Calibration of Underwater Acoustic Transducers at NRL/USRD

Abstract

At the beginning of World War II, the United States recognized the need for establishing systematic methods for calibrating and evaluating sonar transducers and established the Underwater Sound Reference Laboratories. The Underwater Sound Reference Detachment of the Naval Research Laboratory evolved from this beginning and now serves as the focus for underwater acoustic metrology in the United States. It functions as a National Bureau of Standards for Underwater Acoustics by providing two types of reference services for a fee. Calibration, test, and evaluation services and standard transducer loan service cover the frequency of 0.2 Hz to 2 MHz. This paper describes the calibration, test, and evaluation services. It first covers the measurement facilities for performing the services. Measurement methods for calibrating transducers are then discussed. Next a description of ongoing research in calibration measurement methodology is presented. Finally, some comments are made about calibration system requirements for implementing new measurement techniques.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA232073

Entities

People

  • A. L. Van Buren
  • J. E. Blue

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Accuracy
  • Acoustic Impedance
  • Acoustic Measurement
  • Acoustic Phenomena
  • Acoustics
  • Computers
  • Frequency
  • Hydrophones
  • Measurement
  • Piezoelectric Crystals
  • Sonar Transducers
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Transducers
  • Underwater Acoustics
  • Underwater Sound
  • United States

Readers

  • Acoustics.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.