Award Data

HYPERSONIC AND SUPERSONIC SPEEDS ARE FEASIBLE DUE TO ADVANCES IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, VEHICLE DESIGN, AND PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY. THE EFFICIENCIES, RELIABILITY, AND ULTIMATE POTENTIAL OF AIR BREATHING PROPULSION SYSTEMS HINGE UPON NEW MATERIALS THAT CAN SURVIVE THE HARSH COMBUSTION ENVIRONMENTS. HAFNIUM AND ZIRCONIUM CARBIDE AND BORIDE MATRICES ARE CANDIDATE MATERIALS SYSTEMS, BUT ONLY IF MANUFAC ...

MANY INFRARED AND ELECTRO-OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEMS ARE CONFOUNDED BY FOG AND DUST. MILLIMETER EAVE IMAGING SYSTEMS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THESE BATTLEFIELD OBSCURANTS. HOWEVER, THE LIQUID HELIUM COOLING REQUIREMENT OF TODAYS HIGH PERFORMANCE LOW NOISE MIXERS IS BLOCKING THE DEPLOYMENT OF ADVANCED MILLIMETER WAVE COMMUNICATIONS AND IMAGING SYSTEMS. IN PRINCIPAL, JOSEPHSON MIXERS FABRICATED WITH TH ...

We propose to development of a relatively low cost, flexible, and environmentally sensitive means for shock qualification testing major shipboard systems using a non-explosive energetic source to generate the dynamic time-history environment representative of UNDEX situations. The key aspects of this system are 1) elimination of the use of energetic sources with a DoD Hazard/Classification 1.1, 1 ...

Determining a geo-reference of an underwater object is a critical requirement for marine applications such as mine-hunting and marine surveying. Although a GPS fix can be obtained at the surface, the watch circle of a tether connecting a surface and underwater body can impose positional errors that are far greater than GPS errors. Here we propose to develop a technology to automatically determin ...

The US Navy's new DD(X) destroyer currently under design features amongst its extensive sensor suite an innovative dual (high frequency and mid-frequency) frequency, active bow sonar. One of the primary missions of the high frequency (HF) component of the bow-sonar will be in-stride mine avoidance. Advanced signal processing algorithms, developed for predecessor sonars aboard modern US submarine ...

Localizing low frequency noise sources in shallow water using a horizontal array is complicated by waveguide dispersion and maneuverability constraints. If the dispersive properties of the sound propagation channel are well known, waveguide effects can be used advantageously for the purpose of localizing sources without requiring a relative change in bearing to the target. Here we propose to inve ...

THE ECONOMICS OF LAUNCH COST, COUPLED WITH POWER REQUIREMENTS FOR SPACE BASED WEAPONS SYSTEMS, MANDATE OPTIMIZATION OF THE RATIO OF POWER TO MASS IN SPACE POWER SYSTEMS. A LOW DENSITY, HIGH TEMPERATURE, RADIATION-COMPATIBLE MATERIAL WITH HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY USED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THERMAL MANAGEMENT DEVICES WOULD OFFER A SUBSTANTIAL ENHANCEMENT TO THE POWER/MASS RATIO, AND TO THE COST OF DE ...

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are being targeted for many military and commercial applications due to their light weight and high temperature stability. Their deployment is hampered by limited environmental durability. The Navy, under the JSF program, is evaluating a high performance CMC for an exhaust nozzle component. The CMC suffers from environmental degradation, primarily due to hot cor ...

PRESENT STATE OF THE ART THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS DEPOSITED BY ARC-PLASMA SPRAYING FAIL JUST ABOVE THE CERAMIC/BONDCOAT INTERFACE DUE TO ACCUMULATED STRESSES WHICH RISE DURING THERMAL CYCLING. THE PROPOSED PROJECT EXPLORES THE INCLUSION OF STRENGTHENING SIC WHISKERS OR PLATELETS TO COMBAT THESE STRESSES. WHEREAS PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS HAVE CAUSED DISASSOCIATION OF THE SIC, WE PROPOSE A STAGGERED INJECT ...

New concepts and processing methods are needed to minimize high cycle fatigue and improve the damping behavior of monolithic titanium blades, vanes, and stators in high performance aircraft engines. Ceramic coatings applied by the plasma spray process have the potential to achieve the required damping characteristics. The proposed Phase I project will determine the feasibility of the plasma spray ...