Observation System



Outline of the Observation System

The observation system onboard Vos vessels and operated by VOS Nippon is described as follows. Temperature measured with a bottom thermometer inserted in the cooling seawater bypass pipe of the vessel and output from sensors including conductivity and pH located in the closed flow-thru unit are recorded at every one minute, together with time and position data by GPS, and stored in a file.

The data files can be retrieved via mobile phone system while the observation equipment stays within the service area of the communication system.


The following figure shows the outline.




Details of Flow-thru Unit Adapted by the Costal Japan(-04) Vessel



Observation Conditions

The observation system operated by VOS Nippon uses shipfs cooling seawater taken from the shipfs bottom and branched and supplied to sensors including conductivity and pH housed in the closed flow-thru system, at a flow rate of about 1-2 lit/min. The measured data including UTC date and time, latitude, longitude, shipfs heading, speed, water flow volume, temperature, salinity and pH, are stored in the hard disc and Sd card in the pc. Seawater temperature is measured with a bottom thermometer inserted in the cooling seawater pipe located near the shipfs bottom to minimize influence of ambient environment on temperature change.

The limiting conditions of Vos observations system can be summarized as follows.

(1) The sea-chest level of the vessel varies depending on the loading conditions of the vessel, from which the measured seawater is taken.

(2) The salinity and other data contain a certain degree of lag from the Gps time and position information, as measured seawater takes time to reach to the flow-thru sensors.

(3) Water temperature is measured at the minimum environmental influence within the vesselfs hull, however the degree of influence, if any, cannot be quantifiable.

Sensors

The table below shows the sensors deployed on the Asian seas Vos vessel (-01 vessel from July 2001 until April 2009, and -03 vessel from Aug. 2009 to Jul. 2014), the Japan-Australia Vos vessel (-02 vessel from Aug. 2002 through Jan. 2017), and the coastal Japan Vos vessel (-04 vessel since Sept. 2017).

œ-01 and -03 vessel (Asian seas Vos vessel)

Sensor Model Range / Accuracy
Temperature/Conductivity [Sept. 2001 - Jul. 2014]
SBE 45, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 4525798-0028		 Temperature -5 - +35Ž / 0.002Ž
Conductivity@0 - 70 mS/cm / 0.003 mS/cm (Salinity (calculated ) 0.005(psu)
Calibrated
: May 2012
: Jul. 2011
: Jul. 2009
: Sept. 2007
: Aug. 2005
: Sept. 2003
Chlorophyll fluorescence [Jun. 2002 - Nov. 2005]
DFLS, WET Labs, Inc.,
Serial No. DFL-098
 0 - 50ƒÊg/lit.
Sensitivity 0.025ƒÊg/lit.
Bottom temperature [Oct. 2002 - Feb.14, 2005]
PALT-RT
Suzuki Electronics Co. Ltd

Temperature -5 - +35Ž
0.05deg. C
[Sept. 2005- Jul. 2014]
SBE 38, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 3839369-0195

Temperature -5 - +35Ž
0.001deg. C
Time/Position [Sept. 2001 - Mar. 2008]
Acutime 2000, Trimble Navigation Ltd.,
Serial No.12101348		 Position@40m CEP
Speed@0.25m/s CEP
[Nov. 2008 - Jul. 2014]
GPS124, JLR-4340, Japan Radio Co., Ltd.,
Serial No. KE59737		 30m (2xDRMS)
Flow volume FS-3S-0J@
Regal Joint Co., Ltd.
 0.5 - 3 lit./min.
}2.5%


œ-02 vessel (Japan-Australia Vos vessel)

Sensor Model Range / Accuracy
Temperature/Conductivity [Jun. 2002 - Feb. 2017]

SBE 45, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 4525798-0050

 Temperature -5 - +35Ž / 0.002Ž
Conductivity@0 - 70 mS/cm / 0.003 mS/cm (Salinity (calculated ) 0.005(psu)
Calibrated
: Apr. 2015
: Apr. 2013
: Sept. 2010
: Sept. 2008
: Sept. 2006
: Oct. 2004
Bottom temperature [Jul. 2002-10 Sep. 2004]
PALT-RT
Suzuki Electronics Co. Ltd

 Temperature -5 - +35Ž
0.05deg. C
[Sep. 2004-Feb. 2017]
SBE 38, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 3836226-0228
 Temperature -5 - +35Ž
0.001deg. C

Calibrated: July 2012 (New temp. probe)
Time/Position GPS112, Japan Radio Co., Ltd.,
Serial No.KD96116
 Position@15m (2x DRMS)
Speed response 108kt or less
Flow volume FS-3S-0J@
Regal Joint Co., Ltd.
 0.5 - 3 lit./min.
}2.5%


