Novel solutions for emulating ship signatures - CDE themed call launch 23 July 2013

Novel Solutions for Emulating Ship Signatures

Centre for Defence Enterprise

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The aim of CDE

© Crown Copyright MOD 2011

Prove the value of novel, high-risk, high-potential-benefit research

Two routes to funding

Themed calls

Defence Open Call

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UNCLASSIFIED / For Public Release

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This call closes:

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31 July 2013 14:00-17:00

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Events and Calls > Current calls for proposals > Novel Solutions for Emulating Ship Signatures

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Further information

UNCLASSIFIED – FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

Novel Solutions for Emulating Ship

Signatures

CDE themed call Dstl reference: DSTL/PUB74519 v1

Technical queries should be sent to [email protected]

© Crown copyright 2013 Dstl

24 July 2013

mailto:[email protected]�


Content

• Background • Requirement • CDE themed call • Technology challenge • Questions


24 July 2013


Background


24 July 2013


Background – Sea Mines

• Sea mines are designed to be activated by one or a combination of, acoustic, magnetic, electric and pressure signature(s) generated by a ship moving in the vicinity of the mine


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Mine

Mine Detonated

Ship Damaged

Ship


Background - Sweeping • Mine sweeping systems are used to create a clear passage for ships to

transit safely through a mined water space • Traditional mine sweeps work by using multiple towed sources to output

large magnetic and acoustic influences to detonate mines • Technologies to accurately emulate ship signatures are less mature


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Mine

Towing Platform

Mine Detonated

Tow Vessel Safe

ource


MOD Requirement


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Requirement

The Future Challenge • As mine technology matures it is likely that mines will become

more capable in selecting individual ships for targeting and rejecting the influences generated by present sweeping systems


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Reject - Present sweeping systems

Mine detonate Source Source Source

Reject Future mine technology

"© Crown copyright 2013" "© Crown copyright 2013"


Requirement

Required Solution • Therefore the UK requires a capability that can accurately emulate the

signature of a full range of different naval platforms, without identifying that the signatures are generated by a sweeping system


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Source Source Source

Mine detonate - Novel CDE sweep concepts Reject

Mine detonate Reject Future mine technology

"© Crown copyright 2013" "© Crown copyright 2013"


CDE Themed Call


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CDE Themed Call

CDE themed call for research proposals : • We are seeking new, compact and lightweight solutions that

can more accurately emulate ship signatures • Ship signatures to be emulated include:

– Magnetic, acoustic, electric and pressure

• Proposals should address at least one type of signature emulation. They could address more than one type, but do not have to address all signature emulations – To assist with the assessment and award of proposals, if you plan to submit

multiple solutions that address more than one type of signature influence, it would be preferred if separate proposals were submitted for each influence


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CDE Themed Call

• The proposed solutions should lead to a design for the next generation of mine sweeping source technology that can be towed by, or integrated within, a small or medium sized Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) or a number of such vessels


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USV (Towing) Platform

Source Source Source Source


Technology Challenges • When thinking about solutions for each signature generation it is

important that solutions should aim to accurately emulate ship signatures and not generate any other unwanted signatures in the water

• Unwanted signatures could impact on the emulation accuracy of other sweep influence signatures or could indicate to the mine that the signature is being generated by a sweeping system – For example, generating unwanted electric signatures when emulating

magnetic signatures and vice-versa.


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Required Magnetic Signature Very Large Unwanted Electric Signature


What We Want

• Proposals that will demonstrate or de-risk the exploitation of existing and/or emerging technology to provide novel solutions for accurately emulating ship signatures – Low TRL proof-of-concept demonstrations – Innovative design solutions to enable proof-of-concept demonstrations if

they de-risk technology challenges • Design proposals will be required to generate supporting evidence of

being capable of successfully generating representative ship signatures

• This call is not limited to new technology and can consider how existing technologies in other areas could be applied to provide an advanced mine sweeping system


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What We Want

• Proposals which offer a concrete demonstration of progress in maturing technology are more likely to be successful than those offering, for example, solely paper-based studies – Demonstrations could be land-based or laboratory measurements rather

than going to the expense and complication of a sea trial


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A full detailed breakdown of what we want from proposals is available in the full call document

http://www.science.mod.uk/getfileui.aspx?779�


What We Don’t Want

• Ordinary solutions, or technology that is known to have already been considered and found to have limited capability

