Award Data

The ultimate objective of this project is to develop an instrument capable of remote detection and location of tornadoes and/or storms containing tornadoes. There are many reports, both scientific and anecdotal, suggesting that tornadoes and tornadic thunderstorms emit anomalous electromagnetic (EM) radiation-both RF and luminous. This radiation is characterized by unusually high rates of EM pulse ...

We will develop technology, termed a Ruggedized Wind Measurement System (RWMS), to measure directly extreme winds with high space and time resolution, focusing on the winds that occur beneath hurricanes at land fall. This development effort will include design, fabrication of two prototype RWMS units, and a series of proof-of-concept demonstrations in strong mountain-induced downslope and severe t ...

The near-field scanning optical microscope can supply information on the shape and electrical properties of surfaces with nanometer resolution. The quantitative interpretation of images is difficult because of the difficulty of electromagnetic field solutions in the near-field limit. We propose to supply software to aid in this analysis. The finite-element programs generate two and three-dimension ...

IGES Data Analysis, Inc. (IDA) (formerly IGES Data Analysis) proposes to develop a specification and implementation for the viewing of IGES files on the Internet's World Wide Web (Web). This project will evaluate the different uses of IGES and attempt to determine a base graphic subset that will provide the most benefit to users of the Web. IDA will use the currently posted IGES Figure Viewer Spec ...

A growing number of fire fighters are suffering third degree burns; this has led to questions about the adequacy of thermal protective performance (TPP) measurements for protective clothing. A new heat flux sensor, whose response approximates that of skin, will be developed to provide better measurements of heat transfer in TPP tests. This sensor will be used with nonlinear parameter estimation an ...

As fire protection engineering moves towards the implementation of performance- based fire codes, the use of validated fire models is becoming a necessity. Part of the validation process involves demonstrating model capabilities for predicting key fire environment parameters. One of the key parameters for estimating time to ignition and fire growth is the heat transfer rate to compartment surfaces ...

OPTRA is proposing the development of an all-reflecting stationary Fourier transform spectrometer, based on the use of Fresnel mirrors and a linear uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometer array to produce spectra in the 1 to 5 micron region with resolution of 5nm. Concentration, temperature and soot volume fraction will be derived from the measured emission spectra of a flame. An amorphous silic ...

We propose a 6 month program during which we will develop and demonstrate an approach for generating well-characterized atomic and molecular beams of metastable species. Such beam sources are necessary for the microelectronics and plasma processing industries because they would provide a valuable tool required to establish a solid database of plasma-related collision processes. This improved and e ...

A diode laser method for the real-time measurement of absolute flux concentrations and spatial profiles of atomic beams used in MBE will be tested. The proposed method uses the doubled output of a near-infrared diode laser to access atomic absorption lines of species such as Ga, Al and In. The detection method will combine high frequency wavelength modulation and noise canceler approaches in order ...

Commercial aviation offers a low cost platform from which to make extensive humidity measurements, provided the instrumentation can run autonomously and endure the rigorous flight schedules. Advances in state of the art diode laser gas sensing technology make possible compact, fully automated, self-calibrating instrumentation with the sensitivity needed to measure humidity levels throughout the tr ...