œ-04 vessel (Coastal Japan Vos vessel)

Sensor Model Range / Accuracy
Temperature/Conductivity SBE 45, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 4525798-0050
 Temperature -5 - +35Ž / 0.002Ž
Conductivity@0 - 70 mS/cm / 0.003 mS/cm (Salinity (calculated ) 0.005(psu)
Calibrated
: Jul. 2017
Bottom temperature
[SBE 38, Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.,
Serial No. 3836226-0228
 Temperature -5 - +35Ž
0.001deg. C

Calibrated: July 2012 (New temp. probe)
pH Honeywell Durafet III 7777DVP pH Electrode Serial No. -5699764, with UDA2182 Analyzer pH 0-14

Temp -10 to 110 degC, +-0.1 degC,

Output accuracy: +-0.01mA
Time/Position GPS124, JLR-4340, Japan Radio Co., Ltd.,
Serial No. KF56514
 13m (2DRMS)

Update/sec
Flow volume FS-3S-0J@
Regal Joint Co., Ltd.
 0.5 - 3 lit./min.
}2.5%


Outline of Vos Vessels

The Vos vessels participating in the observations by equipping the surface water monitoring system are the Asian seas Vos vessel (shipfs identification -01 and -03), the Japan-Australia Vos vessel (shipfs identification -02), and the coastal Japan Vos vessel (shipfs identification -04).


The outline of the Asian seas Vos vessel (-01 and -03 vessel)

 The first Asian seas Vos vessel (-01 vessel) had deployed the equipment from Sept. 2001 to April 2009, which has been succeeded to the second vessel (-03 vessel) from August 2009 to July 2014.

Sea surface temperature (from Oct. 2002) and salinity (from Sept. 2001) are observed. Chlorophyll fluorescence had also been measured during June 2002 and November 2005.

Data are collected with the cooperation from the shipper and the operator, the ship owner, officers and crew of the vessels, and other parties involved in the vesselfs operations.

Asian seas Vos vessel
The First Vessel Sept. 2001 - Apr. 2009
Vessel type Double decker cargo vessel
Principal particulars 105.5m Loa x 19.0m B x 13.5mD, about 9,500dwt with navigation speed of 13kt, draft at full load 9.05m
Basic service route Fukuyama, Japan - Bangsaphan, Thailand
Operated by JFE Logistics Corp., Tokyo, Japan
Shipper JFE Steel Corporation
The Second Vessel Aug. 2009 - Jul. 2014
Vessel type Double decker cargo vessel
Principal particulars 97.6m Loa x 18.8m B x 13.0mD, about 9,100dwt with navigation speed of 13.25kt, draft at full load 9.2m
Basic service route Fukuyama, Japan - Asian countries
Operated by (until@Sept. 2011) JFE Logistics Corp., Tokyo, Japan
Shipper@(until@Sept. 2011) JFE Steel Corporation

After Sept. 2011, the vessel continued the underway measurements in Asian seas by the cooperation from the shipper, Noma Shipping Co., Ltd


The outline of the Japan-Australia Vos vessel (-02 vessel; Aug. 2002-Jan. 2017)

The Japan-Australia Vos vessel transports coal for the power plant of Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. in Hekinan, Aichi, Japan, mainly from the east coast of Australia and East Kalimantan, Indonesia, as a coal carrier of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.

Data are collected with the cooperation from Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., the shipper for the vessel, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. as the operator of the Vos vessel, Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd. as the manager of the vessel operation, officers and crew, and other related parties.

Japan-Australia Vos vessel
Vessel Type Coal carrier
Principal particulars 249.9m Loa x 43.0m B x 18.7mD, about 89,000dwt with navigation speed of 14kt, draft at full load 11.8m
Service Route Hekinan(Aichi, Japan)-East coast of Australia, and Hekinan-East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Operated by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.
Shipper Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.


The outline of the coastal Japan Vos vessel (-04 vessel; Since Sept. 2017)

The coastal Japan Vos vessel is eHimawari 8f, a RoRo vessel servicing between Tokyo and Hokkaido (Tomakomai and Kushiro). Data are collected with the cooperation from Nippon Express Co., Ltd., the owner and the operator, shipfs officers and crew, and other parties involved in the vesselfs operations.

CoastalJapan Vos vessel
Vessel Type RoRo vessel
Principal particulars 166.9m Loa x 27.0m B x 23.27mD, about 10,620dwt with navigation speed of about 23kt, draft at full load 6.85m
Service Route Tokyo Bay - Port of Tomakomai/Kushiro, Japan
Owned and Operated by Nippon Express Co., Ltd.