Echo Sounder is a type of SONAR (originally an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging) used to
determine the depth of water by transmitting sound pulses 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.
The History
After the disaster of the Titanic in 1912, the German physicist Alexander Behm
conducted some research to find a way to detect icebergs. He discovered the
technique of echo sounding which turned out to be inefficient in spotting
icebergs, but a great tool to measure the depth of the sea. Behm had his
invention patented in 1913. While the first serious attempts to quantify fish
biomass were conducted in the 1960’s, major advances in equipment and
techniques took place at hydropower dams in the 1980’s. Some evaluations
monitored fish passage 24 hours a day for over a year, producing estimates of
fish entrainment rates, fish sizes, and spatial and temporal distributions.
Application of echo-sounding principles to submarine
detection during World War II resulted in the
development of equipment to sound all ocean depths.
In the 1970’s, the dual-beam technique was invented, permitting direct
estimation of fish size in-situ via its target strength. The first portable split-beam
hydroacoustic system was developed by HTI (Hydroacoustic Technology,
Incorporated) in 1991, and provided more accurate and less variable estimates
of fish target strength than the dual-beam method. It also permitted tracking of
fish in 3D, giving each fish’s swimming path and absolute direction of
movement. This feature proved important for evaluations of entrained fish in
water diversions as well as for studies of migratory fish in rivers. In the last 35
years, tens of thousands of mobile and fixed-location hydro acoustic evaluations
have been conducted worldwide.
What is principle of Echo Sounder operation?
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.
This pulse having been reflected from the sea bottom returns to the ship in the
form of an echo.
Travel time (t) taken for its return, depends upon the depth of water (d), and on
the velocity of sound (v) through the water.
Time taken (t ) = (2 x d) / v or d =(v x t)/2
Performance of a sonar system depends on the accuracy with which
The velocity of source propagation is measured.
The velocity of propagation is a function of temperature of water, pressure and
salinity. The velocity is usually taken as 1500 meters/second for sea water at
13°C and atmospheric pressure.
Working of Echo Sounder
The recorder sends a signal to the pulse generator which triggers a pulse and
simultaneously starts the recorder trace.
The rate may be between 5-600 pulses a minute depending upon the depth to
be measured.
Lesser the depth scale, faster the Pulse Repetition Frequency.
The pulse from the Pulse Generator activated the transmitter which sends a
powerful electric pulse to the Transducer.
The transducer converts the electric energy into sound energy producing a
pulse.
The sound energy travels to the bottom, hits the bottom and gets reflected
back to the transducer.
The transducer converts the received sound energy of the echo into an electric
pulse and sends it to the receiver.
In the receiver the received pulse is processed and then amplified and sent to
the Recorder.
At the recorder, the stylus which has been at a speed proportional to the speed
of sound, creates a physical mark on a paper or a visual blip or a digital signal
for the recorder.
What is Transducer of Echo-Sounder?
Magneto-Striction is an effect which occurs in all ferromagnetic material, but
particularly pronounced in iron, nickel and cobalt.
These items when placed in a magnetic field change their length.
Conversely, when subjected to physical stress they generate an emf.
When alternating current is used to create a magnetic flux, the transducer will
vibrate producing a sound pulse.
Sighting of the Transducer
Away from noise sources and areas of turbulence like the propeller and
discharges.
Away from aeration which is caused due to bubbles generated by the bow
wave or irregularities on the hull, log tubes and discharge orifices.
What is Recorder of Echo-Sounder?
This is the component of the ES a mariner would be using on the bridge.
Earlier, the echo of the bottom used to be recorded as a mark on paper.
Currently the old style paper recorder have been replaced by electronic
displays showing the bottom echo as blip.
However, IMO regulations require that a ship must have hard copies of past
depth soundings which can only be done on paper.
A paper recorder consists of a stylus which is made to move across electro-
sensitive paper.
When the transmitter fires its pulse, the stylus marks the paper at the zero of
a graduated scale.
While the pulse travels to the bottom the stylus moves in tandem across the
paper but at a speed proportional to half the speed of sound.
Why half? Because the stylus has to represent the to and fro journey of the
transmitted pulse.
On detection of an echo, the stylus again marks the paper which shows depth
of water.
Even after marking the depth, the stylus will continue traveling towards the
end of the paper.
On reaching the end, the stylus flies back to the zero signifying next
transmission and the paper moves down providing a fresh surface for the next
echo.
The process above will be repeated.
A trace can be seen to be developing on the paper with time on one axis and
the echoes on the other building a profile of the sea bottom on paper.
The speed of the stylus will move depending upon the chosen range scale.
Range Switch of Echo sounder
Could be between 0-10M, 0-20M, 0-50M, 0-100M, 0-200M, 0-1000, etc.
Check the approximate depth in the vicinity of your fix.
Start at a range which is just little more than this depth. (if the depth is 98M,
choose 0-100M)
Look out for an echo blip or a marking.
To coax out the echo, you may have to manipulate other controls.
