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Materials Discovery for High Temperature Sensors

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Air Force 		Award ID:
83311 		Program Year/Program:
2007 / STTR
Agency Tracking Number:
F074-002-0264 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Lambda Instruments, Inc.
840 University City Blvd. Suite 4 Blacksburg, VA 24060-2708
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2007
Title: Materials Discovery for High Temperature Sensors
Agency / Branch: DOD / USAF
Contract: FA9550-07-C-0128
Award Amount: $99,846.00
 

Abstract:

During Phase I, Lambda Instruments proposes to extend these initial sapphire optical fiber sensor demonstrations to single-crystal, yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y203-ZrO2). While already demonstrated sapphire optical fiber-based sensors can withstand temperatures as high as 3600 degreesF, stabilized zirconia-based sensors offer the possibility of implementing sensors in corrosive environments at temperatures as high as 4700 degreesF. Lambda has assembled a highly-qualified development team consisting of combustion engineers, material scientists, and business specialists within Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) and Pratt & Whitney (East Hartford, CT) who were carefully chosen to complement Lambda's strong in-house optoelectronic sensor capabilities. The development team proposes to perform an ambitious but achievable Phase I feasibility study designed with an appropriate balance of scientific innovation and break-through engineering. Scientific innovation will be required for the in-house fabrication of stabilized-zirconia waveguides which are currently not commercially available anywhere in the world. To balance the technical risk inherent in transforming raw cubic zirconia into high-quality, micrometer-scale optical waveguides, we propose a parallel effort during Phase I to study techniques for packaging optical-quality, commercially-available sapphire optical fibers into a functional sensor arrangement for measurement of strain, temperature, and pressure.

Principal Investigator:

Jon Greene
Chief Technology Officer
5409531796
jgreene@lambdainc.com

Business Contact:

Jon Greene
Chief Technology Officer
5409531796
jgreene@lambdainc.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

LAMBDA INSTRUMENTS, INC.
840 University City Blvd Suite 4 Blacksburg, VA 24060

EIN/Tax ID: 541980160
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
Research Institution Information:
VIRGINIA TECH
Department of ESM
223 Norris Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Contact: Ishwar Puri
Contact Phone: (540) 231-3243
RI Type: Nonprofit college or university