A pitot sensor for measuring near-surface turbulence

The authors discuss the design of a pitot-static probe intended to measure near-surface turbulence from a ship while underway at high speed. The probe was affixed to the tip of the starboard sponson of the SWATH ship Frederik G. Creed during the Shoaling Waves Experiment conducted in the late fall of 1999 off Duck NC, USA. The authors present a preliminary analysis of the performance of the sensor based on data collected during that campaign, and argue that the probe is capable of measuring turbulence dissipation rates above roughly 3×10¹⁸ W/kg while underway at speeds ranging from 12-16 kts