Empirical Energetic Costs of Under-Ice Surveys to Guide Vehicle and Mission Design

We present estimates of common actions associated with under-ice surveys and their energetic costs by examining data collected by two versions of the tethered, battery-operated unmanned underwater vehicle Icefin during 175 hours of operations under sea ice, glaciers and ice shelves. Our method and analysis yield design guidance for battery-operated unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) based on empirical evidence of the energy used to conduct a variety of oceanographic surveys under ice. Operator decisions are shown to significantly change the variance of a common action, allowing for energy reduction by modifying operator behavior, preventing a costly design change. The total energy released while performing common under-ice survey actions are shown to illustrate the most significant opportunities for improved efficiency in future vehicle designs.