Sonar

SOund Navigation And Ranging

What is a Sonar?
A Sonar is a system that uses for transmitting and reflecting underwater objects or to measure the distances underwater.

What is its Purpose?

It has been used form submarine and mine detection, depth detection , commercial fishing, driving safety and communication at sea.

How does it Communicate?

A sonar device will send out a subsurface sound wave and then listens for returning echoes, the sound data is then relayed to the operators by a loudspeaker or by being displayed on a monitor.

Who invented it?

As early as 1822, Daniel Colloden used an underwater bell to calculate the speed of sound underwater in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. This early research led to the invention of dedicated sonar devices by other inventors. Lewis Nixon invented the very first Sonar type listening device in 1906 for a way to detect icebergs. Interest was increased in the Sonar during World War I when there was a need to be able to detect submarines. The first Sonar devices were passive meaning no signals were sent out. After the Sonar was Introduced In 1918 Britain and U.S. had both built active systems, which sent out and received signals.

Two types of Sonars

There are two types of Sonars one is called Active and another one is called Passive. An Active Sonar creates a pulse of sound often called a ping and then listens for reflections of the pulse. A Passive Sonar listens without transmitting. They are usually military one but a few are used Scientific. Passive sonar systems usually have large sonic databases, and a computer system uses these databases to identify classes of ships such as the speed of the ship, or the type of weapon released and even particular ships.

History of the Sonar

The Sonar started out as a military application during the Second World War. It was originally referred to as the Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee. The use of sonar was directed against German submarines. Following their failure in the Battle of Britain, the Germans began to use submarine warfare in an attempt to cut off the British ships, and Britain depended on these ships for vital war materials and food. The use of sonar allowed the powerful British surface fleet to detect the direction and depth of these submarines and destroy many of them.