Method of remotely detecting submarines using a laser

• US 4,893,924 A
• Filed: 07/20/1988
• Issued: 01/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTE Government Systems Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GTE Government Systems Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Harold E., Leonard, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenberger, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/222,598
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 356/43, 356/349, 73/655, 374/123, 374/136, 374/137
• US Class Current: 356/43
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/02 Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves G01S17/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging

Abstract

Subsurface waves in an ocean are created by the turbulence in a submarine'"'"'s wake. These waves can be remotely detected by a search submarine by monitoring subsurface water temperatures using a laser. A pulsed laser beam is directed into the water to at least the depth of the thermocline and an analysis is made of the resultant Brillouin and Rayleigh backscatter components. Wavelength shifted Brillouin scatter is mixed with the unshifted Rayleigh scatter in a self-heterodyne manner for each volume element of illuminated water, and the frequency of the heterodyne signal is measured and converted into equivalent temperature values. This produces the desired temperature-depth profile of the water enabling detection of the first submarine by tracking the internal waves at or near the ocean thermocline.

Claims

1. An underwater method of detecting the wake of a first submerged submarine from a second submerged submarine comprising the steps of:

generating from within said second submarine a pulsed laser beam;

directing said beam upwardly from said second submarine with an intensity sufficient to penetrate the thermocline of said water;

detecting in said second submarine the Rayleigh and Brillouin backscatter light components produced by the interaction of said beam with said water;

mixing said Rayleigh and Brillouin light components and thereby producing a heterodyne signal having a frequency f_B ;

periodically converting the heterodyne signal into a temperature/depth profile; and

translating said temperature/depth profile into spatial patterns for comparison with patterns characteristic of the wake of a moving submarine.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which said spatial patterns constitute isothermal contours.

3. The method according to claim 1 in which said spatial patterns constitute water temperature at constant depths.

4. The method according to claim 1 in which said body of water constitutes an ocean.

5. The method according to claim 1 in which said body of water constitutes any body of water navigable by a submarine.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of periodically repeating the first six steps by traversing said beam in a plane othogonal to the direction of travel of said second submarine, thereby sweeping across an area of said thermocline.

7. The method according to claim 6 in which said laser beam is traversed over an arc <

±

40°

.

8. The method according to claim 6 in which said laser beam is is in the blue-green region of light.

9. An underwater method of detecting the wake of a first submerged submarine from a second submerged submarine comprising the steps of:

generating from within said second submarine a pulsed laser beam;

directing said beam downwardly from said second submarine with an intensity sufficient to penetrate the thermocline of said water;

detecting in said second submarine the Rayleigh and Brillouin backscatter light components produced by the interaction of said beam with said water;

mixing said Rayleigh and Brillouin light components and thereby producing a heterodyne signal having a frequency f_B ;

periodically converting the heterodyne signal into a temperature/ depth profile; and

translating said temperature/depth profile into spatial patterns for comparison with patterns characteristic of the wake of a moving submarine.

10. The method according to claim 9 in which said spatial patterns constitute isothermal contours.

11. The method according to claim 9 in which said spatial patterns constitute water temperature at constant depths.

12. The method according to claim 10 in which said body of water constitutes an ocean.

13. The method according to claim 9 in which said body of water constitutes any body of water navigable by a submarine.

14. The method of claim 13 including the step of periodically repeating the first six steps by traversing said beam in a plane othogonal to the direction of travel of said second submarine, thereby sweeping across an area of said thermocline.

15. The method according to claim 14 in which said laser beam is traversed over an arc <

±

45°

.

16. The method according to claim 15 in which said laser beam is is in the blue-green region of light.

17. An underwater search method for detecting a first submerged submarine from a second submerged submarine, said search method comprising the steps of:

generating from within said second submarine a pulsed laser beam having an intensity sufficient to penetrate the thermocline of said water;

directing said beam from said second submarine into said water in a direction toward said thermocline;

detecting in said second submarine the Rayleigh and Brillouin backscatter light components produced by the interaction of said beam with said water;

mixing said Rayleigh and Brillouin light components and thereby producing a heterodyne signal having a frequency f_B ;

periodically converting the heterodyne signal into a temperature/depth profile;

translating said temperature/depth profile into spatial patterns

periodically repeating the above steps by traversing said beam in a plane othogonal to the direction of travel of said second submarine thereby creating a library of spatial profiles;

comparing said library of spatial profiles with spatial patterns characteristic of the wake of a moving submarine; and

,

tracing said wake to determine the location of the first submarine.

18. The method according to claim 17 in which said tracing step is performed by determining the direction of increasing pattern amplitudes.

19. The method according to claim 18 in which said spatial patterns constitute water temperature at constant depths.

20. The method according to claim 18 in which said body of water constitutes an ocean.

21. The method according to claim 17 in which said spatial patterns constitute isothermal contours.

22. The method according to claim 21 in which said body of water constitutes any body of water navigable by a submarine.

23. The method according to claim 21 in which said laser beam is traversed over an arc <

±

45°

.