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Lab: NAVSEA Panama City
Category: Sensors
6703 West Highway 98
Panama City, FL, 32407-7001
Phone: 850-234-4161 ext.
Fax: 850-235-5374 |
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NSWC Panama City has a highly specialized staff working in all aspects of acoustic sensors including signal processing and signal design, modeling, sensor design and development, and experimental acoustics.
Signal Processing and Signal Design -
The signal processing group has developed expertise in statistical signal and array processing, time-frequency and time-scale analysis, annihilation filtering, target resonance extraction and identification, neural networks, adaptive filtering, and signal design. Past work has been in low probability of intercept, telecommunications, and large bandwidth-time transmissions for target detection in nongaussian noise and multipath environments, with special emphasis on cases where the signal and noise are correlated. Available software includes MA TLAB, MA THCAD, and PVWA VE, as well as the signal processing specific libraries ILS and MONARCH. The group has developed a multitude of application-driven signal processing software in addition to generic software.
Modeling - NSWC Panama City conducts fundamental research of propagation and scattering by objects in shallow water waveguides. This research is meant to investigate the use of spectral features unique to the object being searched, to enhance the classification capabilities of sonar systems under development. This requires modeling the elastic response of the object to the incident acoustic field in addition to its specular response. Particular attention is paid to modeling interactions with surface and bottom boundaries. NSWC Panama City created and is constantly updating its Shallow Water Acoustic Toolset (SWAT) which is comprised of models of acoustic propagation and scattering in the ocean. This toolset is used for predicting sonar performance against volume, proud, and buried objects in shallow water.
Sensor Design and Development - NSWC Panama City is recognized as a leader in synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) development. Early work in side scan sonar included the Shadowgraph, still the highest resolution system of its genre ever made, and NSWC Panama City pioneered work in acoustic lens technology. NSWC Panama City has extensive experience in designing synthetic aperture sonars, conventional side scan sonars, hand-held sonars, and special purpose transducer arrays, as well as experience in array design (geometry and elements and in using advanced materials for transducers (PVDF copolymers). NSWC Panama City is currently building the Navy's first true volume search (torodial) sonar for high area coverage rate applications. A contract is also in place to develop a low frequency SAS with the theoretical resolution of 7.5 by 7.5 cm and an ultra-high resolution short range SAS with a theoretical resolution of 2.5 by 2.5 cm for very shallow water use.
Experimental Acoustics - Our scientists and engineers have extensive experience in conducting both laboratory and at-sea measurements, and in analyzing and interpreting the acquired data. Several facilities are available for conducting controlled freshwater experiments: the Acoustic Test Pool (nonmagnetic), the Acoustic Test Facility, and the Physical Acoustics and Special Projects Laboratories. Experiments can be done on scale models to full-scale vehicles. Controlled sea measurements utilize a 6-foot high stationary sonar tower. It is deployable by divers in any water depth less than 20 feet, has vertical tilt and horizontal pan motors, and can accommodate several sonars or other pieces of equipment at one time. This tower has been used in the past to measure various acoustic parameters of targets, water, and sediments, and for assessing competing sonars. Our personnel can plan and carry out the entire test, from preliminary environmental impact statements and safety plans, to the scheduling of craft, divers, and riggers, in addition to complete post-test analyses.
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