Study of Propagation Channel Characteristics for Underwater Acoustic Communication Environments

Abstract

For the study of propagation characteristics in underwater acoustic channels, a geometrybased model is introduced to represent the multipath scattering environments between a transmitter (Tx) and a mobile receiver (MR). To consider the impact of the scattering environments on the propagation characteristics with low complexity, we adopt a rectangle to describe the communication environments of the vertical cross section of the ocean, where the scatterers are assumed to be randomly distributed on the surface and bottom of the sea. In the model, we first derive the closed-form expressions for the probability density functions (PDFs) of the angle of departure (AoD) and angle of arrival (AoA) statistics. Then, we investigate the spatial and frequency correlation functions of two different propagation paths. The numerical simulation results fit the conventional results very well, which demonstrate that the proposed model has the ability to describe the underwater acoustic communication environments. INDEX TERMS Underwater acoustic channels, geometry-based channel model, angle of departure AoD and angle of arrival AoA statistics, spatial and frequency correlation functions. I. INTRODUCTION A. MOTIVATION Underwater wireless networks, which have the advantages of scientific exploration, tactical surveillance, and offshore exploration, have been widely researched in wireless communication systems [1]. To make these applications feasible, it is important to design and analyse wireless underwater acoustic communication systems. In light of this, statistical propagation characteristics of underwater communication channel are necessary to assess system performance to improve the quality of a communication system [2]. B. RELATED WORKS The existing literatures have done a variety of studies on the simulation of underwater acoustic wireless channels, which are usually based on the experimental data obtained in some The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Guan Gui.

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