Fundamentals of Ocean Mapping

OE/ESCI 770/870

Fundamentals of Echo-Sounding

02 February 2007

Christian de Moustier
cpm@ccom.unh.edu, 603-862-3434
Office: Chase Ocean Engineering Lab #151

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 Dual-Frequency Single Beam Echo-Sounding Traces

0 0

200 kHz (4º) 24 kHz (20º)

5 5

10 10

15 15

Along-track

20 20
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 What Is The Time-Space Resolution
Of My Echo-sounder?

Time resolution depends on the characteristics of the sound pulse:

• frequency content (center frequency and bandwidth)
• amplitude and phase of the waveform as a function of time
• effective duration

Spatial resolution depends on the characteristics of the transducer:

• beamwidth (transmit & receive beam patterns)
• lobe structure (sidelobes, grating lobes)
• bandwidth

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 Ensonification With
A Directional Source

Vertical
Sound
Slice
Beam
Sound Water
Pulse

Bottom

Beam
Footprint
Ensonified Areas on Horizontal Plane

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 Directional Transducer: RESON TC2137

Vertical beam pattern @ 30 kHz

-3 dB

Resonant Frequency: 30 ± 2kHz

Transmitting Sensitivity: 164 ± 3dB re 1µPa/V @ 1m
Receiving Sensitivity: -182 ± 3dB re 1V/µPa
Impedance: 80 ohm ± 24% at 30 kHz
Beam Width: 29° at 30 kHz
Beam Shape: Conical
Max input power: 300 W (at 1% duty cycle)
© RESON (WWW.RESON.COM)

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 Circular Piston Transducer @ 30 kHz (λ = 5cm)
a = 1λ Radius a a = 2λ

2a

2
# 2J (ka sin")&
B2 (") = % 1 (
$ ka sin" '

wider aperture narrower main lobe

30º 15º
Half power at
(k a sinθ) ≈ 1.6, k = 2π/λ
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Beamwidth θ-3dB= 2 sin-1(1.6/ka) C. de Moustier 6
 Transmit Directivity Index Of Aperture
Compares the sound intensity available
on the broadside axis of an aperture with
the sound intensity radiated at the same point
in space by an omni-directional source

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 Transmit Directivity Index Of Aperture

Compares the sound intensity available

on the broadside axis of an aperture with
the sound intensity radiated at the same point
in space by an omni-directional source

Sound intensity on axis of beam pattern mainlobe

DIT= 10 log10 (dB)
Sound intensity of point source radiating same total power

Example: DI ~ 40 dB for a 2o beam (square aperture 25 λ on a side)

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 Transmit Directivity Index Of Aperture

Examples:
Line aperture length L for 2o beam: L ~ 25 λ
DI ~ 10log10(2L/λ) = 17 dB

Circular aperture with 15° conical beam

(radius a ≈ 2λ, area A ≈ πa2, wave number k = 2π/λ, ka>>1)
DI ~ 10log10(4πA/ λ2) = 10log10(ka)2 ≈ 22 dB

Rectangular aperture length L, width W,

(L and W ≥ 2 λ, area A = LW)
DI ~ 10log10(4πA/ λ2) = 10log10(k2LW/π) ≈ 23 dB
for L = W = 4 λ

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 Effect of mainlobe beamwidth
in single beam echo-sounding

slant range of first detected arrival

reported at center of beam

X
X
bottom X
profile

Nadir depth uncertainty increases with beamwidth

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 Effect of Mainlobe Beamwidth θ (rad)
on Spatial Resolution
surface

θ θ
R R
x
z X > Rθ X < Rθ

Narrower beamwidth ⇒ Better Horizontal Range Resolution

Features or targets at range R (m) are resolved

if separated by distance X > R θ (θ in radians)

Note: the approximation X = 2R tan(θ/2) ≈ R θ

is valid for beamwidths θ ≤ 0.35 rad (20º)
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 The area (A) of the
beam’s footprint
Z For a conical beam
increases with
A = π(z tan(θ/2))2
the squares of
beamwidth (θ)
and depth (z). θ1 Z(m) θ 4º 20º
θ2 10 0.4 10
50 9.6 244
area A (m2)

radius = z tan(θ/2)

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 Spatial low-pass filtering effect
of the echo-sounder’s beamwidth

Along-track

x x x x
x x x
x x
x x
detected
bottom actual
profile bottom
profile
slant range of first bottom arrival within beam reported as depth at nadir
for each ping and incremental sonar position along-track.
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 What Is The Time-Space Resolution
Of My Echo-sounder?

Sound Vertical
Sound Beam Slice
Pulse Water

Bottom

Pulse Beam
Footprint Footprint

Ensonified Areas on Horizontal Plane

Spatial resolution depends on the characteristics of the transducer:

• beamwidth (transmit & receive beam patterns)
• lobe structure (sidelobes, grating lobes)
• bandwidth (range resolution)
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 SUMMARY

Spatial Resolution at Range R (m) From a Single Beam Sonar

Signal bandwidth controls range resolution

ΔR = C /(2 Bw) (m)
sound speed C (m/s), bandwidth Bw (Hz)

Transducer beamwidth controls horizontal resolution:

ΔX ≈ R θ (m)
beamwidth θ (rad), range R (m)
(valid for θ ≤ 0.35 rad (20º))

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