Analytical Approach to Sampling Estimation of Underwater Tunnels Using Mechanical Profiling Sonars

Autor: Vitor Augusto Machado Jorge, Pedro Daniel de Cerqueira Gava, Juan Ramon Belchior de França Silva, Thais Machado Mancilha, Waldir Vieira, Geraldo José Adabo, Cairo Lúcio Nascimento
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Sensors, Vol 21, Iss 5, p 1900 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1424-8220
DOI: 10.3390/s21051900
Popis: Hydroelectric power plants often make use of tunnels to redirect the flow of water to the plant power house. Such tunnels are often flooded and can span considerable distances. Periodical inspections of such tunnels are highly desirable since a tunnel collapse will be catastrophic, disrupting the power plant operation. In many cases, the use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) equipped with mechanical profiling sonars is a suitable and affordable way to gather data to generate 3D mapping of flooded tunnels. In this paper, we study the resolution of 3D tunnel maps generated by one or more mechanical profiling sonars working in tandem, considering synchronization and occlusion problems. The article derives the analytical equations to estimate the sampling of the underwater tunnels using mechanical profiling sonars (scanning sonars). Experiments in a simulated environment using up to four sensors simultaneously are presented. We also report experimental results obtained by a UUV inside a large power plant tunnel, together with a first map of this environment using a single sonar sensor.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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