Surface current measurement network using cellular telephone telemetry

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Surface current measurement network using cellular telephone telemetry

Chaplin, G.F. / Kelly, F.J.

During the first few hours of an oil spill, the spill-response team must make critical decisions about operations and logistics. Effective response requires immediate information about wind and current velocity conditions in order to evaluate quickly the trajectory, fate and potential impact of the spilled material. An array of five near-surface current measuring buoys has been designed and deployed in the Gulf of Mexico. Each buoy is networked with a central shore station via commercial cellular telephone service. Each buoy employs a temperature sensor and an electromagnetic water flow sensor about in 2 meter depth below the sea surface and a vector-averaging data acquisition system to collect and record near-surface current data. Buffered data are automatically transferred to a share station on a programmed schedule using the MNP Class 10 high performance data communications protocol. Under user control, the shore station can communicate with individual buoys to modify the data collection and reporting schedule as well as recover archived data. The low-cost, small-profile, solar-powered buoy is collision survivable. The buoy can be deployed from a surface vessel or helicopter.