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Research Capabilities

NIUVT leverages extensive laboratory, faculty and education infrastructure at UConn and URI to offer outstanding research capabilities for Navy-relevant research. NIUVT has identified 12 technical areas directly related to undersea vehicle technologies of strategic importance to the Navy. The partners have a rich history of research and collaboration with the Navy in these areas, and NIUVT has the expertise and laboratory facilities to support technology advancements for transition to the next generation US undersea fleet, as described below.

  • Capabilities in underwater acoustics, acoustic signal processing, acoustic navigation underwater and under-ice, acoustic sensing on underwater vehicles, low frequency acoustic propagation, shallow water acoustics, deep water acoustics, seabed acoustics, underwater acoustic transducer design and calibration, array signal processing, marine bioacoustics, effects of noise on the ocean environment, structural acoustics, and vibration. Services include transducer calibration and design, at sea testing of underwater acoustic instrumentation, training, and workshops.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Jim Miller, URI

    Facilities:

    The underwater acoustic test facility at URI provides capabilities for calibration of transducers and hydrophones, an underwater acoustic tank with rotating towers, and various acoustic transducers, sensors and arrays.

    The Coastal Ocean Laboratory for Optics and Remote Sensing (COLORS) at UConn specializes in hyperspectral imaging specroscopy of phytoplankton, corals, seagrass, sediments, and whitecaps and bubbles in aquatic ecosystems.

    The Long Island Sound Integrated Coastal Observing System (LISICOS) is a component of NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and operates moored buoys that support a variety of water quality and meteorological instruments, and HF RADAR surface current mapping systems.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Topics to be addressed include: added (built-in) functionality to structural materials, synthesis of functional surfaces, synthesis and process design of functional coatings, computationally-guided accelerated materials, and materials processing development. Capabilities include: novel materials development, including fabrication of multifunctional (graphene and CNT reinforced), graded, or tailored composites; development of polyuria coated structures for energy absorption in underwater applications; development of smart coatings and multi-layer composite heterostructures; metallurgy; and high-level monitoring of variations in stress, strain, and deformation every few micro seconds.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Rainer Hebert, UConn

    Facilities:

    The equipment, instrumentation, and expertise at UConn on materials research are unique to the R&D landscape in the United States. UConn IMS and the $200 M Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park offer excellent synthesis capabilities for a wide variety of materials, from nanoscale to bulk; metallurgical processing; state-of-the-art materials characterization (FEI+Zeiss Centers of Excellence with 12 brand new electron microscopes), and high performance computation facilities for conducting multi-scale quantitative modeling of physical, chemical, and thermal properties. At URI, the facilities include a 7 ft. diameter high pressure vessel with in-situ capabilities for high speed 3D photography via 8 optical windows; a 24 ft. meter long shock tube that can produce shocks of 3200 psi strengths, a confined implosion tube, which allows for inclusion of 4 gm of PETN explosive; environmental degradation chambers to simulate extreme weather conditions; a split Hopkinson’s pressure bar for high strain rate characterization; a Dynatup drop weight tower; a vertically mounted .30-06 rifle and a ballistics firing range; materials testing systems; a gas gun with loading rates ranging from 10,000/s to 1million/s and associated projectile speeds from 50 to 1000 m/s. Accessories include stress gages for direct monitoring of compressive stress waves through the impacted material. Facilities also contain a vacuum deposition chamber, lapping, and polishing equipment.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Includes capabilities in sustainable manufacturing and sustainable product design, highly automated manufacturing systems, lean manufacturing, distributed manufacturing and rapid prototyping, quality assurance, computer aided design, robotics and automation, composite materials, and nanomaterials. Services include lean manufacturing and quality control training and workshops.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Manbir Sodhi, URI

    Facilities:

