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Bachelor of Science in Marine

Transportation
 Navigational
Instruments with
Compasses
Principles of Echo Sounder
 At the end of the lesson the students
will be able to:
Basic Principles of Marine Echo-Sounding Equipment

Learning Main components of an echo-sounder equipment and their

functions (Use simple block diagram for easy explanation)

outcomes Inaccuracies of echo sounder readings and their causes

(instrument and scale errors including wrong phase setting,
false echoes, ship-condition errors such as trim, heel, and
transducer separation) and measures to correct them.

Information that can be generated from an echo sounder.

 01
Echo
Sounder on
Ships
 INTRODUCT
ION
The depth of water is checked from the
echo sounder just as a matter of routine
to see that the depth obtained matches
with that show on the chart. However
when the position is not accurately
known while approaching the port, or
crossing over a bar, or near the mouth
of a river, or in a poorly surveyed area,
the under-keel clearance and depth of
water needs to be known. The echo
sounder comes in handy in such
situation.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Basic Principles

Echo Sounder
Short pulses of sound vibrations are transmitted
from the bottom of the ship to the seabed. These
sound waves are reflected back by the seabed
and the time taken from transmission to
reception of the reflected sound waves is
measured. Since the speed of sound in water is
about 1500 m/sec, the depth of the sea bed is
calculated which will be half the distance
travelled by the sound waves.

EchoEcho
Sounder on Ships
Sounder - https://bit.ly/48aa0NS
on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9
 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Basic Principles

The received echoes are converted into electrical

signal by the receiving transducer and after
passing through to stylus which burns out the
coating of the thin layer of aluminum powder and
produces the black mark on the paper indicating
the depth of seabed.

Content
Echoand Imageon
Sounder :Echo Sounder
Ships on Ships - https://bit.ly/48aa0NS / Wikipedia.org CC BY-SA 2.5view terms File:Tamer Kiran 018.jpg; Created: 1 January 2007/Retrieved Dec 15, 2023
- https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9
 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Components
Basically an echo sounder has following
components:

 Transducer – to generate the sound

vibrations and also receive the reflected
sound vibration.
Pulse
generator
Amplifier  Pulse generator – to produce electrical
Recorder oscillations for the transmitting transducer.

Transmitte
Transducers Receiver  Amplifier – to amplify the weak electrical
r
oscillations that has been generated by the
receiving transducer on reception of the
reflected sound vibration.
Components of Echo Sounder
 Recorder – for measuring and indicating
depth.
EchoEcho
Sounder on Ships
Sounder - https://bit.ly/48aa0NS
on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9
 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 CONTROLS
Paper speed control
Unit selector switch
to select the speed of the paper
to select the unit feet, fathoms
– usually two speeds
or meter as required.
available.

Range Switch Gain switch Zero Adjustment or Draught setting

to select the range between to be adjusted such that the control
which the depth is be checked clearest echo line is recorded on the echo sounder will normally display the
e.g. 0- 50 m, 1 – 100 m, 100 the paper. depth below the keel. This switch can be
– 200 m etc. Always check used to feed the ship’s draught such that the
the lowest range first before echo sounder will display the total sea
shifting to a higher range. depth. This switch is also used to adjust the
start of the transmission of the sound pulse
Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9
to be in line with the zero of the scale in
use.
 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 CONTROLS
Transducer changeover
switch
in case vessel has more than
one switch e.g. forward and
aft transducer.

Fix or event marker Dimmer

this button is used to draw a to illuminate the display as
line on the paper as a mark to required
indicate certain time e.g.
passing a navigational mark,
when a position is plotted on
the chart etc.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Working

• The acoustic pulses of very short duration are transmitted vertically at the rate of 5
to 600 pulses per minute having a beam width of 12 to 25°.

• These pulses strike the seabed and get reflected back towards the receiving
transducer as echoes.

• These received echoes are converted into electrical signals by the receiving
transducer and after passing through the different stages of the receiver, the current
is supplied to the stylus which bums out the coating of the thin layer of aluminium
powder and produces a black mark on the paper indicating the depth of the seabed.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

1. Ranging
In echo sounder the stylus is mounted on circular belt driven
by means of a stylus motor which moves at certain speed and
transmission takes place when the stylus passes the zero
marks.

A magnet fixed on the stylus belt triggers the transmitter to

transmit a pulse every rotation of belt when stylus is at zero
mark on the paper scale, the transmission of the acoustic
waves from the transducer is synchronized with the stylus at
the zero mark.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

1. Ranging
The acoustic waves are reflected from the seabed and echoes
are received by the transducer and after passing through
various stages eventually the current is supplied to stylus
which burns out the coating of the thin layer of aluminum
powder and produces the black mark on the paper indicating
the depth of seabed.

This cycle is repeated for every rotation so as the paper is

pulled across the display, the profile of seabed is obtained.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

1. Ranging
Suppose the lowest range scale is 0 to 50 M, the transmission
will take place when stylus reaches at the zero mark.

