (MAC protocols designed for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs are quite different from those for terrestrial wireless sensor networks. Moreover, in a sink-oriented network with event information generation in a sensor field and message forwarding to the sink hop-by-hop, the sensors near the sink have to transmit more packets than those far from the sink, and then a funneling effect occurs, which leads to packet congestion, collisions and losses, especially in UWASNs with long propagation delays. An improved CDMA-based MAC protocol, named path-oriented code assignment (POCA CDMA MAC (POCA-CDMA-MAC, is proposed for UWASNs in this paper. In the proposed MAC protocol, both the round-robin method and CDMA technology are adopted to make the sink receive packets from multiple paths simultaneously. Since the number of paths for information gathering is much less than that of nodes, the length of the spreading code used in the POCA-CDMA-MAC protocol is shorter greatly than that used in the CDMA-based protocols with transmitter-oriented code assignment (TOCA or receiver-oriented code assignment (ROCA. Simulation results show that the proposed POCA-CDMA-MAC protocol achieves a higher network throughput and a lower end-to-end delay compared to other CDMA-based MAC protocols.

Ship Sensor Observations for North Atlantic Stepping Stones 2005 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown during the "North Atlantic Stepping Stones 2005" expedition sponsored by the...

The influence of underwater data transmission sounds on the displacement behaviour of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kastelein, R.A.; Heul, S. van der; Verboom, W.C.; Triesscheijn, R.J.V.; Jennings, N.V.

2006-01-01

To prevent grounding of ships and collisions between ships in shallow coastal waters, an underwater data collection and communication network (ACME) using underwater sounds to encode and transmit data is currently under development. Marine mammals might be affected by ACME sounds since they may use

Environmental effects on underwater optical transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Peter C.; Breshears, Brian F.; Cullen, Alexander J.; Hammerer, Ross F.; Martinez, Ramon P.; Phung, Thai Q.; Margolina, Tetyana; Fan, Chenwu

2017-05-01

Optical communication/detection systems have potential to get around some limitations of current acoustic communications and detection systems especially increased fleet and port security in noisy littoral waters. Identification of environmental effects on underwater optical transmission is the key to the success of using optics for underwater communication and detection. This paper is to answer the question "What are the transfer and correlation functions that relate measurements of hydrographic to optical parameters?" Hydrographic and optical data have been collected from the Naval Oceanographic Office survey ships with the High Intake Defined Excitation (HIDEX) photometer and sea gliders with optical back scattering sensor in various Navy interested areas such as the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, east Asian marginal seas, and Adriatic Sea. The data include temperature, salinity, bioluminescence, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, transmissivity at two different wavelengths (TRed at 670 nm, TBlue at 490 nm), and back scattering coefficient (bRed at 700 nm, bBlue at 470 nm). Transfer and correlation functions between the hydrographic and optical parameters are obtained. Bioluminescence and fluorescence maxima, transmissivity minimum with their corresponding depths, red and blue laser beam peak attenuation coefficients are identified from the optical profiles. Evident correlations are found between the ocean mixed layer depth and the blue and red laser beam peak attenuation coefficients, bioluminescence and fluorescence maxima in the Adriatic Sea, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Philippine Sea. Based on the observational data, an effective algorithm is recommended for solving the radiative transfer equation (RTE) for predicting underwater laser radiance.

Inspecting the inside of underwater hull

Science.gov (United States)

Valkovic, Vladivoj; Sudac, Davorin

2009-05-01

In order to demonstrate the possibility of identifying the material within ship's underwater hull, sunken ships and other objects on the sea floor tests with the 14 MeV sealed tube neutron generator incorporated inside a small submarine submerged in the test basin filled with sea water have been performed. Results obtained for inspection of diesel fuel and explosive presence behind single and double hull constructions are presented.

Intelligent Navigation for a Solar Powered Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco García-Córdova

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an intelligent navigation system for an unmanned underwater vehicle powered by renewable energy and designed for shadow water inspection in missions of a long duration is proposed. The system is composed of an underwater vehicle, which tows a surface vehicle. The surface vehicle is a small boat with photovoltaic panels, a methanol fuel cell and communication equipment, which provides energy and communication to the underwater vehicle. The underwater vehicle has sensors to monitor the underwater environment such as sidescan sonar and a video camera in a flexible configuration and sensors to measure the physical and chemical parameters of water quality on predefined paths for long distances. The underwater vehicle implements a biologically inspired neural architecture for autonomous intelligent navigation. Navigation is carried out by integrating a kinematic adaptive neuro-controller for trajectory tracking and an obstacle avoidance adaptive neuro- controller. The autonomous underwater vehicle is capable of operating during long periods of observation and monitoring. This autonomous vehicle is a good tool for observing large areas of sea, since it operates for long periods of time due to the contribution of renewable energy. It correlates all sensor data for time and geodetic position. This vehicle has been used for monitoring the Mar Menor lagoon.

Underwater image mosaicking and visual odometry

Science.gov (United States)

Sadjadi, Firooz; Tangirala, Sekhar; Sorber, Scott

2017-05-01

This paper summarizes the results of studies in underwater odometery using a video camera for estimating the velocity of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Underwater vehicles are usually equipped with sonar and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) - an integrated sensor package that combines multiple accelerometers and gyros to produce a three dimensional measurement of both specific force and angular rate with respect to an inertial reference frame for navigation. In this study, we investigate the use of odometry information obtainable from a video camera mounted on a UUV to extract vehicle velocity relative to the ocean floor. A key challenge with this process is the seemingly bland (i.e. featureless) nature of video data obtained underwater which could make conventional approaches to image-based motion estimation difficult. To address this problem, we perform image enhancement, followed by frame to frame image transformation, registration and mosaicking/stitching. With this approach the velocity components associated with the moving sensor (vehicle) are readily obtained from (i) the components of the transform matrix at each frame; (ii) information about the height of the vehicle above the seabed; and (iii) the sensor resolution. Preliminary results are presented.

An OFDM Receiver with Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller for Underwater Network

Science.gov (United States)

Saotome, Rie; Hai, Tran Minh; Matsuda, Yasuto; Suzuki, Taisaku; Wada, Tomohisa

2015-01-01

In order to explore marine natural resources using remote robotic sensor or to enable rapid information exchange between ROV (remotely operated vehicles), AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), divers, and ships, ultrasonic underwater communication systems are used. However, if the communication system is applied to rich living creature marine environment such as shallow sea, it suffers from generated Impulsive Noise so-called Shrimp Noise, which is randomly generated in time domain and seriously degrades communication performance in underwater acoustic network. With the purpose of supporting high performance underwater communication, a robust digital communication method for Impulsive Noise environments is necessary. In this paper, we propose OFDM ultrasonic communication system with diversity receiver. The main feature of the receiver is a newly proposed Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller. The OFDM receiver utilizes 20–28 KHz ultrasonic channel and subcarrier spacing of 46.875 Hz (MODE3) and 93.750 Hz (MODE2) OFDM modulations. In addition, the paper shows Impulsive Noise distribution data measured at a fishing port in Okinawa and at a barge in Shizuoka prefectures and then proposed diversity OFDM transceivers architecture and experimental results are described. By the proposed Impulsive Noise Canceller, frame bit error rate has been decreased by 20–30%. PMID:26351656

An OFDM Receiver with Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller for Underwater Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Saotome, Rie; Hai, Tran Minh; Matsuda, Yasuto; Suzuki, Taisaku; Wada, Tomohisa

2015-01-01

In order to explore marine natural resources using remote robotic sensor or to enable rapid information exchange between ROV (remotely operated vehicles), AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), divers, and ships, ultrasonic underwater communication systems are used. However, if the communication system is applied to rich living creature marine environment such as shallow sea, it suffers from generated Impulsive Noise so-called Shrimp Noise, which is randomly generated in time domain and seriously degrades communication performance in underwater acoustic network. With the purpose of supporting high performance underwater communication, a robust digital communication method for Impulsive Noise environments is necessary. In this paper, we propose OFDM ultrasonic communication system with diversity receiver. The main feature of the receiver is a newly proposed Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller. The OFDM receiver utilizes 20-28 KHz ultrasonic channel and subcarrier spacing of 46.875 Hz (MODE3) and 93.750 Hz (MODE2) OFDM modulations. In addition, the paper shows Impulsive Noise distribution data measured at a fishing port in Okinawa and at a barge in Shizuoka prefectures and then proposed diversity OFDM transceivers architecture and experimental results are described. By the proposed Impulsive Noise Canceller, frame bit error rate has been decreased by 20-30%.

An OFDM Receiver with Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller for Underwater Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rie Saotome

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In order to explore marine natural resources using remote robotic sensor or to enable rapid information exchange between ROV (remotely operated vehicles, AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle, divers, and ships, ultrasonic underwater communication systems are used. However, if the communication system is applied to rich living creature marine environment such as shallow sea, it suffers from generated Impulsive Noise so-called Shrimp Noise, which is randomly generated in time domain and seriously degrades communication performance in underwater acoustic network. With the purpose of supporting high performance underwater communication, a robust digital communication method for Impulsive Noise environments is necessary. In this paper, we propose OFDM ultrasonic communication system with diversity receiver. The main feature of the receiver is a newly proposed Frequency Domain Diversity Combined Impulsive Noise Canceller. The OFDM receiver utilizes 20–28 KHz ultrasonic channel and subcarrier spacing of 46.875 Hz (MODE3 and 93.750 Hz (MODE2 OFDM modulations. In addition, the paper shows Impulsive Noise distribution data measured at a fishing port in Okinawa and at a barge in Shizuoka prefectures and then proposed diversity OFDM transceivers architecture and experimental results are described. By the proposed Impulsive Noise Canceller, frame bit error rate has been decreased by 20–30%.

3D Laser Scanner for Underwater Manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Palomer, Albert; Ridao, Pere; Youakim, Dina; Ribas, David; Forest, Josep; Petillot, Yvan

2018-04-04

Nowadays, research in autonomous underwater manipulation has demonstrated simple applications like picking an object from the sea floor, turning a valve or plugging and unplugging a connector. These are fairly simple tasks compared with those already demonstrated by the mobile robotics community, which include, among others, safe arm motion within areas populated with a priori unknown obstacles or the recognition and location of objects based on their 3D model to grasp them. Kinect-like 3D sensors have contributed significantly to the advance of mobile manipulation providing 3D sensing capabilities in real-time at low cost. Unfortunately, the underwater robotics community is lacking a 3D sensor with similar capabilities to provide rich 3D information of the work space. In this paper, we present a new underwater 3D laser scanner and demonstrate its capabilities for underwater manipulation. In order to use this sensor in conjunction with manipulators, a calibration method to find the relative position between the manipulator and the 3D laser scanner is presented. Then, two different advanced underwater manipulation tasks beyond the state of the art are demonstrated using two different manipulation systems. First, an eight Degrees of Freedom (DoF) fixed-base manipulator system is used to demonstrate arm motion within a work space populated with a priori unknown fixed obstacles. Next, an eight DoF free floating Underwater Vehicle-Manipulator System (UVMS) is used to autonomously grasp an object from the bottom of a water tank.

The effect of floating deck structures on underwater radiated noise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosschaart, C.; Jansen, H.W.; Jong, C.A.F. de; Basten, T.

2017-01-01

A concept for underwater machinery noise mitigation of future civil and military ships is the application of a common deck structure, supporting multiple machines, which is installed on resilient mounts on the ship's foundation structure. TNO is addressing the availability and testing of tools to be

The influence of acoustic emissions for underwater data transmission on the behaviour of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in a floating pen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kastelein, R.A.; Verboom, W.C.; Muijsers, M.; Jennings, N.V.; Heul, S. van der

2005-01-01

To prevent grounding of ships and collisions between ships in shallow coastal waters, an underwater data collection and communication network is currently under development: Acoustic Communication network for Monitoring of underwater Environment in coastal areas (ACME). Marine mammals might be

Natural hydrocarbon seeps observation with underwater gliders and UV fluorescence sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Rochet, V.

2016-02-01

Hydrocarbons may leak to the near-surface from subsurface accumulations, from mature source rock, or by buoyancy along major cross-strata routes. The presence of migrating near-surface hydrocarbons can provide strong evidence for the presence of a working petroleum system, as well as valuable information on source, maturity, and migration pathways. Detection and characterization of hydrocarbons in the water column may then help to de-risk hydrocarbon plays at a very preliminary stage of an exploration program. In order to detect hydrocarbons in the water column, an underwater glider survey was conducted in an offshore frontier area. Driven by buoyancy variation, underwater gliders enable collecting data autonomously along the water column for weeks to months. Underwater gliders are regularly piloted from shore by satellite telemetry and do not require a surface supervising vessel resulting in substantial operational costs savings. The data compiled, over 700m depth of the water column, included temperature, salinity, pressure, dissolved oxygen and hydrocarbon components (phenanthrene and naphthalene) measured by "MINIFLUO" sensors to particularly target representative crude oil compounds Two gliders were deployed at sea, one from coast in shallow water and the other one offshore on the survey area. Both accurately squared the survey area following pre-defined lines and cross lines. Data files were transmitted by satellite telemetry in near real time during the performance of the mission for real time observations and appropriate re-positioning of the gliders. Using rechargeable underwater gliders increased reliability reducing the risk of leakage and associated logistics during operation at sea. Despite strong evidences of seabed seepages such as pockmarks, faults, etc, over the area of interest, no hydrocarbon indices were detected in the water column, which was confirmed later by seabed sample analysis. The use of glider platforms for hydrocarbon detection has

3D Laser Scanner for Underwater Manipulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albert Palomer

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, research in autonomous underwater manipulation has demonstrated simple applications like picking an object from the sea floor, turning a valve or plugging and unplugging a connector. These are fairly simple tasks compared with those already demonstrated by the mobile robotics community, which include, among others, safe arm motion within areas populated with a priori unknown obstacles or the recognition and location of objects based on their 3D model to grasp them. Kinect-like 3D sensors have contributed significantly to the advance of mobile manipulation providing 3D sensing capabilities in real-time at low cost. Unfortunately, the underwater robotics community is lacking a 3D sensor with similar capabilities to provide rich 3D information of the work space. In this paper, we present a new underwater 3D laser scanner and demonstrate its capabilities for underwater manipulation. In order to use this sensor in conjunction with manipulators, a calibration method to find the relative position between the manipulator and the 3D laser scanner is presented. Then, two different advanced underwater manipulation tasks beyond the state of the art are demonstrated using two different manipulation systems. First, an eight Degrees of Freedom (DoF fixed-base manipulator system is used to demonstrate arm motion within a work space populated with a priori unknown fixed obstacles. Next, an eight DoF free floating Underwater Vehicle-Manipulator System (UVMS is used to autonomously grasp an object from the bottom of a water tank.

The instantaneous linear motion information measurement method based on inertial sensors for ships

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xu; Huang, Jing; Gao, Chen; Quan, Wei; Li, Ming; Zhang, Yanshun

2018-05-01

Ship instantaneous line motion information is the important foundation for ship control, which needs to be measured accurately. For this purpose, an instantaneous line motion measurement method based on inertial sensors is put forward for ships. By introducing a half-fixed coordinate system to realize the separation between instantaneous line motion and ship master movement, the instantaneous line motion acceleration of ships can be obtained with higher accuracy. Then, the digital high-pass filter is applied to suppress the velocity error caused by the low frequency signal such as schuler period. Finally, the instantaneous linear motion displacement of ships can be measured accurately. Simulation experimental results show that the method is reliable and effective, and can realize the precise measurement of velocity and displacement of instantaneous line motion for ships.

Monterey Bay ambient noise profiles using underwater gliders

OpenAIRE

Chandrayadula, Tarun K.; Miller, Chris W.; Joseph, John

2013-01-01

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4799131 In 2012, during two separate week-long deployments, underwater gliders outfitted with external hydrophones profiled the upper 100-200 m of the Monterey Bay. The environment contained various noises made by marine mammals, ships, winds, and earthquakes. Unlike hydrophone receivers moored to a fixed location, moving gliders measure noise variability across a wide terrain. However, underwater mobile s...

Development of the hull inspection robot (RTV-SHIP); Sentai kensayo suichu robot (RTV-SHIP) no kaihatsu (atarashii sentai kensaho no ichiteian)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakata, Y.; Otsuka, M.; Ozawa, H.; Konosu, M. [Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-08-01

A compact and lightweight underwater RTV robot (RTV-SHIP) that enables the remote sensing in the double-shell structure of a tanker and the six-freedom motion control was developed based on the technology of the conventional portable underwater robot. The motion performance test in a water tank showed that the RTV-SHIP can freely access the manhole in the double-shell structure of a tanker and completely satisfies the thrust and swing force required for movement and measurement in a tank. The in-tank function confirmation test also shows that the main measurement items such as positioning in the tank, large deflection of panels, and plate thickness have a satisfactory measurement accuracy and that the RTV-SHIP has the same tone discrimination function as for a visual check. The method of inputting the tank shape during measurement and miniaturizing the recording unit should be improved until the RTV-SHIP is put to practical use. This system can be widely used by improving the above points according to the result of a future measurement test for the actual ships. 1 ref., 9 figs.

Background noise levels and correlation with ship traffic in the Gulf of Catania

Science.gov (United States)

Viola, Salvatore; Buscaino, Giuseppa; Caruso, Francesco; Chierici, Francesco; Embriaco, Davide; Favali, Paolo; Giovanetti, Gabriele; Grammauta, Roasario; Larosa, Giuseppina; Pavan, Gianni; Pellegrino, Carmelo; Pulvirenti, Sara; Riccobene, Giorgio; Sciacca, Virginia; Simeone, Francesco; Beranzoli, Laura; Marinaro, Giuditta

2015-04-01

In the last decades the growing interest in the evaluation of the underwater acoustic noise for studies in the fields of geology, biology and high-energy physics is driving the scientific community to collaborate towards a multidisciplinary approach to the topic. In June 2012 in the framework of the European project EMSO, a multidisciplinary underwater observatory, named NEMO-SN1, was installed 25 km off-shore the port of Catania, at a depth of 2100 m and operated until May 2013 by INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) and INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). NEMO-SN1 hosted aboard geophysical, oceanographic and acoustic sensors: among these a seismic hydrophone model SMID DT-405D(V). In this work, conducted within the activity of the SMO project, the results on the evaluation of the underwater acoustic pollution in the Gulf of Catania through SMID DT-405D(V) recordings are presented. The seismic hydrophone provided a data set of about 11 months of continuous (24/7) recordings. Underwater sounds have been continuously digitized at a sampling frequency of 2 kHz and the acquired data have been stored in 10min long files for off-line analysis. To describe one-year background noise levels, the mean integrated acoustic noise was measured every second (sampling frequency 2000, NFFT 2048) in the 1/3 octave bands with centre frequency 63 Hz and for each 10 minutes-long file the 5th, the 50th and the 98th percentiles were calculated. Measured noise was correlated with the shipping traffic in the area, thanks to the data provided by an AIS receiver installed at the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud. An acoustic noise increment was measured in coincidence with the passing of crafts in the area and it was possible to identify the characteristic spectrum of each ship. A simple model for the estimation of the acoustic noise induced by the ships passing through the area was developed. The model was applied by using AIS data acquired during the operation

Wireless Underwater Monitoring Systems Based on Energy Harvestings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sea-Hee HWANGBO

2013-01-01

Full Text Available One of the important research fields for aquatic exploitation and conservation is underwater wireless sensor network. Since limited energy source for underwater nodes and devices is a main open problem, in this paper, we propose wireless underwater monitoring systems powered by energy harvester which resolves the energy constraint. The target system generates renewable energy from energy harvester and shares the energy with underwater sensor nodes. For the realization of the system, key components to be investigated are discriminated as follows: acoustic modem, actuator, smart battery charge controller, energy harvester and wireless power transfer module. By developing acoustic modem, actuator and smart battery charge controller and utilizing off-the-shelf energy harvester and wireless power transfer module, we design and implement a prototype of the system. Also, we verify the feasibility of concept of target system by conducting indoor and outdoor experiments.

46 CFR 115.650 - Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) Program options: Divers or underwater ROV.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) Program options... MORE THAN 49 PASSENGERS INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION Hull and Tailshaft Examinations § 115.650 Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) Program options: Divers or underwater ROV. To complete your underwater...

Cooperative Opportunistic Pressure Based Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadeem Javaid

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, three opportunistic pressure based routing techniques for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs are proposed. The first one is the cooperative opportunistic pressure based routing protocol (Co-Hydrocast, second technique is the improved Hydrocast (improved-Hydrocast, and third one is the cooperative improved Hydrocast (Co-improved Hydrocast. In order to minimize lengthy routing paths between the source and the destination and to avoid void holes at the sparse networks, sensor nodes are deployed at different strategic locations. The deployment of sensor nodes at strategic locations assure the maximum monitoring of the network field. To conserve the energy consumption and minimize the number of hops, greedy algorithm is used to transmit data packets from the source to the destination. Moreover, the opportunistic routing is also exploited to avoid void regions by making backward transmissions to find reliable path towards the destination in the network. The relay cooperation mechanism is used for reliable data packet delivery, when signal to noise ratio (SNR of the received signal is not within the predefined threshold then the maximal ratio combining (MRC is used as a diversity technique to improve the SNR of the received signals at the destination. Extensive simulations validate that our schemes perform better in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption than the existing technique; Hydrocast.

Cooperative Opportunistic Pressure Based Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Nadeem; Muhammad; Sher, Arshad; Abdul, Wadood; Niaz, Iftikhar Azim; Almogren, Ahmad; Alamri, Atif

2017-03-19

In this paper, three opportunistic pressure based routing techniques for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are proposed. The first one is the cooperative opportunistic pressure based routing protocol (Co-Hydrocast), second technique is the improved Hydrocast (improved-Hydrocast), and third one is the cooperative improved Hydrocast (Co-improved Hydrocast). In order to minimize lengthy routing paths between the source and the destination and to avoid void holes at the sparse networks, sensor nodes are deployed at different strategic locations. The deployment of sensor nodes at strategic locations assure the maximum monitoring of the network field. To conserve the energy consumption and minimize the number of hops, greedy algorithm is used to transmit data packets from the source to the destination. Moreover, the opportunistic routing is also exploited to avoid void regions by making backward transmissions to find reliable path towards the destination in the network. The relay cooperation mechanism is used for reliable data packet delivery, when signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal is not within the predefined threshold then the maximal ratio combining (MRC) is used as a diversity technique to improve the SNR of the received signals at the destination. Extensive simulations validate that our schemes perform better in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption than the existing technique; Hydrocast.

Ship Sensor Observations for Bioluminescence 2009 - Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Bioluminescence 2009" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

Demonstration of the SeptiStrand benthic microbial fuel cell powering a magnetometer for ship detection

Science.gov (United States)

Arias-Thode, Y. Meriah; Hsu, Lewis; Anderson, Greg; Babauta, Jerome; Fransham, Roy; Obraztsova, Anna; Tukeman, Gabriel; Chadwick, D. Bart

2017-07-01

The Navy has a need for monitoring conditions and gathering information in marine environments. Sensors can monitor and report environmental parameters and potential activities such as animal movements, ships, or personnel. However, there has to be a means to power these sensors. One promising enabling technology that has been shown to provide long-term power production in underwater environments is the benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFC). BMFCs are devices that generate energy by coupling bioanodes and biocathodes through an external energy harvester. Recent studies have demonstrated success for usage of BMFCs in powering small instruments and other devices on the seafloor over limited periods of time. In this effort, a seven-stranded BMFC linear array of 30 m was designed to power a seafloor magnetometer to detect passing ship movements through Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The BMFC system was connected to a flyback energy harvesting circuit that charged the battery powering the magnetometer. The deployment was demonstrated the BMFC supplied power to the battery for approximately 38 days. This is the first large-scale demonstration system for usage of the SeptiStrand BMFC technology to power a relevant sensor.

A Localization-Free Interference and Energy Holes Minimization Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Anwar; Ahmedy, Ismail; Anisi, Mohammad Hossein; Javaid, Nadeem; Ali, Ihsan; Khan, Nawsher; Alsaqer, Mohammed; Mahmood, Hasan

2018-01-09

Interference and energy holes formation in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) threaten the reliable delivery of data packets from a source to a destination. Interference also causes inefficient utilization of the limited battery power of the sensor nodes in that more power is consumed in the retransmission of the lost packets. Energy holes are dead nodes close to the surface of water, and their early death interrupts data delivery even when the network has live nodes. This paper proposes a localization-free interference and energy holes minimization (LF-IEHM) routing protocol for UWSNs. The proposed algorithm overcomes interference during data packet forwarding by defining a unique packet holding time for every sensor node. The energy holes formation is mitigated by a variable transmission range of the sensor nodes. As compared to the conventional routing protocols, the proposed protocol does not require the localization information of the sensor nodes, which is cumbersome and difficult to obtain, as nodes change their positions with water currents. Simulation results show superior performance of the proposed scheme in terms of packets received at the final destination and end-to-end delay.

A Localization-Free Interference and Energy Holes Minimization Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anwar Khan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Interference and energy holes formation in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs threaten the reliable delivery of data packets from a source to a destination. Interference also causes inefficient utilization of the limited battery power of the sensor nodes in that more power is consumed in the retransmission of the lost packets. Energy holes are dead nodes close to the surface of water, and their early death interrupts data delivery even when the network has live nodes. This paper proposes a localization-free interference and energy holes minimization (LF-IEHM routing protocol for UWSNs. The proposed algorithm overcomes interference during data packet forwarding by defining a unique packet holding time for every sensor node. The energy holes formation is mitigated by a variable transmission range of the sensor nodes. As compared to the conventional routing protocols, the proposed protocol does not require the localization information of the sensor nodes, which is cumbersome and difficult to obtain, as nodes change their positions with water currents. Simulation results show superior performance of the proposed scheme in terms of packets received at the final destination and end-to-end delay.

Ship Sensor Observations for Operation Deep Scope 2007 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Operation Deep Scope 2007" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

Micromachined fiber optic Fabry-Perot underwater acoustic probe

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fuyin; Shao, Zhengzheng; Hu, Zhengliang; Luo, Hong; Xie, Jiehui; Hu, Yongming

2014-08-01

One of the most important branches in the development trend of the traditional fiber optic physical sensor is the miniaturization of sensor structure. Miniature fiber optic sensor can realize point measurement, and then to develop sensor networks to achieve quasi-distributed or distributed sensing as well as line measurement to area monitoring, which will greatly extend the application area of fiber optic sensors. The development of MEMS technology brings a light path to address the problems brought by the procedure of sensor miniaturization. Sensors manufactured by MEMS technology possess the advantages of small volume, light weight, easy fabricated and low cost. In this paper, a fiber optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric underwater acoustic probe utilizing micromachined diaphragm collaborated with fiber optic technology and MEMS technology has been designed and implemented to actualize underwater acoustic sensing. Diaphragm with central embossment, where the embossment is used to anti-hydrostatic pressure which would largely deflect the diaphragm that induce interferometric fringe fading, has been made by double-sided etching of silicon on insulator. By bonding the acoustic-sensitive diaphragm as well as a cleaved fiber end in ferrule with an outer sleeve, an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer has been constructed. The sensor has been interrogated by quadrature-point control method and tested in field-stable acoustic standing wave tube. Results have been shown that the recovered signal detected by the sensor coincided well with the corresponding transmitted signal and the sensitivity response was flat in frequency range from 10 Hz to 2kHz with the value about -154.6 dB re. 1/μPa. It has been manifest that the designed sensor could be used as an underwater acoustic probe.

Event Localization in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks using Monitoring Courses

KAUST Repository

Debont, Matthew

2011-11-01

In this thesis we consider different methods to localize events in a multi-hop wireless sensor network operating underwater using acoustic modems. The network consists of surface gateway nodes and relay nodes. Localization of surface gateways can be achieved through GPS, but we cannot rely on this technology for localizing underwater nodes. Surface Gateway nodes can distribute their locations through the network using the incoming signals by the acoustic modems from the relay nodes. Relay nodes are deployed to remain static but due to water currents, floating, and the untethered nature of the nodes, they often suffer from frequent drifting which can result in a deployed network suffering link failures. In this work, we developed a novel concept of an underwater alarming system, which adapts a cyclic graph model. In the event of link failure, a series of alarm packets are broadcasted in the network. These alarms are then captured through a novel concept of underwater Monitoring Courses (M-Courses), which can also be used to assure network connectivity and identify node faults. M-Courses also allow the network to localize events and identify network issues at a local level before forwarding any results upwards to a Surface Gateway nodes. This reduces the amount of communication overhead needed and allowing for distributed management of nodes in a network which may be constantly moving. We show that the proposed algorithms can reduce the number of send operations needed for an event to be localized in a network. We have found that M-Course routing reduces the number of sends required to report an event to a Surface Gateway by up to 80% in some cases when compared to a naive routing implementation. But this is achieved by increasing the time for an event to reach a Surface Gateway. These effects are both due to the buffering effect of M-Course routing, which allows us to efficiently deal with multiple events in an local area and we find that the performance of M

46 CFR 71.50-3 - Drydock examination, internal structural examination, underwater survey, and alternate hull exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., underwater survey, and alternate hull exam intervals. 71.50-3 Section 71.50-3 Shipping COAST GUARD...-3 Drydock examination, internal structural examination, underwater survey, and alternate hull exam... wooden hulls must undergo two drydock and two internal structural examinations within any five year...

Ship Sensor Observations for Investigating the Charleston Bump 2003 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Investigating the Charleston Bump 2003" expedition sponsored by the National...

Ship Sensor Observations for The Hidden Ocean Arctic 2005 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy during the "The Hidden Ocean Arctic 2005" expedition sponsored by the...

Ship Sensor Observations for Mountains in the Sea 2003 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Atlantis during the "Mountains in the Sea 2003" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

Ship Sensor Observations for Life on the Edge 2005 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Life on the Edge 2005" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

Ship Sensor Observations for Life on the Edge 2004 - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Life on the Edge 2004" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

On the Performance of the Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

performance of UWSN. 5.1 Hardware and Software Details 5.1.1 Equipment Our experimental model consisted of an indoor swimming pool , two pairs...UWSN has many constraints mainly due to limited capacity, propagation loss, as well as power limitation since in underwater environment solar energy ...since in underwater environment solar energy cannot be used to recharge batteries. In our approach, we estimate the number of operating receivers

Methods and Systems for Configuring Sensor Acquisition Based on Pressure Steps

Science.gov (United States)

DeDonato, Mathew (Inventor)

2015-01-01

Technologies are provided for underwater measurements. A system includes an underwater vessels including: a plurality of sensors disposed thereon for measuring underwater properties; and a programmable controller configured to selectively activate the plurality of sensors based at least in part on underwater pressure. A user may program at what pressure ranges certain sensors are activated to measure selected properties, and may also program the ascent/descent rate of the underwater vessel, which is correlated with the underwater pressure.

UNDERWATER COATINGS FOR CONTAMINATION CONTROL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julia L. Tripp; Kip Archibald; Ann Marie Phillips; Joseph Campbell

2004-01-01

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) deactivated several aging nuclear fuel storage basins. Planners for this effort were greatly concerned that radioactive contamination present on the basin walls could become airborne as the sides of the basins became exposed during deactivation and allowed to dry after water removal. One way to control this airborne contamination was to fix the contamination in place while the pool walls were still submerged. There are many underwater coatings available on the market for marine, naval and other applications. A series of tests were run to determine whether the candidate underwater fixatives were easily applied and adhered well to the substrates (pool wall materials) found in INL fuel pools. Lab-scale experiments were conducted by applying fourteen different commercial underwater coatings to four substrate materials representative of the storage basin construction materials, and evaluating their performance. The coupons included bare concrete, epoxy painted concrete, epoxy painted carbon steel, and stainless steel. The evaluation criteria included ease of application, adherence to the four surfaces of interest, no change on water clarity or chemistry, non-hazardous in final applied form and be proven in underwater applications. A proprietary two-part, underwater epoxy owned by S. G. Pinney and Associates was selected from the underwater coatings tested for application to all four pools. Divers scrubbed loose contamination off the basin walls and floors using a ship hull scrubber and vacuumed up the sludge. The divers then applied the coating using a special powered roller with two separate heated hoses that allowed the epoxy to mix at the roller surface was used to eliminate pot time concerns. The walls were successfully coated and water was removed from the pools with no detectable airborne contamination releases

System and Method for Automated Rendezvous, Docking and Capture of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, William C. (Inventor); Clark, Evan (Inventor); Richmond, Kristof (Inventor); Paulus, Jeremy (Inventor); Kapit, Jason (Inventor); Scully, Mark (Inventor); Kimball, Peter (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A system for automated rendezvous, docking, and capture of autonomous underwater vehicles at the conclusion of a mission comprising of comprised of a docking rod having lighted, pulsating (in both frequency and light intensity) series of LED light strips thereon, with the LEDs at a known spacing, and the autonomous underwater vehicle specially designed to detect and capture the docking rod and then be lifted structurally by a spherical end strop about which the vehicle can be pivoted and hoisted up (e.g., onto a ship). The method of recovery allows for very routine and reliable automated recovery of an unmanned underwater asset.

Stability and economy analysis based on computational fluid dynamics and field testing of hybrid-driven underwater glider with the water quality sensor in Danjiangkou Reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Hybrid-driven underwater glider is a new kind of unmanned platform for water quality monitoring. It has advantages such as high controllability and maneuverability, low cost, easy operation, and ability to carry multiple sensors. This article develops a hybrid-driven underwater glider, PETRELII, and integrates a water quality monitoring sensor. Considering stability and economy, an optimal layout scheme is selected from four candidates by simulation using computational fluid dynamics method. Trials were carried out in Danjiangkou Reservoir—important headwaters of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. In the trials, a monitoring strategy with polygonal mixed-motion was adopted to make full use of the advantages of the unmanned platform. The measuring data, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, turbidity, chlorophyll, and ammonia nitrogen, are obtained. These data validate the practicability of the theoretical layout obtained using computational fluid dynamics method and the practical performance of PETRELII with sensor.

A Fully Nonlinear, Dynamically Consistent Numerical Model for Solid-Body Ship Motion. I. Ship Motion with Fixed Heading

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ray-Quing; Kuang, Weijia

2011-01-01

In this paper, we describe the details of our numerical model for simulating ship solidbody motion in a given environment. In this model, the fully nonlinear dynamical equations governing the time-varying solid-body ship motion under the forces arising from ship wave interactions are solved with given initial conditions. The net force and moment (torque) on the ship body are directly calculated via integration of the hydrodynamic pressure over the wetted surface and the buoyancy effect from the underwater volume of the actual ship hull with a hybrid finite-difference/finite-element method. Neither empirical nor free parametrization is introduced in this model, i.e. no a priori experimental data are needed for modelling. This model is benchmarked with many experiments of various ship hulls for heave, roll and pitch motion. In addition to the benchmark cases, numerical experiments are also carried out for strongly nonlinear ship motion with a fixed heading. These new cases demonstrate clearly the importance of nonlinearities in ship motion modelling.

Experimental Measurements of Temporal Dispersion for Underwater Laser Communications and Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cochenour, Brandon Michael

The challenge in implementing optical sensors underwater lies in the high variability of the ocean environment where propagation of light in the ocean is complicated by absorption and scattering. Most underwater optical sensors operate in the blue/green portion of the electromagnetic spectrum where seawater exhibits an absorption minimum. Mitigating scattering however is a greater challenge. In particular, scattering causes both spatial distortion (beam spreading) and temporal dispersion (pulse spreading or distortion). Each of type of dispersion decreases sensor performance (operating range, image resolution, data bandwidth, etc.). While spatial dispersion has received a great deal of attention in previous decades, technological limitations of sensor hardware have made experimental measurements of temporal dispersion underwater difficult until now. The main contribution of this thesis are experimental measurements of temporal dispersion of optical beams in turbid water, made with a high sensitivity/high dynamic range experimental technique. Measurements are performed as a function of water clarity (0-20 attenuation lengths), transmitter/receiver alignment (0-30 degrees, half angle), receiver field of view (1-7 degrees, full angle), and transmitter beam divergence (collimated and diffuse). Special attention is paid to the interdependency between spatial and temporal dispersion. This work provides severable notable contributions: 1. While experimental characterization of spatial dispersion has received significant attention underwater, there has been a lack of measurements characterizing temporal dispersion underwater. This work provides the most comprehensive set of experimental measurements to date regarding the temporal dispersion of optical beams underwater. 2. An experimental analysis of the influence of scattering phase function on temporal dispersion. Coarse estimates of the scattering phase function are used to determine the ranges (or attenuation lengths

An Energy Balanced and Lifetime Extended Routing Protocol for Underwater Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Wang, Shilian; Zhang, Eryang; Lu, Luxi

2018-05-17

Energy limitation is an adverse problem in designing routing protocols for underwater sensor networks (UWSNs). To prolong the network lifetime with limited battery power, an energy balanced and efficient routing protocol, called energy balanced and lifetime extended routing protocol (EBLE), is proposed in this paper. The proposed EBLE not only balances traffic loads according to the residual energy, but also optimizes data transmissions by selecting low-cost paths. Two phases are operated in the EBLE data transmission process: (1) candidate forwarding set selection phase and (2) data transmission phase. In candidate forwarding set selection phase, nodes update candidate forwarding nodes by broadcasting the position and residual energy level information. The cost value of available nodes is calculated and stored in each sensor node. Then in data transmission phase, high residual energy and relatively low-cost paths are selected based on the cost function and residual energy level information. We also introduce detailed analysis of optimal energy consumption in UWSNs. Numerical simulation results on a variety of node distributions and data load distributions prove that EBLE outperforms other routing protocols (BTM, BEAR and direct transmission) in terms of network lifetime and energy efficiency.

Delay Tolerance in Underwater Wireless Communications: A Routing Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Safdar Hussain Bouk

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Similar to terrestrial networks, underwater wireless networks (UWNs also aid several critical tasks including coastal surveillance, underwater pollution detection, and other maritime applications. Currently, once underwater sensor nodes are deployed at different levels of the sea, it is nearly impossible or very expensive to reconfigure the hardware, for example, battery. Taking this issue into account, considerable amount of research has been carried out to ensure minimum energy costs and reliable communication between underwater nodes and base stations. As a result, several different network protocols were proposed for UWN, including MAC, PHY, transport, and routing. Recently, a new paradigm was introduced claiming that the intermittent nature of acoustic channel and signal resulted in designing delay tolerant routing schemes for the UWN, known as an underwater delay tolerant network. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of underwater routing protocols with emphasis on the limitations, challenges, and future open issues in the context of delay tolerant network routing.

Measurement and Modeling of Narrowband Channels for Ultrasonic Underwater Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco J. Cañete

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Underwater acoustic sensor networks are a promising technology that allow real-time data collection in seas and oceans for a wide variety of applications. Smaller size and weight sensors can be achieved with working frequencies shifted from audio to the ultrasonic band. At these frequencies, the fading phenomena has a significant presence in the channel behavior, and the design of a reliable communication link between the network sensors will require a precise characterization of it. Fading in underwater channels has been previously measured and modeled in the audio band. However, there have been few attempts to study it at ultrasonic frequencies. In this paper, a campaign of measurements of ultrasonic underwater acoustic channels in Mediterranean shallow waters conducted by the authors is presented. These measurements are used to determine the parameters of the so-called κ-μ shadowed distribution, a fading model with a direct connection to the underlying physical mechanisms. The model is then used to evaluate the capacity of the measured channels with a closed-form expression.

Optimum Position of Acoustic Emission Sensors for Ship Hull Structural Health Monitoring Based on Deep Machine Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kappatos, Vassilios; Karvelis, Petros; Georgoulas, George

2018-01-01

In this paper a method for the estimation of the optimum sensor positions for acoustic emission localization on ship hull structures is presented. The optimum sensor positions are treated as a classification (localization) problem based on a deep learning paradigm. In order to avoid complex...

Deep Learning Methods for Underwater Target Feature Extraction and Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Hu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The classification and recognition technology of underwater acoustic signal were always an important research content in the field of underwater acoustic signal processing. Currently, wavelet transform, Hilbert-Huang transform, and Mel frequency cepstral coefficients are used as a method of underwater acoustic signal feature extraction. In this paper, a method for feature extraction and identification of underwater noise data based on CNN and ELM is proposed. An automatic feature extraction method of underwater acoustic signals is proposed using depth convolution network. An underwater target recognition classifier is based on extreme learning machine. Although convolution neural networks can execute both feature extraction and classification, their function mainly relies on a full connection layer, which is trained by gradient descent-based; the generalization ability is limited and suboptimal, so an extreme learning machine (ELM was used in classification stage. Firstly, CNN learns deep and robust features, followed by the removing of the fully connected layers. Then ELM fed with the CNN features is used as the classifier to conduct an excellent classification. Experiments on the actual data set of civil ships obtained 93.04% recognition rate; compared to the traditional Mel frequency cepstral coefficients and Hilbert-Huang feature, recognition rate greatly improved.