    Both UConn and URI offer multiple machine shops with capabilities for prototyping, testing, and research related to many forms of advanced manufacturing processes, as well as system modelling and design capabilities. Some of the equipment at both universities include: rapid prototyping and 3D printing equipment; mechatronics lab and workshop; machine shop with CNC machine tools, mills, lathes, grinders, welding, and heat treatment; polymer extrusion and injection molding testbed; metrology lab with coordinate measuring machine and surface roughness analyzer; and Instron tensile/compression and materials testing equipment.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Includes research expertise in cryptography (theory and applied), quantum cryptography, network security, vulnerability analysis, counterfeit detection and protection, embedded systems security, formal methods, secure control algorithms, and secure system design. Services include embedded systems penetration testing, integrated circuit imaging and testing, and cybersecurity training and workshops.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. John Chandy, UConn

    Facilities:

    At UConn, non-destructive testing, hardware authentication and tagging are carried out by CHASE with the facility comprising of state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment. Some of the equipment are as follows: Xradia Versa 510: State-of–the–Art X-ray Tomography with Nano Resolution; TERA OSCAT High-speed THz Spectrometer: Tetraherz Spectrometer; 3D Microscopy Setup: Generates 3D information of Cells in Microscopy Holography System; Keyence VHX2000: Super resolution Digital Microscope; MPS150 Probe System: 150MM Manual Probing Solution for Failure Analysis; FTIR; and a UV Photoluminescence System. At URI, facilities include the State-of-the-Art computing facilities at Computational Intelligence and Self Adaptive Systems (CISA) Laboratory and Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center as well as sensor testing equipment at the Next Generation Sensing Technology Lab.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Capabilities include: development of novel wearable sensors and devices, implantable sensor systems, and mobile/connected healthcare technologies to sense/process physiological signals for therapeutic/assistive devices, and disease diagnostics and management. Moreover, capabilities in occupational biomechanics and integrated sensor data processing involving machine learning algorithms for early prediction, human performance enhancements, monitoring, and management of occupation-related diseases that include musculoskeletal disorders, sleep disorders, and stress-related disorders.Development of human behavioral models that assess both individual and team differences and performance through cognition and metacognition, communication, human-computer interaction, user-experience, and macro-ergonomics in various domains, such as transportation (i.e., driving traditional and electric vehicles, eye-tracking and distraction), construction (i.e., collaborative workspaces, team cohesion, and organizational structure), sustainability (team behavior for high-performance outcomes), medicine (i.e., trans-theoretical model of change in hospitals) and military (i.e., human-computer interaction with anti-air warfare coordinators, measuring cognitive workload). Expertise in integrating operations research techniques and algorithms and advanced statistical methods with human factors and ergonomic problems for a holistic understanding and prediction of human behavior and performance.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Ki Chon, UConn

    Facilities:

    The UConn Human Performance Laboratory is a 1250 sq.ft. human performance and movement analysis laboratory that includes a 12 camera Vicon motion capture system; ten (10) wireless Noraxon electromyographic (surface EMG) system; ten (10) wireless foot pressure insoles; a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer; two (2) 400mm x 600mm Bertec force plates; an instrumented Bertect treadmill; Visual3D biomechanics software and OpenSim musculoskeletal modeling software. The Biodynamics Laboratory at UConn comprises 8000 square feet of renovated laboratory space. The laboratory is equipped with full electronics and machine shops including two 3D printers for electronic circuit development and construction, and mechanical fabrication. The lab has been recently equipped with a driving simulator for human performance monitoring.

    In addition, there are appropriate instruments for electronic circuit signal testing and debugging, including oscilloscopes, network analyzers, LCR meters, power supplies, high precision analog amplifiers, various force sensing electrodes and devices for bio-force approximation. Major equipment includes 6 Qualisys IR DMC cameras, Monark ergometer with HR monitoring telemetry, a laser vibrometer, ultrasonic microphones and analyzers, Nicolet EMG measuring systems, and 8 channel EEG recording systems.

