HDSS

Updating the Revelle’s novel velocity measuring system

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The MOD group has long specialized in Doppler sonar techniques, pioneered over 30 years ago by Rob Pinkel and Jerry Smith.  For about 20 years, Scripps’ flagship the R/V Roger Revelle has carried a one-of-a-kind such system, the Hydrographic Doppler Sonar System (HDSS).  Unlike conventional Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers carried on most ships, the HDSS has much higher power and much narrower beams, allowing greater precision, finer resolution in the vertical and greater range.  While the Revelle is in dry dock for her midlife refit, our group is taking the opportunity to remove the HDSS from her hull, modernize it and reinstall it.

Many long hours have been spent underneath the Revelle.

Many long hours have been spent underneath the Revelle.

It is a massive job and we have now successfully removed the old system, which requires hard work and long hours beneath the enormous ship.  Creating the new system, which will have still higher power and will eventually allow better removal of the ship’s rolling and tilting from the measured signals, has involved long hours by the Marine Physical Laboratory machine shop and painstaking work repotting the transducers and cabling them. The final installation will take place in August.

Wish us luck!

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Hydrographic Doppler Sonar System (HDSS) upgrade

The Hydrographic Doppler Sonar System (HDSS), is now 20 years old and is getting upgraded when R/V Revelle undergoes her midlife refit this summer and fall.  HDSS is a state-of-the-art system for measuring ocean currents.  We are substantially upgrading and improving the old system, with enhancements including greater power and real-time beam forming that corrects for the roll and pitch of the ship, improving precision by keeping the beams much more constant orientation.

Engineers Sara Goheen and Mike Goldin and Professor Rob Pinkel ultrasonically clean a cable from the old system in preparation for the installation this summer and fall.

Engineers Sara Goheen and Mike Goldin and Professor Rob Pinkel ultrasonically clean a cable from the old system in preparation for the installation this summer and fall.