Design of an underwater acoustic array for full ocean depth multi-beam echo sounder

摘要

In order to meet the technical requirements of full ocean depth multibeam echo sounder, the underwater acoustic array must have the ability of wide coverage, broadband response, high sensitivity and high reliability. This paper presents a design of underwater acoustic array based on Mills cross configuration with separate transmitting and receiving units. The arrays have modules design, hence the beamwidth of the array can be adjusted according to particular installation requirements. The working frequency band of the arrays is between 10.5kHz to 13.5kHz, and the coverage angle can cover -71.6°~71.6°. The Integrated design is used to achieve a wide-angle beam coverage of the planar array, which combines the transducer and the sound baffle together to realize a wide directivity of the array elements. The longitudinal bending transducers are designed to meet the broadband requirements for the transmitting array, which are Tonpilz transducers with flexural radiating head. On the other hand, each element of the receiving array is composed of several hydrophones, which are connected in series to achieve high sensitivity. The double-layer watertight technology is also applied in our design, ensuring stable performance and long service life.