An instrument-carrying capable of being towed at depths of a kilometer at speeds of 5-6 knots is described. The vehicle system can be operated from medium-sized vessels without special handling equipment. Cumbersome and expensive cable fairings generally considered necessary for deep and/or fast tows are unnecessary. A stream-driven propeller coupled to a hydraulic pump provides power for actuation of control surfaces. Control is by electrical command from the surface. Instruments including conventional STDs, velocimeters and a current meter have been fitted to the vehicle system. A smaller body is towed below the vehicle to provide a second platform for gradient measurements at fixed vertical separations. Depth is surface controllable over plus or minus 30 meters of nominal without the necessity for hauling-in or playing-out wire. Stability at any depth has been shown to be excellent. It has been possible to follow isodensity (isopycnic) surfaces continuously and track them in depth. (Author)
A Medium-Depth Controllable Towed Instrument Platform
1975
11 pages
Report
No indication
English
Unmanned towed instrument platform for ocean bottom search
Engineering Index Backfile | 1968
|Towed Instrument Vehicle for Deep Ocean Sampling
NTIS | 1985
|Development of a Towed Underwater Launch Platform
NTIS | 1996
|towed marine observation platform for overcoming capsize
European Patent Office | 2021
|