6691 results about "Buoy" patented technology

An apparatus for generating buoy light signals using a collimated light source. The system provides for communication of system conditions and ambient conditions, and can provide homeland security monitoring. The system senses motion of the buoy and compensates the direction of lighting, and optionally acoustics, being generated out over a body of water. Numerous other transportation related embodiments are described including devices for providing user comfort when flying, automotive signaling, auto parking control, sports bottles, visors, and lures.

An offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel has a monolithic non ship-shaped hull of polygonal configuration surrounding a central double tapered conical moon pool and contains water ballast and oil storage compartments. The exterior side walls of the hull have flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure. An adjustable water ballast system induces heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of the vessel to dynamically position and maneuver the vessel to accomplish ice cutting, breaking and moving operations. The moon pool shape and other devices on the vessel provide added virtual mass capable of increasing the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reducing dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. The vessel may be moored by a disconnectable turret buoy received in a support frame at the bottom of the moon pool and to which flexible well risers and mooring lines are connected.

The invention is a system designed for acquisition of seismic data by means of acquisition stations set on water bottom of a water body. The system comprises acquisition stations (DSAU) combining a streamlined boom suited to penetrate the bottom and thus couple seismic receivers with the underlying formation, a sealed body for electronic data acquisition and communication modules. These acquisition stations (DSAU) are placed in the water and drop to the bottom under the effect of gravity. Relay buoys (RCB) are positioned at the surface, each with a GPS positioning module, a radio link with a central station (CCRU), on a ship for example, and modules providing acoustic communication with bottom acquisition stations (DSAU), which are used to determine the position of the stations in relation to the relay buoys and to exchange control data and seismic data (good running order data or possibly seismic traces acquired if the conditions lend themselves thereto) to provide seismic prospecting or monitoring of an underground formation.

A system monitors and controls the injection of additives into formation fluids recovered through a subsea well. The system includes a chemical injection unit and a controller positioned at a remote subsea location. The injection unit uses a pump to supply one or more selected additives from a subsea and / or remote supply unit. The controller operates the pump to control the additive flow rate based on signals provided by sensors measuring a parameter of interest. A one mode system includes a surface facility for supporting the subsea chemical injection and monitoring activities. In one embodiment, the surface facility is an offshore rig that provides power and has a chemical supply that provides additives to one or more injection units. In another embodiment, the surface facility includes a relatively stationary buoy and a mobile service vessel. When needed, the service vessel transfers additives to the chemical injection units via the buoy.

A deepwater windpower plant (DWP) has a tension leg-type floating platform with an evacuable base for adjusting its buoyancy for installation at ocean depths ranging from 40 meters up to 1.5 kilometers and more. The DWP has a typical offshore wind turbine assembled close to shore which is then towed to a desired installation site on the ocean, and held in place by a gravity anchoring base (GAB), to which an evacuable portion or space of the DWP platform is anchored. The GAB has upwardly extending mooring tethers and a power cable which are brought to the ocean surface by attached buoys. The GAB is sunk to the ocean floor at the installation site under controlled conditions so that the GAB lands flat on the ocean floor. As the GAB sinks to the ocean floor, the mooring tethers and power cable are pulled to the surface by their respective buoys. The GAB is loaded with heavy ballast material that can be dropped from barges on the ocean surface into the upwardly open GAB below the barges.

A self-supported riser system (100) for an Anticipated Production System (ASP) Test or a Long Duration Production (LDP) Test in a subsea petroleum production system, utilizing an ANM coupled to a wellhead and Floating Production Unit (FPU) is disclosed. The system includes a wellhead at the seabed, connected to an ANM (20) provided with a preventor (BOP of workover) (30). The preventor (30) is connected to a production riser (50) through a connection tool (40). The riser (50), mounted internally within a buoy assembly (60), is maintained under traction with the aid of a buoy assembly. The upper end of the riser (50) is provided with a Subsea Intervention Terminal (700), the Terminal being interlinked to the FPU by a flexible jumper (90) to carry the oil produced to the FPU. Two methods for installing the self-supported riser system (100) are also disclosed.