Monitoring ship noise to assess the impact of coastal developments on marine mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, Nathan D; Pirotta, Enrico; Barton, Tim R; Thompson, Paul M

2014-01-15

The potential impacts of underwater noise on marine mammals are widely recognised, but uncertainty over variability in baseline noise levels often constrains efforts to manage these impacts. This paper characterises natural and anthropogenic contributors to underwater noise at two sites in the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, an important marine mammal habitat that may be exposed to increased shipping activity from proposed offshore energy developments. We aimed to establish a pre-development baseline, and to develop ship noise monitoring methods using Automatic Identification System (AIS) and time-lapse video to record trends in noise levels and shipping activity. Our results detail the noise levels currently experienced by a locally protected bottlenose dolphin population, explore the relationship between broadband sound exposure levels and the indicators proposed in response to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and provide a ship noise assessment toolkit which can be applied in other coastal marine environments. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Vehicle Based Vector Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-28

buoyant underwater vehicle with an interior space in which a length of said underwater vehicle is equal to one tenth of the acoustic wavelength...underwater vehicle with an interior space in which a length of said underwater vehicle is equal to one tenth of the acoustic wavelength; an...unmanned underwater vehicle that can function as an acoustic vector sensor. (2) Description of the Prior Art [0004] It is known that a propagating

Underwater tracking of a moving dipole source using an artificial lateral line: algorithm and experimental validation with ionic polymer–metal composite flow sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdulsadda, Ahmad T; Tan, Xiaobo

2013-01-01

Motivated by the lateral line system of fish, arrays of flow sensors have been proposed as a new sensing modality for underwater robots. Existing studies on such artificial lateral lines (ALLs) have been mostly focused on the localization of a fixed underwater vibrating sphere (dipole source). In this paper we examine the problem of tracking a moving dipole source using an ALL system. Based on an analytical model for the moving dipole-generated flow field, we formulate a nonlinear estimation problem that aims to minimize the error between the measured and model-predicted magnitudes of flow velocities at the sensor sites, which is subsequently solved with the Gauss–Newton scheme. A sliding discrete Fourier transform (SDFT) algorithm is proposed to efficiently compute the evolving signal magnitudes based on the flow velocity measurements. Simulation indicates that it is adequate and more computationally efficient to use only the signal magnitudes corresponding to the dipole vibration frequency. Finally, experiments conducted with an artificial lateral line consisting of six ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) flow sensors demonstrate that the proposed scheme is able to simultaneously locate the moving dipole and estimate its vibration amplitude and traveling speed with small errors. (paper)

Exploiting Outage and Error Probability of Cooperative Incremental Relaying in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hina Nasir

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper embeds a bi-fold contribution for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs; performance analysis of incremental relaying in terms of outage and error probability, and based on the analysis proposition of two new cooperative routing protocols. Subject to the first contribution, a three step procedure is carried out; a system model is presented, the number of available relays are determined, and based on cooperative incremental retransmission methodology, closed-form expressions for outage and error probability are derived. Subject to the second contribution, Adaptive Cooperation in Energy (ACE efficient depth based routing and Enhanced-ACE (E-ACE are presented. In the proposed model, feedback mechanism indicates success or failure of data transmission. If direct transmission is successful, there is no need for relaying by cooperative relay nodes. In case of failure, all the available relays retransmit the data one by one till the desired signal quality is achieved at destination. Simulation results show that the ACE and E-ACE significantly improves network performance, i.e., throughput, when compared with other incremental relaying protocols like Cooperative Automatic Repeat reQuest (CARQ. E-ACE and ACE achieve 69% and 63% more throughput respectively as compared to CARQ in hard underwater environment.

Network lifetime-aware data collection in Underwater Sensor ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Jalaja Janardanan Kartha

2017-09-07

Sep 7, 2017 ... existing models to assess their effectiveness and to investigate the trade-offs. Results show ... coverage drops below a predefined threshold and (vi) connectivity is .... Cost Clustering Protocol (MCCP), Distributed Underwater.

Hydrodynamic Coefficients Identification and Experimental Investigation for an Underwater Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaorong XIE

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Hydrodynamic coefficients are the foundation of unmanned underwater vehicles modeling and controller design. In order to reduce identification complexity and acquire necessary hydrodynamic coefficients for controllers design, the motion of the unmanned underwater vehicle was separated into vertical motion and horizontal motion models. Hydrodynamic coefficients were regarded as mapping parameters from input forces and moments to output velocities and acceleration of the unmanned underwater vehicle. The motion models of the unmanned underwater vehicle were nonlinear and Genetic Algorithm was adopted to identify those hydrodynamic coefficients. To verify the identification quality, velocities and acceleration of the unmanned underwater vehicle was measured using inertial sensor under the same conditions as Genetic Algorithm identification. Curves similarity between measured velocities and acceleration and those identified by Genetic Algorithm were used as optimizing standard. It is found that the curves similarity were high and identified hydrodynamic coefficients of the unmanned underwater vehicle satisfied the measured motion states well.

Efficient Underwater RSS Value to Distance Inversion Using the Lambert Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Hosseini

2014-01-01

Full Text Available There are many applications for using wireless sensor networks (WSN in ocean science; however, identifying the exact location of a sensor by itself (localization is still a challenging problem, where global positioning system (GPS devices are not applicable underwater. Precise distance measurement between two sensors is a tool of localization and received signal strength (RSS, reflecting transmission loss (TL phenomena, is widely used in terrestrial WSNs for that matter. Underwater acoustic sensor networks have not been used (UASN, due to the complexity of the TL function. In this paper, we addressed these problems by expressing underwater TL via the Lambert W function, for accurate distance inversion by the Halley method, and compared this to Newton-Raphson inversion. Mathematical proof, MATLAB simulation, and real device implementation demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed equation in distance calculation, with fewer iterations, computation stability for short and long distances, and remarkably short processing time. Then, the sensitivities of Lambert W function and Newton-Raphson inversion to alteration in TL were examined. The simulation results showed that Lambert W function is more stable to errors than Newton-Raphson inversion. Finally, with a likelihood method, it was shown that RSS is a practical tool for distance measurement in UASN.

Leakage warning system for flexible underwater pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moeller, E; Bernstein, L

1985-08-01

Underwater pipelines for unloading oil tankers, e.g. in 30 km distance from the harbour site, are required to be flexible and require supervision. This is done by implementation of oil sensitive sensors between the inner rubber tube and the following impregnated textile layer. The generated sensor signals, influenced by leak oil, have to be wireless transmitted from 150 meters under water to the supervisory station at the coast. Sensor configurations are described, to derive the point of the leakage from the topologized warning signals.

Underwater Adhesives Retrofit Pipelines with Advanced Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Houston-based Astro Technology Inc. used a partnership with Johnson Space Center to pioneer an advanced fiber-optic monitoring system for offshore oil pipelines. The company's underwater adhesives allow it to retrofit older deepwater systems in order to measure pressure, temperature, strain, and flow properties, giving energy companies crucial data in real time and significantly decreasing the risk of a catastrophe.

Optimum LED wavelength for underwater optical wireless communication at turbid water

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenkrantz, Etai; Arnon, Shlomi

2014-10-01

Underwater optical wireless communication is an emerging technology, which can provide high data rate. High data rate communication is required for applications such as underwater imaging, networks of sensors and swarms of underwater vehicles. These applications pursue an affordable light source, which can be obtained by light emitting diodes (LED). LEDs offer solutions characterized by low cost, high efficiency, reliability and compactness based on off-the-shelf components such as blue and green light emitting diodes. In this paper we present our recent theoretical and experimental results in this field.

Sensor to Detect Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) in Ship Bilge Water: Construction and Installation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kirts, Richard

2001-01-01

.... The primary use of the sensor is the detection of AFFF in the bilge water of Navy ships. If AFFF is present in bilge water off-loaded to a shore-side wastewater treatment plant, it may cause serious upsets in treatment plant operation...

Ship Sensor Observations for Islands in the Stream 2002 - Deep Reef Habitat - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the 2002 "Islands in the Stream - Deep Reef Habitat" expedition sponsored by the...

Development of in-situ radon sensor using plastic scintillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shitashima, Kiminori

2009-01-01

Underwater in-situ radon measurement is important scientific priority for oceanography, especially for survey and monitoring of submarine groundwater discharge (SDG). The high sensitivity and lightweight underwater in-situ radon sensor using NaI(Tl) doped plastic scintillator was developed for application to SDG research. Because NaI(Tl) doped plastic scintillator contacts seawater directly, the plastic scintillator can expect high sensitivity in comparison with NaI(Tl) crystal sealed in a container. In order to improve condensation efficiency of scintillation, the plastic scintillator was processed in funnel form and coated by light-resistant paint. This sensor consists of plastic scintillator, photomultiplier tube, preamplifier unit, high-voltage power supply, data logger and lithium-ion battery, and all parts are stored in a pressure housing (200φx300L). The newly developed underwater in-situ radon sensor was tested at hydrothermal area (underwater hot springs) that the hydrothermal fluid containing high concentration of radon is discharged into seawater. The sensor was operated by a diver, and sensitivity tests and mapping survey for estimation of radon diffusion were carried out. The signals of the radon sensor ranged from 20 to 65 mV, and these signals corresponded with radon concentration of 2 to 12 becquerels per liter. The sensor was able to detect radon to 20 m above the hydrothermal point (seafloor). Since the sensor is small and light-weight, measurement, monitoring and mapping can perform automatically by installing the sensor to an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle). Furthermore, underwater in-situ radon sensor is expected an application to earthquake prediction and volcanic activity monitoring as well as oceanography and hydrology. (author)

Development of a submersible gravimeter on underwater vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, T.; Kanazawa, T.; Fujimoto, H.; Shinohara, M.; Ishihara, T.; Araya, A.; Iizasa, K.; Tsukioka, S.

2012-12-01

Gravity is one of the powerful indices to profile underground structures. Surface ship gravimeters are popular tool for the purpose of collecting gravity values in marine region. They enable you to obtain gravity values from large area easily, while the resolutions are relatively low because of the distance between the sea surface and bottom. Otherwise, ocean bottom gravimeters are able to be observed gravity with high resolution, but they have still covered few limited sites so that they are designed to do observation in quiet only. In some cases, such as hydrothermal deposit survey, the medium performance both in resolution and size of survey area are required. This paper describes a gravimeter we have been developing for satisfying the requirements. Our target is to detect gravity anomalies less than 1 mgal by using an underwater vehicle. This setting is roughly equivalent to find a typical hydrothermal deposit with a dimension of 0.5 km x 0.5 km x 10 m and a density contrast of 1 g/cm3 when we set the sensor at 50 m high from the seafloor. There are some issues such as noise reduction, robustness and downsizing to clear the target. A gravity sensor (Micro-g LaCoste S-174) is mounted on a gimbal control unit with an inertial navigation sensor for the problems. These are stored in a sphere vessel made of titanium alloy (125 kgf in air, 32 kgf in water) and it is available in 3500 m below sea surface. Furthermore, in order to reduce high frequency noise due to mainly the vehicle motion through a low-pass filter, data are able to be stored at sampling rates of approximately 100 Hz. The logging system and control unit for communication to/from ship is stored another canister (22 kgf in air, 10 kgf in water). We made gravity measurement experiments to examine the effectiveness of the gimbal system and filtering application. The gravimeter was set on a machine simulating pitch and roll motions with a period of 16 s and an amplitude of 7.5 degrees, which is greater

QFD-based conceptual design of an autonomous underwater robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thip Pasawang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Autonomous underwater robots in the past few years have been designed according to the individual concepts and experiences of the researchers. To design a robot, which meets all the requirements of potential users, is an advanced work. Hence, a systematic design method that could include users’ preferences and requirements is needed. This paper presents the quality function deployment (QFD technique to design an autonomous underwater robot focusing on the Thai Navy military mission. Important user requirements extracted from the QFD method are the ability to record videos, operating at depth up to 10 meters, the ability to operate remotely with cable and safety concerns related to water leakages. Less important user requirements include beauty, using renewable energy, operating remotely with radio and ability to work during night time. The important design parameters derived from the user requirements are a low cost-controller, an autonomous control algorithm, a compass sensor and vertical gyroscope, and a depth sensor. Of low-importance ranked design parameters include the module design, use clean energy, a low noise electric motor, remote surveillance design, a pressure hull, and a beautiful hull form design. The study results show the feasibility of using QFD techniques to systematically design the autonomous underwater robot to meet user requirements. Mapping between the design and expected parameters and a conceptual drafting design of an autonomous underwater robot are also presented.

ROV-based Underwater Vision System for Intelligent Fish Ethology Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Nian

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Fish ethology is a prospective discipline for ocean surveys. In this paper, one ROV-based system is established to perform underwater visual tasks with customized optical sensors installed. One image quality enhancement method is first presented in the context of creating underwater imaging models combined with homomorphic filtering and wavelet decomposition. The underwater vision system can further detect and track swimming fish from the resulting images with the strategies developed using curve evolution and particular filtering, in order to obtain a deeper understanding of fish behaviours. The simulation results have shown the excellent performance of the developed scheme, in regard to both robustness and effectiveness.

Communication and cooperation in underwater acoustic networks

Science.gov (United States)

Yerramalli, Srinivas

In this thesis, we present a study of several problems related to underwater point to point communications and network formation. We explore techniques to improve the achievable data rate on a point to point link using better physical layer techniques and then study sensor cooperation which improves the throughput and reliability in an underwater network. Robust point-to-point communications in underwater networks has become increasingly critical in several military and civilian applications related to underwater communications. We present several physical layer signaling and detection techniques tailored to the underwater channel model to improve the reliability of data detection. First, a simplified underwater channel model in which the time scale distortion on each path is assumed to be the same (single scale channel model in contrast to a more general multi scale model). A novel technique, which exploits the nature of OFDM signaling and the time scale distortion, called Partial FFT Demodulation is derived. It is observed that this new technique has some unique interference suppression properties and performs better than traditional equalizers in several scenarios of interest. Next, we consider the multi scale model for the underwater channel and assume that single scale processing is performed at the receiver. We then derive optimized front end pre-processing techniques to reduce the interference caused during single scale processing of signals transmitted on a multi-scale channel. We then propose an improvised channel estimation technique using dictionary optimization methods for compressive sensing and show that significant performance gains can be obtained using this technique. In the next part of this thesis, we consider the problem of sensor node cooperation among rational nodes whose objective is to improve their individual data rates. We first consider the problem of transmitter cooperation in a multiple access channel and investigate the stability of

Multi-layer protective armour for underwater shock wave mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Hawass

2015-12-01

The strain gauge data and displacement sensors results showed that the multi-layer plates have higher level of underwater shock wave mitigation than the triple aluminum plates with strain and deflection of nearly 50%.

Wavelet-based information filtering for fault diagnosis of electric drive systems in electric ships.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Andre A; Gupta, Shalabh; Bazzi, Ali M; Ulatowski, Arthur

2017-09-22

Electric machines and drives have enjoyed extensive applications in the field of electric vehicles (e.g., electric ships, boats, cars, and underwater vessels) due to their ease of scalability and wide range of operating conditions. This stems from their ability to generate the desired torque and power levels for propulsion under various external load conditions. However, as with the most electrical systems, the electric drives are prone to component failures that can degrade their performance, reduce the efficiency, and require expensive maintenance. Therefore, for safe and reliable operation of electric vehicles, there is a need for automated early diagnostics of critical failures such as broken rotor bars and electrical phase failures. In this regard, this paper presents a fault diagnosis methodology for electric drives in electric ships. This methodology utilizes the two-dimensional, i.e. scale-shift, wavelet transform of the sensor data to filter optimal information-rich regions which can enhance the diagnosis accuracy as well as reduce the computational complexity of the classifier. The methodology was tested on sensor data generated from an experimentally validated simulation model of electric drives under various cruising speed conditions. The results in comparison with other existing techniques show a high correct classification rate with low false alarm and miss detection rates. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cascading Multi-Hop Reservation and Transmission in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Won Lee

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The long propagation delay in an underwater acoustic channel makes designing an underwater media access control (MAC protocol more challenging. In particular, handshaking-based MAC protocols widely used in terrestrial radio channels have been known to be inappropriate in underwater acoustic channels, because of the inordinately large latency involved in exchanging control packets. Furthermore, in the case of multi-hop relaying in a hop-by-hop handshaking manner, the end-to-end delay significantly increases. In this paper, we propose a new MAC protocol named cascading multi-hop reservation and transmission (CMRT. In CMRT, intermediate nodes between a source and a destination may start handshaking in advance for the next-hop relaying before handshaking for the previous node is completed. By this concurrent relaying, control packet exchange and data delivery cascade down to the destination. In addition, to improve channel utilization, CMRT adopts a packet-train method where multiple data packets are sent together by handshaking once. Thus, CMRT reduces the time taken for control packet exchange and accordingly increases the throughput. The performance of CMRT is evaluated and compared with that of two conventional MAC protocols (multiple-access collision avoidance for underwater (MACA-U and MACA-U with packet trains (MACA-UPT. The results show that CMRT outperforms other MAC protocols in terms of both throughput and end-to-end delay.

A Comprehensive Study on the Internet of Underwater Things: Applications, Challenges, and Channel Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Chien-Chi; Lin, Yi-Shan; Wu, Geng-De; Huang, Chun-Ju

2017-06-22

The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is a novel class of Internet of Things (IoT), and is defined as the network of smart interconnected underwater objects. IoUT is expected to enable various practical applications, such as environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and disaster prevention. With these applications, IoUT is regarded as one of the potential technologies toward developing smart cities. To support the concept of IoUT, Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) have emerged as a promising network system. UWSNs are different from the traditional Territorial Wireless Sensor Networks (TWSNs), and have several unique properties, such as long propagation delay, narrow bandwidth, and low reliability. These unique properties would be great challenges for IoUT. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive study of IoUT, and the main contributions of this paper are threefold: (1) we introduce and classify the practical underwater applications that can highlight the importance of IoUT; (2) we point out the differences between UWSNs and traditional TWSNs, and these differences are the main challenges for IoUT; and (3) we investigate and evaluate the channel models, which are the technical core for designing reliable communication protocols on IoUT.

46 CFR 176.650 - Alternative Hull Examination Program options: Divers or underwater ROV.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Alternative Hull Examination Program options: Divers or...) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION Hull and Tailshaft Examinations § 176.650 Alternative Hull Examination Program options: Divers or underwater ROV. To complete the...

Development of measuring and control systems for underwater cutting of radioactive components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drews, P.; Fuchs, K.

1990-01-01

Shutdown and dismantling of nuclear power plants requires special techniques to decommission the radioactive components involved. For reasons of safety, decommissioning of components under water can be advantageous because of the radioactive shielding effect of water. In this project, research activities and developmental works focused on the realization of different sensor systems and their adaptation to cutting tasks. A new image-processing system has been developed in addition to the use of a modified underwater TV camera for optical cutting process control (plasma and abrasive wheel cutting). For control of process parameters, different inductive, ultrasonic and optical sensors have been modified and tested. The investigations performed are aimed at assuring high-quality underwater cutting with the help of sensor systems specially adapted to cutting tasks, with special signal procession and evaluation through microcomputer control. It is important that special attention be paid to the reduction of interferences in image pick-up and procession. The measuring system has been designed and realized according to the consideration of the demands for underwater cutting processes. The reliability of the system was tested in conjunction with a four-axes handling system

The Effect of Hull Biofouling on Parameters Characterising Ship Propulsion System Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarełko Wiesła

2015-01-01

Full Text Available One of most important issues concerning technical objects is the increase of their operating performance. For a ship this performance mainly depends on the efficiency of its main pro-pulsion system and the resistance generated during its motion on water. The overall ship re-sistance, in turn, mainly depends on the hull friction resistance, closely related with the pres-ence of different types of roughness on the hull surface, including underwater part biofouling. The article analyses the effect of hull biofouling on selected parameters characterising the efficiency of the ship propulsion system with adjustable propeller. For this purpose a two-year research experiment was performed on a sailing vessel during its motor navigation phases. Based on the obtained results, three groups of characteristics were worked out for different combinations of engine rotational speed and adjustable propeller pitch settings. The obtained results have revealed that the phenomenon of underwater hull biofouling affects remarkably the parameters characterising propulsion system efficiency. In particular, the development of the biofouling layer leads to significant reduction of the speed of navigation.

Ship Sensor Observations for Life on the Edge 2003: Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Life on the Edge 2003: Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats" expedition sponsored by...

A High-Rate Virtual Instrument of Marine Vehicle Motions for Underwater Navigation and Ocean Remote Sensing

CERN Document Server

Gelin, Chrystel

2013-01-01

Dead-Reckoning aided with Doppler velocity measurement has been the most common method for underwater navigation for small vehicles. Unfortunately DR requires frequent position recalibrations and underwater vehicle navigation systems are limited to periodic position update when they surface. Finally standard Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are unable to provide the rate or precision required when used on a small vessel. To overcome this, a low cost high rate motion measurement system for an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) with underwater and oceanographic purposes is proposed. The proposed onboard system for the USV consists of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with accelerometers and rate gyros, a GPS receiver, a flux-gate compass, a roll and tilt sensor and an ADCP. Interfacing all the sensors proved rather challenging because of their different characteristics. The proposed data fusion technique integrates the sensors and develops an embeddable software package, using real time data fusion method...

Ship Sensor Observations for Islands in the Stream 2002 - Pharmaceutical Discovery, Vision, and Bioluminescence - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the 2002 "Islands in the Stream - Pharmaceutical Discovery, Vision, and...

Routing Protocols for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: Taxonomy, Research Challenges, Routing Strategies and Future Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Anwar; Ali, Ihsan; Ghani, Abdullah; Khan, Nawsher; Alsaqer, Mohammed; Rahman, Atiq Ur; Mahmood, Hasan

2018-05-18

Recent research in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) has gained the attention of researchers in academia and industry for a number of applications. They include disaster and earthquake prediction, water quality and environment monitoring, leakage and mine detection, military surveillance and underwater navigation. However, the aquatic medium is associated with a number of limitations and challenges: long multipath delay, high interference and noise, harsh environment, low bandwidth and limited battery life of the sensor nodes. These challenges demand research techniques and strategies to be overcome in an efficient and effective fashion. The design of routing protocols for UWSNs is one of the promising solutions to cope with these challenges. This paper presents a survey of the routing protocols for UWSNs. For the ease of description, the addressed routing protocols are classified into two groups: localization-based and localization-free protocols. These groups are further subdivided according to the problems they address or the major parameters they consider during routing. Unlike the existing surveys, this survey considers only the latest and state-of-the-art routing protocols. In addition, every protocol is described in terms of its routing strategy and the problem it addresses and solves. The merit(s) of each protocol is (are) highlighted along with the cost. A description of the protocols in this fashion has a number of advantages for researchers, as compared to the existing surveys. Firstly, the description of the routing strategy of each protocol makes its routing operation easily understandable. Secondly, the demerit(s) of a protocol provides (provide) insight into overcoming its flaw(s) in future investigation. This, in turn, leads to the foundation of new protocols that are more intelligent, robust and efficient with respect to the desired parameters. Thirdly, a protocol can be selected for the appropriate application based on its described

A Comprehensive Study on the Internet of Underwater Things: Applications, Challenges, and Channel Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Chi Kao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT is a novel class of Internet of Things (IoT, and is defined as the network of smart interconnected underwater objects. IoUT is expected to enable various practical applications, such as environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and disaster prevention. With these applications, IoUT is regarded as one of the potential technologies toward developing smart cities. To support the concept of IoUT, Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs have emerged as a promising network system. UWSNs are different from the traditional Territorial Wireless Sensor Networks (TWSNs, and have several unique properties, such as long propagation delay, narrow bandwidth, and low reliability. These unique properties would be great challenges for IoUT. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive study of IoUT, and the main contributions of this paper are threefold: (1 we introduce and classify the practical underwater applications that can highlight the importance of IoUT; (2 we point out the differences between UWSNs and traditional TWSNs, and these differences are the main challenges for IoUT; and (3 we investigate and evaluate the channel models, which are the technical core for designing reliable communication protocols on IoUT.

A Routing Protocol Based on Received Signal Strength for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meiju Li

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs are featured by long propagation delay, limited energy, narrow bandwidth, high BER (Bit Error Rate and variable topology structure. These features make it very difficult to design a short delay and high energy-efficiency routing protocol for UWSNs. In this paper, a routing protocol independent of location information is proposed based on received signal strength (RSS, which is called RRSS. In RRSS, a sensor node firstly establishes a vector from the node to a sink node; the length of the vector indicates the RSS of the beacon signal (RSSB from the sink node. A node selects the next-hop along the vector according to RSSB and the RSS of a hello packet (RSSH. The node nearer to the vector has higher priority to be a candidate next-hop. To avoid data packets being delivered to the neighbor nodes in a void area, a void-avoiding algorithm is introduced. In addition, residual energy is considered when selecting the next-hop. Meanwhile, we establish mathematic models to analyze the robustness and energy efficiency of RRSS. Lastly, we conduct extensive simulations, and the simulation results show RRSS can save energy consumption and decrease end-to-end delay.

A highly versatile autonomous underwater vehicle with biomechanical propulsion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simons, D.G.; Bergers, M.M.C.; Henrion, S.; Hulzenga, J.I.J.; Jutte, R.W.; Pas, W.M.G.; Van Schravendijk, M.; Vercruyssen, T.G.A.; Wilken, A.P.

2009-01-01

An autonomous underwater vehicle with a biomechanical propulsion system is a possible answer to the demand for small, silent sensor platforms in many fields. The design of Galatea, a bio-mimetic AUV, involves four aspects: hydrodynamic shape, the propulsion, the motion control systems and payload.

On the design and construction of drifting-mine test targets for sonar, radar and electro-optical detection experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dol, H.S.

2014-01-01

The timely detection of small hazardous objects at the sea surface, such as drifting mines, is challenging for ship-mounted sensor systems, both for underwater sensor systems like sonar and above-water sensor systems like radar and electro-optics (lidar, infrared/visual cameras). This is due to the

International Conference on Underwater Environment

CERN Document Server

Jaulin, Luc; Creuze, Vincent; Debese, Nathalie; Quidu, Isabelle; Clement, Benoît; Billon-Coat, Annick

2016-01-01

This volume constitutes the results of the International Conference on Underwater Environment, MOQESM’14, held at “Le Quartz” Conference Center in Brest, France, on October 14-15, 2014, within the framework of the 9th Sea Tech Week, International Marine Science and Technology Event. The objective of MOQESM'14 was to bring together researchers from both academia and industry, interested in marine robotics and hydrography with application to the coastal environment mapping and underwater infrastructures surveys. The common thread of the conference is the combination of technical control, perception, and localization, typically used in robotics, with the methods of mapping and bathymetry. The papers presented in this book focus on two main topics. Firstly, coastal and infrastructure mapping is addressed, focusing not only on hydrographic systems, but also on positioning systems, bathymetry, and remote sensing. The proposed methods rely on acoustic sensors such as side scan sonars, multibeam echo sounders, ...

A Review of the Emerging Field of Underwater Mass Spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Chua

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Mass spectrometers are versatile sensor systems, owing to their high sensitivity and ability to simultaneously measure multiple chemical species. Over the last two decades, traditional laboratory-based membrane inlet mass spectrometers have been adapted for underwater use. Underwater mass spectrometry has drastically improved our capability to monitor a broad suite of gaseous compounds (e.g., dissolved atmospheric gases, light hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds in the aquatic environment. Here we provide an overview of the progress made in the field of underwater mass spectrometry since its inception in the 1990s to the present. In particular, we discuss the approaches undertaken by various research groups in developing in situ mass spectrometers. We also provide examples to illustrate how underwater mass spectrometers have been used in the field. Finally, we present future trends in the field of in situ mass spectrometry. Most of these efforts are aimed at improving the quality and spatial and temporal scales of chemical measurements in the ocean. By providing up-to-date information on underwater mass spectrometry, this review offers guidance for researchers interested in adapting this technology as well as goals for future progress in the field.

Localization of Energy Harvesting Empowered Underwater Optical Wireless Sensor Networks

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

with insufficient battery, harvest the energy and starts communicating once it has sufficient energy storage. Network localization is carried out by measuring the RSSs of active nodes, which are modeled based on the underwater optical communication channel

A Novel Cooperative Opportunistic Routing Scheme for Underwater Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoreyshi, Seyed Mohammad; Shahrabi, Alireza; Boutaleb, Tuleen

2016-02-26

Increasing attention has recently been devoted to underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) because of their capabilities in the ocean monitoring and resource discovery. UWSNs are faced with different challenges, the most notable of which is perhaps how to efficiently deliver packets taking into account all of the constraints of the available acoustic communication channel. The opportunistic routing provides a reliable solution with the aid of intermediate nodes' collaboration to relay a packet toward the destination. In this paper, we propose a new routing protocol, called opportunistic void avoidance routing (OVAR), to address the void problem and also the energy-reliability trade-off in the forwarding set selection. OVAR takes advantage of distributed beaconing, constructs the adjacency graph at each hop and selects a forwarding set that holds the best trade-off between reliability and energy efficiency. The unique features of OVAR in selecting the candidate nodes in the vicinity of each other leads to the resolution of the hidden node problem. OVAR is also able to select the forwarding set in any direction from the sender, which increases its flexibility to bypass any kind of void area with the minimum deviation from the optimal path. The results of our extensive simulation study show that OVAR outperforms other protocols in terms of the packet delivery ratio, energy consumption, end-to-end delay, hop count and traversed distance.

From land to water: bringing dielectric elastomer sensing to the underwater realm

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Christopher; Anderson, Iain

2016-04-01

Since the late 1990's dielectric elastomers (DEs) have been investigated for their use as sensors. To date, there have been some impressive developments: finger displacement controls for video games and integration with medical rehabilitation devices to aid patient recovery. It is clear DE sensing is well established for dry applications, the next frontier, however, is to adapt this technology for the other 71% of the Earth's surface. With proven and perhaps improved water resistance, many new applications could be developed in areas such as diver communication and control of underwater robotics; even wearable devices on land must withstand sweat, washing, and the rain. This study investigated the influence of fresh and salt water on DE sensing. In particular, sensors have been manufactured with waterproof connections and submersed in fresh and salt water baths. Temperature and resting capacitance were recorded. Issues with the basic DE sensor have been identified and compensated for with modifications to the sensor. The electrostatic field, prior and post modification, has been modeled with ANSYS Maxwell. The aim of this investigation was to identify issues, perform modifications and propose a new sensor design suited to wet and underwater applications.

Integrating Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vessels, Surface Vessels and Aircraft into Oceanographic Research Vessel Operations

Science.gov (United States)

McGillivary, P. A.; Borges de Sousa, J.; Martins, R.; Rajan, K.

2012-12-01

Autonomous platforms are increasingly used as components of Integrated Ocean Observing Systems and oceanographic research cruises. Systems deployed can include gliders or propeller-driven autonomous underwater vessels (AUVs), autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Prior field campaigns have demonstrated successful communication, sensor data fusion and visualization for studies using gliders and AUVs. However, additional requirements exist for incorporating ASVs and UASs into ship operations. For these systems to be optimally integrated into research vessel data management and operational planning systems involves addressing three key issues: real-time field data availability, platform coordination, and data archiving for later analysis. A fleet of AUVs, ASVs and UAS deployed from a research vessel is best operated as a system integrated with the ship, provided communications among them can be sustained. For this purpose, Disruptive Tolerant Networking (DTN) software protocols for operation in communication-challenged environments help ensure reliable high-bandwidth communications. Additionally, system components need to have considerable onboard autonomy, namely adaptive sampling capabilities using their own onboard sensor data stream analysis. We discuss Oceanographic Decision Support System (ODSS) software currently used for situational awareness and planning onshore, and in the near future event detection and response will be coordinated among multiple vehicles. Results from recent field studies from oceanographic research vessels using AUVs, ASVs and UAS, including the Rapid Environmental Picture (REP-12) cruise, are presented describing methods and results for use of multi-vehicle communication and deliberative control networks, adaptive sampling with single and multiple platforms, issues relating to data management and archiving, and finally challenges that remain in addressing these technological issues. Significantly, the

46 CFR 71.50-27 - Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) program options: Divers or underwater remotely operated...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) program options...-27 Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) program options: Divers or underwater remotely operated vehicle... operations; (2) Provide permanent hull markings, a temporary grid system of wires or cables spaced not more...

Working underwater: deepwater drilling support by ROV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1958-01-01

Experience with the drill ships Discoverer Seven Seas and Penrod 78 explains some of the problems associated with the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater operations. Support services are a bigger problem than depth. The author describes developments, such as the new guidewire methods, side launch A-frame davit, and top hat stabilizing frame. All parts of the ROV system must be of heavy duty design, and operative skill is of paramount importance. The major requirements for deep water ROVs are reliability, fail-safe redundancy, cage deployment, compact size, adequate power, and capacity for heavy intervention work. 8 figures.

Sensors Systems for the Automation of Operations in the Ship Repair Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Pedro Javier; Muro, Juan Suardíaz; Alcover, Pedro María; Fernández-Isla, Carlos

2013-01-01

Hull cleaning before repainting is a key operation in the maintenance of ships. For years, a method to improve such operation has been sought by means of the robotization of techniques such as grit blasting and ultra high pressure water jetting. Despite this, it continues to be standard practice in shipyards that this process is carried out manually because the developed robotized systems are too expensive to be widely accepted by shipyards. We have chosen to apply a more conservative and realistic approach to this problem, which has resulted in the development of several solutions that have been designed with different automation and operation range degrees. These solutions are fitted with most of the elements already available in many shipyards, so the installation of additional machinery in the workplace would not be necessary. This paper describes the evolutionary development of sensor systems for the automation of the preparation process of ship hull surfaces before the painting process is performed. Such evolution has given rise to the development of new technologies for coating removal. PMID:24064601

A Localization Method for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Mobility Prediction and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Zhang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Due to their special environment, Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs are usually deployed over a large sea area and the nodes are usually floating. This results in a lower beacon node distribution density, a longer time for localization, and more energy consumption. Currently most of the localization algorithms in this field do not pay enough consideration on the mobility of the nodes. In this paper, by analyzing the mobility patterns of water near the seashore, a localization method for UWSNs based on a Mobility Prediction and a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MP-PSO is proposed. In this method, the range-based PSO algorithm is used to locate the beacon nodes, and their velocities can be calculated. The velocity of an unknown node is calculated by using the spatial correlation of underwater object’s mobility, and then their locations can be predicted. The range-based PSO algorithm may cause considerable energy consumption and its computation complexity is a little bit high, nevertheless the number of beacon nodes is relatively smaller, so the calculation for the large number of unknown nodes is succinct, and this method can obviously decrease the energy consumption and time cost of localizing these mobile nodes. The simulation results indicate that this method has higher localization accuracy and better localization coverage rate compared with some other widely used localization methods in this field.

A Localization Method for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Mobility Prediction and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Liang, Jixing; Jiang, Shengming; Chen, Wei

2016-02-06

Due to their special environment, Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) are usually deployed over a large sea area and the nodes are usually floating. This results in a lower beacon node distribution density, a longer time for localization, and more energy consumption. Currently most of the localization algorithms in this field do not pay enough consideration on the mobility of the nodes. In this paper, by analyzing the mobility patterns of water near the seashore, a localization method for UWSNs based on a Mobility Prediction and a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MP-PSO) is proposed. In this method, the range-based PSO algorithm is used to locate the beacon nodes, and their velocities can be calculated. The velocity of an unknown node is calculated by using the spatial correlation of underwater object's mobility, and then their locations can be predicted. The range-based PSO algorithm may cause considerable energy consumption and its computation complexity is a little bit high, nevertheless the number of beacon nodes is relatively smaller, so the calculation for the large number of unknown nodes is succinct, and this method can obviously decrease the energy consumption and time cost of localizing these mobile nodes. The simulation results indicate that this method has higher localization accuracy and better localization coverage rate compared with some other widely used localization methods in this field.

Particle Filter for Fault Diagnosis and Robust Navigation of Underwater Robot

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Bo; Skjetne, Roger; Blanke, Mogens

2014-01-01

A particle filter based robust navigation with fault diagnosis is designed for an underwater robot, where 10 failure modes of sensors and thrusters are considered. The nominal underwater robot and its anomaly are described by a switchingmode hidden Markov model. By extensively running a particle...... filter on the model, the fault diagnosis and robust navigation are achieved. Closed-loop full-scale experimental results show that the proposed method is robust, can diagnose faults effectively, and can provide good state estimation even in cases where multiple faults occur. Comparing with other methods...

ULTRA: Underwater Localization for Transit and Reconnaissance Autonomy

Science.gov (United States)

Huntsberger, Terrance L.

2013-01-01

This software addresses the issue of underwater localization of unmanned vehicles and the inherent drift in their onboard sensors. The software gives a 2 to 3 factor of improvement over the state-of-the-art underwater localization algorithms. The software determines the localization (position, heading) of an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) in environments where there is no GPS signal. It accomplishes this using only the commanded position, onboard gyros/accelerometers, and the bathymetry of the bottom provided by an onboard sonar system. The software does not rely on an onboard bathymetry dataset, but instead incrementally determines the position of the AUV while mapping the bottom. In order to enable long-distance underwater navigation by AUVs, a localization method called ULTRA uses registration of the bathymetry data products produced by the onboard forward-looking sonar system for hazard avoidance during a transit to derive the motion and pose of the AUV in order to correct the DR (dead reckoning) estimates. The registration algorithm uses iterative point matching (IPM) combined with surface interpolation of the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. This method was used previously at JPL for onboard unmanned ground vehicle localization, and has been optimized for efficient computational and memory use.

Underwater Coatings for Contamination Control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julia L. Tripp; Kip Archibald; Ann-Marie Phillips; Joseph Campbell

2004-01-01

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is deactivating several fuel storage basins. Airborne contamination is a concern when the sides of the basins are exposed and allowed to dry during water removal. One way of controlling this airborne contamination is to fix the contamination in place while the pool walls are still submerged. There are many underwater coatings available on the market that are used in marine, naval and other applications. A series of tests were run to determine whether the candidate underwater fixatives are easily applied and adhere well to the substrates (pool wall materials) found in INEEL fuel pools. The four pools considered included (1) Test Area North (TAN-607) with epoxy painted concrete walls; (2) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (CPP-603) with bare concrete walls; (3) Materials Test Reactor (MTR) Canal with stainless steel lined concrete walls; and (4) Power Burst Facility (PBF-620) with stainless steel lined concrete walls on the bottom and epoxy painted carbon steel lined walls on the upper portions. Therefore, the four materials chosen for testing included bare concrete, epoxy painted concrete, epoxy painted carbon steel, and stainless steel. The typical water temperature of the pools varies from 55 F to 80 F dependent on the pool and the season. These tests were done at room temperature. The following criteria were used during this evaluation. The underwater coating must: (1) Be easy to apply; (2) Adhere well to the four surfaces of interest; (3) Not change or have a negative impact on water chemistry or clarity; (4) Not be hazardous in final applied form; and (5) Be proven in other underwater applications. In addition, it is desirable for the coating to have a high pigment or high cross-link density to prevent radiation from penetrating. This paper will detail the testing completed and the test results. A proprietary two-part, underwater epoxy owned by S. G. Pinney and Associates

Underwater robots

CERN Document Server

Antonelli, Gianluca

2014-01-01

This book, now at the third edition, addresses the main control aspects in underwater manipulation tasks. The mathematical model with significant impact on the control strategy is discussed. The problem of controlling a 6-degrees-of-freedoms autonomous underwater vehicle is deeply investigated and a survey of fault detection/tolerant strategies for unmanned underwater vehicles is provided. Inverse kinematics, dynamic and interaction control for underwater vehicle-manipulator systems are then discussed. The code used to generate most of the numerical simulations is made available and briefly discussed.       

Morphologically intelligent underactuated robot for underwater hull cleaning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Souto, Daniel; Faina, Andres; López-Peña, Fernando

2015-01-01

In this paper we discuss a new type of robot for underwater hull cleaning on ships with non-magnetic hulls. This robot is based on the concept that cleaning hulls regularly, without waiting to take them out of the water, will improve the efficiency of the ships and will permit a reduction...... in the use of the chemicals that are usually employed to prevent the growth of marine life on the hull and which are generally harmful to the environment. The robot described in this paper is an underactuated morphologically adapted robot that through an appropriate morphology and making use of the forces...... and constraints of the environment solves the most difficult problems that arise when moving along hulls. Some of these are changing planes, negotiating appendices, avoiding portholes, passing corners, and other elements. This greatly simplifies the control mechanisms that are required for its operation making...

Ship Sensor Observations for Estuary to the Abyss 2004: Exploring Along the Latitude 31-30 Transect - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the "Estuary to the Abyss 2004" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and...

A study on practical use of underwater abrasive water jet cutting

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Hitoshi; Demura, Kenji

1993-09-01

The practicality of underwater abrasive water jet cutting technology was studied in experiments. A study of abrasives in slurried form showed that optimum polymer concentration can be selected to suit underwater conditions. For the long-distance transport of slurry from the ocean surface to the ocean floor, a direct supply system by hose proved to be practical. This system takes advantage of the insolubility of the slurry in water due to a difference in specific gravity. For cutting thick steel plate at great ocean depths, a simulation with a pressurized container revealed the requirements for actual cutting. Confirmation of remote cutting operations will become the most important technology in field applications. Underwater sound vibration characteristics were found to change significantly in direct response to modifications in cutting conditions. This will be important basic data to develop an effective sensoring method.

GSR-TDMA: A Geometric Spatial Reuse-Time Division Multiple Access MAC Protocol for Multihop Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changho Yun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The nonnegligible propagation delay of acoustic signals causes spatiotemporal uncertainty that occasionally enables simultaneous, collision-free packet transmission among underwater nodes (UNs. These transmissions can be handled by efficiently managing the channel access of the UNs in the data-link layer. To this end, Geometric Spatial Reuse-TDMA (GSR-TDMA, a new TDMA-based MAC protocol, is designed for use in centralized, multihop underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs, and in this case all UNs are periodically scheduled after determining a geometric map according to the information on their location. The scheduling strategy increases the number of UNs that send packets coincidentally via two subscheduling configurations (i.e., interhop and intrahop scheduling. Extensive simulations are used to investigate the reception success rate (RSR and the multihop delay (MHD of GSR-TDMA, and the results are compared to those of previous approaches, including C-MAC and HSR-TDMA. GSR-TDMA outperforms C-MAC; the RSR of GSR-TDMA is 15% higher than that of C-MAC, and the MHD of GSR-TDMA is 30% lower than that of C-MAC at the most. In addition, GSR-TDMA provides even better performance improvements over HSR-TDMA; the RSR of GSR-TDMA is 50% higher than that of HSR-TDMA, and the MHD of GSR-TDMA is an order of 102 lower than that of HSR-TDMA at the most.

