Award Data

Unmanned aerial surveillance requires large scale deployment of UAV based 3D lidar imagers. Although lidars and altimeters have been designed for science instruments on aircraft based operations, none so far have demonstrated a wide swath 3D imaging lidar suitable for use on a UAV platform. Sigma Space has demonstrated significant advances in the area of 3D imaging, using a recently developed phot ...

Compact, high volumetric energy density, pulse-power capacitors are an enabling technology for future DoD weapon systems. These capacitors will be used in pulse forming networks (PFNs) for the conversion of prime electrical energy into short pulses needed for directed energy and kinetic energy weapons and high power microwaves. To accomplish these objectives, improvements in the capacitor dielec ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop and deliver prototypes of high power, coherent 1550 nm Grating-outcoupled Surface-Emitting (GSE) laser array modules with integrated lenses for military detection and ranging applications. These eye-safe lasers will deliver 15 W of peak power with high coherence (relative to broad area edge-emitting lasers), wavelength stability ...

During the reverse thrust landing, areas of the C-17 aircraft become very hot and the current aliphatic polyurethane camouflage coating discolors and delaminates. The uncoated metal is reflective giving the C-17 a clear visual signature and mitigating survivability. In the Phase I effort TRI/Austin developed and tested novel ambient cured, high-temperature resistant, color matched, camouflage coat ...

The Phase II development effort focuses on 1) adapting existing rapid prototyping techniques for the robust, fabrication of metallic and ceramic injectors for bipropellant systems and 2) with the integration and joining of these injectors with ceramic matrix composite nozzles. The fabrication of complex components such as injectors by rapid protyping opens up a whole new area of injector design ...

Operating airplanes with flammable vapors in the fuel tank presents an avoidable risk of explosion. In fact, the elimination of flammable vapors in fuel tanks has made it to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) "Most Wanted" list of aviation safety improvements. Inerting systems displace air in the fuel tank with nitrogen and thus lower the oxygen content to a level that does not su ...

Advanced coated conductor development for high current carrying capacity HTS wires and tapes requires a high current density and also a large YBCO film thickness in the coated conductor. The inclusion of secondary phase particles, i.e., Chemical Pinning, is a highly viable approach to increase Jc from a production point of view, especially since in our application of metal organic chemical vapour ...

This Small business innovation research Phase II project proposes to develop innovative radiation-resistant multilayer prototype coating technology for solar cell protection against space radiation based on our successful demonstration of Phase I results. Phase II will expand potential of the material candidates and optimize it with production requirements matching for large area wafers used in so ...

We propose to develop a space-ready instrument that can accurately measure the emissivities, absorptivities, and long term stabilities of several passive and active coatings or thermal structures simultaneously. This technique provides a direct measure of the heat flowing through the surface using heat flux sensors, so the performances of the thermal control materials mounted on these sensors are ...

A well structured approach based on sound theory is realized through a strategy to achieve affordable V&V of critical software. With this approach, we propose the development of tools needed to provide the context for assessing safety and dependability. Our approach uses formalized attributes with comprehensive treatment of all possible error types. The techniques employed to provide on-line V&V ...