During data transmission in a hydroacoustic channel, one of the problems is the multipath propagation effect, which leads to a decrease in the transmission parameters and sometimes completely prevents it. Therefore, we have attempted to develop a method, which is based on a recorded hydroacoustic signal, that allows us to recreate the original (generated) signal by eliminating the multipath effect. In our method, we use cepstral analysis to eliminate replicas of the generated signal. The method has been tested in simulation and during measurements in a real environment. Additionally, the influence of the method on data transmission in the hydroacoustic channel was tested. The obtained results confirmed the usefulness of the application of the developed method and improved the quality of data transmission by reducing the multipath propagation effect.

Wireless data transmission in the hydroacoustic channel under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation conditions, for example, during a wreck penetration, is difficult to implement reliably. This is mostly due to the multipath propagation, which causes a reduction in the quality of data reception. Therefore, in this work an attempt has been made to develop a reliable method of wireless underwater communication test it under the NLOS conditions. In our method, we used multiple frequency-shift keying (MFSK) modulation, sending a single bit on two carriers, and diversity combining. The method was tested in laboratory conditions which simulated underwater signal propagation during the penetration of the wreck. The propagation conditions were investigated by determining the impulse responses at selected measurement points using the correlation method. Additionally, for comparison, the data transmission quality was determined by the bit error rate (BER) under the same conditions using direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) and binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation. The obtained results confirmed the usefulness of the application of the developed method for wireless data transmission in a hydroacoustic channel under NLOS conditions.

The growing interest in developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and creating underwater sensor networks (USNs) has led to a need for communication tools in underwater environments. For obvious reasons, wireless means of communication are the most desirable. However, conducting research in real conditions is troublesome and costly. Moreover, as hydroacoustic propagation conditions change very significantly, even during the day, the assessment of proposed underwater wireless communication methods is very difficult. Therefore, in the literature, there are considered simulators based on real measurements of underwater acoustic (UWA) channels. However, these simulators make an assumption that, during the transmission of elementary signals, the impulse response does not change. In this article, the authors present the results of the measurements realized in a towing tank where the transmitter could move with a precisely set velocity and show that the analyzed channel was non-stationary, even during the time of the transmission of a single chirp signal. The article presents an evaluation method of channel stationarity at the time of the chirp transmission, which should be treated as novelty. There is also an analysis of the impulse responses measured in motion in a towing tank.

When transmitting data in a hydroacoustic channel under difficult propagation conditions, one of the problems is intersymbol interference (ISI) caused mainly by the effect of multipath propagation. This phenomenon leads to a decrease in transmission parameters, and sometimes completely prevents it. Therefore, we have made an attempt to use diversity combining with Recursive Least Squares (RLS) adaptive filtering to improve the quality of data transmission in a hydroacoustic channel with strong reflections. The method was tested in simulation and during measurements in a real environment. The influence of the method on data transmission in the hydroacoustic channel was examined in detail. The obtained results allow us to draw conclusions regarding the purposefulness of use of diversity combining and RLS adaptive filtering in order to improve the quality of data transmission by reducing the effect of ISI.

The paper presents methods of control allocation in a multi-thruster propulsion system of a small torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle. It concentrates on finding an optimal thrust distribution among thrusters for demanded values of propulsive forces and moments. The approach is directed towards minimisation of energy expenditures necessary to obtain required control. Special attention is paid to the unconstrained thrust allocation for both a faultless and faulty work of the propulsion system. The developed algorithms are designed to be modular, interchangeable and highly computationally efficient. Illustrative examples are inserted to demonstrate correctness and simplicity of proposed thrust allocation methods.

There is a growing interest in the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Underwater Sensor Networks (USNs) for scientific, military, and industrial applications, leading to the development of wireless underwater communications. However, the channel for Underwater Acoustic (UWA) communications is challenging compared to the radio wave propagation in the air. Especially in shallow waters, where the channel has strong multipath effects. The difficulties are even greater when the communicating objects are in motion. Nevertheless, it is worth to analyze if solutions known from radio communication systems are applicable for underwater hydroacoustic purposes. In this paper, a comparison is made between two well-known modulation techniques used in radio communication: the widely used BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) modulation and CSS (Chirp Spread Spectrum) technique used in LoRa (Long Range communication) system. The modulation techniques mentioned are compared with MBFSK (Multiple Binary Frequency Shift Keying) modulation used in underwater wireless communication systems, which is said to be very resistant to the multipath effect. In MBFSK, the value of the bit determines the value of the frequency on which the power is transmitted. The paper presents simulation results as well as results of measurements in the towing tank of the CTO (Maritime Advanced Research Centre). The comparison of simulation and real measurements leads to worrying conclusions, as they differ considerably.