Development and Testing of an Antifouling Method for the Measurement of Salinity

Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Norfolk VA

Investigators

Abstract

9911277 Royer Investigators at Old Dominion University will develop and test a new system of eliminating biological fouling on sensors that measure temperature and salinity (thermosalinographs). The method uses a pulsed electric field to eliminate biofouling, and builds upon experience on a much larger scale with intake pipes on power plants. Salinity is one of the ubiquitous measurements in ocean science research and the use of accurate sensors on ships and moorings with long-term measurement capabilities will grow in the future, as the need for real-time salinity data in oceanographic circulation models using active data assimilation grows. The sensor testing program will make use of facilities at the Virginia Marine Science Museum, where an educational display on salinity and its measurement will be established.