    The facility also includes two environmental chambers, a rail-mounted and freestanding optoelectronic motion capture system, cranegantry systems for handling large equipment, including vibration exciter suspension, an ultrasonic laboratory and test booth, and wet and dry laboratory facilities. The Biodevices Laboratory at UConn is equipped with an HP ECG monitor, Holter monitors, blood pressure and respiration monitors, skin conductance amplifier, AC & DC preamplifiers, digital oscilloscope, Zeiss surgical microscope, data acquisition systems, blood flow recorders, pulse oximeters and telemetry system with biopotentials and blood pressure sensors. Optical Imaging and 3D Visualization Laboratory, includes major equipment and computing resources at 3D imaging systems, X-ray facilities at IMS and Booth Engineering Center for Advanced Technology. At URI, the Sustainable Innovative Solutions (SIS) Laboratory is a human behavior modeling and communication analysis laboratory featuring a collaborative workspace (large-touchscreen interfaces and floor-to-ceiling white boards) that captures interactions from a suspended, flexible audio/visual system with real-time audio/visual coding software. Equipped with a two-way mirror, the adaptable space separates based on group size and research study requirements. Additional audio/visual recording systems are portable for flexibility in location of study, as well as (6) iPads for survey canvasing. Further, at URI the Driving Simulation Laboratory is equipped with a TramSim VS IV (by L-3Communications, Inc.) driving simulator. The simulator was purchased with the support of Rhode Island Department of Transportation and URI Transportation Center.

    It is a fixed-base driving simulator, consisting of a driving module (interchangeable, from a regular vehicle module to a truck module) and three 42" plasma monitors with 1024 x 768 image resolution. Five networked computers generate the simulation by processing the driver’s inputs to the vehicle’s controls while perpetually updating the audio stream and the driving scene on four visual channels. Three of the channels display the drivers’ forward view of 180° and one supports the LCD front panel. State-of-the-art software delivers sharp visuals and crisp images to enhance learning objectives. Subjects interacted with the simulator using the sedan’s steering wheel and pedals that provide force feedback. Force-loaded steering provides real-time feedback to augment muscle memory in situations such as tire blowout, sloshing loads or collisions.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Includes capabilities in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, experimental scale model testing, underwater autonomous vehicles, quantitative flow visualization, dynamic fluid-structure interactions, ocean signal processing, coastal modeling, nonlinear ocean wave mechanics, and ocean systems design.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Jason Dahl, URI

    Facilities:

    At URI facilities in marine hydrodynamics include the Ocean Engineering wave and towing tank (30 m x 3 m x 1.2 m), the Rolling Hills Research model 1520 flow visualization recirculating water channel (test section 0.45 m x 0.38 m), flow visualization towing tank (4.3 m x 0.9 m x 0.9 m), stereo particleiImage velocimetry system: LaVision DaVis processing software, 2 Phantom V10 high-speed cameras (4 MP @ 480 fps), Quantronix high-speed pulsed laser, and 3-D printers for model prototyping.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • To meet power and energy needs of future undersea vehicles with “frame” size constraints, propulsion-enabling technologies, such as high torque-density machine-drives, integrated power generation-distribution-storage systems, advanced controls, and protection, will be developed and optimized. Advanced materials, devices (WBG), thermal management, and control algorithms will be investigated for high voltage, high-frequency propulsion systems with payload efficiency.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Yang Cao, UConn

    Facilities:

    At UCONN, experimental and computational work is performed within the NSF High Voltage/Temperature Center as part of the Institute of Materials Science and within the Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Drives Laboratory as part of the Center for Clean Energy Engineering. These facilities house: (1) a 90,000 sq. foot interdisciplinary shared user facility housing a wide range of advanced materials research characterization, processing and synthesis instrumentation ($20M in replacement cost); (2) various high voltage, high frequency source and power switches; (3) electric drives with four-quadrant dynamometers rated at 4 and 6.5 hp 6000 RPM with complete computer interfaces and control, torque transducers, and speed encoders; (4) power system simulators; (5) three phase 100 KW each flexible electric drive systems; (6) various simulation, optimization tools and computing clusters.

