Award Data

Oriented polymer films such as those made of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) can offer high ballistic protection at low areal densities, however, their application is limited due to low optical transmittance and clarity. Hence, in this project, LaunchBay LLC will develop manufacturing process for a novel oriented film that provides not only superior ballistic perfo ...

The US Army and Department of Defense are continuing in their investment in the development of energetic materials for use in additive manufacturing (AM) for propellants.  Nalas Engineering is partnering with Dr. Lori Groven at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to develop innovative liquid resin systems for use in additive manufacturing, specifically UV light-based curing technol ...

The US Army is investing in the development of energetic materials for use in additive manufacturing (AM) for explosive and propellant applications in an ongoing effort to achieve extended range and lethality overmatch.  Currently, all commercially available monomers, polymers or resin systems for AM are non-energetic.  To use these in 3D printing applications for propellants and/or explosives, ...

Recent advancements in artillery, muzzle velocity, and post-launch propulsion technology have enabled gun-launched projectiles to travel faster and at longer ranges than ever before. To be most effective in flight and at range, the projectiles must incorporate RF sensors to enable advanced, mission-critical functionality. The RF sensors must also be able to survive and operate through extreme gun- ...

Terrain strength data are critical inputs to autonomous maneuverability and off-road mobility platforms. Soil strength is a complex variable that varies in both space and time and is a function of the soil composition, density, structure, and moisture content. Because of the interplay of these factors, estimation of terrain strength using remote sensing is unlikely to be successful if it relies on ...

5.0 volt lithium batteries could provide higher power and greater energy density than existing 4.2 volt batteries, but there is currently not a known combination of electrodes and electrolytes that are stable under repeated charge/discharge cycles. Individual components such as the anode, new olivine cathodes and ionic liquid electrolyte are individually stable at these voltages, but they fail at ...

The Army needs to develop energetic formulations suitable for additive manufacturing. One approach is to tailor energetic prepolymers and plasticizers to enable rapid curing. This would lower manufacturing costs, increase manufacturing throughput as well as increase the range and lethality of the system it is incorporated into. To date, the problem with energetic polymers and additive manufacturin ...

The blinding or disabling of focal plane arrays (FPAs) can greatly impair situational awareness for the warfighter. Some passive technologies, such as filters, can selectively remove certain wavelengths if those wavelengths are known to be threats, but there exists a need for a technology that can 1) attenuate 99.9% of high intensity light in a localized region within the viewing area, 2) perform ...

The US Army and other DOD forces occasionally need to breach reinforced concrete structures. There are several existing methods to assess the structural properties and predict reinforcement but each of these methods has specific deficiencies (e.g. to loud, too large, too inconsistent). Ground penetrating radar is a promising technology for non-destructive concrete substructure characterization but ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) propose to develop and demonstrate vat polymerization capabilities with an ultra-violet (UV) curable energetic polymer binder that will be used to produce gun propellant grains. Vat polymerization will present the opportunity for performance gains through highly engineered complex structures. Formulation trade studie ...