The invention discloses an ocean submerged buoy system. In the system, buoys are connected with an underwater winch through a communication mooring cable; a plurality of profile measuring instruments are equidistantly arranged at the part of the communication mooring cable between the buoys and the underwater winch, which is adjacent to the buoys; the underwater winch is fixed on a main buoy body; a target detecting system and an ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) are both arranged on the main buoy body; an anchor mooring mechanism comprises a glass floating ball, a response releaser and a ballast anchor which are connected in series through anchor chains; a control center controls the buoy system to regularly float out of the ocean surface and dive into the ocean; the target detecting system detects movable targets; when a movable target enters into a preset range, the control center controls the buoy system to dive into the ocean; and when floating out of the ocean surface, the buoys transmit various received data to a ground shore station. By the ocean submerged buoy system disclosed by the invention, the ocean detected data are transmitted in real time; and the influencestormy waves and other factors on the service life of the buoys is avoided.

Invention relates to a novel method of and system for ranging between an acoustic source carried on an unmanned or autonomous undersea mobile vehicle (UUV or AUV) and preferably a plurality of hydrophone receivers remotely deployed from the vehicle in predetermined patterns, generally suspended from sonobuoys equipped with above-the-sea relay radio transmitting antennas, and with time synchronization provided amongst the source and the receivers, wherein the time delay from the transmissions of the source is measured by utilizing special signal processing, enabling range to be measured in close to real time by determining the product of the sound velocity and the measured time delay, and with the process continually and periodically being repeated throughout the duration of the vehicle run. Given the range, the system may then be used to measure the acoustical properties of and / or receiver system performance in the sea or other water body, such as transmission or propagation loss TL, channel impulse response, bottom geoacoustic properties, source level, receiver sensitivity calibration, sonar operator readiness and sonar receiver performance and the like. Further, in situ measured data can be assimilated with models to enable more accurate prediction of the ocean environment than could be obtained from either individually.

An ocean wave generator includes a buoy for floating on the surface of the ocean. A generator is mounted to the buoy. A pulley is mounted on the generator for turning the generator. An anchor cable has a first end wrapped around the pulley and an anchored second end. Upward movement of the buoy and generator due to a wave causes the cable to unwind from the pulley, which turns the generator. A spring connected to the pulley rewinds the anchor cable when the buoy and generator drop into the trough of a wave.

The invention relates to a wireless acquisition device of culture water quality, which comprises a sensor group, a microprocessor and a wireless communication module. Based on the wireless acquisition device, the invention also discloses a system for wirelessly monitoring the culture water quality, which comprises a data storage module, a power supply module and a buoy. The device and the system adopt a solar energy supply; the system has an online state and a dormant state; software and hardware are designed by adopting a low power consumption power-saving mode, and can acquire and store a plurality of water quality parameters such as the pH value, the electrical conductivity (EC), the water level, the dissolved oxygen (DO) and the water temperature of a culture water environment; the acquired data can be sent to a data monitoring center by GPRS; and the DO value in water can be predicted, and water quality DO early warning information is sent to an intensification aquaculture manager through mobile phone short messages.

A simple, effective and inexpensive water-quality measurement system comprises a housing suitable for travel on or in a body of water; one or more sensors for measuring water properties as the housing travels; a memory for storing information relating to the measured water properties; and software for processing measured properties. This invention combines into a single, inexpensive, and comprehensive system the sensors, computer hardware, signal-processing, Geographic Information System data, and Decision Support Software. This integration yields a system of novel and unparalleled utility. The water properties measured by the system may include: water temperature, water conductivity, pH level, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water depth, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), ORP, chlorides, nitrates, and phosphates. A geographic information system (GIS) based on a global positioning satellite (GPS) technology is operative to determine geographic location and other factors, and an internal or external processor is operative to generate a map coordinating one or more of the listed characteristics to one or more of the water properties. A barometric pressure sensor may also be provided. In the preferred embodiment, the housing is a floating buoy.

