Fluid-Filled Passive Sonar Calibration Spheres: Design, Modeling, and Measurement

Hollow spheres have long been used as simple underwater targets for testing acoustic projector systems. While spheres offer a mathematically simple shape with a resolvable scattering strength, their usage as a passive target has been less successful due to the complicated manner in which a hollow sphere scatters energy from its exterior and interior as a function of frequency and temperature. Furthermore, a sphere´s aspect independent scattering requires a surface area that is physically much greater than a wavelength which in turn requires mechanical support systems that are also large, often with target strengths that rival that of the test target itself. This paper discusses the development of several thin-walled spheres, ranging in diameters from 0.1524 to 0.4953 m, filled with a high-density fluid, to be used collectively as calibrated underwater sonar targets in the 5-50-kHz frequency range and an additional 0.4953-m diameter sphere tested over the range of 5-120 kHz. The combination of the spherical shape and focusing effects of the fluid enhances the acoustic scattering strength of the sphere and produces a significantly greater backscattered response than a rigid sphere. A simple theoretical model is presented to compare several fill fluid possibilities and is then used to compare the chosen fluid, fluorolube, against measured data for each sphere.