Non-destructive testing research has been primarily concerend with defect detection and characterization with relatively little effort on ndt techiques for measuring stress, predicting fatigue damage prior to cracking and monitoring of crack propagation in critical aircraft components. these… More

Laser treatment of metallic surfaces encompasses hardening, alloying, cladding, penetration welding and laser glazing depending upon the properties of the laser and the duration of application. of interest in this proposal is laser glazing which utilizes the high power densities of focused laser… More

Transportation system studies require in-service inspection using nondestructive evaluation (nde) techniques for flaw detection and characterization. in cases where such defects are small compared with the thickness of the section, ultrasonic methods are considered to be the most suitable. it would… More

Food processing industries require microbial and metabolite data for ingredient control and product optimization. current measurement techniques do not provide sufficient speed of response to permit their use in on-line product diagnosis and control. to alleviate this situation the present proposal… More

The inherent anisotropy and inhomogeneity of composite materials make damage detection and characterization different than that of homogeneous isotropic materials. both in quality assurance and maintainability, tests based on strong and well understood principles must be established in order to… More

The newly discovered amorphous alloys having unique mechani-cal and electromagnetic properties are becoming available invery thin and narrow strips which do not lend themselves to convenient and efficient methods of manufacturing. it isnecessary to process these alloys for new applications in ways… More

Many handicapped persons are restricted because they lack the necessary capabilities to interface effectively within atechnological society. however, technology itself has provided some compensation for a number of physical linitat ions through the use of computers. yet, there remains the need to… More

Light weight, high energy charged particle beam production is feasibile when the acceleration potential is generated from an inductive energy storage system. an intensive, copious x-ray radiation source is therefore obtainable simultaneously through the high-current electron beam and metal target… More

The intelligent processing of materials is a novel concept in materials processing in which information from real time, in-situ microstructural sensors and process models are combined with artificial intelligence approaches to control a materials process. the insitu sensors are a key to this… More

Biomagnetic measurements can now make unique and significant contributions to the study of activity in the human body. most measurements are made with the squid magnetometer which has several major disadvantages. the long term target of opportunity in this proposal is the development of a compact,… More

The materials of aerospace components are subjected to high temperatures and strong aerodynamic forces during propulsion. therefore, innovations in non-invasive sensor technologies are required for the measurement of structural physical properties. fiber optic viewing probes and other optical… More

Electronic components and systems for use in defense applications have requirements of material uniformity, quality electrical connections, microstructural integrity and freedom from stress and defects. although the electronics industry has been successful in meeting many of these conditions, the… More

There is a need for small, compact, and rugged sources that operate in the 0.7-2mm wavelength region. such a source would be solid state but the overall system will mostlikely not be so compact if the wideband frequency tunability is desired. the conceptual solid-state (in-as) gyrotron is wide-band… More

The use of advanced materials such as ceramics, ceramic composites, and high temperature coatings has led to improved performance of critical heat engine and energy-related components and systems. however, the requirements for nondestructive evaluation (nde) of ceramic materials resulting from… More

The monitoring of diver physiological variable, such as heart and respiratory rates, muscle fatigue and body core temperature, is of great importance because divers occasionally exceed safe physiological limits. divers are called onto perform tasks which require a high level of exertion, often under… More

The impact of industrialization in coastal regions and the degradation of environmental conditions in the vicinity of seafood producing regions has become evident from the quality of foods produced in these regions. affinity purified polyclonal antibodies are being developed to provide a rapid… More

Although automation technology is finding widespread use in many industries, the food industry is only just beginning tointroduce such technology in production facilities. in particular, there is a need to increase research and development efforts in a number of areas including new sensors and… More

High premeability and low power loss head the requirements laid down for a good core material for inductance coils and transformers for the application in high efficiency power supply. recently ferrite materials, such as nickel-zinc-cobalt (niznco) ferrites have been used for transformer and… More

Recent advances in the formulation and processing of high critical temperature (high tc) superconducting materials present the opportunity of producing components such as integrated circuits, sensors, superconducting quantum interference devices (squid), microwave generators and detectors, microwave… More

