A Broadband Beamformer Suitable for UUV to Detect the Tones Radiated from Marine Vessels

Abstract

In this paper, the issue that the underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) with a sonar array achieves the passive detection of vessel targets by detecting the tones radiated from the targets is considered. The multi-beam low-frequency analysis and recording method is widely applied in a manned sonar system. The sonar operator provides an auxiliary decision to extract the target tones from the multiple beams output. However, the complexity of the multi-dimensional information fusion makes it difficult to apply the multi-beam processing in the unmanned sonar system. Aiming at this problem, we introduce the self-adjusting characteristics of adaptive line enhancer to a time domain broadband beamformer and then propose a self-steering broadband beamformer. The proposed beamformer can adaptively steer the main beam to the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of the tonal target. There is no need to pre-form the multiple beams. The complexity of the UUV-based tone detection is reduced. Theoretical derivation and simulation experiments verify that the main beam of the proposed beamformer can track the DOA of tonal target which is rapidly changing. Meanwhile, the tonal interferences as well as the wide-band noise are well suppressed.

Formation Transformation Method for UUV Group to Approach a Static Target

“…Theorem 1. Under the Assumption 1 that the UUV group communication topological graph is an undirected connected graph and satisfies Assumption 2, then under the consistency control protocol (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), if the speed control gain satisfies the following inequality:…”

“…The widely used sonar can acquire hydroacoustic images of the underwater environment. It has a long detection range, but the resolution of hydroacoustic images is low [12]. The detection range of an underwater camera is small, but its image has high resolution.…”

Hydroacoustic System in a Biomimetic Underwater Vehicle to Avoid Collision with Vessels with Low-Speed Propellers in a Controlled Environment

“…In Reference [10], self-adjusting characteristics for an adaptive line enhancer for a time domain broadband beamformer were introduced, and then a self-steering broadband beamformer was proposed. However, this set-up requires prior information about the target direction, which is unknown in real conditions.…”

Path Planning in Threat Environment for UUV with Non-Uniform Radiation Pattern

“…One example of a hydroacoustic signal detector is a stationary sonar system (SSS). In the case of a passive mode of reception, the SSS detects UUV using a radiated signal generated by UUV motion [14]. However, in the case of an active mode, UUV reveals itself by the secondary field of the reflected probing signal.…”