A sensor cable system for measuring electromagnetic response of the Earth's subsurface includes a sensor cable deployable on the bottom of a body of water. The sensor cable has a plurality of electromagnetic sensing devices thereon at spaced apart locations. A system control unit is in signal communication with the sensing elements. The system control unit includes a transceiver for communicating signals to and from a corresponding sensor cable system. The system control unit includes a global positioning system signal receiver. The system control unit includes a processor configurable to receive signals detected by sensing elements in the corresponding sensor cable system. The processor is configurable to compute stacked signals from the sensing elements in the sensor cable and from sensing elements in the corresponding system. The processor is configurable to calculate a statistical measure of the stacked signals. The system control unit is disposed in a flotation device.

An autonomous open-ocean fish-farming structure has a submersible cage enclosure tethered to a topside buoy. The topside buoy stores feed, is equipped with radio telemetry to communicate positioning signals transmitted from external sources, and generates electrical power using, for example, a hybrid solar OTEC heat engine. The structure is navigated and maintained in a geostationary position within the ocean environment by means of position-correction technology and is propelled by thrusters attached to the cage enclosure and, optionally, to the underside of the topside buoy. The self-positioning, self-powered fish-farming structure enables unmanned, extended marine deployment in deeper ocean waters without the need for tethering or anchoring to the ocean floor. Multiple structures can be maintained in a spaced apart configuration to comprise a flotilla of fish farming structures attended by a tender ship that is autonomous, easily serviced and conveniently relocated.

The invention relates to a vertical distribution comprehensive on-line monitoring buoy and a monitoring system and belongs to the technical field of environment pollution monitoring. The buoy includes a buoy body, an electronic device sealing cabin, a Beidou satellite navigation positioning module, a storage battery pack, a data collector and a 4G router, and a sensor which is arranged on periphery of the buoy body, and a power supply apparatus arranged on the upper part of the buoy body. The invention provides the self-moving monitoring buoy which can perform an environment monitoring operation task continuously for long time in a preset waste area range, wherein the buoy can measure water environment parameters and environmental meteorological parameters in different depth. The Beidou satellite navigation positioning module and 4G communication network are switched to achieve positioning and communication of the buoy. The buoy and the system achieve real-time monitoring, real-time analysis and alarm prediction of monitoring regional environment parameters.

An offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel has a hull of generally cylindrical or polygonal configuration surrounding a central double tapered conical moon pool and contains water ballast and oil and / or liquefied gas storage compartments. The exterior side walls of the polygonal hull have flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure. An adjustable water ballast system induces heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of the vessel to dynamically position and maneuver the vessel to accomplish ice cutting, breaking and moving operations. The moon pool shape and other devices on the vessel provide added virtual mass for increasing the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reducing dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. A disconnectable turret buoy at the bottom of the moon pool connects risers and mooring lines.

The invention relates to an ocean environment monitoring and early warning system, especially relating to an offshore ocean environment real-time monitoring and calamity early warning system based on Internet of things and a geographical information system. The invention is aimed at realizing on-line real-time dynamic monitoring and solves a practical problem that present ocean environment monitoring technology and method are only established on a sampling analysis base. A monitoring device of the system acquires a meteorological element, a hydrological element, GPS information and video monitoring information. Communication between monitoring buoys is realized through a wireless sensing network, and communication between a monitoring ship and an offshore monitoring terminal and communication between offshore monitoring terminals are realized through a wireless microwave communication network. The offshore monitoring terminal sends data to a remote monitoring center through a mobile communication network, the monitor center completes data reception, storage and management, and publishes GIS service and Web service information. Early warning information is automatically sent to an intelligent mobile phone terminal through a background management program. A monitoring early warning information platform provides related service information to a user for browse access.

A multi-gimbal configured transition protectively interfaces a mooring and communication cable to a communication ocean buoy. The transition interface contains a segmented, flexible sheath formed of a plurality of pivotally interconnected gimbal rings having mutually adjacent interior apertures through which one or more communication link members pass. Successive gimbal rings are orthogonally pivotally interconnected with one another so as to make the flexible sheath flexible in three dimensions. Upper ends of one or more communication link members are connectable with a communication cable connection fixture of the buoy. Lower ends of the communication link members are connectable to communication cable terminal connectors of a terminal end of the mooring cable.