Developments in the science and adhesion and adhesive bond- ing have let to increased efficiency in the use of forest products. however, to improve the productivity of fabrica- tion operations and to expand the use of wood-based materialinto applications in which improved shear and bending strength… More

The present trend in human/computer interfaces is the use of visual, iconic manipulation for computer control. the application of a visual interface can be adapted to use in programming languages. the proposed research and testing program will be carried out to determine if a diagrammatic… More

There exists a need for methods of in situ determination of asbestos prescence and concentration in both material specimens and in airborne samples. the detection systems should be portable, rapid, reliable, easy to use and safe. this proposal suggests an optical technique employing digital image… More

A natural function prosthesis interface for amputees and victims of upper extremity dysfunction can be accomplished using an intelligent controller to interpret the available neural signal data for control of a robotic arm. the goal is to develop a sufficiently sophisticated natural function… More

There is a need of a mm-wave radar to record the internal structure of smoke obscurant clouds generated during the tests. millimeter wave radar with 7.5m range resolution and 0.5 degree angular resolution are required. the millimeter wave radar to be developed under this proposal is frequency… More

Current technique of optical flame detection rely on the use of narrow bandwidth sensors which have been demonstrated to be prone to false alarms. to address this need, american research corporation of virginia (arcova) proposes to develop an intelligent machine vision interface for the detection… More

The objective of this proposal is to develop a more efficient, high power millimeter wave source by modifying the original orbitron maser. the original orbitron is driven by a single power supply (i.e.a small capacitor) which generates an axisymmetric logarithmic potential-well as radially directing… More

Conventional fusion processes are not expected to achieve break-even within the next decade. cold fusion is an exciting option, since it offers an inexpensive alternative and some claim break-even has already been achieved. however, to dat, no in-depth theoretical study of cold fusion has been… More

There is a need for unique joing/bonding processes that can directly join ceramic ir and rf dome components to cylindrical metal surfaces. exposure to the high temperatures associated with conventional brazing processes can degrade the optical properties of materials and promote chemical reaction… More

The recent discovery of new high temperature superconductor systems has created a need to develop compatible measurementtechniques to characterize the electrical, structural, acoustic and optical properties of these materials. although many standard methods of measuring conventional superconducting… More

Recent developments in very high speed integrated circuits (vhsic) have led to the need for high efficiency and power denity resonant mode and switched mode power supplies, operating at frequencies in excess o 1 megahertz (mhz). the specifications for these power supplies are stingent due to… More

Advances in real-time measurement techniques for characterizing structural and propulsion system properties require accurate measurement of dynamic properties importantto the design of advanced aeronautical and aerospace vechicles. the specific innovation addressed by this proposal is the employment… More

Atomic oxygen-induced degradation of materials in low earth orbit is a problem of great concern in the deployment of satellites, reflectors and mirror and antenna structures. in particular, the degradation of thin carbon-carbon composite materials by atomic oxygen restricts the operational life and… More

The ever-increasing percentage of the u.s. population 65 years old or over presents a special problem to physicians and pharmacists: how to ensure that elderly people, who may suffer from memory impairments, will comply with a medication regimen. the goal of this project is to develop a miniature… More

Ferroelectric thin film devices offer a number of advantages for use as computer memories, including high bit-density, nonvolatile lowvoltage operation over a wide temperature range, short access and cycle times, and relatively high radiation hardness. to respond to the need of designiing and… More

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in rare-earth copper oxide ceramic system has led to considerable research directed toward the development of electromagnetic components and devices. however, the application of high critical temperature (tc) superconductors has been limited… More

Aerospace structures/models are subjected to high temperatures and strong aerodynamic forces under carefully controlled environmental conditions during instrumented laboratory testing. wind tunnel testing requires instrumentation which is rugged, reliable, accurate and provides test data quickly to… More

Nondestructive techniques related to the quantitative characterization of mechanical properties are of high interest for developing better models of damage mechanics and failure processes in various types of engineering materials under a variety of loading and environmental conditions. traditional… More

