Simultaneous localization of a surface ship and a submerged towed source (L)

Area of Science:

• Ocean acoustics
• Signal processing
• Underwater acoustics

Background:

• Blind deconvolution and array invariant methods are effective for single underwater source localization.
• These techniques typically require no prior knowledge of the environment or source waveform.
• Shallow water environments present unique challenges for acoustic source localization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend blind deconvolution for localizing multiple underwater acoustic sources.
• To extract individual Green's functions for distinct sources at different depths.
• To confirm simultaneous localization of a surface and a submerged source.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a cascade of blind deconvolution and array invariant.
• Exploiting distinct modal groups excited by different source depths for Green's function separation.
• Employing a vertical array for acoustic data acquisition.

Main Results:

• Successfully extended blind deconvolution to a two-source scenario.
• Individual Green's functions were separately extracted for each source.
• Simultaneous localization of a surface ship and a 50-m towed source was confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The extended blind deconvolution and array invariant method enables simultaneous localization of multiple sources in shallow water.
• Source depth significantly influences modal excitation, allowing for Green's function separation.
• This approach offers a robust solution for complex underwater acoustic scenarios.