Abstract: A submarine bow dome acoustic sensor assembly comprises an outer hull bow portion, an inner pressure hull wall extending athwartships and in conjunction with the outer hull bow portion defining a free-flood compartment, and an acoustic bow panel disposed in the compartment and connected to the pressure hull wall by acoustically isolating supports. A laser scanner is disposed in the compartment and is oriented so as to project a laser beam onto a surface of the acoustic bow panel, and a sensor is disposed in the compartment and oriented so as to receive reflections of the laser beam off the acoustic panel and to transmit data from which a position of a sound generating source can be determined.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 3, 2000
Date of Patent:
February 26, 2002
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary
of the Navy