An acoustic array to be towed behind an autonomous underwater vehicle

The use of a towed array from a small autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, such as the WHOI-Remus vehicle is discussed as a valuable ocean acoustics measurement tool for of 3-D characterization of shallow water regions. The feasibility of towing a 10-m-long, small-diameter fluid-filled hydrophone array behind Remus was investigated with a laboratory-prototype array and preliminary tests from the WHOI pier. Preliminary results on array self-noise are presented for low tow speeds. The flow noise, vehicle noise, and other unwanted signal degrading noise sources are examined, discussed, and shown by theoretical arguments to be reduced to low levels by proper array design. This paper examines current technology for such an array with digital sampling and recording equipment incorporated in the Remus vehicle. Consideration is also given to the deployment problem of array on an autonomous vehicle.