NASA 2003 SBIR Phase 1 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
International Electronic Machines Corporation (IEM)
60 Fourth Avenue
Albany ,NY 12202 - 1924
(518) 449 - 5504

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Zack F Mian
zack786@nycap.rr.com
60 Fourth Avenue
Albany ,NY  12202 -1924
(518) 449 - 5504
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
International Electronic Machines (IEM) Corp., a leader in multisensor monitoring solutions, proposes the design (in Phase I) and creation (in Phase II) of the Reactive In-flight Multisensor Security System (RIMSS). RIMSS would be an extremely affordable (less than $5,000) system which would improve safety and security within an aircraft by detecting abnormal events (including but not limited to unusual passenger or crew activities, losses of pressure, deviations from flight plan, movement or fire in cargo areas, and so on), automatically alerting the crew to these events, and recording the entire event. This will be accomplished through the combination of proprietary and innovative imaging hardware, acoustic monitoring, IEM?s unique and proprietary event and object detection, tracking, and identification software. RIMSS would continue to function even in the event of power loss through a unique backup system, and would be able to transmit data securely to designated ground stations. The imaging portion of the system will work in all lighting conditions and the entire system will be rugged and able to endure for many years of reliable service. RIMSS is made possible through IEM?s extensive experience in all relevant fields, including imaging, 360? vision systems, acoustic /visual target detection, and many others.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The RIMSS system and its components offer significant opportunity in the field of air safety and security (military and commercial aircraft). They can assist in the detection and/or prevention of violent behavior by passengers (terrorist or air-rage), early warning of situations such as shifting cargo or fires in cargo areas, and with the audio subsystem's signal recognition and beamforming capabilities offers significant ability to localize sounds which signal mechanical anomalies.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Similar applications of security and safety exist in other transportation areas -- maritime (cruise ships, military vessels), railroads (passenger and possibly freight), etc. Spinoffs or adaptations of the specific elements of RIMSS, such as the neural-network based behavior recognition and IEM?s AED algorithm, have wider applicability in any security or surveillance monitoring application, yielding a considerable market opportunity amongst the over 300,000 local, state, and federal personnel authorized to make arrests and the organizations to which these personnel belong, and another in static security arenas -- military bases, shopping centers, commercial installations, etc.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Spire Corp
One Patriots Park
Bedford ,MA 01730 - 2396
(781) 275 - 6000

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Kurt J. Linden
klinden@spirecorp.com
One Patriots Park
Bedford ,MA  01730 -2396
(781) 275 - 6000
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This Phase I SBIR proposal is aimed at developing a non-invasive, optical method for monitoring the state of consciousness of crew members in operational environments. Utilizing differences in wavelength-dependent optical absorption between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, pulsed laser diodes of selected wavelengths and symmetrically-placed photodetectors will be used to monitor the scattered light signals. Changes between these light signals and those established by prior baseline measurements will be monitored and interpreted using appropriate algorithms. Continuous monitoring of the mental state of personnel engaged in critical activities could provide a means of protection against human performance lapses resulting from unforeseen circumstances. Operational crew members are often subject to stress, increasing the possibility of operator mistakes or oversight. If a deterioration of the state of consciousness of an individual can be detected before that individual?s performance is affected, serious accidents or lapses in operator performance could be avoided. Phase I will establish feasibility, and Phase II will produce and evaluate a prototype monitoring instrument.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications specifically revolve around real-time, non-invasive monitoring of crew performance and state of mental consciousness. This is of major importance to mission safety and performance. Brain activity measurements, as determined by direct measurement of cerebral blood oxygenation, are expected to directly monitor crew health, stress level, state of duress, and general performance. The proposed cerebral oximetry method holds the potential for providing a reliable, low-cost, supplemental method of crew health monitoring.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The benefits of the proposed technology are expected to be of great importance to the government, industry, transportation and medical sectors of the economy. In the transportation area, operational crew members are often subject to stress, increasing the possibility of operator mistakes or oversight. If a deterioration of the state of consciousness of an individual can be detected before that individual?s performance is affected, serious accidents or lapses in operator performance could be avoided. Similar benefits are expected for other public industries such as in the medical and military sectors, where crew performance is critical.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Scientific Systems Co Inc
500 West Cummings Park Suite 3000
Woburn ,MA 01801 - 6580
(781) 933 - 5355

