Variability of channel response and acoustic system performance: Simulation study

Simulating realistic sonar data is essential for tuning detection and classification algorithms in active and passive sonar signal processing according to environment and acquisition characteristics. Robustness of performances estimation and prediction applications can be greatly enhanced if the real ocean environments can be placed as input data to the simulation. The Ocean environment presents a difficult channel for acoustic propagation because of its frequency dependent large and small-scale fading, signal spreading in time and frequency, and extended multipath. Its characteristics vary from place to place and with time over scales ranging from seconds to years. Any system that uses Acoustics in its operation is affected by this channel variability. System performance and availability for every condition of the channel thus requires that these should be evaluated and incorporated. In the present work data for the channel in terms of its bathymetry, SSP and sea surface winds have been taken for the year 2011 and the channel response on monthly averages have been calculated. Performance of a passive acoustic system has been evaluated by simulation on these and predictions of the system performance have been obtained for the full year. In this way system level design can be optimized for the prevailing channel conditions.