Award Data

ABSTRACT: Casting parts with intricate internal surfaces are routinely used in many gun systems. It is important to inspect those casting parts to ensure the inner structures comply with the original design during the first article testing and production lot certification. Currently, inspections of inner surfaces are often done with borescopes, which is time consuming, labor intensive, and costly. ...

Current depot-level manufacturing systems are not responsive to changing requirements and flexible specifications.The serial arrangement of individual work cells results in a lengthy timeline to complete the critically needed part; thus, critical assets are out of service for an extended period of time.The Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS) is a new approach used by mass manufacturers to re ...

ABSTRACT: ATA will develop the Bright Star illuminator concept to mitigate speckle and scintillation by applying spectrally diverse, high brightness, fiber laser technology, in a spatially diverse transmitter array, to afford optimal, configurable, power scaling, relevant to the range requirements for specific tracking and Intelligence Sensing and Reconnaissance (ISR) objectives.The Air Force is s ...

ABSTRACT: ATA will develop the Spin Stabilized Optical Inertial Reference Unit (SSOIRU) to provide an inertially stabilized optical reference beam for HEL weapon systems on tactical aircraft.Our approach is based on proven spinning mass gyroscope technology and the initial concept design suggests a 10x reduction in size, weight, and power (SWaP).The SSOIRU concept is based on existing technology a ...

ABSTRACT: Applied Technology Associates (ATA) and University of California Irvine (UC Irvine) have teamed to develop a compact optical inertial reference unit (OIRU) for aircraft-based, tactical, high-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems.ATA has typically developed OIRUs that utilize a passively isolated and actively stabilized platform, which houses the stabilized reference laser source.The SWaP-C o ...

ABSTRACT: Unsteady processes, such as vortex shedding and local extinction, play a key role in augmentor stability.These processes occur on fast timescales, and can involve complex, three-dimensional (3D) information.To fully elucidate unsteady processes, such as flame ignition and blowout, fast diagnostics that can provide information over a 3D volume are needed.In this research program, we will ...

ABSTRACT: The past decade has seen a proliferation of computing devices. A landscape once dominated by single core microprocessors has given way to a plethora of competing technologies including multicore x86, ARM, and Power-family processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), Xeon Phis, DSPs, and TILE architectures, among others. Further complicating matter ...

ABSTRACT: ATA proposes to develop an optical communications terminal with low SWaP-C that enables high data rate communications between GPS satellites.Our proposed Laser Communications Crosslink (LaserComXL) terminal integrates advanced ATA line-of-sight stabilization, tracking and pointing technologies with space-qualified laser and detector technologies into a compact package with multiple optic ...

ABSTRACT: Vibrant proposes the application of Process Compensated Resonance Testing (PCRT) as an alternative wheel and bolt inspection. PCRT uses the collection and analysis of a parts resonance frequencies to perform PASS/FAIL NDI, process monitoring and control, and part life monitoring for a wide range of critical aerospace components including wheels and bolts. In commercial wheel and bolt ins ...

ABSTRACT: Inspection for fatigue cracks in in-service aircraft bolts and wheels is an Air Force requirement that must be conducted through periodic maintenance or prior to rebuilding the assemblies.Current inspection methods include magnetic particle (MT) and penetrant testing (PT).These methods have significant disadvantages, including the generation of hazardous waste, false positives especially ...