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Jovan D Boskovic
jovan@ssci.com
500 West Cummings Park Suite 3000
Woburn ,MA  01801 -6580
(781) 933 - 5355
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The main objective of the proposed work is to design and develop a multi-layer intelligent Loss-of-control Prevention System (LPS) for flight
control applications. The proposed LPS consists of several interconnected modules: (i) FDIR module that detects and identifies the failure; (ii) Achievable Dynamic Performance (ADP) calculation module that calculates the maximum performance that can be achieved with the control authority available after failure; (iii) System's Variables Prediction (SVP) module
that calculates the relevant variables of the system over a prediction horizon to predict if the system will enter an Unsafe Mode Set (UMS); and (iv) Command Limiting System (CLS) that recalculates the new command constraints and corresponding commands that prevent entering the UMS.
In Phase I the emphasis will be on the loss-of-control due to the
hard-over failures of the critical flight control effectors. We
plan to demonstrate through computer simulations that the proposed
LPS will effectively prevent the loss of control and assure the
avoidance of unsafe modes of operation. Boeing Phantom Works (Mr. James Urnes, Sr.) will provide technical and commercialization support throughout the project.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
One of main directions of NASA is to improve flight safety in the 21st century. A system that prevents the loss of control in critical flight regimes is an important contribution toward that goal, and will result in numerous commercial applications. An effective LPS will also be very beneficial for NASA programs involving hypersonic and re-entry vehicles
that operate in regimes where the danger of the loss of control is highly pronounced.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed LPS will have an immediate application in commercial aviation since it would substantially improve flight safety in critical flight regimes. The problem of loss-of-control handling in the case of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is even more pronounced since it involves a human operator. Effective decision-making aids in this context would substantially improve the flight safety and prevent collisions and unnecessary loss of the vehicle.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
NTI, Inc.
5200 Springfield Pike, Suite 119
Dayton ,OH 45431 - 1265
(937) 253 - 4110

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Robert L Shaw
fciassoc@aol.com
5200 Springfield Pike, Suite 119
Dayton ,OH  45431 -1265
(937) 253 - 4110
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this proposed Phase I SBIR effort is to develop and assess the feasibility of an innovative new flight instrument proposed to replace the traditional Turn Coordinator (or Turn-and-Slip Indicator) currently found in most general aviation (GA) aircraft. The primary innovation is the inclusion of climb-dive information and gyroscopic heading, in addition to the turn-rate information now available, in one low-cost display. In essence, this new ?r-Gamma? display concept will ?fuse? flight information on one display that the pilot must now gather and correlate from among five separate indicators whenever the aircraft experiences loss of the Attitude Indicator (AI) and the Heading Indicator (HI) due to vacuum system or gauge failure. The innovative technology that makes this concept feasible and affordable, with a projected cost similar to that of today?s Turn Coordinator, is derived from a technique called ?Air-Data Tracking,? recently developed and flight tested by our firm under an SBIR contract that involved tracking the flightpath of a small USAF sensor vehicle. We firmly believe this concept has the potential to improve significantly the safety of emergency ?partial-panel? flight operations in GA aircraft.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed r-Gamma system might serve as a substitute for gyroscopic attitude indicators in any atmospheric application.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercial application of the proposed r-Gamma system is to serve as an improved substitute for the Turn Coordinator currently found in virtually all GA aircraft. The r-Gamma instrument will provide substantial additional functionality and greatly improved safety for GA aircraft, and at price comparable to that of the Turn Coordinator and substantially below that of available alternatives. It is currently reported that there are roughly 200,000 GA aircraft registered in the U.S. alone. The nearly 70% of those are light single-engine aircraft, probably equipped with conventional Turn Coordinators or equivalent are potential candidates for the r-Gamma system.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
TERRAMETRICS, INC.
PO Box 270101
Littleton ,CO 80127 - 0002
(303) 979 - 5255

