You are here

Seeing Sound - Image Analysis of the Lift-off Acoustic Field

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX12CF52P
Agency Tracking Number: 115749
Amount: $114,522.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: X2.01
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2011
Award Year: 2012
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2012-02-23
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2012-08-23
Small Business Information
FL
Titusville, FL 32780-7272
United States
DUNS: 967839247
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Sandra Clements
 Principal Investigator
 (321) 698-2593
 sandra.clements@leapingcatch.com
Business Contact
 Sandra Clements
Title: Business Official
Phone: (321) 698-2593
Email: sandra.clements@leapingcatch.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

A launch vehicle and its launch facilities are subjected to intense acoustic loads generated by the vehicle's propulsion system. The vehicle, its payload, and facilities must be designed to withstand these loads to ensure mission safety and success. Accurately accounting for the acoustic environment early in the design phase of a new launch vehicle is a high priority. Governments and aerospace entities expend significant resources investigating launch acoustics using a combination of predictive models, full-scale and subscale tests, and test flights. Sensors that acquire acoustic data are deployed over a limited geometry and do not sample the full three-dimensional volume exposed to the acoustic field. Launch imagery samples that three-dimensional volume. Under appropriate conditions, rapidly varying condensation features are generated by the lift-off acoustic field. A software tool will be developed to determine the three-dimensional structure of the field from imagery of these acoustically-induced features. This unique data will be compared to model predictions and will serve to either validate those models or inspire modifications to those models. Improving predictive models contributes to a more reliable and efficient design process for new launch vehicle propulsion systems, and thus reduces associated design costs. Techniques and procedures will be developed and evaluated during the Phase I effort and will be implemented into a software tool during the Phase II effort.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government