Buoy System Design
General Information
- Satellite and HF Radio communications
- Meteorological sensors including wind speed and direction, air temperature, air pressure, precipitation, and solar radiation
- Water temperature and salinity near the surface, mid-depth and bottom of the water column
- Water speed and direction throughout the water column
- Wave height, period and direction
- Batteries and solar charging system
- 5 nm LED light, radar reflector
- Backup satellite-based tracking system

Figure 1. Buoy at the dock for testing in-water packages on bottom frame.

Figure 2. Bottom Frame with ADCP, CTD, and acoustic modem.

Figure 3. Block diagram of buoy system as implemented in 2007.
Power
- Two (2) 12 V sealed marine batteries
- Four (4) 45 Watt solar panels
- Charge controller
- Xantrex Link10 Power monitor
Parameters
Table 1. Analog and Serial Parameters (1 Hz)
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
WSPD1 | Wind Speed (volts) Anemometer 1 RM Young Marine Wind Monitor with signal interface |
WDIR1 | Wind Direction (volts) |
WSPD2 | Wind Speed (volts) Anemometer 2 RM Young Marine Wind Monitor with signal interface |
WDIR2 | Wind Direction (volts) |
COMP | Buoy direction (magN) PNI TCM2 Fluxgate compass (analog channel) |
ATEMP | Air Temperature (volts) Rotronic TEMP/RH |
RH | Relative Humidity (volts) Rotronic TEMP/RH |
RAIN | Rain Rate (volts) RM Young Self-Siphoning Precipitation Gauge |
PSP | Downwelling Visible Radiation (volts) Eppley PSP Radiometer |
PIRs | IR Surface Temperature (ch1, volts) Eppley PIR Radiometer [2 sec response, should have 0.5 Hz sample rate] |
PIRd | IR Dome Temperature (ch2, volts) Eppley PIR Radiometer |
PIRc | IR Case or Body Temperture (ch3, volts) Eppley PIR Radiometer |
- | - |
BARO | Barometric Pressure (psi) Heise Barometer |
- | "PS=+014.228" |
- | - |
TOTAL | 12 analog and 1 serial |
Table 2. Standard Meteorological Parameters
Digitized, calibration coeff applied, process, average period either 6 min. Report either top of hour sample, last 10, or all since last transmission.
Parameter | Recorded 6 min | Reported each 1 Hr | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of sample average |
WSPD1_avg | x | x | Average Wind Speed (m/s) from vector average of (WSPD1, WDIR1+COMP) |
WSPD1_std | x | x | Std Dev. Wind Speed (m/s) from vector average of (WSPD1, WDIR1+COMP) |
GUST1 | x | x | Maximum Wind Speed (m/s) during average period of WSPD1 |
WDIR1_avg | x | x | Average Wind Direction (magN) |
WDIR1_std | x | x | Variability of Wind Direction (magN) |
- | - | - | - |
WSPD2_avg | x | x | Average Wind Speed (m/s) from vector average of (WSPD2, WDIR2+COMP) |
WSPD2_std | x | x | Std Dev. Wind Speed (m/s) from vector average of (WSPD2, WDIR2+COMP) |
GUST2 | x | x | Maximum Wind Speed (m/s) during average period of WSPD2 |
WDIR2_avg | x | x | Average Wind Direction (magN) |
WDIR2_std | x | x | Variability of Wind Direction (magN) |
- | - | - | - |
ATEMP_avg | x | x | Average Air Temp (deg C) |
ATEMP_std | x | x | Std Dev Air Temp (deg C) |
RH_avg | x | x | Average Relative Humidity (%) |
RH_std | x | x | Std Dev Relative Humidity (%) |
- | - | - | - |
RAIN_tot | x | x | Total rain (mm) for averaging period (sum(RAIN)) |
- | - | - | - |
PSP_avg | x | x | Average PSP (W/m^2) |
PSP_std | x | x | Std Dev PSP (W/m^2) |
PIR_avg | x | x | Average Downwelling Infrared Radiation PIR (W/m^2) from (PIRs, PIRd, PIRc) [PAY1999] |
PIR_std | x | x | Std Dev Downwelling Infrared Radiation PIR (W/m^2) |
- | - | - | - |
BARO_avg | x | x | Average Pressure (mbar) |
BARO_tend | x | x | Pressure Tendency |
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 22 | 1-10 |
Table 3. Buoy System Health and Location
GPS -- Garmin GPS 16 OEM (NMEA output strings)
LINK10 -- Xantrex Link10 Power Monitor
Parameter | Recorded each 1 Hr | Reported each 1 Hr | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of string received at computer |
GPRMC | x | x | time, lat, lon, speed and bearing, date, magnetic variation [used to set DAQ computer clock and monitor watch circle] |
- | "$GPRMC,010040,A,3554.5571,N,07903.1342,W,000.0,109.8,260107,008.6,W*77" | ||
GPGGA | x | x | time, lat, lon, gps quality, number of satellites, hdop, vdop, altitude [used for fix quality] |
- | "$GPGGA,010040,3554.5571,N,07903.1342,W,2,06,1.3,143.3,M,-33.4,M,,*76" | ||
- | - | - | - |
LINK10 | x | x | link10 time, kWh, amps, volts, amp hours, Peukert amp hours, Peukert amps, time remaining, bar graph state, temperature (deg C) [used to assess power system and buoy well temperature] |
- | "32453,-00.08,-0000.0,13.25,-0000.0,-0000.0,-0000.0,255.0,5,08" | ||
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 3 | 1 | strings |
Table 4. Buoy Motion -- PNI TCM2 Fluxgate Compass (commanded serial output)
Parameter | Recorded each 1 Hr | Reported each 1 Hr | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of whole string received at computer |
COMP | Compass -- Buoy Direction (magN) | ||
PITCH | Pitch (deg +/-) | ||
