Rapid localization of acoustic source using sensor clusters in 3D homogeneous and heterogeneous structures

The acoustic source localization in 3D structures is a challenging task especially if the structure is heterogeneous. A large number of unknown parameters in a 3D heterogeneous structure require a large number of sensor arrays for accurate source localization. In this article, a localization technique is proposed using triangular pyramid shaped sensor clusters. The time difference of arrival of acoustic signals between different sensors of the clusters is analyzed to localize the acoustic source. It uses acoustic wave propagation information to rapidly localize the acoustic source. This rapid acoustic source localization technique works well for both homogeneous and heterogeneous media. It considers the refraction in heterogeneous media using Snell’s law. The proposed technique is verified experimentally and numerically. The experimental results show that the technique is effective for source localization in 3D homogeneous structures. Numerical results are generated by finite element modeling for both homogeneous and heterogeneous structures. The results show the reliability of the proposed technique. This technique helps to localize the acoustic source with only a few sensors and is indispensable for monitoring large 3D structures with monitoring equipment that can handle only a few sensors.