SBIR-STTR Award

Research Proposed: Research is proposed to develop a novel environmental sensor for towed arrays for US Navy submarines and surface ships. The system will be self-contained and require identifying new techniques for sensors, power management, and data decimation to meet size, weight, and power restrictions. This novel combination of technologies will provide a reliable source of data for maintenance and future procurement requirements. Problem Statement: A critical tool in the US Naval fleet, submarines rely on their ability to listen for potential targets. Failures in a towed array can result in impaired data collection or mission failure. More data from the undersea environment is needed to be able to implement an effective condition-based maintenance solution, system upgrades, and develop future requirements. Plan/Process Outline: A Versatile Integrated Sensor for Towed Arrays (VISTA) module with a field-serviceable, self-contained recording system will be designed for year-long data collection requirements on a thin-line array. Modeling, simulation, and analysis will be used to establish the feasibility of using low-power sensors and high power density batteries to collect and offload the data at the end of a year. This system will include multiple modules for power, power management, sensors, processing, and data storage.

Benefit:
Successful completion of this project will provide a novel method of measuring the environmental conditions that a thin-line towed array is subjected to during deployment. A recording system will be engineered to fit within a thin-line towed array and provide power for over a year of operational data recording. Serviceable at an intermediate maintenance facility, the components will be swappable for quick transition and removal of data. This system will be extensible to fat-line arrays as well. The data gathered by this system will be able to provide information for future requirements and condition-based maintenance efforts.

Keywords:
Condition-based maintenance, Condition-based maintenance, environmental sensor, Towed Array, Low Power Electronics, Submarine, data recorder, data compression, self-contained

Research Proposed: Research is proposed to develop a prototype environmental sensor for towed arrays for US Navy submarines and surface ships. The system will be self-contained and require identifying new techniques for sensors, power management, and data decimation to meet size, weight, and power restrictions. This novel combination of technologies will provide a reliable source of data for maintenance and future procurement requirements. Problem Statement: A critical tool in the US Naval fleet, submarines rely on their ability to listen for potential targets. Failures in a towed array can result in impaired data collection or mission failure. More data from the undersea environment is needed to be able to implement an effective condition-based maintenance solution, system upgrades, and develop future requirements. Plan/Process Outline: A prototype Versatile Integrated Sensor for Towed Arrays (VISTA) module with a field-serviceable, self-contained recording system will be delivered for year-long data collection requirements on a thin-line array. This system will include multiple modules for power, power management, sensors, processing, and data storage. System Requirements Analysis, a hardware-in-the-loop demonstration, and sequential build up will reduce the risk and provide stake holder visibility to the current capabilities.

Benefit:
Successful completion of this project will provide a prototype method of measuring the environmental conditions that a thin-line towed array is subjected to during deployment. A recording system will be engineered to fit within a thin-line towed array and provide power for over a year of operational data recording. Serviceable at an intermediate maintenance facility, the components will be swappable for quick transition and removal of data. This system will be extensible to fat-line arrays as well. The data gathered by this system will be able to provide information for future requirements and condition-based maintenance efforts.

Keywords:
data recorder, Low Power Electronics, Condition-based maintenance, Submarine, environmental sensor, Towed Array, self-contained, data compression