April 2010
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Final Registration Deadline for NortekUSA Users Symposium -- 20 AprilAre you a new or advanced Nortek user? Do you want to learn how to make your work easier and more successful? Do you want to share ideas and experiences with other Nortek users? Do you want some one-on-one time with Nortek staff of scientists and engineers? The NortekUSA Users Symposium is for you! There is still space and a few days left to register for the annual NortekUSA Users Symposium - but hurry, final deadline to register is Tuesday, 20 April! Register today with the online registration form. We have a fantastic line-up of guest and keynote speakers this year, in addition to the expert Nortek staff. The Symposium is being held in Seattle, WA, at the Edgewater Hotel from 19-21 May. Take this opportunity to learn about deployment techniques, cutting edge Doppler applications, and new technologies from your colleagues and Nortek experts. More information and the complete agenda are located here. |
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Aquadopp Z-Cell Profiler Innovation Featured in Sea TechnologyWe are pleased to announce that SeaTechnology has published an article describing the innovative Aquadopp Z-Cell Profiler. This article highlights a deployment that was carried out in 2009 as a collaborative effort between NDBC and Nortek. The 1 MHz Z-Cell Profiler was mounted on an NDBC 3-m discus buoy and shows how the ability to measure the current close to the surface can have significant impact on search and rescue operations. This is especially true in coastal waters, where the surface layer often has a lower salinity than the rest of the water column. The Z-Cell is now available in 600 kHz frequency with zero blanking distance and a profile range of 50 m. |
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Observations of Turbulence and Acoustc Backscatter from Moving PlatformsNortekUSA staff will be attending the OOI Science Workshop in Tempe, Arizona, to give a presentation about novel methods to measure turbulence and acoustic backscatter on moving platforms such as ocean gliders and winched & crawling vertical profilers. Acoustic backscatter observations made from Nortek Aquadopp's mounted on gliders and vertical profilers have been used to study zooplankton migration patterns and other biological and geochemical thin layers in the ocean. Estimates of turbulent dissipation are possible from these moving platforms using the structure function approach with beam velocity data collected with the Aquadopp High Resolution (HR) profiler. The HR Profiler may collect velocity data with cells as small as 1 cm and sample rates as high as 8 Hz. Contact NortekUSA for more information about how you can make these observations from your moving platforms. |
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New TIDAS Buoy with Integrated Z-Cell ProfilerThe TIDAS 900 buoy, built by S2 Yacht, is designed as a “plug and play” platform to fulfill an interdisciplinary approach to coastal monitoring requirements. When S2 started shopping for acoustic Doppler current profiler instrumentation to meet client requests, the buoy-deployable capabilities of the Nortek Aquadopp Z-Cell Profiler was an obvious choice. The small form factor and ability to measure current velocity very close to the ocean surface made the Z-Cell a perfect for fit for the TIDAS buoy. After consulting with Nortek and other academic collaborators, the S2 team has modified the buoy’s design to offer a new configuration that includes three vertical "pass-through" tubes for the housing of Z-Cell and other surface instrumentation within the buoy hull's perimeter. |
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New CROM Deployment Module with Integrated Acoustic ReleaseROMOR Ocean Solutions has released the CROM (Compact Recoverable Oceanographic Mooring) subsurface deployment system for the Nortek Aquadopp Z-Cell Profiler and AWAC wave system. The CROM is an easy to deploy, self gimbaling, subsurface buoy with integrated acoustic release. The design consists of a subsurface floatation collar that provides 90 to 100 lbs positive buoyancy for use in a seawater environment for depths of up to 500 m. The floatation collar is required to provide buoyancy for the moored instrument, and for future recovery of the subsurface mooring from the ocean floor. Additional options, such as an acoustic modem for real-time telemetry or remote data collection, can also be included into this design. The CROM is a cost-effective option for deployment locations where you may have irregular bottom conditions, moving sand waves and/or require an acoustic release for easy recovery without divers. |
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New Deployment Method for Downlooking Aquadopp and HR ProfilerOceanscience has designed a small deployment boat for the Nortek Aquadopp profiler. The Aquadopp profiler is to be used in an ONR funded project by Jamie MacMahan (Naval Postgraduate School) to evaluate detailed velocity profiles in shallow rivers. To avoid issues inherent with a fixed bottom or surface mount, Oceanscience has designed the deployment boat to allow the profiler to be used just below the surface irrespective of the tidal state. The boat is extremely stable, even at high water velocity, has an adjustable sensor depth, and may be augmented with a GPS system. This is also a good mounting method for using the Aquadopp High Resolution (HR) profiler in a down-looking mode to profile the full water column in shallow regions with a large tidal range. A video of the boat and Aquadopp profiler in action can be seen on YouTube here. |
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AXYS Integrated Wave Buoy with CurrentsNortekUSA and AXYS Technologies Inc. are pleased to announce a record number of TRIAXYS with Currents buoy sales in the last two months. Ten Nortek Aquadopp profilers were integrated with TRIAXYS with Currents wave buoys. These integrated systems offer users the ability to measure currents and waves from a single device, receive data in near real time using a variety of telemetry options, and flexibility to deploy into various water depths. The profile range of the 600 kHz and 400 kHz Aquadopp Profilers are nominally 50 m and 80 m, respectively. The integrated buoys will be used to characterize wave and current conditions for various renewable energy projects in Europe. |
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NortekUSA Student Equipment Grant AwardsNortekUSA received a very large number of submissions for the 2010 Student Equipment Grants; all of which were inspiring and very well written. With so many excellent proposals, the decision making process was very challenging. We were pleased to award six outstanding students with equipment and/or funding to support their innovative research projects in physical oceanography, bio-physical interactions and coastal engineering. View the award recipients projects with abstracts. |
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Renewable Energy Research in SeattleAs part of the DOE-funded Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at the University of Washington, researchers are using Nortek Continental long range profilers and AWAC wave systems to assess sites for tidal energy development. The primary site under study is in Admiralty Inlet, at the mouth of Puget Sound, where development and demonstrations are proposed by the Snohomish Public University District and the US Navy. Observations are being used to quantify the available power density, the level of turbulent kinetic energy, and the structure of the bottom boundary layer. In addition, the wave and current observations are supporting analysis of ambient noise measurements and marine mammal activity. This measurements are being used for comprehensive assessment of the baseline environment, as well as to provide guidance for monitoring protocols once tidal energy devices are in place. More information about this project is available here. |
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Current, Waves and Turbulence Measurement WorkshopThe first call for papers for 2011 IEEE/OES Tenth Current, Wave and Turbulence Measurement Workshop (CWTM) has been posted online. Formerly known as the CMTC workshop, the new name reflects the changing face of science and technology. The theme of this workshop is "Advances in Lagrangian and Eulerian Measurement Techniques and Observations of Currents, Waves and Turbulence". Scheduled for 20-23 March 2011 in Monterey, California, the workshop objectives are to provide the ocean community with a forum for technical information exchange and to promote coordination among those concerned with measuring current, waves and turbulence. Abstracts are due on 15 October 2010. |
Re: Can I use AWAC data to calculate TKE
WORKSHOP: Measurements of Current Velocity, Turbulence and Acoustic Backscatter from Ocean Gliders
