TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: POM-13 FNC Proposal to support IWS 5A APB/PMS 401 A-RCI

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted." The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a coherent acoustic projector that will provide 50-75 Hz of BW on a 150 Hz carrier at a depth of 1000 m.

DESCRIPTION: Continuous communication is possible only when submarines deploy a receiving antenna while operating at or near the surface. This imposes a restriction upon the submarine's operating depth and its speed, as well as increasing its exposure to detection. Low Frequency Long Range Acoustic Communications has the potential to meet some of the needs in this long standing capability gap.

Research into acoustic communications over a variety of frequencies has been on-going for many years. The size and power requirements for projectors tends to scale with the wavelength, so frequencies in the 10s of kHz with cm scale wavelengths are popular with researchers, useful in controlling underwater vehicles at km ranges, and supported by relatively mature commercial technology. Operating at lower frequencies offers more range at the expense of bandwidth, and has been explored to some degree, but research in the 100 to 200 Hz range has been hampered by the lack of a suitable projector.

PHASE I: Identify and design a concept for a coherent acoustic projector that will provide 50-75 Hz of BW on a 150 Hz carrier at a depth of 1000 m, and estimate the cost of the continued technical development and production of the projector.

PHASE II: Produce prototype hardware based on the Phase I work, as guided by requirements of a Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) development program.

PHASE III: Three to four projectors would be required to support an FNC development program in Long Range Acoustic Communications. A transition of the FNC program to the fleet would bring additional demands.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Studies of the ocean, including climate studies using acoustic thermometry could leverage a new source in the 100 to 200 Hz range. Acoustic thermometry data can also be used to study seasonal and interannual temperature variability associated with a variety of oceanographic phenomena, such as El Niño/La Niña. Such a source would also be used in direct studies of acoustic propagation in littoral and deep water.

REFERENCES:
1. Van Uffelen et al.: Upper ocean effects on deep shadow-zone arrivals, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Vol. 127, No. 4, April 2010

2. Morozov and Webb: A Sound Projector For Acoustic Tomography And Global Ocean Monitoring, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Vol. 28, No. 2, April 2003

3. Kilfoyle And Baggeroer: The State Of The Art In Underwater Acoustic Telemetry; IEEE Journal Of Oceanic Engineering, Vol. 25, No. 1, January 2000

4. P. F. Worcester, R. C. Spindel, and B. W. Howe, "Reciprocal acoustic transmissions: Instrumentation for mesoscale monitoring of ocean currents," IEEE J. Oceanic Eng., vol. OE-10, pp. 123�137, Apr. 1985.

KEYWORDS: Acoustic; communications; projector; telemetry; transducer; modem

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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