An apparatus is disclosed that allows for separating and collecting a fraction of a sample. The apparatus, when used with a centrifuge, allows for the creation of at least three fractions in the apparatus. It also provides for a new method of extracting the buffy coat phase from a whole blood sample. A buoy system that may include a first buoy portion and a second buoy member operably interconnected may be used to form at least three fractions from a sample during a substantially single centrifugation process. Therefore, the separation of various fractions may be substantially quick and efficient.

A method and apparatus for harnessing power associated with ocean waves and converting that power into electricity. The apparatus is a buoy that houses a vertically oriented central shaft, a pendulum, and a generator. As the buoy tilts from the vertical under the influence of wave motion, the pendulum is accelerated and rotates about the central shaft. A centrally-placed generator is mechanically coupled to, and driven by, the rotating pendulum so that the pendulum's kinetic energy is converted into electricity. The electricity may be stored at or near the buoy or transferred to a remote facility. Moreover, a fin array located along the bottom of the buoy serves as an anti-torque mechanism and improves the operational efficiency of the electricity production. The method involves employing use of the centrally located generator and the fin array to efficiently harness wave power.

A sensor cable system for measuring electromagnetic response of the Earth's subsurface includes a sensor cable deployable on the bottom of a body of water. The sensor cable has a plurality of electromagnetic sensing devices thereon at spaced apart locations. A system control unit is in signal communication with the sensing elements. The system control unit includes a transceiver for communicating signals to and from a corresponding sensor cable system. The system control unit includes a global positioning system signal receiver. The system control unit includes a processor configurable to receive signals detected by sensing elements in the corresponding sensor cable system. The processor is configurable to compute stacked signals from the sensing elements in the sensor cable and from sensing elements in the corresponding system. The processor is configurable to calculate a statistical measure of the stacked signals. The system control unit is disposed in a flotation device.

A buoy includes a flotation device configured to float at surface of a body of water. A vibrational linear electric generator (VLEG) is configured to generate power from vibrational oscillations caused by waves using compressed repulsive magnetic fields focused by end magnetic field deflecting magnets. A power collection circuit, which includes a first battery, is configured to collect and store energy generated by the VLEG. One or more electronic components are powered by the vibrational linear electric generator.

The invention provides an underwater robot platform. The underwater robot platform comprises at least one underwater robot, a monitor terminal, a buoy communication system and a water sampling device. The monitor terminal is used for sending motion and task instructions to all underwater robots; the buoy communication system is connected with the underwater robots through CAN cables to receive the motion and task instructions through the CAN cables, and the buoy communication system moves under dragging of the underwater robots and obtains positioning information and communication information of the underwater robots; the water sampling device communicates with the underwater robots through standardized interfaces and is used for collecting and recording water sample information; the underwater robots are used for completing corresponding motion and tasks according to the received motion and task instructions. The propulsion mode combining CPG bionic propulsion and gliding propulsion is adopted, the multiple underwater robots are cooperatively controlled through a wireless sensor network technology, and the underwater robot platform is high in real-time performance, movability and efficiency and has the long-time cruising ability.

A DEMWAX™ water treatment system includes membrane modules and a collection channel. The membrane modules are submerged at depth and tethered to one or more anchors on the ocean floor. A breathing tube extends between the collection channel and a buoy floating on the surface of the ocean to expose the collection channel to atmospheric pressure. A pump pumps the permeate from the collection channel to shore through a permeate pipe. One or more permeate storage tanks can optionally be disposed within the system, for example, as part of or extending from the collection channel, to provide extra storage.

The invention discloses a system for passively positioning underwater targets and a method, wherein an underwater sensor device collects the noise signal of an underwater target, obtains and transmits the energy information of the noise signals; a buoy device is communicated with the sensor device for transferring the energy information to a center processing device; the buoy device is used as the anchor point of the system; the center processing device is communicated with the buoy device for obtaining the direction of the underwater target based on maximum likelihood method according the received energy information and the information of the anchor point. The invention can be used to position underground sounding bodies such as underground vehicles, whales and underground explosive sound source, to complete target detection in underground condition.

