Effects of Acoustic Shielding on Beamforming for Rotating Sound Source Localization

Beamforming for rotating sound source localization (denoted by rotating beamforming) is widely used in engineering nowadays. Acoustic shielding, such as shafts and covers, is typically employed in the practical measurement of rotating source localization. Acoustic shielding blocks the signal propagation between rotating sources and the array, and thus affects the performance of rotating beamforming. However, the detailed effects of acoustic shielding on rotating beamforming are still unclear. In this study, the blocking rate that represents the degree of signal propagation path blockage is defined first. The effects of acoustic shielding on rotating beamforming are then investigated in simulations. Finally, these effects are verified by experiments. According to the results of the simulation and experiments, rotating beamforming can still localize rotating sources, as long as the signal propagation path is not completely blocked. However acoustic shielding decreases sound intensity accuracy, especially when the blocking rate is larger than 50%. When acoustic shielding is employed, the ability of rotating beamforming to compensate for Doppler effects weakens.