Steering Acoustic Intensity Estimator Using a Single Acoustic Vector Hydrophone

Abstract

Azimuth angle estimation using a single vector hydrophone is a well-known problem in underwater acoustics. In the presence of multiple sources, a conventional complex acoustic intensity estimator (CAIE) cannot distinguish the azimuth angle of each source. In this paper, we propose a steering acoustic intensity estimator (SAIE) for azimuth angle estimation in the presence of interference. The azimuth angle of the interference is known in advance from the global positioning system (GPS) and compass data. By constructing the steering acoustic energy fluxes in the x and y channels of the acoustic vector hydrophone, the azimuth angle of interest can be obtained when the steering azimuth angle is directed toward the interference. Simulation results show that the SAIE outperforms the CAIE and is insensitive to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and signal-to-interference ratio (SIR). A sea trial is presented that verifies the validity of the proposed method.