R/V Russell Davis Light Open Water Facility at University of Washington
Facility Overview
Open Water Facilities
Research Vessel (R/V) Russell Davis Light is a 65-foot catamaran vessel with a 6’x10′ test bed that can be lowered between the hulls and exposed to clean open water while moored or motoring. Available instrumentation includes a generator, torque cells, and instruments for measuring water velocity and temperature. The system is primarily used for performance characterization of cross-flow turbine rotors, with a maximum test speed of 2.5 m/s. The Vessel Adaptable Monitoring Package (VAMP) can also be deployed with the test article to observe operation with stereo cameras, a hydrophone, and multibeam sonar.
TEAMER support is limited to Lake Washington in the Seattle area.
Open Water Capabilities
The University of Washington has a number of active research programs in oceanography, ocean physics, and marine energy. Technical Support recipients can access a variety of equipment and expertise for this open water research, including marine energy converter sound characterizing using Drifting Acoustic Instrumentation SYstems (DAISYs) and stationary hydrophone (SoundTrap and Loggerhead Instruments) and in-situ environmental monitoring with the Adaptable Monitoring Package (AMP).
UW can also perform site measurements using acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). Several models and operational frequencies are available and the best option can be determined based on specific measurement requirements. In addition to other moorings and tripods, three stablemoor platforms are available. These platforms can be moored in any water depth (past experience ranges from 20 m to 3500). Acoustic Doppler measurements can be used to measure currents, turbulence, and surface waves.
Depending on the deployment location, permits may not be required for activities that do not make contact with the seabed, but are almost always required for activities that do.
Drifting (DAISY) or stationary passive acoustic measurement ADCP: acoustic Doppler current profiling: acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) AMP: integrated instrumentation package Wave measurement: drifting (SWIFT) or stationary.
