A highly directional transducer for multipath mitigation in high-frequency underwater acoustic communications

This paper presents a transducer design of the hollow cylinder type designed to minimize transmission multipath and the need for channel equalization over short acoustic communication distances in shallow water. Operating at 750 kHz, the half-maximum envelope of the main lobe is approximately 3°. The transducer was incorporated into a low-complexity modem system in which it acted as both transmitter and receiver. At-sea testing indicated that the system is capable of operating over horizontal distances of 5 m without evidence of multipath distortion. The system was also found to be effective as an omnidirectional transmitter/receiver in the 10-60 kHz band.