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Gregory A. Baxes
gbaxes@terrametrics.com
PO Box 270101
Littleton ,CO  80127 -0002
(303) 979 - 5255
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
TerraMetrics proposes an SBIR Phase I R/R&D effort to develop a key 3D terrain-rendering technology that provides the basis for successful commercial deployment of flight-qualified Synthetic Vision (SV) systems. The proposed innovation exploits the use of an encoded terrain data storage format coupled with real-time, terrain-block processing that inherently provides true, display-limited rendering accuracy and deterministic frame rates, eliminates "vertex-popping" artifacts, and supports a spherical rendering model as well as lightweight computer and data storage platform requirements. Significant preceding computer graphics research has targeted terrain rendering, but the focus has been on non-rigorous, ground-based visualization/simulation (VisSim) and gaming applications. The accuracy and performance demands of a flight-deployable, SVS terrain-rendering environment have not been adequately addressed to date, due to minimal commercial demand. The proposed innovation provides a flight-qualifiable, SV avionics 3D terrain-rendering solution to NASA?s Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) and downstream SV commercial embodiments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1) NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) research and development

2) Out-the-window displays for windowless spacecraft

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1) Flight-based Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) for
a) Commercial aircraft,
b) Business aircraft,
c) Military aircraft and rotorcraft,
c) General Aviation aircraft, and
d) Special-purpose aircraft applications such as aerial firefighting, search and rescue, remote sensing data collection, and reconnaissance

2) Ground-based Visualization/Simulation systems on lightweight platforms, GIS, gaming

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Artium Technologies
150 Iowa Street, Suite 202
Sunnyvale ,CA 94086 - 6184
(408) 737 - 2364

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
William D Bachalo
wbachalo@aol.com
150 Iowa Street, Suite 202
Sunnyvale ,CA  94086 -6184
(650) 941 - 4233
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Icing environments are of great concern in commercial and military aviation. An aircraft-based, imaging probe is being proposed for the reliable and accurate measurement of liquid water content (LWC) and droplet size distributions in environments variously referred to as freezing rain, freezing drizzle, supercooled drizzle drops, and supercooled large drops (SLD). The innovative aspect of the proposed probe is the use of multiple laser beams (of differing wavelengths) to create high quality shadows of individual particles (droplets and ice crystals) on a 2-d CCD array. Conventional aircraft-based probes such as the OAP suffer from measurement uncertainties arising from the detection of droplets that are out-of-focus. The use of multiple intersecting laser beams will also minimize the background noise created by other particles that may be present along the laser beam path but outside of the measurement volume. Finally, the incorporation of a means for differentiating between ice-crystals and droplets, while counting and measuring both, allows computation of water content in both liquid and solid phases. These innovations, and the other features of the probe to be discussed later, directly address the need for aircraft-based icing monitoring systems that NASA has identified in topic A1.02 of the 2003 SBIR solicitation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are wide ranges of applications for an instrument that can characterize sprays and droplet fields over a wide size range. The immediate goal of producing a probe for measuring icing clouds and other cloud drop size distributions is of immediate interest to NASA and other agencies involved in cloud physics and icing research. We have been approached by NCAR and other commercial groups requesting us to develop such a probe for cloud and atmospheric studies. The obsolescence of the PMS probes has left a market opportunity for new probes based on advanced technology.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are also significant applications requiring an imaging probe for process evaluation and control. For example, in spray drying, the usual light scattering methods fail because the drops are not transparent or homogeneous. In such cases, an imaging system is the best method to use since it is not affected by the peculiarities of the droplet material. Another area deals with research in fire suppression systems used in commercial buildings. A system is needed to characterize sprays from sprinklers and to help develop these systems. No system exists for these applications whereas the number of spray drying processes including food processing, drug manufacturing, and other industrial processes is enormous. One of the complaints about the PDI method is that it cannot cover the entire drop size range in many sprays and that the larger nonspherical drops can produce significant measurement error. The integration of a second method will expand the areas of application of this important diagnostic.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Nastec, Inc.
1801 East 9th Street #1111
Cleveland ,OH 44114 - 3103
(216) 696 - 5157

