Distributed 3D hydro-acoustic localization method with curvilinear volumetric array using a single auto-submerged...

Area of Science:

• Oceanography
• Acoustics
• Marine Engineering

Background:

• Distributed optical fiber sensing is crucial for underwater target tracking.
• Current methods face significant obstacles due to strict sensing cable deployment requirements.
• There is a need for robust and practical 3D localization techniques in marine environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel distributed 3D hydro-acoustic localization method.
• To utilize a single auto-submerged cable to construct a curvilinear volumetric array (CVA).
• To address the practical challenges of cable deployment in underwater applications.

Main Methods:

• A single auto-submerged cable is employed to create a CVA for acoustic field detection.
• A mapping relationship is established between the detected acoustic field and the source-cable position.
• The 3D position of underwater targets is determined through this mapping.

Main Results:

• Sea trials validated the method with a 93m cable, achieving an average localization error of 2.2m (SD 0.3m) at 25m lateral distance.
• The system demonstrated a maximum localization range of 1100m.
• Simulations showed robustness against deployment deviations (horizontal offset: 9m, rotation: 5°, local offset: 10m).

Conclusions:

• The proposed CVA-based method offers a feasible solution for distributed 3D hydro-acoustic localization.
• It effectively mitigates challenges related to cable deployment and array time-variation in shallow waters.
• This technology has the potential to significantly advance underwater target monitoring in marine environments.