Experimental results of underwater cooperative source localization using a single acoustic vector sensor

This paper aims at estimating the azimuth, range and depth of a cooperative broadband acoustic source with a single vector sensor in a multipath underwater environment, where the received signal is assumed to be a linear combination of echoes of the source emitted waveform. A vector sensor is a device that measures the scalar acoustic pressure field and the vectorial acoustic particle velocity field at a single location in space. The amplitudes of the echoes in the vector sensor components allow one to determine their azimuth and elevation. Assuming that the environmental conditions of the channel are known, source range and depth are obtained from the estimates of elevation and relative time delays of the different echoes using a ray-based backpropagation algorithm. The proposed method is tested using simulated data and is further applied to experimental data from the Makai’05 experiment, where 8–14 kHz chirp signals were acquired by a vector sensor array. It is shown that for short ranges, the position of the source is estimated in agreement with the geometry of the experiment. The method is low computational demanding, thus well-suited to be used in mobile and light platforms, where space and power requirements are limited

Borehole communication via drill strings in oil wells

The performance of multichannel and single channel accelerometers used as uphole communication receivers is studied. Using measured channels from the drill string testbed, it is shown that one tri-axial accelerometer can provide nearly uncorrelated signals when compared to two single channel accelerometers. Having uncorrelated signals at the uphole receiver provides a diversity which in turn can lead to an increase in the communication system performance. The use of a strain sensor as a receiver in borehole communication is proposed. Using measured channels from the drill string testbed, the performance of a strain receiver with a single-accelerometer receiver is compared. The results show that the strain receiver has better performance than the single accelerometer receiver, and is further demonstrated that the strain channel impulse response has a better structure than a single-accelerometer channel impulse response. Furthermore, the multichannel reception using several receivers with the aim of improving communication system performance is studied. The combination of a strain sensor and a tri-axial accelerometer as a four-channel receiver is proposed. Given the complexity of studying the strain channel and the three acceleration channels analytically, experiments are conducted to obtain these channel impulse responses. The channel measurements show that these wireless channels are nearly uncorrelated and therefore can provide a diversity gain. This is further confirmed by the low bit error rates that this system provides. Comparison with single channel receivers shows the usefulness of the proposed system for wireless communication via drill strings

Localização de fontes acústicas com um Vector Sensor Array

Dissertação de mest., Engenharia Eléctrica e Electrónica (Tecnologias da Informação e Telecomunicações), Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Univ. do Algarve, 2011Tradicionalmente, os sistemas de aquisição de dados utilizados na acústica submarina são constituídos por antenas lineares de hidrofones, os quais medem a pressão acústica, sendo esta uma grandeza escalar. Em aplicações típicas de sonar, alguns sistemas têm sido concebidos utilizando antenas de sensores vectoriais (“Vector Sensor Array”-VSA), os quais, além da pressão acústica medida pelos tradicionais hidrofones medem a velocidade das partículas sobre três eixos ortogonais. Uma vantagem dos sensores vectoriais é a sua capacidade de filtragem espacial intrínseca, permitindo a resolução da ambiguidade esquerda-direita inerente às antenas lineares de hidrofones. A partir da campanha MakaiEx’05, demonstrou-se com dados reais que uma antena com poucos sensores, no caso quatro, permite estimar a direcção de chegada (azimute e elevação) de sinais em várias bandas de frequência. Pode-se então conjecturar que utilizando uma antena de sensores vectoriais e aplicando métodos de “Match Field Processing” se consiga obter uma localização tridimensional de uma fonte acústica onde, para além do azimute, se determine a distância e a profundidade. No presente trabalho, estuda-se a aplicação desse conceito à localização tridimensional do ruído de um navio, aplicado aos dados da referida campanha MakaiEx’05. Uma vez que a localização da fonte é conseguida com antenas de poucos elementos, este tipo de sistemas poderá ser indicado para diferentes aplicações onde seja requisito a utilização de sistemas compactos, por exemplo em AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) ou outras pequenas plataformas móveis

A Geometry-Based Underwater Acoustic Channel Model Allowing for Sloped Ocean Bottom Conditions