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Richard   Klein
batdar@aol.com
1801 East 9th Street #1111
Cleveland ,OH  44114 -3103
(216) 696 - 5157
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
It is proposed to develop an accurate, in-service transmission life-estimation system for the prediction of remaining component and system life for a helicopter transmission system. Once proven in the helicopter environment, this life-estimation system will be of use to a wide variety of airborne and land-based transmission systems. Its use will improve the safety and reduce the maintenance costs of the monitored systems.
The transmission-life estimating system will include three separate algorithms: an in-flight service monitoring algorithm, a pre-flight and post-flight transmission analysis algorithm, and a component-life tallying algorithm. The in-flight service monitor will treat the transmission as a whole in response to sampling data of mast torque and speed. The transmission analysis algorithm will determine the transmission's operating parameters from those of its components. It also will determine the life and reliability of the individual components based on the service monitoring algorithm's output. The component-life algorithm will accumulate life and reliability tables.
The Phase I effort will develop the life-monitoring and supporting life-estimation and reliability algorithms. In the Phase II effort, the full life-estimating system will be assembled and tested with a helicopter main-rotor transmission.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The work is in support of NASA's long-range goals. It impacts every aspect of mechanical drive systems operation and development. The successful completion of this project can improve aviation safety, reliability, and mitigation of failures. It will affect cost-effective design and manufacturing for new production engines and can reduce life cycle and maintenance costs.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The cost-effective, reliable use of expensive aerospace and land-based power-transmission systems can be extended with more accurate knowledge of the remaining component and system fatigue lives. By improving the in-service life estimation associated with these devices, longer reliable service lives can be obtained. The high costs associated with surprise failures and unscheduled emergency maintenance procedures can be reduced substantially with the use of an in-service life estimator such as the one proposed herein.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
INNOSENSE LLC
25970 Eshelman Avenue
Lomita ,CA 90717 - 3223
(310) 530 - 4974

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Kisholoy    Goswami
kisholoy.goswami@innosense.us
25970 Eshelman Avenue
Lomita ,CA  90717 -3223
(310) 530 - 4974
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The tasks of this Phase I proposal are designed to establish the feasibility of an optical sensor for real-time, in situ monitoring of the ullage environment of an aircraft fuel tank. This all-optical fuel tank ullage sensor (FTUS) will be unaffected by fuel splashing and sulfur deposits on the sensor. By combining an innovative oxygen and temperature sensor, this project will enable NASA to offer technologies to monitor the performance of OBIGGS (on-board inert gas generating system). In commercial application, it is imperative that an on-board sensor is in place to identify if OBIGGS, which is safety related, is malfunctioning. FTUS represents a platform technology, which can be used across NASA enterprises, where sensitive monitoring of the ambient environment is required. By using single mode optical fiber in the design, ISL will address size, weight, and cost concerns of the aircraft industry. Tasks are proposed to demonstrate the sensor?s ultrahigh sensitivity and immunity to fuel splashes and deposits of sulfur compounds. To assure success, ISL has assembled a project team having a cumulative 60 person-years of experience in the development of opto-chemical sensors.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The oxygen and temperature sensor developed under this project can be used across all NASA enterprises where such measurements in air are needed. The lifetime-based measurement technique will minimize calibration needs and reduce crew time. These sensors can also be used in combustion studies under microgravity. The sensor platform is amenable to constructing a variety of devices for biomedical, materials processing, and environmental applications in space and on the surface of celestial bodies. These systems will find immediate applications in the International Space Station monitoring the environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
FTUS will find applications in both new and retrofit of commercial aircrafts. The miniaturization and multianalyte capabilities of these sensors also make them very attractive for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to process control. The sensor market for these applications is growing at nearly 12% per year from $253 million in 1998. Upon repackaging, the device will have immediate applications in a variety of civilian emergency response and occupational environment monitoring or related research facilities.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Epoch Engineering Inc
814 West Diamond Avenue, Suite 325
Gaithersburg ,MD 20878 - 1146
(301) 670 - 6600

