A vector sensing scheme for underwater acoustics based on particle velocity measurements

We present a particle velocity sensing scheme for underwater acoustic vector sensors, which utilizes a natureinspired bionic hair based transduction scheme. The hair based sensor offers an attractive option for particle velocity sensing with low sensor size, but it is limited by low sensitivity. This limitation can be overcome by using an acoustic horn for amplification, and using a sensitive measurement system such as a fibre optic system. We undertake simulation studies to evaluate the feasibility of the vector sensing scheme. For the small sensor sizes and low frequencies considered, the effects of viscosity become dominant. We discuss the effects of viscosity through parameteric studies and its effect on determining the operating parameters of the sensing scheme.