Effective deployment strategies for optimizing area coverage in multistatic sonar detection based on Cassini oval approximation and a virtual force algorithm

Abstract

Multistatic sonar is regarded as a highly promising method for detecting quiet submarines over long distances. This technique exhibits high positioning accuracy, flexible configurations, easy concealment, and robust resistance to interference. However, the sources are more expensive than receivers and performance of multistatic sonar depends strongly on the relative positions of the sources and receivers. In this work, we study the problem of optimal deployment of receivers for one source and multiple receivers type multistatic sonar to achieve maximum area coverage. The area coverage of multistatic sonar is a multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP) balancing maximum coverage against minimal cost. To simplify the MOOP, the area enclosed by a Cassini oval is approximated to two circles and the normalized area difference is analyzed. Then the required number of receivers within a rectangular area of interest (AOI) is calculated based on full coverage theory. So the MOOP is simplified into a single-objective problem focused on achieving maximal coverage with a specific number of receiver nodes. An enhanced virtual force algorithm named Delaunay triangulation hole repair virtual force algorithm (DTHRVFA) is introduced to optimize the deployment positions of receivers as a heterogeneous nodes deployment problem. Simulation results show significant improvement in coverage compared with various methods of heterogeneous nodes deployment. The proposed method effectively addresses area coverage problems associated with the deployment of one source and multiple receivers type multistatic sonar receivers.

Keywords

• Multistatic detection
• Cassini oval
• Optimal deployment
• Virtual force algorithm
• Delaunay triangulation hole repair