Award Data

The research objective is to develop Modeling and Simulation (M&S) tools to accurately predict the performance of new state-of-the-art material systems as protection for high value missiles deployed in their launchers or canisters. The focus is on adapting multi-layered novel and non-traditional material technologies to improve protection against penetration and fragment impacts, focused detonatio ...

The objective of this Phase I project is to evaluate the use of novel Laser Induced Surface Improvement (LISI) techniques to provide surface modification to substrate materials which will provide superior wear resistance in extreme conditions. The specific application of interest is the hypersonic metal-to-metal contact that occurs at high speed test track facilities that can and has lead to catas ...

We are proposing to develop a process for large area fabrication of metamaterial films with electromagnetic responses that can be manipulated in the infrared region to enable tailored reflectivity and emissivity. Because the approach is based on metamaterials, this technique can readily be scaled to higher or lower frequencies.

The Phase II STTR project proposed herein presents a new methodology that Detect, Ex-tract, Track and Display features in a CFD solution. BENEFIT: It is projected that his work will impact the Air Force’s procurement methods through improved analysis capabilities in: 1. Aerostructures analysis 2. Weapons bay and structural acoustics analysis 4. Active flow control analysis 5. High lift syste ...

Aurora Flight Sciences and MIT have been developing tools and techniques that, together with existing 3D environment decision-making and navigation tools developed by AMRDEC in the PALACE program, are well-suited to the problem of autonomous vertical landing on unprepared landing sites. In this program, Aurora will team with MIT researchers and UC Santa Cruz (UCSC licenses PALACE technologies for ...

Aerius Photonics is proposing to develop high-power Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and arrays on 4” substrates with an integrated thermal management approach to improve the thermal performance on an entirely wafer-level manufacturing compatible process. This is critical as waste heat and wafer-scale manufacturing approaches are driving factors for performance and costs in a la ...

Luna Innovations Incorporated and CURBC (Calspan – University of Buffalo Research Center) are proposing to develop miniature, high-speed, high-temperature, fiber-optic pressure sensors that will fill the void that currently exists between ground and flight test instrumentation. The sensors small size (ø 0.007”) and high-sensitivity (better than ±0.01 psi) combined with a high-speed fiber-op ...

In miniature gas turbines for UAV applications, traditional bearings exhibit a typical lifetime of only 25 hours due to excessive axial loading. Mainstream proposes to use a passive, permanent magnet thrust bearing to alleviate this problem and increase service life to over 1000 hours. Since this type of bearing is non-contacting, it can operate at very high rotational speeds with minimal heat gen ...

Existing computer combat wargames offer a sophisticated and high fidelity base platform for accurately modeling standard combat scenarios. However, the rapid development of UAV capabilities in terms of sizes, weapons, sensors, communications and flight ability is presenting a new challenge for these simulations. At the same time, the general state of world affairs is changing such that the likeli ...

This proposal is for the use of state-of-the-art computer wargames to be used in the research on the impact and optimal use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in realistic combat scenarios. High fidelity, historically calibrated wargames ranging from sub-tactical ground-centric game engines through operational, strategic, air campaign, and naval-centric game engines will be used to address the fu ...