Hydrodynamic acquisition system for vessel-based underwater sensing
Disclosed herein is a vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus including a coupler plate, an upper attachment portion, a sensor array portion, and a first winged pipe segment. The coupler plate includes a rotatable coupler and a rigid coupler. The upper attachment portion includes a first pipe attachment that is rotatably coupled to the rotatable coupler of the coupler plate and a second pipe attachment that is removably coupled to the rigid coupler of the coupler plate. The sensor array portion includes a plurality of remote sensing sensors. The first winged pipe segment, which includes a vibration-reducing wing, is coupled between the upper attachment portion and the sensor array portion.
1 . A vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus, comprising:
a coupler plate, the coupler plate including a rotatable coupler and a rigid coupler; an upper attachment portion, the upper attachment portion including a first pipe attachment rotatably coupled to the rotatable coupler of the coupler plate and a second pipe attachment removably coupled to the rigid coupler of the coupler plate;
a sensor array portion, the sensor array portion including a plurality of remote sensing sensors; and
a first winged pipe segment coupled between the upper attachment portion and the sensor array portion, wherein the first winged pipe segment includes a vibration-reducing wing.
2 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first distal end of the first winged pipe segment is coupled to the upper attachment portion and a second distal end of the first winged pipe segment is coupled to the sensor array portion.
3 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second winged pipe segment including a vibration-reducing wing, wherein the second winged pipe segment is coupled between the first winged pipe segment and the sensor array portion.
4 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first winged pipe segment comprises a hollow pipe segment and a wing portion; and
the wing portion encloses an outer circumference of the hollow pipe segment.
5 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the wing portion is disposed along an outer surface of the hollow pipe segment.
6 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a wing portion of the first winged pipe segment is symmetric about a plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the first winged pipe segment, wherein the wing portion is configured to mitigate vortex induced vibrations when the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus is in a deployed position.
7 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first winged pipe segment is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus.
8 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pipe attachment and the second pipe attachment are orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus.
9 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation associated with the rotatable coupler of the coupler plate is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus.
10 . The vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable coupler is rotatable between a stowed position associated with the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus and a deployed position associated with the vessel-mounted sensor acquisition apparatus.
11 . A remote sensing acquisition system, comprising:
a coupler plate, the coupler plate including a rotatable coupler and a rigid coupler;
an upper attachment portion, the upper attachment portion including a first pipe attachment rotatably coupled to the rotatable coupler of the coupler plate and a second pipe attachment removably coupled to the rigid coupler of the coupler plate;
a sensor array portion, the sensor array portion including a plurality of remote sensing sensors; and
a first winged pipe segment coupled between the upper attachment portion and the sensor array portion, wherein the first winged pipe segment includes a vibration-reducing wing.
12 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein a first distal end of the first winged pipe segment is coupled to the upper attachment portion and a second distal end of the first winged pipe segment is coupled to the sensor array portion.
13 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , further comprising a second winged pipe segment including a vibration-reducing wing, wherein the second winged pipe segment is coupled between the first winged pipe segment and the sensor array portion.
14 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first winged pipe segment comprises a hollow pipe segment and a wing portion; and
the wing portion encloses an outer circumference of the hollow pipe segment.
15 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 14 , wherein the wing portion is disposed along an outer surface of the hollow pipe segment.
16 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first winged pipe segment includes a wing portion, wherein the wing portion is symmetric about a plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the first winged pipe segment, wherein the wing portion configured to mitigate vortex induced vibrations when the remote sensing acquisition system is in a deployed position.
17 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first winged pipe segment is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the remote sensing acquisition system.
18 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein the first pipe attachment and the second pipe attachment are orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the remote sensing acquisition system.
19 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein an axis of rotation associated with the rotatable coupler of the coupler plate is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the remote sensing acquisition system.
20 . The remote sensing acquisition system of claim 11 , wherein the rotatable coupler is rotatable between a stowed position associated with the remote sensing acquisition system and a deployed position associated with the remote sensing acquisition system.