Award Data

The 3D-Flow Processor system is a new concept in very fast, real-time system architectures. The throughput of this system can reach up to 100 millin frames/sec, yet unlike currently available systems of comparable speed, it is fully programmable and extremely flexible. Algorithms for processing information from the input of multiple sensor can easily be implemented on a 3D-Flow system to achiev ...

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 ...

This proposal is directed at creating discontinuous unidirectional composite from continuous unidirectional prepreg. The process, Selectively-Discontinuous-Fiber (SDF), introduces micro-cuts in preimpregnated unidirectional materials at specified locations. This process will allow unidirectional composite prepreg to be used for the fabrication of complex-compound components that have be ...

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Current fire fighting training methods are possibly lacking maximum effectiveness due to increasing safety and environmental regulation. Additionally, performance measurement in large classes becomes difficult unless trainees have identical training scenarios and evaluations. This proposal details the analysis of current training methods and subsequent emulation of them using virtual reality (VR ...

The AES International Corporation (AESI) of College Station, Texas, in concert with Texas A&M University personnel, can build an airborne ground-penetrating radar system to detect land mines from an Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV). The radar itself will be a totally new and fully airworthy flight demonstration unit, the principles and characteristics of which will be conceptually similar to two p ...

AMI utilizes a technique known as the "ribbon wind" approach to manufacture infrared fiber image bundles. The ribbon wind approach provides a unique opportunity to manufacture relatively low cost, large format, medium resolution infrared fiberoptic image bundles for industrial, commercial and military applications. Indeed, this approach has been applied successfully by numerous fiberoptic manufa ...

Investigation of failed composite components requires tress analysis to assess their structural integrity. Currently there exist no general-purpose software packages for composite structural analysis that are accessible to failure investigators who are not experts in these types of analysis. The proposed research and development effort will fill this void with a flexible user friendly, PC-based ...

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 ...