Vector Sensor Array for Torpedo Defense

For successful surveillance applications, targets must be detected, classified and accurately localized. Unambiguous localization is important for successful situational awareness and critical for ship protection. The Navy has a requirement for a single reelable line array of directional sensors to provide unambiguous bearings. In our Phase I effort, we developed a basic vector sensor design, predicted the sensor performance and estimated the costs associated with the design. Under our Phase II, the technology developed under Phase I will be applied to an Augmented Reliable Acoustic Path (ARAP) sensor. The ARAP acoustic sensor array is part of a deep ocean acoustic surveillance system. Under the Phase II effort, the sensor design and electronic design from Phase I will be extended to the ARAP sensor. This includes development of a prototype microchip laser sensor to assess the viability of this sensor as a foundation for vector sensors designed to instantaneously measure pressure gradients. These physically small sensors will require miniaturized electronics to digitize and telemeter the acoustic measurements. This effort is comprised of tasks to be executed by 3 Phoenix and Professor David Trivett's group at Georgia Institute of Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering (GTME).