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Martin   Karchnak
martyk@epochengineering.com
814 W. Diamond Avenue, Suite 325
Gaithersburg ,MD  20878 -1146
(301) 670 - 6600
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Acoustic Emissions (AE) are associated with physical events, such as thermal activity, dielectric breakdown, discharge inception, as well as crack nucleation and growth. Previous empirical experiments have demonstrated that the unprecedented quality of AE measurements available with the Research and Development configuration of a Robust Laser Interferometer (RLI) developed by Epoch Engineering, Inc., provides measurement of AE that enables early recognition of information of interest. Examples include the AE alertment that pre-fire conditions exist, adn AE alertment of mechanical system component failure inception and/or fault development. This effort is structured i.) to conduct empirical experiments that demonstrate the presence of Acoustic Emissions when e.g., electrical equipment problems develop, and ii.) to develop sufficient knowledge to establish the basis for pursuing an AE electrical systems' health monitoring functional capability. Quantitative information is developed relative to RLI electrical system AE measurement capabilities. Configuration(s) developed include identification of hardware and software for the proposed Phase II/follow demonstrations.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Once developed, a new electrical system AE monitoring capability could be employed to provide electrical system protection monitoring for aircraft, marine vessels and high value and/or critical assets. Sucess of this effort would lead to a reduction in lives lost, injuries and property loss.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Once developed, a new electrical system AE monitoring capability could be employed to provide electrical system protection monitoring for aircraft, marine vessels and high value and/or critical assets. Sucess of this effort would lead to a reduction in lives lost, injuries and property loss.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Systems Technology Inc
13766 South Hawthorne Blvd
Hawthorne ,CA 90250 - 7083
(310) 679 - 2281

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
David H Klyde
dklyde@systemstech.com
13766 S Hawthirne Blvd
Hawthorne ,CA  90250 -7083
(310) 679 - 2281
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Improvements to aviation safety will be made by the development and validation of means to alleviate, alert, and inhibit loss of control associated with unfavorable pilot-vehicle interactions. These unfavorable interactions are caused in part by deficiencies, called ?dynamic distortion,? in the manual flight control system. Many sources of dynamic distortion such as friction, preload, and backlash have been reduced or eliminated in modern aircraft by improved hydraulic systems and by the replacement of mechanical linkages with fly-by-wire systems. Other sources of dynamic distortion remain, such as rate and position limits, power reductions, jammed effectors and mis-rigging. In older systems with mechanical linkages the pilot was at least aware that distortion was occurring, whereas in many modern, powered systems these cues are missing. An innovative concept is proposed whereby the pilot is provided with manipulator tactile cues when dynamic distortion occurs. These cues are hypothesized to improve aircraft safety by reducing the likelihood of unfavorable pilot-vehicle interactions. This improvement will be demonstrated in Phase I, first by modeling and simulation and then by conducting a PC-based manned simulator experiment. In Phase II the concept will be further developed and then validated with a flight test experiment.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Improved aviation safety is a major objective of NASA. This work will contribute towards this goal in two ways. First, improvements to modern manual flight control systems will be developed that will significantly reduce the likelihood of unfavorable pilot-vehicle interactions. These improvements will be available to NASA for their fleet of aircraft and for new NASA vehicles entering flight test. Second, this work will validate an important but largely unrecognized cause of decreased flight safety ? the lack of pilot cues that tell the pilot when the flight control system is acting in a deficient manner.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The same improvements to modern manual flight control systems will be available for commercial and military flight control systems. The continuing record of unfavorable pilot-vehicle coupling provides evidence of the need for improvements such as this. Licensing agreements are a potential way to commercialize these developments. The concept of dynamic distortion applies to any powered manual control system, including ground vehicle manual control systems. Power steering is a mature application, which works in part because direct links provide dynamic distortion cues, but new concepts in ground vehicle control are being developed that can benefit from this work.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Intelligent Inference Systems Corp
NASA Research Park, MS: 566-106C
Moffett Field ,CA 94035 - 0000
(650) 944 - 7518

