Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
  • G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
  • G01S7/521—Constructional features
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01V—GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS
  • G01V1/00—Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
  • G01V1/16—Receiving elements for seismic signals; Arrangements or adaptations of receiving elements
  • G01V1/20—Arrangements of receiving elements, e.g. geophone pattern
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01V—GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS
  • G01V1/00—Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
  • G01V1/16—Receiving elements for seismic signals; Arrangements or adaptations of receiving elements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
  • H01Q1/04—Adaptation for subterranean or subaqueous use
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
  • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
  • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
  • H01Q1/28—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
  • H01Q1/30—Means for trailing antennas

Definitions

• the invention relates to an acoustic underwater antenna of the genus defined in the preamble of claim 1.
• a known underwater antenna called maritime seismic streamer which forms the acoustic part of a towed antenna (DE 42 08 178 A1), has a skeleton with two tension cables and in the longitudinal direction of the traction ropes spaced form pieces arranged on the diametrically extending on the fittings two tension cables are fixed axially immovable.
• the skeleton is retracted into an antenna shell designed as an elastic hose, wherein each fitting is supported with its molding shell via two axially spaced annular strips of open-cell PU foam on the inner wall of the antenna shell or the hose.
• each fitting In a central through-hole of each fitting, a single-hydrophone-implemented electroacoustic transducer is used, which is enclosed by a sleeve of open-cell foam. Each transducer is connected to a tube inside through the fittings passed, electrical line. The electrical leads lead to electronic assemblies for the signal processing of the electrical converter output signals. At the output of each electronic module, also called channel, is the interference-free, amplified, digitized output signal.
• the hose is closed at the end and filled with a liquid.
• the fittings are used to form the dimensional stability of the hose, the axially immovable mounting of the transducer in the hose and for damping the liquid flow in the hose and thus to reduce noise to the transducer.
• each electronic module defining a channel is spatially assigned to a transducer, so that in the longitudinal direction of the underwater antenna always alternately a transducer and an electronics housing follow each other.
• a towed antenna is known for example from DE 198 11 335 Cl.
• antenna shell filling gel body hydrophones and electronic components alternately lined up.
• the longitudinal distance between the transducers is adapted to the receiving or transmitting frequencies of the underwater antenna of the acoustic part for the formation of directional characteristics, the receiving or transmitting frequency of the underwater antenna is set an upper limit, if transmission or reception over a single main lobe of the directional characteristic is to be ensured.
• a known converter module (DE 196 12 503 A1) has two spaced-apart transducers, a partition wall of reflector and absorber material arranged between the transducers and an electronic circuit in which the received signals of the two transducers are amplified and digitized for transmission.
• Transducer elements, partition and electronic circuit are arranged in a polyurethane mold-filled cylindrical shape.
• the partition has T-profile and separates transducer elements and electronics circuit from each other in such a way that the two transducer elements are placed on the left and right of the middle web of the partition and the electronic circuit above the transverse web of the partition.
• the invention has for its object to make the structural design of an underwater antenna so that within the antenna shell of the space between successive in the longitudinal direction of the antenna shell, electro-acoustic transducers can be kept small.
• the underwater antenna according to the invention has the advantage that by the combination of two electronic modules belonging to adjacent transducers to an electronic module after every other converter in the converter chain an empty space is present, the flexibility of the underwater antenna, eg in their Tumble, increased and can be used for a strain relief of electrical cables and cables, for example by their crosses.
• the distance between the two transducers of an electronic module associated transducer pair can be fully used for the accommodation of the electronic module and minimized by appropriate structural design of the electronic module.
• a minimizable distance between the transducers in turn has the advantage that the operating frequency (transmitting and / or receiving frequency) of the underwater antenna can be shifted to higher frequencies and directional characteristics for a clear transmission in or receiving from only one main direction for operating frequencies well above 1OkHz can be realized and Gräting praise be avoided.
• the formation of the electronic modules as on the antenna shell supporting moldings and their axially immovable fixation on the traction ropes not only saves the otherwise used, cost-increasing, sound-transparent mounts for the converter, but also creates space in the longitudinal direction of the antenna shell by eliminating them. At the same time a stiffening of the antenna shell is achieved.
• the support of the electronic modules on the antenna shell is advantageously carried out by circumferential strips, preferably over two circumferentially spaced plastic strips.
• this plastic strip is an acoustic decoupling of the antenna shell and electronic modules, in particular the content Erten converter achieved.
• the plastic strips are made of open-pore PU foam, then the electronic modules - like the known shaped pieces described above - can also be used to dampen the liquid flow in the usually closed end side and filled with a liquid antenna shell and thus for Störsignalreduzi für to the transducers.
