He Li, Nankai Cheng and Li Yang · CLIENT: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Sim One is a monitoring device designed to detect tsunamis in the open sea. Existing warning methods rely on simulations of earthquake data, which are delayed and often inaccurate. Sim One measures the internal dynamics of the ocean in real time. Several units are anchored along a chain, 30 to 50 kilometres apart, forming a monitoring network. When a dangerous ocean current is detected, a communication buoy is released and sends warning signals from the surface. The shell is made of aluminium bronze and titanium with an anti-corrosion coating.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Tsunamis can cause tens of thousands of casualties. Due to the nature of tsunamis, humans do not have equipment that can directly detect tsunamis. The current tsunami warning is based on the simulation results of earthquake data, which has a lag and is inaccurate. This design is designed to monitor the internal dynamics of the ocean in real-time and directly detect tsunamis, with high warning accuracy.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- SPECIFICATIONS and DIMENSION: 1050mm*1000mm*2050mm
PACKAGE: High-carbon steel
TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Max. dive depth - 150 m; Max. speed - 20 km/h; Max. range - 100 km - Tags
- Tsunami early warning equipment, Engineering Design, Technical design, Product Design,
- Production Technology
- The equipment is anchored in the open sea by the offshore work vessel and fixed by special ropes. The empty compartment inside the device provides buoyancy, allowing the device to be suspended at a fixed depth. The overall structural shell is mainly made of aluminum bronze and titanium. The surface coating adopts inorganic seawater anti-corrosion coating.
- Design Challenge
- Harsh sea conditions introduce additional challenges to designing and applying deep-sea-based equipment. Such challenges include wave spectrum monitoring, anchoring in deep waters (100-200 meters), monitoring data modelling and analysis, and reliable and long-time functioning. A feasible and applicable solution copes with all the challenges mentioned above is finalised by a completed design.
- Project Duration
- The project started on February 2020 in China and finished on January 27th, 2023, in Lisbon.
- Operation Flow
- Several devices are anchored in the ocean along a chain distribution, and each device is separated by 30-50 kilometers. Form a monitoring network for the internal movement of the ocean. When the device detects dangerous ocean currents, it releases the communication buoys. The buoy floats to the sea surface to send out early warning signals and data. If several adjacent devices emit tsunami signals almost simultaneously, an alert is issued to coastal areas.
- Research
- This project constructs the tsunami early warning system and provides guiding significance and a theoretical basis for the new design. It also maps tsunami propagation properties and discovers critical points for tsunami monitoring with the assistance of analysing tsunami dynamics. Finally, an accurate and reliable tsunami early warning system is designed.
The system can reduce the threat of marine disasters, for instance, tsunamis, to coastal residents. At the same time, the system extracts comprehensive ocean state data, which will provide a better understanding of the oceans of human beings. - Inspiration
- The device was initially designed to decrease the likelihood of marine disasters such as tsunamis caused by the warming of the climate and the rise in sea level. The design is inspired by the shape of Aeoliscus strigatus (an upright diving creature in the ocean). The colour is yellow, as it stands out against the marine background.
- Image Credits
- Image #1, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #2, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #3, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #4, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #5, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
The copyright belongs to Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang. - Patents
- The copyright belongs to Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang, 2023.
Press releases are available in 1 languages.