N142-120 TITLE: High Fidelity Prediction of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Air and Missile Defense Radar Program, ACAT 1, NAVSEA IWS 2.0

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this effort is to define and develop a concept by which high fidelity knowledge of the shipboard electromagnetic wave propagation environment can be predicted. Anomalous propagation that varies both spatially and temporally is common due to the trapping of energy caused by refractive gradients in the lower atmosphere causing an effect known as ducting. Microwave systems often have no direct knowledge of the current propagation conditions with which to optimize their performance.

DESCRIPTION: The Surface Navy has interest in high fidelity prediction of electromagnetic wave propagation from surface ships to support prediction of radar, electronic warfare, and communications system operation. Currently, the fidelity of programs such as the Advanced Refractive Effects Prediction System is limited by the fidelity of the refractive profile information fed to it. This project desires to investigate technologies that would enable high fidelity measurement or prediction of refractive profiles in the vicinity of a surface ship. Measurements out to a range of a minimum of 32 nautical miles, 360 degrees in azimuth, from an elevation starting at the horizon extending to 5 degrees, with 1 nautical mile range resolution, 1 degree azimuth resolution, and 15 feet altitude resolution are required with accuracies sufficient to enable construction of high fidelity refractive profiles. Technologies of potential interest include:

1. High fidelity numerical weather prediction techniques that would allow near real-time forecasting of refractive environments. Of primary interest are advanced computing technologies that would allow current numerical weather forecasting models, which are very computationally intensive, to be run in much smaller computing footprints that are much less expensive to procure and maintain. For example, the application of current high performance Graphics Processor Units such as those available from NVIDIA and AMD to accelerate numerical weather prediction is of potential interest. Any computational system proposed must be air cooled and designed to fit in a space not to exceed a standard full height 19 inch rack footprint.

2. Also of interest are systems that allow for prediction of the environment based on the path loss measurement of microwave signals emanating from shore based commercial infrastructure for use in propagation modeling or in validation of existing models (specific near term interest is in predicting operation of S-band radar systems, and so wireless signals close to that frequency band are preferred).

PHASE I: Define, develop and if possible validate a concept for the prediction of high fidelity electromagnetic wave propagation that can meet the resolution requirements previously listed.
Required Phase I deliverables include a report which defines the concept and provides relevant details that shall include benchmark code and results, hardware designs, and relevant measurements validating the feasibility of the final design.

PHASE II: Refine, develop, demonstrate and validate the hardware and software designs produced in the Phase I effort into a prototype system. Deliverables from the Phase II effort shall include the prototype hardware and software, and a report that documents the performance of the prototype.

PHASE III: Refine the prototype system into a product that can be used on a surface Navy combatant, with appropriate user interfaces, and documentation. At the end of the Phase III effort the system should be at a Technology Readiness Level of 7.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Marine weather forecasting, commercial shipping and navigation, severe weather forecasting

REFERENCES:
1. S. Chen, J. Cummings, J. Doyle, R.H. Hodur, T. Holt, C. Liou, M. Liu, A. Mirin, J. Ridout, J.M. Schmidt, G. Sugiyama, and W.T. Thompson, 2003, COAMPS™ Version 3 Model Description--General Theory and Equations, NRL Publication, May, 2003, 145. Available from the Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, CA, 93943-5502. Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. [NRL/PU/7500--03-448.]

2. Michalakes, J. and M. Vachharajani: GPU Acceleration of Numerical Weather Prediction. Parallel Processing Letters, Vol. 18, No. 4, World Scientific. Dec. 2008. pp. 531-548, http://wwww.worldscinet.com/ppl.

3. O. Fuhrer, T. Gysi, X. Lapillonne, V. Osuna, T. Dimanti, T. Schultess, et al., "Adapting Numerical Weather Prediction codes to heterogeneous architectures: porting the COSMO model to GPUs," ECMWF 15th Workshop on the Use of High Performance Computing in Meteorology, 2012.

4. J. D. Doyle, F. Giraldo, S. Gabersek, "A Multiscale Non-hydrostatic Atmospheric Model for Regional and Global Applications," ECMWF 15th Workshop on the Use of High Performance Computing in Meteorology, 2012.

5. T. Rogers, Q. Wang, and C. Yardim, "Discrimination Data Sources for Estimating Electromagnetic Propagation," National Radio Science Meeting, 2014.

KEYWORDS: Numerical weather prediction, radio frequency propagation, environmental sensing, high performance computing

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