Transverse Doppler Current Profilers

A new type of doppler acoustic current profiler (DCP) based on the transverse doppler principle is presented. A transverse DCP measures velocity perpendicular to an acoustic beam by measuring the differential doppler shift between the outputs of two or more receiving transducers using coherent processing. The governing equations for a transverse DCP are presented and the procedure for designing a transverse DCP is outlined. Results from operating a prototype transverse DCP system in Chesapeake Bay adjacent to a main shipping channel and in the Bear Cut channel near the port of Miami are discussed. Possible applications of transverse DCP systems include monitoring of water flow in shipping channels as well as oceanographic measurement.