Underwater Animal Monitoring Magnetic Sensor System

KAUST Repository

Kaidarova, Altynay

2017-01-01

solid-state sensors today, coupled with flexible magnetic composites. The TMR sensors are composed of CoFeB free layers and MgO tunnel barriers, patterned using standard optical lithography and ion milling procedures. The short and long-term stability

Underwater noise pollution in a coastal tropical environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bittencourt, L; Carvalho, R R; Lailson-Brito, J; Azevedo, A F

2014-06-15

Underwater noise pollution has become a major concern in marine habitats. Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil, is an impacted area of economic importance with constant vessel traffic. One hundred acoustic recording sessions took place over ten locations. Sound sources operating within 1 km radius of each location were quantified during recordings. The highest mean sound pressure level near the surface was 111.56±9.0 dB re 1 μPa at the frequency band of 187 Hz. Above 15 kHz, the highest mean sound pressure level was 76.21±8.3 dB re 1 μPa at the frequency 15.89 kHz. Noise levels correlated with number of operating vessels and vessel traffic composition influenced noise profiles. Shipping locations had the highest noise levels, while small vessels locations had the lowest noise levels. Guanabara Bay showed noise pollution similar to that of other impacted coastal regions, which is related to shipping and vessel traffic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data Access Based on a Guide Map of the Underwater Wireless Sensor Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhengxian; Song, Min; Yin, Guisheng; Song, Houbing; Wang, Hongbin; Ma, Xuefei; Cheng, Albert M K

2017-10-17

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) represent an area of increasing research interest, as data storage, discovery, and query of UWSNs are always challenging issues. In this paper, a data access based on a guide map (DAGM) method is proposed for UWSNs. In DAGM, the metadata describes the abstracts of data content and the storage location. The center ring is composed of nodes according to the shortest average data query path in the network in order to store the metadata, and the data guide map organizes, diffuses and synchronizes the metadata in the center ring, providing the most time-saving and energy-efficient data query service for the user. For this method, firstly the data is stored in the UWSN. The storage node is determined, the data is transmitted from the sensor node (data generation source) to the storage node, and the metadata is generated for it. Then, the metadata is sent to the center ring node that is the nearest to the storage node and the data guide map organizes the metadata, diffusing and synchronizing it to the other center ring nodes. Finally, when there is query data in any user node, the data guide map will select a center ring node nearest to the user to process the query sentence, and based on the shortest transmission delay and lowest energy consumption, data transmission routing is generated according to the storage location abstract in the metadata. Hence, specific application data transmission from the storage node to the user is completed. The simulation results demonstrate that DAGM has advantages with respect to data access time and network energy consumption.

Signal processing for passive detection and classification of underwater acoustic signals

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Kil Woo

2011-12-01

This dissertation examines signal processing for passive detection, classification and tracking of underwater acoustic signals for improving port security and the security of coastal and offshore operations. First, we consider the problem of passive acoustic detection of a diver in a shallow water environment. A frequency-domain multi-band matched-filter approach to swimmer detection is presented. The idea is to break the frequency contents of the hydrophone signals into multiple narrow frequency bands, followed by time averaged (about half of a second) energy calculation over each band. Then, spectra composed of such energy samples over the chosen frequency bands are correlated to form a decision variable. The frequency bands with highest Signal/Noise ratio are used for detection. The performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated for experimental data collected for a diver in the Hudson River. We also propose a new referenceless frequency-domain multi-band detector which, unlike other reference-based detectors, does not require a diver specific signature. Instead, our detector matches to a general feature of the diver spectrum in the high frequency range: the spectrum is roughly periodic in time and approximately flat when the diver exhales. The performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated by using experimental data collected from the Hudson River. Moreover, we present detection, classification and tracking of small vessel signals. Hydroacoustic sensors can be applied for the detection of noise generated by vessels, and this noise can be used for vessel detection, classification and tracking. This dissertation presents recent improvements aimed at the measurement and separation of ship DEMON (Detection of Envelope Modulation on Noise) acoustic signatures in busy harbor conditions. Ship signature measurements were conducted in the Hudson River and NY Harbor. The DEMON spectra demonstrated much better temporal stability compared with the full ship

SURVEYING, MODELING AND 3D REPRESENTATION OF A WRECK FOR DIVING PURPOSES: CARGO SHIP “VERA”

OpenAIRE

Ktistis, A.; Tokmakidis, P.; Papadimitriou, K.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the results from an underwater recording of the stern part of a contemporary cargo-ship wreck. The aim of this survey was to create 3D representations of this wreck mainly for recreational diving purposes. The key points of this paper are: a) the implementation of the underwater recording at a diving site; b) the reconstruction of a 3d model from data that have been captured by recreational divers; and c) the development of a set of products to be used by the general publi...

Cross-coherent vector sensor processing for spatially distributed glider networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Brendan; Sabra, Karim G

2015-09-01

Autonomous underwater gliders fitted with vector sensors can be used as a spatially distributed sensor array to passively locate underwater sources. However, to date, the positional accuracy required for robust array processing (especially coherent processing) is not achievable using dead-reckoning while the gliders remain submerged. To obtain such accuracy, the gliders can be temporarily surfaced to allow for global positioning system contact, but the acoustically active sea surface introduces locally additional sensor noise. This letter demonstrates that cross-coherent array processing, which inherently mitigates the effects of local noise, outperforms traditional incoherent processing source localization methods for this spatially distributed vector sensor network.

DOW-PR DOlphin and Whale Pods Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs).

Science.gov (United States)

Wadud, Zahid; Ullah, Khadem; Hussain, Sajjad; Yang, Xiaodong; Qazi, Abdul Baseer

2018-05-12

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) have intrinsic challenges that include long propagation delays, high mobility of sensor nodes due to water currents, Doppler spread, delay variance, multipath, attenuation and geometric spreading. The existing Weighting Depth and Forwarding Area Division Depth Based Routing (WDFAD-DBR) protocol considers the weighting depth of the two hops in order to select the next Potential Forwarding Node (PFN). To improve the performance of WDFAD-DBR, we propose DOlphin and Whale Pod Routing protocol (DOW-PR). In this scheme, we divide the transmission range into a number of transmission power levels and at the same time select the next PFNs from forwarding and suppressed zones. In contrast to WDFAD-DBR, our scheme not only considers the packet upward advancement, but also takes into account the number of suppressed nodes and number of PFNs at the first and second hops. Consequently, reasonable energy reduction is observed while receiving and transmitting packets. Moreover, our scheme also considers the hops count of the PFNs from the sink. In the absence of PFNs, the proposed scheme will select the node from the suppressed region for broadcasting and thus ensures minimum loss of data. Besides this, we also propose another routing scheme (whale pod) in which multiple sinks are placed at water surface, but one sink is embedded inside the water and is physically connected with the surface sink through high bandwidth connection. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme has high Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), low energy tax, reduced Accumulated Propagation Distance (APD) and increased the network lifetime.

Numerical simulation of viscous flow and hydrodynamic noise in surface ship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YU Han

2017-12-01

Full Text Available [Objectives] The problem of noise caused by an unsteady flow field around a surface ship is a difficulty facing the stealth design of ship hulls, in which the existence of the free surface makes it different from submarine hydrodynamic noise calculation. To solve this problem,[Methods] the Volume of Fluid(VOF method and SST k-ω turbulence model are combined to simulate the unsteady flow field of the hull, and the free surface is given an air acoustic impedance to simulate the absorption boundary. The pulsating pressure of the hull surface is used as the source of the noise, and the underwater radiation noise of the surface ship is calculated with the acoustic finite element method.[Results] The results show high agreement with the experimental results and previous simulation results. The noise sources are mainly concentrated at the bow of the hull.[Conclusions] The results show that this calculation method can accurately simulate the flow field and sound field of a surface ship, and it can provides valuable reference for the acoustic stealth design of surface ships.

On the Impacts and Benefits of Implementing Full-Duplex Communications Links in an Underwater Acoustic Network

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gibson, J; Larraza, A; Rice, J; Smith, K; Xie, G

2002-01-01

.... These networks may provide command and control for autonomous underwater vehicles, forward reporting by arrays of sensor grids, ad hoc communications links to covert forces, or positive control...

Synthesis and Development of Gold Polypyrrole Actuator for Underwater Application

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, S. K.; Bandopadhya, D.

2018-02-01

Electro-active polymer (EAP) such as Polypyrrole has gained much attention in the category of functional materials for fabrication of both active actuator and sensor. Particularly, PPy actuator has shown potential in fluid medium application because of high strain, large bending displacement and work density. This paper focuses on developing a low cost active actuator promising in delivering high performance in underwater environment. The proposed Au-pyrrole actuator is synthesized by adopting the layer-by-layer electrochemical polymerization technique and is fabricated as strip actuator from aqueous solution of Pyrrole and NaDBS in room temperature. In the follow-up, topographical analysis has been carried out using SEM and FESEM instruments showing surface morphology and surface integrity of chemical components of the structure. Several experiments have been conducted under DC input voltage evaluating performance effectiveness such as underwater bending displacement and tip force etc. This is observed that the actuator exhibits quite similar stress profile as of natural muscle, endowed with high modulus makes them effective in working nearly 10,000 cycles underwater environment. In addition, the bending displacement up to 5.4 mm with a low input voltage 1.3 V makes the actuator suitable for underwater micro-robotics applications.

A Glider-Assisted Link Disruption Restoration Mechanism in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Zhigang; Wang, Ning; Su, Yishan; Yang, Qiuling

2018-02-07

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) have become a hot research topic. In UASNs, nodes can be affected by ocean currents and external forces, which could result in sudden link disruption. Therefore, designing a flexible and efficient link disruption restoration mechanism to ensure the network connectivity is a challenge. In the paper, we propose a glider-assisted restoration mechanism which includes link disruption recognition and related link restoring mechanism. In the link disruption recognition mechanism, the cluster heads collect the link disruption information and then schedule gliders acting as relay nodes to restore the disrupted link. Considering the glider's sawtooth motion, we design a relay location optimization algorithm with a consideration of both the glider's trajectory and acoustic channel attenuation model. The utility function is established by minimizing the channel attenuation and the optimal location of glider is solved by a multiplier method. The glider-assisted restoration mechanism can greatly improve the packet delivery rate and reduce the communication energy consumption and it is more general for the restoration of different link disruption scenarios. The simulation results show that glider-assisted restoration mechanism can improve the delivery rate of data packets by 15-33% compared with cooperative opportunistic routing (OVAR), the hop-by-hop vector-based forwarding (HH-VBF) and the vector based forward (VBF) methods, and reduce communication energy consumption by 20-58% for a typical network's setting.

Investigation of the Propagation Characteristics of Underwater Shock Waves in Underwater Drilling Blasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available During the first-stage project of the main channel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port’s Shipu Harbor, underwater shock waves were monitored. By analyzing a typical measured pressure time history curve, the characteristics of underwater shock waves in an engineering context were obtained. We obtained a traditional exponential attenuation formula for underwater shock waves based on the measured data, simplified the model of underwater drilling blasting based on engineering practice, deduced a revised formula for underwater shock wave peak overpressure on the basis of dimensional analysis, established a linear fitting model, and obtained the undetermined coefficients of the revised formula using a linear regression analysis. In addition, the accuracies of the two formulas used to predict underwater shock wave peak overpressure and the significance order of influence and influence mechanism of factors included in the revised formula on the underwater shock wave peak overpressure were discussed.

High accuracy navigation information estimation for inertial system using the multi-model EKF fusing adams explicit formula applied to underwater gliders.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Haoqian; Chen, Xiyuan; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Jian

2017-01-01

The underwater navigation system, mainly consisting of MEMS inertial sensors, is a key technology for the wide application of underwater gliders and plays an important role in achieving high accuracy navigation and positioning for a long time of period. However, the navigation errors will accumulate over time because of the inherent errors of inertial sensors, especially for MEMS grade IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) generally used in gliders. The dead reckoning module is added to compensate the errors. In the complicated underwater environment, the performance of MEMS sensors is degraded sharply and the errors will become much larger. It is difficult to establish the accurate and fixed error model for the inertial sensor. Therefore, it is very hard to improve the accuracy of navigation information calculated by sensors. In order to solve the problem mentioned, the more suitable filter which integrates the multi-model method with an EKF approach can be designed according to different error models to give the optimal estimation for the state. The key parameters of error models can be used to determine the corresponding filter. The Adams explicit formula which has an advantage of high precision prediction is simultaneously fused into the above filter to achieve the much more improvement in attitudes estimation accuracy. The proposed algorithm has been proved through theory analyses and has been tested by both vehicle experiments and lake trials. Results show that the proposed method has better accuracy and effectiveness in terms of attitudes estimation compared with other methods mentioned in the paper for inertial navigation applied to underwater gliders. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cymbal and BB underwater transducers and arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newnham, R.E.; Zhang, J.; Alkoy, S.; Meyer, R.; Hughes, W.J.; Hladky-Hennion, A.C.; Cochran, J.; Markley, D. [Materials Research Laboratory, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2002-09-01

The cymbal is a miniaturized class V flextensional transducer that was developed for use as a shallow water sound projector and receiver. Single elements are characterized by high Q, low efficiency, and medium power output capability. Its low cost and thin profile allow the transducer to be assembled into large flexible arrays. Efforts were made to model both single elements and arrays using the ATILA code and the integral equation formulation (EQI).Millimeter size microprobe hydrophones (BBs) have been designed and fabricated from miniature piezoelectric hollow ceramic spheres for underwater applications such as mapping acoustic fields of projectors, and flow noise sensors for complex underwater structures. Green spheres are prepared from soft lead zirconate titanate powders using a coaxial nozzle slurry process. A compact hydrophone with a radially-poled sphere is investigated using inside and outside electrodes. Characterization of these hydrophones is done through measurement of hydrostatic piezoelectric charge coefficients, free field voltage sensitivities and directivity beam patterns. (orig.)

Mobile Sinks Assisted Geographic and Opportunistic Routing Based Interference Avoidance for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Farwa; Wadud, Zahid; Javaid, Nadeem; Alrajeh, Nabil; Alabed, Mohamad Souheil; Qasim, Umar

2018-04-02

The distinctive features of acoustic communication channel-like high propagation delay, multi-path fading, quick attenuation of acoustic signal, etc. limit the utilization of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). The immutable selection of forwarder node leads to dramatic death of node resulting in imbalanced energy depletion and void hole creation. To reduce the probability of void occurrence and imbalance energy dissipation, in this paper, we propose mobility assisted geo-opportunistic routing paradigm based on interference avoidance for UWSNs. The network volume is divided into logical small cubes to reduce the interference and to make more informed routing decisions for efficient energy consumption. Additionally, an optimal number of forwarder nodes is elected from each cube based on its proximity with respect to the destination to avoid void occurrence. Moreover, the data packets are recovered from void regions with the help of mobile sinks which also reduce the data traffic on intermediate nodes. Extensive simulations are performed to verify that our proposed work maximizes the network lifetime and packet delivery ratio.

Mobile Sinks Assisted Geographic and Opportunistic Routing Based Interference Avoidance for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farwa Ahmed

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The distinctive features of acoustic communication channel-like high propagation delay, multi-path fading, quick attenuation of acoustic signal, etc. limit the utilization of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs. The immutable selection of forwarder node leads to dramatic death of node resulting in imbalanced energy depletion and void hole creation. To reduce the probability of void occurrence and imbalance energy dissipation, in this paper, we propose mobility assisted geo-opportunistic routing paradigm based on interference avoidance for UWSNs. The network volume is divided into logical small cubes to reduce the interference and to make more informed routing decisions for efficient energy consumption. Additionally, an optimal number of forwarder nodes is elected from each cube based on its proximity with respect to the destination to avoid void occurrence. Moreover, the data packets are recovered from void regions with the help of mobile sinks which also reduce the data traffic on intermediate nodes. Extensive simulations are performed to verify that our proposed work maximizes the network lifetime and packet delivery ratio.

Underwater Shock Response of Circular HSLA Steel Plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Rajendran

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Studies on shock response of circular plates subjected to underwater explosion is of interest to ship designers. Non-contact underwater explosion experiments were carried out on air backed circular High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA steel plates of 4 mm thickness and 290 mm diameter. The experiments were carried out in two phases. In the first phase, strain gauges were fixed at intervals of 30 mm from the centre of the plate and strains were recorded for the shock intensity gradually increasing to yielding. Semi-analytical models were derived for the elastic strain prediction which showed good agreement with the experiments. Dynamic yield stress and the shock factor for yielding were established. In the second phase, individual plates were subjected to increasing shock severity until fracture and the apex bulge depth and the thickness strains were measured. Empirical models were derived to predict the plastic deformation which were validated through a fresh set of experiments. Analysis of the fractured surface by visual examination showed that there was slant fracture indicating ductile mode of failure and the same was corroborated by Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM examination.

Asymmetric Propagation Delay-Aware TDMA MAC Protocol for Mobile Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A-Ra Cho

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The propagation delay in mobile underwater acoustic sensor network (MUASN is asymmetric because of its low sound propagation speed, and this asymmetry grows with the increase in packet travel time, which damages the collision avoidance mechanism of the spatial reuse medium access control (MAC protocols for MUASN. We propose an asymmetric propagation delay-aware time division multiple access (APD-TDMA for a MUASN in which periodic data packet transmission is required for a sink node (SN. Collisions at the SN are avoided by deferring data packet transmission after reception of a beacon packet from the SN, and data packets are arrived at the SN in a packet-train manner. The time-offset, which is the time for a node to wait before the transmission of a data packet after reception of a beacon packet, is determined by estimating the propagation delay over two consecutive cycles such that the idle interval at the SN is minimized, and this time-offset is announced by the beacon packet. Simulation results demonstrate that the APD-TDMA improves the channel access delay and the channel utilization by approximately 20% and 30%, respectively, compared with those of the block time bounded TDMA under the given network conditions.

NEMO-SMO acoustic array: A deep-sea test of a novel acoustic positioning system for a km3-scale underwater neutrino telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Viola, S.; Ardid, M.; Bertin, V.; Enzenhöfer, A.; Keller, P.; Lahmann, R.; Larosa, G.; Llorens, C. D.; NEMO Collaboration; SMO Collaboration

2013-10-01

Within the activities of the NEMO project, the installation of a 8-floors tower (NEMO-Phase II) at a depth of 3500 m is foreseen in 2012. The tower will be installed about 80 km off-shore Capo Passero, in Sicily. On board the NEMO tower, an array of 18 acoustic sensors will be installed, permitting acoustic detection of biological sources, studies for acoustic neutrino detection and primarily acoustic positioning of the underwater structures. For the latter purpose, the sensors register acoustic signals emitted by five acoustic beacons anchored on the sea-floor. The data acquisition system of the acoustic sensors is fully integrated with the detector data transport system and is based on an “all data to shore” philosophy. Signals coming from hydrophones are continuously sampled underwater at 192 kHz/24 bit and transmitted to shore through an electro-optical cable for real-time analysis. A novel technology for underwater GPS time-stamping of data has been implemented and tested. The operation of the acoustic array will permit long-term test of sensors and electronics technologies that are proposed for the acoustic positioning system of KM3NeT.

Autonomous underwater vehicle motion tracking using a Kalman Filter for sensor fusion

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Holtzhausen, S

2008-01-01

Full Text Available AUVs are ideal platforms for search and rescue operations. They can also be used for inspection of underwater terrains. These vehicles need to be autonomous and robust to cope with unpredictable current and high pressures. In this paper...

Acoustic and Vibration Control for an Underwater Structure under Mechanical Excitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi-Jian Zhu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Acoustic and vibration control for an underwater structure under mechanical excitation has been investigated by using negative feedback control algorithm. The underwater structure is modeled with cylindrical shells, conical shells, and circular bulkheads, of which the motion equations are built with the variational approach, respectively. Acoustic property is analyzed by the Helmholtz integration formulation with boundary element method. Based on negative feedback control algorithm, a control loop with a coupling use of piezoelectric sensor and actuator is built, and accordingly some numerical examples are carried out on active control of structural vibration and acoustic response. Effects of geometrical and material parameters on acoustic and vibration properties are investigated and discussed.

SBMAC: Smart Blocking MAC Mechanism for Variable UW-ASN (Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Hyun Park

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, several MAC scheduling methods applicable to an underwater environment are proposed. Besides, a new marine communication system model was proposed to improve the reliability of the proposed SBMAC method. The scheme minimizes transmission of control frames except for data transmission and various transmission methods and ACK methods can be used together. Simulation models are set indices and analysis of the underwater environment is established to conduct reliable simulations. Consequently, the performance improvement of the proposed method is verified with respect to delay time, data transmission rate, memory utilization, energy efficiency, etc.

A Spatial Reference Grid for Real-Time Autonomous Underwater Modeling using 3-D Sonar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Auran, P.G.

1996-12-31

The offshore industry has recognized the need for intelligent underwater robotic vehicles. This doctoral thesis deals with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and concentrates on a data representation for real-time image formation and analysis. Its main objective is to develop a 3-D image representation suitable for autonomous perception objectives underwater, assuming active sonar as the main sensor for perception. The main contributions are: (1) A dynamical image representation for 3-D range data, (2) A basic electronic circuit and software system for 3-D sonar sampling and amplitude thresholding, (3) A model for target reliability, (4) An efficient connected components algorithm for 3-D segmentation, (5) A method for extracting general 3-D geometrical representations from segmented echo clusters, (6) Experimental results of planar and curved target modeling. 142 refs., 120 figs., 10 tabs.

Cognitive Routing in Software-Defined Underwater Acoustic Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huma Ghafoor

2017-12-01

Full Text Available There are two different types of primary users (natural acoustic and artificial acoustic, and there is a long propagation delay for acoustic links in underwater cognitive acoustic networks (UCANs. Thus, the selection of a stable route is one of the key design factors for improving overall network stability, thereby reducing end-to-end delay. Software-defined networking (SDN is a novel approach that improves network intelligence. To this end, we propose a novel SDN-based routing protocol for UCANs in order to find a stable route between source and destination. A main controller is placed in a surface buoy that is responsible for the global view of the network, whereas local controllers are placed in different autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs that are responsible for a localized view of the network. The AUVs have fixed trajectories, and sensor nodes within transmission range of the AUVs serve as gateways to relay the gathered information to the controllers. This is an SDN-based underwater communications scheme whereby two nodes can only communicate when they have a consensus about a common idle channel. To evaluate our proposed scheme, we perform extensive simulations and improve network performance in terms of end-to-end delay, delivery ratio, and overhead.

Characterization of Underwater Sounds Produced by a Hydraulic Cutterhead Dredge during Maintenance Dredging in the Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel, California

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-01

underwater sound had not been linked to dredging projects. However, concerns for negative impacts of underwater noise on aquatic species (e.g. salmon ... METHODS Study site. The Port of Stockton is a major inland deepwater port in Stockton, California, located on the San Joaquin River before it joins... of Cook Inlet, Alaska. The authors reported that ambient sound levels ranged from 95 dB in the Knik Arm to 124 dB near Point Possession on an incoming

Navigation System Fault Diagnosis for Underwater Vehicle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falkenberg, Thomas; Gregersen, Rene Tavs; Blanke, Mogens

2014-01-01

This paper demonstrates fault diagnosis on unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) based on analysis of structure of the nonlinear dynamics. Residuals are generated using dierent approaches in structural analysis followed by statistical change detection. Hypothesis testing thresholds are made signal...... based to cope with non-ideal properties seen in real data. Detection of both sensor and thruster failures are demonstrated. Isolation is performed using the residual signature of detected faults and the change detection algorithm is used to assess severity of faults by estimating their magnitude...

L2-LBMT: A Layered Load Balance Routing Protocol for underwater multimedia data transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Ze; Tang, Ruichun; Tao, Ye; Sun, Xin; Xu, Xiaowei

2017-12-01

Providing highly efficient underwater transmission of mass multimedia data is challenging due to the particularities of the underwater environment. Although there are many schemes proposed to optimize the underwater acoustic network communication protocols, from physical layer, data link layer, network layer to transport layer, the existing routing protocols for underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN) still cannot well deal with the problems in transmitting multimedia data because of the difficulties involved in high energy consumption, low transmission reliability or high transmission delay. It prevents us from applying underwater multimedia data to real-time monitoring of marine environment in practical application, especially in emergency search, rescue operation and military field. Therefore, the inefficient transmission of marine multimedia data has become a serious problem that needs to be solved urgently. In this paper, A Layered Load Balance Routing Protocol (L2-LBMT) is proposed for underwater multimedia data transmission. In L2-LBMT, we use layered and load-balance Ad Hoc Network to transmit data, and adopt segmented data reliable transfer (SDRT) protocol to improve the data transport reliability. And a 3-node variant of tornado (3-VT) code is also combined with the Ad Hoc Network to transmit little emergency data more quickly. The simulation results show that the proposed protocol can balance energy consumption of each node, effectively prolong the network lifetime and reduce transmission delay of marine multimedia data.

46 CFR 153.440 - Cargo temperature sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cargo temperature sensors. 153.440 Section 153.440 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS... Temperature Control Systems § 153.440 Cargo temperature sensors. (a) Except as prescribed in paragraph (c) of...

A Glider-Assisted Link Disruption Restoration Mechanism in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

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Zhigang Jin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs have become a hot research topic. In UASNs, nodes can be affected by ocean currents and external forces, which could result in sudden link disruption. Therefore, designing a flexible and efficient link disruption restoration mechanism to ensure the network connectivity is a challenge. In the paper, we propose a glider-assisted restoration mechanism which includes link disruption recognition and related link restoring mechanism. In the link disruption recognition mechanism, the cluster heads collect the link disruption information and then schedule gliders acting as relay nodes to restore the disrupted link. Considering the glider’s sawtooth motion, we design a relay location optimization algorithm with a consideration of both the glider’s trajectory and acoustic channel attenuation model. The utility function is established by minimizing the channel attenuation and the optimal location of glider is solved by a multiplier method. The glider-assisted restoration mechanism can greatly improve the packet delivery rate and reduce the communication energy consumption and it is more general for the restoration of different link disruption scenarios. The simulation results show that glider-assisted restoration mechanism can improve the delivery rate of data packets by 15–33% compared with cooperative opportunistic routing (OVAR, the hop-by-hop vector-based forwarding (HH-VBF and the vector based forward (VBF methods, and reduce communication energy consumption by 20–58% for a typical network’s setting.

Identification of Dynamically Positioned Ships

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Thor I. Fossen

1996-04-01

Full Text Available Todays model-based dynamic positioning (DP systems require that the ship and thruster dynamics are known with some accuracy in order to use linear quadratic optical control theory. However, it is difficult to identify the mathematical model of a dynamically posititmed (DP ship since the ship is not persistently excited under DP. In addition the ship parameter estimation problem is nonlinear and multivariable with only position and thruster state measurements available for parameter estimation. The process and measurement noise must also be modeled in order to avoid parameter drift due to environmental disturbances and sensor failure. This article discusses an off-line parallel extended Kalman filter (EKF algorithm utilizing two measurement series in parallel to estimate the parameters in the DP ship model. Full-scale experiments with a supply vessel are used to demonstrate the convergence and robustness of the proposed parameter estimator.

Design of underwater work systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovelace, R.B.

1980-01-01

In the near future, underwater vehicles will replace divers as the principal means for inspection and maintenance work. These vehicles will provide a maneuverable work platform for an underwater viewing system and manipulator/tool package. Some of the problems faced by the underwater designer, and some areas to consider in the design of an integrated underwater work system, are considered

Monitoring Anthropogenic Ocean Sound from Shipping Using an Acoustic Sensor Network and a Compressive Sensing Approach †

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Peter; Philip, Rachel; Robinson, Stephen; Wang, Lian

2016-01-01

Monitoring ocean acoustic noise has been the subject of considerable recent study, motivated by the desire to assess the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine life. A combination of measuring ocean sound using an acoustic sensor network and modelling sources of sound and sound propagation has been proposed as an approach to estimating the acoustic noise map within a region of interest. However, strategies for developing a monitoring network are not well established. In this paper, considerations for designing a network are investigated using a simulated scenario based on the measurement of sound from ships in a shipping lane. Using models for the sources of the sound and for sound propagation, a noise map is calculated and measurements of the noise map by a sensor network within the region of interest are simulated. A compressive sensing algorithm, which exploits the sparsity of the representation of the noise map in terms of the sources, is used to estimate the locations and levels of the sources and thence the entire noise map within the region of interest. It is shown that although the spatial resolution to which the sound sources can be identified is generally limited, estimates of aggregated measures of the noise map can be obtained that are more reliable compared with those provided by other approaches. PMID:27011187

Ocean outfall plume characterization using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogowski, Peter; Terrill, Eric; Otero, Mark; Hazard, Lisa; Middleton, William

2013-01-01

A monitoring mission to map and characterize the Point Loma Ocean Outfall (PLOO) wastewater plume using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was performed on 3 March 2011. The mobility of an AUV provides a significant advantage in surveying discharge plumes over traditional cast-based methods, and when combined with optical and oceanographic sensors, provides a capability for both detecting plumes and assessing their mixing in the near and far-fields. Unique to this study is the measurement of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in the discharge plume and its application for quantitative estimates of the plume's dilution. AUV mission planning methodologies for discharge plume sampling, plume characterization using onboard optical sensors, and comparison of observational data to model results are presented. The results suggest that even under variable oceanic conditions, properly planned missions for AUVs equipped with an optical CDOM sensor in addition to traditional oceanographic sensors, can accurately characterize and track ocean outfall plumes at higher resolutions than cast-based techniques.

Deep-water measurements of container ship radiated noise signatures and directionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Gassmann, Martin; Wiggins, Sean M; Hildebrand, John A

2017-09-01

Underwater radiated noise from merchant ships was measured opportunistically from multiple spatial aspects to estimate signature source levels and directionality. Transiting ships were tracked via the Automatic Identification System in a shipping lane while acoustic pressure was measured at the ships' keel and beam aspects. Port and starboard beam aspects were 15°, 30°, and 45° in compliance with ship noise measurements standards [ANSI/ASA S12.64 (2009) and ISO 17208-1 (2016)]. Additional recordings were made at a 10° starboard aspect. Source levels were derived with a spherical propagation (surface-affected) or a modified Lloyd's mirror model to account for interference from surface reflections (surface-corrected). Ship source depths were estimated from spectral differences between measurements at different beam aspects. Results were exemplified with a 4870 and a 10 036 twenty-foot equivalent unit container ship at 40%-56% and 87% of service speeds, respectively. For the larger ship, opportunistic ANSI/ISO broadband levels were 195 (surface-affected) and 209 (surface-corrected) dB re 1 μPa 2 1 m. Directionality at a propeller blade rate of 8 Hz exhibited asymmetries in stern-bow (<6 dB) and port-starboard (<9 dB) direction. Previously reported broadband levels at 10° aspect from McKenna, Ross, Wiggins, and Hildebrand [(2012b). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 131, 92-103] may be ∼12 dB lower than respective surface-affected ANSI/ISO standard derived levels.

A Wide Area Risk Assessment Framework for Underwater Military Munitions Response

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, K. T.; Calantoni, J.

2017-12-01

Our objective was to develop a prototype statistical framework supporting Wide Area Assessment and Remedial Investigation decisions relating to the risk of unexploded ordnance and other military munitions concentrated in underwater environments. Decision making involving underwater munitions is inherently complex due to the high degree of uncertainty in the environmental conditions that force munitions responses (burial, decay, migration, etc.) and associated risks to the public. The prototype framework provides a consistent approach to accurately delineating contaminated areas at underwater munitions sites through the estimation of most probable concentrations. We adapted existing deterministic models and environmental data services for use within statistical modules that allowed the estimation of munition concentration given historic site information and environmental attributes. Ultimately this risk surface can be used to evaluate costs associated with various remediation approaches (e.g. removal, monitoring, etc.). Unfortunately, evaluation of the assessment framework was limited due to the lack of enduser data services from munition site managers. Of the 450 U.S. sites identified as having potential contamination with underwater munitions, assessment of available munitions information (including historic firing or disposal records, and recent ground-truth munitions samples) indicated very limited information in the databases. Example data types include the most probable munition types, approximate firing / disposal dates and locations, and any supportive munition survey or sampling results. However the overall technical goal to integrate trained statistical belief networks with detailed geophysical knowledge of sites, of sensors and of the underwater environment was demonstrated and should allow probabilistic estimates of the most likely outcomes and tradeoffs while managing uncertainty associated with military munitions response.

Underwater thrust and power generation using flexible piezoelectric composites: an experimental investigation toward self-powered swimmer-sensor platforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erturk, Alper; Delporte, Ghislain

2011-01-01

Fiber-based flexible piezoelectric composites offer several advantages to use in energy harvesting and biomimetic locomotion. These advantages include ease of application, high power density, effective bending actuation, silent operation over a range of frequencies, and light weight. Piezoelectric materials exhibit the well-known direct and converse piezoelectric effects. The direct piezoelectric effect has received growing attention for low-power generation to use in wireless electronic applications while the converse piezoelectric effect constitutes an alternative to replace the conventional actuators used in biomimetic locomotion. In this paper, underwater thrust and electricity generation are investigated experimentally by focusing on biomimetic structures with macro-fiber composite piezoelectrics. Fish-like bimorph configurations with and without a passive caudal fin (tail) are fabricated and compared. The favorable effect of having a passive caudal fin on the frequency bandwidth is reported. The presence of a passive caudal fin is observed to bring the second bending mode close to the first one, yielding a wideband behavior in thrust generation. The same smart fish configuration is tested for underwater piezoelectric power generation in response to harmonic excitation from its head. Resonant piezohydroelastic actuation is reported to generate milli-newton level hydrodynamic thrust using milli-watt level actuation power input. The average actuation power requirement for generating a mean thrust of 19 mN at 6 Hz using a 10 g piezoelastic fish with a caudal fin is measured as 120 mW. This work also discusses the feasibility of thrust generation using the harvested energy toward enabling self-powered swimmer-sensor platforms with comparisons based on the capacity levels of structural thin-film battery layers as well as harvested solar and vibrational energy

Taiwan's underwater cultural heritage documentation management

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Y.-Y.

2015-09-01

Taiwan is an important trading and maritime channels for many countries since ancient time. Numerous relics lie underwater due to weather, wars, and other factors. In the year of 2006, Bureau of Cultural Heritage (BOCH) entrusted the Underwater Archaeological Team of Academia Sinica to execute the underwater archaeological investigation projects. Currently, we verified 78 underwater targets, with 78 site of those had been recognized as shipwrecks sites. Up to date, there is a collection of 638 underwater objects from different underwater archaeological sites. Those artefacts are distributed to different institutions and museums. As very diverse management methods/systems are applied for every individual institution, underwater cultural heritage data such as survey, excavation report, research, etc. are poorly organized and disseminated for use. For better communication regarding to Taiwan's underwater cultural heritage in every level, a universal format of documentation should be established. By comparing the existing checklist used in Taiwan with guidelines that are followed in other countries, a more intact and appropriate underwater cultural heritage condition documentation system can be established and adapted in Taiwan.

Development of underwater laser cutting technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Seiichi; Inaba, Takanori; Inose, Koutarou; Matsumoto, Naoyuki; Sakakibara, Yuji

2015-01-01

In is desirable to use remote underwater device for the decommissioning work of highly radioactive components such as the nuclear internals from a view point of reducing the ranitidine exposure to the worker. Underwater laser cutting technology has advantages. First advantage in underwater laser cutting technology is that low reaction force during cutting, namely, remote operability is superior. Second point is that underwater laser cutting generates a little amount of secondary waste, because cutting kerf size is very small. Third point is that underwater laser cutting has low risk of the process delay, because device trouble is hard to happen. While underwater laser cutting has many advantages, the careful consideration in the safe treatment of the offgas which underwater laser cutting generates is necessary. This paper describes outline of underwater laser cutting technology developed by IHI Corporation (IHI) and that this technology is effective in various dismantling works in water. (author)

A Probabilistic and Highly Efficient Topology Control Algorithm for Underwater Cooperating AUV Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ning; Cürüklü, Baran; Bastos, Joaquim; Sucasas, Victor; Fernandez, Jose Antonio Sanchez; Rodriguez, Jonathan

2017-05-04

The aim of the Smart and Networking Underwater Robots in Cooperation Meshes (SWARMs) project is to make autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remote operated vehicles (ROVs) and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) more accessible and useful. To achieve cooperation and communication between different AUVs, these must be able to exchange messages, so an efficient and reliable communication network is necessary for SWARMs. In order to provide an efficient and reliable communication network for mission execution, one of the important and necessary issues is the topology control of the network of AUVs that are cooperating underwater. However, due to the specific properties of an underwater AUV cooperation network, such as the high mobility of AUVs, large transmission delays, low bandwidth, etc., the traditional topology control algorithms primarily designed for terrestrial wireless sensor networks cannot be used directly in the underwater environment. Moreover, these algorithms, in which the nodes adjust their transmission power once the current transmission power does not equal an optimal one, are costly in an underwater cooperating AUV network. Considering these facts, in this paper, we propose a Probabilistic Topology Control (PTC) algorithm for an underwater cooperating AUV network. In PTC, when the transmission power of an AUV is not equal to the optimal transmission power, then whether the transmission power needs to be adjusted or not will be determined based on the AUV's parameters. Each AUV determines their own transmission power adjustment probability based on the parameter deviations. The larger the deviation, the higher the transmission power adjustment probability is, and vice versa. For evaluating the performance of PTC, we combine the PTC algorithm with the Fuzzy logic Topology Control (FTC) algorithm and compare the performance of these two algorithms. The simulation results have demonstrated that the PTC is efficient at reducing the transmission power

A Probabilistic and Highly Efficient Topology Control Algorithm for Underwater Cooperating AUV Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Li

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of the Smart and Networking Underwater Robots in Cooperation Meshes (SWARMs project is to make autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs, remote operated vehicles (ROVs and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs more accessible and useful. To achieve cooperation and communication between different AUVs, these must be able to exchange messages, so an efficient and reliable communication network is necessary for SWARMs. In order to provide an efficient and reliable communication network for mission execution, one of the important and necessary issues is the topology control of the network of AUVs that are cooperating underwater. However, due to the specific properties of an underwater AUV cooperation network, such as the high mobility of AUVs, large transmission delays, low bandwidth, etc., the traditional topology control algorithms primarily designed for terrestrial wireless sensor networks cannot be used directly in the underwater environment. Moreover, these algorithms, in which the nodes adjust their transmission power once the current transmission power does not equal an optimal one, are costly in an underwater cooperating AUV network. Considering these facts, in this paper, we propose a Probabilistic Topology Control (PTC algorithm for an underwater cooperating AUV network. In PTC, when the transmission power of an AUV is not equal to the optimal transmission power, then whether the transmission power needs to be adjusted or not will be determined based on the AUV’s parameters. Each AUV determines their own transmission power adjustment probability based on the parameter deviations. The larger the deviation, the higher the transmission power adjustment probability is, and vice versa. For evaluating the performance of PTC, we combine the PTC algorithm with the Fuzzy logic Topology Control (FTC algorithm and compare the performance of these two algorithms. The simulation results have demonstrated that the PTC is efficient at reducing the

Underwater Inherent Optical Properties Estimation Using a Depth Aided Deep Neural Network

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Zhibin Yu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater inherent optical properties (IOPs are the fundamental clues to many research fields such as marine optics, marine biology, and underwater vision. Currently, beam transmissometers and optical sensors are considered as the ideal IOPs measuring methods. But these methods are inflexible and expensive to be deployed. To overcome this problem, we aim to develop a novel measuring method using only a single underwater image with the help of deep artificial neural network. The power of artificial neural network has been proved in image processing and computer vision fields with deep learning technology. However, image-based IOPs estimation is a quite different and challenging task. Unlike the traditional applications such as image classification or localization, IOP estimation looks at the transparency of the water between the camera and the target objects to estimate multiple optical properties simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a novel Depth Aided (DA deep neural network structure for IOPs estimation based on a single RGB image that is even noisy. The imaging depth information is considered as an aided input to help our model make better decision.

Underwater Inherent Optical Properties Estimation Using a Depth Aided Deep Neural Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhibin; Wang, Yubo; Zheng, Bing; Zheng, Haiyong; Wang, Nan; Gu, Zhaorui

2017-01-01

Underwater inherent optical properties (IOPs) are the fundamental clues to many research fields such as marine optics, marine biology, and underwater vision. Currently, beam transmissometers and optical sensors are considered as the ideal IOPs measuring methods. But these methods are inflexible and expensive to be deployed. To overcome this problem, we aim to develop a novel measuring method using only a single underwater image with the help of deep artificial neural network. The power of artificial neural network has been proved in image processing and computer vision fields with deep learning technology. However, image-based IOPs estimation is a quite different and challenging task. Unlike the traditional applications such as image classification or localization, IOP estimation looks at the transparency of the water between the camera and the target objects to estimate multiple optical properties simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a novel Depth Aided (DA) deep neural network structure for IOPs estimation based on a single RGB image that is even noisy. The imaging depth information is considered as an aided input to help our model make better decision.

Marine self potential and CSEM measurements using an autonomous underwater vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Constable, S.; Kowalczyk, P.; Bloomer, S.

2017-12-01

Marine self potential (SP) and controlled source EM (CSEM) measurements are commonly made using instruments towed close to the seafloor, which requires dedicated ship time, is limited to slow speeds, and is subject to navigation errors of 5 to 10 m. An alternative is to mount SP and CSEM sensors on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). We tested this with a pilot study in the Iheya area of the Okinawa Trough, off Japan, using an ISE Explorer-class AUV operated by Fukada Salvage and Marine Works and equipped with a Scripps CSEM receiver system. Parts of this prospect have documented hydrothermal venting and seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits. CSEM signals were generated by deploying battery-powered seafloor transmitters, which emitted 20 amps, alternately every 30 seconds on orthogonal, 10 m antennas. CSEM signals were recorded by 3-axis AC-coupled sensors on the AUV as it flew a pattern 70 m above the seafloor around the transmitters. By transmitting two slightly different frequencies, two or more transmitters can broadcast simultaneously. Measurements were made at the same time using DC-coupled electric field amplifiers, from which self potentials were estimated using regularized inversion, yielding negative anomalies of 10 to 25 mV. Modeling suggests that the anomalies are localized and close to the seafloor. Apparent conductivities as high as 30 S/m were fit to the CSEM data, which strongly suggests that SMS mineralization is associated with the SP anomalies, although it is possible the causative mechanism is at least partly due to hydrothermal venting. In either case, we have demonstrated that AUV-mounted instrument systems are an efficient, effective, and low noise means of collecting marine CSEM and SP data. The entire data set was collected in a single day on station with a 10-hour AUV deployment.

Acquisition and tracking for underwater optical communications

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Andrew J.; Laycock, Leslie L.; Griffith, Michael S.; McCarthy, Andrew G.; Rowe, Duncan P.

