Variable buoyancy profiling float

A variable buoyancy profiling float, comprising:

• a spherical glass housing comprising a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere coupled by a partial vacuum within the spherical glass housing, the spherical glass housing comprising feed-through connections formed therein;
• and
• a hydraulic buoyancy system comprising:
• an oil reservoir located within the spherical glass housing;
• at least one oil bladder comprising a tube coupled to an outer surface of the spherical glass housing;
• and
• a pump configured to pump oil from the oil reservoir into the at least one oil bladder;
• a pneumatic buoyancy system, wherein the partial vacuum within the spherical glass housing comprises an air supply for the pneumatic buoyancy system and the partial vacuum is configured to maintain sufficient vacuum pressure to seal the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere of the spherical glass housing.

A variable buoyancy profiling float, comprising:

• a spherical glass housing comprising a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere coupled by a partial vacuum within the spherical glass housing comprising feed-through connections formed therein, the spherical glass housing defining one or more access ports;
• and
• a buoyancy engine located at least partially within the spherical glass housing, the buoyancy engine configured to provide variable buoyancy control to the variable buoyancy profiling float;
• wherein the partial vacuum within the spherical glass housing comprises an air supply for the buoyancy engine and the partial vacuum is configured to maintain sufficient vacuum pressure to seal the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere of the spherical glass housing.