Low-Frequency Acoustic Sources for Ocean Acoustic Propagation Experiments
Abstract
A swept-frequency acoustic source developed by Teledyne Webb Research (TWR) has become the workhorse in a series of ONR-funded experiments to study low-frequency, deep-water ocean acoustic propagation. A FY2017 DURIP proposal entitled ""Low-Frequency Acoustic Sources for Ocean Acoustic Propagation Experiments~ requested $467,400 to upgrade six existing TWRacoustic sources belonging to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). The FY2017 proposal was partially funded for $233,700 (50%). With this funding, TWR will be able to do the required research, development, and non-recurring engineering needed to upgrade the sources and to upgrade and test one source as a prototype. A second increment of $285,381 is requested in this proposal in order to complete the upgrade of the remaining five sources. The proposedincrement is greater than the funding awarded in FY 2017 mostly because it is somewhat inefficient to do the work in two stages, although a two-stage effort will actually maximize the probability of success of the source upgrade. As noted in the FY2017 proposal, the oldest sources owned by SIO are well over a decade old, and even the youngest is over six years old. The source electronics, including the power amplifier and transducer matching circuitry, are nowobsolete. It is no longer possible to maintain the existing electronics, as many of the critical components are not available. The upgrade will include replacing the electronics and, where necessary, the actuators that move the sleeves used to tune the resonator frequency, with modern versions. The upgrades will expand the capabilities of the sources and extend their lives for use in future ONR-funded experiments. The upgrades will provide the ability to program morecomplex frequency-modulated signals (e.g., up-down and/or non-linear FM sweeps) and to control the signal amplitude. The new electronics will also have the ability to transmit narrowband signals with arbitrary waveforms with the tunable resonator in a fixed position. We anticipate that data obtained in future ONR-funded ocean acoustic experiments using the upgraded TWR sources will contribute to the education and research of graduate students andpost-graduate researchers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 10, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812328
Entities
People
- Peter F. Worcester
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego