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Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) are one of the most versatile sources of radiation in the mid-infrared range and have found applications in a variety of fields. Despite their widespread adoption, one of the main hurdles holding QCLs back from large volume manufacturing is the large cost of ownership. While QCLs, like most semiconductor devices based on III-V compounds, can leverage the economies of ...

A proposed acoustic pattern recognition system will be based around an array of acoustic sensors to allow localization of sound events and cancellation of background noise. The number of sensors could be adjusted to vary the coverage area depending on the site. The measured signals will provide the input to a sophisticated signal processing algorithm that will separate the acoustic signals into ...

The video surveillance industry is experiencing dramatic change with the move from analog to digital video. Command centers need to have coordinated viewing of multiple camera feeds at one time, and the ability to switch automatically between feeds and display relevant patterns. Conventional security control rooms include a bank of monitors connected through a switch to an array of security camera ...

The high manufacturing success rate achieved in the fabrication of glass fabric laminates and sandwich constructions using the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer molding (VARTM) process has not been duplicated for carbon fabric parts due to the slower, more complex flow processes that occur in carbon fabrics. Part reject rates have been high due to the presence of significant void concentrations and/ ...

Advanced sensors and effectors are driving shipboard power distribution systems toward higher voltages, resulting in greater thermal demands on the power conversion modules.  Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), can be utilized to reduce thermal inefficiencies with high-frequency switching topologies, but heat generation is still a primary li ...

New technologies for assessing how blending affects structural and aerodynamic mistuning will be developed using the combined strengths of Blade Diagnostics Corporation and Duke University. BDC has developed an approach for identifying aerodynamic mistuning from engine data that will be further developed under this STTR. Duke will develop new methods for computing the effect of blending on the a ...

Prognostics and health management is a critical technology for accurately predicting impending failures and providing a decision process for replacing components before actual failures occur. This is particularly critical in aircraft Electrical Power Systems. Significant gains in maintenance decision making, safety, system availability, productivity, and cost savings, could be realized by the Nav ...

This proposal is a joint effort between Qualtech Systems, Incorporated (QSI), the Institute for Software Integrated Systems at Vanderbilt University (VU), and Hamilton Sundstrand (HS) in Rockford, IL. QSI and VU have the combined knowledge and experience in successful development of a novel solution to aircraft system and subsystem prognostics and maintenance tools and have developed state-of-the- ...

This Phase I STTR project will further develop our technique for uniformly dispersing single walled carbon nanotubes into polymeric resins. This project will specifically aim to provide them with a mechanism for anchoring themselves to an epoxy matrix during curing in such a way that they are able to accept and absorb an applied load. The successful development of this technology will result in n ...

Light absorption by aerosols is a key component to atmospheric extinction, and affects a number of processes relevant to the Navy. Satellite and other remotely sensed measurements can be strongly impacted by aerosols, obscuring targets and/or confounding interpretation of data products. Directed energy applications, including weapon and communication systems, are also impacted by absorption, which ...