Underwater Telemetry Using Electromagnetic Communication Through Fresh Water for USACE Infrastructure

The Civil Works mission of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) includes the maintenance and operation of infrastructure related to navigable inland waterways. This mission has led to the utilization of sensors as part of structural health monitoring (SHM) and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) systems installed at locks and dams. The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is developing an underwater telemetry modem that uses electromagnetic communication in the low frequency (LF 30-300 KHz) and medium frequency (MF 300-3000 KHz) range for collection of sensor data wirelessly. Field testing of a preliminary platform has informed the design of an integrated solution. These underwater wireless communication modems will provide a solution for a USACE technology gap that currently hampers data collection and process control in the navigable inland waterways.