Description

Depressors

Towed Systems 101 – the many advantages of using a streamlined dihedral wing depressor

V-wing depressors are a specialized type of accessory used for side scan sonar operations.  The shape of the wing creates a downward force on the sonar tow fish, which helps keep the sonar at a consistent depth when scanning in deeper water.  The v-shaped design also helps to minimize the drag on the sonar tow fish, allowing for faster tow speeds and more efficient data collection.

There are many advantages of using a free flooded, V-Wing dihedral, over a dead-weight tow body for all your deep towed sonar system needs.

• First, the V-Wing Dihedral is lighter and more efficient at using the downward force of the NACA shaped dihedral wings to pull the system down. This means the V-Wing is easier to handle, and since most dead-weights are constructed of pure lead or some other very heavy, dense material, they tend to be heavy and expensive both to ship and to use.
• Secondly, the V-Wings are much more adaptable and useful for different configurations of instruments and underwater devices. The dead-weight is designed for one instrument and can be difficult to re-configure.  Also, the depressive force of the V-Wing increases as the tow speed increases, unlike the clump weight.
• Finally, the V-Wing depressors we offer have been tested at the US Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division’s David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB), one of the largest ship model basins in the world. All the tow tests show stability at speeds from 1 knot up to 20 knots.  The dihedral shape of the wing minimizes roll and yaw of the towed body.  The tow tests also collected data on the depressive forces of each of our wings at speed.

For deeper towed side scan sonar operations, we recommend the Dartmouth Ocean Technologies model 600 V-Wing.  For more information, please contact our Towed Sonar Sales Team.