Application Of Multibeam System In The Fields Of Underwater Survey

Many multibeam systems have been imported to China in recent years for applications in the fields of: underwater topographic mapping of rivers, reservoirs, lakes and seas; measurement of channels, harbors, piers and bridge sites;real time supervision of levee breach in important sections, especially when in flood seasons; inspection of underwater pipelines, cables and architectures; search of wrecks or other objects on the bottom; and etc. It is expected that multibeam systems will certainly play greater and greater roles in the basic economic constructions of China.This paper aims to promote the popularity of multibeam system in China, and the appearance of its survey specifications. The paper reviews the history of echosounder's development and the theory of acoustic measurement for water depth, as well as dissertates to the mapping principle of multibeam system and combination of the set of equipment. The error sources of multibeam survey are listed out and the evaluation methods of mapping accuracy are suggested in this paper. Equipment installation and calibration is also described, and the paper provides the complete operation from system setup to the delivery of final results, covering field works and indoor processes. Figures, tables and real examples help to illustrate this modern, advanced and practical technology. At the end, the paper envisions the future of multibeam system's progresses and applications.