The inspection of very large crude carriers (vlcc) for structural reliability is an important environmental concern. these large vessels transport crude oil in such quantities that the consequence of an oil spill due to a broken weld are very serious. improved techniques are needed to inspect vlcc… More

The u.s. army has identified a need for computer-based decision aids for battlefield parameter analysis, logistics assessment and command decision recommendation. to address this need, american research corporation of virginia (arcova) proposes an artificially intelligent assessment and decision… More

Dms (diluted magnetic semiconductor) crystal will measure magnetic field strengths of a hypervelocity gun (hvg), with uniquely high directivity and spatial resolution, under a harsh electro-magnetic interference (emi) condition. knowledge of the magnetic field structure behind and ahead of a… More

Development of reliable (Q-) switching and isolation materials is being sought for near-to-mid infrared lasers for safety, extended life and fiber optic communication. The voltage or E-field controlled (Q-) switching materials such as Pockels cells and liquid Kerr cells are not reliable for long… More

A compact opening switch that can open (or turn-on) in sub-nanosecond times with peak power capability in gw regime and average power capability in 100 kw is sought for implementing compact pulsars. the phase i program will conduct an investigation and literature search to determine the opening… More

The national institute of mental health has identified the need for methods of assessing emotional behavior to assist the tracking of normal and deviant developmental processes. in response to this need, we will develop a neural network-based machine vision systems for evaluation of emotional state… More

This project will develop specifications for a personal communications system (pcs) to permit caregivers to monitor the well-being of elderly family members. the personal communications system would incorporate an active alert initiated by the older persons and a passive alert triggered by… More

Recent developments in international relations have led to the necessity for battle readiness in a region where chemical or biological warfare agents have been employed in the past. at present, little attention has been paid to methods for identifying the chemical or biological conditions of free… More

One of the major obstacles to education and employment of individuals with severe visual disabilities is the inability to access visual images found in the educational setting or required for satisfactory performance in the workplace. efforts to provide access to visual images have included… More

The rapid increase in world seafood production by aquacultural processes has placed a competitive burden on the united states fishing and fish farming industries. economic pressures have dictated the development of high density closed-cycle aquaculture (hdcca) unit operations to provide seafood… More

Subsurface corrosion has been implicated in a number of incidents in which aircraft have demonstrated a loss of structural integrity leading to emergency procedures and in one case, the loss of human life. Although several techniques are available to evaluate subsurface corrosion, no method has… More

The Air Force has identified a need for more advanced digital control methodologies to make feasible the application of active magnetic bearings to turbine engines. Achieving the goals for enhanced turbine rotor performance necessitates improved bearing control with associated compact size/weight,… More

See Charles River Analytic comment. It applies here also.

The use of high-temperature laser densification/annealing techniques for enhancing materials surface characteristics has opened new opportunities in material/laser-process diagnostic instrumentation. Important issues in fabrication of reproducible refractory ceramic coating film lies in… More

Fiber-optic sensors, in conjunction with fluorescence spectroscopy, has many uses in biochemistry, immunoassays, and closed-aquaculture systems. the use of in situ fluorescence measurement during field tests is hampered by the physical limitations of spectrometers related to their size, weight, and… More

NIAAA has identified the need for education materials which facilitate the training of health professionals and paraprofessionals in the use of various alcoholism assessment techniques and instruments. In response to this need, we will develop a icon-based courseware for alcoholism appraisal… More

The objective of this contract is to develop monitoring technology to accurately screen patients on an outpatient basis by monitoring physiologic variables capable of indicating whether or not there is a need for future, more costly, sleep disorder testing. The Contractor shall perform the following… More

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has identified the need for programs to delay the onset of sexual activity among adolescents and to increase contraceptive protection of the adolescents who are sexually active. In response to this need, we will develop a hypermedia-based… More

The U.S. Navy has identified a need for development of an innovative data compression technique to facilitate distribution of video and animated environmental products over low bandwidth communication channels. To address this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia (ARCOVA) proposes the… More