2017-10-01

There is a growing requirement to transfer large volumes of data between underwater platforms. As seawater is transmissive in the visible band, underwater optical communications is an active area of interest since it offers the potential for power efficient, covert and high bandwidth datalinks at short to medium ranges. Short range systems have been successfully demonstrated using sources with low directionality. To realise higher data rates and/or longer ranges, the use of more efficient directional beams is required; by necessity, these must be sufficiently aligned to achieve the required link margin. For mobile platforms, the acquisition and tracking of each node is therefore critical in order to establish and maintain an optical datalink. This paper describes work undertaken to demonstrate acquisition and tracking in a 3D underwater environment. A range of optical sources, beam steering technologies, and tracking sensors have been assessed for suitability. A novel scanning strategy exploiting variable beam divergence was developed to provide robust acquisition whilst minimising acquisition time. A prototype system was assembled and demonstrated in a large water tank. This utilised custom quadrant detectors based on Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) arrays for fine tracking, and a Wide Field of View (WFoV) sCMOS camera for link acquisition. Fluidic lenses provided dynamic control of beam divergence, and AC modulation/filtering enabled background rejection. The system successfully demonstrated robust optical acquisition and tracking between two nodes with only nanowatt received optical powers. The acquisition time was shown to be dependent on the initial conditions and the transmitted optical power.

Underwater Noise Pollution at the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cem Gazioğlu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Underwater noise pollution (UNP has become a major concern in marine habitats, which is intense anthropogenic noise in the marine (aquatic environment. It is caused by ship traffic, oceanographic experiments, and use of explosives in geophysical research, underwater construction, active sonars and seismic survey techniques. Oceans are much nosier than 1960s. Narrow and shallow channel noisy aquatic environments where noise levels reach the highest value is not surprising. The Strait of Istanbul (SoI; Bosphorus is one of the most important maritime passages (app. 50 000 vessel/year or 140 vessel/day which is situated between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea are also biologically extremely important gateway not only it provides access to a channel. Many of the varieties of fish migration hunting value are realized through the TSS. Local maritime traffic is another important acoustic sources which are more than 3 000 elements (Kesgin and Vardar, 2001 of everyday local traffic in SoI, which are causing noise in the 2 and 10 kHz range. Large vessels create signals both in bands below 1 kHz (main engine, electrical instruments cavitation noise creates higher frequency bands. Almost all elements of marine traffic in SoI located therefore encountered UND in all bands.

Inertial Sensor Self-Calibration in a Visually-Aided Navigation Approach for a Micro-AUV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Bonin-Font

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new solution for underwater observation, image recording, mapping and 3D reconstruction in shallow waters. The platform, designed as a research and testing tool, is based on a small underwater robot equipped with a MEMS-based IMU, two stereo cameras and a pressure sensor. The data given by the sensors are fused, adjusted and corrected in a multiplicative error state Kalman filter (MESKF, which returns a single vector with the pose and twist of the vehicle and the biases of the inertial sensors (the accelerometer and the gyroscope. The inclusion of these biases in the state vector permits their self-calibration and stabilization, improving the estimates of the robot orientation. Experiments in controlled underwater scenarios and in the sea have demonstrated a satisfactory performance and the capacity of the vehicle to operate in real environments and in real time.

Underwater wireless communication system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goh, J H; Shaw, A; Al-Shamma'a, A I

2009-01-01

Underwater communication has a range of applications including remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) communication and docking in the offshore industry. Current underwater transmission techniques is primarily utilise sound waves for large distance at lower frequencies and the velocity of sound in water is approximately 1500m/s the resultant communications have problems with multi-path propagation and low bandwidth problems. The use of electromagnetic (EM) techniques underwater has largely been overlooked because of the attenuation due to the conductivity of seawater. However, for short range applications, the higher frequencies and much higher velocity can prove advantageous. This paper will outline a project which will utilise recent investigations that demonstrate EM wave propagation up to the MHz frequency range is possible in seawater.

Underwater Scene Composition

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nanyoung

2009-01-01

In this article, the author describes an underwater scene composition for elementary-education majors. This project deals with watercolor with crayon or oil-pastel resist (medium); the beauty of nature represented by fish in the underwater scene (theme); texture and pattern (design elements); drawing simple forms (drawing skill); and composition…

An Improved Forwarding of Diverse Events with Mobile Sinks in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Waseem; Arshad, Farzana; Ahmed, Imran; Abdul, Wadood; Ghouzali, Sanaa; Niaz, Iftikhar Azim; Javaid, Nadeem

2016-11-04

In this paper, a novel routing strategy to cater the energy consumption and delay sensitivity issues in deep underwater wireless sensor networks is proposed. This strategy is named as ESDR: Event Segregation based Delay sensitive Routing. In this strategy sensed events are segregated on the basis of their criticality and, are forwarded to their respective destinations based on forwarding functions. These functions depend on different routing metrics like: Signal Quality Index, Localization free Signal to Noise Ratio, Energy Cost Function and Depth Dependent Function. The problem of incomparable values of previously defined forwarding functions causes uneven delays in forwarding process. Hence forwarding functions are redefined to ensure their comparable values in different depth regions. Packet forwarding strategy is based on the event segregation approach which forwards one third of the generated events (delay sensitive) to surface sinks and two third events (normal events) are forwarded to mobile sinks. Motion of mobile sinks is influenced by the relative distribution of normal nodes. We have also incorporated two different mobility patterns named as; adaptive mobility and uniform mobility for mobile sinks. The later one is implemented for collecting the packets generated by the normal nodes. These improvements ensure optimum holding time, uniform delay and in-time reporting of delay sensitive events. This scheme is compared with the existing ones and outperforms the existing schemes in terms of network lifetime, delay and throughput.

Resources for Underwater Robotics Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Michael L.; Freitas, William M.

2016-01-01

4-H clubs can build and program underwater robots from raw materials. An annotated resource list for engaging youth in building underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) is provided. This article is a companion piece to the Research in Brief article "Building Teen Futures with Underwater Robotics" in this issue of the "Journal of…

Ship Sensor Observations for Islands in the Stream 2002 - Exploration of Outer Shelf and Slope Habitats off the Coast of North Carolina - Office of Ocean Exploration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the 2002 "Islands in the Stream - Exploration of Outer Shelf and Slope Habitats...

Underwater sediment-contact radiation survey method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.R.; St. Aubin, M.; Welch, S.J.

1991-01-01

The authors are striving to produce a practical system for mapping lateral distributions in gamma activity on submerged sediments. This is in response to the need for quality control and interpretation of data obtainable by sediment sampling and analyses near nuclear utilities. A prototype gamma probe has been constructed and tested. The prototype is essentially a background survey meter packaged in a 53-cm-long x 5.4-cm-diam waterproof vehicle. This usage-shaped vehicle is connected to a cable for towing in contact with bottom sediments of lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. This vehicle, or sediment probe as it is called, was initially developed for measuring sediment electrical conductances, a parameter that can be used to locate underwater areas of groundwater and contaminant upwelling. During towing, the probe does not roll or twist around its longitudinal axis by more than 10 deg, so that sensors, which have been fixed within the vehicle, can be oriented to look up, down, or sideways. In over 450 lin-km of underwater survey, only a single sediment probe has been irretrievably snagged on sunken rocks or other debris. Work in the Ottawa River near the Chalk River Laboratories has shown good agreement among point measurements of river sediment with continuous measurements using the moving probe

Characteristic evaluation of acoustic emission sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Hyun Kyu; Joo, Y. S.; Lee, N. H

2000-12-01

This report introduces the various kinds of Acoustic Emission(AE) sensors as well as the basic principle of AE sensors in order to select AE sensor suitably. The described sensors include : high sensitivity sensor, broadband sensor, underwater sensor, miniature sensor, directional sensor, integral pre-amplifier sensor. Sensor has two critical aspects of reliability and repeatability. For the high reliability, sensor has to be calibrated in accordance with ASTM standard E 1106 which explains to measure the characteristics of AE sensor accurately. For investigating the degradation of AE sensor under the severe environment for example the high radiation condition, It is important to perform the repeatability test which is described in detail in according to the ASTM standard E 976. Two kinds of AE sensor applications are also summarized.

A new technique for robot vision in autonomous underwater vehicles using the color shift in underwater imaging

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

FOR ROBOT VISION IN AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES USING THE COLOR SHIFT IN UNDERWATER IMAGING by Jake A. Jones June 2017 Thesis Advisor...techniques to determine the distances from each pixel to the camera. 14. SUBJECT TERMS unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs), autonomous ... AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES USING THE COLOR SHIFT IN UNDERWATER IMAGING Jake A. Jones Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy B.S

The effect of different rutile electrodes on mechanical properties of underwater wet welded AH-36 steel plates

Science.gov (United States)

Winarto, Winarto; Purnama, Dewin; Churniawan, Iwan

2018-04-01

Underwater welding is an important role in the rescue of ships and underwater structures, in case of emergency. In this study, the marine steel plates used are AH-36 steel as parent material. This type of steel is included in the High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA). Electrodes used for welding AH-36 steel plates are commonly the E6013 and E 7024 which are the type of based rutile electrodes. Those electrodes are widely available on the market and they would be compared with the original electrode for underwater which is the type of E7014 with the trade name of Broco UW-CS-1. Welding method used is Shielding Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) with the variation of 5 m and 10 m underwater depth and also varied with the electric current of 120A, 140A and 250A. It was found that hardness value of increased in the area of weld metal and HAZ. HAZ also tends to have the highest hardness compared to both of weld metal and base metal. Non destructive test by radiographed test (RT) on welds showed that there are found welding defects in the form of incomplete penetration on all variations of welding parameters, but there is no porosity defect detected. The results of the hardness tests of underwater wet welded steel plates show that the hardness value of both rutile electrodes (E6013 and E 7024) is apparently similar hardness value compared with the existing commercial electrode (E7014 of Broco UW-CS- 1). The tensile test results of underwater wet welded steel plates show that the use of rutile electrode of E6013 gives a better tensile properties than other rutile electrodes.

Surveying, Modeling and 3d Representation of a wreck for Diving Purposes: Cargo Ship "vera"

Science.gov (United States)

Ktistis, A.; Tokmakidis, P.; Papadimitriou, K.

2017-02-01

This paper presents the results from an underwater recording of the stern part of a contemporary cargo-ship wreck. The aim of this survey was to create 3D representations of this wreck mainly for recreational diving purposes. The key points of this paper are: a) the implementation of the underwater recording at a diving site; b) the reconstruction of a 3d model from data that have been captured by recreational divers; and c) the development of a set of products to be used by the general public for the ex situ presentation or for the in situ navigation. The idea behind this project is to define a simple and low cost procedure for the surveying, modeling and 3D representation of a diving site. The perspective of our team is to repeat the proposed methodology for the documentation and the promotion of other diving sites with cultural features, as well as to train recreational divers in underwater surveying procedures towards public awareness and community engagement in the maritime heritage.

Stability analysis of hybrid-driven underwater glider

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Wen-dong; Wang, Shu-xin; Wang, Yan-hui; Song, Yang; Zhu, Ya-qiang

2017-10-01

Hybrid-driven underwater glider is a new type of unmanned underwater vehicle, which combines the advantages of autonomous underwater vehicles and traditional underwater gliders. The autonomous underwater vehicles have good maneuverability and can travel with a high speed, while the traditional underwater gliders are highlighted by low power consumption, long voyage, long endurance and good stealth characteristics. The hybrid-driven underwater gliders can realize variable motion profiles by their own buoyancy-driven and propeller propulsion systems. Stability of the mechanical system determines the performance of the system. In this paper, the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider developed by Tianjin University is selected as the research object and the stability of hybrid-driven underwater glider unitedly controlled by buoyancy and propeller has been targeted and evidenced. The dimensionless equations of the hybrid-driven underwater glider are obtained when the propeller is working. Then, the steady speed and steady glide path angle under steady-state motion have also been achieved. The steady-state operating conditions can be calculated when the hybrid-driven underwater glider reaches the desired steady-state motion. And the steadystate operating conditions are relatively conservative at the lower bound of the velocity range compared with the range of the velocity derived from the method of the composite Lyapunov function. By calculating the hydrodynamic coefficients of the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider, the simulation analysis has been conducted. In addition, the results of the field trials conducted in the South China Sea and the Danjiangkou Reservoir of China have been presented to illustrate the validity of the analysis and simulation, and to show the feasibility of the method of the composite Lyapunov function which verifies the stability of the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider.

Utgrunden off-shore wind farm - Measurements of underwater noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindell, Hans

2003-07-01

Airicole, GE Wind Energy and SEAS/Energi E2 have initiated this project in order to achieve a better understanding on how offshore based wind farms effect the underwater noise. The main reason is to gain knowledge on how marine wildlife could be effected by this kind of installation. The measurements were performed at Utgrunden wind farm that is situated at the reef Utgrunden on the Swedish southeast coast. The farm consists of seven 1,5 MW turbines. Three hydrophones registered the underwater sound and four accelerometers the tower vibrations. The measurement campaign was conducted during a period from November 2002 to February 2003. The objectives with this project is to answer the following issues and its results are: 1. What is the character of sound from a single power station? - The turbines radiate sound mainly at a few dominating frequencies from 30 Hz up to 800 Hz. At frequencies below 3 Hz no contribution from the turbines can be detected due to the high background level from the waves and the low tower vibration level. 2. What are the sound generating mechanisms in the turbine? - Gearbox mesh frequency vibrations that are transmitted via the tower structure and radiated out to the water mainly generate the sound. Airborne blade sound is effectively dampened in the transition from air to water. 3. How does the sound attenuate with increasing distance at different frequencies? - The average attenuation per doubled distance for frequencies between 31 Hz and 722 Hz is approximately 4 dB in the measured positions. No clear frequency dependence could be found. 4. How does the sound pressure level vary with increasing wind speed? - With increasing wind speed, the sound pressure level increases and the dominating frequencies move upward due to increasing turbine rotational speed. 5. How does sound from different power stations interfere with each other and influence the over all sound image? - No clear tendencies of interference could be observed in this study

Compression of a Deep Competitive Network Based on Mutual Information for Underwater Acoustic Targets Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Shen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The accuracy of underwater acoustic targets recognition via limited ship radiated noise can be improved by a deep neural network trained with a large number of unlabeled samples. However, redundant features learned by deep neural network have negative effects on recognition accuracy and efficiency. A compressed deep competitive network is proposed to learn and extract features from ship radiated noise. The core idea of the algorithm includes: (1 Competitive learning: By integrating competitive learning into the restricted Boltzmann machine learning algorithm, the hidden units could share the weights in each predefined group; (2 Network pruning: The pruning based on mutual information is deployed to remove the redundant parameters and further compress the network. Experiments based on real ship radiated noise show that the network can increase recognition accuracy with fewer informative features. The compressed deep competitive network can achieve a classification accuracy of 89.1 % , which is 5.3 % higher than deep competitive network and 13.1 % higher than the state-of-the-art signal processing feature extraction methods.

Development of measuring and control systems for underwater cutting of radioactive components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drews, P.; Fuchs, K.

1990-01-01

The underwater dismantling of nuclear power plants has to be remotely controlled with simultaneous optical control by underwater cameras. It is this optical control in particular that leads to problems as, for example, abrasive wheel cutting is subjected to a wide range of interferences so that a minimum of contrast and blurred contours of camera images must be accounted for. This paper describes a new image processing system that has been developed in addition to the use of a modified underwater TV camera for optical cutting process control (plasma and abrasive wheel cutting). Workpiece recognition is performed through the comparison of actually measured objects with pre-trained reference patterns allowing the determination of object location and orientation, the data of which are then supplied to the handling controller. A completely satisfactory prototype system has been built, which is capable of performing image analysis (workpiece recognition, workpiece position, etc.) as well as the control of a handling system with an inductive sensor (distance detection, edge recognition and distance control). With an additional camera the operator has the means of visual process observation. The overall functioning of the system has been tested and demonstrated with a four-axes handling system. (author)

The Design of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Water Quality Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yulong; Liu, Rong; Liu, Shujin

2018-01-01

This paper describes the development of a civilian-used autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for water quality monitoring at reservoirs and watercourses that can obtain realtime visual and locational information. The mechanical design was completed with CAD software Solidworks. Four thrusters—two horizontal and two vertical—on board enable the vehicle to surge, heave, yaw, and pitch. A specialized water sample collection compartment is designed to perform water collection at target locations. The vehicle has a central controller—STM32—and a sub-coordinate controller—Arduino MEGA 2560—that coordinates multiple sensors including an inertial sensor, ultrasonic sensors, etc. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the inertial sensor enable the vehicle’s localization. Remote operators monitor and control the vehicle via a host computer system. Operators choose either semi-autonomous mode in which they set target locations or manual mode. The experimental results show that the vehicle is able to perform well in either mode.

Efficient Sensor Integration on Platforms (NeXOS)

Science.gov (United States)

Memè, S.; Delory, E.; Del Rio, J.; Jirka, S.; Toma, D. M.; Martinez, E.; Frommhold, L.; Barrera, C.; Pearlman, J.

2016-12-01

In-situ ocean observing platforms provide power and information transmission capability to sensors. Ocean observing platforms can be mobile, such as ships, autonomous underwater vehicles, drifters and profilers, or fixed, such as buoys, moorings and cabled observatories. The process of integrating sensors on platforms can imply substantial engineering time and resources. Constraints range from stringent mechanical constraints to proprietary communication and control firmware. In NeXOS, the implementation of a PUCK plug and play capability is being done with applications to multiple sensors and platforms. This is complemented with a sensor web enablement that addresses the flow of information from sensor to user. Open standards are being tested in order to assess their costs and benefits in existing and future observing systems. Part of the testing implied open-source coding and hardware prototyping of specific control devices in particular for closed commercial platforms where firmware upgrading is not straightforward or possible without prior agreements or service fees. Some platform manufacturers such as European companies ALSEAMAR[1] and NKE Instruments [2] are currently upgrading their control and communication firmware as part of their activities in NeXOS. The sensor development companies Sensorlab[3] SMID[4] and TRIOS [5]upgraded their firmware with this plug and play functionality. Other industrial players in Europe and the US have been sent NeXOS sensors emulators to test the new protocol on their platforms. We are currently demonstrating that with little effort, it is also possible to have such middleware implemented on very low-cost compact computers such as the open Raspberry Pi[6], and have a full end-to-end interoperable communication path from sensor to user with sensor plug and play capability. The result is an increase in sensor integration cost-efficiency and the demonstration will be used to highlight the benefit to users and ocean observatory

Multi-dimensional water quality assessment of an urban drinking water source elucidated by high resolution underwater towed vehicle mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Lock, Alan; Spiers, Graeme; Hostetler, Blair; Ray, James; Wallschläger, Dirk

2016-04-15

Spatial surveys of Ramsey Lake, Sudbury, Ontario water quality were conducted using an innovative underwater towed vehicle (UTV) equipped with a multi-parameter probe providing real-time water quality data. The UTV revealed underwater vent sites through high resolution monitoring of different spatial chemical characteristics using common sensors (turbidity, chloride, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation/reduction sensors) that would not be feasible with traditional water sampling methods. Multi-parameter probe vent site identification is supported by elevated alkalinity and silica concentrations at these sites. The identified groundwater vent sites appear to be controlled by bedrock fractures that transport water from different sources with different contaminants of concern. Elevated contaminants, such as, arsenic and nickel and/or nutrient concentrations are evident at the vent sites, illustrating the potential of these sources to degrade water quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SURVEYING, MODELING AND 3D REPRESENTATION OF A WRECK FOR DIVING PURPOSES: CARGO SHIP “VERA”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ktistis

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results from an underwater recording of the stern part of a contemporary cargo-ship wreck. The aim of this survey was to create 3D representations of this wreck mainly for recreational diving purposes. The key points of this paper are: a the implementation of the underwater recording at a diving site; b the reconstruction of a 3d model from data that have been captured by recreational divers; and c the development of a set of products to be used by the general public for the ex situ presentation or for the in situ navigation. The idea behind this project is to define a simple and low cost procedure for the surveying, modeling and 3D representation of a diving site. The perspective of our team is to repeat the proposed methodology for the documentation and the promotion of other diving sites with cultural features, as well as to train recreational divers in underwater surveying procedures towards public awareness and community engagement in the maritime heritage.

ROV Based Underwater Blurred Image Restoration

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Zhishen; DING Tianfu; WANG Gang

2003-01-01

In this paper, we present a method of ROV based image processing to restore underwater blurry images from the theory of light and image transmission in the sea. Computer is used to simulate the maximum detection range of the ROV under different water body conditions. The receiving irradiance of the video camera at different detection ranges is also calculated. The ROV's detection performance under different water body conditions is given by simulation. We restore the underwater blurry images using the Wiener filter based on the simulation. The Wiener filter is shown to be a simple useful method for underwater image restoration in the ROV underwater experiments. We also present examples of restored images of an underwater standard target taken by the video camera in these experiments.

EDOVE: Energy and Depth Variance-Based Opportunistic Void Avoidance Scheme for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouk, Safdar Hussain; Ahmed, Syed Hassan; Park, Kyung-Joon; Eun, Yongsoon

2017-09-26

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) comes with intrinsic constraints because it is deployed in the aquatic environment and uses the acoustic signals to communicate. The examples of those constraints are long propagation delay, very limited bandwidth, high energy cost for transmission, very high signal attenuation, costly deployment and battery replacement, and so forth. Therefore, the routing schemes for UASN must take into account those characteristics to achieve energy fairness, avoid energy holes, and improve the network lifetime. The depth based forwarding schemes in literature use node's depth information to forward data towards the sink. They minimize the data packet duplication by employing the holding time strategy. However, to avoid void holes in the network, they use two hop node proximity information. In this paper, we propose the Energy and Depth variance-based Opportunistic Void avoidance (EDOVE) scheme to gain energy balancing and void avoidance in the network. EDOVE considers not only the depth parameter, but also the normalized residual energy of the one-hop nodes and the normalized depth variance of the second hop neighbors. Hence, it avoids the void regions as well as balances the network energy and increases the network lifetime. The simulation results show that the EDOVE gains more than 15 % packet delivery ratio, propagates 50 % less copies of data packet, consumes less energy, and has more lifetime than the state of the art forwarding schemes.

Underwater 3D filming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Rinaldi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available After an experimental phase of many years, 3D filming is now effective and successful. Improvements are still possible, but the film industry achieved memorable success on 3D movie’s box offices due to the overall quality of its products. Special environments such as space (“Gravity” and the underwater realm look perfect to be reproduced in 3D. “Filming in space” was possible in “Gravity” using special effects and computer graphic. The underwater realm is still difficult to be handled. Underwater filming in 3D was not that easy and effective as filming in 2D, since not long ago. After almost 3 years of research, a French, Austrian and Italian team realized a perfect tool to film underwater, in 3D, without any constrains. This allows filmmakers to bring the audience deep inside an environment where they most probably will never have the chance to be.

Underwater welding of steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibarra, S.; Olson, D.L.

1992-01-01

A fundamental basis to understand the behavior of wet underwater welding of steel is introduced. Both the pyrometallurgical and physical metallurgy concepts are discussed. Modifications of welding consumables and practice are suggested. This chapter promotes further contributions of meatllurgical research to improve and promote wet underwater welding. (orig.)

Colour reconstruction of underwater images

OpenAIRE

Hoth, Julian; Kowalczyk, Wojciech

2017-01-01

Objects look very different in the underwater environment compared to their appearance in sunlight. Images with correct colouring simplify the detection of underwater objects and may allow the use of visual SLAM algorithms developed for land-based robots underwater. Hence, image processing is required. Current algorithms focus on the colour reconstruction of scenery at diving depth where different colours can still be distinguished. At greater depth this is not the case. In this study it is i...

Quantum imaging for underwater arctic navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzagorta, Marco

2017-05-01

The precise navigation of underwater vehicles is a difficult task due to the challenges imposed by the variable oceanic environment. It is particularly difficult if the underwater vehicle is trying to navigate under the Arctic ice shelf. Indeed, in this scenario traditional navigation devices such as GPS, compasses and gyrocompasses are unavailable or unreliable. In addition, the shape and thickness of the ice shelf is variable throughout the year. Current Arctic underwater navigation systems include sonar arrays to detect the proximity to the ice. However, these systems are undesirable in a wartime environment, as the sound gives away the position of the underwater vehicle. In this paper we briefly describe the theoretical design of a quantum imaging system that could allow the safe and stealthy navigation of underwater Arctic vehicles.

An optical sensor for the detection of leaks from subsea pipelines and risers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McStay, D; Kerlin, J; Acheson, R

2007-01-01

An optical sensor for the rapid detection of detect leaks of oil, hydraulic fluids or leak detection chemicals from underwater pipelines and risers is reported. The sensor is designed to be deployed on ROVs or AUVs for the rapid survey of underwater pipelines and risers. The system employs ultra-bright LEDs to project a sensing light beam into the water to allow real time detection of ppm concentration plumes of material leaking from pipelines or riser in real time. Typically the system is deployed on an ROV which inspects a pipeline at a height of 2-3m

Autonomous Underwater Gliders

OpenAIRE

Wood,; Stephen,

2009-01-01

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles are only now being marketed as robust commercial vehicles for many industries, and of these vehicles underwater gliders are becoming the new tool for oceanographers. Satellites have provided scientists and marine specialists with measurements of the sea surface such as temperature since the late 1970s, and data via subsurface oceanographic moorings since the 1950's. As stated by David Smeed of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, England, that "gliders...

Sensor Alerting Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Henriksson, Jakob; Bermudez, Luis; Satapathy, Goutam

2013-04-01

There is a large amount of sensor data generated today by various sensors, from in-situ buoys to mobile underwater gliders. Providing sensor data to the users through standardized services, language and data model is the promise of OGC's Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) initiative. As the amount of data grows it is becoming difficult for data providers, planners and managers to ensure reliability of data and services and to monitor critical data changes. Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) is developing a net-centric alerting capability to address these issues. The capability is built on Sensor Observation Services (SOSs), which is used to collect and monitor sensor data. The alerts can be configured at the service level and at the sensor data level. For example it can alert for irregular data delivery events or a geo-temporal statistic of sensor data crossing a preset threshold. The capability provides multiple delivery mechanisms and protocols, including traditional techniques such as email and RSS. With this capability decision makers can monitor their assets and data streams, correct failures or be alerted about a coming phenomena.

Underwater welding using remote controlled robots. Development of remote underwater welding technology with a high power YAG laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miwa, Yasuhiro; Sato, Syuuichi; Kojima, Toshio; Owaki, Katsura; Hirose, Naoya

2002-01-01

As components in nuclear power plant have been periodically carried out their inspection and repair to keep their integrity, on radioactive liquid wastes storage facility, because of difficulty on their inspection by human beings, some are remained without inspection, and even when capable of inspection, conversion from human works to remote operations is desired from a viewpoint of their operation efficiency upgrading. For response to these needs, some developments on a technology capable of carrying out inspection of their inside at underwater environment and repairing welding with YAG laser by means of remote operation, have been performed. Remote underwater inspection and repair technology is a combination technology of already applied underwater mobile technique (underwater inspection robot) with underwater YAG laser welding technique which is recently at actual using level. Therefore, this technology is composed of an inspection robot and a repair welding robot. And, testing results using the underwater inspection robot and welding test results using the underwater repair welding robot, were enough preferable to obtain forecasting applicable to actual apparatuses. This technology is especially effective for inspection and repair of inside of nuclear fuel cycle apparatuses and relatively high dose apparatuses, and can be thought to be applicable also to large capacity tanks, tanks dealing with harmful matters, underwater structures, and so on, in general industries. (G.K.)

An Adaptive Ship Detection Scheme for Spaceborne SAR Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangguang Leng

2016-08-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR and the increasing need of ship detection, research on adaptive ship detection in spaceborne SAR imagery is of great importance. Focusing on practical problems of ship detection, this paper presents a highly adaptive ship detection scheme for spaceborne SAR imagery. It is able to process a wide range of sensors, imaging modes and resolutions. Two main stages are identified in this paper, namely: ship candidate detection and ship discrimination. Firstly, this paper proposes an adaptive land masking method using ship size and pixel size. Secondly, taking into account the imaging mode, incidence angle, and polarization channel of SAR imagery, it implements adaptive ship candidate detection in spaceborne SAR imagery by applying different strategies to different resolution SAR images. Finally, aiming at different types of typical false alarms, this paper proposes a comprehensive ship discrimination method in spaceborne SAR imagery based on confidence level and complexity analysis. Experimental results based on RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2, TerraSAR-X, RS-1, and RS-3 images demonstrate that the adaptive scheme proposed in this paper is able to detect ship targets in a fast, efficient and robust way.

'Surveyor': An Underwater System for Threat Material Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valkovic, Vladivoj; Sudac, Davorin; Nad, Karlo; Obhodas, Jasmina; Matika, Dario; Kollar, Robert

2010-01-01

The bottoms of the coastal seas, and oceans as well, are contaminated by many man-made objects including a variety of ammunition. This contamination is world wide spread with some areas being highly polluted presenting a serious threat to local population and to visitors as well. All littoral nations are investing lots of effort into the remediation of their coastal areas. Once the presence of the anomaly on the bottom of the shallow coastal sea water is confirmed (by visual identification and by using one or several sensors, namely magnetometer, sonar and optical cameras) it is necessary to establish if it contains explosive/chemical warfare charge. In our work we propose this to be performed by using neutron sensor installed within an underwater vessel - 'Surveyor'. When positioned above the object, or to its side, the system inspects the object for the presence of the threat material by using alpha particle tagged neutrons from the sealed tube d+t neutron generator. (author)

WSTIAC Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 2. Naval Ship and Ship Systems Needs for Early 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

Radar Suite Navy Enterprise Warfare System Affordable Future Fleet 2 Intergrated Scalable Modular Open C4I Common Core B/L’s Command & Combatant Ship...discussed. System constraints, which force trade -offs in sensor design and in ultimate performance, are also covered. Time permitting, a projection of

Broadband ship noise and its potential impacts on Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins: Implications for conservation and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mingming; Dong, Lijun; Lin, Mingli; Li, Songhai

2017-11-01

Ship noise pollution has raised considerable concerns among regulatory agencies and cetacean researchers worldwide. There is an urgent need to quantify ship noise in coastal areas and assess its potential biological impacts. In this study, underwater broadband noise from commercial ships in a critical habitat of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins was recorded and analyzed. Data analysis indicated that the ship noise caused by the investigated commercial ships with an average length of 134 ± 81 m, traveling at 18.8 ± 2.5 km/h [mean ± standard deviation (SD), n = 21] comprises mid-to-high components with frequencies approaching and exceeding 100 kHz, and the ship noise could be sensed auditorily by Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins within most of their sensitive frequency range. The contributions of ship noise to ambient noise were highest in two third-octave bands with center frequencies of 8 and 50 kHz, which are within the sensitive hearing range of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and overlap the frequency of sounds that are biologically significant to the dolphins. It is estimated that ship noise in these third-octave bands can be auditorily sensed by and potentially affect the dolphins within 2290 ± 1172 m and 848 ± 358 m (mean ± SD, n = 21), respectively.

Autonomous underwater handling system for service, measurement and cutting tasks for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, M.; Haferkamp, H.; Bach, W.; Rose, N.

1992-01-01

For about 10 years the Institute for Material Science at the Hanover University has worked on projects of underwater cutting and welding. Increasing tasks to be done in nuclear facilities led to the development of special handling systems to support and handle the cutting tools. Also sensors and computers for extensive and complex tasks were integrated. A small sized freediving handling system, equipped with 2 video cameras, ultrasonic and radiation sensors and a plasma cutting torch for inspection and decommissioning tasks in nuclear facilities is described in this paper. (Author)

Underwater Acoustic Networking Techniques

CERN Document Server

Otnes, Roald; Casari, Paolo; Goetz, Michael; Husøy, Thor; Nissen, Ivor; Rimstad, Knut; van Walree, Paul; Zorzi, Michele

2012-01-01

This literature study presents an overview of underwater acoustic networking. It provides a background and describes the state of the art of all networking facets that are relevant for underwater applications. This report serves both as an introduction to the subject and as a summary of existing protocols, providing support and inspiration for the development of network architectures.

Oil/gas collector/separator for underwater oil leaks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henning, C.D.

1992-12-31

This invention is comprised of an oil/gas collector/separator for recovery of oil leaking, for example, from an offshore or underwater oil well. The separator is floated over the point of the leak and tethered in place so as to receive oil/gas floating, or forced under pressure, toward the water surface from either a broken or leaking oil well casing, line, or sunken ship. The separator is provided with a downwardly extending skirt to contain the oil/gas which floats or is forced upward into a dome wherein the gas is separated from the oil/water, with the gas being flared (burned) at the top of the dome, and the oil is separated from water and pumped to a point of use. Since the density of oil is less than that of water it can be easily separated from any water entering the dome.

An Effective Terrain Aided Navigation for Low-Cost Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ling; Cheng, Xianghong; Zhu, Yixian; Dai, Chenxi; Fu, Jinbo

2017-03-25

Terrain-aided navigation is a potentially powerful solution for obtaining submerged position fixes for autonomous underwater vehicles. The application of terrain-aided navigation with high-accuracy inertial navigation systems has demonstrated meter-level navigation accuracy in sea trials. However, available sensors may be limited depending on the type of the mission. Such limitations, especially for low-grade navigation sensors, not only degrade the accuracy of traditional navigation systems, but further impact the ability to successfully employ terrain-aided navigation. To address this problem, a tightly-coupled navigation is presented to successfully estimate the critical sensor errors by incorporating raw sensor data directly into an augmented navigation system. Furthermore, three-dimensional distance errors are calculated, providing measurement updates through the particle filter for absolute and bounded position error. The development of the terrain aided navigation system is elaborated for a vehicle equipped with a non-inertial-grade strapdown inertial navigation system, a 4-beam Doppler Velocity Log range sensor and a sonar altimeter. Using experimental data for navigation performance evaluation in areas with different terrain characteristics, the experiment results further show that the proposed method can be successfully applied to the low-cost AUVs and significantly improves navigation performance.

Multi-Disciplinary Ocean Sensors for Environmental Analyses and Networks (MOSEAN)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dickey, T; Hanson, A; Karl, D; Moore, Carl E

2004-01-01

...), ocean ecology, and underwater visibility. The collective MOSEAN sensors will be able to sample key variables that are vital to solve problems in nearshore to coastal to open ocean environments...

OFDM for underwater acoustic communications

CERN Document Server

Zhou, Shengli

2014-01-01

A blend of introductory material and advanced signal processing and communication techniques, of critical importance to underwater system and network development This book, which is the first to describe the processing techniques central to underwater OFDM, is arranged into four distinct sections: First, it describes the characteristics of underwater acoustic channels, and stresses the difference from wireless radio channels. Then it goes over the basics of OFDM and channel coding. The second part starts with an overview of the OFDM receiver, and develops various modules for the receiver des

Potential impacts of shipping noise on Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and implications for regulation and mitigation: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Songhai; Liu, Mingming; Dong, Lijun; Dong, Jianchen; Wang, Ding

2018-01-09

Shipping noise is a widespread and relatively loud sound source among human-induced underwater sounds. The impacts of shipping noise are of special concern for Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), as they inhabit shallow and nearshore habitats and are highly dependent on sound for survival. This study synthesizes our current understanding of the potential impacts of shipping noise on Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins combined with knowledge on sound production and hearing of these animals and the impacts of noise on other whales and dolphins. For further protection and management of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and their habitats, shipping noise should be regulated and mitigated to modify sound from ships, to reduce overall noise levels, and to set more marine protected areas (MPAs) covering most Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin habitats with seasonal and geographical restrictions to avoid ensonification of shipping noise. The emphasis for future research should be on obtaining more baseline information about the population distribution, sound production, hearing capabilities at the population level, behavior, and stress hormones of the humpback dolphins under different noise conditions or under different noise-producing activities, and/or in high-noise areas compared with relatively quiet areas, and the noise characteristics of ships of different types, sizes, and speeds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Underwater Acoustic Matched Field Imaging Based on Compressed Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huichen Yan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Matched field processing (MFP is an effective method for underwater target imaging and localizing, but its performance is not guaranteed due to the nonuniqueness and instability problems caused by the underdetermined essence of MFP. By exploiting the sparsity of the targets in an imaging area, this paper proposes a compressive sensing MFP (CS-MFP model from wave propagation theory by using randomly deployed sensors. In addition, the model’s recovery performance is investigated by exploring the lower bounds of the coherence parameter of the CS dictionary. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the robustness of CS-MFP with respect to the displacement of the sensors. Subsequently, a coherence-excluding coherence optimized orthogonal matching pursuit (CCOOMP algorithm is proposed to overcome the high coherent dictionary problem in special cases. Finally, some numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed CS-MFP method.

Sensor Fault Masking of a Ship Propulsion System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, N.E.; Thavamani, A.; Zhang, Y.

2003-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study on fault-tolerant control of a ship propulsion benchmark (Izadi-Zamanabadi and Blanke, 1999), which uses estimated or virtual measurements as feedback variables. The estimator operates on a selfadjustable design model so that its outputs can be made immu...

Engineering biomimetic hair bundle sensors for underwater sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Asadnia, Mohsen; Karavitaki, K. Domenica; Warkiani, Majid Ebrahimi; Miao, Jianmin; Corey, David P.; Triantafyllou, Michael

2018-05-01

We present the fabrication of an artificial MEMS hair bundle sensor designed to approximate the structural and functional principles of the flow-sensing bundles found in fish neuromast hair cells. The sensor consists of micro-pillars of graded height connected with piezoelectric nanofiber "tip-links" and encapsulated by a hydrogel cupula-like structure. Fluid drag force actuates the hydrogel cupula and deflects the micro-pillar bundle, stretching the nanofibers and generating electric charges. These biomimetic sensors achieve an ultrahigh sensitivity of 0.286 mV/(mm/s) and an extremely low threshold detection limit of 8.24 µm/s. A complete version of this paper has been published [1].

Underwater Acoustic Tracer System

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-13

for controlling and utilizing supercavitating projectile dynamics to produce a distinctive radiated noise signal. (2) Description of the Prior Art...metallic objects which travel relatively closely to a magnetic pickup. For larger, high speed, underwater projectiles, supercavitating underwater vehicles...have been proposed for use. The conditions for supercavitation are known in the art. Supercavitation allows for higher speeds to be sustainable

Underwater-manipulation system for measuring- and cutting tasks in dismantling decommissioned nuclear facilities. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stegemann, D.; Reimche, W.; Hansch, M.; Spitzer, M.

1995-01-01

Not only manipulators are necessary for dismantling and inspection of structure parts in decomissioned nuclear facilities, but flexible underwater-vehicles. Free-diving underwater-vehicles for inspection and dismantling tasks are still not developed and tested. Aim of the project is the development of sensors and devices for the position determination and the depth regulation. For inspection tasks an ultrasonic measurement and dosimeter device shall be built up. A measurement device has been developed which evaluates the ultrasonic time of flight from a transmitter at the vehicle to several receivers, installed in the reactor pressure vessel. The depth regulation is based on a pressure sensor and the direct control of the thrusters. The ultrasonic measurements are realized by an adapted ultrasonic card, the γ-dosimetry with an ionization chamber and a pA-amplifier. An acoustic orientation system was built up, which measures very accurately with one transmitter mounted on the vehicle and four receivers. Problem occur by reflection from the walls of the basin. The depth regulation is working faultless. The ultrasonic device is preferably used for distance measurement. The radiation measurement device was tested and mounted in the vehicle. (orig./HP) [de

Sensor Fault Masking of a Ship Propulsion System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, N. Eva; Thavamani, Shuda; Zhang, Youmin

2005-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study on fault-tolerant control of a ship propulsion benchmark (Izadi-Zamanabadi and Blanke, 999), which uses estimated or virtual measurements as feedback variables. The estimator operates on a self-adjustable design model so that its outputs can be made immu...

Human Factors Issues When Operating Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

etiquette (Parasuraman & Miller, 2004). Through natural and intuitive communication, Johnson et al., (2007) hope that this interface will instill greater...and etiquette in high criticality automated systems. Communications of the ACM, 47(4), 51-55. Parasuraman, R., & Riley, V. (1997). Humans and... protocols for underwater wireless communications. IEEE Communications Magazine, pp. 97-102. Quazi, A. H., & Konrad, W. L. (1982, March 1982). Underwater

Investigation on the Effect of Underwater Acoustic Pressure on the Fundamental Mode of Hollow-Core Photonic Bandgap Fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adel Abdallah

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, microstructured optical fibers have become the subject of extensive research as they can be employed in many civilian and military applications. One of the recent areas of research is to enhance the normalized responsivity (NR to acoustic pressure of the optical fiber hydrophones by replacing the conventional single mode fibers (SMFs with hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers (HC-PBFs. However, this needs further investigation. In order to fully understand the feasibility of using HC-PBFs as acoustic pressure sensors and in underwater communication systems, it is important to study their modal properties in this environment. In this paper, the finite element solver (FES COMSOL Multiphysics is used to study the effect of underwater acoustic pressure on the effective refractive index neff of the fundamental mode and discuss its contribution to NR. Besides, we investigate, for the first time to our knowledge, the effect of underwater acoustic pressure on the effective area Aeff and the numerical aperture (NA of the HC-PBF.

Determining spherical lens correction for astronaut training underwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Jason; Gibson, C Robert; Strauss, Samuel

2011-09-01

To develop a model that will accurately predict the distance spherical lens correction needed to be worn by National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts while training underwater. The replica space suit's helmet contains curved visors that induce refractive power when submersed in water. Anterior surface powers and thicknesses were measured for the helmet's protective and inside visors. The impact of each visor on the helmet's refractive power in water was analyzed using thick lens calculations and Zemax optical design software. Using geometrical optics approximations, a model was developed to determine the optimal distance spherical power needed to be worn underwater based on the helmet's total induced spherical power underwater and the astronaut's manifest spectacle plane correction in air. The validity of the model was tested using data from both eyes of 10 astronauts who trained underwater. The helmet's visors induced a total power of -2.737 D when placed underwater. The required underwater spherical correction (FW) was linearly related to the spectacle plane spherical correction in air (FAir): FW = FAir + 2.356 D. The mean magnitude of the difference between the actual correction worn underwater and the calculated underwater correction was 0.20 ± 0.11 D. The actual and calculated values were highly correlated (r = 0.971) with 70% of eyes having a difference in magnitude of astronauts. The model accurately predicts the actual values worn underwater and can be applied (more generally) to determine a suitable spectacle lens correction to be worn behind other types of masks when submerged underwater.

