Compact, Isolating Elastomeric Suspension for Vehicle Acoustic Vector Sensor

Engineering challenges for mounting acoustic vector sensors in UUVs include mitigating effects of vehicle accelerations within the medium, isolating from own-ship vibration and noise, and coupling to the medium while protecting sensors from hydrodynamic drag. KaZaK proposes a classic passive isolating mount embodied in advanced engineered elastomers. The concept consists of shear-mode spring/dampers utilizing advanced materials, arranged in a compact, orthogonal series for low broadband transmissibility, attached to a seawater impedance matching surround for the sensor proper. In Phase I we demonstrated basic feasibility by means of benchtop experiments showing high damping in candidate materials. We now propose a Phase II effort which will continue and extend the work of Phase I with emphasis in four major areas: 1) comprehensive materials optimization, covering base polymers and variations such as fillers and multilayer structures, examined over a range of temperatures, exposure conditions and frequencies; 2) mount design and performance analysis; 3) construction of a laboratory prototype for tank acoustic testing; and 4) installation and testing in a full-scale platform. KaZaK is teamed with Rethink Inc. and Boston University, and is joined by Lockheed Martin Sippican, manufacturers of the Mk30 ASW target, as consultant.