Award Data

In the Phase I program, we will design an experiment/test article, and test/validate instrumentation and diagnostics, to be used to obtain plasma properties about a hypersonic vehicle having characteristics and features of the RAM-C flight vehicle. The test model is to be installed and tested in the LENS-XX facility (in Phase II) and experimental planning will be supported by detailed numerical si ...

Aircraft often are subject to externally generated electromagnetic interference (EMI) comprising high intensity radiated fields of strengths in excess of 1000 V/m generated by radars operating at 400 MHz and above. They also are subject to generally less intense fields produced by internal sources such as handheld radios. This EMI may adversely affect the aircraft’s communication, navigation, an ...

The proposed research program focuses on design, fabrication, and characterization of quantum-dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) which features bias-tunable parameters, including the spectral response, optical gain, and operating time. Wide variations of detector parameters can be realized through the bias-tunable potential barriers surrounding quantum dots. Changes in bias will transform the ba ...

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an exciting application of the quantum theory to the important real-world problem of secure communications. Specifically, QKD may allow for provably secure key distribution. These random keys can then be used either in a one-time-pad style encryption system (for absolute security at low rates) or a standard encryption system (for high security at high rates). Trad ...

A computational and experimental research program is proposed to develop and validate a high-fidelity 3D non-equilibrium magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma compressible flow code for advanced aerospace applications. The code will incorporate a physics-based kinetic model of air plasma with non-equilibrium conductivity sustained by an externally applied electric field. The model will include electron ...

The airborne network suffers from the limitations of highly constrained network capacity due to wireless link communication and intermittent connectivity among platforms. Information coding theory is a very new technology that is initially proposed for computer networks in 2001 and for ad hoc networks in 2006. The recent study shows it is able to increase the network capacity for mobile network to ...

ABSTRACT: MicroLink and its collaborators, Rochester Institute of Technology and Magnolia Solar, will develop a high-efficiency, single-junction, epitaxial lift-off (ELO) GaAs solar cell by incorporating nano-scale features, such as quantum dots and optically functional textures, within the solar cell structure. The principal technical objective of the project is to increase the AM0 efficiency o ...

ABSTRACT: CU Aerospace (CUA) and team partner the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) propose to perform research, development and demonstration of experimental quenching free measurements of heat-release in a realistic highly turbulent plasma-assisted flame. Kinetics models will be correspondingly updated and detailed 3D multiphysics simulations will be validated by the measuremen ...

ABSTRACT: Living systems rely on pervasive vascular networks to enable a plurality of biological function, exemplified by natural composite structures that are lightweight, high-strength, and capable of mass and energy transport. In contrast, synthetic composites possess high strength-to-weight ratios but lack the dynamic functionality of their natural counterparts. CU Aerospace, with team partne ...

ABSTRACT: The innovation proposed is a computationally-tractable, physics-based, portable turbulent combustion modeling strategy for application to a wide range of Air Force aero-propulsive systems, including augmentors, liquid rockets and scramjets. This modeling strategy will be implemented within an Application Programming Interface (API) library suitable for easy integration within Air Force ...