New lagragian drifter for coastal applications

Abs ac - The ollowing a icle p esen s an inno a i e model o lag angian d i e o coas al applica ions. I s geome y has been designed o imp o e h ee mains as- pec s o e o he exis ing coas al d i e s: maximizing expe imen li e, educing he in luence o he wind d ag and maximizing i s e ical s abili y. The elec onics is also a non-con en ional pa o he design as i has no been design on pu pose, bu i has been chosen om he big a ie y o GPS acke s exis ing in he ma ke able o ca y ou GSM/GPRS communica ions wi h a se e . This way o app oach- ing he elec ion o he elec onics acili a es i s accomplishmen wi h indus y and elec onic s anda ds. Keywo ds - lag agian d i e , GPS acke , GSM/GPRS The design o he new lag agian d i e p esen ed in his wo k has been ap- p oached om wo sides: i s , by elec ing an app op ia e model o GPS acke able o implemen GSM/GPRS communica ions; and second, by designing a new loa geome y able o sol e some o he p oblems occu ing in o he ype o coas al d i e s. HE ELEC ONICS The elec onics inside his new model o d i e has been me iculously chosen om he big a ie y o GPS acke s exis ing in he ma ke . Ad an ages o his elec ion a e: i s , his piece o elec onics has been ho oughly es ed a he ac o y, p o iding much mo e obus ness o he solu ion compa ed o o he ex- is ing d i e s whose elec onics has been de eloped ad hoc wi h no much ime expending o es ing, unde s andable ac since i is a e y expensi e pa o he comme cial p oduc de elopmen chain; second, i has passed mos o he indus y quali y con ols accomplishing wi h elec omagne ic adia ion egu- la ion; and hi d, i implemen s mos o he necessa y ea u es o lag angian wa e mass cha ac e iza ion. As summa y, he main equi emen s his piece o elec onics mus implemen a e: being able o send o a se e some gene al NMEA commands con aining he posi ion and eloci y o he de ice gene a ed by he GPS modem inside i , being able o send s a us lags in o ming, o example, abou he quali y o he eco ded da a and also being able o in o m abou impo an e en s ha can comp omise he success o he expe imen . HE LOA The loa , made o special UV-p oo polye hylene, is shown in igu e 1. I consis s o h ee main ca i ies, each o one aiming a a di e en pu pose. The lowe cylind ical ca i y encloses he hea ies elemen s o he d i e , i.e. he ba e y packs. I s leng h allows he cen e o g a i y o he buoy o be u he below om he lo a ion line han in some o he he d i e s in he ma ke . The second ca i y, conical in shape, p o ides lo a ion o he d i e and s abili y agains ho izon al e o s like wind d ag. All his e ical s abili y, keeping he an ennas o he GPS acke well-o ien ed mos o he ime minimizing bad GPS- ix poin s and imp o ing he quali y o he elecommunica ions signals. The uppe cylind ical ca i y allows all he elemen s o be placed inside he loa . I may be closed wi h a wa e igh lead and i encloses he GPS acke wi h he an ennas (GPS and GSM) keeping hem a he op pa o he loa . IELD VALIDA ION In o de o alida e he design o he d i e , his model has been equipped wi h s anda d comme cial d ogues o swallow wa e cha ac e iza ion and i s d i - ing beha io compa ed wi h he ones om some o he widely-used comme cial d i e s. In pa icula , simul aneous deploymen s wi h a i s -class comme cial model ( he Da is d i e , om Pacy ic Gi e) ha e been pe o med o cha ac e ize he dynamics o he uppe one-me e laye in a idal channel eaching sa is ac- o y esul s. U U E WO k Due o he ac ha he subme ged pa o he buoy is bigge han in o he F ancisco J gu ié ez, Raúl ga cía, gab iel Na a o, Ja ie Ruiz depa amen o de Ecología y ges ión Cos e a, Ins i u o de Ciencias Ma inas de Andalucía, CSIC, 11519, Pue o Real, Spain. NEW lAgRAgIAN dRIFTER FOR COASTAl APPlICATIONS Ins umen a ion Viewpoin /11/ MARTECH11 83 d i e s, i may be possible o educe he d ag a ea a io o he d ogues ha can be used, especially o swallow wa e s. One o he pa hs ha cu en ly is being explo ed is he design o smalle d ogues ha will s ill make he d i e o success ully ollow he wa e pa cel i is designed o ( igu e 2). In pa allel, i is expec ed o p og ess in he design o especial d ogues o op imize he d i e beha io o o he applica ions as oil-spill o medusa bloom acking. Figu e 1. Ske ch o he d i e showing he elemen s inside i . Figu e 2. Lag angian d i e equipped wi h a Da is- ype d ogue cen e ed a 1 m dep h.