The article presents methods that help in the elimination of mutual clutter as well as the consequences of two FM sounding signal sonars operating in the same body of water and frequency band. An in-depth analysis of mutual clutter was carried out. The effects of sounding signal differentiation were determined, as was the Doppler effect on mutual clutter suppression. One of the methods analysed is of particular interest in a situation in which collaborating sonars are operating in opposite frequency modulation directions. This method is effective for both linear and hyperbolic frequency modulations. A formula was derived, identifying exactly how much quantities of clutter may be lessened. The work included comprehensive computer simulations and measurements as well as tests in real-life conditions.
The large variability of communication properties of underwater acoustic channels, and especially the strongly varying instantaneous conditions in shallow waters, is a challenge for the designers of underwater acoustic communication (UAC) systems. The use of phase modulated signals does not allow reliable data transmission through such a tough communication channel. However, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), being a multi-carrier amplitude and phase modulation technique applied successfully in the latest standards of wireless communications, gives the chance of reliable communication with an acceptable error rate. This paper describes communication tests conducted with the use of a laboratory model of an OFDM data transmission system in a shallow water environment in Wdzydze Lake.