Munitions Detection Using Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Equipped with Advanced Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-29

buried target. The RTG is a small passive magnetic sensor using fluxgate magnetometers measuring 3- orthogonal magnetic-field vector components at 3...surveys. Figure 6 shows the RTG magnetic sensor in both an open (showing the fluxgate magnetometers ) and enclosed state (mode for integration onto...7.6 Real-time Tracking Gradiometer (RTG) System The RTG is a small passive magnetic sensor using fluxgate magnetometers measuring 3- orthogonal

Dynamics and Control of Underwater Gliders I: Steady Motions

OpenAIRE

Mahmoudian, N.; Geisbert, J.; Woolsey, C.

2007-01-01

This paper describes analysis of steady motions for underwater gliders, a type of highly efficient underwater vehicle which uses gravity for propulsion. Underwater gliders are winged underwater vehicles which locomote by modulating their buoyancy and their attitude. Several such vehicles have been developed and have proven their worth as efficient long-distance, long-duration ocean sampling platforms. To date, the primary emphasis in underwater glider development has been on locomotive effici...

Totally opportunistic routing algorithm (TORA) for underwater wireless sensor network

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Fazirulhisyam; Rasid, Mohd Fadlee A.; Othman, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN) has emerged as promising networking techniques to monitor and explore oceans. Research on acoustic communication has been conducted for decades, but had focused mostly on issues related to physical layer such as high latency, low bandwidth, and high bit error. However, data gathering process is still severely limited in UWSN due to channel impairment. One way to improve data collection in UWSN is the design of routing protocol. Opportunistic Routing (OR) is an emerging technique that has the ability to improve the performance of wireless network, notably acoustic network. In this paper, we propose an anycast, geographical and totally opportunistic routing algorithm for UWSN, called TORA. Our proposed scheme is designed to avoid horizontal transmission, reduce end to end delay, overcome the problem of void nodes and maximize throughput and energy efficiency. We use TOA (Time of Arrival) and range based equation to localize nodes recursively within a network. Once nodes are localized, their location coordinates and residual energy are used as a matrix to select the best available forwarder. All data packets may or may not be acknowledged based on the status of sender and receiver. Thus, the number of acknowledgments for a particular data packet may vary from zero to 2-hop. Extensive simulations were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme for high network traffic load under very sparse and very dense network scenarios. Simulation results show that TORA significantly improves the network performance when compared to some relevant existing routing protocols, such as VBF, HHVBF, VAPR, and H2DAB, for energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, average end-to-end delay, average hop-count and propagation deviation factor. TORA reduces energy consumption by an average of 35% of VBF, 40% of HH-VBF, 15% of VAPR, and 29% of H2DAB, whereas the packet delivery ratio has been improved by an average of 43% of VBF, 26

Totally opportunistic routing algorithm (TORA) for underwater wireless sensor network.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Ziaur; Hashim, Fazirulhisyam; Rasid, Mohd Fadlee A; Othman, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN) has emerged as promising networking techniques to monitor and explore oceans. Research on acoustic communication has been conducted for decades, but had focused mostly on issues related to physical layer such as high latency, low bandwidth, and high bit error. However, data gathering process is still severely limited in UWSN due to channel impairment. One way to improve data collection in UWSN is the design of routing protocol. Opportunistic Routing (OR) is an emerging technique that has the ability to improve the performance of wireless network, notably acoustic network. In this paper, we propose an anycast, geographical and totally opportunistic routing algorithm for UWSN, called TORA. Our proposed scheme is designed to avoid horizontal transmission, reduce end to end delay, overcome the problem of void nodes and maximize throughput and energy efficiency. We use TOA (Time of Arrival) and range based equation to localize nodes recursively within a network. Once nodes are localized, their location coordinates and residual energy are used as a matrix to select the best available forwarder. All data packets may or may not be acknowledged based on the status of sender and receiver. Thus, the number of acknowledgments for a particular data packet may vary from zero to 2-hop. Extensive simulations were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme for high network traffic load under very sparse and very dense network scenarios. Simulation results show that TORA significantly improves the network performance when compared to some relevant existing routing protocols, such as VBF, HHVBF, VAPR, and H2DAB, for energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, average end-to-end delay, average hop-count and propagation deviation factor. TORA reduces energy consumption by an average of 35% of VBF, 40% of HH-VBF, 15% of VAPR, and 29% of H2DAB, whereas the packet delivery ratio has been improved by an average of 43% of VBF, 26

Underwater welding and repair technologies applied in PWR environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scandella, Fabrice; Carpreau, Jean-Michel

2012-01-01

The authors describe several welding processes and technologies which have been used for underwater applications and which can be applied when repairing components of a PWR type reactor. They address, describe and discuss wet arc welding processes, the peculiarities of underwater welding, and the use of various processes such as 111, 114 and 135 processes, underwater welding with the hybrid plasma MIG-MAG process, underwater welding with the laser wire process, underwater welding with the FSW, FSP or UWFSW processes, underwater welding with variants of the friction welding process (friction surfacing, taper stitch welding, hydro-pillar processing

Human Injury Criteria for Underwater Blasts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel M Lance

Full Text Available Underwater blasts propagate further and injure more readily than equivalent air blasts. Development of effective personal protection and countermeasures, however, requires knowledge of the currently unknown human tolerance to underwater blast. Current guidelines for prevention of underwater blast injury are not based on any organized injury risk assessment, human data or experimental data. The goal of this study was to derive injury risk assessments for underwater blast using well-characterized human underwater blast exposures in the open literature. The human injury dataset was compiled using 34 case reports on underwater blast exposure to 475 personnel, dating as early as 1916. Using severity ratings, computational reconstructions of the blasts, and survival information from a final set of 262 human exposures, injury risk models were developed for both injury severity and risk of fatality as functions of blast impulse and blast peak overpressure. Based on these human data, we found that the 50% risk of fatality from underwater blast occurred at 302±16 kPa-ms impulse. Conservatively, there is a 20% risk of pulmonary injury at a kilometer from a 20 kg charge. From a clinical point of view, this new injury risk model emphasizes the large distances possible for potential pulmonary and gut injuries in water compared with air. This risk value is the first impulse-based fatality risk calculated from human data. The large-scale inconsistency between the blast exposures in the case reports and the guidelines available in the literature prior to this study further underscored the need for this new guideline derived from the unique dataset of actual injuries in this study.

Underwater Gliders by Dr. Kevin Smith [video

OpenAIRE

Naval Postgraduate School Physics

2015-01-01

NPS Physics NPS Physics Research Projects Underwater glider research is currently underway in the physics department at the naval postgraduate in Monterey Ca. Dr. Kevin Smith is a specialist in underwater acoustics and sonar systems. He and his team are currently focused on autonomous underwater gliders and developing systems capable of detecting parameters in the ocean and listening for various sources of sound.

Development of inspection equipment for fuel bundles of CANDU-PHWR using R981 underwater radiation tolerant camera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, Dae-Seo; Cho, Moon-Sung; Jo, Chang-Keun; Jun, Ji-Su; Jung, Jong Yeob; Park, Kwang-June; Suk, Ho-Chun

2005-03-15

The inspection equipment of fuel bundles was developed, which could perform visual inspection and dimensional measurement on fuel bundles of CANDU-PHWR, to evaluate, analyze the defective behavior of fuel bundles and inner surface of pressure tubes of inherent two-phase flow over 24kg/s in CANDU-6. The R981 radiation tolerant camera system with pan and tilt function was ordered and manufactured, which was waterproof, shielding radiation in underwater 10m in depth. The performance test, of the system ,due to camera-object distance was carried out in air/underwater atmosphere. The results of performance test of R981 radiation tolerant camera system are good. The inspection equipment of fuel bundles using R981 radiation tolerant camera system and underwater-radiation tolerant LVDT sensor(D5/200AW) was fabricated, which could perform visual inspection and dimensional measurement on fuel bundles of CANDU-PHWR with measurement accuracy 10{mu}m. This equipment will be utilizable integrity evaluation of fuel bundles which are irradiated in pressure tube of CANDU-PHWR.

Underwater Ranging

OpenAIRE

S. P. Gaba

1984-01-01

The paper deals with underwater laser ranging system, its principle of operation and maximum depth capability. The sources of external noise and methods to improve signal-to-noise ratio are also discussed.

Structural assurance testing for post-shipping satellite inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Whitney D.; Doyle, Derek; Arritt, Brandon

2012-04-01

Current satellite transportation sensors can provide a binary indication of the acceleration or shock that a satellite has experienced during the shipping process but do little to identify if significant structural change has occurred in the satellite and where it may be located. When a sensor indicates that the satellite has experienced shock during transit, an extensive testing process begins to evaluate the satellite functionality. If errors occur during the functional checkout, extensive physical inspection of the structure follows. In this work an alternate method for inspecting satellites for structural defects after shipping is presented. Electro- Mechanical Impedance measurements are used as an indication of the structural state. In partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory University Nanosatellite Program, Cornell's CUSat mass model was instrumented with piezoelectric transducers and tested under several structural damage scenarios. A method for detecting and locating changes in the structure using EMI data is presented.

Hydroelastic behaviour of a structure exposed to an underwater explosion.

Science.gov (United States)

Colicchio, G; Greco, M; Brocchini, M; Faltinsen, O M

2015-01-28

The hydroelastic interaction between an underwater explosion and an elastic plate is investigated num- erically through a domain-decomposition strategy. The three-dimensional features of the problem require a large computational effort, which is reduced through a weak coupling between a one-dimensional radial blast solver, which resolves the blast evolution far from the boundaries, and a three-dimensional compressible flow solver used where the interactions between the compression wave and the boundaries take place and the flow becomes three-dimensional. The three-dimensional flow solver at the boundaries is directly coupled with a modal structural solver that models the response of the solid boundaries like elastic plates. This enables one to simulate the fluid-structure interaction as a strong coupling, in order to capture hydroelastic effects. The method has been applied to the experimental case of Hung et al. (2005 Int. J. Impact Eng. 31, 151-168 (doi:10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2003.10.039)) with explosion and structure sufficiently far from other boundaries and successfully validated in terms of the evolution of the acceleration induced on the plate. It was also used to investigate the interaction of an underwater explosion with the bottom of a close-by ship modelled as an orthotropic plate. In the application, the acoustic phase of the fluid-structure interaction is examined, highlighting the need of the fluid-structure coupling to capture correctly the possible inception of cavitation. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

A Study for Optimum Survey Method of Underwater Structure Using the Dual Sonar Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngseok Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We have developed dual sonar equipment and an improved operating method for improving resolution in order to solve the problems of limitations of the optical equipment and the application method of SSS (side scan sonar in the investigation of damage of underwater structures. We analyzed the influence factors of the resolution of sonar data through the comparison of resolution and data quality in indoor test. Also we confirmed the problems about the overlapping area of the dual sonar. Depth and distance were analyzed as major influencing factors for survey angle. Specimens were scanned while adjusting distance and towfish angle according to depth change in order to verify applicability of the developed dual sonar in the field experiment. Optimal resolution was found to be 3 cm in specimen spacing, and 20 sample data items were extracted. We developed the regression model based on the multiple regression analysis and developed the RealDualSONAR-DAQ tool, the dual sonar optimum operating method program based on proposed correlation equations. We can use the developed tools to get the value of the major influencing factors for dual sonar operation and obtain high quality sonar data to analyze damage of underwater structures.

Underwater Gliders: A Review

OpenAIRE

Javaid Muhammad Yasar; Ovinis Mark; Nagarajan T; Hashim Fakhruldin B M

2014-01-01

Underwater gliders are a type of underwater vehicle that transverse the oceans by shifting its buoyancy, during which its wings develop a component of the downward motion in the horizontal plane, thus producing a forward force. They are primarily used in oceanography sensing and data collection and play an important role in ocean research and development. Although there have been considerable developments in these gliders since the development of the first glider concept in 1989, to date, no ...

Underwater Calibration of Dome Port Pressure Housings

Science.gov (United States)

Nocerino, E.; Menna, F.; Fassi, F.; Remondino, F.

2016-03-01

Underwater photogrammetry using consumer grade photographic equipment can be feasible for different applications, e.g. archaeology, biology, industrial inspections, etc. The use of a camera underwater can be very different from its terrestrial use due to the optical phenomena involved. The presence of the water and camera pressure housing in front of the camera act as additional optical elements. Spherical dome ports are difficult to manufacture and consequently expensive but at the same time they are the most useful for underwater photogrammetry as they keep the main geometric characteristics of the lens unchanged. Nevertheless, the manufacturing and alignment of dome port pressure housing components can be the source of unexpected changes of radial and decentring distortion, source of systematic errors that can influence the final 3D measurements. The paper provides a brief introduction of underwater optical phenomena involved in underwater photography, then presents the main differences between flat and dome ports to finally discuss the effect of manufacturing on 3D measurements in two case studies.

Advanced Whale Detection Methods to Improve Whale-Ship Collision Avoidance

Science.gov (United States)

McGillivary, P. A.; Tougher, B.

2010-12-01

hydrophone arrays. We here discuss the possibility of using Ambient Noise Imaging (ANI) systems initially developed for location of non-calling sperm whales along high speed ferry routes in the Canary Islands. A ‘hybrid’ ANI system has also been developed which uses sound from calling whales to ‘illuminate’ non-calling whales. Such systems designed for sperm whales would require modification for Blue and fin whales along California shipping lanes, and Bowhead whales in Alaska. We discuss how ANI whale detection systems could be developed for California and Alaska by combining bottom moorings with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) as part of ocean observing systems. The mechanisms, challenges, and potential solutions for use of ANI whale detection systems along critical shipping lanes along the California and Alaska coast to reduce whale-ship collisions are discussed as a means that permit science to assist in development of integrated state and federal ocean management policies. The combination of new scientific technology with ocean policy decisions can improve coastal ocean management, improve the safety and reduce the cost of shipping, while at the same time protecting endangered whale species.

Power Control Optimization of an Underwater Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iñigo Aramendia

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, it has been established that vibration energy harvesters with intentionally designed components can be used for frequency bandwidth enhancement under excitation for sufficiently high vibration amplitudes. Pipelines are often necessary means of transporting important resources such as water, gas, and oil. A self-powered wireless sensor network could be a sustainable alternative for in-pipe monitoring applications. A new control algorithm has been developed and implemented into an underwater energy harvester. Firstly, a computational study of a piezoelectric energy harvester for underwater applications has been studied for using the kinetic energy of water flow at four different Reynolds numbers Re = 3000, 6000, 9000, and 12,000. The device consists of a piezoelectric beam assembled to an oscillating cylinder inside the water of pipes from 2 to 5 inches in diameter. Therefore, unsteady simulations have been performed to study the dynamic forces under different water speeds. Secondly, a new control law strategy based on the computational results has been developed to extract as much energy as possible from the energy harvester. The results show that the harvester can efficiently extract the power from the kinetic energy of the fluid. The maximum power output is 996.25 µW and corresponds to the case with Re = 12,000.

A Novel Fractional Fourier Transform-Based ASK-OFDM System for Underwater Acoustic Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rami Ashri

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A key research area in wireless transmission is underwater communications. It has a vital role in applications such as underwater sensor networks (UWSNs and disaster detection. The underwater channel is very unique as compared to other alternatives of transmission channels. It is characterized by path loss, multipath fading, Doppler spread and ambient noise. Thus, the bit error rate (BER is increased to a large extent when compared to its counterpart of cellular communications. Acoustic signals are the current best solution for underwater communications. The use of electromagnetic or optical waves obviously entails a much higher data rate. However, they suffer from high attenuation, absorption or scattering. This paper proposes a novel fractional fast Fourier transform (FrFT—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (FrFT-OFDM system for underwater acoustic (UWA communication—which employs the amplitude shift keying (ASK modulation technique (FrFT-ASK-OFDM. Specifically, ASK achieves a better bandwidth efficiency as compared to other commonly used modulation techniques, such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM and phase shift keying (PSK. In particular, the system proposed in this article can achieve a very promising BER performance, and can reach higher data rates when compared to other systems proposed in the literature. The BER performance of the proposed system is evaluated numerically, and is compared to the corresponding M-ary QAM system in the UWA channel for the same channel conditions. Moreover, the performance of the proposed system is compared to the conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT-OFDM (FFT-OFDM system in the absence and presence of the effect of carrier frequency offset (CFO. Numerical results show that the proposed system outperforms the conventional FFT-based systems for UWA channels, even in channels dominated by CFO. Moreover, the spectral efficiency and data rate of the proposed system are approximately double

Underwater sound from vessel traffic reduces the effective communication range in Atlantic cod and haddock.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, Jenni A; Van Parijs, Sofie M; Hatch, Leila T

2017-11-07

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is located in Massachusetts Bay off the densely populated northeast coast of the United States; subsequently, the marine inhabitants of the area are exposed to elevated levels of anthropogenic underwater sound, particularly due to commercial shipping. The current study investigated the alteration of estimated effective communication spaces at three spawning locations for populations of the commercially and ecologically important fishes, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Both the ambient sound pressure levels and the estimated effective vocalization radii, estimated through spherical spreading models, fluctuated dramatically during the three-month recording periods. Increases in sound pressure level appeared to be largely driven by large vessel activity, and accordingly exhibited a significant positive correlation with the number of Automatic Identification System tracked vessels at the two of the three sites. The near constant high levels of low frequency sound and consequential reduction in the communication space observed at these recording sites during times of high vocalization activity raises significant concerns that communication between conspecifics may be compromised during critical biological periods. This study takes the first steps in evaluating these animals' communication spaces and alteration of these spaces due to anthropogenic underwater sound.

Development and Sensing Properties Study of Underwater Assembled Water Depth-Inclination Sensors for a Multi-Component Mooring System, Using a Self-Contained Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenhua Wu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Prototype monitoring techniques play an important role in the safety guarantee of mooring systems in marine engineering. In general, the complexities of harsh ocean environmental conditions bring difficulties to the traditional monitoring methods of application, implementation and maintenance. Large amounts of existing mooring systems still lack valid monitoring strategies. In this paper, an underwater monitoring method which may be used to achieve the mechanical responses of a multi-point catenary mooring system, is present. A novel self-contained assembled water depth-inclination (D-I sensor is designed and manufactured. Several advanced technologies, such as standalone, low power consumption and synchronism, are considered to satisfy the long-term implementation requirements with low cost during the design process. The design scheme of the water resistance barrel and installation clamp, which satisfies the diver installation, are also provided in the paper. An on-site test has previously been carried out on a production semisubmersible platform in the South China Sea. The prototype data analyses, including the D-I value in the time domain (including the data recorded during the mooring retraction and release process and spectral characteristics, are presented to reveal the accuracy, feasibility and stability of the sensor in terms of fitting for the prototype monitoring of catenary mooring systems, especially for in-service aging platforms.

DES Prediction of Cavitation Erosion and Its Validation for a Ship Scale Propeller

Science.gov (United States)

Ponkratov, Dmitriy, Dr

2015-12-01

Lloyd's Register Technical Investigation Department (LR TID) have developed numerical functions for the prediction of cavitation erosion aggressiveness within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. These functions were previously validated for a model scale hydrofoil and ship scale rudder [1]. For the current study the functions were applied to a cargo ship's full scale propeller, on which the severe cavitation erosion was reported. The performed Detach Eddy Simulation (DES) required a fine computational mesh (approximately 22 million cells), together with a very small time step (2.0E-4 s). As the cavitation for this type of vessel is primarily caused by a highly non-uniform wake, the hull was also included in the simulation. The applied method under predicted the cavitation extent and did not fully resolve the tip vortex; however, the areas of cavitation collapse were captured successfully. Consequently, the developed functions showed a very good prediction of erosion areas, as confirmed by comparison with underwater propeller inspection results.

Optical Backscattering Measured by Airborne Lidar and Underwater Glider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James H. Churnside

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The optical backscattering from particles in the ocean is an important quantity that has been measured by remote sensing techniques and in situ instruments. In this paper, we compare estimates of this quantity from airborne lidar with those from an in situ instrument on an underwater glider. Both of these technologies allow much denser sampling of backscatter profiles than traditional ship surveys. We found a moderate correlation (R = 0.28, p < 10−5, with differences that are partially explained by spatial and temporal sampling mismatches, variability in particle composition, and lidar retrieval errors. The data suggest that there are two different regimes with different scattering properties. For backscattering coefficients below about 0.001 m−1, the lidar values were generally greater than the glider values. For larger values, the lidar was generally lower than the glider. Overall, the results are promising and suggest that airborne lidar and gliders provide comparable and complementary information on optical particulate backscattering.

Rail-guided robotic end-effector position error due to rail compliance and ship motion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgerink, Dian; Stegenga, J.; Brouwer, Dannis Michel; Woertche, H.J.; Stramigioli, Stefano

2014-01-01

A rail-guided robotic system is currently being designed for the inspection of ballast water tanks in ships. This robotic system will manipulate sensors toward the interior walls of the tank. In this paper, the influence of rail compliance on the end-effector position error due to ship movement is

Two Hop Adaptive Vector Based Quality Forwarding for Void Hole Avoidance in Underwater WSNs.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Nadeem; Ahmed, Farwa; Wadud, Zahid; Alrajeh, Nabil; Alabed, Mohamad Souheil; Ilahi, Manzoor

2017-08-01

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) facilitate a wide range of aquatic applications in various domains. However, the harsh underwater environment poses challenges like low bandwidth, long propagation delay, high bit error rate, high deployment cost, irregular topological structure, etc. Node mobility and the uneven distribution of sensor nodes create void holes in UWSNs. Void hole creation has become a critical issue in UWSNs, as it severely affects the network performance. Avoiding void hole creation benefits better coverage over an area, less energy consumption in the network and high throughput. For this purpose, minimization of void hole probability particularly in local sparse regions is focused on in this paper. The two-hop adaptive hop by hop vector-based forwarding (2hop-AHH-VBF) protocol aims to avoid the void hole with the help of two-hop neighbor node information. The other protocol, quality forwarding adaptive hop by hop vector-based forwarding (QF-AHH-VBF), selects an optimal forwarder based on the composite priority function. QF-AHH-VBF improves network good-put because of optimal forwarder selection. QF-AHH-VBF aims to reduce void hole probability by optimally selecting next hop forwarders. To attain better network performance, mathematical problem formulation based on linear programming is performed. Simulation results show that by opting these mechanisms, significant reduction in end-to-end delay and better throughput are achieved in the network.

A liquid crystal polymer membrane MEMS sensor for flow rate and flow direction sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kottapalli, A G P; Tan, C W; Olfatnia, M; Miao, J M; Barbastathis, G; Triantafyllou, M

2011-01-01

The paper reports the design, fabrication and experimental results of a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) membrane-based pressure sensor for flow rate and flow direction sensing applications. Elaborate experimental testing results demonstrating the sensors' performance as an airflow sensor have been illustrated and validated with theory. MEMS sensors using LCP as a membrane structural material show higher sensitivity and reliability over silicon counterparts. The developed device is highly robust for harsh environment applications such as atmospheric wind flow monitoring and underwater flow sensing. A simple, low-cost and repeatable fabrication scheme has been developed employing low temperatures. The main features of the sensor developed in this work are a LCP membrane with integrated thin film gold piezoresistors deposited on it. The sensor developed demonstrates a good sensitivity of 3.695 mV (ms −1 ) −1 , large operating range (0.1 to >10 ms −1 ) and good accuracy in measuring airflow with an average error of only 3.6% full-scale in comparison with theory. Various feasible applications of the developed sensor have been demonstrated with experimental results. The sensor was tested for two other applications—in clinical diagnosis for breath rate, breath velocity monitoring, and in underwater applications for object detection by sensing near-field spatial flow pressure

A Formal Approach to the Selection by Minimum Error and Pattern Method for Sensor Data Loss Reduction in Unstable Wireless Sensor Network Communications

OpenAIRE

Kim, Changhwa; Shin, DongHyun

2017-01-01

There are wireless networks in which typically communications are unsafe. Most terrestrial wireless sensor networks belong to this category of networks. Another example of an unsafe communication network is an underwater acoustic sensor network (UWASN). In UWASNs in particular, communication failures occur frequently and the failure durations can range from seconds up to a few hours, days, or even weeks. These communication failures can cause data losses significant enough to seriously damage...

Underwater 3D filming

OpenAIRE

Rinaldi, Roberto

2014-01-01

After an experimental phase of many years, 3D filming is now effective and successful. Improvements are still possible, but the film industry achieved memorable success on 3D movie’s box offices due to the overall quality of its products. Special environments such as space (“Gravity” ) and the underwater realm look perfect to be reproduced in 3D. “Filming in space” was possible in “Gravity” using special effects and computer graphic. The underwater realm is still difficult to be handled. Unde...

Detecting ship targets in spaceborne infrared image based on modeling radiation anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haibo; Zou, Zhengxia; Shi, Zhenwei; Li, Bo

2017-09-01

Using infrared imaging sensors to detect ship target in the ocean environment has many advantages compared to other sensor modalities, such as better thermal sensitivity and all-weather detection capability. We propose a new ship detection method by modeling radiation anomalies for spaceborne infrared image. The proposed method can be decomposed into two stages, where in the first stage, a test infrared image is densely divided into a set of image patches and the radiation anomaly of each patch is estimated by a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and thereby target candidates are obtained from anomaly image patches. In the second stage, target candidates are further checked by a more discriminative criterion to obtain the final detection result. The main innovation of the proposed method is inspired by the biological mechanism that human eyes are sensitive to the unusual and anomalous patches among complex background. The experimental result on short wavelength infrared band (1.560 - 2.300 μm) and long wavelength infrared band (10.30 - 12.50 μm) of Landsat-8 satellite shows the proposed method achieves a desired ship detection accuracy with higher recall than other classical ship detection methods.

IVO develops a new repair technique for underwater sites. Viscous doughlike substance underwater cracks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klingstedt, G.; Leisio, C. [ed.

1998-07-01

A viscous sealant is revolutionizing repair of the stone and concrete masonry of underwater dams, bridges and canals. There is now no need for expensive and time-consuming cofferdams, since a diver can extrude quick-setting mortar into underwater structures needing repair. This technique has worked well in recent years in various parts of Finland even in strongly flowing water. IVO experts are now starting to look more beyond the borders of Finland

A man-made object detection for underwater TV

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Binbin; Wang, Wenwu; Chen, Yao

2018-03-01

It is a great challenging task to complete an automatic search of objects underwater. Usually the forward looking sonar is used to find the target, and then the initial identification of the target is completed by the side-scan sonar, and finally the confirmation of the target is accomplished by underwater TV. This paper presents an efficient method for automatic extraction of man-made sensitive targets in underwater TV. Firstly, the image of underwater TV is simplified with taking full advantage of the prior knowledge of the target and the background; then template matching technology is used for target detection; finally the target is confirmed by extracting parallel lines on the target contour. The algorithm is formulated for real-time execution on limited-memory commercial-of-the-shelf platforms and is capable of detection objects in underwater TV.

Design of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadahiro Hyakudome

2011-03-01

Full Text Available There are concerns about the impact that global warming will have on our environment, and which will inevitably result in expanding deserts and rising water levels. While a lot of underwater vehicles are utilized, AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle were considered and chosen, as the most suitable tool for conduction survey concerning these global environmental problems. AUVs can comprehensive survey because the vehicle does not have to be connected to the support vessel by tether cable. When such underwater vehicles are made, it is necessary to consider about the following things. 1 Seawater and Water Pressure Environment, 2 Sink, 3 There are no Gas or Battery Charge Stations, 4 Global Positioning System cannot use, 5 Radio waves cannot use. In the paper, outline of above and how deal about it are explained.

Experiences from using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Synthetic Aperture Sonar for Sediment and Habitat Mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Thorsnes, T.; Bjarnadóttir, L. R.

2017-12-01

Emerging platforms and tools like autonomous underwater vehicles and synthetic aperture sonars provide interesting opportunities for making seabed mapping more efficient and precise. Sediment grain-size maps are an important product in their own right and a key input for habitat and biotope maps. National and regional mapping programmes are tasked with mapping large areas, and survey efficiency, data quality, and resulting map confidence are important considerations when selecting the mapping strategy. Since 2005, c. 175,000 square kilometres of the Norwegian continental shelf and continental slope has been mapped with respect to sediments, habitats and biodiversity, and pollution under the MAREANO programme (www.mareano.no). At present the sediment mapping is based on a combination of ship-borne multibeam bathymetry and backscatter, visual documentation using a towed video platform, and grab sampling. We have now tested a new approach, using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) as the survey platform for the collection of acoustic data (Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS), EM2040 bathymetry and backscatter) and visual data (still images using a TFish colour photo system). This pilot project was conducted together the Norwegian Hydrographic Service, the Institute of Marine Research (biology observations) and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (operation of ship and AUV). The test site reported here is the Vesterdjupet area, offshore Lofoten, northern Norway. The water depth is between 170 and 300 metres, with sediments ranging from gravel, cobbles and boulders to sandy mud. A cold-water coral reef, associated with bioclastic sediments was also present in the study area. The presentation will give an overview of the main findings and experiences gained from this pilot project with a focus on geological mapping and will also discuss the relevance of AUV-based mapping to large-area mapping programmes like MAREANO.

Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs play an important role in a number of shallow and deep-water missions for marine science, oil and gas extraction, exploration and salvage. In these applications, the motions of the ROV are guided either by a human pilot on a surface support vessel through an umbilical cord providing power and telemetry, or by an automatic pilot. In the case of automatic control, ROV state feedback is provided by acoustic and inertial sensors and this state information, along with a controller strategy, is used to perform several tasks such as station-keeping and auto-immersion/heading, among others. In this paper, the modelling, design and control of the Kaxan ROV is presented: i The complete six degrees of freedom, non linear hydrodynamic model with its parameters, ii the Kaxan hardware/software architecture, iii numerical simulations in Matlab/Simulink platform of a model-free second order sliding mode control along with ocean currents as disturbances and thruster dynamics, iv a virtual environment to visualize the motion of the Kaxan ROV and v experimental results of a one degree of freedom underwater system.

Photogrammetry in maritime and underwater archaeology: two marble wrecks from Sicily

Science.gov (United States)

Balletti, C.; Beltrame, C.; Costa, E.; Guerra, F.; Vernier, P.

2015-06-01

Underwater survey, compared to land archaeology, needs some specific techniques, because the application of some active 3D sensor, such as laser scanner, is obviously impossible. The necessity to produce three-dimensional survey, offering the same accuracy of classical terrestrial laserscanning or photogrammetric methods, combined with the request of low costs and rapid solutions, led the researchers to test and apply oftentimes image-based techniques. In the last two years the Ca' Foscari University and University IUAV of Venice are conducting a research on the application of integrated techniques to support underwater metric documentation, comparing them to the manual traditional one. The gained experience (and confirmed by other recently published papers) shows that the actual multiimage digital photogrammetry is a good solution for the underwater archaeology. This approach is useful both from a metric and from a recording point of view, because it achieves high quality results, such as accurate 3D models or 2D representations, offering a complete documentation of underwater sites. But photogrammetry has to be supported by a topographical survey (to acquire ground control points - GCP) to georeference all the finds in the same reference system. This paper presents the integrated survey of two roman shipwrecks, approaching differently in the GCP's acquisition just for the different morphological characteristic of the sites. The wrecks' cargos are huge marble blocks, presenting differences in quantities, layout and depths. Those characteristics determine the choice of the topographic survey. The results of the survey are two 3D polygonal textured models of the sites, which can be easily used for different analyses and reconstructive hypothesis, opening new possibilities of documentation with both specialists and the wider public. Furthermore, 3D models are the geometric base for 2D orthophoto and cross section extraction. The paper will illustrate all the phases

Remote Underwater Characterization System - Innovative Technology Summary Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, Walter David

1999-01-01

Characterization and inspection of water-cooled and moderated nuclear reactors and fuel storage pools requires equipment capable of operating underwater. Similarly, the deactivation and decommissioning of older nuclear facilities often requires the facility owner to accurately characterize underwater structures and equipment which may have been sitting idle for years. The underwater characterization equipment is often required to operate at depths exceeding 20 ft (6.1 m) and in relatively confined or congested spaces. The typical baseline approach has been the use of radiation detectors and underwater cameras mounted on long poles, or stationary cameras with pan and tilt features mounted on the sides of the underwater facility. There is a perceived need for an inexpensive, more mobile method of performing close-up inspection and radiation measurements in confined spaces underwater. The Remote Underwater Characterization System (RUCS) is a small, remotely operated submersible vehicle intended to serve multiple purposes in underwater nuclear operations. It is based on the commercially-available ''Scallop'' vehicle, but has been modified by Department of Energy's Robotics Technology Development Program to add auto-depth control, and vehicle orientation and depth monitoring at the operator control panel. The RUCS is designed to provide visual and gamma radiation characterization, even in confined or limited access areas. It was demonstrated in August 1998 at Idaho National Engineering and environmental Laboratory (INEEL) as part of the INEEL Large Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project. During the demonstration it was compared in a ''head-to-head'' fashion with the baseline characterization technology. This paper summarizes the results of the demonstration and lessons learned; comparing and contrasting both technologies in the areas of cost, visual characterization, radiological characterization, and overall operations

A Depth-Adjustment Deployment Algorithm Based on Two-Dimensional Convex Hull and Spanning Tree for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Jiang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Most of the existing node depth-adjustment deployment algorithms for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs just consider how to optimize network coverage and connectivity rate. However, these literatures don’t discuss full network connectivity, while optimization of network energy efficiency and network reliability are vital topics for UWSN deployment. Therefore, in this study, a depth-adjustment deployment algorithm based on two-dimensional (2D convex hull and spanning tree (NDACS for UWSNs is proposed. First, the proposed algorithm uses the geometric characteristics of a 2D convex hull and empty circle to find the optimal location of a sleep node and activate it, minimizes the network coverage overlaps of the 2D plane, and then increases the coverage rate until the first layer coverage threshold is reached. Second, the sink node acts as a root node of all active nodes on the 2D convex hull and then forms a small spanning tree gradually. Finally, the depth-adjustment strategy based on time marker is used to achieve the three-dimensional overall network deployment. Compared with existing depth-adjustment deployment algorithms, the simulation results show that the NDACS algorithm can maintain full network connectivity with high network coverage rate, as well as improved network average node degree, thus increasing network reliability.

Optimizing Ship Classification in the Arctic Ocean: A Case Study of Multi-Disciplinary Problem Solving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Rahmes

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We describe a multi-disciplinary system model for determining decision making strategies based upon the ability to perform data mining and pattern discovery utilizing open source actionable information to prepare for specific events or situations from multiple information sources. We focus on combining detection theory with game theory for classifying ships in Arctic Ocean to verify ship reporting. More specifically, detection theory is used to determine probability of deciding if a ship or certain ship class is present or not. We use game theory to fuse information for optimal decision making on ship classification. Hierarchy game theory framework enables complex modeling of data in probabilistic modeling. However, applicability to big data is complicated by the difficulties of inference in complex probabilistic models, and by computational constraints. We provide a framework for fusing sensor inputs to help compare if the information of a ship matches its AIS reporting requirements using mixed probabilities from game theory. Our method can be further applied to optimizing other choke point scenarios where a decision is needed for classification of ground assets or signals. We model impact on decision making on accuracy by adding more parameters or sensors to the decision making process as sensitivity analysis.

An Underwater Image Enhancement Algorithm for Environment Recognition and Robot Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Xie

2018-03-01

Full Text Available There are many tasks that require clear and easily recognizable images in the field of underwater robotics and marine science, such as underwater target detection and identification of robot navigation and obstacle avoidance. However, water turbidity makes the underwater image quality too low to recognize. This paper proposes the use of the dark channel prior model for underwater environment recognition, in which underwater reflection models are used to obtain enhanced images. The proposed approach achieves very good performance and multi-scene robustness by combining the dark channel prior model with the underwater diffuse model. The experimental results are given to show the effectiveness of the dark channel prior model in underwater scenarios.

Underwater fiber-wireless communication with a passive front end

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jing; Sun, Bin; Lyu, Weichao; Kong, Meiwei; Sarwar, Rohail; Han, Jun; Zhang, Wei; Deng, Ning

2017-11-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel concept on underwater fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) communication system with a fully passive wireless front end. A low-cost step-index (SI) plastic optical fiber (POF) together with a passive collimating lens at the front end composes the underwater Fi-Wi architecture. We have achieved a 1.71-Gb/s transmission at a mean BER of 4.97 × 10-3 (1.30 × 10-3 when using power loading) over a 50-m SI-POF and 2-m underwater wireless channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Although the wireless part is very short, it actually plays a crucial role in practical underwater implementation, especially in deep sea. Compared with the wired solution (e.g. using a 52-m POF cable without the UWOC part), the proposed underwater Fi-Wi scheme can save optical wet-mate connectors that are sophisticated, very expensive and difficult to install in deep ocean. By combining high-capacity robust POF with the mobility and ubiquity of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC), the proposed underwater Fi-Wi technology will find wide application in ocean exploration.

Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Veirs

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Combining calibrated hydrophone measurements with vessel location data from the Automatic Identification System, we estimate underwater sound pressure levels for 1,582 unique ships that transited the core critical habitat of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales during 28 months between March, 2011, and October, 2013. Median received spectrum levels of noise from 2,809 isolated transits are elevated relative to median background levels not only at low frequencies (20–30 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz from 100 to 1,000 Hz, but also at high frequencies (5–13 dB from 10,000 to 96,000 Hz. Thus, noise received from ships at ranges less than 3 km extends to frequencies used by odontocetes. Broadband received levels (11.5–40,000 Hz near the shoreline in Haro Strait (WA, USA for the entire ship population were 110 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa on average. Assuming near-spherical spreading based on a transmission loss experiment we compute mean broadband source levels for the ship population of 173 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa 1 m without accounting for frequency-dependent absorption. Mean ship speed was 7.3 ± 2.0 m/s (14.1 ± 3.9 knots. Most ship classes show a linear relationship between source level and speed with a slope near +2 dB per m/s (+1 dB/knot. Spectrum, 1/12-octave, and 1/3-octave source levels for the whole population have median values that are comparable to previous measurements and models at most frequencies, but for select studies may be relatively low below 200 Hz and high above 20,000 Hz. Median source spectrum levels peak near 50 Hz for all 12 ship classes, have a maximum of 159 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz @ 1 m for container ships, and vary between classes. Below 200 Hz, the class-specific median spectrum levels bifurcate with large commercial ships grouping as higher power noise sources. Within all ship classes spectrum levels vary more at low frequencies than at high frequencies, and the degree of variability is almost halved for classes that have smaller speed

The Modular Optical Underwater Survey System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruhul Amin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center deploys the Modular Optical Underwater Survey System (MOUSS to estimate the species-specific, size-structured abundance of commercially-important fish species in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The MOUSS is an autonomous stereo-video camera system designed for the in situ visual sampling of fish assemblages. This system is rated to 500 m and its low-light, stereo-video cameras enable identification, counting, and sizing of individuals at a range of 0.5–10 m. The modular nature of MOUSS allows for the efficient and cost-effective use of various imaging sensors, power systems, and deployment platforms. The MOUSS is in use for surveys in Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, and Southern California. In Hawaiian waters, the system can effectively identify individuals to a depth of 250 m using only ambient light. In this paper, we describe the MOUSS’s application in fisheries research, including the design, calibration, analysis techniques, and deployment mechanism.

A Dynamic Bioinspired Neural Network Based Real-Time Path Planning Method for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Jianjun; Wu, Liuying; Shi, Pengfei; Yang, Simon X

2017-01-01

Real-time path planning for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a very difficult and challenging task. Bioinspired neural network (BINN) has been used to deal with this problem for its many distinct advantages: that is, no learning process is needed and realization is also easy. However, there are some shortcomings when BINN is applied to AUV path planning in a three-dimensional (3D) unknown environment, including complex computing problem when the environment is very large and repeated path problem when the size of obstacles is bigger than the detection range of sensors. To deal with these problems, an improved dynamic BINN is proposed in this paper. In this proposed method, the AUV is regarded as the core of the BINN and the size of the BINN is based on the detection range of sensors. Then the BINN will move with the AUV and the computing could be reduced. A virtual target is proposed in the path planning method to ensure that the AUV can move to the real target effectively and avoid big-size obstacles automatically. Furthermore, a target attractor concept is introduced to improve the computing efficiency of neural activities. Finally, some experiments are conducted under various 3D underwater environments. The experimental results show that the proposed BINN based method can deal with the real-time path planning problem for AUV efficiently.

Object Recognition and Localization: The Role of Tactile Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Achint Aggarwal

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Tactile sensors, because of their intrinsic insensitivity to lighting conditions and water turbidity, provide promising opportunities for augmenting the capabilities of vision sensors in applications involving object recognition and localization. This paper presents two approaches for haptic object recognition and localization for ground and underwater environments. The first approach called Batch Ransac and Iterative Closest Point augmented Particle Filter (BRICPPF is based on an innovative combination of particle filters, Iterative-Closest-Point algorithm, and a feature-based Random Sampling and Consensus (RANSAC algorithm for database matching. It can handle a large database of 3D-objects of complex shapes and performs a complete six-degree-of-freedom localization of static objects. The algorithms are validated by experimentation in ground and underwater environments using real hardware. To our knowledge this is the first instance of haptic object recognition and localization in underwater environments. The second approach is biologically inspired, and provides a close integration between exploration and recognition. An edge following exploration strategy is developed that receives feedback from the current state of recognition. A recognition by parts approach is developed which uses the BRICPPF for object sub-part recognition. Object exploration is either directed to explore a part until it is successfully recognized, or is directed towards new parts to endorse the current recognition belief. This approach is validated by simulation experiments.

Green Shipping Practices of Shipping Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Tae Chang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this study is to provide an empirical research using structural equation modeling to identify the factors that motivate shipping firms to adopt green shipping practices (GSP. Furthermore, it also examines if adopting GSP can enhance the shipping firms’ environmental and productivity performance. The findings show that shipping firms are motivated to adopt GSP mostly by industrial norms set by institutionalized associations. They are also motivated by customers’ demand for environmental friendliness and their own strategy to make good image. Unlike our expectation, government regulations and international environmental laws are not significant in influencing shipping firms to adopt GSP. Moreover, adoption of green shipping practices can improve the environmental and productivity performance of the shipping firms.

