Low-Cost Wave Sensor Using Time Differential Carrier Phase Observations

Kenji Itani, Tadao Hayashi and Mami Ueno

Abstract:	Monitoring of waves is an important task for meteorological records, building breakwaters and harbors and wave report during typhoons, tsunami warning. As RTK-GPS (Real-Time Kinematic GPS) has the potential to achieve centimeter-level positioning using carrier phase observations, it offers the possibility of observing waves with accuracy. However, the operational range of wave sensors using RTK-GPS is presently limited to about 20 kilometers. The authors investigated an alternative method to accurately monitor waves (height and frequency) using time differential carrier phase observations from a single GPS receiver. The stand-alone use of carrier phase observations would extend the operational monitoring area while keeping the accuracy. The GPS wave monitoring sensor, composed of a GPS receiver, a personal computer (or CPU board), is encased in a floating buoy and allows automatic recording of wave data. The authors developed algorithms for wave sensor using time differential carrier phase observations in this research. Field tests were conducted using a platform that moves up and down simulating a wave as well as on board a ship. The GPS-based wave sensor could achieve the same level of accuracy as heave sensors using accelerometers (accuracy about 5 cm). This paper discusses our algorithms, and results and analysis of the field tests.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 13th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2000) September 19 - 22, 2000 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1467 - 1475
Cite this article:	Itani, Kenji, Hayashi, Tadao, Ueno, Mami, "Low-Cost Wave Sensor Using Time Differential Carrier Phase Observations," Proceedings of the 13th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2000), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2000, pp. 1467-1475.
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