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Hamid R Berenji
berenji@iiscorp.com
NASA Research Park, MS: 566-106C
Moffett Field ,CA  94035 -0000
(650) 944 - 7518
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A prognostic system needs to separate nominal component behavior from the faulty ones even in the cases when those behaviors are similar. Advanced pattern recognition techniques are required to separate nominal and faulty input-output component data vectors in a complex high-dimensional space.

We propose to develop the Multi-agent Prognostic Health and Usage Monitoring (Multi-PHUM) and test it in a subsection of an aerospace vehicle. MULTI-PHUM is hierarchical with the lower levels performing ordinary diagnostics and prognostics using graph-based fault diagnosis technique to place alarms on safety-critical components and handle situations with multiple faults. At the intermediate level of hierarchy, MULTI-PHUM uses neural network techniques such as the Extended Auto Associative Neural Networks (E-AANN) to detect the faults not detected by lower level graph-based method. Yet at a higher level of hierarchy, MULTI-PHUM performs advanced rule-based pattern recognition for abnormalities in the system not detected by lower levels. The essence of MULTI-PHUM is based on the latest tools in the information age and hence has a strong commercial potential for the management of other systems that have to economically maintain healthy fleets such as airline systems with many aircrafts or future swarms of UAVs.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Many NASA space systems are life critical. Due to its prognostics capability, Multi-PHUM as proposed here can be extremely useful in creating and maintaining a safe aerospace vehicles. Results of this work can become available to be used in some of NASA's big contracts such as the contracts to Boeing or Lockheed.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)

The current Original Equipment Manufacturing companies (OEMs) suffer significantly from disconnects that exist between the equipment designers, manufacturers, and equipment testers. IIS Corp plans to aggressively commercialize the results of this SBIR work by developing alignments with companies that are involved in providing software support to OEMs. In particular, we will team up with Sigma Quest Inc. of Santa Clara in commercializing the results of this SBIR to OEM companies such as Selectrons.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Comet Technology Corporation
1796 Stonebridge Drive North
Ann Arbor ,MI 48108 - 8593
(734) 998 - 0126

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Satha   Raveendra
t.raveendra@netzero.net
1796 Stonebridge Drive North
Ann Arbor ,MI  48108 -8593
(734) 998 - 0126
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Evaluation and enhancement of the acoustical performance of turbomachinery requires knowledge of the acoustic sources. However, the noise generation mechanisms associated with turbomachinery are complex and as result it is not easy to identify these noise sources. The development of an integrated experimental/numerical technique that is based on holography and is applicable for the identification and ranking of complex noise sources is proposed. A new technique based on potential integral equations will be developed to rapidly evaluate the noise sources of complex structures. Generalized acoustical holography that is applicable for arbitrary geometry is extended by incorporating aeroacoustic noise sources in the presence of mean flow.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Applicable for the identification and ranking of complex noise sources associated with turbomachinery, including engine, fan and compressor noise sources. Also applicable to the identification of vibrational noise sources.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Applicable for the identification of ranking of aeroacoustic noise sources associated with fans and similar products that are used in industries such as automotive and consumer products.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Makel Engineering,Inc.
1585 Marauder Street
Chico ,CA 95973 - 9064
(530) 895 - 2770

