A practical overview of Long Baseline (LBL) acoustic positioning system

Introduction

Introduction

Of the various forms of radiation, sound travels best through water. As a

result of this characteristic, underwater sound has been used for many
applications. The use of these techniques in a formal process is known as
sonar or acoustic systems. The term sonar is an acronym derived
during World War II for application to military systems, and is formed from
the words sound, navigation and ranging. In this Report the terms
acoustics, acoustic systems and acoustic positioning systems are used.
Acoustic positioning systems were developed in the 1950s and 60s to
provide support to various US research projects and activities. Over the
years, prompted by demand from the offshore energy industry, acoustic
positioning and tracking systems have played an increasingly important role.
Applications are common and relatively widespread in what is essentially a
specialized area. The tracking of towed sensors and vehicles, locating
underwater pipelines and cables, the monitoring of drilling and dredging
operations as well as the survey and monitoring of numerous objects, are
now common applications.
Acoustic positioning plays a role in almost all the phases of the offshore
hydrocarbon industry, from exploration, drilling, engineering and
construction to the monitoring and maintenance of production systems. In
recent years the significance of acoustic positioning has increased as more
activities have taken place in deep water areas.
Prior to the development and introduction of GPS satellite technology, radio
positioning systems were used for accurate positioning of vessels on the sea
surface. At best, these systems provided regional coverage. Satellite- based
positioning systems have introduced global coverage, whereas acoustic
positioning systems remain localized and typically cover only a few square
kilometers at a time. This limitation creates difficulties for certain projects,
particularly pipeline installation and cable-laying work, where accurate
positioning is required for a long linear route. However, many users of the
acoustic positioning systems accept limited cover and perhaps even limited
accuracy in relation to the outside and real world in order to ensure that
reliable and repeatable positioning is available for their specific area.

A practical overview of Long Baseline (LBL) acoustic positioning system

Introduction

The ability of a system to provide accuracy, coverage and reliability is

discussed later, but it is important to realize that no single acoustic
positioning system provides all the answers for the various applications. For
many, there will be a trade-off between several systems each of which
offers some advantage relative to another.
The definition of deep water varies hugely depending on what sector of the
marine and offshore industry is being consulted. Hydrographers concerned
with the safety of life and navigation may consider depths greater than 200
meters (m) as deep, whereas the offshore drilling companies often now
consider deep water as greater than 2,500m. For the purposes of this Report
the definition of deep water is greater than 400m.

REPORT LAYOUT
This Scientific Report consists of four chapters organized as follows:
Chapter 1, Methods of Acoustic Positioning. In this chapter, Different
types of acoustic positioning systems and their performance techniques are
discussed.
Chapter 2, Basics of Deep Water Positioning Systems. This chapter
introduces the variables which the acoustic positioning theory is based on .
Chapter 3, Long Baseline Acoustic Positioning System. This chapter
illustrates the Long Baseline Acoustic Positioning System in particular and
its method of operation and its applications.
Chapter 4, Autonomous Underwater Vechile Positioning System Design.
In this chapter, the position of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is
determined based on signals from a sensor array. A MATLAB code is
introduced to determine the position of the AUV.