• each electronic module on at least two equipped with electronic components printed circuit boards which are aligned transversely to the module axis and each carry a converter on outwardly facing plate surfaces.
• This manufacturing structure of the electronic module allows a very small axial length and thus a possible very small distance between the transducers for the realization of a high-frequency underwater antenna.
• the SMD-equipped PCB assembly with direct support of the electronic components on the transverse to the longitudinal axis of the underwater antenna-equipped printed circuit boards not only further reduces the axial length of the electronic module, but also brings a sufficient compressive strength of the electronic module for use of the underwater antenna in greater depth yourself.
• Star-flex printed circuit board which consists of at least two rigid circuit boards for the assembly and a mechanical firmly connected flexurally soft interconnect in the form of a permanent flexible cable.
• the assembled printed circuit boards are peripherally held in mutually axially spaced grooves of a composite of two housing halves, frontally open module housing.
• This structural design of the electronic modules results in a skeleton of traction ropes and electronic modules with converter pairs which is supported on the inner wall of the antenna casing, with the individual electronic modules being inserted into the skeleton or being taken out of the skeleton with converter pairs in an advantageous manner for mounting and repairing the trailing antenna can be removed without the other electronic modules or the entire skeleton must be dismantled.
• a twisting underwater underwater antenna is inhibited by the arrangement of the traction cables.
• the transducers of each transducer pair of the electronic modules are located in the module axis.
• the directional characteristic formed by the transducer signals has all around a horizontally small opening angle.
• target positions located with such an underwater antenna are ambiguous, since it can not be distinguished whether the located target is located on the control or port side of the longitudinal axis of the antenna envelope.
• all transducers are arranged to the module axes with radial spacing on the printed circuit board. The successive in the longitudinal direction of the antenna shell transducer are offset from each other by a circumferential angle, which is arbitrary and is set stochastically. Now, if the transducer signals are processed in such a manner as described in DE 44 45 549 C1, then a directional characteristic of the underwater antenna is obtained, which points only to one side of the towed antenna.
• each electro-acoustic transducer consists of three transducer elements with omnidirectional directivity, which are arranged offset in the same radial distance to the module axis and against each other by the same circumferential angle outside in the module housing.
• each transducer element is a hydrophone.
• output signals from two of the three transducer elements are summarized after passing through suitable time delay elements to the output signal of the electroacoustic transducer, which corresponds to a cardioidförmigen Eigenricht characterizing the transducer.
• Fig. 1 is a side view of one of a
• FIG. 2 is a side view of a designed vertical antenna
• FIG. 3 shows a detail of a longitudinal section of an acoustic section of an acoustic part in the towed antenna according to FIG. 1 or in the vertical antenna according to FIG. 2, FIG.
• FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the detail IV in FIG. 3 with longitudinally cutout electronic modules
• FIG. 5 shows a plan view of populated printed circuit boards of an electronic module laid in the sheet plane in FIG. 4, FIG.
• FIG. 6 shows a view in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 5 of the assembled circuit boards brought into the installed position
• Fig. 7 is a same view as in Fig. 5 according to another embodiment.
• the in Fig. 1 in a towed antenna 10 and in Fig. 2 in a vertical antenna 11 integrated underwater antenna provides each an elongated, tubular acoustic part 12 of the antennas 10, 11, which is equipped with electro-acoustic transducers.
• the acoustic part 12 is designed as a receiving antenna for receiving sound waves propagating in the water.
• the acoustic part 12 can also be used for emitting sound.
• the acoustic part 12 is composed of several acoustic sections 121, which are detachably connected to each other via couplings 13.
• the acoustic part 12 is attached via a damping module 14 to a trailing cable 15, which is fixed at its end remote from the damping module 14 on a on board a watercraft 16 located, drivable drum 17.
• a further damping module 18 is attached, at its end facing away from the acoustic part 12 a tow brake 19 attacks.
• the watercraft 16 may be an overwater vessel or an underwater vehicle, e.g. Submarine, his.
• acoustic part 12 with its clutches 13 juxtaposed acoustic sections 121 end again attached to damping modules 14 and 18 respectively.
• the damping module 14 is connected to a buoyancy body 20 and the damping module 18 with a stabilizing member 21 with stabilizing fins 22 and ballast weight 23.
• the acoustic part 12 is connected via an electrical cable 24 or an optical waveguide with an integrated in the anchoring watercraft 16 headquarters or via radio with an evaluation.
• a section of an acoustic section 121 of the acoustic part 12 is partially shown in longitudinal section. All acoustic sections 121 of the acoustic part 12 are identical.
