Acoustic Sensor Networks for Decommissioning

Progress is reported with an acoustic sensor network that offers the possibility to provide monitoring of nuclear storage ponds. The aim is to create a network that comprises a number of autonomous sensor nodes that communicate and localise using ultrasonic signals. The nodes are less than 20cm dimension and are able to manoeuvre themselves, horizontally and vertically, to selected positions where they can then record measurements of selected parameters. Ultrasonic signal propagation has been explored in a 6m benign test pond with representative clutter. The paper describes progress with communications, localisation and a small autonomous underwater vehicle. Results suggest that localisation might be achieved to an accuracy of about 10cm and data might be communicated up to 1 kbit/s assuming a bit error rate of 10–4.

[1]  Peter N. Green,et al.  Propulsion systems for micro-Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (μAUVs) , 2010, 2010 IEEE Conference on Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics.

[2]  Andrew C. Singer,et al.  Signal processing for underwater acoustic communications , 2009, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[3]  R. Michael Buehrer,et al.  A linear programming approach to NLOS error mitigation in sensor networks , 2006, 2006 5th International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks.

[4]  S KozatSuleyman,et al.  Signal processing for underwater acoustic communications , 2009 .

[5]  Robin Sloan,et al.  Environmental monitoring in grain , 2010, 2010 IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Technology Conference Proceedings.

[6]  Weihua Zhuang,et al.  Nonline-of-sight error mitigation in mobile location , 2005, IEEE Trans. Wirel. Commun..

[7]  Agathoniki Trigoni,et al.  Distributed localization in cluttered underwater environments , 2010, WUWNet.

[8]  Aamir Saeed Malik,et al.  Survey of NLOS identification and error mitigation problems in UWB-based positioning algorithms for dense environments , 2010, Ann. des Télécommunications.

[9]  Peter N. Green,et al.  Design considerations for Micro-Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (μAUVs) , 2010, 2010 IEEE Conference on Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics.

[10]  Milica Stojanovic,et al.  Recent advances in high-speed underwater acoustic communications , 1996 .

[11]  Agathoniki Trigoni,et al.  Convex programming based robust localization in NLOS prone cluttered environments , 2011, Proceedings of the 10th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks.

[12]  Peter N. Green,et al.  A de-coupled vertical controller for micro-autonomous underwater vehicles (μAUVs) , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation.

[13]  Pi-Chun Chen,et al.  A non-line-of-sight error mitigation algorithm in location estimation , 1999, WCNC. 1999 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (Cat. No.99TH8466).

[14]  R. M. Buehrer,et al.  Non-line-of-sight identification in ultra-wideband systems based on received signal statistics , 2007 .

[15]  Chia-Chin Chong,et al.  NLOS Identification and Weighted Least-Squares Localization for UWB Systems Using Multipath Channel Statistics , 2008, EURASIP J. Adv. Signal Process..

[16]  Agathoniki Trigoni,et al.  Dynamic node placement for multi-hop localization in cluttered environments , 2011, 2011 8th Annual IEEE Communications Society Conference on Sensor, Mesh and Ad Hoc Communications and Networks.

[17]  Thor I. Fossen,et al.  Guidance and control of ocean vehicles , 1994 .