Size and access requirements
A well designed sonar room with a well fitted size and easy access reduces the risk of corrosion, and simplifies maintenance. This increases system reliability.
Note
The physical size of the sonar room must be limited, so that in the event of a major leak, the flooding of the room will not induce instability, or cause the vessel to capsize or sink.
The sonar room must be large enough to house all the system units. The room must provide enough space to allow efficient maintenance. You must be able to keep all the cabinet doors fully open without undue restriction to your movements.
1 The room must not be used for any other heavy machinery.
2 The room must not be unnecessarily obstructed by girders, pipes etc, which may cause installation problems or impede maintenance.
3 The sonar room must be accessible under all conditions at sea or at a berth.
4 All doors or hatches must be designed so that the tools and equipment can be removed without being disassembled.
5 All cables leading in and out of the sonar room must be run in steel conduits. These steel conduits must reach up and above the freeboard deck.
6 In the event of a major leak, it must be possible to close all watertight hatches and/or doors to the room to maintain vessel stability and safety.
Note
The physical distance between the Transceiver Unit and the hull unit is limited by the length of the transducer cables. Make sure that the transducer cable is placed in such a manner that the transducer can be lowered and hoisted without damaging the cable.