Once observed, shift to one range scale higher.
Observe the echo against the enhanced range scale marking.
It should be the same as the earlier readings.
Draught Setting of Echo sounder
The E/S Transducer is fitted at the keel of the ship.
It means that the depth will be measured below the keel.
To obtain the depth of water, the draft of the ship will have to be added to the
measured reading. This can be achieved by setting this control which is known
as setting the Zero Line to the ships draught.
It is safest to keep the switch to 0 setting because there have been instances
when the watch keeper presumed that he was reading below the keel reading
whereas the zero line was set to the draft of ship. The watch keeper thus over
read the depth and ship ran aground.
Feet / Fathom / Meter Selector Switch of echo sounder
In modern echo sounders, the display automatically adjusts to the chosen
scale.
If your are on Meter scale and the depth shown is 10M,
It will show 33ft if the Feet scale is selected.
Or 5.5 Fathoms if the fathom scale is shown
But in older models, the marking depth will have to be manually read off
against the scale and here caution has to be exercised. There have cases, when
watch keeper presumed that the Fathom scale was in use, where the echo
sounder was set to Meter Scale.
The watch keeper presumed higher depth which in reality was lower and hence
the ship ran aground.
Fix Marker of Echo sounder
When pressed, it marks the paper. This is done for creating a record as an
evidence of a action like a fix or a a happening like a light coming on the beam.
Paper Speed Control (Fast / Slow) of Echo sounder
Faster the paper clear the record trace which is essential to appreciate the
shape of the sea bottom. This visual display is a great help when sounding is
used to fix a ship.
Gain & Sensitivity of echo sounder
To make echoes darker on the paper. Best set to when the echoes become just
about discernible.
Dimmer of echo souder
Keep to optimum settings or else it will affect your night vision.
Velocity Error
Velocity increases as the salinity, pressure and temperature increases.
Of these three, salinity setting is the most important followed by the
temperature.
If the velocity reading is less than what it should be, the E/S will under read
which though not desirable in not dangerous.
So if you forget to correct the settings when the ship enters the Red Sea from
the Gulf of Aden, the E/S will under read the depth.
But when you enter Mediterranean later and forget to correct the settings, the
E/S will over read the depth and that could be dangerous.
Aeration
Bubbles are created the keel and the sea bottom due to hard use or rudder,
heavy pitching when lightly loaded, breaking water over shoals or rough
weather.
The bubble will absorb the sound energy and no marking will be seen on the
E/S or there will be under reading of depth.
No remedy available, except that these is a temporary condition and will get
corrected quickly.
Stylus Speed Error
The stylus rotates at such a speed the time taken for the stylus to travel from
top to bottom is twice the distance of the range selected.
If the stylus rotates at a different speed (due to voltage fluctuation or sticky
tape), the depth recorded will be different.
Adjustment is made as per instructions given in the manual.
Multiple Echoes
In shallow water, the sound energy received at the ship after it is reflected
from the sea bottom, may get re-reflected from, reach the sea bottom and get
re-re-reflected and mark an echo second time over at twice the depth. .
Or may even an echo third time over at thrice the depth.
The first echo shows the correct depth. The second and third echoes can be
clearly discerned as they grow progressively weaker.
Something akin to the multiple echoes in Radar.
Remedy Operate at a scale close to the prevalent depth.
False Bottom Echoes
This error happens when the range setting is lesser than the prevalent depth.
The echo arrives at the E/S after the stylus has completed its one trace run and
has begun the next trace.
This will result in considerable under reading.
Pythagoras Error
This occurs when a ship uses separate transmitters for transmission of the
sound pulse and reception of the echo.
The transmitters are physically separated on either side of the keel or
separated along the length of the keel.
The depth measured at the E/S will be the slanted depth and not the direct
below the keel depth.
In deep waters, this error will not matter much but in shallow waters there will
be considerable over reading which is dangerous.
Phased Ranges
This is a technique to improve the quality of the echo displayed.
The stylus does not begin its journey when the transmission occurs.
The stylus starts moving after a delay which is introduced to match the depth
of water to be measured.
This ensures that the stylus is moving when the echo arrives at the E/S.
For example, if it is intended to measure upto 200 meters of depth with stylus
moving for 100 meter depth setting, the stylus begins to move after a time
delay equivalent to and fro travel of sound upto 100 meters.
Advantage of this method is that regardless of the depth of the water, the
stylus is made to travel at the same speed meant of a lower depth which gives
a clear and uncluttered picture.
In Edrich Fernandese book, the Setting 1 is for 0-100m depth, Setting 2 is for
100m-200m depth and setting 3 is for 200-300m depth.
Why is Sound Propagation used in echo sounder?
Sound propagation in water is used in marine navigation, as it is the only form
of propagation, which could be, considered as efficient.
Other forms, e.g. electromagnetic or light radiation attenuates rapidly and is
of no use underwater
Echo sounder, an aid to measure depth of water and Doppler log to measure
speed are two sonar devices used in navigation.
