Acoustic tracking of towed-array hydrophone positions during tow-vessel maneuvers

Abstract

This paper describes an experiment in which a vessel towing an array of hydrophones executed a series of maneuvers designed to bring the array into orientations favorable for imaging noise sources on the tow-vessel. Signals from tracking beacons on the tow-vessel and transient signals from implosive sources deployed from a second vessel were received on the array hydrophones and were used to obtain independent estimates of hydrophone position. Array shape estimation and tracking algorithms are described and the results of applying these algorithms to the experimental data are presented.