Application of Monte-Carlo statistical experiments in design of ocean engineering - Estimating the parameters, models and probabilities

Recently, some results have been acquired with the Monte- Carlo statistical experiments in the design of ocean en gineering. The results show that Monte-Carlo statistical experiments can be widely used in estimating the parameters of wave statistical distributions, checking the probability model of the long- term wave extreme value distribution under a typhoon condition and calculating the failure probability of the ocean platforms.

Three-Dimensional Ocean Sensor Networks:A Survey

The past decade has seen a growing interest in ocean sensor networks because of their wide applications in marine research,oceanography,ocean monitoring,offshore exploration,and defense or homeland security.Ocean sensor networks are generally formed with various ocean sensors,autonomous underwater vehicles,surface stations,and research vessels.To make ocean sensor network applications viable,efficient communication among all devices and components is crucial.Due to the unique characteristics of underwater acoustic channels and the complex deployment environment in three dimensional(3D) ocean spaces,new efficient and reliable communication and networking protocols are needed in design of ocean sensor networks.In this paper,we aim to provide an overview of the most recent advances in network design principles for 3D ocean sensor networks,with focuses on deployment,localization,topology design,and position-based routing in 3D ocean spaces.

Ocean Observation from Haiyang Satellites

In 2018,China successfully launched three new Haiyang(which means ocean in Chinese,referred to as HY)satellites which are an ocean color observation satellite HY-1C(operational),an ocean dynamics environment satellite HY-2B(operational)and the China-France ocean satellite CFOSAT(experimental).In 2019,all the three satellites had finished their commissioning phases and were declared operational.HY-2A satellite continues to operate in-orbit,and its operational status is basically normal.So in 2020,China has 4 Haiyang satellites in-orbit,China’s ocean satellites enter into a new operational application phase.The operation of the ground application system of Chinese ocean satellites is stable.In 2019,Beijing,Hainan,Mudanjiang,and Hangzhou ocean satellite ground stations had received the data of HY-1C,HY-2A,HY-2B,and CFOSAT 5012 orbits and 26.46 TB data had been distributed to both domestic and international users.Chinese ocean satellite data has played an important role in marine disaster prevention and mitigation,development and management of marine resources,maintenance of marine rights and interests,marine environment protection,scientific researches,and blue economy development.

Development and Control of Underwater Gliding Robots:A Review

As one of the most effective vehicles for ocean development and exploration,underwater gliding robots(UGRs)have the unique characteristics of low energy consumption and strong endurance.Moreover,by borrowing the motion principles of current underwater robots,a variety of novel UGRs have emerged with improving their maneuverability,concealment,and environmental friendliness,which significantly broadens the ocean applications.In this paper,we provide a comprehensive review of underwater gliding robots,including prototype design and their key technologies.From the perspective of motion characteristics,we categorize the underwater gliding robots in terms of traditional underwater gliders(UGs),hybrid-driven UGs,bio-inspired UGs,thermal UGs,and others.Correspondingly,their buoyancy driven system,dynamic and energy model,and motion control are concluded with detailed analysis.Finally,we have discussed the current critical issues and future development.This review offers valuable insight into the development of next-generation underwater robots well-suited for various oceanic applications,and aims to gain more attention of researchers and engineers to this growing field.

Observation and modeling of tide- and wind-induced surface currents in Galway Bay

A high-frequency radar system has been deployed in Galway Bay, a semi-enclosed bay on the west coast of Ireland. The system provides surface currents with fine spatial resolution every hour. Prior to its use for model validation, the accuracy of the radar data was verified through comparison with measurements from acoustic Doppler current profilers （ADCPs） and a good correlation between time series of surface current speeds and directions obtained from radar data and ADCP data. Since Galway Bay is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, it is subject to relatively windy conditions, and surface currents are therefore strongly wind-driven. With a view to assimilating the radar data for forecasting purposes, a three-dimensional numerical model of Galway Bay, the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code （EFDC）, was developed based on a terrain-following vertical （sigma） coordinate system. This study shows that the performance and accuracy of the numerical model, particularly with regard to tide- and wind-induced surface currents, are sensitive to the vertical layer structure. Results of five models with different layer structures are presented and compared with radar measurements. A variable vertical structure with thin layers at the bottom and the surface and thicker layers in the middle of the water column was found to be the optimal layer structure for reproduction of tideand wind-induced surface currents. This structure ensures that wind shear can properly propagate from the surface layer to the sub-surface layers, thereby ensuring that wind forcing is not overdamped by tidal forcing. The vertical layer structure affects not only the velocities at the surface layer but also the velocities further down in the water column.