When the higher range is selected say 0 to 100 M, in order to

cater for this range scale, the speed of the stylus motor is
reduced, in this process the scale magnification is lost and as
we switch over to higher ranges the scale becomes more &
more congested. To overcome this problem some of echo
sounding machines work on phasing technique.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

2. Phasing
In phasing the speed of the stylus motor remains constant.

Instead of changing the speed of the stylus, the transmission

point is advanced. If the first range is 0 to 50 M the second
range will be 50 to 100 M (instead of 0 to 100 M).
Various sensors are positioned around the stylus belt, the
magnet generates the pulse when it passes the sensors which
in turns activates the transmitter.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

2. Phasing
when we select the lowest range 0 to 50 M, the magnet
mounted on the stylus belt will activate sensor no. 1,
transmission takes place when the stylus exactly passes over
the zero mark, when we switch over to higher range, say 50 to
100 M, the magnet mounted on the stylus belt will activate
sensor no.2 and transmission will take place early, at the time
of the transmission, the stylus will not be passing over 50 M
mark on display unit, in other words there will be delay
introduced by delay unit no.2 & the stylus will reach the 50 M
on display unit after delay of 0.067 seconds.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

There are two techniques:

2. Phasing
(50 x 2 / 1500, where 50 correspond to the range, multiplied
by 2 because double of distance is covered by acoustic waves
& the echoes and 1500 is the speed of acoustic waves).

Likewise, when we switch over to higher range say, 100 to

150 M, magnet mounted on the stylus belt will activate sensor
no. 3 & more delay will be introduced for the stylus to pass
over the 100 M.

Echo Sounder on Ships - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Principle used in the working of an Echo Sounder

Delay
Unit
Sensor 1
Working of an Echo Sounder
Delay
Unit Sensor 3
Stylus Caution when using phasing technique:
Transmitt
er
We must always start sounding at lowest
Belt
range and check for echoes, adjust the
Paper
gain control if required and then only
Delay switch over to higher range.
Unit
Sensor 2
Sensor 4

Delay
Unit
Transduce
r - https://shorturl.ac/7cjj9
Echo Sounder on Ships
 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Errors of the Echo Sounder

The velocity of propagation in water

The velocity of acoustic wave changes if temperature, salinity or pressure changes and
since velocity is not correct, the depth recorded will be inaccurate.

Stylus speed error

The stylus is rotating with a certain constant speed and the speed of the stylus that
the time is taken for the stylus to travel from top to bottom is exactly equal to that
for an acoustic pulse to travel twice the distance of the range selected. Due to the
fluctuation in the voltage, the speed of the stylus motor changes hence the depth
recorded Will be inaccurate. It should be checked periodically and adjusted as per
the instruction is given in the manual.

Multipath Echoes
The echo may be reflected a number of times between the keel and the seabed, thereby
giving multiple depth marks on the record, in such case the first echo is the correct
depth.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Errors of the Echo Sounder

Pythagoras error
This error is found when two transducers are used one for transmission and other for
reception.

Thermal and Density layer

The density of the water varies with temperature and salinity, which will tend to
form different layers. It is possible for echoes to return from the surface of these
layers and a faint line appears between zero and actual depth.

Zero line adjustment error

If the zero adjustment is not correct, the depth recorded will not be correct.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echo Graph and
Echometer

What is an
Echo Graph?
It consists of paper coated with aluminium or other good conductors, stylus, belt,
conducting bar, sensors, actuator magnet, time delay unit and trigger unit. Paper may
be graduated or a scale may be provided next to it. Calibration is in metres.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echo Graph

When the actuator magnet passes over the sensor,

the sensor sends a signal to trigger unit. This
activates transmitter after a time delay, which
feeds high voltage signal to transducer for onward
transmission of sound waves. The transmitter also
sends a weak electrical impulse to stylus via the
conducting rail.

The stylus moves over a paper which is coated

with electrically conductive material and which
moves over a metal plate. The electrical impulse
carried by stylus causes a layer of paper to be
burned off making a mark on the paper.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echo Graph

This mark coincides with the zero of graduation.

The time delay is such that the mark on the paper
is made to coincide with departure of sound wave
from the transducer. When the echo returns the
mechanical vibrations set up electrical signal,
which is fed to the stylus. The stylus makes a
second mark on the paper.

The depth can be read from the graduation is on

the paper or by help of a scale, which is next to
the stylus. If echo were received after the stylus
has gone past the paper area there would be no
visible indication. In other words the movement
of the stylus outside paper area will be unutilised.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echo Graph

In order to put this to use more than one sensor is fitted. By selecting sensor No.2 the actuator will activate
the transmitter before the stylus has reached the zero mark. The echo will be received while the stylus is on
the paper. If at sensor No.1 the range is say 0-50 m. at sensor 2 it 50-100 and sensor 3 it is 100-150 m. Thus
if the seabed is 75 m. from the keel the stylus will make a mark at halfway on the paper provided sensor 2 is
in use. While using sensor s 2 or 3 there is no zero mark indication.

This method of increasing the range is called ‘phasing’ because the start of the pulse is not synchronised
(not in phase) with the position of the stylus on zero line on the paper. Another way of increasing the range
is by changing the speed of stylus. Suppose the speed of stylus is reduced to 1/4th then it will take four
times the time to travel the length of the paper. With speed of sound remaining unchanged the paper will
then represent a range of 0-200 (four times of 0-50), while on sensor 1, 200-400 on sensor 2 and 400-600
meters. on sensor 3.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echo Graph

The control switch, which changes the stylus speed, also changes the duration of pulse, pulse repetition rate
(PRR) and the time delay for making the zero mark. Pulse will be longer, PRR will be smaller and time
delay will be increased, as the stylus will take a longer time to reach the zero line. Echo meters usually use
a combination of phasing as well as the change of stylus speed, to achieve a wide detection range and retain
good resolution at short and medium ranges.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 Echo Sounder on Ships
01 Echometer

This gives an analogue or digital readout of the

sound­ings.

Echo Sounder – Principle, Working & Errors - https://shorturl.ac/7cjjh

 END OF TOPIC

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