Facility Operator(s): Centre for Applied Ocean Technology (CTEC) | School of Ocean Technology (SOT)

Facility Location: Ridge Road campus, St. John's NL

This includes design, development, testing and calibration of underwater acoustic devices and systems such as acoustic transducers, remote sensing devices (single and multibeam sonars), acoustic modems and acoustic release mechanisms.

In addition, the laboratory supports applied research and development in the area of acoustic remote sensing applications, such as fish biomass assessment and acoustic seabed classification.

Features of the underwater acoustics laboratory include an acoustic tank that is:

• five and a half metres long by four metres wide and four metres deep
• a poured concrete structure with 30 centimetres thick walls
• filled with fresh water to a depth of 3.85 metres
• fitted with underwater lighting consisting of three mercury vapor lamps and three large viewing ports

The stepper motor subsystems on the tank carriage are controlled through a Velmex VXMI4 4 axis stepping motor controller. This is an intelligent microprocessor controlled unit with a full duplex RSI232C interface port.

Some of the equipment available at the facility includes:

• Bruel & Kjaer
  • Dual Channel Signal Analyzer (Model 2032)
  • Sine Generator (Model 1051)
  • Measuring Amplifier (Model 2636)
  • Miniature Reference Hydrophone (Model 8103)
  • Spherical Reference Hydrophone (Model 8105)
  • Hydrophone Calibration Kit (Model 4223)
  • Signal Gating System (Model 4440)
  • Precision Conditioning Amplifier (Model 2650)
  • Conditioning Charge Amplifier (Model 2635)
  • Power Amplifier (Model 2713)
• Tektronix AC Current Probes with Amplifiers (Model P6022)
• Reson
  • Preamplified Broadband Spherical Hydrophone (Model TC4014)
  • Spherical Reference Hydrophone (Model TC4033)