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Objectives:
1. Describe basic principle of marine echo sounding equipment
2. Identify the main components on a simple block diagram & state the
function of each
3. State the physical factors which affect the velocity of sound in water
4. Operate a typical echo sounder & demonstrate basic user
maintenance
5. Distinguish between range and phase and demonstrate awareness
of suing wrong phase
6. Distinguish between inaccuracies caused by instrument, scale error
& those caused by false echoes.
7. Explain causes of inaccuracies due to instrument or scale error and
state their likely magnitude and measure that may be taken to
eliminate them
8. Recognize various types of false echo that may be recorded,
describe their formation and states the possible action to remove
them from trace
9. Describe the potential errors due to trim, heel and transducer
separation.
In order to navigate safely, one of the prime concern is to know the depth
below the ship. An echo sounder is designed to provide reliable
information on depth below a ship to aid navigation, particularly in shallow
water. Some times, it is also refered as echo sounding equipment. Sound
navigation and ranging , SONAR is an acronym which refers to systems
that use trasmission and reception of acosutic energy in water. This is a
very wide term which includes all modern systems that propagate
acoustic or electromagnetic energy into seawater to determine vessels
speed or depth of water under keel.
The echo sounder uses sound propagation technique to measure the
depth below the ship. Sound energy (also called acoustic energy) is
transmitted vertically down from the ship and reflected back as echo after
striking the seabed. The time taken for the return of echo is measured and
this provides the depth of water as per adjacent equation.
4. Auto: to adjust the range scale and clutter level according to depth. In
auto mode gain is adjusted automatically.
5.Paper speed control to select the speed of the paper usually two
speeds available.
6.Zero Adjustment or Draught setting control the echo sounder will
normally display the depth below the keel. This switch can be used to
feed the ships draught such that the echo sounder will display the total
sea depth. This switch is also used to adjust the start of the transmission
of the sound pulse to be in line with the zero of the scale in use.
7.Fix or event marker - this button is used to draw a line on the paper as
a mark to indicate certain time e.g. passing a navigational mark, when a
position is plotted on the chart etc.
8.Transducer changeover switch in case vessel has more than one switch
e.g. forward and aft transducer.
9.Dimmer to illuminate the display as required.
RANGING
In echo sounder, the stylus rotates with constant speed and the
transmission takes place when stylus passes the zero mark. When higher
range scale is selected, the transmission will take place when the stylus
comes to zero but the stylus speed is reduced because stylus has to
remain on the paper for longer period of time since the echoes are
returning from greater depth. This system is known as ranging. The typical
range scales are provided as 0-50 m, 0-100 m, 0-200 m, 0-300 m, , 0400m and so on.
Since the same length of paper now covers a larger depth the graduations
become closer and it becomes difficult to read depth accurately. Phasing
arrangement is used to avoid this.
Ranging is technique were the scale of the echo sounder is kept constant
and the stylus is varied according to the depth scale chose. E.g.- 0-100, 0200, 0-300 mtrs and so on
PHASING
The speed of stylus is kept constant in phasing arrangement. However the
transmission point is advanced. Phasing is a method used in echo sounder to
determine depth of the sea bottom. In this method the speed of the stylus is kept
constant and the range scale is changed from 0-100 mtrs , 100-200 mtrs , 200300 mtrs and so on.It is important that the echo sounder range changed and
regularly
checked.
SPEED ERROR
The speed of sound waves is assumed to be constant at 1500 m/s for calculation
purpose. However this speed varies with changes in atmospheric pressure,
temperature and salinity of water. In such cases the equipment will not be able
to provide accurate measurement. Generally an increase in temperature, salinity
or pressure will result in an increase in speed and the depth indicated will be less
than the actual depth.
The value of speed of sound waves through water as 1500 m/s is an international
standard and provides an acceptable degree of accuracy for most commercial
shipping requirements.
However if it becomes necessary to apply corrections, Admiralty table NP139
provides fine corrections.
In Red sea where salinity and temperature of the seawater are higher, the depth
indicated by an echo sounder may be about 5 % less than the actual depth.
The speed of sound in water depends upon the density of water. The speed of
sound waves is lesser in fresh water than in sea water due to the difference in
densities. This means that sound waves will take more time to travel in water of
lesser density (eg Fresh Water) than in water of greater density ( eg Salt water
or Sea water).
The density of water depends upon temperature, salinity and atmospheric
pressure.
EFFECT OF SQUAT
If a vessel is experiencing squat the recorded depth will still be the depth
under transducer, irrespective of the squat. This can be quite critical when
squat is in excess say 2.0 m or more. The deep drafted vessels or any
other vessels which are concerned with UKC may require depths fore and
aft. Hence additional transducers are fitted to indicate the depths from
forward to aft.
CHART COMPARISION- INDICATED DEPTH
Most echo sounders provide the depth under transducer, not the actual
charted depth. In other words the depth indicated is UKC. In order to
compare the depth with the chart, the ships draft and any height of tide at
the time of sounding should be taken into account.
Siting of transducer is very important. A fixed correction may be
applicable if the transducer is not situated at the lowest level of keel.
Similarly, excessive trim or list may affect the overall UKC.
DOUBLE ECHOES
A double echo is caused when
transmitted
pulses
after
reflection from sea bottom are
again reflected from the water
surface or ships hull. The
second echo is never as strong
as the first echo. The echo
sounder will show two layers of
echo on the display. The
weaker one is usually the
double echo. A change in the
selected
depth,
scale
or
sensitivity control can remove
this error.
MULTIPLE ECHOES
This is similar to double echo but reflection between the seabed and ships
hull takes place several number of times. This usually occurs in larger
depths, usually greater than 100 meters. This may cause several echoes
away