Oceanology controlled buoyancy autonomous buoys

Autonomous bottom stations and controlled buoyancy buoys with acoustic digital systems of remote control and telemetry are considered. The experience in development and maintenance of autonomous bottom station of P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology applied for the complex acoustic measurements is described. This experience resulted in manufacturing of controlled buoyancy buoys in 1987. A number of scientific experiments with this controlled buoyancy buoys were carried out during 1988-1995 years. The following capabilities were tested in this experiments: submerging and surfacing under control with quantification of depth control equal to pressure sensor sensitivity; handing at desired horizon, depth monitor in given limits of corridor width, transition to the neutral buoyancy regime; transition to automatic bottom station regime. At the free drift controlled buoyancy buoys sound noises caused by passed streams are essentially decreased and supersensitive low frequency acoustic measurements can be carried out by means of multi-element array. The constructive diagrams and characteristics of the last modification of control buoyancy buoy are discussed. It realizes buoyancy regulation method based on mass variation due to drop of two liquid ballasts (heavy liquid and light liquid) into surroundings. Controlled buoyancy buoy equation of motion is described. The experimental trajectories obtained in real ocean conditions during expedition in Atlantic Ocean are analyzed. The recent implementation of oceanology buoys with buoyancy changed by electric pump with steel bellows is discussed.