Determination of Underwater Plate Dynamics Using Laser Beams

Underwater plate vibration and its associated noise are of interest for the analysis of ship structures, propeller blades, and other areas of underwater acoustics. In order to analyze the relationship between a plate vibrating underwater and the acoustic pressure in the near-field, optical interferometric holography, using a blue-green laser beam, was used to determine surface displacement for the vibrating plate, which was excited through a fluid-coupled system. Acoustic measurements of the same source were made in a water tower concurrently with the holography and later at a precision acoustic testing facility. This method permits prediction of underwater plate modal frequencies and shapes with high accuracy.