Direction-of-arrival estimation based on phase modal space for a uniform circular acoustic vector-sensor array

In order to solve the problem of DOA (Direction of Arrival) estimation of targets for a Uniform Circular Acoustic Vector-Sensor Array (UCAVSA), a MUSIC algorithm for a UCAVSA is proposed. The pressure field and the particle velocity field are decomposed into an orthogonal set of phase modals by applying the method of wavefield decomposition. The method to construct pretreatment matrix, which transform the received signals from element space to phase modal space, is proposed for MUSIC algorithm. Simulation and experimental results show that the UCAVSA has distinct advantages over the same manifold of traditional uniform circular pressure-sensor array (UCPSA) in anti-noise performance, resolution and accuracy. The algorithm is based on the principle of coherency between pressure and particle velocity, which can suppress interference in isotropic noise field. The algorithm could combine the anti-noise performance of the Vector-Sensor with spatial resolution performance of array system to solve the problem of high-resolution DOA estimation of remote targets for UCAVSA.