ORION
Orion is a towed side scan-sonar that fulfills the US Navy's deep-water search requirement down to
a maximum depth of 20,000 feet of seawater.
ORION and CURV-21 can be combined into a single integrated search & recovery system capable of being deployed
on a USNS T-ATF. The system is based on a .680 fiber-optic umbilical cable and a shared handling system that
can switch at sea between side-scan sonar and ROV operations. The system is self-contained and fly-away transportable
for world wide response on vessels of opportunity.
ORION is a dual frequency (57/240 kHz) two body towed side-scan sonar system. The sonar is mounted in a neutrally
buoyant tow body which trails aft of the weighted umbilical depressor which decouples the sonar from vessel surface
motions providing a more stable platform improving the quality of collected data. The two body sonar system is
towed behind a vessel at slow speeds, generally from 1 - 3 knots depending on the required depth. Sonar signals
are processed producing both an analog and digital display in order to identify potential targets. The low
frequency is primarily used for searching while the higher frequency provides extremely fine details.
Acoustic pingers may be deployed in order to assist an ROV in relocating a target at a later date. Data and
sensor control signals are multiplexed, converted to digital signals and transmitted along the 36,000-foot fiber
optic tow cable.
Experience shows that the system is capable of swath widths of 300 meters for objects torpedo-sized,
1800 meters for aircraft debris fields, and a maximum swath of 3000 meters for bathymetry and large ship wrecks.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
TOW BODY
Length - 10 ft
Width - 3 ft 3 in
Height - 3 ft 11 in
Weight - 3,600 lbs
SONAR RANGE SCALES
57 kHz: 75, 150, 300, 450, 600, 900, and 1500 meters at 3000 watts in high power and 200 watts in low power
240 kHz: 37.5, 75, 150, 300, and 450 meters at 350 watts in high power and 25 watts in low power
PERFORMANCE
Depth - 20,000 ft of seawater
Speed - 1-3 knots
NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTATION
Electronic Compass
600 kHz Doppler Velocity Log
Accelerometers
Precision Depth Sensor (0.01% Accuracy)
Shallow Water Intermediate Search System (SWISS)
SWISS is a towed side scan sonar that meets the Navy's mid-water search requirement down to a maximum depth of 7,000 feet of seawater.
The system consists of the vehicle, fiber-optic tow cable, handling system, generator operations van and a maintenance van. Navigation
is accomplished by using algorithms incorporating the amount of cable in the water and the depth indication from the pressure sensor. Electrical power from the support platform can be used for the system if it is compatible; otherwise a generator provides the power.
SWISS is a dual frequency (100/500 kHz) towed side-scan sonar system mounted inside a torpedo shaped tow body. The sonar is towed behind a vessel at slow speeds, generally from 1-5 knots depending on the required depth. Sonar signals are processed producing both an analog and digital display in order to identify potential targets. The low frequency is primarily used for searching for large objects or at long ranges, while the higher frequency provides extremely fine details and operates at shorter ranges.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Tow Body
Length - 5 ft
Diameter - 4 1/2 in
Weight - 70 lbs>
Performance
Depth - 7,000 ft
Tow Speed - 1-5 knots
Auto Controls - TVG (Time Varied Gain)
Navigation Instrumentation
Fluxgate Magnetic Compass
Depth Sensor
Pitch/Roll
Sonar Range Scales(Simultaneous)
100 KHz 75-500 meters
500 KHz 25-250 meters
Towed Pinger Locator 25 (TPL-25)
The TPL-25 System meets the Navy’s requirement for locating emergency relocation pingers on downed Navy and commercial aircraft down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet anywhere in the world.
The system consists of the tow fish, tow cable, winch, hydraulic power unit, generator, and topside control console, although not all of these components are required on every mission. Navigation is accomplished by using algorithms incorporating the amount of cable in the water, the depth indication from the pressure sensor and other parameters. The generator provides electrical power for the system or power from the support platform can be used if it is compatible.
The tow fish carries a passive listening device for detecting pingers that automatically transmit an acoustic pulse. Most pingers transmit every second at 37.5 kHz, although the TPL can detect any pinger transmitting between 3.5 kHz and 50 kHz at any repetition rate. Commercial aircraft pingers are mounted directly on the flight recorder, the recovery of which is critical to an accident investigation.
The Pinger Locator is towed behind a vessel at slow speeds, generally from 1 - 5 knots depending on the depth. The received acoustic signal of the pinger is transmitted up the cable and is presented audibly, and can be output to either a Oscilloscope, or Signal Processing Computer. The operator monitors the greatest signal strength and records the navigation coordinates. This procedure is repeated on multiple track lines until the final position is triangulated.
The current TPL-25 replaces all previous systems; TPL-20, 30, & 40.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
TOW BODY
Length -30 inches
Diameter - 35 inches
Weight - 70 lbs
PERFORMANCE
Depth - 20,000 feet of seawater
Speed - 1-5 knots
NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTATION<>
Depth Sensor
Pitch, Roll, Heading
Frequency
Adjustable from 5-60 KHz