Development of an OpenFOAM Solver for Hydroacoustic Simulations: An Application for Acoustic Fish Deterrence

The objective of this project is to develop a general-purpose solver for the acoustics analysis in a narrow channel of shallow water. The motivation is to understand a novel acoustic system designed to deter invasive fish species in rivers. Complexity arises from the channel's geometry which induces complex patterns of reflections.

The solver is developed using the OpenFOAM framework. This initial study deals only with acoustics transmission from the source, so no flow noise sources are included. The simulations consider the acoustic transmission from monochromatic sound waves. The superposition principle is used to investigate the effect of complex sound sources on the channel. As the acoustic solutions for various frequencies operate on different time scales, algorithms for temporal interpolation are investigated in order to apply superposition. This presentation will review the simulation results, discuss error minimization strategies, and evaluate sound pressure levels within the lock.