T-Node temperature strings will be added to NOAA buoys

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data buoys in Lake Erie will utilize NexSens T-Node temperature strings to monitor the coast of Cleveland, Ohio. The T-Nodes will contribute to a network of Great Lakes real-time data.

Data from the buoys contributes to an early warning system for pollution near Cleveland drinking water intakes, thus ensuring the quality of tap water for the roughly 1.5 million residents of the city.

NOAAs Real-time Environmental Coastal Observations Network project is a response to the critical need for a regional coastal observing system. The ReCon project aims to create a national network of low-cost coastal buoys capable of making water quality measurements throughout the water column. This whole-water-column data is transmitted using high-bandwidth wireless Ethernet communication networking standards. ReCon is benefiting a wide range of constituents by providing data to the public and educational institutions through a Web interface.

The temperature strings consist of connectorized digital smart sensor nodes, or T-Nodes. The T-Nodes are connected with underwater cabling to build a string of measurement sensors that are suspended vertically in the water column. (T-Nodes can also be strung horizontally along the seabed.)

The temperature strings allow for measurements throughout the water column instead of at a single point. Each T-Node includes a completely sealed, extremely precise temperature measurement system with top and bottom waterproof connectors. The T-Nodes have a range of 0-50 C and an accuracy of +/-0.1 C for high-precision measurements. T-Nodes can withstand underwater deployments as deep as 100 meters.