Air Deployed Oceanographic Mooring - AB1034

In response to the need for low cost, rapidly deployed, deep ocean, instrumented data platforms, a program was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research to develop an Air Deployed Oceanographic Mooring (ADOM). This mooring consists of a subsurface buoy, taut moored by a cable with in line sensors, and contains a computer for data acquisition and processing. A surface float housing a satellite transmitter and antenna is tethered to the subsurface buoy by a compliant data line (Figure 1). The design evolved from a feasibility study, theoretical analyses, and testing in the laboratory, dockside, and at sea. ADOM is bolted together for launch as a single cylinder (Figure 2). The anchor shell contains the bottom finder assembly, mooring line, mooring lock-up mechansim, and sensor array. The computer controller is housed in the subsurface buoy. The parachute deploys from one end. The parachute is deployed in stages by explosive line cutters. It is released and the mooring deployed by explosive bolts fired in sequence using batteries activated by seawater. A one-year active life is attained by using low power "CMOS" for the processor, memory, and sensor circuits. A unique scheme was devised to address the sensors. An array of temperature sensors has been integrated into a single conductor armored cable. The program included a series of system deployments at sea. Temperature data were acquired by ADOM and telemetered to the shore station via the USAF LES- 9 satellite according to a pre-set schedule. The test program concluded with two air drops from a U.S. Marine Corps C-130 aircraft. These tests demonstrated that the Air Deployed Oceanographic Mooring is a practical method for ocean data acquisition.