Novel Computational Framework for Optimization of Obscurant Dissemination and Optical Performance

Obscurant devices allow warfighters to quickly deploy short-duration aerosol clouds that can break line-of-sight contact with threat forces or prevent detection by adversary sensors. They are critical for operational concealment, enhancing both the safety and performance of U.S. and allied forces. Very recently DARPA started multiple teams on the development of next-generation obscurant systems that would provide warfighters with an advantage using passive and active asymmetry with tailorable obscurants deployed in relevant environments. In this effort, CFD Research will develop and execute a novel computational framework to optimize and evaluate both passive and active coded-visibility obscurant dissemination and optical performance. CFD Research will utilize existing expertise and technologies in two-phase gas-granular flows, sensor, and radiative transfer analysis to provide a novel, coupled analysis framework. Furthermore, the entire analysis process will be integrated into an uncertainty quantification framework to enable full-scale trade studies. Ultimately, the developed computational framework will enable DARPA to effectively evaluate Coded-Visibility offerorsÆ obscurants and provide necessary feedback such that tailorable, visible-LWIR obscurants that will give both passive and active asymmetric advantage to the warfighter will be developed successfully