Page 54: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2022)

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Ohmsett’s 2.6m gallon Test Tank https://ohmsett.bsee.gov

Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy

Test Facility provides independent and objective performance testing. A real- istic saltwater environment is essential to developing new technology for the marine industry. The outdoor wave and tow tank provide controlled, repeatable conditions to help validate engineering expectations and evaluate prototype de- signs under varying ? ow, position, and load conditions. Managed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) under a contract with Ap- plied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), it is the largest outdoor facility of its type in North America.

The most notable feature of the Ohmsett facility is the above-ground concrete test tank measuring 667 feet (203.3 meters) long by 65 feet (19.8 meters) wide by 8 feet (2.44 meters) deep and ? lled with 2.6 million gallons (9.8 million liters) of crystal-clear salt water. The wave generating capabilities include pro- grammable formations that provide waves up to 3.28 feet (1.00 meters) ampli- tude suited for research and testing needs, along with a wave damping beach system. Sensors are positioned at several locations within the tank to monitor water depth and temperature to augment the environment database. A versa- tile data acquisition system is available to monitor customers’ instrumentation, along with visual documentation by underwater cameras, webcams, and under- water viewing windows. During the recent 2021/2022 tank refurbishment and capital improvement project, the tank interior was resurfaced with a durable epoxy coating for concrete preservation and ease of cleaning, and restoration of three movable bridge systems. Tick marks and grid patterns were painted on the east wall of the tank to provide visual references during testing.

RBR https://www.rbr-global.com

Since 1973, RBR has been designing and manufacturing oceanographic instruments in Ottawa, Canada. From the ocean abyss to the polar ice caps, lakes, rivers, and coastal zones, RBR’s sensors and loggers track water parameters in- cluding conductivity, temperature, depth, salinity, dissolved gasses, pH, and more.

RBR designs and manufactures high-precision oceanograph- ic instruments and related systems. RBR’s instruments can be con? gured to measure up to ten physical or biogeochemical loggers act as a ‘sensor hub’ to control and communicate with parameters. Communication is available with USB-C as the a suite of sensors (sound velocity, density, CTD, dissolved standardized connector on every instrument, and Wi-Fi con- oxygen, turbidity, etc). The sensor hub approach improves op- nectivity is available on every standard logger. All instruments erational ef? ciency by reducing redundant system integration run on standard, off-the-shelf batteries, have one cable that ? ts efforts. This year, RBR introduced several new optical sensors, all, and have a single software tool to interface with all RBR including a new series of PAR and narrow-band radiometers instruments. Our low-power platform enables vertical pro? l- and compact loggers, and a new three-channel optical sensor, ing ? oats, such as Argo, and autonomous underwater vehicles, capable of making multiple ? uorescence and backscatter mea- like ocean gliders, to sample more frequently or extend their surements simultaneously. In addition to providing outstand- mission duration. By increasing the sampling rate up to 32Hz, ing performance speci? cations, the sensors are designed with

RBR instruments can be used for mixing studies and to re- low power consumption, rugged packaging, and ease of use solve thin layers in the ocean. For system integrators, the RBR that users have come to expect from RBR.

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