Abstract: A retrofit kit retrofits a buoy to provide dynamic control of a freeboard of the retrofitted buoy. The retrofit kit includes buoyancy chambers, an air reservoir, and a valve arrangement. A method for retrofitting a buoy retrofits a buoy to provide dynamic control of a freeboard of the retrofitted buoy. The buoyancy chambers surrounding a vertical axis of the buoy with a center of mass of the buoy disposed on the vertical axis below the buoyancy chambers. The buoyancy chambers provide a variable buoyancy ranging from a minimum buoyancy to a maximum buoyancy. The air reservoir inflates of the buoyancy chambers. The valve arrangement dynamically sets the freeboard of the buoy upon inflation and deflation of the buoyancy chambers for varying the variable buoyancy between the minimum buoyancy and the maximum buoyancy.

Abstract: A buoy, comprising a body, an inflatable bladder, a bladder cover, a pressure vessel, a variable-volume, gas-filled chamber, a controller, a compressor, and a ballast. The bladder cover surrounds the inflatable bladder. When the inflatable bladder is deflated, the bladder cover is configured to compress the inflatable bladder so as to conform to an exterior contour of the body. The variable-volume, gas-filled chamber provides passive, variable buoyancy to the buoy. The controller is configured to control a transfer of compressible gas between the inflatable bladder and the first pressure vessel. The compressor is configured to remove gas from the inflatable bladder, compress the removed gas, and introduce the compressed gas to the first pressure vessel for storage. The ballast maintains a substantially vertical orientation of the buoy when the buoy is in water.

Abstract: A variable buoyancy buoy and method for deployment therefor can include a fixed buoyancy portion formed with a cavity and an enclosure. A pressure hull containing instrumentation can be place in the cavity, and a variable buoyancy portion that can be inserted into the enclosure. The fixed buoyancy portion can have a spar buoy configuration or a marker buoy configuration, and can further be formed with at least one opening to establish a path of fluid communication between the exterior of the buoy and the enclosure. The variable buoyancy portion can be a compressible bladder, or compressible foam, which can change form a maximum volume at the water surface to a minimum volume as the buoy descends towards stowage depth. The decrease in buoyancy facilitates retrieval of the buoy by an apparatus on the ocean floor.

Abstract: A self-stabilizing buoy and deployment methods can include a main body and a cage that can be attached to the main body. A ballast can be slidably positioned within the cage so that the ballast moves from within said cage to outside of the cage when the buoy is deployed. The cage can be formed with at least one slot. The buoy can include a locking mechanism to fix the ballast at the distal end of cage after deployment, which can include a locking head that can be fixed to the ballast and inserted into the slot, and at least one flexible cantilevered arm that can extend from the cage into the slot at its distal end. As the buoy is deployed, the weight of the ballast can be sufficient to urge the locking head past the cantilevered arm to fix and lock the ballast during buoy deployment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a means by which an underwater plow can avoid large obstacles that otherwise would prevent the plow from executing its desired path. The underwater plow is released into the water, drops to the sea floor, orients itself, and begins to deploy the sensor array along a pre-programmed path. If the plow encounters a sea floor obstacle, the plow 10 automatically maneuvers to overcome the obstacle and continues deployment of the sensor array. The buoyancy shifting apparatus 110 allows the plow to automatically maneuver. The present invention shifts the center of buoyancy of the underwater plow, thereby allowing the plow to float over obstructions.