Underwater hearing in the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kirstin Anderson; Larsen, Ole Næsbye; Wahlberg, Magnus

2016-01-01

The underwater hearing threshold of a great cormorant (Phalacrocroax carbo sinensis) was measured at 2 kHz using psychophysical methods. Previous in-air and underwater testing suggests that cormorants have rather poor in-air hearing compared to other birds of similar size (Johansen, 2016). Prelim......The underwater hearing threshold of a great cormorant (Phalacrocroax carbo sinensis) was measured at 2 kHz using psychophysical methods. Previous in-air and underwater testing suggests that cormorants have rather poor in-air hearing compared to other birds of similar size (Johansen, 2016...

Consensus of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles with double independent Markovian switching topologies and timevarying delays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Zhe-Ping; Liu Yi-Bo; Zhou Jia-Jia; Zhang Wei; Wang Lu

2017-01-01

A new method in which the consensus algorithm is used to solve the coordinate control problems of leaderless multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (multi-AUVs) with double independent Markovian switching communication topologies and time-varying delays among the underwater sensors is investigated. This is accomplished by first dividing the communication topology into two different switching parts, i.e., velocity and position, to reduce the data capacity per data package sent between the multi-AUVs in the ocean. Then, the state feedback linearization is used to simplify and rewrite the complex nonlinear and coupled mathematical model of the AUVs into a double-integrator dynamic model. Consequently, coordinate control of the multi-AUVs is regarded as an approximating consensus problem with various time-varying delays and velocity and position topologies. Considering these factors, sufficient conditions of consensus control are proposed and analyzed and the stability of the multi-AUVs is proven by Lyapunov–Krasovskii theorem. Finally, simulation results that validate the theoretical results are presented. (paper)

Underwater television camera for monitoring inner side of pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takayama, Kazuhiko.

1997-01-01

An underwater television support device equipped with a rotatable and vertically movable underwater television camera and an underwater television camera controlling device for monitoring images of the inside of the reactor core photographed by the underwater television camera to control the position of the underwater television camera and the underwater light are disposed on an upper lattice plate of a reactor pressure vessel. Both of them are electrically connected with each other by way of a cable to rapidly observe the inside of the reactor core by the underwater television camera. The reproducibility is extremely satisfactory by efficiently concentrating the position of the camera and image information upon inspection and observation. As a result, the steps for periodical inspection can be reduced to shorten the days for the periodical inspection. Since there is no requirement to withdraw fuel assemblies over a wide reactor core region, and the device can be used with the fuel assemblies being left as they are in the reactor, it is suitable for inspection of detectors for nuclear instrumentation. (N.H.)

Centralised versus Decentralised Control Reconfiguration for Collaborating Underwater Robots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furno, Lidia; Nielsen, Mikkel Cornelius; Blanke, Mogens

2015-01-01

The present paper introduces an approach to fault-tolerant reconfiguration for collaborating underwater robots. Fault-tolerant reconfiguration is obtained using the virtual actuator approach, Steen (2005). The paper investigates properties of a centralised versus a decentralised implementation an...... an underwater drill needs to be transported and positioned by three collaborating robots as part of an underwater autonomous operation....

Diagnosis and Fault-tolerant Control for Ship Station Keeping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blanke, Mogens

2005-01-01

design for systems of high complexity, and also analyse the cases of cascaded or multiple faults. The paper takes as example a ship with two CP propellers, rudders and a bow thruster as actuators, and instrumentation with a suite of global position sensors, inertial navigation units and conventional gyro...

Remote sensing of deep hermatypic coral reefs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands using the Seabed autonomous underwater vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Roy A.; Singh, Hanumant

2006-09-01

Optical imaging of coral reefs and other benthic communities present below one attenuation depth, the limit of effective airborne and satellite remote sensing, requires the use of in situ platforms such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The Seabed AUV, which was designed for high-resolution underwater optical and acoustic imaging, was used to characterize several deep insular shelf reefs of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands using digital imagery. The digital photo transects obtained by the Seabed AUV provided quantitative data on living coral, sponge, gorgonian, and macroalgal cover as well as coral species richness and diversity. Rugosity, an index of structural complexity, was derived from the pencil-beam acoustic data. The AUV benthic assessments could provide the required information for selecting unique areas of high coral cover, biodiversity and structural complexity for habitat protection and ecosystem-based management. Data from Seabed sensors and related imaging technologies are being used to conduct multi-beam sonar surveys, 3-D image reconstruction from a single camera, photo mosaicking, image based navigation, and multi-sensor fusion of acoustic and optical data.

Underwater cladding with laser beam and plasma arc welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.A.; Fusaro, R.; Jones, M.G.; Solomon, H.D.; Milian-Rodriguez, R.R.

1997-01-01

Two welding processes, plasma arc (transferred arc) (PTA) and laser beam, were investigated to apply cladding to austenitic stainless steels and Inconel 600. These processes have long been used to apply cladding layers , but the novel feature being reported here is that these cladding layers were applied underwater, with a water pressure equivalent to 24 m (80 ft). Being able to apply the cladding underwater is very important for many applications, including the construction of off-shore oil platforms and the repair of nuclear reactors. In the latter case, being able to weld underwater eliminates the need for draining the reactor and removing the fuel. Welding underwater in reactors presents numerous challenges, but the ability to weld without having to drain the reactor and remove the fuel provides a huge cost savings. Welding underwater in reactors must be done remotely, but because of the radioactive corrosion products and neutron activation of the steels, remote welding would also be required even if the reactor is drained and the fuel removed. In fact, without the shielding of the water, the remote welding required if the reactor is drained might be even more difficult than that required with underwater welds. Furthermore, as shall be shown, the underwater welds that the authors have made were of high quality and exhibit compressive rather than tensile residual stresses

Underwater Gliders: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javaid Muhammad Yasar

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Underwater gliders are a type of underwater vehicle that transverse the oceans by shifting its buoyancy, during which its wings develop a component of the downward motion in the horizontal plane, thus producing a forward force. They are primarily used in oceanography sensing and data collection and play an important role in ocean research and development. Although there have been considerable developments in these gliders since the development of the first glider concept in 1989, to date, no review of these gliders have been done. This paper reviews existing underwater gliders, with emphasis on their respective working principles, range and payload capacity. All information on gliders available in the public domain or published in literature from the year 2000-2013 was reviewed. The majority of these gliders have an operational depth of 1000 m and a payload of less than 25 kg. The exception is a blend-body shape glider, which has a payload of approximately 800 kg and an operational depth around about 300 m. However, the commercialization of these gliders has been limited with only three know examples that have been successfully commercialized.

Underwater Object Segmentation Based on Optical Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater optical environments are seriously affected by various optical inputs, such as artificial light, sky light, and ambient scattered light. The latter two can block underwater object segmentation tasks, since they inhibit the emergence of objects of interest and distort image information, while artificial light can contribute to segmentation. Artificial light often focuses on the object of interest, and, therefore, we can initially identify the region of target objects if the collimation of artificial light is recognized. Based on this concept, we propose an optical feature extraction, calculation, and decision method to identify the collimated region of artificial light as a candidate object region. Then, the second phase employs a level set method to segment the objects of interest within the candidate region. This two-phase structure largely removes background noise and highlights the outline of underwater objects. We test the performance of the method with diverse underwater datasets, demonstrating that it outperforms previous methods.

Underwater acoustic positioning system for the SMO and KM3NeT - Italia projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viola, S.; Barbagallo, G.; Cacopardo, G.; Calí, C.; Cocimano, R.; Coniglione, R.; Costa, M.; Cuttone, G.; D' Amato, C.; D' Amato, V.; D' Amico, A.; De Luca, V.; Del Tevere, F.; Distefano, C.; Ferrera, F.; Gmerk, A.; Grasso, R.; Imbesi, M.; Larosa, G.; Lattuada, D. [INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via Santa Sofia 62, 95125 Catania (Italy); and others

2014-11-18

In the underwater neutrino telescopes, the positions of the Cherenkov light sensors and their movements must be known with an accuracy of few tens of centimetres. In this work, the activities of the SMO and KM3NeT-Italia teams for the development of an acoustic positioning system for KM3NeT-Italia project are presented. The KM3NeT-Italia project foresees the construction, within two years, of 8 towers in the view of the several km{sup 3}-scale neutrino telescope KM3NeT.

Underwater acoustic positioning system for the SMO and KM3NeT - Italia projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viola, S.; Barbagallo, G.; Cacopardo, G.; Calí, C.; Cocimano, R.; Coniglione, R.; Costa, M.; Cuttone, G.; D'Amato, C.; D'Amato, V.; D'Amico, A.; De Luca, V.; Del Tevere, F.; Distefano, C.; Ferrera, F.; Gmerk, A.; Grasso, R.; Imbesi, M.; Larosa, G.; Lattuada, D.

2014-01-01

In the underwater neutrino telescopes, the positions of the Cherenkov light sensors and their movements must be known with an accuracy of few tens of centimetres. In this work, the activities of the SMO and KM3NeT-Italia teams for the development of an acoustic positioning system for KM3NeT-Italia project are presented. The KM3NeT-Italia project foresees the construction, within two years, of 8 towers in the view of the several km 3 -scale neutrino telescope KM3NeT

Estimates of the radiological dose to people living on Bikini Island for two weeks while diving in and around the sunken ships in Bikini Lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robison, W.L.

1990-09-01

Bikini Island and Bikini Lagoon were contaminated by fallout from nuclear weapons tests conducted at the atoll by the United States from 1946 to 1958. The second test, Baker, of the Crossroads series was an underwater detonation in 1946 that sank several ships in the lagoon, including the USS Saratoga and the Japanese battleship Nagato. The ships received high-intensity gamma-ray and neutron bombardment from the Baker test, which induced radioactivity in the metal structures. Some of the tests conducted after the Baker shot (there were 21 tests in all) injected contaminated carbonate particles into the air, some of which were deposited across the lagoon surface. Most of this contaminated soil then settled onto the ships' decks and other structures and on the lagoon bottom. These sunken ships provide an interesting location for divers. Recreational diving and swimming in and around the ships raises the question of the potential radiological dose from the radionuclides present in or on the ships and in the lagoon sediments. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to present an analysis of the potential radiological dose to persons who would dive near the sunken ships and live on Bikini Island for a short period of time

GEMS: Underwater spectrometer for long-term radioactivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sartini, Ludovica, E-mail: ludovica.sartini@ingv.i [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect.Roma 2, Roma (Italy); Genoa University, Genoa (Italy); Simeone, Francesco; Pani, Priscilla [' Sapienza' University and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sect.Roma, Roma (Italy); Lo Bue, Nadia; Marinaro, Giuditta [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect.Roma 2, Roma (Italy); Grubich, Andry; Lobko, Alexander [Institute for Nuclear Problems (INP), Belarus State University, Minsk (Belarus); Etiope, Giuseppe [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect.Roma 2, Roma (Italy); Capone, Antonio [' Sapienza' University and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sect.Roma, Roma (Italy); Favali, Paolo [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect.Roma 2, Roma (Italy); Gasparoni, Francesco; Bruni, Federico [Tecnomare S.p.A., Venice (Italy)

2011-01-21

GEMS (Gamma Energy Marine Spectrometer) is a prototype of an autonomous radioactivity sensor for underwater measurements, developed in the framework for a development of a submarine telescope for neutrino detection (KM3NeT Design Study Project). The spectrometer is highly sensitive to gamma rays produced by {sup 40}K decays but it can detect other natural (e.g., {sup 238}U,{sup 232}Th) and anthropogenic radio-nuclides (e.g., {sup 137}Cs). GEMS was firstly tested and calibrated in the laboratory using known sources and it was successfully deployed for a long-term (6 months) monitoring at a depth of 3200 m in the Ionian Sea (Capo Passero, offshore Eastern Sicily). The instrument recorded data for the whole deployment period within the expected specifications. This monitoring provided, for the first time, a continuous time-series of radioactivity in deep-sea.

Experimental response of an optical sensor used to determine the moment of blast by sensing the flash of the explosion

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Roux, A

2009-09-01

Full Text Available of an optical sensor constructed to measure the light flash of an underwater blast to determine the moment of explosion. By measurement of the time taken between this moment and the time when the shock wave reaches the pressure sensors, accurate measurements...

4th Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustics Conference

CERN Document Server

Xu, Wen; Cheng, Qianliu; Zhao, Hangfang

2016-01-01

These proceedings are a collection of 16 selected scientific papers and reviews by distinguished international experts that were presented at the 4th Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustics Conference (PRUAC), held in Hangzhou, China in October 2013. The topics discussed at the conference include internal wave observation and prediction; environmental uncertainty and coupling to sound propagation; environmental noise and ocean dynamics; dynamic modeling in acoustic fields; acoustic tomography and ocean parameter estimation; time reversal and matched field processing; underwater acoustic localization and communication as well as measurement instrumentations and platforms. These proceedings provide insights into the latest developments in underwater acoustics, promoting the exchange of ideas for the benefit of future research.

Test Structures for Rapid Prototyping of Gas and Pressure Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, M.; Cheng, L. J.; Martin, D.

1996-01-01

A multi-project ceramic substrate was used in developing a gas sensor and pressure sensor. The ceramic substrate cantained 36 chips with six variants including sensors, process control monitors, and an interconnect ship. Tha gas sensor is being developed as an air quality monitor and the pressure gauge as a barometer.

The influence of underwater turbulence on optical phase measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Redding, Brandon; Davis, Allen; Kirkendall, Clay; Dandridge, Anthony

2016-05-01

Emerging underwater optical imaging and sensing applications rely on phase-sensitive detection to provide added functionality and improved sensitivity. However, underwater turbulence introduces spatio-temporal variations in the refractive index of water which can degrade the performance of these systems. Although the influence of turbulence on traditional, non-interferometric imaging has been investigated, its influence on the optical phase remains poorly understood. Nonetheless, a thorough understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the optical phase of light passing through underwater turbulence are crucial to the design of phase-sensitive imaging and sensing systems. To address this concern, we combined underwater imaging with high speed holography to provide a calibrated characterization of the effects of turbulence on the optical phase. By measuring the modulation transfer function of an underwater imaging system, we were able to calibrate varying levels of optical turbulence intensity using the Simple Underwater Imaging Model (SUIM). We then used high speed holography to measure the temporal dynamics of the optical phase of light passing through varying levels of turbulence. Using this method, we measured the variance in the amplitude and phase of the beam, the temporal correlation of the optical phase, and recorded the turbulence induced phase noise as a function of frequency. By bench marking the effects of varying levels of turbulence on the optical phase, this work provides a basis to evaluate the real-world potential of emerging underwater interferometric sensing modalities.

Operational experience in underwater photogrammetry

Science.gov (United States)

Leatherdale, John D.; John Turner, D.

Underwater photogrammetry has become established as a cost-effective technique for inspection and maintenance of platforms and pipelines for the offshore oil industry. A commercial service based in Scotland operates in the North Sea, USA, Brazil, West Africa and Australia. 70 mm cameras and flash units are built for the purpose and analytical plotters and computer graphics systems are used for photogrammetric measurement and analysis of damage, corrosion, weld failures and redesign of underwater structures. Users are seeking simple, low-cost systems for photogrammetric analysis which their engineers can use themselves.

Evaluating the SCC resistance of underwater welds in sodium tetrathionate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.A.; Angeliu, T.M.

1997-01-01

The susceptibility of welds to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is enhanced by the surface residual tensile stresses generated by the typical welding process. However, underwater plasma transferred arc (PTA) welding has been shown to produce compressive surface residual stresses, an encouraging result if repairs of cracked boiling water reactor (BWR) components are to be made without further endangering them to SCC. This program was designed to verify that underwater PTA welds are resistant to SCC and to determine if underwater PTA welding could mitigate SCC in potentially susceptible welds. This was achieved by exposing various welds on solution annealed (SA) and SA + thermally sensitized 304 stainless steel at 25 C in a solution of 1.5 gm/liter of sodium sulfide added to 0.05M sodium tetrathionate, titrated to a pH of 1.25 with H 2 SO 4 . The autogeneous welds were produced using gas tungsten arc (GTA) and plasma transferred arc (PTA) welding under atmospheric conditions, and PTA welding underwater. After 1 hour of sodium tetrathionate exposure, GTA and air PTA welds exhibited SCC while the underwater PTA weld heat affected zones were more resistant. Underwater PTA welds bisecting a GTA weld eliminated the cracking in the GTA weld heat affected zone under certain conditions. The lack of IG cracking in the region influenced by the underwater PTA weld is consistent with the measurement of compressive surface residual stresses inherent to the underwater welding process

Automatic recognition of ship types from infrared images using superstructure moment invariants

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Heng; Wang, Xinyu

2007-11-01

Automatic object recognition is an active area of interest for military and commercial applications. In this paper, a system addressing autonomous recognition of ship types in infrared images is proposed. Firstly, an approach of segmentation based on detection of salient features of the target with subsequent shadow removing is proposed, as is the base of the subsequent object recognition. Considering the differences between the shapes of various ships mainly lie in their superstructures, we then use superstructure moment functions invariant to translation, rotation and scale differences in input patterns and develop a robust algorithm of obtaining ship superstructure. Subsequently a back-propagation neural network is used as a classifier in the recognition stage and projection images of simulated three-dimensional ship models are used as the training sets. Our recognition model was implemented and experimentally validated using both simulated three-dimensional ship model images and real images derived from video of an AN/AAS-44V Forward Looking Infrared(FLIR) sensor.

An Acoustic OFDM System with Symbol-by-Symbol Doppler Compensation for Underwater Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

MinhHai, Tran; Rie, Saotome; Suzuki, Taisaku; Wada, Tomohisa

2016-01-01

We propose an acoustic OFDM system for underwater communication, specifically for vertical link communications such as between a robot in the sea bottom and a mother ship in the surface. The main contributions are (1) estimation of time varying Doppler shift using continual pilots in conjunction with monitoring the drift of Power Delay Profile and (2) symbol-by-symbol Doppler compensation in frequency domain by an ICI matrix representing nonuniform Doppler. In addition, we compare our proposal against a resampling method. Simulation and experimental results confirm that our system outperforms the resampling method when the velocity changes roughly over OFDM symbols. Overall, experimental results taken in Shizuoka, Japan, show our system using 16QAM, and 64QAM achieved a data throughput of 7.5 Kbit/sec with a transmitter moving at maximum 2 m/s, in a complicated trajectory, over 30 m vertically.

Filming Underwater in 3d Respecting Stereographic Rules

Science.gov (United States)

Rinaldi, R.; Hordosch, H.

2015-04-01

After an experimental phase of many years, 3D filming is now effective and successful. Improvements are still possible, but the film industry achieved memorable success on 3D movie's box offices due to the overall quality of its products. Special environments such as space ("Gravity") and the underwater realm look perfect to be reproduced in 3D. "Filming in space" was possible in "Gravity" using special effects and computer graphic. The underwater realm is still difficult to be handled. Underwater filming in 3D was not that easy and effective as filming in 2D, since not long ago. After almost 3 years of research, a French, Austrian and Italian team realized a perfect tool to film underwater, in 3D, without any constrains. This allows filmmakers to bring the audience deep inside an environment where they most probably will never have the chance to be.

FILMING UNDERWATER IN 3D RESPECTING STEREOGRAPHIC RULES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Rinaldi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available After an experimental phase of many years, 3D filming is now effective and successful. Improvements are still possible, but the film industry achieved memorable success on 3D movie’s box offices due to the overall quality of its products. Special environments such as space ("Gravity" and the underwater realm look perfect to be reproduced in 3D. "Filming in space" was possible in "Gravity" using special effects and computer graphic. The underwater realm is still difficult to be handled. Underwater filming in 3D was not that easy and effective as filming in 2D, since not long ago. After almost 3 years of research, a French, Austrian and Italian team realized a perfect tool to film underwater, in 3D, without any constrains. This allows filmmakers to bring the audience deep inside an environment where they most probably will never have the chance to be.

Low-contrast underwater living fish recognition using PCANet

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xin; Yang, Jianping; Wang, Changgang; Dong, Junyu; Wang, Xinhua

2018-04-01

Quantitative and statistical analysis of ocean creatures is critical to ecological and environmental studies. And living fish recognition is one of the most essential requirements for fishery industry. However, light attenuation and scattering phenomenon are present in the underwater environment, which makes underwater images low-contrast and blurry. This paper tries to design a robust framework for accurate fish recognition. The framework introduces a two stage PCA Network to extract abstract features from fish images. On a real-world fish recognition dataset, we use a linear SVM classifier and set penalty coefficients to conquer data unbalanced issue. Feature visualization results show that our method can avoid the feature distortion in boundary regions of underwater image. Experiments results show that the PCA Network can extract discriminate features and achieve promising recognition accuracy. The framework improves the recognition accuracy of underwater living fishes and can be easily applied to marine fishery industry.

Analysis of a ship-to-ship collision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, V.L.; Ammerman, D.J.

1996-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is involved in a safety assessment for the shipment of radioactive material by sea. One part of this study is investigation of the consequences of ship-to-ship collisions. This paper describes two sets of finite element analyses performed to assess the structural response of a small freighter and the loading imparted to radioactive material (RAM) packages during several postulated collision scenarios with another ship. The first series of analyses was performed to evaluate the amount of penetration of the freighter hull by a striking ship of various masses and initial velocities. Although these analyses included a representation of a single RAM package, the package was not impacted during the collision so forces on the package could not be computed. Therefore, a second series of analyses incorporating a representation of a row of seven packages was performed to ensure direct package impact by the striking ship. Average forces on a package were evaluated for several initial velocities and masses of the striking ship. In addition to. providing insight to ship and package response during a few postulated ship collisions scenarios, these analyses will be used to benchmark simpler ship collision models used in probabilistic risk assessment analyses

Automatic stabilization of underwater robots in the time manipulation operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filaretov, V.F.; Koval, E.V.

1994-01-01

When carrying out underwater technical works by means of an underwater vehicles having a manipulator it is desirable to perform manipulation operations in the regime of the underwater vehicle hovering above the object without durable and complicated operations up its rigid fixation. Underwater vehicle stabilization is achieved by compensation all the effects on the vehicle caused by the operating manipulator in water medium. This automatic stabilization is formed due to input of the required control signals into corresponding vehicle propellers proportional to calculated components of the generalized forces and moments. The propellers should form stops reacting against effects

Automated sensor networks to advance ocean science

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, O.; Orcutt, J. A.; Arrott, M.; Vernon, F. L.; Peach, C. L.; Meisinger, M.; Krueger, I.; Kleinert, J.; Chao, Y.; Chien, S.; Thompson, D. R.; Chave, A. D.; Balasuriya, A.

2010-12-01

The National Science Foundation has funded the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), which over the next five years will deploy infrastructure to expand scientist’s ability to remotely study the ocean. The deployed infrastructure will be linked by a robust cyberinfrastructure (CI) that will integrate marine observatories into a coherent system-of-systems. OOI is committed to engaging the ocean sciences community during the construction pahse. For the CI, this is being enabled by using a “spiral design strategy” allowing for input throughout the construction phase. In Fall 2009, the OOI CI development team used an existing ocean observing network in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) to test OOI CI software. The objective of this CI test was to aggregate data from ships, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), shore-based radars, and satellites and make it available to five different data-assimilating ocean forecast models. Scientists used these multi-model forecasts to automate future glider missions in order to demonstrate the feasibility of two-way interactivity between the sensor web and predictive models. The CI software coordinated and prioritized the shared resources that allowed for the semi-automated reconfiguration of assett-tasking, and thus enabled an autonomous execution of observation plans for the fixed and mobile observation platforms. Efforts were coordinated through a web portal that provided an access point for the observational data and model forecasts. Researchers could use the CI software in tandem with the web data portal to assess the performance of individual numerical model results, or multi-model ensembles, through real-time comparisons with satellite, shore-based radar, and in situ robotic measurements. The resulting sensor net will enable a new means to explore and study the world’s oceans by providing scientists a responsive network in the world’s oceans that can be accessed via any wireless network.

Underwater (UW) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Multi-Sensor Data Base (MSDB) Collection

Science.gov (United States)

2009-07-01

11 FIGURE 6 RTG SENSOR. FOUR SENSOR TRIADS ARE SHOWN, EACH WITH A 3-AXIS FLUXGATE MAGNETOMETER ...used by RTG to measure the gradients. Each triad includes a 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer and a set of feedback coils. The outputs of three triad...each with a 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer (internal, not clearly visible) and a set of 3 feedback coils. The upper triad 3-axis magnetometer

46 CFR 153.565 - Special requirement for temperature sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special requirement for temperature sensors. 153.565... Equipment Special Requirements § 153.565 Special requirement for temperature sensors. If a cargo listed in table 1 of this part refers to this section, temperature sensors must be used to monitor the cargo pump...

Continental Shelf-Scale Passive Acoustic Detection and Characterization of Diesel-Electric Ships Using a Coherent Hydrophone Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Huang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing (POAWRS technique is employed to detect and characterize the underwater sound radiated from three scientific research and fishing vessels received at long ranges on a large-aperture densely-sampled horizontal coherent hydrophone array. The sounds radiated from the research vessel (RV Delaware II in the Gulf of Maine, and the RV Johan Hjort and the fishing vessel (FV Artus in the Norwegian Sea are found to be dominated by distinct narrowband tonals and cyclostationary signals in the 150 Hz to 2000 Hz frequency range. The source levels of these signals are estimated by correcting the received pressure levels for transmission losses modeled using a calibrated parabolic equation-based acoustic propagation model for random range-dependent ocean waveguides. The probability of the detection region for the most prominent signal radiated by each ship is estimated and shown to extend over areas spanning roughly 200 km in diameter when employing a coherent hydrophone array. The current standard procedure for quantifying ship-radiated sound source levels via one-third octave bandwidth intensity averaging smoothes over the prominent tonals radiated by a ship that can stand 10 to 30 dB above the local broadband level, which may lead to inaccurate or incorrect assessments of the impact of ship-radiated sound.

Performance and strategy comparisons of human listeners and logistic regression in discriminating underwater targets.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lixue; Chen, Kean

2015-11-01

To improve the design of underwater target recognition systems based on auditory perception, this study compared human listeners with automatic classifiers. Performances measures and strategies in three discrimination experiments, including discriminations between man-made and natural targets, between ships and submarines, and among three types of ships, were used. In the experiments, the subjects were asked to assign a score to each sound based on how confident they were about the category to which it belonged, and logistic regression, which represents linear discriminative models, also completed three similar tasks by utilizing many auditory features. The results indicated that the performances of logistic regression improved as the ratio between inter- and intra-class differences became larger, whereas the performances of the human subjects were limited by their unfamiliarity with the targets. Logistic regression performed better than the human subjects in all tasks but the discrimination between man-made and natural targets, and the strategies employed by excellent human subjects were similar to that of logistic regression. Logistic regression and several human subjects demonstrated similar performances when discriminating man-made and natural targets, but in this case, their strategies were not similar. An appropriate fusion of their strategies led to further improvement in recognition accuracy.

WODA technical guidance on underwater sound from dredging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomsen, F.; Borsani, F.; Clarke, D.; Jong, C. de; Wit, P. de; Goethals, F.; Holtkamp, M.; Martin, E.S.; Spadaro, P.; Raalte, G. van; Victor, G.Y.V.; Jensen, A.

2016-01-01

The World Organization of Dredging Associations (WODA) has identified underwater sound as an environmental issue that needs further consideration. A WODA Expert Group on Underwater Sound (WEGUS) prepared a guidance paper in 2013 on dredging sound, including a summary of potential impacts on aquatic

Underwater laser imaging system (UWLIS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeLong, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

1994-11-15

Practical limitations with underwater imaging systems area reached when the noise in the back scattered radiation generated in the water between the imaging system and the target obscures the spatial contrast and resolution necessary for target discovery and identification. The advent of high power lasers operating in the blue-green portion of the visible spectrum (oceanic transmission window) has led to improved experimental illumination systems for underwater imaging. Range-gated and synchronously scanned devices take advantage of the unique temporal and spatial coherence properties of laser radiation, respectively, to overcome the deleterious effects of common volume back scatter.

Terrain aided navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles with coarse maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Ling; Cheng, Xianghong; Zhu, Yixian

2016-01-01

Terrain aided navigation (TAN) is a form of geophysical localization technique for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in GPS-denied environments. TAN performance on sensor-rich AUVs has been evaluated in sea trials. However, many challenges remain before TAN can be successfully implemented on sensor-limited AUVs, especially with coarse maps. To improve TAN performance over coarse maps, a Gaussian process (GP) is proposed for the modeling of bathymetric terrain and integrated into the particle filter (GP-PF). GP is applied to provide not only the bathymetric value prediction through learning a set of bathymetric data from coarse maps but also the variance of the prediction. As a measurement update, calculated on bathymetric deviation is performed through the PF to obtain absolute and bounded positioning accuracy. Through the analysis of TAN performance on experimental data for two different terrains with map resolutions of 10–50 m, both the ability of the proposed model to represent the actual bathymetric terrain with accuracy and the effect of the GP-PF for TAN on sensor-limited systems in suited terrain are demonstrated. The experiment results further verify that there is an inverse relationship between the coarseness of the map and the overall TAN accuracy in rough terrains, but there is hardly any relationship between them in relatively flat terrains. (paper)

Design and Evaluation Methods for Underwater Control Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chi, Lin

1996-12-31

This thesis on underwater control systems is written with the designer in mind, assuming that the reader has some knowledge of control theory. It can be used as a text for undergraduate students and engineers. To help readers better understand the system they will be working with, the thesis is organised in a stepwise way. The reader will gain basic knowledge about underwater operations, equipment and control systems. Then the reader will be able to follow the steps to develop a required control system for an underwater equipment by first understanding the characteristics of the design problem, customer requirement, functional requirement, and possible solution, and then to present a mathematical model of the control problem. Having developed the concept, the thesis guides the reader to develop evaluation criteria and different ways to make the decision. The thesis gives an overview of how to achieve a successful design rather than giving the techniques for detailed control system design. Chapter 1 describes underwater operations and systems. Chapter 2 discusses issues of underwater control systems and control methods. Chapter 3 deals with design method and control systems theory, focusing on human-centered control. Chapter 4 discusses methods used to evaluate and rank products, and chapter 5 applies the methods to an example. 113 refs., 115 figs., 80 tabs.

Design and Evaluation Methods for Underwater Control Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chi, Lin

1997-12-31

This thesis on underwater control systems is written with the designer in mind, assuming that the reader has some knowledge of control theory. It can be used as a text for undergraduate students and engineers. To help readers better understand the system they will be working with, the thesis is organised in a stepwise way. The reader will gain basic knowledge about underwater operations, equipment and control systems. Then the reader will be able to follow the steps to develop a required control system for an underwater equipment by first understanding the characteristics of the design problem, customer requirement, functional requirement, and possible solution, and then to present a mathematical model of the control problem. Having developed the concept, the thesis guides the reader to develop evaluation criteria and different ways to make the decision. The thesis gives an overview of how to achieve a successful design rather than giving the techniques for detailed control system design. Chapter 1 describes underwater operations and systems. Chapter 2 discusses issues of underwater control systems and control methods. Chapter 3 deals with design method and control systems theory, focusing on human-centered control. Chapter 4 discusses methods used to evaluate and rank products, and chapter 5 applies the methods to an example. 113 refs., 115 figs., 80 tabs.

Construction Method of the Topographical Features Model for Underwater Terrain Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Lihui

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Terrain database is the reference basic for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV to implement underwater terrain navigation (UTN functions, and is the important part of building topographical features model for UTN. To investigate the feasibility and correlation of a variety of terrain parameters as terrain navigation information metrics, this paper described and analyzed the underwater terrain features and topography parameters calculation method. Proposing a comprehensive evaluation method for terrain navigation information, and constructing an underwater navigation information analysis model, which is associated with topographic features. Simulation results show that the underwater terrain features, are associated with UTN information directly or indirectly, also affect the terrain matching capture probability and the positioning accuracy directly.

Coherent acoustic communication in a tidal estuary with busy shipping traffic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walree, P.A. van; Neasham, J.A.; Schrijver, M.C.

2007-01-01

High-rate acoustic communication experiments were conducted in a dynamic estuarine environment. Two current profilers deployed in a shipping lane were interfaced with acoustic modems, which modulated and transmitted the sensor readings every 200 s over a period of four days. QPSK modulation was

A PROPOSAL FOR A SUSTAINABLE MODEL BASED UPON UNDERWATER TOURISM RESEARCH IN AYVALIK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. GÖKDENİZ

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Underwater sports are the activities being done with the aims of witnessing the beauties, hunting, taking photos, the ecology and the archaeology of underwater analysing or finding out the human being’s boundaries by improving the physical and psychological skills of men. The initial aim of this project is to increase the underwater flora and the fauna heritage of Ayvalık and to bring them in tourism. Ayvalık is on the west coast of Turkey. It is getting more and more famous with its underwater richness. Also, to form a new underwater sports centre in order to contribute to the improvement of the region. By providing visual attractiveness, the tourists related to underwater sports will pay attention to Ayvalık and underwater tourism will contribute much to the economy of the region. The aim of this project is to improve the underwater sports which is now a hobby than a sport. In Ayvalık Underwater World study, we dealt with 247 divers and 4 underwater sports club. In this study, we analysed the expectation, satisfaction, demographic and economic level of 247 divers about the services in the region. Interview technique has been used in the study on the 4 underwater sports clubs which are hosting divers. As a conclusion, a report has been prepared in which detailed information and proposals are presented by developing a sustainable marketing model concerned with the underwater sports for those who want to possess information, shareholders of the sector and make analyse about tourism.

Blue-light digital communication in underwater environments utilizing orbital angular momentum

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdady, Joshua; Miller, Keith; Osler, Sean; Morgan, Kaitlyn; Li, Wenzhe; Johnson, Eric; Cochenour, Brandon

2016-05-01

Underwater optical communication has recently become the topic of much investigation as the demands for underwater data transmission have rapidly grown in recent years. The need for reliable, high-speed, secure underwater communication has turned increasingly to blue-light optical solutions. The blue-green visible wavelength window provides an attractive solution to the problem of underwater data transmission thanks to its low attenuation, where traditional RF solutions used in free-space communications collapse. Beginning with GaN laser diodes as the optical source, this work explores the encoding and transmission of digital data across underwater environments of varying turbidities. Given the challenges present in an underwater environment, such as the mechanical and optical turbulences that make proper alignment difficult to maintain, it is desirable to achieve extremely high data rates in order to allow the time window of alignment between the transmitter and receiver to be as small as possible. In this paper, work is done to increase underwater data rates through the use of orbital angular momentum. Results are shown for a range of data rates across a variety of channel types ranging in turbidity from that of a clear ocean to a dirty harbor.

Underwater 3D Surface Measurement Using Fringe Projection Based Scanning Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bräuer-Burchardt, Christian; Heinze, Matthias; Schmidt, Ingo; Kühmstedt, Peter; Notni, Gunther

2015-12-23

In this work we show the principle of optical 3D surface measurements based on the fringe projection technique for underwater applications. The challenges of underwater use of this technique are shown and discussed in comparison with the classical application. We describe an extended camera model which takes refraction effects into account as well as a proposal of an effective, low-effort calibration procedure for underwater optical stereo scanners. This calibration technique combines a classical air calibration based on the pinhole model with ray-based modeling and requires only a few underwater recordings of an object of known length and a planar surface. We demonstrate a new underwater 3D scanning device based on the fringe projection technique. It has a weight of about 10 kg and the maximal water depth for application of the scanner is 40 m. It covers an underwater measurement volume of 250 mm × 200 mm × 120 mm. The surface of the measurement objects is captured with a lateral resolution of 150 μm in a third of a second. Calibration evaluation results are presented and examples of first underwater measurements are given.

Single underwater image enhancement based on color cast removal and visibility restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chongyi; Guo, Jichang; Wang, Bo; Cong, Runmin; Zhang, Yan; Wang, Jian

2016-05-01

Images taken under underwater condition usually have color cast and serious loss of contrast and visibility. Degraded underwater images are inconvenient for observation and analysis. In order to address these problems, an underwater image-enhancement method is proposed. A simple yet effective underwater image color cast removal algorithm is first presented based on the optimization theory. Then, based on the minimum information loss principle and inherent relationship of medium transmission maps of three color channels in an underwater image, an effective visibility restoration algorithm is proposed to recover visibility, contrast, and natural appearance of degraded underwater images. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, qualitative comparison, quantitative comparison, and color accuracy test are conducted. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively remove color cast, improve contrast and visibility, and recover natural appearance of degraded underwater images. Additionally, the proposed method is comparable to and even better than several state-of-the-art methods.

Study of archaeological underwater finds: deterioration and conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Crisci, G. M.; La Russa, M. F.; Macchione, M.; Malagodi, M.; Palermo, A. M.; Ruffolo, S. A.

2010-09-01

This study is aimed at an assessment of the methodologies, instruments and new applications for underwater archaeology. Research focused on study of the various kinds of degradation affecting underwater finds and stone materials aged in underwater environment, efficiency evaluation of various surface cleaning methods and study and mixing of protective products with consolidating resins and antimicrobial biocides to be applied to restored underwater finds. Transmitted light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study surface biofilms and the interactions with samples of different stone materials such as brick, marble and granite immersed in the submarine archaeological area of Crotone (South of Italy). Surface cleaning tests were performed with application of ion exchange resins, EDTA, hydrogen peroxide and ultrasound techniques. Capillary water absorption, simulated solar ageing and colourimetric measurements were carried out to evaluate hydrophobic and consolidant properties; to assess biocidal efficacy, heterotrophic micro-organisms ( Aspergillus niger) were inoculated on agar plates and growth inhibition was measured.

Big Data in Shipping - Challenges and Opportunities

OpenAIRE

Rødseth, Ørnulf Jan; Perera, Lokukaluge Prasad; Mo, Brage

2016-01-01

Big Data is getting popular in shipping where large amounts of information is collected to better understand and improve logistics, emissions, energy consumption and maintenance. Constraints to the use of big data include cost and quality of on-board sensors and data acquisition systems, satellite communication, data ownership and technical obstacles to effective collection and use of big data. New protocol standards may simplify the process of collecting and organizing the data, including in...

Efficient Weibull channel model for salinity induced turbulent underwater wireless optical communications

KAUST Repository

Oubei, Hassan M.; Zedini, Emna; Elafandy, Rami T.; Kammoun, Abla; Ng, Tien Khee; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Ooi, Boon S.

2017-01-01

Recent advances in underwater wireless optical communications necessitate a better understanding of the underwater channel. We propose the Weibull model to characterize the fading of salinity induced turbulent underwater wireless optical channels

Estimation of sensor and weapon system effectiveness during initial ship design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keyzer, P.M.

2013-01-01

Naval ship design is a multi-disciplinary and complex undertaking. Operational requirements, uncertain future threats and scenarios, new technologies and ever reducing budgets increase the necessity for early and accurate decision making support. This paper will present the Concept Development and

Underwater laser cutting of metallic structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfille, J.P.; Schildknecht, J.; Ramaswami, V.S.

1993-01-01

In the frame of an european contract, the feasibility of the underwater cutting with a CO 2 laser power is studied. The aim of this work is the dismantling metallic structures of reactors pools. The paper analyzes the general concept of the experimental device, the underwater cutting head, the experimenting vessel, examples of cuttings in dismantling situation with a 500 W CO 2 laser, and examples of cuttings with a 5 kW CO 2 laser. (author). 2 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

Digital sonar design in underwater acoustics principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Qihu

2012-01-01

"Digital Sonar Design in Underwater Acoustics Principles and Applications" provides comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of research on sonar design, including the basic theory and techniques of digital signal processing, basic concept of information theory, ocean acoustics, underwater acoustic signal propagation theory, and underwater signal processing theory. This book discusses the general design procedure and approaches to implementation, the design method, system simulation theory and techniques, sonar tests in the laboratory, lake and sea, and practical validation criteria and methods for digital sonar design. It is intended for researchers in the fields of underwater signal processing and sonar design, and also for navy officers and ocean explorers. Qihu Li is a professor at the Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

High spatial resolution mapping of water quality and bathymetry with an autonomous underwater vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Pampalone, Vincenzo; Milici, Barbara

2015-12-01

The drone Ecomapper AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is a rare example of highly technological instrument in the environmental coastal monitoring field. The YSI EcoMapper is a one-man deployable, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) designed to collect bathymetry and water quality data. The submarine-like vehicle follows a programmed course and employs sensors mounted in the nose to record pertinent information. Once the vehicle has started its mission, it operates independently of the user and utilizes GPS waypoints navigation to complete its programmed course. Throughout the course, the vehicle constantly steers toward the line drawn in the mission planning software (VectorMap), essentially following a more accurate road of coordinates instead of transversing waypoint-to-waypoint. It has been equipped with a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) to increase its underwater navigation accuracy. Potential EcoMapper applications include baseline environmental mapping in freshwater, estuarine or near-coastal environments, bathymetric mapping, dissolved oxygen studies, event monitoring (algal blooms, storm impacts, low dissolved oxygen), non-point source studies, point-source dispersion mapping, security, search & rescue, inspection, shallow water mapping, thermal dissipation mapping of cooling outfalls, trace-dye studies. The AUV is used in the coastal area of the Augusta Bay (Italy), located in the eastern part of Sicily. Due to the heavy contamination generated by the several chemical and petrochemical industries active in the zone, the harbour was declared a Contaminated Site of National Interest. The ecomapper allows for a simultaneous data collection of water quality and bathymetric data providing a complete environmental mapping system of the Harbour.

Underwater wireless optical communications: From system-level demonstrations to channel modelling

KAUST Repository

Oubei, Hassan M.

2018-01-09

In this paper, we discuss about recent experimental advances in underwater wireless optical communications (UWOC) over various underwater channel water types using different modulation schemes as well as modelling and describing the statistical properties of turbulence-induced fading in underwater wireless optical channels using laser beam intensity fluctuations measurements.