    Supplemental Material(s):

    NIUVT Industry Day Presentations, March 16th, 2018

  • Includes theoretical, numerical, and experimental capabilities in structural vibration analysis and testing, considering a broad range structural systems and their excitations as well as the effective mitigation of unwanted and excessive vibration and noise through passive, active, and semi-active structural isolation and control strategies. Nonlinear dynamics and vibrations, including: nonlinear time series analysis; damage diagnosis and prognosis in engineered, geophysical, and biological systems; failure/damage mechanics; nonlinear system and parameter identification; modal testing and analysis; dynamics, stability and control of engineered systems.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Rich Christenson, UConn

    Facilities:

    The Structural Vibration and Shock Laboratory at UConn is a 2000 sq.ft. structural testing laboratory that houses two (2) six-degree-of-freedom shake tables; a uniaxial shake table; a high-speed 110 kip actuator; a dynamic 110 kip actuator; and two (2) 5 kip actuators; two (2) LDS electrodynamic shakers; a hydraulic power supply providing over 80 GPM of flow with an associated 20-ton air-cooled chiller; 400 kip and 40 kip universal test machines; high-speed 32 channel data acquisition; and associated force, acceleration, displacement, and strain sensors for dynamic measurements. At URI, the Nonlinear Dynamics Laboratory is a 500 sq.ft. space that houses LDS V720 electrodynamic shaker with slip table; two VTS 100 electrodynamic shakers; ACDP crack growth monitoring system; various oscilloscopes, power supplies, and signal generator; two high speed 16 channel data acquisition; and associated force, acceleration, displacement, and strain sensors for dynamic measurements.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Description: Includes the development of acausal, object-oriented, and physics-based libraries of models of submarine systems and components for design, simulation, and requirements formalization. Enables large-scale implementation of a repeatable design process for undersea vehicle systems; robustness analysis (robust design, uncertainty quantification and propagation, tolerance to faults, systems degradation tracking, prognostics, etc.); fault detection, isolation and prognosis algorithms, and fault-tolerant control architectures. Integration of principles of requirements formalization, robust design of tests, simulation, and optimization will target the reduction of cost and development time as well as uncertainty in the design and operation of undersea vehicle systems.Includes capabilities in systems modeling using deterministic and stochastic models. Proficiency with linear, non-linear, integer programming modeling and solution methodologies; heuristic and meta-heuristic methods; deployment on embedded to parallel processing systems; discrete event, agent based, and system dynamics simulation methodology, real-time data collection, processing, and response; and human-computer assisted decision support systems. Application areas include autonomous systems; supply chain, defense, and security applications; manufacturing operations; and scheduling applications. Workshops on lights-out operations and defining, monitoring, and responding to KPIs for systems optimization.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. George Bollas, UConn

    Facilities:

    At UConn, the UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering is a hub for multidisciplinary research and education, focusing on a unique application of analytical model-based systems engineering to complex cyber-physical systems. High Performance Computing - the HPC cluster operated on the Storrs campus features 6,000 CPU cores, a high-speed fabric interconnect, and a parallel file system.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • An integrated analytical, simulation, algorithmic, and experimental research program in autonomous and supervisory control of UUVs tasked with surveillance, search, interdiction and underwater manipulation of objects. Focus areas include, but are not limited to: autonomous perception; adaptive motion planning and control; intelligent robotic manipulation; proactive decision support for asset allocation, waterspace planning, multi-objective coordinated 3-D and 4-D asset routing under uncertain environments, EM spectrum allocation and scheduling, and battle management; failure prognostics and energy management for life-extension; and distributed intelligence.Includes research expertise in novel propulsion and station keeping mechanisms; underwater vehicle modeling, simulation, and control techniques; glider flow sensing transducers; full ocean depth soft and morphing bodies and mechanisms; multi-vehicle autonomy and collaboration algorithms; system design for underwater operations with low acoustic and electromagnetic footprints.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Brennan Phillips, URI

    Facilities:

    At UConn, the UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering is a hub for multidisciplinary research and education, focusing on a unique application of analytical model-based systems engineering to complex cyber-physical systems. High Performance Computing - the HPC cluster operated on the Storrs campus features 6,000 CPU cores, a high-speed fabric interconnect, and a parallel file system.