• Solutions that offer marginal improvements in capability • Technology watch/horizon scanning • Roadmaps and technology predictions


24 July 2013

A full detailed breakdown of what we don’t want from proposals is available in the full call document

http://www.science.mod.uk/getfileui.aspx?779�


Exploitation

• It is planned for all CDE-funded projects from this themed call to be completed by March 2014 so that they can be reviewed and projects may be selected for phase 2 funding – Successful outputs of CDE funded projects from this themed call may be

taken forward under the Maritime and Strategic Systems research programme

• Successful work may be matured further within the science and technology programme before potentially being exploited via the Mine Countermeasure, Hydrographic and Patrol Capability (MHPC) procurement programme


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http://www.dstl.gov.uk/maritimeandstrategicsystems�


Magnetic Signature Emulation


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Accurate emulation of ship magnetic signatures (priority 1) • Ship magnetic signatures are made up of two components: the

static magnetic and alternating magnetic signatures, which can both be used by sea mines to determine whether to detonate the mine

• Mine magnetic sensors measure magnetic signature levels as the ship approaches the vicinity of the mine


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• The magnetic signatures of a ship are conventionally split into 3-axes (longitudinal, athwartship and vertical), with each component varying in shape and magnitude

• Military ships are typically fitted with degaussing coils to reduce their magnetic signature levels. However, when the degaussing coils are switched on this can add extra turning points in the signature, particularly in shallow water


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24 July 2013

Ship static magnetic signature with degaussing

• Reduced amplitude • Extra turning points

Example Static Magnetic Signatures Ship static magnetic signature without

degaussing • Large amplitude • Low number of turning points

- Longitudinal - Athwartship - Vertical

L

V A "© Crown copyright 2013"




24 July 2013

Key challenges to address for static magnetic signatures: • Accurately generate 3-axis static magnetic signatures • Highly configurable to emulate complex ship signature shapes

• Solutions can include towing multiple sources to achieve multiple turning points

• Generate peak magnetic signature levels up to 20,000 nT on each individual axis at a distance of 20 m • Signatures should decay with distance in the same way that a ship’s

signature would

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Key challenges to address for alternating magnetic signatures: • Accurately generate 3-axis alternating magnetic signatures • Highly programmable to emulate complex ship signatures

• The user should be able to define multiple frequencies to be generated • Aspiration is to create alternating magnetic signatures up to 3 kHz • Each frequency component to have varying amplitude up to 500 nT on each

individual axis at a distance of 20 m • Signatures should decay with distance in the same way that a ship’s

signature would

24 July 2013



Additional potential benefit, though not primary aim of CDE call: • The capability to generate larger amplitude magnetic signatures and

signatures at greater frequencies – Though this should not be at the compromise of degrading the accuracy of

signature emulation or significantly compromising the size and weight of the solution

• For towed solutions it would also be beneficial for a system to be capable of reducing the magnetic signature level close to the towing vessel when outputting large signatures to reduce vulnerability of the towing platform


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Acoustic Signature Emulation


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Accurate emulation of ship acoustic signatures (priority 1) • The main sources of ship’s acoustic signatures are:

– Machinery noise – Propeller noise – Hydrodynamic noise

• Mine acoustic sensors measure acoustic signature levels over a range of frequencies as the ship approaches the vicinity of the mine


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Example Acoustic Signature Ship acoustic signatures are

made up of: • A broadband signature

across all frequencies • And multiple narrowband

tonals • With varying acoustic power

levels across frequencies


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Acoustic Signature Emulation Key challenges to address for acoustic signatures: • Accurately generate the required acoustic power levels across

frequencies from 5 Hz up to 60 kHz to emulate ship signatures • Outputting the required acoustic power at the lower frequencies is

particularly challenging for a compact and lightweight solution

• Capability to continuously and simultaneously generate a broadband signature shape and multiple narrowband tonals


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Acoustic Signature Emulation Key challenges to address for acoustic signatures: • Programmable to accurately emulate a variety of signature shapes

• Flat broadband acoustic source levels aspirationally up to 200 dB re 1µPa @ 1m/√Hz up to 500 Hz, then rolling off at -6 dB per octave and capable of generating any shape below these levels

• Multiple narrowband tonals with acoustic source levels aspirationally up to 200 dB re 1µPa @ 1m across the frequency range


