Award Data

The main objective of this STTR Phase I effort is two-fold. First, to develop a robust approach for coupling the flow solver Kestrel with the multidisciplinary software tool AERO Suite in order to enable the physics-based modeling and simulation of the dynamics of Aerodynamics Decelerator Systems (ADS) such as parachutes from deployment to terminal velocity or terminal descent and touchdown, and t ...

Because of rising demand for human analysts and more efficient processing of increasingly large and challenging amounts of intelligence, human limitations on mental workload, cognitive fatigue, and attentionor task engagement, need to be accurately monitored in real-time in order to provide sensitive detection of impaired cognitive states. It is a challenge to continuously monitor these cognitive ...

ABSTRACT: In this proposal, researchers from Cascade Technologies and Professors Matthias Ihme and Ali Mani from Stanford University lay out a plan to develop predictive modeling tools for transcritical flows. Phase I of the three phase plan is outlined in detail and extensions are proposed for Phases II and III. Central points of the Phase I plan include: A comprehensive review and assessment ...

ABSTRACT: In this project, we propose to develop the baseline process to form low source-drain contact resistance to the CNTs. This includes finding the right metal stack and annealing recipe to form good ohmic contact to the CNTs. The goal is to achieve a resistance less than 25 k at per nanotube contact. To reach such goal, we will leverage the interfacial dipole alignment of conjugated polyelec ...

ABSTRACT: The hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet is capable of providing hypersonic air-breathing propulsion for high-speed applications. The effective operation of high-speed air-breathing engines (ram- and scram-jets) over a wide range of flow parameters (velocity and altitude) is one of the most technically difficult challenges in the design of hypersonic vehicles. The most promising approach to overc ...

ABSTRACT: The need for improved performance of liquid rocket engines requires efficient wall cooling technologies to mitigate high heat fluxes from hot combustion gases to the engine wall in the thrust chamber. High heat fluxes to the chamber liners can be overcome by fuel film cooling (FFC) of the inside chamber using the liquid propellant. Moreover, the thermal cracking of the fuel creates coke ...

ABSTRACT: Toyon Research Corp. and the Penn State Univ. propose research and development of innovative algorithms for classifying objects and activities observed in high-dimensional data, including video and hyperspectral imagery. The proposed algorithms include novel feature clustering techniques to enable effective characterization of intra-class and inter-class appearance variations in datasets ...

ABSTRACT: Current methods for inspecting the external surface of manned and unmanned low-observable (LO) aircraft are time consuming and error prone. Technology that can reduce inspection times and minimize human error will benefit the Air Force by significantly increasing aircraft reliability and availability while reducing lifecycle maintenance costs. To address this need, Intelligent Automat ...

ABSTRACT: This proposal presents an Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) upgrade scheme using smart antenna and cognitive satellite radio techniques. On the remote tracking station (RTS) side, switched beam smart antenna, distributed beam forming technique, multiple access technique based on FDMA and/or CDMA are applied to obtain multiple satellites reception objective. On the satellite si ...

ABSTRACT: In this proposal a Game-theoretic Universal Anti-RFI Defense (GUARD) framework for Satellite Communications is proposed. Key components of the GUARD framework include i) Radio Frequency Interferences (RFI) modeling and impact evaluation infrastructure, which allows the evaluation of the impact of RFI from various sources, and provides a comprehensive RFI knowledge base to SATCOM; ii) RF ...