Development and control of a stable platform for shipborne measurements

 

Authors

Richard L. Coulter — Argonne National Laboratory
Timothy J. Martin — Argonne National Laboratory

Category

Instruments

Description

The AMF2 stable platform at sea aboard the RV Connecticut during a three-day cruise out of Woods Hole. The MWR, MFRSR, and a tilt sensor are in place and operating on the platform, which includes a turntable to compensate for ship yaw.
Many of the second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) deployments are expected to be on research vessels or ships of opportunity. Some instruments should be isolated from ship motion as much as possible in order to make useful measurements. This includes most instruments requiring shading from the sun or trying to make direct measurements of solar radiation. It also includes instruments that purport to measure vertical velocities of air or cloud droplets, such as any ARM radar that does not have inertial compensation. The stable platform developed by AMF2 has been developed under significant cost restraints. Results from its maiden voyage in 2010 and subsequent improvements are presented. Anticipated use of a second, similar platform specifically for supporting radar measurements is also discussed.