High frequency RF based non-contact underwater communication

Abstract

Although electromagnetic wave, especially high frequency electromagnetic wave suffers great attenuation in sea water, it has advantages of high reliability and high speed in short distance and non-contact communication situations, such as AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) docking systems and wet-mate connectors. This paper discusses the propagation characteristic of high frequency RF in sea water. Computational and experimental results of an underwater high frequency RF system are presented. The findings offer intuitive insights for the design of a non-contact communication system which transfers data in high speed and high reliability in sea water. Specifically, this paper begins with theoretical calculation of the propagation path. Then, the communication system is modeled in the finite analysis software ANSOFT HFSS to study the characteristic of the electromagnetic field and to evaluate the influence of insulation. The simulation model has been experimentally validated by comparing the computed available range against the measured data based on the water tank test.