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ISSN : 0971-4413
BULLETIN OF DEFENCE RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010
S onar is basically a remote sensing technique that uses sound waves to detect, locate and identify objects in water. The
term sonar is an acronym for Sound Navigation and Ranging. Sonars are the eyes and ears of ships or submarines in water
and are mainly used for underwater navigation and surveillance. Civilian uses of sonar include determination of water
depth, mapping the ocean floor, locating various objects in the ocean, determining the characteristics of ocean bottom, and
even fish finding. Sonar system consists of underwater transducers, front-end signal conditioning units, signal processors, and
displays. Sonar transducers transmit acoustic power and pick up the echo returns or merely listen to the underwater sounds,
process the signal and provide information about targets on the display units.
Data Recorder
Dr J Narayana Das
OS & Chief Controller R&D (NS, M & HR)
MESSAGE
The SONAR systems being the only sensor system that has the capability to overcome the
limitations of the underwater environment, it provides the capability for surveillance of undersea
situation by naval platforms and ultimately provides inputs for launch of weapons to neutralise
opposing forces. It also enables safe navigation, obstacle avoidance and underwater
communication. Considering its strategic utility for the underwater vessels, availability of
indigenously developed technology in SONAR systems is critical to our Navy.
It is a matter of great pride that various SONAR systems developed by DRDO have been inducted into Naval
Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010 02
platforms and their operational utility has provided impetus for further improvement/upgradation and
development of new configurations of underwater systems in tune with global standards. Some of the recent
developments of DRDO pertaining to this technology have been summarised in this Special Issue of Technology
Focus. These will augur excellence in indigenous developments in this area and further optimise the configuration
of the systems.
Commodore PK Mishra
Director Naval R&D and
Member Editorial Board Technology Focus
From the Desk of Special Editor
For an emerging economic power like India with 7600 km long coastline, 12 major and
184 minor ports, and 90 per cent of its international trade through sea routes, the
importance of defending its coastline against threats through superior underwater
surveillance capability needs no emphasis. Over the last three decades, DRDO has
designed, developed and inducted several sonar systems for the warships and
submarines of the Indian Navy to enhance this capability. Surface ship sonars like APSOH,
HUMSA, and HUMSA NG, submarine sonars like PANCHENDRIYA and USHUS, TADPOLE
sonobuoys for airborne applications are some of the major systems delivered by DRDO
and exploited by Navy. Several technologies for the towed array sonar and airborne
dunking sonar have also been developed by DRDO during this period.
DRDO has been working very closely with PSUs, private sector industries, and academic institutions for the
design, development, production, and induction of sonar systems. With the increasing requirement for sonar
systems for the new platforms being acquired by the Indian Navy, the industry has evinced keen interest in
absorbing the complex sonar technologies. Moreover, the sonar systems have undergone evolutionary changes
from unitary systems to composite systems where fusion of data from multiple sensors makes sonar displays
highly user-friendly. Riding on the revolutionary changes offered by the computation and communication
technologies, and the indigenously developed models for prediction and interpretation of sonar performance in
Indian waters, user has gained more confidence in exploitation of these sonar systems. The large number of
unique testing facilities established under DRDO for evaluation of sonars have been gainfully utilised by both Navy
and industry alike.
This issue of Technology Focus gives a summary of various technologies that are at work in the development
and induction of sonar systems. New sonar technologies are under development in DRDO in consonance with the
advances in commercial technologies and increasing demands on performance and reliability of sonar systems.
We are confident that these will further strengthen the surveillance capability of our naval forces through
induction of advanced sonar systems.
S Anantha Narayanan
OS & Director
Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi
Sonar for naval applications platforms. Obstacle-avoidance the ocean are being pursued and
broadly falls into two categories: sonars are high frequency active better acoustic propagation models
active and passive. Active sonar sonars for submarines to aid safe are being developed for accurate
emits pulses of sound waves that surfacing operations. Underwater estimation of predicted ranges.
travel through the water and communication systems permit
To offset the adverse effects on
processes the received target echo to communication between platforms
detection by the bathymetric profile
estimate the range, bearing, and through acoustic means in different
of the ocean and self-noise of the
Doppler of the target. Passive sonar modes including voice, telegraph,
platform, the deployment
involves processing the sound signal and data. For submarines, the sonar
mechanisms of sonar transducers
generated by the target for is also the navigation equipment.
have undergone changes to
estimating the bearing and target Sonar systems can also be used to
maximise the detection range.
characteristics through spectrum realign inertial navigation systems by
Though the hull-mounted and bow-
analysis. The information gathered identifying known ocean floor
mounted transducers are the most
by the sonar is fed to the Fire Control features.
common approaches, the variable-
Systems to compute other target
The performance of a sonar depth towed array sonars also help in
parameters like speed, course, and
system is strongly influenced by the detection of targets and torpedoes
range.
ocean environment, which is highly below the surface-sound channel.
