Challenges in sound source localization on complex plate structures

Several techniques have been developed for acoustic source localization in plates. These techniques have been refined for various factors, including sensor clusters, anisotropic plates, complex plates, material properties and computational efficiency in recent years. However, the main limitation of these approaches is their reliance on a straight-line propagation assumption, which is often violated in either in anisotropic or complex plates. Although this limitation has been addressed in anisotropic plates through wavefront shape-based techniques, there remains room for improvement in complex plates. In this study, the straight line propagation assumption in complex plates is discussed. The presence of boundary complexities, such as holes, significantly affects wave propagation. To address these challenges, this study introduces a novel approach utilizing a Critical Width Ratio (CWR) to model wave propagation in plates with structural irregularities. This approach uniquely identifies distinct propagation characteristics as waves encounter boundary complexities, providing a significant improvement in localization accuracy for complex plate environments. An experimental study demonstrates how CWR influences wave characteristics, offering a new pathway for improving sound source localization accuracy.