The diffraction response interpolation method

Computer modeling of the output voltage in a pulse-echo system is computationally very demanding, particularly when considering reflector surfaces of arbitrary geometry. A new, efficient computational tool, the diffraction response interpolation method (DRIM), for modeling of reflectors in a fluid medium, is presented. The DRIM is based on the velocity potential impulse response method, adapted to pulse-echo applications by the use of acoustical reciprocity. Specifically, the DRIM operates by dividing the reflector surface into planar elements, finding the diffraction response at the corners of the elements, calculating the response integrated over the surface element by time-domain convolutions with analytically determined filters, and summing the responses from the individual surface elements. As the method is based on linearity, effects such as shadowing, higher-order diffraction, nonlinear propagation, cannot be directly incorporated in the modeling. The DRIM has been compared to other modeling tools when possible. Excellent agreement between the results obtained with the DRIM and the alternative techniques have been found, and the DRIM offers reductions in computation time in the range from 30 to 400 times. Experimental results obtained using a planar circular transducer together with cylindrical reflectors were compared to DRIM results and fairly good agreement was observed.