RAPID-MOC

Mooring Array Instrumentation

Instrument types and specifications
Telemetry
CTD and current profilers (MMP and HOMER)
Fixed point CTD (SBE 37 - microCAT)
Current meters (S4)
Tide gauges or bottom pressure recorders (SBE 26)

Test instruments


Instruments
How did we choose?
Satisfy the sensor specification and
accuracy that we specified
Reliable
Robust
Simple to use
SBE 37-SM
The SBE 37-SM MicroCAT is a high-accuracy
conductivity and temperature (pressure
optional) recorder with internal battery and
memory. Designed for moorings or other long
duration, fixed-site deployments.
Pump: The submersible pump comes on for 0.5s
for each sample.
This improves the conductivity response and
flushes the old sample from the cell
Water does not flow between samples allowing
the anti-foul concentration to build up protecting
the cell.
SBE 37-SM Specification
Range Accuracy Stability Resolution
Conductivity
mS/cm
0 to 70 0.003 0.0003 0.0001
Temperature C -5 to 35 0.002 0.0002 0.0001
Pressure dbar 0-3500
0-7000
0.1% fs 0.004% fs 0.002% fs
Battery capacity is 80,000 samples (9/hour for 1 year)
SBE 26 SEAGAUGE Wave & Tide Recorder
The SBE 26 continuously integrates
pressure samples to obtain water level
measurements unaffected by wave
action, and also independently burst-
samples pressure at rates up to 4 Hz for
wave amplitude calculation. Water level
integration and wave burst sampling
intervals and durations are
programmable. The large memory
permits frequent water level recording
and highly detailed wave
characterization. For example, with an
8M byte memory and optional lithium
batteries, a 120-day deployment could
include water level measurements every
15 minutes and 20-minute, 2 Hz wave-
burst samples eight times a day.
SBE 26 SEAGAUGE Wave & Tide Recorder
Temperature
(C)
Pressure
Measurement Range -5 to +35 13 ranges, from 0 to 1 m (15 psia)
to
0 to 6800 m (10,000 psia)
Accuracy 0.02 0.01% of full scale
(3 mm for 45 psia range)
Resolution 0.01 Tide:
0.2 mm (0.008 in.) for
1-minute integration;
0.01 mm (0.0004 in.) for
15-minute integration

Calibration +1 to +32 0 psia to F.S. Pressure
Repeatability 0.005% of full scale
(1.5 mm for 45 psia range)
Hysteresis 0.005% of full scale
(1.5 mm for 45 psia range)
S4 Current Meter by
InterOcean
The S4 Electromagnetic Current Meter measures the voltage resulting
from the motion of a conductor (water flow velocity) through a
magnetic field according to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.
Simply stated, Faraday's law defines the voltage produced in a
conductor as the product of the speed of the conductor (water flow
velocity) times the magnitude of the magnetic field times the length of
the conductor. In the case of the S4, the conductor length is the effective
path between the sensing electrodes. The magnetic field intensity is
generated by a circular coil, internal to the S4, driven by a precisely
regulated alternating current. The use of an alternating magnetic field
and synchronous detection techniques to measure the voltage at the
sensing electrodes provides an extremely stable, low noise current
measurement. Two orthogonal pairs of electrodes and an internal flux
gate compass provide the current vector.

Current Speed
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Range 0-350 cm/sec (standard)
0-50, 0-100, 0-600, 0-750 cm/sec
Accuracy: 2% of reading +/- 1 cm/sec
Sampling Rate: S4/S4A
S4AH 2 Hz
5 Hz
Resolution: 2 Hz 0.03 to 0.35 cm/sec depending on range
5 Hz 0.037 to 0.43 cm/sec depending on range
Noise: Less than the resolution for averages of 1 minute or longer
0.05 cm/sec rms for 10 second averages
0.25 cm/sec rms for 2 second averages
0.75 cm/sec rms for burst sampling (0.5 second rate)
Threshold: Equal to resolution
Vertical Response: True cosine response (internally software corrected with Tilt option)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type: Flux-gate compass
Range: 0-360
Resolution: 0.5 deg
Accuracy: +/- 2 deg within tilt angles of 5 deg
Tilt: +/- 4 deg for tilt angles between 15 and 25 deg
S4 Specification
Profiling CTD and current
meters
HOMER
MMP
HOMER
Bottom mounted package with a buoyant
capsule and CTD that is winched through
the water column
Max depth 3000m
Range 400 m from the bottom
Velocity of buoy 0.3 m/s
Capability: 1 profile per day for 1 year

MMP
The McLane Moored Profiler (MMP) is an autonomous, instrumented
platform.
Designed to provide long time-series, in situ profiles of temperature,
salinity, velocity, and other quantities of interest.
The commercial version, the MMP MK 7, is now in production at
McLane Research Laboratories, Inc. (MRL).
The new design incorporates the proven features of the original
prototypes, developed by the Advanced Engineering Laboratory of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in a package that is easily
serviced in the field and robustly tolerant of typical shipboard
conditions.
An all new MK10 is in development for SOC with new sensors and an
inductive modem for telemetry.
Dimensions
Height 130.5 cm
Width 33.3 cm
Length (body) 50.5 cm
Weight
w/ Sensors (air) 70.5 Kg
w/o Sensors (air) 64.3 Kg

Max Depth 6,000 m
Endurance 1Mm

MK10 modifications for SOC
SBE41 CP - SeaBird CTD as used in argo
floats
SBE44 Inductive modem for real time data
telemetry
Main changes: longer body, larger pressure
case
Telemetry Developments by
SOC

Specify new sensor and inductive system for MMP MK10
mercury swivels for electrical connections
Surface buoy with rechargable batteries and solar cells
Iridium and Orbcomm transmitters/receivers

Timescale

Persistor computer system with power controller and Iridium interface is built and under
test.
SeaBird SIM and UIM components have been purchased and will be integrated with the
Persistor once we know how the MMP is to control the data transfer.
A prototype buoy hull has been delivered together with frameworks for the solar panels and
batteries.
The solar panels and batteries are under test.
A miniature GPS receiver has been purchased and tested.
Outstanding work:
Integrate Orbcomm communicator into system and test with new short antenna.
Build electronics housing and antenna platform and integrate into buoy.
Integrate SIM board and test data transfer from (simulated) MMP back to SOC.
Integrate GPS receiver and antenna.
Build and test battery and temperature monitoring circuits and integrate.
Fit pressure relief valve to buoy hull.
In early September it is planned to take the Persistor/Iridium/SIM subsystem to McLane in
the States (September 8
th
2003) to check that it communicates successfully with the MMP.