Distributed, soft-bodied, towable, active acoustic system

US7209408B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, represented by the Secretary of the Navy · US

Inventors

• Thomas R. Stottlemyer · Mystic, US
• Tracey Acquaro-Paes · Fresno Street, US
• Michael Rousseau · Woburn, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 7, 2004
• Grant date: Apr 24, 2007
• Expiry date: May 9, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01V1/3817
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A towed active acoustic system includes a plurality of soft-bodied, towable, active acoustic modules. The plurality of active acoustic modules are suspended at various depths within the water column, and allow each active acoustic module to be much smaller than known soft-bodied systems and to operate at a much lower source level while still ensuring that the entire water column is ensonified. Each active acoustic module may include different numbers of transducers depending on the intended location of the active acoustic module relative to the water column. The tow cable preferably includes a faired body designed to minimize hydrodynamic drag and turbulence. The present system can be deployed and recovered through shipboard undersurface deployment tubes.