SONAR APPARATUS WITH A CURVED ARRAY AND METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

A sonar apparatus comprises a line-array transducer for transmitting or receiving an acoustic pulse, the line-array transducer being curved along its length. The apparatus may advantageously be used to insonify a substantially planar surface, such as a bed of a body of water positioned beneath the transducer. Acoustic signals transmitted from different points along the length of the transducer may then arrive substantially simultaneously at a sensing line on the planar surface or, equivalently, signals reflected from the sensing line may arrive substantially simultaneously at different points along the length of the transducer.