Guideline for Design of Cost Efficient and Robust Sensor Based Environmental Monitoring Systems
Authors: Ulfsnes Amund , Frost Tone , Rylandsholm Pål , Endresen Øyvind , Johnsen Ståle , Hermansen Anders 
Published: March 2016

There is an increasing focus on monitoring of site specific environmental resources and discharges. Systems for collection of Real time and on-line sensor data are evolving as an answer to these challenges. These systems generate large amounts of data, commonly used into planning/documentation and operational decision support. However, there exists no industry standard on how to design and carry out such activities.

This paper outlines a guideline for conceptual designs of cost efficient and robust sensor monitoring systems. Based on previous sensor monitoring projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, a methodology has been developed to make conceptual designs of cost efficient and robust sensor monitoring systems. This paper proposes in the evaluation process of emerging technologies for possible incorporation in a cost efficient way to use a combination of (1) Existing sampling design strategies, (2) Identified key design variables and (3) Success and acceptance criteria's for implementing new Environmental Monitoring Mapping (EMM) approach. The approach has been tested on two cases; (i) off-line/physical sampling approach and (ii) on-line/modelling approach.

A number of driving design variables have been identified for establishing such a system, whereas the most important are: (i) time - frequency and duration of the sampling, (ii) space - spatial resolution and number of sensors, (iii) collection: off/on-line and mobile/stationary sensor platforms (iv) Use: direct or derived use of the data and documentation/mitigation purposes, (v) analysis, and (vi) Presentation: availability and format. By assessing these key design variables one will provide decision support on complexity of the environmental sensor based solution on future environmental monitoring campaigns.

In Norway, over the past decade, there has been made substantial efforts in offshore projects to apply use of sensors in different ways where sensitive environmental resources such as cold water corals and deep water sponge aggregations are present. On a general basis most of these projects have been real time data collection using an off-line solution, where the purpose has been documentation. Joint effort R&D projects such as IEM, ELMO and LOVE, and commercial projects like Morvin and Hyme have challenged the off-line application into an on-line setting. Benefits from collection of Real time and on-line sensor data can be to enable operations in compliance with environmental acceptance criteria; meaning more efficient, smarter and greener operations.

So far little focus has been on how data from sensor based systems actually can be used for decision support. In order to address the complexity and challenges of setting up different type of sensor based systems, this paper presents a design guideline which is based on a structured approach including the main variables needed to be considered for such a systems. Lessons learned from several previous sensor monitoring projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) are reflected in the guideline. By applying the structured approach it is expected to design more cost efficient and robust monitoring systems.