Modeling underwater noise propagation from marine hydrokinetic power devices through a time-domain, velocity-pressure solution

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5039839· OSTI ID:1455220

Hafla, Erin ^[1]; Johnson, Erick ^[1]; Johnson, C. Nathan ^[2]; Preston, Leiph ^[3]; Aldridge, David ^[3]; Roberts, Jesse D. ^[3]

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1. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
2. DNV GL Energy and Sustainability, Seattle, WA (United States)
3. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) devices generate electricity from the motion of tidal and ocean currents, as well as ocean waves, to provide an additional source of renewable energy available to the United States. These devices are a source of anthropogenic noise in the marine ecosystem and must meet regulatory guidelines that mandate a maximum amount of noise that may be generated. In the absence of measured levels from in situ deployments, a model for predicting the propagation of sound from an array of MHK sources in a real environment is essential. A set of coupled, linearized velocity-pressure equations in the time-domain are derived and presented in this paper, which are an alternative solution to the Helmholtz and wave equation methods traditionally employed. Discretizing these equations on a three-dimensional (3D), finite-difference grid ultimately permits a finite number of complex sources and spatially varying sound speeds, bathymetry, and bed composition. The solution to this system of equations has been parallelized in an acoustic-wave propagation package developed at Sandia National Labs, called Paracousti. This work presents the broadband sound pressure levels from a single source in two-dimensional (2D) ideal and Pekeris wave-guides and in a 3D domain with a sloping boundary. Furthermore, the paper concludes with demonstration of Paracousti for an array of MHK sources in a simple wave-guide.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Water Technologies Office (EE-4W)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1455220
• Report Number(s): SAND-2018-6146J; 664142
• Journal Information: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 143, Issue 6; ISSN 0001-4966
• Publisher: Acoustical Society of America
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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