ROLL | Roll (deg +/-) | ||
CTEMP | Compass Temperature (deg C) | ||
- | x | x | ["$C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73"]*30 == 1 Hz output for 30 sec |
- | "$C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73 $C337.5P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*75 $C337.2P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*70 $C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73 $C337.0P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.6P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*76 $C337.0P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.0P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.4P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*74 $C337.4P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*74 $C337.0P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.4P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*74 $C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73 $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C337.2P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.2P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C337.0P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.2P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C336.9P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7A $C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73 $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B $C337.2P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*72 $C337.3P0.2R-5.0T18.5E001*73 $C336.8P0.0R-5.0T18.5E001*7B" | ||
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 1 | 1 | string |
- | - | - | - |
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of burst sample 1 Hz from PNI Fluxgate Compass |
COMP_avg | x | x | Average of Compass Direction (magN) |
COMP_std | x | x | Std Dev Compass Direction |
PITCH_avg | x | x | Average of pitch (deg) |
PITCH_std | x | x | Std Dev. of pitch (deb) |
PITCH_min | x | x | Minimum pitch |
PITCH_max | x | x | Maximum pitch |
ROLL_avg | x | x | Average of roll (deg) |
ROLL_std | x | x | Std Dev. of roll (deb) |
ROLL_min | x | x | Minimum roll |
ROLL_max | x | x | Maximum roll |
CTEMP_avg | x | x | Average of compass temperature (degC) |
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 12 | 1 | parameters |
- Table 5. Upper Ocean Temperature and Salinity w/ Pressure (CTD's)
- (serial command thru inductive modem) using Seabird SBE 16-series IMP (internal record data and get data for real time transmission)
Parameter | Recorded ea 6 min | Reported each 1 Hr | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of string received at computer |
CTD1 | x | x | command echoed, sample num, water temp, conductivity, depth, ctd sample date/time |
- | "#00TS 03586, 26.5634, 5.60928, 2.244, 11 Feb 1980, 02:07:35" | ||
CTD2 | x | x | command echoed, sample num, water temp, conductivity, depth, ctd sample date/time |
- | "#01TS 03585, 26.4831, 5.59853, 11.444, 11 Feb 1980, 02:07:32" | ||
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 1 | 1-10 | strings |
Table 6. Bottom Frame Instruments (serial commanded through acoustic modem for real-time data transmission)
ADCP -- Current Profile and Waves using RDI Teledyne ADCP-WavesMon (Workhorse with pressure sensor) (internally store raw data, but use ascii LogData output for real time transmission)
CTD -- Bottom Ocean Temperature and Salinity w/ Pressure (CTD) using Seabird SBE 16-series
Parameter | Recorded ea 6 min | Reported each 1 Hr | Description |
---|---|---|---|
TIME | x | x | Time and Date (UTC) of string received at computer |
ADCP | x | x | ensemble number, YY,MM,DD,hh,mm,ss, Hs (m), Tp (sec), Dp (degN), water depth (m/1000), Dmax (m), Tmax (sec), nbins, [spd, dir]*nbins |
- | "73, 07, 12, 01, 11, 52, 50, 28, 0.39, 9.10, 129.0, 8664.000, 0.50, 8.00, 50, 0.024, 182, 0.028, 197, 0.038, 165, 0.041, 164, 0.027, 121, 0.020, 96, 0.026, 162, 0.022, 177, 0.021, 183, 0.042, 117, 0.022, 156, 0.016, 117, 0.021, 127, 0.141, 231, 0.350, 220, 0.270, 209, 0.187, 258, 0.184, 259, 0.183, 268, 0.214, 266, 0.235, 272, 0.281, 276, 0.206, 259, 0.291, 15, 0.124, 339, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, 0.625, 227, 0.486, 233, 0.215, 254, 0.182, 351, 0.339, 11, 0.428, 22, 0.527, 44, 0.424, 45, 0.657, 41, 0.847, 65, 1.118, 73, 0.766, 52, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, -32768.000, -32768, 0.537, 271, 0.363, 231, 0.334, 245, 0.229, 257, -32768.000, -32768" | ||
- | - | - | - |
CTD3 | x | x | sample num, water temp, conductivity, depth, ctd sample date/time |
- | "03586, 26.5634, 5.60928, 32.244, 11 Feb 1980, 02:07:35" | ||
- | - | - | - |
TOTAL | 2 | 1-10 | strings |
References
[PAY1999] | Payne, R.E., and S.P. Anderson, 1999: A New Look at Calibration and Use of Eppley Precision Infrared Radiometers. Part II: Calibration and Use of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Improved Meteorology Precision Infrared Radiometer. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 16, 739–751. |