Multi-Layer Interlocked Pultruded Composite Armor for AAAV

A small autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), with appropriate chemical, acoustic and optical sensor systems, would be a useful tool for remote, automated tracking and mapping of underwater plumes of leaking organic chemical explosives and locating theirsource. Presently it is not possible to survey and track such underwater plumes because available AUV-deployable chemical analyzers do not have the required lower limits of detection and fast response times. The primary goal of this Phase I project is todemonstrate the feasibility of developing an autonomous Submersible Solvent Extraction Module (SubSEM) that utilizes integrated microfluidic circuits to continuously sample and preconcentrate (100X - 1000X) explosive organic chemicals (i.e. TNT, DNT) thatmay be present at ultra-trace concentration levels in marine waters. The design of the miniature sized SubSEM will enable coupling to comparatively sized submersible chemical detection systems. The resulting compact submersible chemical analyzer will bereadily integrated into small AUVs. The envisioned submersible chemical analyzer would also have the analytical selectivity, sensitivity (sub part-per-trillion) and fast response times (seconds) that are required for underway tracking of plumes of chemicalexplosives and the detection and identification of unexploded ordnance in the marine environment.AUVs with integrated high-resolution chemical and physical sensor systems are clearly needed for rapid detection, classification and localization of mine-like objects and unexploded ordnance in shallow water operating environments. Similarly designed AUVscould also have substantial private-sector applications in marine waters including, environmental investigations of the hydrodynamics of riverine and sewage inputs, hypoxia, harmful algal blooms and chemical pollution events, and commercial aviation searchand find missions. There are also numerous private sector applications for submersible chemical analyzers with the lower detection limits afforded by the envisioned SubSEM preconcentration module. Examples include environmental monitoring of industrial andmunicipal waste streams for compliance and in-line quality assurance monitoring in chemical and pharmaceutical processing plants.