SPURV II-An Unmanned, Free-Swimming Submersible Developed for Oceanographic Research

TLDR

SPURV II is a self‑propelled underwater research vehicle developed by the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington, continuing a lineage of SPURV and UARS submersibles used for deep‑ocean and under‑ice research. The paper aims to describe SPURV II and its surface support systems, highlighting its design modifications that enhance platform stability and sensor bandwidth. SPURV II is built on a prior SPURV platform but with a 1500‑meter depth limit, higher endurance and speed, advanced guidance and control, and an expanded sensor suite that records temperature, conductivity, 3‑axis velocity at 90 Hz and hot/cold platinum film sensors at 900 Hz to capture turbulence fields.

Abstract

SPURV II, a Self-Propelled Underwater Research Vehicle, is the latest in a series of such vehicles developed by the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington for use in its oceanographic research programs. Previous vehicles include several earlier versions of SPURV for deep ocean work (to 3000 meters) and UARS (Unmanned Arctic Research Submersible), a vehicle for under-ice re- search. SPURV II is a modification of one of the earlier SPURV systems and was developed specifically to improve the platform stability and increase the spatial frequency bandwidths of the oceanographic sensors. It has a shallower depth capability (1500 meters) than previous SPURVs but has increased performance in endurance and speed, a more sophisticated guidance and control system, and a greatly expanded sensor suite and associated recording system. In particular the new sensors include the measurement of temperature, conductivity and 3-axis velocity with recording frequencies of 90 Hz and the recording of hot and cold platinum film sensors at 900 Hz to measure the temperature and velocity fields associated with oceanic turbulence. This paper provides a brief description of SPURV II and its surface support equipment which includes, in addition to the vehicle handling equipment, a computer based tracking and command system and a separate larger computer system for data readout and analysis.