EVALUATION OF SHIP NOISE LEVELS USING SINGLE VECTOR SENSOR ON BOTTOM MOUNTED SYSTEM - Video Portal
EVALUATION OF SHIP NOISE LEVELS USING SINGLE VECTOR SENSOR ON BOTTOM MOUNTED SYSTEM
Steven Seda, LT, USN
This thesis demonstrates how a single bottom-mounted acoustic vector sensor can estimate distant ship radiated noise levels by merging acoustic intensity data with AIS tracks and acoustic propagation modeling. A vector sensor measures pressure and three orthogonal directions of fluid motion. Our research involved a transportable bottom-mounted system with a suspended particle motion sensor. Research efforts were conducted along the shelf off the coast of Point Sur, California to evaluate ship noise levels along the maritime shipping lane. Data collection combined the use of AIS, National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) wave data, self measured sound speed profile, local wind information, and sensor data. Data was analyzed through use of MATLAB for comparison of AIS tracks to sensor data using intensity processing. Computational models include analysis of Transmission Loss through a shallow water propagation model called the Monterey-Miami Parabolic Equation (MMPE). Evaluation of transmission loss through MMPE and receive levels through MATLAB processing led to an estimation of Source Levels for selected ships.