Comparative Analysis of Horizontal Array Signal Processing in a Shallow-Water Channel with a Rough Windy Surface

Abstract

The recent study [1] addressed how the characteristics of low-frequency acoustic signal propagation in a shallow-water channel under wind wave conditions affect the output performance of a horizontal phased array (PA) is further developed with the aim of comparative analysis of the efficiency of various array signal processing methods. The main focus is quantitative estimates of the additional array gain from optimal processing in comparison to the standard PA method compensated in the direction to the signal source, in dependence on the key parameters: direction and distance to the source, wind speed, and wave dimensions of the array. Numerical simulation is performed for a typical winter hydrological conditions of the Barents Sea, a signal frequency of 250 Hz, and a wide range of distances up to 500 km It is shown that the additional gain from optimizing the array processor can vary widely (from fractions of to a few dB), while the PA efficiency also varies widely and may have a nonmonotonic dependence on distance.