MRI: Development of a next generation velocity profiling float

在过去的几十年里，通过测量速度的剖面浮标，人们对洋流和能量循环有了更深入的了解。然而，由于一种基本的微处理器已经停产，这种仪器已不再可用。为了维持这个观测平台，并提高分析器的能力和未来应用的可扩展性，研究人员将开发一种新的速度分析器。它将用于提高我们对洋流和海洋-大气系统的观测知识。由于具有测量海底速度的独特采样能力，它在研究海洋内部波、海洋混合、向海洋输入能量的风、海冰和海洋冰川下的洋流、海洋对飓风的反应以及许多其他用途方面特别有用。仪器的最终设计将通过一个工业伙伴商业化，供海洋学界广泛使用。此外，该项目将把工程知识传授给下一代科学家和工程师。即将开发的速度剖面浮标通过测量海洋中的弱电场来推断水流速度，这是一种高度精确的测量方法。主要依靠现有硬件，开发任务包括更新内部电子设备，插入第二个微处理器，重写控制浮动的固件和逻辑。设计目标是建立一个可扩展的系统，可以很容易地修改新的采样模式，并可以很容易地与新的传感器集成，如湍流微观结构和生化传感器。在水下执行自适应调整采样模式的能力也将包括在内。需要在工作台、储罐和现场进行广泛的测试，以确保最终系统的坚固性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In the past decades much insight has been made into ocean currents and energy cycles from a profiling float that measures velocity. This instrument is no longer available, however, because an essential microprocessor has been discontinued. To maintain this observational platform, and to improve the profiler's capabilities and extensibility for future applications, the researchers will develop a new velocity profiler. It will be used to advance our observational knowledge of ocean currents and the ocean-atmosphere system. With its unique sampling capabilities for measuring subsurface ocean velocity, it is particularly useful for studying oceanic internal waves, ocean mixing, wind input of energy into the ocean, currents under sea ice and marine glaciers, and the ocean response to hurricanes, among many other uses. The final instrument design will be made commercially available through an industry partner, for broad availability by the oceanographic community. In addition, this project will transition engineering knowledge to a next generation of scientists and engineers.The velocity profiling float to be developed measures weak electric field in the ocean to infer water velocity, a highly exacting type of measurement. Largely relying on existing hardware, the development tasks include updating the internal electronics, inserting a second microprocessor, and rewriting the firmware and logic that controls the float. The design goal is to build an extensible system that can easily be modified for new sampling patterns and can easily be integrated with new sensors, such as turbulent microstructure and biochemical sensors. The ability to perform adaptive adjustments to its sampling pattern while underwater will also be included. Extensive testing on the bench, in tanks, and in the field will be required to ensure a robust final system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.