Acoustic signal characteristics of underwater spark discharge with different electrode configurations

Abstract

Acoustic signals generated by underwater spark discharge (UWSD) can be used in a wide range of applications. The characteristics with different electrode configurations need further study for more practical application. The generation mechanism and the main characteristic indices of UWSD acoustic signals were analyzed. The acoustic signal time-frequency characteristics with different electrode gap distances and materials were calculated and compared. The results show that there is an electrode gap distance that maximizes the energy of the acoustic signal, and this gap distance is related to the impedance matching between the discharge channel and the external circuit. The proportion of low-frequency components in the acoustic signal decreases with the increase in the electrode gap distance.