Chemical Sensors for Small Robot Submarines
Adrian Nightingale (Mechanical Engineering), Blair Thornton (Maritime Engineering), Xize Niu (Mechanical Engineering)
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs – “robot” submarines) offer an efficient way to perform tasks in remote marine locations. They can be equipped with various sensors and/or imaging equipment allowing them to, for example, determine water quality and composition at different locations, inspect underwater structures (pipelines, foundations etc), and survey unexplored areas of sea floor.
AUVs come in different shapes and sizes. The smallest are under a metre in length, such as those made by ecoSub and Seaber. The small size and low cost of these “micro-AUVs” means they can be deployed in large numbers so that a large number of measurements can be taken in a short time. Their small size however also means that they have limited power and payload-space, hence there is a strong requirement that any sensors the micro-AUVS carry are small and low-powered.
Due to these limitations, there are currently no sensors for measuring chemical species (e.g. nitrate, phosphate, dissolved CO2) that are suitable for micro-AUVs. Measuring chemical species is essential for various applications such as monitoring pollution, quantifying ocean acidification from anthropogenic carbon dioxide, and understanding marine ecology. Existing chemical sensors are either too power-hungry or too large for micro-AUVs. Recently, however a new type of microfluidic nitrate sensor was developed in Southampton [1] which is much more economical in terms of power and size that previously reported nitrate sensors. As such it is a perfect potential candidate for use in micro-AUVs.
This project will explore how the sensor can be adapted to a micro-AUV, and more generally look at how chemical sensing can be implemented in small-size autonomous vehicles. In practice this will involve design, fabrication, and optimisation of new mechanical sensor parts (e.g. pumps and valves for sampling and manipulating water, optical flow cells, etc.) mechanical and electronic interfacing with a test AUV (an ecoSub µ5), lab testing of the sensor independent of – and integrated with – the test AUV, and field-testing in a suitable marine environment. You will work with academics and lab technicians within the University’s School of Engineering, as well as external academic collaborators (e.g. at National Oceanography Centre) and industrial collaborators (ecoSub). The project would be suitable for a candidate with a good undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, or a similar engineering discipline, and the candidate should be a strong team-player.
Further Details: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/chemical-sensors-for-small-robot-submarines/?p156325
Eligibility: UK rates (subject to fund availability)
Start date: October 2023
Application deadline: August 2023 (may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found)
CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
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University of Southampton
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Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
CIVIL, MARITIME
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
University of Southampton
Explore our website:
Contact us:
+44(0)23 8059 5000
+44(0)23 8059 3131
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department
© 2020 Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department