echo sounder, an older instrumentation system for indirectly determining ocean floor depth. Echo sounding is based on the principle that water is an excellent medium for the transmission of sound waves and that a sound pulse will bounce off a reflecting layer, returning to its source as an echo.
Echo sounder measures the depth of water by measuring the time for a pulse of energy to travel to the sea bed and back and work on the principle of reflection of acoustic energy. Short pulse of sound energy is transmitted vertically down from the ship.
An echosounder consists of 4 basic components.
The Transmitter.
The Transducer.
The Receiver.
The Recorder or Display unit.
What does echo sounder mean?
: an instrument for determining the depth of a body of water or of an object below the surface by sound waves.
Echo sounding is a type of sonar used to determine the depth of water by transmitting acoustic waves into water. The time interval between emission and return of a pulse is recorded, which is used to determine the depth of water along with the speed of sound in water at the time.
An apparatus used only for receiving the sounds generated by underwater objects is called a passive sonar system, which can be utilized in marine biology for detecting sounds generated by fish and other aquatic animals. ... - a sonar system that transmits vertically is called an “echo-sounder” (Fig. 1a).
Echo-sounders are classified into two types; Single-Beam Echo Sounder (SBES) and Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES). The names of 'single' and 'multi' stem from the number of depth points measurements collected at the same time.
How do I know if my echo sounder is correct?
With most agencies the method used to check echo-sounders is the bar check. This method is quite satisfactory, and indeed is the ultimate, in shallow water down to the deepest depth at which a good clear echo can be obtained from the bar.
What are the main components of an echo sounder and explain each function?
Components of Echo Sounder: Pulse generator – to produce electrical oscillations for the transmitting transducer. Amplifier – to amplify the weak electrical oscillations that has been generated by the receiving transducer on reception of the reflected sound vibration. Recorder – for measuring and indicating depth
