Award Data

ABSTRACT: Triton Systems Inc., in combination with our partner Northrop-Grumman Corporation proposes to develop a high performance composite heat exchanger system that can be integrated into airframe structures of unmanned and manned systems to provide thermal management for aircraft systems and/or mission payload. The key ingredient of the composite heat exchanger is a novel technique for pierc ...

ABSTRACT: We propose to fabricate a high performance signal and pump combiner for high-power fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers. We will use advanced glass micromachining processes that will alleviate the fabrication challenges associated with either tapered fused fiber couplers or side-pumped fused coupler. A central robust fused silica structure will be micromachined. The pumps and signal fib ...

Physical Sciences Inc. and Colorado State University will develop an innovative sensor that enables low-cost infrared hyperspectral imaging though the use of novel sampling algorithms which provide real-world chemical plume detection capability with compressed data and a hardware configuration which enables high frame rate capture of full 2D spatial and 1D spectral data. Compressive sensing techn ...

ABSTRACT: Busek Co. Inc. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) propose to explore the physical limits of ionic liquid propulsion via development of new theory to explain effects of close packing emission density and to predict performance limits. The research is motivated by observations and tests demonstrating that emission from 2-dimensional porous surfaces yields order of magnitude g ...

EngeniusMicro and the Georgia Institute of Technology propose a passive wireless sensor platform for the monitoring of corrosion on aircraft and for stored aircraft components. Multiple volumes, chambers, and compartments within aircraft are susceptible to corrosion damage because they are exposed to moisture, they trap heat, and they are difficult to inspect. Placing passive wireless corrosion se ...

During covert operations, the U.S. Army may be required to breach a concrete structure using a controlled explosion. When choosing the most effective charge size and placement, it is vital to perform a rapid field assessment of the material and structural properties of the target structure. However, high strength concrete materials (such as Ultra-High Performance Concrete), including steel fiber r ...

ABSTRACT: OPTRA proposes the development of a three-band visible (VIS), shortwave infrared (SWIR), and midwave infrared (MWIR) high dynamic range digital micromirror device (DMD)-based scene projector incorporating OPTRA"s patented structured illumination technique for achieving low background scene projection and high contrast at high frame rates with the associated short integration times. Thi ...

The US Army faces a significant burden in planning sustainment operations. Currently, logistics planners must manually evaluate potential emplacement sites to determine their terrain suitability. Sites subject to rainfall-runoff responses such as ponding are ill-suited for emplacements, but evaluating the likelihood of such responses requires significant time and expertise. To reduce the time and ...

This proposed Phase I SBIR program with the US Army will focus on demonstrating ultra-low dark current in flexible, high-efficiency photovoltaic cells with nano-enhanced absorbers. By extending infrared absorption, power conversion efficiencies in single-junction, nano-enhanced solar cells can potentially meet or even exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit. Novel device designs utilizing advanced ba ...

ABSTRACT: ORS requires rapid delivery of low-cost payloads that meet the needs of unplanned and unanticipated spacecraft missions. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) will provide ORS, the Air Force, and other customers with a low-cost, rapidly-fabricated deployable antenna for use in a wide range of potential RF missions. The PSI team will use a combination of commercially available manufacturing techn ...