Underwater Ambient Noise in a Baleen Whale Migratory Habitat Off the Azores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam Romagosa

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Assessment of underwater noise is of particular interest given the increase in noise-generating human activities and the potential negative effects on marine mammals which depend on sound for many vital processes. The Azores archipelago is an important migratory and feeding habitat for blue (Balaenoptera musculus, fin (Balaenoptera physalus and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis en route to summering grounds in northern Atlantic waters. High levels of low frequency noise in this area could displace whales or interfere with foraging behavior, impacting energy intake during a critical stage of their annual cycle. In this study, bottom-mounted Ecological Acoustic Recorders were deployed at three Azorean seamounts (Condor, Açores, and Gigante to measure temporal variations in background noise levels and ship noise in the 18–1,000 Hz frequency band, used by baleen whales to emit and receive sounds. Monthly average noise levels ranged from 90.3 dB re 1 μPa (Açores seamount to 103.1 dB re 1 μPa (Condor seamount and local ship noise was present up to 13% of the recording time in Condor. At this location, average contribution of local boat noise to background noise levels is almost 10 dB higher than wind contribution, which might temporally affect detection ranges for baleen whale calls and difficult communication at long ranges. Given the low time percentatge with noise levels above 120 dB re 1 μPa found here (3.3% at Condor, we woud expect limited behavioral responses to ships from baleen whales. Sound pressure levels measured in the Azores are lower than those reported for the Mediterranean basin and the Strait of Gibraltar. However, the currently unknown effects of baleen whale vocalization masking and the increasing presence of boats at the monitored sites underline the need for continuous monitoring to understand any long-term impacts on whales.

Time-Efficient High-Rate Data Flooding in One-Dimensional Acoustic Underwater Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae Kyun Kwon

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Because underwater communication environments have poor characteristics, such as severe attenuation, large propagation delays and narrow bandwidths, data is normally transmitted at low rates through acoustic waves. On the other hand, as high traffic has recently been required in diverse areas, high rate transmission has become necessary. In this paper, transmission/reception timing schemes that maximize the time axis use efficiency to improve the resource efficiency for high rate transmission are proposed. The excellence of the proposed scheme is identified by examining the power distributions by node, rate bounds, power levels depending on the rates and number of nodes, and network split gains through mathematical analysis and numerical results. In addition, the simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the existing packet train method.

WODA Technical Guidance on Underwater Sound from Dredging.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, Frank; Borsani, Fabrizio; Clarke, Douglas; de Jong, Christ; de Wit, Pim; Goethals, Fredrik; Holtkamp, Martine; Martin, Elena San; Spadaro, Philip; van Raalte, Gerard; Victor, George Yesu Vedha; Jensen, Anders

2016-01-01

The World Organization of Dredging Associations (WODA) has identified underwater sound as an environmental issue that needs further consideration. A WODA Expert Group on Underwater Sound (WEGUS) prepared a guidance paper in 2013 on dredging sound, including a summary of potential impacts on aquatic biota and advice on underwater sound monitoring procedures. The paper follows a risk-based approach and provides guidance for standardization of acoustic terminology and methods for data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the literature on dredging-related sounds and the effects of dredging sounds on marine life is surveyed and guidance on the management of dredging-related sound risks is provided.

Observability-Based Guidance and Sensor Placement

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, Brian T.

Control system performance is highly dependent on the quality of sensor information available. In a growing number of applications, however, the control task must be accomplished with limited sensing capabilities. This thesis addresses these types of problems from a control-theoretic point-of-view, leveraging system nonlinearities to improve sensing performance. Using measures of observability as an information quality metric, guidance trajectories and sensor distributions are designed to improve the quality of sensor information. An observability-based sensor placement algorithm is developed to compute optimal sensor configurations for a general nonlinear system. The algorithm utilizes a simulation of the nonlinear system as the source of input data, and convex optimization provides a scalable solution method. The sensor placement algorithm is applied to a study of gyroscopic sensing in insect wings. The sensor placement algorithm reveals information-rich areas on flexible insect wings, and a comparison to biological data suggests that insect wings are capable of acting as gyroscopic sensors. An observability-based guidance framework is developed for robotic navigation with limited inertial sensing. Guidance trajectories and algorithms are developed for range-only and bearing-only navigation that improve navigation accuracy. Simulations and experiments with an underwater vehicle demonstrate that the observability measure allows tuning of the navigation uncertainty.

Electrolocation-based underwater obstacle avoidance using wide-field integration methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimble, Kedar D; Faddy, James M; Humbert, J Sean

2014-01-01

Weakly electric fish are capable of efficiently performing obstacle avoidance in dark and navigationally challenging aquatic environments using electrosensory information. This sensory modality enables extraction of relevant proximity information about surrounding obstacles by interpretation of perturbations induced to the fish’s self-generated electric field. In this paper, reflexive obstacle avoidance is demonstrated by extracting relative proximity information using spatial decompositions of the perturbation signal, also called an electric image. Electrostatics equations were formulated for mathematically expressing electric images due to a straight tunnel to the electric field generated with a planar electro-sensor model. These equations were further used to design a wide-field integration based static output feedback controller. The controller was implemented in quasi-static simulations for environments with complicated geometries modelled using finite element methods to demonstrate sense and avoid behaviours. The simulation results were confirmed by performing experiments using a computer operated gantry system in environments lined with either conductive or non-conductive objects acting as global stimuli to the field of the electro-sensor. The proposed approach is computationally inexpensive and readily implementable, making underwater autonomous navigation in real-time feasible. (paper)

Control of the Maya AUV in the vertical and horizontal planes: Theory and practical results

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Maurya, P.; Desa, E.; Pascoal, A.; Barros, E.; Navelkar, G.S.; Madhan, R.; Mascarenhas, A.A.M.Q.; Prabhudesai, S.; Afzulpurkar, S.; Gouveia, Ashwin; Naroji, S.; Sebastiao, l.

in depth (figure 5) Figure 5 (a) Step response (b) Frequency response 3.2 Implementation and Field Results The controller was based on the simulated condition described in section 3.1 and is implemented on a high performance embedded PC104... of a small AUV for Oceanography began [in Sept1998] with the suggestion that ship time at a cruise station could be exploited by having small autonomous underwater vehicles, suitably equipped with oceanographic sensors, to sample the ocean...

Survivability design for a hybrid underwater vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Biao; Wu, Chao; Li, Xiang; Zhao, Qingkai; Ge, Tong [State Key Lab of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2015-03-10

A novel hybrid underwater robotic vehicle (HROV) capable of working to the full ocean depth has been developed. The battery powered vehicle operates in two modes: operate as an untethered autonomous vehicle in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) mode and operate under remote control connected to the surface vessel by a lightweight, fiber optic tether in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) mode. Considering the hazardous underwater environment at the limiting depth and the hybrid operating modes, survivability has been placed on an equal level with the other design attributes of the HROV since the beginning of the project. This paper reports the survivability design elements for the HROV including basic vehicle design of integrated navigation and integrated communication, emergency recovery strategy, distributed architecture, redundant bus, dual battery package, emergency jettison system and self-repairing control system.

Survivability design for a hybrid underwater vehicle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Biao; Wu, Chao; Li, Xiang; Zhao, Qingkai; Ge, Tong

2015-01-01

A novel hybrid underwater robotic vehicle (HROV) capable of working to the full ocean depth has been developed. The battery powered vehicle operates in two modes: operate as an untethered autonomous vehicle in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) mode and operate under remote control connected to the surface vessel by a lightweight, fiber optic tether in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) mode. Considering the hazardous underwater environment at the limiting depth and the hybrid operating modes, survivability has been placed on an equal level with the other design attributes of the HROV since the beginning of the project. This paper reports the survivability design elements for the HROV including basic vehicle design of integrated navigation and integrated communication, emergency recovery strategy, distributed architecture, redundant bus, dual battery package, emergency jettison system and self-repairing control system

An Acoustic OFDM System with Symbol-by-Symbol Doppler Compensation for Underwater Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tran MinhHai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We propose an acoustic OFDM system for underwater communication, specifically for vertical link communications such as between a robot in the sea bottom and a mother ship in the surface. The main contributions are (1 estimation of time varying Doppler shift using continual pilots in conjunction with monitoring the drift of Power Delay Profile and (2 symbol-by-symbol Doppler compensation in frequency domain by an ICI matrix representing nonuniform Doppler. In addition, we compare our proposal against a resampling method. Simulation and experimental results confirm that our system outperforms the resampling method when the velocity changes roughly over OFDM symbols. Overall, experimental results taken in Shizuoka, Japan, show our system using 16QAM, and 64QAM achieved a data throughput of 7.5 Kbit/sec with a transmitter moving at maximum 2 m/s, in a complicated trajectory, over 30 m vertically.

An Acoustic OFDM System with Symbol-by-Symbol Doppler Compensation for Underwater Communication

Science.gov (United States)

MinhHai, Tran; Rie, Saotome; Suzuki, Taisaku; Wada, Tomohisa

2016-01-01

We propose an acoustic OFDM system for underwater communication, specifically for vertical link communications such as between a robot in the sea bottom and a mother ship in the surface. The main contributions are (1) estimation of time varying Doppler shift using continual pilots in conjunction with monitoring the drift of Power Delay Profile and (2) symbol-by-symbol Doppler compensation in frequency domain by an ICI matrix representing nonuniform Doppler. In addition, we compare our proposal against a resampling method. Simulation and experimental results confirm that our system outperforms the resampling method when the velocity changes roughly over OFDM symbols. Overall, experimental results taken in Shizuoka, Japan, show our system using 16QAM, and 64QAM achieved a data throughput of 7.5 Kbit/sec with a transmitter moving at maximum 2 m/s, in a complicated trajectory, over 30 m vertically. PMID:27057558

Feasibility of in situ beta ray measurements in underwater environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hye Min; Park, Ki Hyun; Kang, Sung Won; Joo, Koan Sik

2017-09-01

We describe an attempt at the development of an in situ detector for beta ray measurements in underwater environment. The prototype of the in situ detector is based on a CaF2: Eu scintillator using crystal light guide and Si photomultiplier. Tests were conducted using various reference sources for evaluating the linearity and stability of the detector in underwater environment. The system is simple and stable for long-term monitoring, and consumes low power. We show here an effective detection distance of 7 mm and a 2.273 MeV end-point energy spectrum of 90 Sr/ 90 Y when using the system underwater. The results demonstrate the feasibility of in situ beta ray measurements in underwater environment and can be applied for designing an in situ detector for radioactivity measurement in underwater environment. The in situ detector can also have other applications such as installation on the marine monitoring platform and quantitative analysis of radionuclides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of an Intelligent Controller for an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Fauzi Nor Shah

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Underwater environment poses a difficult challenge for autonomous underwater navigation. A standard problem of underwater vehicles is to maintain it position at a certain depth in order to perform desired operations. An effective controller is required for this purpose and hence the design of a depth controller for an unmanned underwater vehicle is described in this paper. The control algorithm is simulated by using the marine guidance navigation and control simulator. The project shows a radial basis function metamodel can be used to tune the scaling factors of a fuzzy logic controller. By using offline optimization approach, a comparison between genetic algorithm and metamodeling has been done to minimize the integral square error between the set point and the measured depth of the underwater vehicle. The results showed that it is possible to obtain a reasonably good error using metamodeling approach in much a shorter time compared to the genetic algorithm approach.

A Low Frequency Electromagnetic Sensor for Underwater Geo-Location

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-01

used a set of commercially available fluxgate magnetometers to measure the magnetic field gradients associated with a magnetic dipole transmitter...insight into the operational capabilities of commercial fluxgate sensors. Figure 42. Applied Physics Systems 1540 magnetometer ...a magnetic field gradient receiver array. Highest quality gradient estimates were achieved with three vector magnetometers equally spaced and

A bio-inspired electrocommunication system for small underwater robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Liu, Jindong; Xie, Guangming; Wen, Li; Zhang, Jianwei

2017-03-29

Weakly electric fishes (Gymnotid and Mormyrid) use an electric field to communicate efficiently (termed electrocommunication) in the turbid waters of confined spaces where other communication modalities fail. Inspired by this biological phenomenon, we design an artificial electrocommunication system for small underwater robots and explore the capabilities of such an underwater robotic communication system. An analytical model for electrocommunication is derived to predict the effect of the key parameters such as electrode distance and emitter current of the system on the communication performance. According to this model, a low-dissipation, and small-sized electrocommunication system is proposed and integrated into a small robotic fish. We characterize the communication performance of the robot in still water, flowing water, water with obstacles and natural water conditions. The results show that underwater robots are able to communicate electrically at a speed of around 1 k baud within about 3 m with a low power consumption (less than 1 W). In addition, we demonstrate that two leader-follower robots successfully achieve motion synchronization through electrocommunication in the three-dimensional underwater space, indicating that this bio-inspired electrocommunication system is a promising setup for the interaction of small underwater robots.

Underwater Shock Wave Research Applied to Therapeutic Device Developments

Science.gov (United States)

Takayama, K.; Yamamoto, H.; Shimokawa, H.

2013-07-01

The chronological development of underwater shock wave research performed at the Shock Wave Research Center of the Institute of Fluid Science at the Tohoku University is presented. Firstly, the generation of planar underwater shock waves in shock tubes and their visualization by using the conventional shadowgraph and schlieren methods are described. Secondly, the generation of spherical underwater shock waves by exploding lead azide pellets weighing from several tens of micrograms to 100 mg, that were ignited by irradiating with a Q-switched laser beam, and their visualization by using double exposure holographic interferometry are presented. The initiation, propagation, reflection, focusing of underwater shock waves, and their interaction with various interfaces, in particular, with air bubbles, are visualized quantitatively. Based on such a fundamental underwater shock wave research, collaboration with the School of Medicine at the Tohoku University was started for developing a shock wave assisted therapeutic device, which was named an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripter (ESWL). Miniature shock waves created by irradiation with Q-switched HO:YAG laser beams are studied, as applied to damaged dysfunctional nerve cells in the myocardium in a precisely controlled manner, and are effectively used to design a catheter for treating arrhythmia.

Towards Real Time Simulation of Ship-Ship Interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindberg, Ole; Bingham, Harry B.; Engsig-Karup, Allan Peter

2012-01-01

We present recent and preliminary work directed towards the development of a simplified, physics-based model for improved simulation of ship-ship interaction that can be used for both analysis and real-time computing (i.e. with real-time constraints due to visualization). The goal is to implement...... accurate (realistic) and much faster ship-wave and ship-ship simulations than are currently possible. The coupling of simulation with visualization should improve the visual experience such that it can be perceived as more realistic in training. Today the state-of-art in real-time ship-ship interaction...... is for efficiency reasons and time-constraints in visualization based on model experiments in towing tanks and precomputed force tables. We anticipate that the fast, and highly parallel, algorithm described by Engsig-Karup et al. [2011] for execution on affordable modern high-throughput Graphics Processing Units...

Underwater photogrammetry successful in Spain and France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

Underwater photogrammetry has been used to measure distortions in fuel assembly alignment pins in the upper internals of the Almarez and Dampierre PWRs. Photogrammetry is a three-dimensional precision measurement method using photographic techniques for the on-site measurement phase. On the strength of the operations at the two PWRs, underwater photogrammetry is now considered as a practical and effective technique for dimensional inspection at nuclear plants. (U.K.)

OPTICAL correlation identification technology applied in underwater laser imaging target identification

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Guang-tao; Zhang, Xiao-hui; Ge, Wei-long

2012-01-01

The underwater laser imaging detection is an effective method of detecting short distance target underwater as an important complement of sonar detection. With the development of underwater laser imaging technology and underwater vehicle technology, the underwater automatic target identification has gotten more and more attention, and is a research difficulty in the area of underwater optical imaging information processing. Today, underwater automatic target identification based on optical imaging is usually realized with the method of digital circuit software programming. The algorithm realization and control of this method is very flexible. However, the optical imaging information is 2D image even 3D image, the amount of imaging processing information is abundant, so the electronic hardware with pure digital algorithm will need long identification time and is hard to meet the demands of real-time identification. If adopt computer parallel processing, the identification speed can be improved, but it will increase complexity, size and power consumption. This paper attempts to apply optical correlation identification technology to realize underwater automatic target identification. The optics correlation identification technology utilizes the Fourier transform characteristic of Fourier lens which can accomplish Fourier transform of image information in the level of nanosecond, and optical space interconnection calculation has the features of parallel, high speed, large capacity and high resolution, combines the flexibility of calculation and control of digital circuit method to realize optoelectronic hybrid identification mode. We reduce theoretical formulation of correlation identification and analyze the principle of optical correlation identification, and write MATLAB simulation program. We adopt single frame image obtained in underwater range gating laser imaging to identify, and through identifying and locating the different positions of target, we can improve

SMARTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE SENSOR: AIS SENSOR THAT INTELLIGENTLY RE-TRANSMITS MEANINGFUL INFORMATION DERIVED FROM RAWAIS DATA IN NETWORK LIMITED AREAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. G. V. Meyer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available AIS is a transponder based, anti-collision system used by the majority of ocean traffic. Ships regularly transmit their identity, position and speed. The information used to populate the AIS fields come from ship based sensors, such as GPS, and user populated fields, such as the vessels name and MMSI number. These fields are susceptible to spoofing and can be changed to hide the identity or location of a vessel. This is often done to disguise the vessel as a different class to avoid inspections or to enter a protected area without raising alarms. The AIS system has found great utility in monitoring global shipping trends and traffic but this was never intended when the protocol was designed. Docked vessels still transmit messages regularly that contain no new information. These, and other redundant messages, are still transmitted and stored. In situations where a sensor is remote and has limited access to the Internet this can become costly. The Smart-AIS sensor records all incoming messages locally and makes a decision on whether the message is of special interest or not. Messages of interest are re-transmitted to an external AIS database.

Underwater video enhancement using multi-camera super-resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Quevedo, E.; Delory, E.; Callicó, G. M.; Tobajas, F.; Sarmiento, R.

2017-12-01

Image spatial resolution is critical in several fields such as medicine, communications or satellite, and underwater applications. While a large variety of techniques for image restoration and enhancement has been proposed in the literature, this paper focuses on a novel Super-Resolution fusion algorithm based on a Multi-Camera environment that permits to enhance the quality of underwater video sequences without significantly increasing computation. In order to compare the quality enhancement, two objective quality metrics have been used: PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and the SSIM (Structural SIMilarity) index. Results have shown that the proposed method enhances the objective quality of several underwater sequences, avoiding the appearance of undesirable artifacts, with respect to basic fusion Super-Resolution algorithms.

The shipping man adventures in ship finance

CERN Document Server

McCleery, Matthew

2013-01-01

When restless New York City hedge fund manager Robert Fairchild watches the Baltic Dry Cargo Index plunge 97%, registering an all-time high and a 25-year low within the span of just six months, he decides to buy a ship. Immediately fantasizing about naming a vessel after his wife, carrying a string of worry beads and being able to introduce himself as a "shipowner" at his upcoming college reunion, Fairchild immediately embarks on an odyssey into the most exclusive, glamorous and high stakes business in the world. From pirates off the coast of Somalia and on Wall Street to Greek and Norwegian shipping magnates, the education of Robert Fairchild is an expensive one. In the end, he loses his hedge fund, but he gains a life - as a Shipping Man. Part fast paced financial thriller, part ship finance text book, The Shipping Man is 310 pages of required reading for anyone with an interest in capital formation for shipping.

Restoration and Enhancement of Underwater Images Based on Bright Channel Prior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakun Gao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposed a new method of underwater images restoration and enhancement which was inspired by the dark channel prior in image dehazing field. Firstly, we proposed the bright channel prior of underwater environment. By estimating and rectifying the bright channel image, estimating the atmospheric light, and estimating and refining the transmittance image, eventually underwater images were restored. Secondly, in order to rectify the color distortion, the restoration images were equalized by using the deduced histogram equalization. The experiment results showed that the proposed method could enhance the quality of underwater images effectively.

Are nuclear ships environmentally safer than conventionally powered ships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bone, C.A.; Molgaard, C.A.; Helmkamp, J.C.; Golbeck, A.L.

1988-01-01

An epidemiologic analysis was conducted to determine if risk of hospitalization varied by age, ship type, or occupation between nuclear and conventional powered ship crews in the U.S. Navy. Study cohorts consisted of all male enlisted personnel who served exclusively aboard conventional or nuclear powered aircraft carriers and cruisers during the years 1975-1979; cases were those men hospitalized during this period (N = 48,242). Conventional ship personnel showed significantly elevated rates of injury and disease when compared to nuclear ship personnel. The largest relative risks by age occurred for conventional ship crewmen less than 30 years old. Seaman, logistics (supply), and healthcare personnel serving aboard conventional ships comprised the occupational groups exhibiting the highest hospitalization rate differentials. The results strongly suggest that nuclear ships provide a healthier, safer working and living environment than conventional ships

Shipping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnolst, N.; Wergeland, T.

1996-01-01

Shipping is a multi-faceted industry which is rather complex to define from an academic point of view. This book attempts to grasp these complexities and provide the reader with an overview of the main topics and terminology in shipping. The book is based on material from our courses in shipping at

Underwater inverse LIBS (iLIBS) for marine archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Asmus, J.; Magde, M.; Elford, J.; Magde, D.; Parfenov, V.

2013-05-01

In recent years there have been enormous advances in nautical archaeology through developments in SONAR technologies as well as in manned and robotic submersible vehicles. The number of sunken vessel discoveries has escalated in many of the seas of the world in response to the widespread application of these and other new tools. Customarily, surviving artifacts within the debris field of a wreck are collected and then moved to laboratories, centers, or institutions for analyses and possible conservation. Frequently, the conservation phase involves chemical treatments to stabilize an artefact to standard temperature, pressure, and humidity instead of an undersea environment. Many of the artefacts encountered at an underwater site are now characterized and restored in-situ in accordance with modern trends in art conservation. Two examples of this trend are exemplified by the resting place of the wreck of the Titanic in the Atlantic and the Cancun Underwater Park in the Caribbean Sea. These two debris fields have been turned into museums for diving visitors. Several research groups have investigated the possibility of adapting the well-established analytical tool Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to in-situ elemental analyses of underwater cultural, historic, and archaeological artefacts where discovered, rather than as a phase of a salvage operation. As the underwater laser ablation associated with LIBS generates a "snowplough" shockwave within the aqueous matrix, the atomic emission spectrum is usually severely attenuated in escaping from the target. Consequently, probative experiments to date generally invoke a submerged air chamber or air jet to isolate water from the interaction zone as well as employ more complex double-pulse lasers. These measures impose severe logistical constraints on the examination of widely dispersed underwater artefacts. In order to overcome this constraint we report on water-immersion LIBS experiments performed with oblique

An acoustically controlled tetherless underwater vehicle for installation and maintenance of neutrino detectors in the deep ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballou, Philip J.

1997-01-01

The task of installing and servicing high energy neutrino detectors in the deep ocean from a surface support vessel is problematic using conventional tethered systems. An array of multiple detector strings rising 500 m from the ocean floor, and forming a grid with 50 m spacing between the strings, presents a substantial entanglement hazard for equipment cables deployed from the surface. Such tasks may be accomplished with fewer risks using a tetherless underwater remotely operated vehicle that has a local acoustic telemetry link to send control commands and sensor data between the vehicle and a stationary hydrophone suspended above or just outside the perimeter of the work site. The Phase I effort involves the development of an underwater acoustic telemetry link for vehicle control and sensor feedback, the evaluation of video compression methods for real-time acoustic transmission of video through the water, and the defining of local control routines on board the vehicle to allow it to perform certain basic maneuvering tasks autonomously, or to initiate a self-rescue if the acoustic control link should be lost. In Phase II, a prototype tetherless vehicle system will be designed and constructed to demonstrate the ability to install cable interconnections within a detector array at 4 km depth. The same control technology could be used with a larger more powerful vehicle to maneuver the detector strings into desired positions as they are being lowered to the ocean floor

Space charge dosimeters for extremely low power measurements of radiation in shipping containers

Science.gov (United States)

Britton, Jr; Charles, L [Alcoa, TN; Buckner, Mark A [Oak Ridge, TN; Hanson, Gregory R [Clinton, TN; Bryan, William L [Knoxville, TN

2011-04-26

Methods and apparatus are described for space charge dosimeters for extremely low power measurements of radiation in shipping containers. A method includes in situ polling a suite of passive integrating ionizing radiation sensors including reading-out dosimetric data from a first passive integrating ionizing radiation sensor and a second passive integrating ionizing radiation sensor, where the first passive integrating ionizing radiation sensor and the second passive integrating ionizing radiation sensor remain situated where the dosimetric data was integrated while reading-out. Another method includes arranging a plurality of ionizing radiation sensors in a spatially dispersed array; determining a relative position of each of the plurality of ionizing radiation sensors to define a volume of interest; collecting ionizing radiation data from at least a subset of the plurality of ionizing radiation sensors; and triggering an alarm condition when a dose level of an ionizing radiation source is calculated to exceed a threshold.

Remarks on the observability of single beacon underwater navigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jouffroy, Jerome; Ross, Andrew

This paper contributes a simple and intuitive result in the analysis of underwater navigation using a single ranging beacon. This analysis should help with the design of small and lightweight underwater vehicles by reducing the amount of instrumentation required for accurate navigation. The concept...

Efficient Weibull channel model for salinity induced turbulent underwater wireless optical communications

KAUST Repository

Oubei, Hassan M.

2017-12-13

Recent advances in underwater wireless optical communications necessitate a better understanding of the underwater channel. We propose the Weibull model to characterize the fading of salinity induced turbulent underwater wireless optical channels. The model shows an excellent agreement with the measured data under all channel conditions.

Underwater Acoustic Target Tracking: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ying; Fan, Liying

2018-01-01

Advances in acoustic technology and instrumentation now make it possible to explore marine resources. As a significant component of ocean exploration, underwater acoustic target tracking has aroused wide attention both in military and civil fields. Due to the complexity of the marine environment, numerous techniques have been proposed to obtain better tracking performance. In this paper, we survey over 100 papers ranging from innovative papers to the state-of-the-art in this field to present underwater tracking technologies. Not only the related knowledge of acoustic tracking instrument and tracking progress is clarified in detail, but also a novel taxonomy method is proposed. In this paper, algorithms for underwater acoustic target tracking are classified based on the methods used as: (1) instrument-assisted methods; (2) mode-based methods; (3) tracking optimization methods. These algorithms are compared and analyzed in the aspect of dimensions, numbers, and maneuvering of the tracking target, which is different from other survey papers. Meanwhile, challenges, countermeasures, and lessons learned are illustrated in this paper. PMID:29301318

Afocal viewport optics for underwater imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Dan

2014-09-01

A conventional camera can be adapted for underwater use by enclosing it in a sealed waterproof pressure housing with a viewport. The viewport, as an optical interface between water and air needs to consider both the camera and water optical characteristics while also providing a high pressure water seal. Limited hydrospace visibility drives a need for wide angle viewports. Practical optical interfaces between seawater and air vary from simple flat plate windows to complex water contact lenses. This paper first provides a brief overview of the physical and optical properties of the ocean environment along with suitable optical materials. This is followed by a discussion of the characteristics of various afocal underwater viewport types including flat windows, domes and the Ivanoff corrector lens, a derivative of a Galilean wide angle camera adapter. Several new and interesting optical designs derived from the Ivanoff corrector lens are presented including a pair of very compact afocal viewport lenses that are compatible with both in water and in air environments and an afocal underwater hyper-hemispherical fisheye lens.

On the Global Ship Hull Bending Energy in Ship Collisions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Preben Terndrup; Li, Y.

2004-01-01

During ship collisions part of the kinetic energy of the involved vessels prior to contact is absorbed as energy dissipated by crushing of the hull structures, by friction and by elastic energy. The purpose of this report is to present an estimate of the elastic energy that can be stored in elastic...... hull vibrations during a ship collision. When a ship side is strengthened in order to improve the crashworthiness it has been argued in the scientific literature that a non trivial part of the energy released for structural deformation during the collision can be absorbed as elastic energy in global...... ship hull vibrations, such that with strong ship sides less energy has to be spent in crushing of the striking ship bow and/or the struck ship side. In normal ship-ship collision analyses both the striking and struck ship are usually considered as rigid bodies where structural crushing is confined...

Underwater running device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kogure, Sumio; Matsuo, Takashiro; Yoshida, Yoji

1996-01-01

An underwater running device for an underwater inspection device for detecting inner surfaces of a reactor or a water vessel has an outer frame and an inner frame, and both of them are connected slidably by an air cylinder and connected rotatably by a shaft. The outer frame has four outer frame legs, and each of the outer frame legs is equipped with a sucker at the top end. The inner frame has four inner frame legs each equipped with a sucker at the top end. The outer frame legs and the inner frame legs are each connected with the outer frame and the inner frame by the air cylinder. The outer and the inner frame legs can be elevated or lowered (or extended or contracted) by the air cylinder. The sucker is connected with a jet pump-type negative pressure generator. The device can run and move by repeating attraction and releasing of the outer frame legs and the inner frame legs alternately while maintaining the posture of the inspection device stably. (I.N.)

Study on seasonal IR signature change of a ship by considering seasonal marine environmental conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Do-Hwi; Han, Kuk-Il; Choi, Jun-Hyuk; Kim, Tae-Kuk

2017-05-01

Infrared (IR) signal emitted from objects over 0 degree Kelvin has been used to detect and recognize the characteristics of those objects. Recently more delicate IR sensors have been applied for various guided missiles and they affect a crucial influence on object's survivability. Especially, in marine environment it is more vulnerable to be attacked by IR guided missiles since there are nearly no objects for concealment. To increase the survivability of object, the IR signal of the object needs to be analyzed properly by considering various marine environments. IR signature of a naval ship consists of the emitted energy from ship surface and the reflected energy by external sources. Surface property such as the emissivity and the absorptivity on the naval ship varies with different paints applied on the surface and the reflected IR signal is also affected by the surface radiative property, the sensor's geometric position and various climatic conditions in marine environment. Since the direct measurement of IR signal using IR camera is costly and time consuming job, computer simulation methods are developing rapidly to replace those experimental tasks. In this study, we are demonstrate a way of analyzing the IR signal characteristics by using the measured background IR signals using an IR camera and the estimated target IR signals from the computer simulation to find the seasonal trends of IR threats of a naval ship. Through this process, measured weather data are used to analyze more accurate IR signal conditions for the naval ship. The seasonal change of IR signal contrast between the naval ship and the marine background shows that the highest contrast radiant intensity (CRI) value is appeared in early summer.

Smelling and Tasting Underwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Atema, Jelle

1980-01-01

Discusses differences between smell and taste, comparing these senses in organisms in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Describes the chemical environment underwater and in air, differences in chemoreceptors to receive stimuli, and the organs, brain, and behavior involved in chemoreception. (CS)

Polarization Calculation and Underwater Target Detection Inspired by Biological Visual Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Shen

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In challenging underwater environments, the polarization parameter maps calculated by the Stokes model are characterized by the high noise and error, harassing the underwater target detection tasks. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a novel bionic polarization calculation and underwater target detection method by modeling the visual system of mantis shrimps. This system includes many operators including a polarization-opposition calculation, a factor optimization and a visual neural network model. A calibration learning method is proposed to search the optimal value of the factors in the linear subtraction model. Finally, a six-channel visual neural network model is proposed to detect the underwater targets. Experimental results proved that the maps produced by the polarization-opposition parameter is more accurate and have lower noise than that produced by the Stokes parameter, achieving better performance in underwater target detection tasks.

High–Level Control System for Biomimetic Autonomous Under-water Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Praczyk Tomasz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Usually, a rough software architecture designed for a robot can be can be shortly presented in the form of layers. The lowest layer is responsible for direct control of the hardware, i.e. engines, energy system, sensors, navigation devices, etc. A next layer is a low–level control which knows how to use the hardware in order to achieve a desired state of the robot, e.g. to stay on a desired course. And the last layer, the layer which is the nearest to the human–operator, is a high–level control which decides how to use the low–level control and sometimes also individual pieces of the hardware to achieve predefined objectives. The paper describes architecture, tasks and operation of the high–level control system (HLCS designed for Biomimetic Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (BAUV.

Application of underwater radon measurements in geology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varhegyi, A.; Baranyi, I.; Gerzson, I. (Mecsek Ore Mining Enterprise, Pecs (Hungary)); Somogyi, G.; Hakl, J.; Hunyadi, I. (Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia, Debrecen (Hungary). Atommag Kutato Intezete)

1988-01-01

Based on the observed phenomenon of geogas migration in microbubble form from deeper regions, the authors have developed a new model for the vertical transport of radon released from deeper sources. The physical properties of the rock relating to the upflow of microbubbles below the groundwater level are considered and the radon transport parameter of rocks is introduced. The vertical distribution of radon concentration in the case of a multi-layered geological model is given and the penetration depth of underwater radon measurements is examined. Aspects of underwater radon detection by the nuclear track detector technique are analyzed. The radon transport model gives a new theoretical basis for several applications of radon measurements in geology. The advantages of underwater radon detection have already been proved in uranium exploration. Further geological applications are proposed in earthquake prediction, in volcanology, in the survey of active faults and thermal waters. (author).

Object detection from images obtained through underwater turbulence medium

Science.gov (United States)

Furhad, Md. Hasan; Tahtali, Murat; Lambert, Andrew

2017-09-01

Imaging through underwater experiences severe distortions due to random fluctuations of temperature and salinity in water, which produces underwater turbulence through diffraction limited blur. Lights reflecting from objects perturb and attenuate contrast, making the recognition of objects of interest difficult. Thus, the information available for detecting underwater objects of interest becomes a challenging task as they have inherent confusion among the background, foreground and other image properties. In this paper, a saliency-based approach is proposed to detect the objects acquired through an underwater turbulent medium. This approach has drawn attention among a wide range of computer vision applications, such as image retrieval, artificial intelligence, neuro-imaging and object detection. The image is first processed through a deblurring filter. Next, a saliency technique is used on the image for object detection. In this step, a saliency map that highlights the target regions is generated and then a graph-based model is proposed to extract these target regions for object detection.

3D forward modeling and response analysis for marine CSEMs towed by two ships

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bo; Yin, Chang-Chun; Liu, Yun-He; Ren, Xiu-Yan; Qi, Yan-Fu; Cai, Jing

2018-03-01

A dual-ship-towed marine electromagnetic (EM) system is a new marine exploration technology recently being developed in China. Compared with traditional marine EM systems, the new system tows the transmitters and receivers using two ships, rendering it unnecessary to position EM receivers at the seafloor in advance. This makes the system more flexible, allowing for different configurations (e.g., in-line, broadside, and azimuthal and concentric scanning) that can produce more detailed underwater structural information. We develop a three-dimensional goal-oriented adaptive forward modeling method for the new marine EM system and analyze the responses for four survey configurations. Oceanbottom topography has a strong effect on the marine EM responses; thus, we develop a forward modeling algorithm based on the finite-element method and unstructured grids. To satisfy the requirements for modeling the moving transmitters of a dual-ship-towed EM system, we use a single mesh for each of the transmitter locations. This mitigates the mesh complexity by refining the grids near the transmitters and minimizes the computational cost. To generate a rational mesh while maintaining the accuracy for single transmitter, we develop a goal-oriented adaptive method with separate mesh refinements for areas around the transmitting source and those far away. To test the modeling algorithm and accuracy, we compare the EM responses calculated by the proposed algorithm and semi-analytical results and from published sources. Furthermore, by analyzing the EM responses for four survey configurations, we are confirm that compared with traditional marine EM systems with only in-line array, a dual-ship-towed marine system can collect more data.

Biofouling protection for marine environmental sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Delauney

2010-05-01

Full Text Available These days, many marine autonomous environment monitoring networks are set up in the world. These systems take advantage of existing superstructures such as offshore platforms, lightships, piers, breakwaters or are placed on specially designed buoys or underwater oceanographic structures. These systems commonly use various sensors to measure parameters such as dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity, pH or fluorescence. Emphasis has to be put on the long term quality of measurements, yet sensors may face very short-term biofouling effects. Biofouling can disrupt the quality of the measurements, sometimes in less than a week.

Many techniques to prevent biofouling on instrumentation are listed and studied by researchers and manufacturers. Very few of them are implemented on instruments and of those very few have been tested in situ on oceanographic sensors for deployment of at least one or two months.

This paper presents a review of techniques used to protect against biofouling of in situ sensors and gives a short list and description of promising techniques.

On the global ship hull bending energy in ship collisions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Preben Terndrup; Li, Yujie

2009-01-01

During ship collisions part of the kinetic energy of the involved vessels immediately prior to contact is absorbed as energy dissipated by crushing of the hull structures, by friction and by elastic energy. The purpose of this report is to present an estimate of the elastic energy that can...... be stored in elastic hull vibrations during a ship collision. When a ship side is strengthened in order to improve the crashworthiness it has been argued in the scientific literature that a non-trivial part of the energy released for structural deformation during the collision can be absorbed as elastic...... energy in global ship hull vibrations, such that with strong ship sides less energy has to be spent in crushing of the striking ship bow and/or the struck ship side. In normal ship–ship collision analyses both the striking and struck ship are usually considered as rigid bodies where structural crushing...

Remote Underwater Characterization System - Innovative Technology Summary Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, W.D.

1999-01-01

Characterization and inspection of water-cooled and moderated nuclear reactors and fuel storage pools requires equipment capable of operating underwater. Similarly, the deactivation and decommissioning of older nuclear facilities often requires the facility owner to accurately characterize underwater structures and equipment which may have been sitting idle for years. The Remote Underwater Characterization System (RUCS) is a small, remotely operated submersible vehicle intended to serve multiple purposes in underwater nuclear operations. It is based on the commercially-available Scallop vehicle 1 , but has been modified by the Department of Energys Robotics Technology Development Program to add auto-depth control, and vehicle orientation and depth monitoring at the operator control panel. The RUCS is designed to provide visual and gamma radiation characterization, even in confined or limited access areas. It was demonstrated in August 1998 at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) as part of the INEEL Large Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project. During the demonstration it was compared in a ''head-to-head fashion with the baseline characterization technology. This paper summarizes the results of the demonstration and lessons learned; comparing and contrasting both technologies in the areas of cost, visual characterization, radiological characterization, and overall operations

Underwater Ship Husbandry Discharges

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

which entered into force in September of 2008, prohibits the use of harmful organotins such as tributyltin ( TBT ) in AFCs used on international...States. The use of TBT AFCs is explicitly prohibited under the VGP, and vessels must remove such coatings or paint over them to prevent toxic ...to hull husbandry include (1) the discharge of toxic chemicals used as biocides in AFCs and (2) biofouling as a vector for aquatic nuisance species

Gait Kinematic Analysis in Water Using Wearable Inertial Magnetic Sensors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Fantozzi

Full Text Available Walking is one of the fundamental motor tasks executed during aquatic therapy. Previous kinematics analyses conducted using waterproofed video cameras were limited to the sagittal plane and to only one or two consecutive steps. Furthermore, the set-up and post-processing are time-consuming and thus do not allow a prompt assessment of the correct execution of the movements during the aquatic session therapy. The aim of the present study was to estimate the 3D joint kinematics of the lower limbs and thorax-pelvis joints in sagittal and frontal planes during underwater walking using wearable inertial and magnetic sensors. Eleven healthy adults were measured during walking both in shallow water and in dry-land conditions. Eight wearable inertial and magnetic sensors were inserted in waterproofed boxes and fixed to the body segments by means of elastic modular bands. A validated protocol (Outwalk was used. Gait cycles were automatically segmented and selected if relevant intraclass correlation coefficients values were higher than 0.75. A total of 704 gait cycles for the lower limb joints were normalized in time and averaged to obtain the mean cycle of each joint, among participants. The mean speed in water was 40% lower than that of the dry-land condition. Longer stride duration and shorter stride distance were found in the underwater walking. In the sagittal plane, the knee was more flexed (≈ 23° and the ankle more dorsiflexed (≈ 9° at heel strike, and the hip was more flexed at toe-off (≈ 13° in water than on land. On the frontal plane in the underwater walking, smoother joint angle patterns were observed for thorax-pelvis and hip, and ankle was more inversed at toe-off (≈ 7° and showed a more inversed mean value (≈ 7°. The results were mainly explained by the effect of the speed in the water as supported by the linear mixed models analysis performed. Thus, it seemed that the combination of speed and environment triggered

Gait Kinematic Analysis in Water Using Wearable Inertial Magnetic Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fantozzi, Silvia; Giovanardi, Andrea; Borra, Davide; Gatta, Giorgio

2015-01-01

Walking is one of the fundamental motor tasks executed during aquatic therapy. Previous kinematics analyses conducted using waterproofed video cameras were limited to the sagittal plane and to only one or two consecutive steps. Furthermore, the set-up and post-processing are time-consuming and thus do not allow a prompt assessment of the correct execution of the movements during the aquatic session therapy. The aim of the present study was to estimate the 3D joint kinematics of the lower limbs and thorax-pelvis joints in sagittal and frontal planes during underwater walking using wearable inertial and magnetic sensors. Eleven healthy adults were measured during walking both in shallow water and in dry-land conditions. Eight wearable inertial and magnetic sensors were inserted in waterproofed boxes and fixed to the body segments by means of elastic modular bands. A validated protocol (Outwalk) was used. Gait cycles were automatically segmented and selected if relevant intraclass correlation coefficients values were higher than 0.75. A total of 704 gait cycles for the lower limb joints were normalized in time and averaged to obtain the mean cycle of each joint, among participants. The mean speed in water was 40% lower than that of the dry-land condition. Longer stride duration and shorter stride distance were found in the underwater walking. In the sagittal plane, the knee was more flexed (≈ 23°) and the ankle more dorsiflexed (≈ 9°) at heel strike, and the hip was more flexed at toe-off (≈ 13°) in water than on land. On the frontal plane in the underwater walking, smoother joint angle patterns were observed for thorax-pelvis and hip, and ankle was more inversed at toe-off (≈ 7°) and showed a more inversed mean value (≈ 7°). The results were mainly explained by the effect of the speed in the water as supported by the linear mixed models analysis performed. Thus, it seemed that the combination of speed and environment triggered modifications in the

Robotics Vision-based Heuristic Reasoning for Underwater Target Tracking and Navigation

OpenAIRE

Kia, Chua; Arshad, Mohd Rizal

2006-01-01

This paper presents a robotics vision-based heuristic reasoning system for underwater target tracking and navigation. This system is introduced to improve the level of automation of underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) operations. A prototype which combines computer vision with an underwater robotics system is successfully designed and developed to perform target tracking and intelligent navigation. This study focuses on developing image processing algorithms and fuzzy inference system ...

