A new approach to calculate the field radiated from arbitrarily structured transducer arrays.

A efficient time-domain algorithm, based on the spatial pulse response approach, is proposed for the determination of the acoustic fields radiated by means of acoustical sources. The computations are performed by the discrete representation array modelling (DREAM) procedure, specially adapted to study the planar and arbitrarily structured multielement transducer arrays. DREAM, based on the discrete representation computational concept, acts as the generator of the array velocity potential impulse response, and thus, does not require any analytical solutions prior to the computations. The computations are valid for all field regions and may be performed for any excitation form. Apart from the classic case of rigid baffle conditions, the free and soft planar baffle also can be considered. The use of the time-domain solution for causal Green's function for lossy media enables the wideband absorption effects to be modeled. The accuracy of computations depends on temporal and spatial discretization and can be obtained as required. The quantitative rules, which determine the required discretizations to be predicted, are proposed. The computational examples show that DREAM allows the different and various transducers to be modeled. Its possibilities are illustrated by computations for the multielement transducers, including the beam-steered, amplitude-weighted sonar array, the focusing annular transducer, and the diverging and converging cylindrical array.