The National Institute for Mental Health has reported the need for development and evaluationof behavioral self-help core materials for the promotion of health and healthy lifestyles. Teenage mothersare a particularly important segment of the population in need of such a self-help course devoted… More

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified the need for representation, indexing, storage, and retrieval of reusable software components. To address this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development of an icon-based software component access… More

Field tracking of smoke and obscurant clouds from forest fires or volcanoes requires determination of the two-dimensional cloud extent shown in visible images scanned from various angles about the clouds. at the present time, two-dimensional cloud extent is determined by an operator who manually… More

The use of bioremediation procedures to treat organic wastes containing chlorinated solvents or concentrated organics provides an effective method of reducing subsurface contamination. however, the transition of microbially mediated biodegradation from laboratory studies to field-based methods has… More

Present manufacturing technologies for non-volatile ferroelectric random access memories (fram) are not sufficiently developed to ensure reproducible deposition of large-area, highly-oriented polycrystalline pzt (lead-zirconate-titanate) thin films on substrates compatible with semiconductor… More

We will investigate and develop an interactive multimedia program for alcohol education targetedtoward children in grades 7, 8 and 9, inclusive. The program will contain interactive multimedia thatintegrates audiovisual technology, text, and graphics with computer simulated human interaction… More

Recent advances in aerospace technology have created the demand for improved structural materials. A metastable beta titanium alloy, TIMETAL Beta-21S, has been identified as a potential alloy for application in hypersonic vehicles such as the National AeroSpace Plane (NASP) because of its high… More

The need for simple and practical instrumentation for rapid identification and detection of biological agents has been recognized as an important research area in sensor development. Specific antibody/antigen binding, in conjunction with evanescent wave excited fluorescence sensing, has been applied… More

Quadriplegics and other severely disabled individuals with diminished mobility below the neck are limited in the manner by which they may utilize computers and instrumentation that require manual manipulation and are thus precluded from pursuing a host of educational and employment opportunities. … More

Developments in on-site spent solvent recovery have implications for reducedenvironmental pollution in the dry cleaning, furniture and paint manufacturingindustries as well as in a range of commercial services. Effluents from solventrecovery operations include fugitive emissions, vent stack gases… More

The overall quality and the comprehensive strength, in particular, of concrete are critically dependent on the water content in the concrete mixture. It is also essential to know if the concrete has reached a stage of moisture equilibrium before surface finishes such as paint or carpet can be… More

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has identified the need for mateaching intensive insulin therapy to reduce complications of diabetes. In response to this need, winteractive multimedia program for teaching IIT to adolescents-aged 13 to 17 years old. IM, the… More

This proposal suggests the development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) instrumentation capable of detecting nanogram levels of sulfamethazine per ml of extracted sample. Although the use of subtherapeutic concentrations of anti-microbial agents in animal feed has contributed to the… More

We will investigate and develop an interactive multimedia for asthma self-management educationtargeted toward children aged 6-9 inclusive. Interactive multimedia is the integration of audiovisualtechnology (as well as text and graphics) with computer-simulated human interaction to control… More

Recent development of planar magnetics has the potential to provide reduced volume, high efficiency and high power density power electronics, devices and components for future advanced 1 kW - 150 kW aeronautical power electronic system applications. At present, the best available modern commercial… More

The Multiple Degree of Freedom Measurement (MDFM) System, developed under Wright Laboratory, has been identified as having strong commercial potential as a significant enhancement to existing products in the machine tool industry for machine tool calibration or coordinate measuring machine… More

There is a need for simple, light-weight practical instrumentation for rapid characterization of chemical and biological analytes in the modern battlefield. Recently, a surface-sensitive diode laser (SSDL), having over 1% of the mode power in the region extending 40 nm from the laser surface has… More

The trend toward replacement of highly toxic chemicals with less hazardous alternatives has created the demand for replacement of chromate conversion coatings for corrosion protection of aluminum alloys. Aluminum alloys are the predominate structural material used in aircraft because of their high… More