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Benjamin   Ward
bward@makelengineering.com
1585 Marauder Street
Chico ,CA  95973 -9064
(530) 895 - 2771
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Makel Engineering Incorporated (MEI) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) propose to develop a MEMS based, minature solid state sulfur oxide sensor for use in emission measurements. The result of this effort will be a compact, robust means of SOx monitoring in high temperature gas emission streams has not been developed previously. The proposed system is based on previous research on advanced micro-machined gas detection sensors developed for sensitivity to other gaseous components (e.g. CO2, O2, NOx).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed sensor will provide improved emission monitoring capability with a small, low power, robust sensor system. This will enable a cost effective method to instrument ground test facilities and vehicles and has the potential to be integrated into vehicle exhaust systems. Additionally, health monitoring of personnel on the ground and in the crew cabin can be improved with the ability to monitor SOx compounds.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed SOx sensor has direct applications in monitoring large diesel IC engines, gas turbines, refineries, and power plants which must reduce their levels of sulfur emissions. The potential to integrate these sensors in multiple locations and their low power requirements and small size make them very attractive for these monitoring activities.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
NexTech Materials, Ltd.
404 Enterprise Dr.
Lewis Center ,OH 43035 - 9423
(614) 842 - 6606

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Edward  M. Sabolsky
sabolsky@nextechmaterials.com
404 Enterprise Dr.
Lewis Center ,OH  43035 -9423
(614) 842 - 6606
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
As solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) approach commercialization, interest in broader applications of this technology is mounting. While the first commercialized systems are being designed to provide 3-5 kW in stationary and automotive auxiliary power unit (APU) applications, aerospace and military users are considering integrating SOFCs into larger, airborne systems with considerable commercial payback. SOFCs are aligned to displace inefficient, noisy, and polluting technologies such as diesel generators that will provide both economic and environmental motivation to prospective users. NexTech Materials will develop a solid oxide fuel cells that demonstrate high power density, targeting 2W/cm2, a level of performance that will enable the compact, lightweight systems required for aerospace applications to become a reality. Such high power density SOFCs will provide the bridge from stationary residential power systems to airborne auxiliary power units. The fuel cells that result from these applications will lead the way to efficient and clean aircraft. This Phase I work will focus on processing and evaluating highly conductive electrolyte and electrode materials and the incorporation of these materials into high power density, SOFC cells suitable for commercial stack fabrication in Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology developed in this program will provide high performance SOFC materials and systems for airborne power systems. The materials developed in this program can be used in power systems ranging from commuter planes to auxiliary power units for large commercial airliners, and are particularly well suited to ?more electric? designs. Such power systems will directly reduce fuel use and pollution resulting from aircraft in the United States. In addition, the incorporation of such high power density cells into regenerative fuel cell designs would enhance the available power for high-altitude aircraft and airships.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The high power density materials and designs resulting from this program will find wide applicability in as compact power supplies for military and commercial users. Military applications, where highly mobile dense power sources are required to displace heavy and bulky battery systems are numerous, include radios, sensing and imaging equipment and heads-up displays for dismounted soldiers. Such compact power systems could power autonomous vehicles for military and commercial surveillance vehicles. Commercially, high power density SOFCs would be desirable for portable generators where lighter, smaller systems would provide easy transportation.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
HYPER TECH RESEARCH INC.
110 E. Canal St.
Troy ,OH 45373 - 3581
(937) 332 - 0348

