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Maritime Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) Environmental Sensing
Navy SBIR 2016.1 - Topic N161-054 ONR - Ms. Lore-Anne Ponirakis - [email protected] Opens: January 11, 2016 - Closes: February 17, 2016 N161-054 TITLE: Maritime Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) Environmental Sensing TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace, Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: EM Warfare Battlespace Management, Real Time Spectrum Operations, Future Me OBJECTIVE: To enable Navy ships to measure the full set of environmental variables at multiple heights remotely from a single fixed position on the exterior decks or mast; to include pressure, temperature, horizontal wind speed and direction, visibility, and absolute humidity at multiple levels without using in situ sensors or expendables. DESCRIPTION: The Surface Navy has interest in high fidelity prediction of electro-magnetic (EM) and electro-optical (EO) propagation from surface ships to support prediction of radar, electronic warfare, laser, and communications systems performance. Winds, density, visibility, icing, and turbulence measurements are also needed for marine aviation to 5,000 meters. Higher fidelity observation and prediction is desired for new platforms such as ship-launched remotely piloted aircraft. Currently, the fidelity of numerical prediction programs is limited in part by the fidelity of the locally observed environmental conditions used as input. This project desires to investigate technologies that would enable high fidelity measurement of environmental profiles in the vicinity of a surface ship at multiple levels from a fixed position on the superstructure. Current systems measure at a single point at their location or use expensive, bulky, and expendable in situ sensors like rawinsondes or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Current commercial off-the shelf (COTS) products that profile such as Light Detection and Ranging (lidars), radiometers, and acoustic sensors do not individually retrieve all needed values nor do they have sufficient spatial resolution or accuracy. Vertical range should be from the ocean surface below deck level to well above the top of the atmospheric boundary layer to at least 1,500 meters. Vertical resolution should be fine enough to detect gradients in refractivity relevant to anomalous radio and radar propagation, approximately 1-5% of the total boundary layer height per measurement level. The system should be designed such that it is affordable and maintainable in a maritime environment, fits within surface Navy power and size constraints, and to the extent possible is self-calibrating. Successful execution of this SBIR would support a proof-of-concept demonstration of an at-sea capability. Technologies of potential interest could include but are not limited to Doppler lidar and lidar spectroscopy, ceilometers, passive radiometry, acoustic sounders, and direct measurement of state variables in an integrated design to produce best possible absolute accuracy and precision. Bulk similarity approaches for more limited direct retrievals such as evaporative duct estimates from sea surface (skin or inlet) temperature, near surface air temperature, relative humidity or wet bulb temperature, mean sea level pressure, and cup-and-vane or sonic anemometer wind speed and direction could be considered only as part of a more general solution to the total vertical profile. Reductions in ship�s force manning require that the system is automated and requires minimal and straight forward maintenance and manual calibration to the maximum extent possible. In addition, rapid changes in ambient conditions due to natural changes or ship movement require a relatively rapid measuring capability of no more than 30 minute intervals. Accuracy roughly equivalent to a calibrated commercial rawinsonde, but without the use of expendable in-situ sensing approach is desired. Small UAVs are not considered a feasible approach for this particular topic due to the difficulty of certifying them for shipboard use and maintaining crew proficiency. PHASE I: Define, develop and determine feasibility for the Maritime EMW Environmental Sensing component modules in a realistic environment, a concept for the determination of 3-dimensional environmental state variables that can meet the vertical resolution, timeliness and accuracy requirements discussed in the Description. Required Phase I deliverables include a report which defines the concept and provides relevant details that shall include hardware designs, and relevant lab measurements validating the feasibility in terms of size, weight, power, and accuracy of the components for the prototype design. PHASE II: Refine, develop, demonstrate and validate the hardware and software designed in the Phase I effort into a prototype system. Deliverables from the Phase II effort shall include the Maritime EMW Environmental Sensing prototype hardware and software, and a report that documents the performance of the prototype. The small business will produce a prototype package that works in a shipboard maritime environment. Phase II will develop, demonstrate and validate the solution the prototype solution. Required Phase II deliverables will include: - Design architecture, algorithms and data analytics - Test plan - Software executables and source code - Demonstration of hardware solution effectiveness and relevance in a relevant environment - If SWAP-C goals are not met, a clear path to Size, Weight, Power, and Cost reductions for follow-on efforts - Phase II Final report PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Refine the prototype system into a product that can be used on a surface Navy combatant with appropriate user interfaces and documentation. The small business will assist in transitioning the Maritime EMW Environmental Sensing system to its shipboard platform for full operational testing and evaluation. At the end of the Phase III effort the system should be at a Technology Readiness Level of 7. When appropriate, focus on scaling up manufacturing capabilities and commercialization plans. Marine weather observing and forecasting, commercial shipping and navigation, environmental monitoring of remote and minimally attended locations. REFERENCES: 1. Comparison Of Evaporation Duct Height Measurement Methods and their Impact On Radar Propagation Estimates (http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA345694) 2. S. Chen, J. Cummings, J. Doyle, R.H. Hodur, T. Holt, C. Liou, M. Liu, A. Mirin, J. Ridout, J.M. Schmidt, G. Sugiyama, and W.T. Thompson, 2003, COAMPS™ Version 3 Model Description--General Theory and Equations, NRL Publication, May, 2003, 145. Available from the Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, CA, 93943-5502. Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. [NRL/PU/7500--03-448.] 3. T. Rogers, Q. Wang, and C. Yardim, "Discrimination Data Sources for Estimating Electromagnetic Propagation," National Radio Science Meeting, 2014. 4. T. Mikkelsen, 2014, Lidar-based Research and Innovation at DTU Wind Energy � a Review, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 524 012007 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/524/1/012007. 5. M. Froidevaux, et al., 2013, "A Raman lidar to measure water vapor in the atmospheric boundary layer," Advances in Water Resources 51 (2013) 345�356. KEYWORDS: Marine weather observing, maritime boundary layer meteorology, environmental remote sensing, refractivity, LIDAR, microwave radiometry, electromagnetic ducting TPOC-1: Daniel Eleuterio Email: [email protected] TPOC-2: Joel Feldmeier Email: [email protected] Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.
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