Study on Optimization and Performance of Four-element Acoustic Sensors Array

Time delay estimation (TDE) is one of the traditional methods in source location. TDE is used to derive the time difference of signal propagation from the source to the spatially separated sensors. Based on TDE a location algorithm of four-element array is express by matrix under the condition of low altitude and far field moving target. The best structure of four-element arbitrarily acoustic array is derived to minimize the range-error by matrix analysis and the law of error propagation with restriction of avoiding phase ambiguity and mutually independent time delay. Additionally, the performance and directional algorithm of the optimum four-element acoustic sensor array are studied theoretically. Though the analysis and deduction, the accuracy of the optimum four-element array is affected by the following factors, such as the size of the array, the error of delay, and the distance of location.