Effects and optimization of nano-carbon materials in underwater ultrasonic signal transmission

Nano-carbon materials exhibit significant application potential in the field of underwater ultrasonic signal transmission due to their unique acoustic properties and controllable microstructure. Based on acoustic wave propagation theory and effective medium model, an acoustic transmission model of nano-carbon material-water medium composite system was established, and the acoustic parameters of carbon nanotubes and graphene nanosheets were obtained through finite element simulation and hydroacoustic experimental testing. The transmission matrix method was employed to analyze the propagation characteristics of ultrasonic waves at different frequency bands in water medium containing nano-carbon materials, and the simulation results showed errors less than 3 dB compared with hydroacoustic test data in the 20–100 kHz frequency band, validating the accuracy of the model. The research found that nano-carbon materials can effectively modulate the transmission characteristics of underwater ultrasonic signals and achieve signal enhancement effects in specific frequency bands, with enhancement amplitude closely related to material concentration, dispersion size and acoustic wave frequency. Through optimizing material configuration parameters and frequency matching relationships, ultrasonic signal transmission gain can be improved by 8–15 dB, providing theoretical basis and technical approach for performance enhancement of underwater acoustic communication and detection systems.