Award Data

GaN (Gallium Nitride) High Electron Mobility Transistor (HFET) devices face severe thermal control problems as a result of high power densities which result from the need for more power and the ongoing reduction in geometries of individual devices. The device lattice temperature increases under high power causing several detriment effects: a) The carrier phonon scattering rate increases causing a ...

In response to MDA’s needs for non-eroding throats for controllable axial upper stages , UTRON proposes an innovative near net shape fabrication technology called High Pressure Combustion Driven Powder Compaction (CDC) with tremendous potential for cost-effective manufacturing of advanced cermet type of alloys of ceramics such as micro/nano HfC, HfB2, HfN, ZrC and/or with high temperature ductil ...

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Next generation Radars (NGR) for MDA will advance closer to the ideal of a fully digitized array and digital beamforming. In a conventional phased array radar (PAR), analog beamforming networks reduce the entire array into a few combined beams (e.g., sum beam, difference beams) at X-band. Next generation PAR will use a hybrid approach, forming many subarray beams in analog, and then performing a ...

Computational Physics, Inc. (CPI) proposes to develop prototype first-principle cloud and terrain physics models integrated into a robust and extensible component architecture that facilitates the assessment of the impact of terrain and cloud radiance and irradiance in the UV/VIS/IR wavebands on missile defense systems. The prototype will also be used to demonstrate support for observational forec ...

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The performance of the Ballistic Missile Defense System depends on a number of factors; one of the most important is the ability to accurately and efficiently discriminate between threats (reentry vehicles) and non-threats (decoys). The DECISIVE ANALYTICS Corporation (DAC) team proposes to develop a discrimination system based on a novel machine learning algorithm called Maximum Variance Unfoldin ...

One of the causes of derailments occurs when the track gage is no longer compliant with the FRA track safety standards for gage measurments. Ensuring track gage is in compliance with the FRA track safety standards is therefore of paramount importance to the FRA. Currently, the FRA wishes to develop a non-contact track gage measurement system that overcomes the limitations of current systems (unr ...

Electrically Solid Propellants (ESP) are a new class of energetic material that can be formulated as a pyrogen having several safety advantages over BKNO3. These ESP are inherently safe from accidental ignition being controllable via electrical power input. When an ESP is fitted with electrodes and a current of the required voltage is applied, it ignites and continues to energetically burn until ...

This proposal seeks to produce a unique thermographic coating inspection system that is customized for the inspection of bridge coatings. This system uses active thermography where IR sources are used to provide controlled heating to a coating system. The presence of a defect in a coating system will result in differences in heat flow, which can be imaged with an infrared camera. An off-the-she ...