A review of underwater bio-mimetic propulsion: cruise and fast-start

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Li-Ming; Cao, Yong-Hui; Pan, Guang

2017-08-01

This paper reviews recent developments in the understanding of underwater bio-mimetic propulsion. Two impressive models of underwater propulsion are considered: cruise and fast-start. First, we introduce the progression of bio-mimetic propulsion, especially underwater propulsion, where some primary conceptions are touched upon. Second, the understanding of flapping foils, considered as one of the most efficient cruise styles of aquatic animals, is introduced, where the effect of kinematics and the shape and flexibility of foils on generating thrust are elucidated respectively. Fast-start propulsion is always exhibited when predator behaviour occurs, and we provide an explicit introduction of corresponding zoological experiments and numerical simulations. We also provide some predictions about underwater bio-mimetic propulsion.

A review of underwater bio-mimetic propulsion: cruise and fast-start

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Li-Ming; Cao, Yong-Hui; Pan, Guang, E-mail: PanGuang_010@163.com [School of Marine Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian 710072 (China)

2017-08-15

This paper reviews recent developments in the understanding of underwater bio-mimetic propulsion. Two impressive models of underwater propulsion are considered: cruise and fast-start. First, we introduce the progression of bio-mimetic propulsion, especially underwater propulsion, where some primary conceptions are touched upon. Second, the understanding of flapping foils, considered as one of the most efficient cruise styles of aquatic animals, is introduced, where the effect of kinematics and the shape and flexibility of foils on generating thrust are elucidated respectively. Fast-start propulsion is always exhibited when predator behaviour occurs, and we provide an explicit introduction of corresponding zoological experiments and numerical simulations. We also provide some predictions about underwater bio-mimetic propulsion. (review)

Cardiovascular response during submaximal underwater treadmill exercise in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Jeehyun; Lim, Kil-Byung; Lee, Hong-Jae; Kwon, Yong-Geol

2014-10-01

To evaluate the cardiovascular response during head-out water immersion, underwater treadmill gait, and land treadmill gait in stroke patients. Ten stroke patients were recruited for underwater and land treadmill gait sessions. Each session was 40 minutes long; 5 minutes for standing rest on land, 5 minutes for standing rest in water or on treadmill, 20 minutes for treadmill walking in water or on land, 5 minutes for standing rest in water or on treadmill, and 5 minutes for standing rest on land. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured during each session. In order to estimate the cardiovascular workload and myocardial oxygen demand, the rate pressure product (RPP) value was calculated by multiplying systolic BP (SBP) by HR. SBP, DBP, mean BP (mBP), and RPP decreased significantly after water immersion, but HR was unchanged. During underwater and land treadmill gait, SBP, mBP, DBP, RPP, and HR increased. However, the mean maximum increases in BP, HR and RPP of underwater treadmill walking were significantly lower than that of land treadmill walking. Stroke patients showed different cardiovascular responses during water immersion and underwater gait as opposed to standing and treadmill-walking on land. Water immersion and aquatic treadmill gait may reduce the workload of the cardiovascular system. This study suggested that underwater treadmill may be a safe and useful option for cardiovascular fitness and early ambulation in stroke rehabilitation.

Channel coding for underwater acoustic single-carrier CDMA communication system

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lanjun; Zhang, Yonglei; Zhang, Pengcheng; Zhou, Lin; Niu, Jiong

2017-01-01

CDMA is an effective multiple access protocol for underwater acoustic networks, and channel coding can effectively reduce the bit error rate (BER) of the underwater acoustic communication system. For the requirements of underwater acoustic mobile networks based on CDMA, an underwater acoustic single-carrier CDMA communication system (UWA/SCCDMA) based on the direct-sequence spread spectrum is proposed, and its channel coding scheme is studied based on convolution, RA, Turbo and LDPC coding respectively. The implementation steps of the Viterbi algorithm of convolutional coding, BP and minimum sum algorithms of RA coding, Log-MAP and SOVA algorithms of Turbo coding, and sum-product algorithm of LDPC coding are given. An UWA/SCCDMA simulation system based on Matlab is designed. Simulation results show that the UWA/SCCDMA based on RA, Turbo and LDPC coding have good performance such that the communication BER is all less than 10-6 in the underwater acoustic channel with low signal to noise ratio (SNR) from -12 dB to -10dB, which is about 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the convolutional coding. The system based on Turbo coding with Log-MAP algorithm has the best performance.

Euclidean reconstruction of natural underwater scenes using optic imagery sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Han

The development of maritime applications require monitoring, studying and preserving of detailed and close observation on the underwater seafloor and objects. Stereo vision offers advanced technologies to build 3D models from 2D still overlapping optic images in a relatively inexpensive way. However, while image stereo matching is a necessary step in 3D reconstruction procedure, even the most robust dense matching techniques are not guaranteed to work for underwater images due to the challenging aquatic environment. In this thesis, in addition to a detailed introduction and research on the key components of building 3D models from optic images, a robust modified quasi-dense matching algorithm based on correspondence propagation and adaptive least square matching for underwater images is proposed and applied to some typical underwater image datasets. The experiments demonstrate the robustness and good performance of the proposed matching approach.

State-of-the-Art System Solutions for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Yilmaz

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs have gained popularity for the last decades, especially for the purpose of not risking human life in dangerous operations. On the other hand, underwater environment introduces numerous challenges in navigation, control and communication of such vehicles. Certainly, this fact makes the development of these vehicles more interesting and engineering-wise more attractive. In this paper, we first revisit the existing technology and methodology for the solution of aforementioned problems, then we try to come up with a system solution of a generic unmanned underwater vehicles.

How propeller suction is the dominant factor for ship accidents at shallow water conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Acar, Dursun; Alpar, Bedri; Ozeren, Sinan

2017-04-01

The laminar flow comes to the fore with the disappearance of the several other directions in the internal displacements in the water current. Due to the dominant speed direction during the straightforward motion of the ship, the underwater hull is associated with the continuous flow of laminar currents. The open marine environment acts as a compressible liquid medium because of the presence of many variables about water volume overflow boundaries where the ship is associated. Layers of water rising over the sea surface due to ship's body and the propeller's water push provides loss of liquid lifting force for the ship. These situations change the well-known sea-floor morphology and reliable depth limits, and lead to probable accidents. If the ship block coefficient for the front side is 0.7 or higher, the "squat" will be more on the bow, because the associated factor "displacement volume" causes to the low-pressure environment due to large and rapid turbulence. Thus, the bow sinks further, which faced with liquid's weaker lift force. The vessels Gerardus Mercator, Queen Elizabeth and Costa Concordia had accidents because of unified reasons of squat, fast water mass displacement by hull push and propeller suction interaction. In the case of water mass displacement from the bow side away, that accident occurred in 2005 by the vessel Gerardus Mercator with excessive longitudinal trim angularity in the shallow water. The vessel Costa Concordia (2012), voluminous water displaced from the rear left side was an important factor because of the sharp manoeuvre of that the captain made before the accident. Observations before the accident indicate that full-speed sharp turn provided listed position for the ship from left (port side) in the direction of travel before colliding and then strike a rock on the sloping side of the seabed. The reason why the ship drifted to the left depends mainly the water discharge occurred at the left side of the hull during left-hand rudder

The aquatic tympanic ear: convergent adaptations for underwater hearing in three tetrapods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob; Wahlberg, Magnus; Larsen, Ole Næsbye

pressure, low particle motion medium, and the consequence is that an efficient underwater ear is sensitive to sound pressure. It is often stated that underwater hearing can work efficiently without a middle ear apparatus by bone conduction, since sound is transmitted from water to inner ear tissue...... is modified (cartilaginous or partly cartilaginous). In all three species, the lowest threshold to underwater sound is at this peak frequency and is around 80 dB re 1 µPa. The sensitivity to sound pressure is slightly lower in water than in air, making underwater hearing much more efficient in terms of sound...

Collective Modular Underwater Robotic System for Long-Term Autonomous Operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, David Johan; Andersen, Jens Christian; Blanke, Mogens

This paper provides a brief overview of an underwater robotic system for autonomous inspection in confined offshore underwater structures. The system, which is currently in development, consist of heterogeneous modular robots able to physically dock and communicate with other robots, transport...

Underwater methods for study of salmonids in the Intermountain West

Science.gov (United States)

Russell F. Thurow

1994-01-01

This guide describes underwater methods using snorkeling gear to study fish populations in flowing waters of the Intermountain West. It outlines procedures for estimating salmonid abundance and habitat use and provides criteria for identifying and estimating the size of fish underwater.

Ship Detection and Classification on Optical Remote Sensing Images Using Deep Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Ying

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Ship detection and classification is critical for national maritime security and national defense. Although some SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar image-based ship detection approaches have been proposed and used, they are not able to satisfy the requirement of real-world applications as the number of SAR sensors is limited, the resolution is low, and the revisit cycle is long. As massive optical remote sensing images of high resolution are available, ship detection and classification on theses images is becoming a promising technique, and has attracted great attention on applications including maritime security and traffic control. Some digital image processing methods have been proposed to detect ships in optical remote sensing images, but most of them face difficulty in terms of accuracy, performance and complexity. Recently, an autoencoder-based deep neural network with extreme learning machine was proposed, but it cannot meet the requirement of real-world applications as it only works with simple and small-scaled data sets. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel ship detection and classification approach which utilizes deep convolutional neural network (CNN as the ship classifier. The performance of our proposed ship detection and classification approach was evaluated on a set of images downloaded from Google Earth at the resolution 0.5m. 99% detection accuracy and 95% classification accuracy were achieved. In model training, 75× speedup is achieved on 1 Nvidia Titanx GPU.

Task Allocation and Path Planning for Collaborative Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Operating through an Underwater Acoustic Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yueyue Deng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Dynamic and unstructured multiple cooperative autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV missions are highly complex operations, and task allocation and path planning are made significantly more challenging under realistic underwater acoustic communication constraints. This paper presents a solution for the task allocation and path planning for multiple AUVs under marginal acoustic communication conditions: a location-aided task allocation framework (LAAF algorithm for multitarget task assignment and the grid-based multiobjective optimal programming (GMOOP mathematical model for finding an optimal vehicle command decision given a set of objectives and constraints. Both the LAAF and GMOOP algorithms are well suited in poor acoustic network condition and dynamic environment. Our research is based on an existing mobile ad hoc network underwater acoustic simulator and blind flooding routing protocol. Simulation results demonstrate that the location-aided auction strategy performs significantly better than the well-accepted auction algorithm developed by Bertsekas in terms of task-allocation time and network bandwidth consumption. We also demonstrate that the GMOOP path-planning technique provides an efficient method for executing multiobjective tasks by cooperative agents with limited communication capabilities. This is in contrast to existing multiobjective action selection methods that are limited to networks where constant, reliable communication is assumed to be available.

Cooperative OFDM underwater acoustic communications

CERN Document Server

Cheng, Xilin; Cheng, Xiang

2016-01-01

Following underwater acoustic channel modeling, this book investigates the relationship between coherence time and transmission distances. It considers the power allocation issues of two typical transmission scenarios, namely short-range transmission and medium-long range transmission. For the former scenario, an adaptive system is developed based on instantaneous channel state information. The primary focus is on cooperative dual-hop orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). This book includes the decomposed fountain codes designed to enable reliable communications with higher energy efficiency. It covers the Doppler Effect, which improves packet transmission reliability for effective low-complexity mirror-mapping-based intercarrier interference cancellation schemes capable of suppressing the intercarrier interference power level. Designed for professionals and researchers in the field of underwater acoustic communications, this book is also suitable for advanced-level students in electrical enginee...

Task Assignment and Path Planning for Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Using 3D Dubins Curves †.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Wenyu; Zhang, Meiyan; Zheng, Yahong Rosa

2017-07-11

This paper investigates the task assignment and path planning problem for multiple AUVs in three dimensional (3D) underwater wireless sensor networks where nonholonomic motion constraints of underwater AUVs in 3D space are considered. The multi-target task assignment and path planning problem is modeled by the Multiple Traveling Sales Person (MTSP) problem and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to solve the MTSP problem with Euclidean distance as the cost function and the Tour Hop Balance (THB) or Tour Length Balance (TLB) constraints as the stop criterion. The resulting tour sequences are mapped to 2D Dubins curves in the X - Y plane, and then interpolated linearly to obtain the Z coordinates. We demonstrate that the linear interpolation fails to achieve G 1 continuity in the 3D Dubins path for multiple targets. Therefore, the interpolated 3D Dubins curves are checked against the AUV dynamics constraint and the ones satisfying the constraint are accepted to finalize the 3D Dubins curve selection. Simulation results demonstrate that the integration of the 3D Dubins curve with the MTSP model is successful and effective for solving the 3D target assignment and path planning problem.

Underwater laser cladding and seal welding for INCONEL 52

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Masataka; Kouno, Wataru; Makino, Yoshinobu; Kawano, Shohei; Yoda, Masaki

2007-01-01

Recently, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) has been observed at aged components of nuclear power plants under water environment and high exposure of radiation. Toshiba has been developing both an underwater laser welding directly onto surface of the aged components as maintenance and repair techniques. This paper reports underwater laser cladding and seal welding for INCONEL 52. (author)

Green shipping management

CERN Document Server

Lun, Y H Venus; Wong, Christina W Y; Cheng, T C E

2016-01-01

This book presents theory-driven discussion on the link between implementing green shipping practices (GSP) and shipping firm performance. It examines the shipping industry’s challenge of supporting economic growth while enhancing environmental performance. Consisting of nine chapters, the book covers topics such as the conceptualization of green shipping practices (GSPs), measurement scales for evaluating GSP implementation, greening capability, greening and performance relativity (GPR), green management practice, green shipping network, greening capacity, and greening propensity. In view of the increasing quest for environment protection in the shipping sector, this book provides a good reference for firms to understand and evaluate their capability in carrying out green operations on their shipping activities.

Safety aspects for underwater vehicles

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Madhan, R.; Navelkar, G.S.; Desa, E.S.; Afzulpurkar, S.; Prabhudesai, S.P.; Dabholkar, N.; Mascarenhas, A.A.M.Q.; Maurya, P.

instrumentation is intelligent small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s), autonomous profilers, gliders [1], etc. The ultimate aim in all autonomous platforms research and development is to reach the stage of unescorted missions with minimum failures...

Development of an underwater high sensitivity Cherenkov detector: Sea Urchin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camerini, U.; McGibney, D.; Roberts, A.

1982-01-01

The need for a high gain, high sensitivity Cherenkov light sensor to be used in a deep underwater muon and neutrino detector (DUMAND) array has led to the design of the Sea Urchin detector. In this design a spherical photocathode PMTis optically coupled through a glass hemisphere to a large number of glass spines, each of which is filled with a wavelength-shifting (WLS) solution of a high quantum efficiency phosphor. The Cherenkov radiation is absorbed in the spine, isotropically re-radiated at a longer wavelength, and a fraction of the fluorescent light is internally reflected in the spine, and guided to the photomultiplier concentrically located in the glass hemisphere. Experiments measuring the optical characteristics of the spines and computer programs simulating light transformation and detection cross sections are described. Overall optical gains in the range 5-10 are achieved. The WLS solution is inexpensive, and may have other applications. (orig.)

The WODA guidance paper on underwater sound from dredging (abstract)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomsen, F.; Borsani, F.; Clarke, D.; Jong, C.A.F. de; Witt, P. de; Holtkamp, M.; Goethals, F.; San Martin, E.; Spadaro, P.; Raalte, G. van; Jensen, A.

2013-01-01

The World Organisation of Dredging Associations (WODA) has identified underwater sound as an environmental issue that needs further consideration. A WODA Expert Group on Underwater Sound (WEGUS) was established to provide a guidance paper on dredging sound, impact on aquatic biota and advice on

Defect detectability of eddy current testing for underwater laser beam welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueno, Souichi; Kobayashi, Noriyasu; Ochiai, Makoto; Kasuya, Takashi; Yuguchi, Yasuhiro

2011-01-01

We clarified defect detectability of eddy current testing (ECT) as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding works of dissimilar metal welding (DMW) of reactor vessel nozzle. The underwater laser beam welding procedure includes groove caving as a preparation, laser beam welding in the grooves and welded surface grinding as a post treatment. Therefore groove and welded surface inspections are required in the underwater condition. The ECT is a major candidate as this inspection technique because a penetrant testing is difficult to perform in the underwater condition. Several kinds of experiments were curried out using a cross coil an ECT probe and ECT data acquisition system in order to demonstrate the ECT defect detectability. We used specimens, simulating groove and DMW materials at an RV nozzle, with electro-discharge machining (EDM) slits over it. Additionally, we performed a detection test for artificial stress corrosion cracking (SCC) defects. From these experimental results, we confirmed that an ECT was possible to detect EDM slits 0.3 mm or more in depth and artificial SCC defects 0.02 mm to 0.48 mm in depth on machined surface. Furthermore, the underwater ECT defect detectability is equivalent to that in air. We clarified an ECT is sufficiently usable as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding works. (author)

Experimental Study on the Measurement of Water Bottom Vibration Induced by Underwater Drilling Blasting

OpenAIRE

Wenbin, Gu; Jianghai, Chen; Zhenxiong, Wang; Zhihua, Wang; Jianqing, Liu; Ming, Lu

2015-01-01

Due to the lack of proper instrumentations and the difficulties in underwater measurements, the studies about water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting are seldom reported. In order to investigate the propagation and attenuation laws of blasting induced water bottom vibration, a water bottom vibration monitor was developed with consideration of the difficulties in underwater measurements. By means of this equipment, the actual water bottom vibration induced by underwater ...

Pushing the Envelope: Ship to Shore Events and High-Bandwidth Telepresence Engages Scientists and the Public

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, S. K.; Coleman, D. F.; Fisher, A. T.; Livelybrooks, D.; Mulder, G.

2013-12-01

Since 2009, the drillship JOIDES Resolution has engaged in an extensive program of live ship-to-shore events during its two-month scientific expeditions using a range of software applications and formats. The University of Rhode Island's Inner Space Center has utilized a high bandwidth 'telepresence' from ships such as the Ocean Exploration Trust's E/V Nautilus and the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, to bring live feeds from underwater exploration vehicles directly into museums, aquaria, science centers, boys and girls clubs, and K-16 classrooms. Both of these strategies have employed close partnerships between scientists and educators to bring cutting edge research and the excitement of exploration and discovery directly to the public in close to real time, but telepresence provides unique opportunities. Participants have been able to experience, live, launches of remotely operated vehicle systems including Jason/Medea on R/V Atlantis and Hercules/Argus on Nautilus, see scientific samples come up on deck for the very first time, observe previously-undiscovered shipwrecks at the same time as those on ship, and watch amazing deep sea creatures swim past deep water cameras. There are many benefits from high-bandwidth telepresence, including improved quality of images, video, and sound; the ability to move large data sets and files between ship and shore, allowing collaboration among individuals who are not on the ship; the ability to stage spontaneous "web events" among scientific, educational, and technical personnel at essentially any time; and more intensive interactions through use of social media, such as blogging, posting of multimedia products, and frequent question/answer sessions. These telepresence-enhanced activities assist the public in understanding the significance and excitement of these discoveries, the challenges of working in the deep sea, and the true nature of scientific processes. These interactions have significant impacts on their audiences, and

Compliance Monitoring of Underwater Blasting for Rock Removal at Warrior Point, Columbia River Channel Improvement Project, 2009/2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, Thomas J.; Johnson, Gary E.; Woodley, Christa M.; Skalski, J. R.; Seaburg, Adam

2011-05-10

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) conducted the 20-year Columbia River Channel Improvement Project (CRCIP) to deepen the navigation channel between Portland, Oregon, and the Pacific Ocean to allow transit of fully loaded Panamax ships (100 ft wide, 600 to 700 ft long, and draft 45 to 50 ft). In the vicinity of Warrior Point, between river miles (RM) 87 and 88 near St. Helens, Oregon, the USACE conducted underwater blasting and dredging to remove 300,000 yd3 of a basalt rock formation to reach a depth of 44 ft in the Columbia River navigation channel. The purpose of this report is to document methods and results of the compliance monitoring study for the blasting project at Warrior Point in the Columbia River.

Applicability evaluation of eddy current testing for underwater laser beam welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Noriyasu; Kasuya, Takashi; Ueno, Souichi; Ochiai, Makoto; Yuguchi, Yasuhiro

2010-01-01

We clarified a defect detecting capability of eddy current testing (ECT) as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding. An underwater laser beam welding procedure includes groove caving as a preparation, laser beam welding in groove and welding surface grinding as a post treatment. Therefore groove and grinded welding surface inspections are required underwater. We curried out defect detection tests using three kinds of specimens simulated a groove, reactor vessel nozzle dissimilar metal welding materials and a laser beam welding material with a cross coil ECT probe. From experimental results, we confirmed that it is possible to detect 0.3 mm or more depth electro-discharge machining slits on machining surfaces in all specimens and an ECT has possibility as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding. (author)

Evaluation of Underwater Image Enhancement Algorithms under Different Environmental Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marino Mangeruga

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Underwater images usually suffer from poor visibility, lack of contrast and colour casting, mainly due to light absorption and scattering. In literature, there are many algorithms aimed to enhance the quality of underwater images through different approaches. Our purpose was to identify an algorithm that performs well in different environmental conditions. We have selected some algorithms from the state of the art and we have employed them to enhance a dataset of images produced in various underwater sites, representing different environmental and illumination conditions. These enhanced images have been evaluated through some quantitative metrics. By analysing the results of these metrics, we tried to understand which of the selected algorithms performed better than the others. Another purpose of our research was to establish if a quantitative metric was enough to judge the behaviour of an underwater image enhancement algorithm. We aim to demonstrate that, even if the metrics can provide an indicative estimation of image quality, they could lead to inconsistent or erroneous evaluations.

Shipping

OpenAIRE

Wijnolst, N.; Wergeland, T.

1996-01-01

Shipping is a multi-faceted industry which is rather complex to define from an academic point of view. This book attempts to grasp these complexities and provide the reader with an overview of the main topics and terminology in shipping. The book is based on material from our courses in shipping at the universities in Delft and Bergen. As with our lectures, we draw upon quite a va ried material, from research studies at a high academic level to lower level student work and purely descriptive ...

Study on underwater plasma arc cutting technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yada, Toshio; Nakamura, Uhachiro; Tomidokoro, Sakae; Fukuzawa, Mitsuo

1980-01-01

The zirconium alloy tube of the impile creep test facility had been subjected to inner pressure in the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR) environment. In the near future, it will be necessary to dismantle the facility and to take out the tube for such examinations as irradiation effects on material properties. In order to establish the dismantling technology for the radioactive facility, a study on underwater plasma arc cutting has been carried out since 1977. Primarily, optimum underwater cutting sequence and conditions were studied in details for developing the remote control handling and the cutting system. Further, the amounts of particles suspended in water as well as those contained in bubbled gas were quantitatively analyzed for developing a safe removal system for contaminants which were produced by cutting the radioactive material. As a result of this study, it has been concluded that the underwater plasma arc cutting method is generally suitable and effective for dismantling such radioactive material as the impile creep test facility of the JMTR. (author)

Modeling and Control of Underwater Robotic Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schjoelberg, I:

1996-12-31

This doctoral thesis describes modeling and control of underwater vehicle-manipulator systems. The thesis also presents a model and a control scheme for a system consisting of a surface vessel connected to an underwater robotic system by means of a slender marine structure. The equations of motion of the underwater vehicle and manipulator are described and the system kinematics and properties presented. Feedback linearization technique is applied to the system and evaluated through a simulation study. Passivity-based controllers for vehicle and manipulator control are presented. Stability of the closed loop system is proved and simulation results are given. The equation of motion for lateral motion of a cable/riser system connected to a surface vessel at the top end and to a thruster at the bottom end is described and stability analysis and simulations are presented. The equations of motion in 3 degrees of freedom of the cable/riser, surface vessel and robotic system are given. Stability analysis of the total system with PD-controllers is presented. 47 refs., 32 figs., 7 tabs.

Hunting Sea Mines with UUV-Based Magnetic and Electro-Optic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

assembly of four 3-axis fluxgate magnetometers and (c) magnetometer package for underwater deployment in flooded body section. data are automatically...features the Real-time Tracking Gradiometer (RTG), which is a multi-channel tensor gradiometer using conventional fluxgate technology. Also in this...integrated together into a Bluefin12 AUV [5]. A. RTG Sensor Technology The RTG is a multi-channel tensor gradiometer using conventional fluxgate

A Formal Approach to the Selection by Minimum Error and Pattern Method for Sensor Data Loss Reduction in Unstable Wireless Sensor Network Communications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Changhwa; Shin, DongHyun

2017-05-12

There are wireless networks in which typically communications are unsafe. Most terrestrial wireless sensor networks belong to this category of networks. Another example of an unsafe communication network is an underwater acoustic sensor network (UWASN). In UWASNs in particular, communication failures occur frequently and the failure durations can range from seconds up to a few hours, days, or even weeks. These communication failures can cause data losses significant enough to seriously damage human life or property, depending on their application areas. In this paper, we propose a framework to reduce sensor data loss during communication failures and we present a formal approach to the Selection by Minimum Error and Pattern (SMEP) method that plays the most important role for the reduction in sensor data loss under the proposed framework. The SMEP method is compared with other methods to validate its effectiveness through experiments using real-field sensor data sets. Moreover, based on our experimental results and performance comparisons, the SMEP method has been validated to be better than others in terms of the average sensor data value error rate caused by sensor data loss.

Cutting method and device underwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takano, Genta; Kamei, Hiromasa; Beppu, Seiji

1998-01-01

A place of material to be cut is surrounded by an openable/closable box. The material to be cut is cut underwater, and materials generated in this case are removed from the cut portion by a pressurized water jet. The removed materials are sucked and recovered together with water in the box. Among the materials caused by the cutting underwater, solid materials not floating on water are caused to stay in the midway of a sucking and recovering channel. A large sucking force might be required for the entire region of the sucking and recovering channel when sucking and recovering large sized solid materials not floating on water, but even large sized materials can be recovered easily according to the present invention since they are recovered after being sucked and stayed in the midway of the sucking and recovering channel. (N.H.)

Underwater Optical Wireless Communications, Networking, and Localization: A Survey

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2018-01-01

Underwater wireless communications can be carried out through acoustic, radio frequency (RF), and optical waves. Compared to its bandwidth limited acoustic and RF counterparts, underwater optical wireless communications (UOWCs) can support higher data rates at low latency levels. However, severe aquatic channel conditions (e.g., absorption, scattering, turbulence, etc.) pose great challenges for UOWCs and significantly reduce the attainable communication ranges, which necessitates efficient networking and localization solutions. Therefore, we provide a comprehensive survey on the challenges, advances, and prospects of underwater optical wireless networks (UOWNs) from a layer by layer perspective which includes: 1) Potential network architectures; 2) Physical layer issues including propagation characteristics, channel modeling, and modulation techniques 3) Data link layer problems covering link configurations, link budgets, performance metrics, and multiple access schemes; 4) Network layer topics containing relaying techniques and potential routing algorithms; 5) Transport layer subjects such as connectivity, reliability, flow and congestion control; 6) Application layer goals and state-of-the-art UOWN applications, and 7) Localization and its impacts on UOWN layers. Finally, we outline the open research challenges and point out the future directions for underwater optical wireless communications, networking, and localization research.

Underwater Optical Wireless Communications, Networking, and Localization: A Survey

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir

2018-02-28

Underwater wireless communications can be carried out through acoustic, radio frequency (RF), and optical waves. Compared to its bandwidth limited acoustic and RF counterparts, underwater optical wireless communications (UOWCs) can support higher data rates at low latency levels. However, severe aquatic channel conditions (e.g., absorption, scattering, turbulence, etc.) pose great challenges for UOWCs and significantly reduce the attainable communication ranges, which necessitates efficient networking and localization solutions. Therefore, we provide a comprehensive survey on the challenges, advances, and prospects of underwater optical wireless networks (UOWNs) from a layer by layer perspective which includes: 1) Potential network architectures; 2) Physical layer issues including propagation characteristics, channel modeling, and modulation techniques 3) Data link layer problems covering link configurations, link budgets, performance metrics, and multiple access schemes; 4) Network layer topics containing relaying techniques and potential routing algorithms; 5) Transport layer subjects such as connectivity, reliability, flow and congestion control; 6) Application layer goals and state-of-the-art UOWN applications, and 7) Localization and its impacts on UOWN layers. Finally, we outline the open research challenges and point out the future directions for underwater optical wireless communications, networking, and localization research.

Designing Adaptable Ships: Modularity and Flexibility in Future Ship Designs

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

with motors, belts, shafts , seals, valves, hose spindles , and switches. If ship installation is not installed, the system will be status quo. Ship...Impact: the current centrifugal purifiers (Alfa-Laval) have experienced frequent failures with motor, belts, shafts , seals, valves, hose spindles ... Designing Adaptable Ships Modularity and Flexibility in Future Ship Designs John F. Schank, Scott Savitz, Ken Munson, Brian Perkinson, James

A thermal engine for underwater glider driven by ocean thermal energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yanan; Wang, Yanhui; Ma, Zhesong; Wang, Shuxin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal engine with a double-tube structure is developed for underwater glider. • Isostatic pressing technology is effective to increase volumetric change rate. • Actual volumetric change rate reaches 89.2% of the theoretical value. • Long term sailing of 677 km and 27 days is achieved by thermal underwater glider. - Graphical Abstract: - Abstract: Underwater glider is one of the most popular platforms for long term ocean observation. Underwater glider driven by ocean thermal energy extends the duration and range of underwater glider powered by battery. Thermal engine is the core device of underwater glider to harvest ocean thermal energy. In this paper, (1) model of thermal engine was raised by thermodynamics method and the performance of thermal engine was investigated, (2) thermal engine with a double-tube structure was developed and isostatic pressing technology was applied to improve the performance for buoyancy driven, referencing powder pressing theory, (3) wall thickness of thermal engine was optimized to reduce the overall weight of thermal engine, (4) material selection and dimension determination were discussed for a faster heat transfer design, by thermal resistance analysis, (5) laboratory test and long term sea trail were carried out to test the performance of thermal engine. The study shows that volumetric change rate is the most important indicator to evaluating buoyancy-driven performance of a thermal engine, isostatic pressing technology is effective to improve volumetric change rate, actual volumetric change rate can reach 89.2% of the theoretical value and the average power is about 124 W in a typical diving profile. Thermal engine developed by Tianjin University is a superior thermal energy conversion device for underwater glider. Additionally, application of thermal engine provides a new solution for miniaturization of ocean thermal energy conversion.

Summary of the guideline on underwater laser beam repair welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, Hiroya; Yoda, Masaki; Motora, Yuichi

2013-01-01

It is known that stress corrosion cracking (SCC) might occur at the weld of a reactor pressure vessel or core internals. Underwater laser beam clad welding for mitigation of SCC has been already established and the guideline 'Underwater laser beam clad welding' was published. Moreover, the guideline 'Seal welding' was also published as a repair method for SCC. In addition to these guidelines, the guideline 'Underwater laser beam repair welding' was newly published in November, 2012 for the repair welding after completely removing a SCC crack occurred in weld or base metal. This paper introduces the summary of this guideline. (author)

Application of YAG laser processing in underwater welding and cutting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohwaki, Katsura; Morita, Ichiro; Kojima, Toshio; Sato, Shuichi [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2002-09-01

The high-power YAG laser is a new fabrication tool. The laser torch is easy to combine with complex with complex mechanics because of beam delivery through optical fiber. A direct underwater laser welding technology has been developed and applied to the preservation, maintenance and removal of nuclear power plants. For subdividing or removing operations for retirement of plants, the laser cutting properties were confirmed to allow a maximum cutting thickness of 80 mm. For repairing inner surface of stainless steel tanks, an underwater laser welding system using a remote-controlled robot was developed and the high quality of underwater laser welding was confirmed. (author)

An Efficient Processing of Join Queries for Sensor Networks Using Column-Oriented Databases

OpenAIRE

Kyung-Chang Kim

2013-01-01

Recently, the sensor network area is gaining attention both in the industry and academia. Many applications of sensor network such as vehicle tracking and environmental monitoring require joining sensor data scattered over the network. The main performance criterion for queries in a sensor network is to minimize the battery power consumption in each sensor node. Hence, reducing the communication cost of shipping data among sensor nodes is important since it is the main consumer of battery pow...

Underwater videography and photography in Gulf of Kachchh. Sponsored by Gujarat Ecological Society, Vadodara, Gujarat

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Marine Archaeology Centre (MAC) has been carrying out underwater explorations and excavations of ancient ports and sunken shipwrecks to preserve underwater cultural heritage. MAC has the infrastructure facility to carry out underwater investigations...

Underwater nuclear power plant structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Severs, S.; Toll, H.V.

1982-01-01

A structure for an underwater nuclear power generating plant comprising a triangular platform formed of tubular leg and truss members upon which are attached one or more large spherical pressure vessels and one or more small cylindrical auxiliary pressure vessels. (author)

Analysing deterioration of marble stones exposed to underwater conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Cámara, Beatriz; Álvarez de Buergo, Mónica; Bethencourt, Manuel; Freire-Lista, David; Fort, Rafael

2016-04-01

The peculiar conditions of the marine environment make the conservation of underwater archaeological sites an extremely complex procedure. This is due to the fact that the prevailing conditions in this environment promote the development of deterioration phenomena in submerged artefacts through the synergistic action of physical, chemical and biological factors. The objective of the present investigation was to determine how petrophysical properties of cultural heritage materials can be affected by being exposed to the specific underwater conditions of the sea bottom, and so, to evaluate how this can affect, in a long term, in their durability and evolution when they part of an archaeological site. For this purpose, two types of marble (the Italian Carrara and the Spanish Macael) were subjected to an experiment consisting of exposing stone materials for one and a half year to underwater conditions. The experimental test was located in an archaeological site in the Bay of Cadiz (southern Spain), Bajo del Chapitel (recognized as Cultural Interest), which includes remains of shipwrecks from different periods. In this site, samples were submerged to 12 m depth and placed in the sea bottom simulating the different positions in which underwater archaeological objects can be found (fully exposed, half buried and covered). Petrophysical characterisation involved determination of the apparent and bulk densities, water saturation (maximum water content a material may contain), open porosity (porosity accessible to water), chromatic parameters and ultrasonic velocity. Before measuring, samples were subjected to mechanical cleaning (in those samples with biological colonization) and to removal of salt deposits. Results showed significant differences in these petrophysical properties after underwater submersion, which were directly related to the type of underwater exposure condition. Comparative analysis of petrophysical properties, like the one conducted in this study

FILMING UNDERWATER IN 3D RESPECTING STEREOGRAPHIC RULES

OpenAIRE

R. Rinaldi; H. Hordosch

2015-01-01

After an experimental phase of many years, 3D filming is now effective and successful. Improvements are still possible, but the film industry achieved memorable success on 3D movie’s box offices due to the overall quality of its products. Special environments such as space ("Gravity") and the underwater realm look perfect to be reproduced in 3D. "Filming in space" was possible in "Gravity" using special effects and computer graphic. The underwater realm is still difficult to be handled. Under...

Development of underwater and hyperbaric medicine in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozali, A; Rampal, K G; Zin, B Mohd; Sherina, M S; Khairuddin, H; Abd Halim, M; Sulaiman, A

2006-12-01

Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine is a treatment modality gaining recognition in Malaysia. It uses the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) approach where patients are placed in recompression chambers and subjected to oxygen therapy under pressure. In Malaysia it was introduced as early as the 1960's by the Royal Malaysian Navy to treat their divers for decompression illness (DCI), arterial gas embolism (AGE) and barotraumas. Other sectors in the armed forces, universities and private health centres began developing this approach too in the late 1990's, for similar purposes. In 1996, Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine began gaining its popularity when the Institute of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lumut started treating specific clinical diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, osteomyelitis, and carbon monoxide poisoning and other diseases using HBOT. This paper discusses the development of this interesting treatment modality, giving a brief historical overview to its current development, as well as provides some thought for its future development in Malaysia.

LCA-ship. Design tool for energy efficient ships. A Life Cycle Analysis Program for Ships. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiven, Karl; Sjoebris, Anders [MariTerm AB, Goeteborg (Sweden); Nilsson, Maria [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Stiftelsen TEM; Ellis, Joanne; Traegaardh, Peter; Nordstroem, Malin [SSPA Sweden AB, Goeteborg (Sweden)

2004-05-01

In order to make it easier to include aspects during ship design that will improve environmental performance, general methods for life cycle calculations and a prototype tool for LCA calculations of ships and marine transportation have been developed. The base of the life cycle analyses is a comprehensive set of life cycle data that was collected for the materials and consumables used in ship construction and vessel operations. The computer tool developed makes it possible to quickly and simply specify (and calculate) the use of consumables over the vessel's life time cycle. Special effort has been made to allow the tool to be used for different types of vessels and sea transport. The main result from the project is the computer tool LCA ship, which incorporates collected and developed life cycle data for some of the most important materials and consumables used in ships and their operation. The computer application also contains a module for propulsion power calculations and a module for defining and optimising the energy system onboard the vessel. The tool itself is described in more detail in the Computer application manual. The input to the application should, as much as possible, be the kind of information that is normally found in a shipping company concerning vessel data and vessel movements. It all starts with defining the ship to be analysed and continues with defining how the ship is used over the lifetime. The tool contains compiled and processed background information about specific materials and processes (LCA data) connected to shipping operations. The LCA data is included in the tool in a processed form. LCA data for steel will for example include the environmental load from the steel production, the process to build the steel structure of the ship, the scrapping and the recycling phase. To be able to calculate the environmental load from the use of steel the total amount of steel used over the life cycle of the ship is also needed. The

An underwater robot controls water tanks in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lardiere, C.

2015-01-01

The enterprises Newton Research Labs and IHI Southwest Technologies have developed a robot equipped with sensors to inspect the inside walls (partially) and bottom of water tanks without being obliged to empty them. The robot called 'Inspector' is made up of 4 main components: a chassis with 4 independent steering wheels, a camera video system able to provide a 360 degree view, various non-destructive testing devices such as underwater laser scanners, automated ultra-sound or Foucault current probes and an operation system for both driving the robot and controlling the testing. The Inspector robot has been used to inspect the inside bottom of an operating condensate tank at the Palo Verde nuclear station. The robot was able to check all the welds joining the bottom plates and the welds between the walls and the bottom. The robot is also able to come back to the exact place where a defect was detected during a previous inspection. (A.C.)

Actuated Recoil Absorbing Mounting System for use with an Underwater Gun

Science.gov (United States)

1998-03-31

fire supercavitating bullets, requires that 20 the new projectile launchers be tested. The firing of projectile 21 launchers involving a high...of projectile launcher 12 includes an underwater gun 15 that fires supercavitating bullets underwater and has a high 16 discharge energy. However

Strong underwater adhesives made by self-assembling multi-protein nanofibres.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Chao; Gurry, Thomas; Cheng, Allen A; Downey, Jordan; Deng, Zhengtao; Stultz, Collin M; Lu, Timothy K

2014-10-01

Many natural underwater adhesives harness hierarchically assembled amyloid nanostructures to achieve strong and robust interfacial adhesion under dynamic and turbulent environments. Despite recent advances, our understanding of the molecular design, self-assembly and structure-function relationships of these natural amyloid fibres remains limited. Thus, designing biomimetic amyloid-based adhesives remains challenging. Here, we report strong and multi-functional underwater adhesives obtained from fusing mussel foot proteins (Mfps) of Mytilus galloprovincialis with CsgA proteins, the major subunit of Escherichia coli amyloid curli fibres. These hybrid molecular materials hierarchically self-assemble into higher-order structures, in which, according to molecular dynamics simulations, disordered adhesive Mfp domains are exposed on the exterior of amyloid cores formed by CsgA. Our fibres have an underwater adhesion energy approaching 20.9 mJ m(-2), which is 1.5 times greater than the maximum of bio-inspired and bio-derived protein-based underwater adhesives reported thus far. Moreover, they outperform Mfps or curli fibres taken on their own and exhibit better tolerance to auto-oxidation than Mfps at pH ≥ 7.0.

A novel underwater dam crack detection and classification approach based on sonar images.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Pengfei; Fan, Xinnan; Ni, Jianjun; Khan, Zubair; Li, Min

2017-01-01

Underwater dam crack detection and classification based on sonar images is a challenging task because underwater environments are complex and because cracks are quite random and diverse in nature. Furthermore, obtainable sonar images are of low resolution. To address these problems, a novel underwater dam crack detection and classification approach based on sonar imagery is proposed. First, the sonar images are divided into image blocks. Second, a clustering analysis of a 3-D feature space is used to obtain the crack fragments. Third, the crack fragments are connected using an improved tensor voting method. Fourth, a minimum spanning tree is used to obtain the crack curve. Finally, an improved evidence theory combined with fuzzy rule reasoning is proposed to classify the cracks. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is able to detect underwater dam cracks and classify them accurately and effectively under complex underwater environments.

A novel underwater dam crack detection and classification approach based on sonar images.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengfei Shi

Full Text Available Underwater dam crack detection and classification based on sonar images is a challenging task because underwater environments are complex and because cracks are quite random and diverse in nature. Furthermore, obtainable sonar images are of low resolution. To address these problems, a novel underwater dam crack detection and classification approach based on sonar imagery is proposed. First, the sonar images are divided into image blocks. Second, a clustering analysis of a 3-D feature space is used to obtain the crack fragments. Third, the crack fragments are connected using an improved tensor voting method. Fourth, a minimum spanning tree is used to obtain the crack curve. Finally, an improved evidence theory combined with fuzzy rule reasoning is proposed to classify the cracks. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is able to detect underwater dam cracks and classify them accurately and effectively under complex underwater environments.