NPL offers a variety of training courses in underwater acoustic calibration and measurement. Instead of being classroom-based, the courses are 'hands-on', providing experience of real measurements being made with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Those attending the courses are able to witness a variety of calibration and measurement techniques applied to underwater electroacoustic transducers. In addition, there are some specific lectures delivered by NPL staff, and course notes and scientific reports are provided on the topics covered.

The bespoke courses are designed to fit the requirements of specific customers, and so the source content varies according to customer need. The individual course modules can each last up to half a day (depending on depth of material covered, and previous experience of course attendee). The modules can cover some or all of the following topics:

• Calibrations of hydrophones by free-field comparison method
• Calibration of hydrophones by free-field reciprocity method
• Measurement of transducer electrical impedance
• Measurement of transducer directional response
• Sources of uncertainty in free-field hydrophone calibration
• Measurements and calibrations using an open-water facility
• Transducer characterisation at simulated ocean conditions
• Techniques for in-situ measurements in the ocean including measurement of noise
• Low frequency hydrophone calibration techniques
• Introduction to near-field measurement techniques using Fourier methods

The price for the above NPL training course on Underwater Acoustic Measurement is £1,400 per day (for a maximum of two people).

Seiche course on Underwater Acoustics hosted at NPL

This popular course is a general underwater acoustics course consisting of three modules:

• Basic Underwater Acoustics
• Advanced Underwater Acoustics
• Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Wildlife

The first module contains 13 one-hour tuition sessions and 8 one-hour tutorial/discussion sessions. The other modules contain 14 one-hour tuition sessions. The course is run by Prof Rodney Coates, and features guest lecturers such as Professor Victor Humphrey (University of Southampton), Dr Jonathon Gordon (St Andrews University), Dr Paul Fernandes (FRS, Aberdeen) and Dr Richeard Hazelwood (marine consultant), and Stephen Robinson (NPL). The course is run each year in September.

More details of this course (including the registration form) can be found at: http://www.seiche.com/

Contact

Customer Services tel: +44 20 8943 8631
E-mail: acoustics_enquiries@npl.co.uk