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New Approaches for Two-Dimensional DOA Estimation of Coherent and Noncircular Signals with Acoustic Vector-sensor Array

This thesis is mainly concerned with the two-dimensional direction of arrival (2D-DOA) estimation using acoustic vector-sensor array for coherent signals and noncircular signals. As for coherent signals, the thesis proposes two algorithms, namely, a 2D-DOA estimation algorithm with acoustic vector-sensor array using a single snapshot, and an improved 2D-DOA estimation algorithm of coherent signals. In the first algorithm, only a single snapshot is employed to estimate the 2D-DOA, and the second is an improved algorithm based on the method of Palanisamy et al. Compared to the existing algorithm, the proposed algorithm has the following advantages: (1) lower computational complexity, (2) better estimation performance, and (3) acquiring automatically-paired 2D-DOA estimates. As for noncircular signals, we propose real-valued space PM and ESPRIT algorithms for 2D-DOA estimation using arbitrarily spaced acoustic vector-sensor array. By exploiting the noncircularity of incoming signals to increase the amount of effective data, the proposed algorithms can provide a better 2D-DOA estimation performance with fewer snapshots, which means a relatively lower sample rate can be used in practical implementations. Compared with the traditional PM and ESPRIT, the proposed algorithms provide better estimation performance while having similar computational complexity. Furthermore, the proposed algorithms are suitable for arbitrary arrays and yield paired azimuth and elevation angle estimates without requiring extra computationally expensive pairing operations

Underwater communication via particle velocity channels : principles, channel models, and system design

A vector sensor is capable of measuring important non-scalar components of the acoustic field such as the particle velocity, which cannot be obtained by a single scalar pressure sensor. In the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted on the theory and design of vector sensors. On the other hand, underwater acoustic communication systems have been relying on scalar sensors only, which measure the pressure of the acoustic field. By taking advantage of the vector components of the acoustic field, such as the particle velocity, the vector sensor can be used for detecting the transmitted data. In this dissertation, the concept of data detection and equalization in underwater particle velocity channels using acoustic vector sensors was developed. System equations for such a receiver were derived and channel equalization using these sensors was formulated. A multiuser system using vector sensors and space time block codes was also developed, which does not use spreading codes and bandwidth expansion. This is particularly important in bandlimited underwater channels. With regard to channel models for particle velocity channels, characterization of particle velocity channels and their impact on vector sensor communication systems performance were therefore of interest. In multipath channels such as shallow waters, a vector sensor receives the signal through several paths and each path has a different delay (travel time). Motion of the transmitter or receiver in a multipath channel introduces different Doppler shifts as well. Those introduce different levels of correlation in an array of vector sensors. Therefore, in this dissertation, a statistical framework for mathematical characterization of different types of correlations in acoustic vector sensor arrays was developed. Exact and closed-form approximation correlation expressions were derived which related signal correlations to some key channel parameters such as mean angle of arrivals and angle spreads. Using these expressions, the correlations between the pressure and velocity channels of the sensors could be calculated, in terms of element spacing, frequency and time separation. The derived closed-form parametric expressions for the signal correlations can serve as useful tools to estimate some important physical parameters as well. Knowledge of the delay and Doppler spreads in acoustic particle velocity channel is also important for efficient design of underwater vector sensor communication system. In this dissertation, these channel spreads were characterized using the zero crossing rates of channel responses in frequency and time domain. Useful expressions for delay and Doppler spreads were derived in terms of the key channel parameters, mean angle of arrivals and angle spreads. These results are needed for design and performance predication of communication systems in time-varying and frequency-selective underwater particle velocity channels

Adaptation of an acoustic propagation model to the parallel architecture of a graphics processor

High performance underwater acoustic models are of great importance for enabling real-time acoustic source tracking, geoacoustic inversion, environmental monitoring and high-frequency underwater communications. Given the parallelizable nature of raytracing, in general, and of the ray superposition algorithm in particular, use of multiple computing units for the development of real-time e cient applications based on ray tracing is becoming of extreme importance.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

Modelling, Analysis, and Simulation of Underwater Acoustic Channels : Doctoral Dissertation for the Degree Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Specialization in Information and Communication Technology

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