• the acoustic section 121 has an antenna shell in the form of an elastic, tension-resistant tube 25, for example made of polyurethane with inserted carbon fibers or Kevlar fibers.
• a skeleton with two support or traction cables 26, 27 and on the traction cables 26, 27 axially immovably mounted electronic modules 28 retracted.
• the electronic modules 28 are formed as fittings for shape stabilization of the tube 25 and serve to accommodate the transducer 29 (Fig. 4) and electronic assemblies for signal processing of the electrical output signals of the transducer 29.
• each transducer 29 is associated with an electronic assembly, which is substantially operational amplifier , Filter, Sample and HId circuit and A / D converter or sigma-delta A / D converter.
• each electronic module also called channel
• the noise-free, amplified and digitized output signal is available.
• the channels are connected to electrical lines 31, which pass through the towed antenna 10 or the vertical antenna 11 through to an electronic control center or a radio transmission path arranged in the vessel.
• the tube 25 is closed at the couplings 13 and filled with an electrically insulating substance, such as gel or oil.
• Each transducer 29 is realized by a single hydrophone.
• each electronic module 28 has an existing from two housing halves module housing 32 with a circular cross-section, which is open at the front.
• the two housing halves are formed by two semicircular housing shells 321, 322, which rest on one another with their shell edges and the cylindrical module housing 32 result.
• the module housing 32 is supported on the inner wall of the hose 25 via two plastic strips 33, which run around the module housing 32 at an axial distance from each other, thus ensuring its dimensional stability.
• the plastic strips 33 are inserted into two axially spaced-apart annular grooves 43 in the outer jacket of the module housing 32 and protrude radially beyond the module housing 32 so that an annular gap remains between the module housing 32 and the hose 25.
• the plastic strips 33 are made of open-pore or open-cell PU foam and act as attenuators for acoustic decoupling between tube 25 and module housing 32.
• each converter 29 is associated with an electronic module which supplies the output signal of the converter 29 or the channel for the converter 29, so that the electronic module 28 is constructed with two channels.
• Each electronic module consists of one or more populated printed circuit boards 35. The assembled printed circuit boards 35 are axially spaced from each other in transverse alignment with the module axis - and thus to the axis of the acoustic section 121 - arranged and fixed in the module housing 32.
• the assembled printed circuit boards 35 engage at the edge in annular grooves 36, which are introduced at an axial distance from each other in the inner wall of the two housing shells 321, 322 and rotate in the module housing 32 by 360 °.
• the two in the electronic module 28 externally populated printed circuit boards 35 each carry one of the converter 29th
• a total of four populated printed circuit boards 35 are provided in the module housing 32.
• the assembled printed circuit boards 35 are electrically inextricably connected by integrated in a flexible tape tracks.
• the number of printed circuit boards 35 of the electronic module 28 with their flexible printed conductor connections can vary.
• a populated Star-Flex printed circuit board of four assembled printed circuit boards 35 is shown with connections by flexible conductor strips 39 before installation in the module housing 32 in plan view.
• the surfaces of the two printed circuit board pairs facing away from one another in the installed position can be seen in each case.
• the two transducers 29 are arranged on the two outer printed circuit boards 35.
• Each transducer 29 is realized by a single hydrophone placed centrally on the respective printed circuit board 35 so that all the hydrophones lie in the longitudinal axis of the tube 28.
• the printed circuit boards 35 equipped with components 38 on both sides form the electronic assemblies. As can be seen from FIG.
• FIG. 6 shows an arrangement rotated by 90 ° with respect to the illustration in FIG. 4.
• a plurality of recesses 40, 41, 42 are introduced at the edge so that they are aligned with each other after installation of the assembled printed circuit boards 35 in the module housing 32.
• the two diametrically arranged recesses 40, 41 serve for the passage of the traction cables 26, 27 through the electronic module 28 and the remaining recesses 42 for the passage of the electrical leads 31 for the connection of the channels of the electronic modules 28th
• the skeleton is manufactured in such a way that each electronics module 28 is hooked into the two traction cables 26, 27 and each channel of the electronic module 28 is connected to the electrical lines 31.
• the traction cables 26, 27 are inserted into the recesses 40, 41 and the electrical leads 31 in the recesses 42 of the assembled printed circuit boards 35 of the electronic module 28.
• the module housing 32 is closed by covering the two housing shells 321, 322, wherein the assembled printed circuit boards 35 with their edges in the grooves 36 in the housing shells 321, 322 dive positively.
• the module housing 32 is covered with the two circumferential plastic strips 33, which are respectively inserted into the annular grooves 43 on the top of the module housing 32.
