Chelsea Technologies Group - Oceanographic Vehicle

Applications

	Oceanographic data gathering from ships of opportunity
	Ecosystem health monitoring
	Real-time two dimensional data gathering in support of oceanographic modelling
	Pollution monitoring and dye tracing studies
	Sea truthing for satellite remote sensing
	Continuous plankton monitoring and sampling
	Estuary, coastal zone and open ocean surveys
	Local area site assessment

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Features

	Highly stable, light weight and robust
	Versatile payload configuration
	Generates its own power for vehicle control
	Wide tow speed range (8 to 25 knots)
	Pre-programmable or real time control
	Fast data acquisition (logged or real-time)
	Undulating depth range from 0 to 135m
	Undulation wavelength 800m to 4km

The standard AQUA^shuttle package comprises the underwater vehicle, depth sensor, alternator and servo control system.

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The AQUA^shuttle Mark III is a stable, highly robust, versatile undulating towed vehicle for deploying a wide range of oceanographic monitoring equipment. Designed and developed by Chelsea Technologies Group and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, it has a proven record of reliability over many thousands of miles of operation.

The vehicle has a strong glass reinforced plastic body with a robust integral stainless steel framework which can accommodate a wide range of sensor payloads. Its 'flight' profile is maintained by a servo-controlled elevator, the servo being powered by the vehicle's own impeller driven alternator.

Real-time control and data display enables the operator to observe the two dimensional oceanographic conditions and adjust the flight parameters accordingly. Capable of tow speeds from 8 to 25 knots, AQUA^shuttle will undulate from the surface to 135 metres. The stand-alone capability, ease of handling, high data rate and versatility of sensor and sampling packages make this a cost effective and productive platform for large scale data collection. With the growing need to monitor diverse marine ecosystems on a regular basis, AQUA^shuttle has a proven record of extensive use on research vessels and ships of opportunity.
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Specification AQUAshuttle Body
Length (impeller to bridle):	1.06m	Weight (including Servo Control, In Air,	66kg
Height:	0.50m	excluding Logger Port & Sensors: In Water	45kg
Width (including wings):	0.72m

Operating Profile
Control:	Self-contained processor control of elevator servo from pre-programmed profile or real-time communications
Depth Range:	0 to 70m unfaired (0 to 135m faired) typically
Towing Speed:	8 to 25 knots
Drive / Climb Speed:	1 m/s maximum

Engineering Details
Flight Programme:	Input from computer via RS422 link
Elevator servo:	Digital control with depth sensor
Power:	Impeller driven alternator powering digital servo above 5 knots
Material:	Strengthened glass fibre reinforced plastic body; 316 stainless steel frame and towing yoke
Support Systems
Winch:	Dedicated winch with slip ring assembly only required when used in real time mode with power/data communication to surface deck unit. When towing on a bare cable, a standard ships capstan may be used.
Cable:	Rochester 7-H-314A or equivalent for real-time deployments
Fairing:	Fathom Flexnose(R) fairing is used for increased depth and undulation range performance

All instruments& support systems can be supplied by Chelsea Technologies Group Ltd

In view of our continual improvement, the designs and specifications of our products may vary from those described.

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Applications	Features	Product Description	Specification
Winches	Deck Units	Overview of all vehicles (pdf)	Fact Sheet (pdf)

Typical Instrumentation Payload
Combination of:	CTD, Fluorimeter, Transmissometer, Nephelometer, Bioluminescence, Irradiance meter, Optical plankton recorder, Plankton Sampler, Nitrate/Nitrite sensor, and SeaWifs bands sensors