Design Criteria and Practical Insights into an Underwater Current Measurement System Along With Simulation Results of a Real-Case Scenario in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Attarsharghi, Samareh (2016) Design Criteria and Practical Insights into an Underwater Current Measurement System Along With Simulation Results of a Real-Case Scenario in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Ocean Technology, 11 (1). pp. 94-116. ISSN 1718-3200

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Abstract

Acoustics have been used in underwater communication and environmental sensing for a century. Sound waves propagate well in water; however, the marine environment poses many challenges to this phenomenon. Designing and deploying an underwater acoustic sensor network has always been a challenge due to the inhomogeneity of the propagation medium. In this paper, a background theory of the underwater sound propagation is provided followed by practical observations and insights into innovative ideas achieved in a lab-scale prototype which assisted in overcoming these challenges. These observations are used to propose a large-scale deployment strategy in the Northwest Atlantic region. Bellhop simulation results provide evidence of the effectiveness of a large-scale system design. This work is focused on finding optimal positioning of the acoustic sensors in the sea while minimizing the multipath effect at the receiver. In addition, the process for precise current speed measurement in a laboratory environment has been explained which elaborates on the practical aspects of a large-scale network deployment in the ocean. The Doppler effect, caused by the motion of the transducers due to wave motion in the sea, is also considered and analyzed for signal processing needs.

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