Irregular array optimization for beamforming with a polar coordinate-based partition coding approach

Abstract An innovative irregular array configuration optimization method for enhancing beamforming is introduced. This study presents partition coding to optimize sensor positioning and quantity of a non-uniform concentric circular array. This novel approach transcends traditional techniques by integrating structural partitioning and performance optimization to quantify the array’s geometry-performance correlation. Sensor candidate positions are mapped in polar coordinates, with each configuration translated into a sensor position matrix form. A significant innovation lies in the adaptation of the partition coding genetic algorithm to enhance the encoding of candidate positions and to refine crossover and mutation operations, underpinned by an elite retention strategy for selecting the optimal array configuration. Both simulation and experimental results substantiate the method’s effectiveness, achieving high-resolution acoustic mapping with commendably low computational complexity.