Performance of a single-beam pulse-to-pulse coherent Doppler profiler

Abstract

We report on the testing of a single-beam 1.7-MHz coherent Doppler sonar. The system is PC-controlled, using a digital signal processor (DSP) to acquire and extract the velocity and backscatter amplitude data. Results from a series of tow-tank calibration tests demonstrate an accuracy in the order of 5 mm s/sup -1/ for data rates of 10 profiles/second over a 1-2 m range with 1.5-cm range bins. An expression for system accuracy is developed which allows generalization to other pulse-to-pulse coherent Doppler systems. We present data showing the systematic decorrelation of backscatter signals due to particle advection: increased decorrelation is seen in the transducer near-field. Example observations of velocity profiles in laboratory-generated waves are presented.