MRI: Development of a next generation velocity profiling float

在过去的几十年里，人们通过测量速度的剖面浮标对洋流和能量循环进行了大量的研究。然而，这种仪器不再可用，因为一种重要的微处理器已经停产。为了维护这个观测平台，并提高剖面仪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剖面仪。它将被用来提高我们对洋流和海洋-大气系统的观测知识。由于其独特的测量次表层海洋速度的采样能力，它特别有助于研究海洋内波、海洋混合、风对海洋的能量输入、海冰和海洋冰川下的洋流以及海洋对飓风的反应等许多用途。最终的仪器设计将通过一个行业合作伙伴进行商业化销售，供海洋学界广泛使用。此外，该项目还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测量海洋中的微弱电场来推断水流速度，这是一种高度精确的测量类型。在很大程度上依赖于现有的硬件，开发任务包括更新内部电子设备，插入第二个微处理器，以及重写控制浮球的固件和逻辑。设计目标是建立一个可扩展的系统，该系统可以很容易地针对新的采样模式进行修改，并可以很容易地与新的传感器集成，如湍流微结构和生化传感器。还将包括在水下对其采样模式进行自适应调整的能力。将需要在工作台、坦克和现场进行广泛的测试，以确保一个强大的最终系统。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.