The use of sub-therapeutic concentrations of anti-microbial agents in animal feed has contributed to theproductivity of the U.S. meat and dairy industries by preventing infectious diseases, by decreasing theamount of feed required and by increasing the rate of animal weight gain. However, failure… More

40417 November 18, 1996 American Research Corporation of Virginia This project addresses the hazardous waste problem at Department of Energy sites by developing a new class of ultrafiltration membranes for use in corrosive aqueous or organic streams. … More

The use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect contaminants such as solvents, fuels, and pesticides in soil and water samples is now well established. Although ELISA and related methods can facilitate analysis of samples, several washing and separation steps are involved that require… More

The U.S. Department of Education has identified the need for more effective tools and technologies for increasing student reading skills. In response to this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development and evaluation of interactive multimedia for reading instruction… More

The U.S. Department of Education has identified the need for new technologies for enhancing career placement and career maintenance skills of individuals with disabilities. In response to this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development and evaluation of interactive… More

The U.S. Department of Education has identified the need for technologies to increase parents' skills in nurturing young children's learning and development. In response to this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development and evaluation of interactive multimedia for… More

50931-98-I Highly Efficient and Reliable AC-DC Power Converters for Next-Generation Linear Colliders--American Research Corporation of Virginia, 1509 Fourth Street, P.O. Box 3406, Radford, VA 24141-4617; (540) 731-0655 Dr. Russell J. Churchill, Principal Investigator Dr. Russell J. Churchill,… More

Recent developments in the world political arena have led to The need for miniaturized instrumentation for rapid characterization of micro-organisms and toxins to protect military and civilian personnel against biological weapons and to allow timely administration of prophylactics. Considerable… More

Recent experiences in the Gulf War have shown the need for chemical and biological protective gear having reduced associated physiological burden for combat personnel and decreased logistical requirements. The availability of lightweight, permeation-selective barrier membranes would constitute an… More

The U.S. Department of Education has identified the need for new technologies for enhancing career placement and career maintenance skills of individuals with disabilities. In response to this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development and evaluation of interactive… More

The U.S. Department of Education has identified the need for technologies to increase parents' skills in nurturing young children's learning and development. In response to this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development and evaluation of interactive multimedia for… More

Chromate conversion coatings are presently applied to military aircraft to increase the operational life of structural components fabricated from aluminum alloys. Coasts of applying these coatings have increased with increasing concerns about the health and environmental effects of hexavalent… More

Not Available NEA Electronics, Inc. (NEA) is a manufacturer of electro-mechanical products, specializing in the development of innovative hold down and release mechanisms for the aerospace industry. NEA has designed and manufactured two prototype release mechanisms with unique capabilities. The… More

This Phase II project addresses the development of technology that would provide field-based quantitative detection of a wide range of environmental contaminants through the use of molecularly imprinted polymers and fluorescence detection. The proposed method would complement immunological methods… More

This Phase II project addresses the development of technology that would provide field-based quantitative detection of a wide range of environmental contaminants through the use of molecularly imprinted polymers and fluorescence detection. The proposed method would complement immunological methods… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been implicated in degradation of human physiological systems and in the etiology of… More

Improving corrosion control is a significant technical challenge that must be addressed before lightweight metal alloys of aluminum and magnesium can be more widely used in manufacturing industries such as automobile, aerospace, and metal finishing. Use of lightweight metal alloys would provide many… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A need exists for accurate, self-calibrating instrumentation capable of monitoring in real time the concentration of blood alcohol as evidenced by the alcohol content of exhaled breath. At present instrumentation capable of diagnosing breath alcohol content… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In order to reduce the costs of drug development and improve methods of detecting environmental effects of xeniobiotics, there is a need for in vitro methods of xeniobiotics identifying toxicity of materials to specific organs that do not require a whole-animal… More

Recent events showing the willingness of terrorist organizations and rogue states to consider biological weapons of mass destruction have underscored the need for rapid means to identify these agents. In particular, first responders entering a scene where biological agents may have been dispersed… More