Award Data

ABSTRACT: Space solar power systems range in size from the International Space Station with 8 solar arrays producing 84,000 watts all the way down to body-mounted single wafers on individual cubesats. The current state-of-the-art relies on multi-junction gallium arsenide or inverted metamorphic cells affixed to rigid structural panels. The need for a low-mass, high energy output solar array for ...

ABSTRACT: Solar arrays play a key role in the operation of spacecrafts and unmanned aerial vehicles. Traditionally, inorganic semiconductor based solar arrays have been used for space applications because of their highest efficiencies. However, these solar arrays have several major limitations like extremely high cost, low specific power and large stowage volume. Organic photovoltaic (OPV) module ...

The goal of the proposed research is to develop self-healing embedded communication antennas to be used in transparent armori.e., ground vehicle windows. Embedded antennas are known to delaminate from their host structures after impact; this allows an empty space to form around the antenna and as a result detunes the antenna. A sandwich structure will be designed, fabricated, and tested whereby th ...

ABSTRACT: The Tai-Yang Research Company (TYRC) of Tallahassee, FL in collaboration with Dr. Justin Schwartz of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, NC propose in this Phase 2 effort to develop the critical technologies necessary for the implementation and operation of an airborne high temperature superconductor (HTS) superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) device with par ...

Our objective is to significantly increase the electron transfer efficiency of the enzyme-catalyzed reactions at electrodes and thereby establish a new state-of-the-art power source for military and commercial systems. The approach is to develop a novel method for orienting enzymes immobilized onto the electrode surface that results in facilitated charge transfer. The proposed bio-electrode techn ...

In this STTR project we aim to build software interfaces and enhancements to existing parallel mesh adaptation libraries for applications in high performance flow modeling. In Phase-I we demonstrated a preliminary implementation of such a system and identified technology needs. Phase-II development will include both open source, as well as commercially supported mesh adaptation software and interf ...

ABSTRACT: Due to increasing communications demand for tactical mission operations force the DoD to initiative to migrate the existing circuit-switched, bent-pipe satellite communication systems to the onboard packet switched satellite systems using Internet Protocols. The new approach offers significant flexibility and performance gain, but there are still tough challenges, e.g., high bit error r ...

Several laser types are in development by the government for advanced proximal sensors, including the quantum cascade laser, the miniature solid state laser with optical parametric oscillator and the miniature CO2 gas laser. The enabling critical component for all these advanced transmitters is the compact, robust, rapid, precision wavelength selector. It is proposed to develop and deliver a sta ...

Using its Phase I program results, M4 Engineering, Inc. and Sandia National Laboratories will continue to create a unique bonded joint analysis methodology and associated software. Surrogate traction-separation models will be created that efficiently capture the behavior that occurs for real bonded joints. Mixed mode loading, including compressive normal tractions and relative displacements will b ...

To address the Navys need for a solid state fundamental mode green laser for ocean mine detection, Lumany is proposing a compact, high efficiency, diode pumped solid state, q-switched laser based on novel laser diode pumps and a unique solid state crystal with excellent with energy storage properties for high peak power, short pulsed green lasing output at 520nm from the fundamental mode. This pro ...