New Algorithms to Improve Noise Source Location Using a Microphone Array

Several algorithms are presented to improve noise source location using a microphone array. The estimation of the source location is essentially a two step process: first, time delays of arrivals (TDOA’s) are calculated using the unwrapped phase (UP) method; then the TDOA estimates are used to determine the coordinates of the source. The first algorithm was developed to calculate TDOA’s automatically by removing the data points with low coherence from the unwrapped phase and by using a delay error rather than a mean square error to choose the best distance estimate. A simplex algorithm was then implemented to evaluate source coordinates from the TDOA’s. Finally, a pruning algorithm was devised to remove unreliable data from the source coordinate calculations. Experimental data is presented to illustrate the use and benefits of these algorithms.