DRIFTING PARTICLE SIMULATOR FOR TRACKING CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT FROM STORMWATER DISCHARGE PLUMES
First Claim
1. A drifting particle simulator buoy system for a stormwater discharge plume comprising:
- a GPS unit for tracking the buoy GPS location at the surface of the plume;
a drogue/winch unit including a drogue chute and winch package which is lowered to the seafloor at a controlled descent rate which is comparable to the descent rate of certain size sediment particles of interest within the stormwater discharge plume;
the drogue chute controlling lateral drift with the underwater current at approximately the same velocity of the sediment particles of interest;
a control unit for controlling the drogue/winch unit, including controlling the speed of the chute/winch unit to mimic the settling rate of the sediment particles of interest; and
a bottom detection sensor for determining the GPS location where the chute/winch package reaches the seafloor and determining the depositional footprint of contamination at the determined GPS location.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drifting particle simulator buoy system for a stormwater discharge plume which includes a GPS unit for tracking the buoy GPS location at the surface of the plume and a drogue/winch unit including a drogue chute and winch package which is lowered to the seafloor at a controlled descent rate which is comparable to the descent rate of certain size sediment particles of interest within the stormwater discharge plume. The drogue chute controls lateral drift with the underwater current at approximately the same velocity of the sediment particles of interest. A control unit controls the drogue/winch unit, including controlling the speed of the chute/winch unit to mimic the settling rate of the sediment particles of interest. A bottom detection sensor determines the GPS location where the chute/winch package reaches the seafloor and determining the depositional footprint of contamination at the determined GPS location.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A drifting particle simulator buoy system for a stormwater discharge plume comprising:
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a GPS unit for tracking the buoy GPS location at the surface of the plume; a drogue/winch unit including a drogue chute and winch package which is lowered to the seafloor at a controlled descent rate which is comparable to the descent rate of certain size sediment particles of interest within the stormwater discharge plume; the drogue chute controlling lateral drift with the underwater current at approximately the same velocity of the sediment particles of interest; a control unit for controlling the drogue/winch unit, including controlling the speed of the chute/winch unit to mimic the settling rate of the sediment particles of interest; and a bottom detection sensor for determining the GPS location where the chute/winch package reaches the seafloor and determining the depositional footprint of contamination at the determined GPS location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A drifting particle simulator buoy system for a stormwater discharge plume comprising:
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a GPS unit for tracking the buoy GPS location at the surface of the plume; a drogue/winch unit including a drogue chute and winch package which is lowered to the seafloor at a controlled descent rate which is comparable to the descent rate of certain size sediment particles of interest within the stormwater discharge plume; the drogue chute controlling lateral drift with the underwater current at approximately the same velocity of the sediment particles of interest; a control unit for controlling the drogue/winch unit, including controlling the speed of the chute/winch unit to mimic the settling rate of the sediment particles of interest; a bottom detection sensor for determining the GPS location where the chute/winch package reaches the seafloor and determining the depositional footprint of contamination at the determined GPS location; the control unit providing the tracking of three dimensional trajectories of sediment originating from the stormwater discharge plume to the final depositional location on the seafloor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification