The Deepglider: A Full Ocean Depth Glider for Oceanographic Research

Similar in size (62 kg, 1.8 m long) and shape to the Seaglider [1], the Deepglider is an instrument platform designed to glide to depths of 6000 meters. To achieve these depths, a composite pressure hull of thermoset resin and carbon fiber was developed in a two phase design and test approach. To take advantage of the substantial engineering effort put into the Seaglider, the Deepglider was designed to use many of the same components and technologies. A Deepglider was deployed in November 2006 off the Washington state coast. It remained at sea for 39 days, diving to a maximum water depth of 2713 meters, and transiting to its target 220 km offshore, before returning and being recovered near shore. The Deepglider, while not yet achieving its design goal of 6000 meters, demonstrated that composites can provide a strength-to-weight ratio exceeding that of metals and can be optimized for hydrodynamic body shapes. This paper describes the Deepglider development and the issues of compressibility for a profiling glider.