Award Data

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) will work with our team members to develop significantly less costly methods of attaching ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components to metal structures in jet turbine engines for JSF and other military platforms. We will demonstrate the ability to braze CMCs to representative superalloys, using brazing processes that are modifications to those commercially available. ...

Compact, electrically-efficient, room-temperature, tunable, and narrow-frequency sources of coherent THz emission are desired for many DoD missions, including sensing, ranging, and communications. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) is leading the integration of THz wavelength quantum cascade lasers in remote sensing applications for a variety of DoD agencies and here proposes to develop a novel quantum ...

Physical Sciences, Inc. (PSI) proposes to demonstrate a dual emission lighting system that can operate near both the scotopic maximum sensitivity of 507 nm and the night vision goggle (NVG) radiant sensitivity maximum of ~825 nm (for non-visible). The switchable dual emission luminosity device is designed to be detected at up to 8 km at night using NVG during a zero visible emission mode, or at 1 ...

Development of a high energy laser weapon for point defense of Navy surface ships requires increased knowledge of mechanisms leading to thermal blooming during propagation in the marine atmosphere. Specifically, more detailed knowledge of absorption by water aerosols is needed. Recent research has shown that current marine atmospheric aerosol models are most applicable for the open ocean; howeve ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a high speed laser machining process for ceramic matrix composites. The recent development of high rate, high pulse power lasers and the non-contact nature of the PSI process minimize the damage typical of other laser machining processes. It also enables precise placement of through holes, trenches and identification markings. The goal of the Phase ...

Future RF communication technologies for US submarines require high antenna performance, such as increasing gain and multi-band/wide-band capability. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to design, build, and test a novel dual-band antenna operating in both VHF (30 MHz-174 MHz) and UHF (225 MHz – 400 MHz) bands. This antenna will reduce the number of necessary antennas on board of US submarin ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop an analytical model to predict the effects of short duration heating on the thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of composite materials. Verification of the model will be accomplished by employing a high power continuous wave laser as a heating simulation method and applying our existing 1-D laser effects thermal response code to model mate ...

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) is proposing to develop a hydrogen generation system for PEM fuel cells using a novel catalytic steam reforming process, capable of utilizing Navy logistic fuels efficiently for improving overall system efficiency. The steam reformer, will be based upon PCI's patented and trademarked Microlithr substrate technology. This technology will be modeled and developed i ...

Q-Peak, Inc. proposes to develop a highly efficient 1064-nm microchip laser that will be capable of providing sub-nanosecond pulses with pulse energies of 12 mJ at a repetition rate greater than 4 kHz. The device will be able to operate in rugged environment and within a wide range of operation and storage temperatures. Pumped by a 1.0-W laser diode, with 50% electrical-to-optical efficiency, the ...

The Navy needs lasers for applications in high-data-rate communication between mobile platforms both above and below water. Given the transmissive properties of water and the desire to obtain large data rates, the lasers must operate in the blue-green wavelength region and be pulsed with nanosecond durations at rates ranging from 100’s to 1000’s of kHz. The nature of the communications operati ...