Predictive Model for Sensor Effects from Aberrating Vehicle Environments With Spectra (SEAViEWS)

The complex interplay between turbulent high-speed aerodynamics and thermo-chemical nonequilibrium in the hypersonic regime has a significant impact on optical sensors. This includes unsteady distortions like image blur from turbulence, steady distortions like image tilts from shock waves, and  signal-to-noise-ratio degradation from background radiation/emissions. Currently, no stand-alone tool exists that predicts both the highly complex thermo-chemical nonequilibrium processes and the high-speed aerodynamic aberrating mechanisms. To fill this gap, Spectral Sciences, Inc. (SSI) in conjunction with Professors Iain Boyd and Graham Candler propose an innovative simulation tool, SEAViEWS, which leverages high-fidelity models of hypersonic flow, radiative transport through non-equilibrium gases, and wavefront propagation. Our Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of the tool by focusing on EO/IR sensors viewing through hypersonic turbulent boundary layers. This will lay the foundation to scale-up SEAViEWS by ensuring the relevant turbulent scales are predicted, applicable real gas chemistry effects are accounted for, and appropriate wavefront propagation mechanisms are modeled. The final product will improve the sensor design process and aid in developing mitigation technologies for optical distortions. With expertise in hypersonic thermo-chemical nonequilibrium, turbulence, and high-fidelity modeling, our team is ideally suited to produce a successful SEAViEWS prototype and transition it to Navy applications.