    At the Avery Point campus of UConn, the Marine Sciences Underwater Vehicles Laboratory has Remote Operated Vehicle and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle platforms taht carry out research and educational activities. The department also has deployment capabilities for a variety of unmanned underwater vehicles.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Capabilities include materials, components and systems-level expertise on design, and analysis and testing of underwater energy systems, including electrochemical power sources and energy storage devices. Thermal management, thermodynamic analysis, and experimental testing of underwater energy systems, including electrochemical power sources, undersea energy conversion and renewable energy storage devices, thermo-photovoltaic energy harnessing, thermal sensing and imaging devices, phonon-/photon-based cooling systems, infrared signature control of undersea vessels, and thermal management system of underwater vehicle engines. The study of underwater energy systems includes materials, components, and systems-level expertise on (1) classical, micro scale, and nanoscale thermal transport systems, (2) design and fabrication of conventional and novel nanostructured materials with unique physical, thermal and optical properties, and (3) undersea energy management, storage, and conversion for heating and cooling systems.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Arijit Bose, URI

    Facilities:

    URI maintains two fresh water testing tanks and a variety of remotely-operated and autonomous underwater vehicle assets. Faculty have direct access to both protected harbors and open water environments. URI maintains and operates the coastal class UNOLS vessel R/V Endeavor, and the Ocean Engineering faculty maintain active ocean-going research programs across the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Southern oceans. Marine robotic assets available include: Bluefin SandShark Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs); Remus 100 AUV; Saab SeaEye Falcon Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs); iRobot Transphibian AUV; and Maribotics SCOUT Unmanned Surface Vessel. At UConn, the Robotics and Controls, Cyber, and LINKS laboratories provide over 4,000 sq.ft. of space housing over 40 workstations and laptops; UAVs, UUVs, and UGVs (a dozen quadcopters, six fully functional 2.5-3ft. long UUVs, 10 programmable iRobot Creates, 10 sea-perches); 5 watertight boxes; a variety of sensors (laser range finders, Kinect 3D sensors, underwater cameras, IMUs, camera-IMU integrated systems, GPS, temperature, sonar, compasses, ultrasonic sensors); robotic arms for manipulation (Baxter dual-arm robot, Right hand robotics ReFelx Hand, Tekktile touch sensor strip), and other related real-time hardware and software for autonomous systems laboratories.

    Supplemental Material(s):

  • Underwater Shock

    Capabilities include experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies on underwater blast response of metallic and composite structures; shock-initiated implosion of underwater structures under combined hydrostatic and explosive loadings, studies on sympathetic collapse; shock response of weathered composite structures; response of soft materials to underwater shock.

    Faculty Lead: Dr. Helio Matos, URI

    Facilities:

    The Dynamic Photomechanics Laboratory at URI houses several facilities which have attracted the attention of the Navy, Air Force, Army, and NSF, among other research forums and funding agencies. Numerous high capital research facilities have been set up including a 7 ft. diameter high pressure vessel (christened as ‘The Big Tank’) with in-situ capabilities for high-speed 3D photography via 8 optical windows; a 24 ft. meter long Shock Tube which can produce shocks of 3200 psi strengths; a confined implosion tube, which allows for inclusion of 4 gm of PETN explosive; environmental degradation chambers to simulate extreme weather conditions; a split Hopkinson’s pressure bar for high strain rate characterization; a pneumatically-assisted drop weight tower; a vertically-mounted .30-06 rifle and a ballistics firing range; materials testing systems; La ecroy high-speed data acquisition system among other DAQ systems like Astromed DASH8U recorder; a dedicated optics and laser division; automated surface profilers; spot heaters and induction heating systems for in-situ dynamic experiments; high-speed cameras including Imacon 200 (200 million fps) and Photron SA1 cameras.

    Supplemental Material(s):

Research Facilities

University of Connecticut Facilities

University of Rhode Island Facilities