METHOD FOR MEASURING THE SPEED OF UNDERWATER CURRENTS Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC G01S15/60 G01S15/58 

FIELD: hydroacoustics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods for measuring the speed of underwater currents using ultrasonic waves. The method is characterized by the fact that m measuring volumes are formed, the axes of which pass through the center of the structural ring, lie in its plane and coincide with the oppositely directed acoustic axes of the oppositely located EAPs on the outer surface of the ring, forming in space 1, 2,… i, …m of possible options for orienting the axis of the used measuring volume relative to the direction of movement of the fluid flow, which has a speed υ; radiation of ultrasonic pulses is done successively in the direction and towards the movement of the flow of the liquid medium followed by corresponding measurements of the time of propagation of ultrasonic pulses in the liquid medium for each of ( m) measuring volumes of the aquatic environment by switching in the given order of the radiation paths, receiving and processing the equipment until detecting the i-th measuring volume, in which the measured difference in the transit times of the ultrasonic pulses of the acoustic base between the opposite EAPs in the direction and towards the movement of the aquatic environment will be minimal Δ t_trans; the most accurate data are used, which are obtained for the (i-1)-th measurement channel at frequencies ƒ_1, ƒ₂=aƒ₁…ƒ₃=вƒ₁, in particular, the value of the transit time t_1trans of ultrasonic pulses in the direction to calculate the value of the angle α₁ and, respectively, cosα₁ of the geometric parameters of the annular structural element; the ratio for the propagation velocity C of the ultrasonic wave with frequencies ƒ_1, ƒ₂=aƒ₁…ƒ₃=вƒ₁ is determined in the space of the measuring volume; one more of the m measuring volumes is chosen to carry out measurements at frequencies ƒ₁, ƒ₂=aƒ₁…ƒ₃=вƒ₁, whose axis is shifted relative to the axis of the i-th measuring channel by 90°; radiation of ultrasonic pulses is carried out sequentially in the direction and towards the movement of the flow of the liquid medium followed by corresponding measurements of the time of propagation of ultrasonic pulses in the liquid medium for a given measuring volume of the aquatic medium by switching radiation, reception and processing paths in the selected order, whereas in the selected channel, the time difference Δ t_trans for the longitudinal passage of ultrasonic pulses of the acoustic base between the EAP in the direction and towards the movement of the aquatic medium will be maximum Δ t_trans; the value of the movement speed υ of the liquid medium in the space of the measuring volume is calculated at a given horizon of the moving liquid and other values of the current velocity in the following measuring water volumes in depth are measured.

EFFECT: increased accuracy of measuring the flow velocity in the measuring volume of the aquatic medium.

1 cl, 1 dwg