System engineering for a regional scale cabled observatory, process and progress

An international consortium is currently collaborating to develop a regional-scale submarine cabled observatory with unprecedented capabilities. The goal is to provide a 4D observing capability covering the entire Juan de Fuca tectonic plate for current, next and future generation instruments and experiments over a planned 30 year design life. The scope of this project dictates a systematic engineering approach to ensure the delivered system meets the user's requirements in a cost effective manner. This paper will discuss how the NEPTUNE system engineering team is using and adapting standard system engineering tools, techniques and processes not typically used in the oceanographic research community to the unique circumstances associated with the project. A major challenge of the design effort is developing a system with high enough reliability to balance operational and initial capital construction casts in order to minimize life cycle cost. An overview of our reliability engineering process and some initial results will also be discussed.