Intercept sonars are early warning unpredictable, thereby making the
Dunk bodies housing transducers
systems aiding classification of development of a sonar system a
and associated electronics are
targets by processing the challenging task. Continued ocean
dipped from helicopters for
transmitted signals of other studies for better understanding of
Algorithm ASW
Oceanography
Design
Modelling & Simulation
MMI/Display
Materials
Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010 04
Transducers
Signal Processing
Parameters NP 30 NP 20
Usable frequency
frequency range
range 3-60 kHz
kHz 1-50 kHz
kHz
Cable length 30 m 30 m
The design is basically different from
that of conventional low frequency
transducer arrays. An array of 1-3
piezocomposite was first fabricated
and the individual transducer
elements were defined later by
applying patterned electrodes on
the major surfaces.
fishing sonar
(b) Wideband high power Power BJT-based PA for broadband active sonar and
linear amplifier linear class AB broadband underwater communication
systems and wideband ac source and
audio power amplifier
amplifier
Amplifier
The recorder unit is used for Homing Receiver System VHF Receiver
recording the acoustic data directly
from sensors for monitoring and from an inline aerial array by
storing for further analysis. This unit comparing the outputs from a phase-
receives 32-channel sensor data, sensitive detector alternatively
conditions it in both amplitude and driven by each element. The signals The sonar signal processing and
frequency, digitises it and converts it from the left/right and fore/aft aerials display system extracts information
to Ethernet format. It incorporates are sampled to provide a continuous from the data sensed by the sensors.
pre-amplifiers, programmable gain indication of the buoy's position. The information extracted includes
amplifiers, and different types of direction of arrival, speed of the
filters and data converters. contact, the bearing rate, dominant
The VHF receiver, onboard ASW tonal frequencies, shaft rpm, and the
aircraft, is the communication link number of blades. For this, the data
This system is designed for between the sonobuoy and the coming from the various sensors is
operation in helicopters for homing processor. The sonobuoy picks up subjected to a variety of signal
on to sonobuoys. The left/right the acoustic noises in the desired processing techniques. The
position of the sonobuoy, with frequency band and modulates the processing is done using high perfor-
respect to the aircraft, is derived from carrier frequency (FM) of a VHF mance Digital Signal Processors
transmitter in any one of the 99 VHF (DSP) and PowerPC-based boards.
a phase comparison of the signals
channels. The receiver is capable of The information is subsequently
received from two-directional aerials
receiving eight sonobuoy channels presented to the operator through
designed to operate in the VHF
simultaneously. The processed data suitable human- machine interfaces.
frequency range.
go to the Signal Processor for LOFAR
The fore/aft position of the buoy and DEMON processing and
sandwiched between the Linux and interfaces have been provided in the
the application program. This layer middleware. It provides a generic
provides a set of services, which can method to communicate the data
Common architectural frame- be accessed by the application through different interfaces. Using
work for applications software for program through well-defined these services, the application
information processors of sonar interfaces. programmer is insulated from the
systems was achieved by developing complexities of low-level commu-
The middleware mainly provides
a middleware in-house. This, along nication.
services for communication and
with the use of open standard multi-thread management. It As part of the architectural
interfaces between sonar sub- presents the application program a framework, the middleware provides
systems, helped in developing highly protocol and hardware transparent a set of threads with specific
maintainable, reusable software in a communication interface to handle functions. These include: receive
short time span with lesser different interfaces like Ethernet, thread (for receiving data), transmit
manpower. The middleware VME, serial port, and SDLC, channel, thread (for transmitting data),
functions as a layer between the etc. process thread (processing of
application and the Linux operating received data), health thread (for
system. The bottom hardware layer For achieving protocol and periodic health monitoring), and
could be the NP-PPC7448 SBC with hardware transparency, a common simulation thread (for simulating
necessary communication inter- communication packet structure has data). In addition to the major
faces. Linux OS comes on top of the been defined and modules for services described above, middle-
hardware. The middleware layer is communicating data using different ware also provides several utility
services like handling of sub-system
Application Services Communication Multithread health, maintenance of system log,
Display-cum-Processor Cabinet
The winch is driven by a main
Display-cum-Processor cabinet is hydraulic motor capable of deve-
intended to integrate display addition, VME standard plug-in units loping 10 HP at 4000 rpm. Its speed is
processing and signal processing such as PCB and power supply controlled by an electrical servo valve
functions of a sonar system. The including injector and extractor and a hydraulic circuit. It also has an
cabinet comprises five levels where handles have also been used. The auxiliary electrical back up motor and
each level is a standard subrack cooling design of the cabinet is a a manual cranking device for
stacked one over the other. IEEE combination of series and parallel redundancy, and a pyrocutting
standard 6U form factor subracks flow types. Cooling is achieved by device for emergency. The winch is
along with VME backplane have lateral entry of fresh air at each level software-driven in the lines of latest
been incorporated in this cabinet. In through a double-walled duct at the state-of- the- art technology .
Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010 18
SSW 5 H SSW 7 H
SSW 5 E Towed Transmitter Body and Handling System
21
fasteners. The bridle is connected to
the pivot axis of the body using two Salient Features: Strength Member
Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010
fulcrum pins. The TTB fore-end is Material Cross-section (mm) Breaking Strength ( kN)
connected to the heavy tow cable
using a U-shaped bridle assembly Kevlar 13 x 2 21
through an electrooptic mechanical
interconnector. Spectra 1000 13 x 3.5 40
Electro-Opto-Mechanical Inter
Connector Rubber-based encapsulants are
used for protecting the electro-
It is a flexible pressure-balanced
acoustic transducers from the marine
module of towed array system that
environment. The need for long
performs the following functions in a Transducers with Long-life Enhancement
shelf-life of rubber encapsulants has
field environment with dynamic
been addressed leading to Colourants can be added to the
tension:
development of new encapsulants. encapsulants for enabling colour
Electrical, optical and mechanical Adhesives have been used widely for coding and easy traceability of
inter-connection between Heavy development of underwater com- encapsulated sensors.
Tow Cable (HTC) and LTC. ponents meant for sonar systems.
Underwater cable junction boxes are
Mechanical engagement and
necessary especially for submarine
electrical powering of TTB.
sonar systems to route multichannel
Transfer of towing loads from LTC sensor array data to the electronic A new indigenous adhesive (NP
to HTC. hardware kept inside a pressure hull 235) has been used for fabrication of
compartment. Adhesive-free cold molded Rubber Junction Boxes
Electro-Opto-Mechanical Inter (RJBs), cable splicing, and
moulded PU underwater junction
Connector (EOMIC) assembly is transducers encapsulation . The
box and cable splicing technology
encapsulated with polyurethane adhesive is flexible with good peel
have been used for realising the
(PU) hose and filled with gel under strength, seawater compatibility,
same.
pressure to block water seepage into and insulation resistance. The
the assembly. It maintains a pressure adhesive bonds vulcanised rubber to
difference of zero making it a either vulcanised rubber or primed
pressure-balanced design. Enough metal substrates. It is well-suited for
slackness has been provided for tow Encapsulants based on thermo- producing and bonding of
cable core sheath, electric and fibre- plastic polyolefine elastomers have transducer electrical components
optic lines to compensate relative been developed. The encapsulants because of its better insulation
elongation. A loop of strength have shelf-life of 25–30 years and properties and durability in
member (SS wire rope) takes the possess better electrical resistivity.
Vol. 18 No. 4 August 2010 22
environment. Adhesive-free cold most imperative for optimum comprehensive data available till
molded PU underwater junction box performance. Oceanographic today. The other model is a unique
and cable splicing technology have studies are concentrated towards package, to simulate 3-D structure of
been developed in collaboration this end to know the environment temperature, salinity, current fields
with industrial partner. To obtain and the acoustic propagation in a and to estimate the sound velocity
better mechanical strength and better way by modelling and structure off the west coast of India
avoid contamination of soldering validation of the model by data for any desired month, both on
slag, connectorisation of the cables collection. climatologically and daily scales,
has been achieved by crimping with using a 3-D circulation model.
tinned copper tubes in place of
soldering. The technology avoids the
problems associated with fabrication
A sonar performance modelling
at higher temperature, and hence
tool has been developed and
can be extended to thermally-
implemented by DRDO. It is a generic
sensitive cables and sensors.
model catering to the modelling
The sealing material employed is requirements of a wide range of
a two-part PU system having active and passive sonars. This is
excellent bonding with varieties of implemented as a PC-based menu-
substrates. Higher water imper- driven program with user-friendly
meability, stability, and improved interface. It is being used extensively
mechanical and electrical properties within the Laboratory for modelling
are additional advantages of the the performance of various types
material employed. of sonars during the design, develop-
23
ment, and evaluation phases.
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Editor-in-Chief Assoc. Editor-in-Chief Editors Editorial Assistant Pre-press Coord. Printing Distribution
AL Moorthy Shashi Tyagi B Nityanand Dipti Arora SK Tyagi SK Gupta RP Singh
Manoj Kumar Hans Kumar