Design and Development of a Drifting Buoy for Gathering Environmental Data

Abstract:

Operational meteorologists and Oceanographers rely on real-time environmental data to run their numerical prediction models, even carry on the research. The ground station network is dense and the data of good quality, but there is not enough environmental data from the oceans, particularly in data-sparse areas not covered by commercial ships reporting environmental data. A drifting ocean buoy is described. The drifter consists of three main components: a surface float, a tether assembly and a dimensionally-stable drogue. It utilizes a drag structure which follows the water mass of the ocean as it flows in the form of the ocean current, and which also has an aerodynamically shaped low wind drag mast to minimize wind induced errors in ocean current drift measurements; the drag structure also being stable and resistant to heaving (pitch and roll) so as to maintain a mast carried antenna above the water even at high sea states.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 651-653)
• Pages: 417-421
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.651-653.417
• Online since: September 2014
• Authors: Xin Jun Gan*, Yong Hua Chen, Yong Ping Xu, Tao Zuo Ni, Jing Bo Jiang, Zhi Tu Deng, Xiao Long Li
• Keywords: Design, Development, Drifting Buoy, Environmental Data

References

[1] Emery, L; Smith, R; McNeal, D; Hughes, B. Autonomous Collection of River Parameters Using Drifting Buoys. OCEANS, 1-7. (2010).

DOI: 10.1109/oceans.2010.5664521

[2] Paul, W; Bocconcelli, A; Boutin, PR. The SSAR Drifting Buoy System - A New Approach for A Reliable Telemetry Link to A Suspended Sensor Package. Conference on Challenges and Opportunities in the Marine Environmen, 398-408. (1994).

[3] Lean, K; Saunders, RW. Validation of the ATSR Reprocessing for Climate (ARC) Dataset Using Data from Drifting Buoys and a Three-Way Error Analysis. JOURNAL OF CLIMATE, Vol 26(13): 4758-4772. (2013).

DOI: 10.1175/jcli-d-12-00206.1

[4] Hwang, Byongjun. Inter-comparison of satellite sea ice motion with drifting buoy data, International Joural of Remote Sensing, 34(24): 8741-8763, (2013).

DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2013.848309

[5] Atkinson, Christopher P.; Rayner, etc. Assessing the quality of sea surface temperature observations from drifting buoys and ships on a platform-by-platform basis, Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 118(7): 3507-3529, (2013).

DOI: 10.1002/jgrc.20257

[6] Kuang, Liang; Blumberg, Alan F.; Georgas, Nickitas. Assessing the fidelity of surface currents from a coastal ocean model and HF radar using drifting buoys in the Middle Atlantic Bight, Ocean Dynamics, 62(8): 1229-1243, (2012).

DOI: 10.1007/s10236-012-0556-2