SPEED LOG

Speed Log

SDME:
Speed
and
Distance
measuring Equipment Log Speeds
are affected by current and tidal
streams. Speed through the Water
measured by: Patent Log: towed
astern of the ship. Bottom Log: can be
withdrawn
into
the
ships
hull
Impeller Log: Impeller fitted in a
tube. More accurate than towed log
Pressure tube or Pitot type Log:
Dynamic tube and STATIC Tube
Difference in pressure converted to
electrical signals and proportional to
speed. Electromagnetic Log: induced
EMF
measured
by
sensors,
proportional to ship speed.
Sea water is the conductor.
Doppler Log: Based on the
principle of Doppler shift in frequency
measurement i.e. apparent change in
frequency received when the distance
between source and observer is
changing due to the motion of either
source or observer or both.
In Doppler Log, an observer is
moving with a sound towards a
reflecting plane, then the received
frequency fr= ft (c+v) / (c-v) where
fr= received frequency ft= transmitted
frequency c= velocity of sound in sea
water and v= velocity of the vessel.
By measuring fr and knowing the
value of ft and c, the speed of the
vessel can be determined.

Doppler Speed Log

The Doppler Effect, named after

Christian Doppler, is the change in
frequency and wavelength of a wave
as perceived by an observer moving
relative to the source of the waves.
For waves that propagate in a wave
medium, such as sound waves, the
velocity of the observer and of the
source are reckoned relative to the
medium in which the waves are
transmitted. The total Doppler Effect
may therefore result from either
motion of the source or motion of the
observer.
The Doppler system calculates speed
to within an accuracy of about 0.5
percent of the distance traveled. It
functions well for all speeds that
modern vessels can attain and works
from a minimum depth of about 1.5
feet to a maximum depth of about 600
feet. Frequencies employed are
between 100 kHz and 600 kHz
A transducer is fitted on the ships
keel which transmits a beam of
acoustic wave at an angle, usually 60
degrees to the keel in the forward
direction
JANUS configuration: In practice, the
ship has some vertical motion and this
causes a problem in measurement of
Doppler shift. This is overcome by
installing
two
transducers,
one
transmitting in the forward direction
and the other in the aft direction at
the same angle. This arrangement is
known as Janus configuration. By
measuring the two Doppler shift
frequencies, the vertical component
will cancel out while the horizontal will
add. Thus the speed of the ship can be
calculated.


The
placing
of
the
Janus
configuration in a fore and aft
direction is known as a single axis
system and is used to calculate speed
over ground in the forward and after
direction. ATHWARTSHIPs SPEED:
Doppler log on ground track mode can
provide athwartshipspeed and for this
purpose a similar Janus configuration
is used on the port and starboard
sides.
A dual axis system places a second
grouping
of
Janus
configured
transducers
in
an
athwartships
direction allowing for the calculation of
a vessel's speed when moving
sideways through the water, as in
docking. The beam width of the
athwartship installation is about 8
degrees to account for the possibility
of a vessel's rolling.
Bottom track / Ground track: The
calculation
of
speed
using
the
reflected sound wave from sea bed is
unaffected by set and drift. Usually
limited to a depth of 200 meters.
Beyond this depth, the echoes become
very weak and are insufficient for
Doppler shift calculation.
Water Track: When the ship moves
at high seas at the usual sea speed, it
carries some mass of surrounding
water with it thereby providing a
distinct layer of water between 10 and
30mtrs below the keel (this depth
depends on draft and speed of vessel).
Below this depth the water is still and
hence there is a distinct separation
between the two layers of water which
provide the echoing surface to the
acoustic waves. These echoes are
stronger than the echoes coming from
depths of over 200 meters. Using

these echoes give us speed over

water, referred to as water track and
does not allow for set and drift. The
speed worked out does not depend on
the depth from which the echoes are
received.

Speed Log
The Doppler system normally
measures speed over ground to about
600 feet. After this depth signals may
be returned by a dense, colder layer of
water located throughout the oceans
called the deep scattering layer (DSL).
Signals received off the DSL are not as
accurate as signals received from
bottom reflections but can still be used
to provide an indication of speed
through the water instead of speed
over ground when bottom tracking.
Your unit may have a manual or
automatic system which will switch
from bottom tracking to water tracking
at increased depth.

Doppler Speed Log

HEAVING:
By
using
Janus
configuration, this effect is nullified
and any vertical movement has got no
effect on the speed indicated. TRIM:
The trim of the vessel has no effect on
athwartship speed and has very little
effect on fore and aft speed. Actual
speed = indicated speed / Cos B(angle
of trim) (Max trim permitted under
MARPOL is 1.5% of ships length.)
The speed difference is only in the 3rd
and 4th decimal places and negligible.
PITCHING: The effect of pitching is
similar to a vessel with trim changing
continuously. When pitching, the

indicate speed will fluctuate between

actual speed and a value lower than
the actual speed depending on the
angle at which it is pitching. Pitching
does not affect athwartships speed.

Errors due to ships motion: Using

Janus configuration, this error tends to
cancel out. For a 2 deg difference, the
net effect will be an error of 0.10% of
the indicated speed.
Effect of rolling and pitching: Actual

LIST and ROLLING: Effect of list on

athwartships speed will be the same
as the effect of trim on the fwd and aft
speed i.e. Actual speed (ath)=
Indicated Speed(ath) / Cos list angle.
This is irrespective of the side to
which the ship is listed. When the
vessel is rolling the indicated ath
speed will fluctuate. List and rolling do
not effect the fore and aft speed.
ERRORS: Transducer orientation:
Should make a perfect angle of 60
degrees w.r.t the keel. Error in
oscillator frequency: The frequency
generated should be accurate and
constant. Propagation velocity of
sound
wavechanges
due
to
temperature, salinity and pressure. To
compensate for Temperature variation,
a thermistor is mounted near the
transducer and temperature changes
accounted for. In modern transducers,
the angle at which the acoustic beam
is transmitted is controlled with the
help of phase difference.

spd= Ind.spd / Cos B. Inaccuracy of

measurement
of
comparison
frequency.
Error due to side Lobe: when the
side lobe reception dominates over the
main beam reception, there will be an
error. More pronounced on a sloping
sea bottom. Cannot be eliminated with
Janus configuration. To reduce this
error, the beam width of transmitted
wave is reduced. However a minimum
beam width of 4 to 6 degs is required.
Calibration: very important Zero
on scale : while ship is berthed, when
SOG is zero Scale calibration: done
during sea trial, against a measured
distance. Doppler Log for BERTHING:
Either two sets of ath.ship
transducers or one ath.ship transducer
coupled with ROT indicator. Distance
moved by the bow/stern will be
calculated by the ROT angle. This can
be used to indicate instantaneous
speeds only and is not applicable
when angles and distances involved
are large.