• All electronics modules 28 are fixed axially immovable on the pull cables 26, 27 via the module housing 32, which is not shown in FIG. 4.
• the axial distance of the electronic modules 28 is chosen such that the axial distance between the mutually facing transducers 29 of two successive skeletal electronic modules 28 is equal to the transducer distance of the two integrated in an electronic module 28 transducer 29.
• the empty space 44 between two adjacent electronic modules 28 is used to strain relief of the electrical lines 31 by being guided in the empty space 44 so that they eino in the next electronic module 28 in spatially different recesses 42 in the assembled printed circuit boards 35 of the electronic module 28. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, this is illustrated by way of example in that the lines 31 to be viewed run in consecutive electronic modules 28 in diametrically opposite recesses 42 of the assembled printed circuit boards 35.
• the distance between the two converters 29 corresponding to an electronic module 28 can correspond to a desired transmission or reception frequency of the acoustic section 121 are chosen and also made so small that the reception frequency of the acoustic section 121 can be moved to a higher frequency range.
• the distance between two electronic modules 28 from each other then in turn must be selected according to the distance between the two integrated in an electronic module 28 converters 29, so that all the transducers 29 in the acoustic section 121 have the same axial distance from each other.
• the transducers 29 are not as in the embodiment 3 and 4 placed in the longitudinal axis of the tube 25, but arranged at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis on the two outer printed circuit boards 35 of the individual electronic modules 28.
• Each transducer 29 is also realized here by a single hydrophone. All the transducers 29 within the acoustic section 121 are offset from each other by circumferential angles, the offset angles being different and the order of dislocation being chaotic.
• the bearing of a target gives a clear distinction between a port or starboard attitude of the target.
• the signal processing in such a transducer placement along the tube 25 is described for example in DE 44 45 549 Cl.
• the modified Star-Flex printed circuit board of the electronic module 28 to be seen in the pre-assembled state in FIG. 7 differs from the Star-Flex printed circuit board shown in FIG. 5 only in that each electroacoustic transducer arranged on the two outer printed circuit boards 35 is arranged 45 has three omnidirectional transducer elements 451, 452 and 453 placed in the circuit board plane in vertices of an equilateral triangle. Each electroacoustic transducer element 451, 452, 453 is realized by means of a hydrophone. On the separate interconnected circuit boards, the components of the electronic assembly are arranged, which are each assigned to one of the two electroacoustic transducer 45. In addition, a position sensor (not shown) is integrated in the electronics module 28.
• each of the electronics assemblies associated with a transducer 45 the output signals of two respective transducer element pairs of the transducer elements 451, 452 and 453 output as output signals of the converter 45, which are given as in the embodiment in Fig. 3 to 6 via the output as digitized signals on the electrical lines 31.
• the respective pairing of the transducer elements 451, 452, 453 is determined by the output signal of the position sensor.
• Each electronic module thus has two outputs or channels and each electronic module 28 is thus constructed four-channel and connected to the lines 31 via the four channels.
• Each of the two paired transducer elements provides a cardiod directivity transducer 45 having a zero to one side of the connecting line of the transducer elements of the transducer pair, the zero point being one pair of two of the three transducer elements to one side and the other pairing from two of the three transducer elements to the other side of the connecting line.
• the acoustic section it would be possible not to integrate the two converters in the electronic module, but to arrange separately on both sides of the electronic module. Even then, by combining the channels of two adjacent electroacoustic transducers in the electronic module, the advantage of the converter-spacing-small design and the associated high reception and / or transmission frequency of the underwater antenna could be realized.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Geophysics (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=38955153

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2006
  • 2006-11-03 DE DE102006051921A patent/DE102006051921B3/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-10-12 SG SG201101068-3A patent/SG169984A1/en unknown
  • 2007-10-12 PL PL388101A patent/PL388101A1/pl unknown
  • 2007-10-12 CA CA002668067A patent/CA2668067A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-10-12 AU AU2007315316A patent/AU2007315316B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-10-12 EP EP07818953A patent/EP2087378A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-10-12 KR KR1020097011499A patent/KR20090086576A/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2007-10-12 JP JP2009535586A patent/JP4922406B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-10-12 MY MYPI20091177A patent/MY147139A/en unknown
  • 2007-10-12 WO PCT/EP2007/008882 patent/WO2008052647A2/de active Application Filing
• 2009
  • 2009-04-16 ZA ZA200902635A patent/ZA200902635B/xx unknown
  • 2009-05-29 CO CO09055410A patent/CO6341502A2/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2009-06-02 NO NO20092135A patent/NO20092135L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events