Data Buoy Cooperation Panel Scientific and Technical Workshop Scripps Institution of Oceanography La Jolla, CA Recent Buoy Developments at NOAA/NOS/CO-OPS Ocean Systems Test & Evaluation Program Mark Bushnell, Kate Bosley, Tammy Graff, Warren Krug NOAA/NOS/CO-OPS October 16, 2006
Current profiles in Shipping channels Updated every 6 min Radio link to shore Aids TO Navigation (ATON) Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Part of NOS/CO-OPS PORTS
“Not to Interfere” CONSIDERATIONS Deployed/recovered with buoy on station Entire package removed prior to ATON servicing All similar metals and coloration Minimal alteration of buoy profile and characteristics
No obvious bias in ATON Mean difference ~ 3cm/s Speeds compare very well, within anticipated error of individual instruments
GPS COMPASS CALIBRATION GOALS Rotate GPS compass and Nortek to determine the effectiveness of the Nortek compass calibration algorithm Evaluate potential for GPS compass calibration of the Nortek Thales GPS Compass 10 Hz compass sampling rate, 1 sec average Nortek 1 sec compass sampling rate
Comparison of current direction to a bottom-mounted ADCP improves with increasing speed much of the difference is real spatial variability
BATTERY LIFE Easily achieve 180 day deployment with 0.1 watt Radio 1 watt radio required further power saving modifications, 297 days and counting.
ATON ADCP measurements are noisier at all levels. ATON ADCP has O(10X) larger vertical velocity
Quick Response Estuarine Buoy (QREB) Support for hazmat response Easily deployed from small vessel Short duration deployment (90 days) Survive moderate gale Report current profile and met data at 6 minute intervals
As delivered… 600 pounds 13 feet overall length 4 ft diameter Tested in the Chesapeake Bay at CC#16, compared to bottom-mounted RDI and our ATON ADCP
Sutron Xpert 9210 DCP 300 KHz RDI ADCP RM Young anemometer Barometric pressure Air temperature GPS 6 minute data update rate IP modem GOES
QREB Display
Ruggedize DCP housing Calibrate compass (wind direction) Nortek ADP (less power, near-surface velocity) GPS Smaller beacon (solar panels) Battery capacity testing Iridium (global coverage, less power) Lightweight capability Upgrades & Improvements