Award Data

During Phase I, 3TEX designed universal, one-piece, 3D woven fiber preforms which can be used as either a “Butt” (H) joint or as a “P” joint as needed. Composite joints were fabricated and tested, demonstrating the benefit of the integral nature of the 3D preforms. 3D stress/strain and crack propagation analysis of composite Π-joint was performed using 3D MOSAIC code. 3D displacement, st ...

Military helicopters rotors contend with rain, ice, sand, and flying debris. To prevent damage to the expensive blade protective sheaths or coatings are applied to the leading edge of the rotor blades. A 3-D woven composite sheath with high thermal conductivity fibers running through the thickness can offer the best qualities of both metal sheaths and elastomer coatings. Infused with an elastom ...

Miller Fasteners made from 2-D laminates represent the state of the art in joining CMC panels to metal frames. Despite its success, the extant Miller fastener design is limited by its construction from a laminate of 2-D fabric. The resultant fastener part has poor interlaminar shear strength, and its manufacture and application entails high machining costs and high material scrap rates. 3TEX, i ...

Cloud Cap Technology is proposing to develop a stabilized pan tilt zoom camera gimbal system for the Coyote sonobuoy tube launched UAV. Cloud Cap is the maker of the Piccolo autopilot, which is used in many UAV systems, including the prototype of the Coyote. In the spring of 2006 Cloud Cap will introduce a new product, the TASE stabilized pan tilt zoom camera system for small UAVs. TASE is almo ...

Based on direction from Dr. Amy Kru

While the need for effective millimeter wave (mmW) imaging systems is clear, there remains a significant gap in the technology needed to realize it, namely the ability to process and enhance mmW imagery in a real-time manner. This is particularly important because raw mmW images appear very fuzzy, are color mapped, and have regions of intensity that are not normally associated with visible and IR ...

The proposal outlines the use of rapid protyping techniques to create a functional small scale feasibility system and documentation to provide a demonstration of the features needed in a full-scale automated isolation and tag-out system. It will use a highly innovative, patented network control technology that provides a reliable, low cost means to interconnect thousands of remote sensor and cont ...

Blade tip sensors are increasingly being used to monitor the behavior, diagnose problems and at times aid in predicting the remaining life of bladed disks in gas turbine engines and steam turbines. These sensors are commonly used with a Non-Intrusive Stress Measurement (NSMS) system in the laboratory and in test cells to measure blade resonance (High Cycle Fatigue), detect cracks in blades and di ...

The side looking camera of Sono-buoy launch UAV can be stabilized using a two axis system with limited travel, solid state gyros for feedback and torque motors. This technology is available on Hood Technology's existing AltiCam turrets. The new system would however fit in a 3x3 inch space, unlike the 7inch space for AltiCam. Two imagers, the Sony FCB-IX10 and the FLIR Omega are imagers that mee ...

We propose to develop a new class of turbomchinery sensors useful for detection and analysis of turbomachinery blade vibration.