Analysing the impact on underwater noise of changes to the parameters of a ship’s machinery

A ship moving over the surface of water generates disturbances that are perceived as noise, both in the air and under water. Due to its density, water is an excellent medium for transmitting acoustic waves over long distances. This article describes the impact of the settings of a ship’s machinery on the nature of the generated noise. Our analysis includes the frequency characteristics of the noise generated by the moving ship. Data were obtained using an underwater measurement system, and the measured objects were two ships moving on specific trajectories with certain machinery settings. The acquired data were analysed in the frequency domain to explore the possibilities of the acoustic classification of ships and diagnostics of source mechanisms.