The present invention relates to a netpen for breeding, storage, or transport of fish in the sea, in particular completely or in part in open sea regions outside the skerries, wherein the netpen may be lowered in the sea to a desired depth when needed, wherein the netpen may be elevated to a half or approximately half submerged state for various work operations, such as maintenance and inspection of the netpen or harvesting, and wherein netpen has a substantially spherical geometry. The invention is characterized in that the netpen consists of a framework of stays (1, 2, 3, 4) mainly comprising polyethylene or polyethylene-like materials, such as PolyEthylene Low Density (PELD) or PolyEthylene High Density (PEHD), preferably PEHD, a horizontal through center pole (5) also serving as a buoyancy adjusting element for elevation and lowering of the netpen, a horseshoe-shaped working platform (6) having an integrated dock (7) for working vessels, the entire working platform including dock being liftable and lowerable through buoyancy adjustment by means of a designated element (13), and the working deck being mounted on an extended axle (15) on the center pole in such a manner that the netpen may be rotated inside said working deck. On said axle, through lines (8), there are also attached buoys (10) that gives the netpen sufficient reserve buoyancy in normal position as well as weighting organs (9) that, when the netpen is to be stabilized fully submerged at a desired depth, is landed on the sea floor; alternatively, the netpen is stabilized at the desired depth due to the reserve buoyancy in the floatation unit (30) and the floatation element (23), as shown in FIG. 30. Life-supporting functions, such as fodder, energy, and air, are being supplied to the netpen through a lifeline from a nearby floatation unit (30), preferably a platform being an integrated part of the anchoring for the netpen.

A system and method for harnessing power associated with ocean waves and converting that power into electricity. The apparatus is a buoy that houses a vertically oriented central shaft, a pendulum, a generator mechanism, and other components that synergistically operate to optimize power output of the buoy. Both the load on the pendulum and the effective length of the pendulum may be varied in response to changing environmental conditions. Also, the buoy may be part of a network that shares environmental data and a series of best tuning responses to that data, across the network. A library of environmental data and associated tuning responses is built at a central location and shared across the network.

The invention discloses an on-line integrated monitoring buoy for a movable water body, which comprises a solar panel mounting platform, a carrier and a power structure mounting area. A solar panel arranged on the buoy is used for providing power, and sensors and communication and power control modules on the carrier achieve data acquisition and manipulation; and a plurality of independently controlled propellers are arranged in the power mounting area to achieve orientation, movement and positioning. The on-line integrated monitoring buoy for the movable water body has the technical characteristics of independent self-sustaining capacity, convenient use, simple manipulation and the like.

The invention relates to a direct power-spectral method-based all-weather long drainage basin water quality monitoring and early-warning system, belonging to the technical field of water quality monitoring. The system comprises a plurality of water quality monitoring devices, a cloud data processing platform and a remote monitoring platform; the water quality monitoring devices are placed at a shoreside of a water body, a water surface buoy or other water surface platforms according to needs, used for extracting water quality data of the long drainage basin, use a direct power-spectral method to acquire an absorption spectrum of a monitored water body and sends the monitored data and water quality information to the cloud data processing platform in a wireless transmission manner; the cloud data processing platform summarizes and analyzes the received data and stores into a database; the remote monitoring platform inquires and displays the data stored in the database and realizes the real-time monitoring and early-warning for an all-weather long drainage basin water quality environment. The system can realize the online measuring, real-time monitoring, emergent early-warning, drainage basin analyzing and water environment monitoring of all weathers of the water body in the drainage basin, thus reducing the loss caused by pollution to the water body and ensuring drinking water safety.

Systems and methods for a reconfigurable, long-range, underwater data-communication network are described. The network provides a low cost, low power, lightweight, and easy to deploy underwater communication system capable of being operated at long distances. The network may include a cabled ocean observatory, which may be deployed underwater and connected to a surface buoy. The cabled ocean observatory may be connected to one or more removable underwater sensors via fiber optic cables. The underwater sensors may be disposed at underwater locations at long distances from the cabled ocean observatory. Fiber optic extension modules may be permanently connected to each end of the fiber optic cables. Each fiber optic extension module may include an optical transceiver, a power supply, and an inductive element for removably coupling an underwater sensor or the cabled ocean observatory to the fiber optic cable.