Hydroacoustic water tank of St. Petersburg Branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

St. Petersburg Branch of Shirshov Institute of Оceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences has constructed and commissioned an acoustically isolated water tank, equipped with an automated system for securing and moving measuring emitters, receivers (hydrophones), and the objects under study. The tank’s equipment includes emitters, hydrophones, multifunctional echosounders with side-scan sonar capabilities, amplifiers for both emitting and receiving channels, analog-to-digital converters, and portable computers with software for generating emitting and recording receiving signals. Functional models of both receiving and emitting channels have been created. A mathematical model of the water tank has been developed based on calculations of hydroacoustic fields using the method of imaginary sources. The quality of acoustic isolation in the water tank has been assessed, yielding satisfactory results. Standard models of objects have been manufactured for experiments investigating their reflective properties. The acoustically isolated water tank allows for research into the characteristics of hydroacoustic systems, methods for signal formation and processing in both active and passive modes, as well as processes occurring in aquatic environments.