(youtube) RV FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) is an open ocean research vessel owned by the Office of Naval Research and operated by the Marine Physical Laboratory of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.The ship is a 355 feet (108 meters) long vessel designed to partially flood and pitch backward 90 degrees, resulting in only the front 55 feet (17 meters) of the vessel pointing up out of the water, with bulkheads becoming decks. When flipped, most of the buoyancy for the platform is provided by water at depths below the influence of surface waves, hence FLIP is a stable platform mostly immune to wave action, like a spar buoy. At the end of a mission, compressed air is pumped into the ballast tanks in the flooded section and the vessel returns to its horizontal position so it can be towed to a new location.The ship is frequently mistaken for a capsized ocean transport ship.
FLIP is designed to study wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and for the collection of meteorological data. Because of the potential interference with the acoustic instruments, FLIP has no engines or other means of propulsion. It must be towed to open water, where it drifts freely or is anchored. In tow, FLIP can reach speeds of 7--10 knots.
FLIP weighs 700 long tons (711 tonnes) and carries a crew of five, plus up to eleven scientists. It is capable of operating independently during month-long missions without resupply,being able to operate worldwide but the normal area is the west coast of the United States. The vessel operates out of a home base at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility in San Diego, California.
11 Comments
YogiEverything about this terrifies me. I would be on that thing, even knowing and understanding exactly what's going on, hyperventilating with fear and plotting my escape route.
What exactly does it study?
AeroMechanicalsays...Fear.
What exactly does it study?
pumkinandstormIt studies wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and collects meteorological data.
I added this and a bit more information to the video description.
Everything about this terrifies me. I would be on that thing, even knowing and understanding exactly what's going on, hyperventilating with fear and plotting my escape route. What exactly does it study?
ShakaI've walked through the superstructure before- it's like something out of Escher's Relativity. The wall becomes the floor, and as such everything is designed to be either hinge or track over to it's new arrangement. Very trippy.
articianI started watching the video before I read the description, so I didn't know it was supposed to flip.
I kept wondering "what the hell are all the crew so happy for? They just lost a multi-million dollar vessel and it looks like it's going to capsize right on top of them!"
ChaosEngineThat is some mighty impressive *engineering
siftbotAdding video to channels (Engineering) - requested by ChaosEngine.
brycewi19Let's face it. It looks like a giant metal Q-Tip floating in the sea.
deathcow*related=http://videosift.com/video/All-about-the-FLIP-ship-It-just-turned-50
*related=http://videosift.com/video/FLIP-ship-half-sunken-research-vessel
siftbotAll about the FLIP ship. It just turned 50! has been added as a related post - related requested by deathcow.
FLIP ship half sunken research vessel has been added as a related post - related requested by deathcow.
Snohwsays...I wonder if somthing more.. conventional couldn't do the job instead?
Like a buoy, quite fkn large but just anchored, and you go out once a day or so to collect data?
Feels so much like the idea came like this:
Random engineer / scientist:
"Hey, I just got an awesome idea for a ship!" .. Friend:
"Yeah that would be so cool, lets find some funding!"
Discuss...
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