Award Data

Significant deficiencies exist in the laser source technology for IRCM, specifically in the limited pulse rep-rate capability, limited average power output and capability to be transitioned to field environments. We propose a diode pumped solid state Er,Ho:YSGG laser and optical parametric oscillator to resolve these deficiencies. This laser has a potential dual use market in micro-surgery where t ...

With new detectors capable of sensing 7.5 - 9 micron wavelengths, a future threat is emerging since these detectors can be used in seekers. The need is to counter this threat with a laser source operating at 7.5 - 9 microns. The source requirements are 5 - 10 Watts of average power and a repetition rate of > 10 kHz. The proposed laser source is a Nd:YAG-pumped tandem OPO system consisting o ...

For future long-range theater ballistic missile defense, aircraft-mounted LADAR systems require eyesafe laser transmitters that produce higher pulse energy and better beam quality than currently available optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) pumped by diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers. Aculight proposes a novel laser transmitter approach that can simultaneously generate the required pulse energy, b ...

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Cured aircraft composite materials present a particularly difficult challenge for recycling technology. Those materials have mostly thermosetting epoxy matrices and occur in intimate association with metals, paints, and coatings. Current techniques for recycling thermoset composites, mostly for automotive sheet molding compounds (SMC), involve pulverizing the material for use as fillers. Th ...

A novel tertiary recycling process is proposed for investigation as an economical means for recycling shipboard plastic waste. Early development work has shown that this process can convert a wide variety of polymers and composites into low molecular weight hydrocarbons at temperatures below 200'C. The hydrocarbons produced can then be reused as chemicals, fuels, or monomers. Metal, glass, and fil ...

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A miniaturized lighter-than-air (LTA) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is proposed as a low altitude, station keeping, optical instrumentation platform. The advanced airship design will be derived from parameters developed during the successful Small Aerostat Surveillance System, Low Intensity Target Exploitation (SASS LITE) UAV program. This miniature airship developed by Applied Research Associates, I ...

Current utilization of composite materials in air and surface weapons systems and structures is extensive, and the use of these materials can be expected to increase in the future. Weapons effectiveness assessments and the design of protective structures require methodologies to predict the terminal ballistic interactions between projectiles and fragments penetrating composite laminated target st ...

Warhead design calculations and weapons effectiveness estimates require a methodology to predict structural response and the associated damage to air targets from reactive munitions. The objectives for the proposed Phase I study effort are to develop candidate launch conditioning, reaction initiation and reaction rate methodology, to incorporate existing ballistic, blast and quasi-static pres ...