Controllable acoustic deterrent based on the warning signals generated by nonel detonators

Abstract

Acoustic deterrents are a practical strategy to mitigate the impact of underwater noise on marine mammals. However, their safety and effectiveness are still debatable. This study proposes a controllable acoustic deterrence method to protect marine mammals threatened by underwater blasting noise. The method creates strong-randomness warning signals using nonel detonators and establishes an escape time for animals protected. Combining the BELLHOP ray-based acoustic model with the marine environmental parameters and animals' auditory characteristics, we built a prediction model to establish a link between the acoustic fields and the adjustable source parameters, and provide a Risk zone and Deterrent zone for animals. The simulation and experimental results demonstrated that the root mean squared error between the simulated and measured sound pressure spectral density levels did not exceed 4.5 dB and the coefficient of determination remained at approximately 0.8, indicating that the new deterrent is an effective method with good controllable performances.