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• It is acceptable for solutions to generate the acoustic signatures using multiple sources

• If these sources can also be separate to represent the distribution along the length of the ship then this would be beneficial but not essential


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Multiple distributed acoustic sources

© Crown copyright 2013



Additional potential benefit, though not primary aim of CDE call: • The capability to generate larger acoustic signatures and signatures

across a wider range of frequencies would add further benefit – Though this should not be at the compromise of degrading the accuracy of

signature emulation or significantly compromising the size and weight of the solution


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• It is recognised that it is very challenging for a compact solution to generate large power acoustic signatures at the lower frequencies

• We are also interested in novel solutions that cannot meet the full range of aspirational power levels at the lower frequencies, but offer significant improvements in current acoustic sweeping capability


24 July 2013


Electric Signature Emulation


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Accurate emulation of ship electric signatures (priority 2) • Ship electric signatures are made up of two components: the

static electric and alternating electric signatures, which can both be used by sea mines to determine whether to detonate the mine

• Mine electric sensors measure electric signature levels as the ship approaches the vicinity of the mine


24 July 2013




24 July 2013

Key challenges to address for static electric signatures: • Accurately generate 3-axis static electric signatures • Highly configurable to emulate complex ship signature shapes

• Solutions can include towing multiple sources to achieve multiple turning points

• Generate peak electric signature levels up to 10,000 µV/m on each individual axis at a distance of 20 m • Signatures should decay with distance in the same way that a ship’s

signature would

24 July 2013




24 July 2013

Key challenges to address for alternating electric signatures: • Accurately generate 3-axis alternating electric signatures • Highly programmable to emulate complex ship signatures

• The user should be able to define multiple frequencies to be generated • Aspiration is to create alternating electric signatures up to 3 kHz • Each frequency of varying amplitude up to 500 µV/m on each individual axis

at a distance of 20 m • Signatures should decay with distance in the same way that a ship’s

signature would

24 July 2013



Additional potential benefit, though not primary aim of CDE call: • The capability to generate larger amplitude electric signatures and

signatures at greater frequencies would add further benefit – Though this should not be at the compromise of degrading the accuracy of

signature emulation or significantly compromise the size and weight of the solution


24 July 2013


Pressure Signature Emulation


24 July 2013



Accurate emulation of ship pressure signatures (priority 2) • The pressure signature of a ship has peaks at the bow and stern of the

ship and a pressure decrease (suction) in the central area • Mine pressure sensors measure pressure signature levels as the ship

approaches the vicinity of the mine


24 July 2013

Peak at bow Peak at stern

Suction

© Crown copyright 2013



Key challenges to address for pressure signatures: • Configurable to accurately generate time-varying pressure levels that

accurately emulate specific ship pressure signatures • Aspiration for solutions to be capable of outputting pressure suction

amplitudes from 50 Pa up to 10,000 Pa (reduction of 5 mm to 1020mm in water head) at 20m depth

• Aspiration to emulate ship pressure wave-periods from 5 seconds to 500 seconds


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Wave-period



• It is recognised that pressure signature generation is very challenging • We are also interested in novel solutions that cannot meet the full range

of aspirational amplitudes and wave-periods specified, but offer significant improvements in current pressure sweeping capability


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Summary


24 July 2013


Summary

• We are seeking new, compact and lightweight solutions that can more accurately emulate ship signatures and not generate any other unwanted signatures in the water

• Ship signatures to be emulated include: – Magnetic, acoustic, electric and pressure

• Solutions should lead to a design for the next generation of mine sweeping source technology that can be towed by or integrated within a small or medium sized USV


24 July 2013


Summary

• Key call dates:


24 July 2013

23 July 2013 - Call launch webinar

12 September 2013 - Call closes at 1700 hours

24 October 2013 - Contract placement initiated and feedback provided

24 March 2014 - Proof-of-concept research complete

• Call links

• One-to-one teleconference opportunity on 31 July 2013

CDE Event: http://www.science.mod.uk/events/event_detail.aspx?eventid=269

CDE Call Doc: http://www.science.mod.uk/getfile.aspx?779

Technical Questions: [email protected]

CDE Questions: [email protected]

http://www.science.mod.uk/events/event_detail.aspx?eventid=269�

http://www.science.mod.uk/getfile.aspx?779�




24 July 2013