Improved cable dynamics modeling for computer aided design of towed array sonar

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Towed array sonar systems (towed arrays) consist of sensitive low-frequency hydrophones mounted on long submarine cables that are towed behind surface vessels. Towed arrays either listen for faint sounds beneath the sea surface, or emit sound and listen for reflected signals. In either mode, accurate measures of the signal time of arrival at the acoustic transducers allows the operator to triangulate the location of the signal origin. However, knowledge of the towed array dynamics must be applied when processing the acoustic signals and this knowledge is not trivial to acquire or predict; the length of the system, the complex hydrodynamic forces that deform the system and the large transient internal system motions all complicate operation of a towed array. To drive computer-aided design (CAD) of towed arrays, advanced computer models of the towed array dynamics are needed that can predict, or simulate, the movements of the towed array for various array constructions and across the full range of projected operating conditions. Such models allow ocean engineers to investigate how the array structural mechanics impact the acoustic signal processing, and how the surface vessel can be used to actively position the sensor array. In this project an advanced capacity for CAD of towed arrays will be developed which will significantly reduce the execution time. While existing software can already be directly applied to simulation of a towed array system, the simulation execution speed needs to be significantly accelerated so that the computational tool executes as fast as engineers can interpret the output. If this acceleration can be achieved the advanced capacity for CAD of towed arrays could be marketed to towed array technology developers.