Development of a Low-Cost RAFOS and Telemetry Sound Source

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9811289 Rossby Funding is provided to design and build a light-weight, inexpensive sound source for ocean circulation and other ocean research applications. Tracking the paths of neutrally-buoyant floats within the ocean has relied on heavy and expensive acoustical sound sources. The new acoustic projector is based on the classical resonant pipe design, but uses syntactic foam to shape the resonant cavity instead of steel or aluminum. The new design is intended to be less costly than existing devices and more buoyant, thereby reducing deployment and mooring costs. In parallel with the acoustic projector design, the necessary electronics and power pack will be designed and built. These will include the timing circuitry and output amplifiers. By using a modular design approach, the navigation function (clock) can be swapped out and replaced with an acoustic telemetry function (transponder). The new sound source is intended to meet the needs of research programs requiring limited area coverage, including areas with complex topography, and the growing need for real-time acoustic telemetry from ocean bottom instrumentation.