Towed Underwater Vehicle

The Underway Conductivity-Temperature-Depth system (UCTD) is a highly efficient and convenient hydrographic probing tool. It operates on the same measurement principles as traditional CTDs, collecting data on conductivity, temperature, and pressure through sensors to calculate essential hydrographic parameters. The probe measures 57 cm in length (excluding the tail rod) and 6.2 cm in diameter. Its battery supports up to 50 casts or 12 hours of continuous use. During deployment, it samples temperature, conductivity, and pressure at 16 Hz, storing data in its internal flash memory. It can store up to 60 profiles or 12 hours of continuous data. Data output is via Bluetooth with an effective range of 50 meters, enabling connection to a laptop with a Bluetooth receiver.

The UCTD deployment system consists of four main components: davit, winch, rewinder, and power supply. Thanks to improvements in deployment, retrieval, and data transmission methods, the UCTD can be continuously deployed while the ship is underway, with wireless Bluetooth data access. This allows for high temporal and spatial resolution observations without stopping the ship, saving valuable navigation time. It is especially effective for rapid and continuous oceanographic research (e.g., internal wave characteristics, Kuroshio current structure and variability) and hydrographic surveys (e.g., thermal discharge monitoring, estuary and coastal environmental assessments), greatly enhancing observational capacity.