Compared to the Workhorse ADCP and the Nortek instruments, the Aanderaa Doppler instruments use relatively low current. Figure 1 shows a typical pulse. the pulse rate depends on the measurement interval: with an interval of 1 minute, the pulse rate is 10/s, while a 1 hour interval uses 1 every 6 s. The Aanderaa current meter, like the Workhorse, appears to store energy inside a capacitor rather than relying on the battery to directly power the acoustic transmission.

Figure 1. Surge current in Aanderaa Doppler current meters. At a nominal voltage of 7 VDC, each pulse dissipates about 0.3 J of energy.

Neither the current nor the pulse energy place significant stress on the performance of the lithium battery packs.

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