A review of the performance of an acoustic current meter

The Test and Evaluation Laboratory of NOAA/National Ocean Survey (NOS) recently completed a limited performance evaluation of three Neil Brown Instrument Systems acoustic current meters (NBIS ACM-1's) for the NOAA Data Buoy Office. Steady flow calibrations were performed on the four cardinal measurement axes, as well as directivity response evaluation in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Calibrations were performed on the solid-state compass used for magnetic heading reference in the current meters. Environmental tests were conducted in accordance with MIL-STD-167B for vibration testing, and environmental temperature tests were guided by MIL-STD-810C. The methods and procedures for these tests are discussed, and evaluation results are graphically displayed.