Acoustic source localization on finite structures using remote sensors

Acoustic waves are well-suited for remote sensing applications and structural health monitoring purposes because they convey information about their source and can be measured using non-contacting methods. Source localization is an important structural health monitoring task; however, traditional time-of-flight array signal processing techniques used to localize acoustic sources are ill-suited for many structural engineering applications due to the potential for complicated propagation paths, the dispersive propagation of acoustic waves in structures, and the coupling of the vibrating structure and the surrounding medium. Thus, source localization experiments were conducted using matched field processing (MFP) for a 0.9-m diameter round aluminum plate excited by the impact of a 1.3-cm stainless-steel ball bearing dropped from 7.6-cm. A 14-sensor linear remote acoustic array placed 8.9-cm above the plate measured the sound radiated by the 0.64-cm thick plate. MFP array signal processing localization techniques were used along with a physics-based finite element acoustic model to localize the excitation on the structure. Source localization results in both a quiet environment and environment with additive white Gaussian noise are discussed, and these results are compared to those from an acoustic model where plate edge reflections are neglected. Work was sponsored by a SMART Scholarship and the NEEC.