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The “Flying Fish” VPR II A new 3 axis Fast-tow Survey System

Undulating Tow Body Operations (The Flying Fish VPR II) Andrew Girard Shipboard Scientific Services Group (SSSG) Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department. The “Flying Fish” VPR II A new 3 axis Fast-tow Survey System. The VPR II was designed to improve on the V-fin VPR.

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The “Flying Fish” VPR II A new 3 axis Fast-tow Survey System

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  1. Undulating Tow Body Operations(The Flying Fish VPR II)Andrew GirardShipboard Scientific Services Group (SSSG)Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department

  2. The “Flying Fish” VPR II A new 3 axis Fast-tow Survey System

  3. The VPR II was designed to improve on the V-fin VPR 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.

  4. 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.

  5. System Layout

  6. 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

  7. 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.

  8. Concentration (#/L) VPRII Aboard RV Albatross data provided by CDavis

  9. 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

  10. 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. What next?

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