Undulating Tow Body Operations The Flying Fish VPR II Andrew Girard Shipboard Scientific Services Gr

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Undulating Tow Body Operations(The Flying Fish
VPR II)Andrew Girard Shipboard Scientific
Services Group (SSSG) Applied Ocean Physics and
Engineering Department
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The Flying Fish VPR II A new 3 axis Fast-tow
Survey System
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Issues with the V-Fin VPR-The V-fin required a
constant pay in pay out handling system to change
depths in the water column. -It needed to be
towed from the side of the ship to reduce
disturbed sample. -It had a maximum tow speed
of 8 knots, to slow for ships in transit.-The
older analog 2 camera system could be upgraded to
a digital camera which would increase the sample
volume and speed up the data process time.
The VPR II was designed to improve on the V-fin
VPR
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Design Specifications met by the new sled
-High resolution digital video camera in the
Video Plankton Recorder for improved direct
signal image processing. -Computer controlled,
maneuverable, three-axis tow fish that can
perform programmed undulations and be steered
away from the ships wake while being towed from
the stern A frame. -tow speeds of 10-12 knots
(5-6m/s). -A cantilevered tow bridle to maintain
a clean sample area. -Small diameter tow cable
and smaller winch for coastal ship
use. -Improved, user friendly data analysis
capable of real time plots and an easy interface
with the flight controls of the vehicle.
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System Layout
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Rudder (changes yaw, side-to- side)
Combined Elevator and Aileron (Changes pitch to
create lift or stabilizes roll of the vehicle)
Video and Environmental data acquisition (Muxes
ancillary data and camera signal and sends it up
a single mode fiber)
Flight Control Can (receives commands from
surface control computer)
Pulnix Digital CCD Camera in a SeaScan housing
20 W SeaScan VPR Strobe
90 cm distance for clean sample area
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Images captured by the VPR

• Plankton captured by the VPR (Video Plankton
  Recorder) are sorted into ROIs (in focus Regions
  Of Interest) Then sorted individually into major
  Plankton taxa, previously this was a manual
  procedure, we are now capable of full real time
  automation.

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Concentration (/L)
VPRII Aboard RV Albatross data provided by CDavis
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Physical Data Collected with the Flying Fish VPR
II aboard the RV Knorr during transit from Malta
to Woods Hole at 12 knots to a depth of 100
meters. Data provided by C Davis
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What next?

• More cruises next summer!
• Improvements to fiber optic links, Fusion splice
  the hidden connections to reduce failure.
• Improved documentation, prototypes miss this
  point often.
• Better ways of troubleshooting issues when they
  come up.
• Eliminate at least half the watertight connectors
  by replacing with hard connections.
• Both Biologists and Physical Modelers would love
  to use the system if it could go a bit deeper,
  current restrictions include a short tow cable,
  need for more fairing and a larger winch drum to
  handle the addition fairing.
• Replace some of the PVC foam in the fins and aft
  section to handle deeper pressures
• Rethinking the winch specification when it comes
  to ISM qualifications.

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