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Michael   Tomsic
tomsic@voyager.net
110 E. Canal St.
Troy ,OH  45373 -3581
(937) 332 - 0348
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
For electric propulsion systems for large aircraft it is desirable to have very light weight electric motors. Cryogenic motors offer much lighter weight than conventional iron room temperature motors. Superconducting cryogenic motors can offer much more lighter weight motors than just cryogenically cooled copper motors. Magnesium diboride, a light-weight superconductor wire, cooled in the available liquid hydrogen fuel, is the ideal candidate coil material for large aircraft motors. During the Phase I we will demonstrate using this new wire in coil forms that will show feasibility of fabricating exciter, rotor and stator coils in a Phase II motor demonstration.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Besides large aircraft motors, magnesium diboride superconductors can benefit NASA applications for superconducting ADR coils, transformers, inductors, magnetic bearings, actuators, MHD magnets, and other potential power conditioning applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercialization of magnesium diboride superconducting wires will allow less expensive and more open MRI systems for medical use, and lower cost and more efficient systems for power utility applications such as transformers, reactors, motors, generators, fault current limiters, and SMES.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Zona Technology Inc
7430 E. Stetson Drive, Suite 205
Scottsdale ,AZ 85251 - 3540
(480) 945 - 9988

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Xiaowei   Gao
gao@zonatech.com
7430 E. Stetson Drive Suite 205
Scottsdale ,AZ  85251 -3540
(480) 945 - 9988
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ZONA proposes to investigate a novel family of algorithms designed to solve the boundary condition identification problem (BCIP) to extract accurate multi-dimensional heat transfer coefficient maps that are required for the design of advanced/revolutionary turbomachinery components. ZONA will develop, implement, and verify FILM-ID a general-purpose package based on a Boundary Element Method (BEM) inverse algorithm for accurate retrieval of multi-dimensional film coefficient distributions (h) using either transient or steady temperature inputs. This method can be used with broad-band or narrow-band thermochromic crystal or laser induced fluorescence thermal imaging techniques and incorporates a new technique which provides robustness to input temperature uncertainties. The proposed method is flexible and easy to implement for examination of arbitrarily complex geometries encountered in turbomachinery as it requires only surface mesh.

Phase I will focus on: (1) establishing the importance of the multi-dimensional modeling of the inverse boundary identification problem, (2) developing analytical methods for narrow-band thermochromic liquid crystal, and (3) fine-tuning the regularization process. Phase II will focus on code development, extensive verification, extension to 3-D modeling, and development of user-friendly interfaces and help manuals. It is anticipated that the proposed method will replace the conventional 1-D method for heat transfer coefficient retrieval.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed tool will impact the turbomachinery design and test facilities at NASA for whom an accurate prediction of the film coefficient distributions over advanced turbine blade designs and other components is crucial in the determination of the system efficiency and capacity. In addition, an accurate prediction of the temperature field over such components will provide with a realistic thermal stress distribution, vital in the advanced mechanical design of turbomachinery systems. A user-friendly Windows-driven package, FILM-ID, will be produced. Graphical interfaces will be provided for display of input data, boundary conditions, and resulting h maps (steady and transient).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
FILM-ID will be of immediate use for the power generation and aircraft engine industries towards which distribution and sale will be targeted. In addition, heat transfer R&D labs will be targeted. The commercialization potential of FILM-ID not only finds its place in industry where novel heat transfer design processes are undertaken but also in academics as it can serve its purpose as a learning tool for experimental convective heat transfer and inverse problem methods in heat transfer. Although the main customer-base has been identified, a marketing study will be undertaken in Phase II to expand the prospective customer base.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
TDA Research, Inc.
12345 West 52nd Ave
Wheat Ridge ,CO 80033 - 1916
(303) 422 - 7819

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Dr. David T. Wickham
wickham@tda.com
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge ,CO  80033 -1916
(303) 940 - 2350
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Currently the United States space program is recognized as the world leader in providing access to space. However, in order to maintain this position, it will be necessary to reduce the very high cost of reaching low Earth orbit by using single stage or two stage to orbit vehicles. Some components of these vehicles have exceptionally high heat loads and require additional cooling capacity, which can be accommodated by utilizing the additional fuel heat sink capacity available from endothermic cracking reactions. Unfortunately, cracking reactions lead to coke deposition in the heat exchanger, which can be a potentially serious problem if it is allowed to accumulate. Therefore in this Phase I proposal, TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) will develop methods to remove the coke from the heat exchanger flow path. Previously, several different coke formation mechanisms were though to occur during cracking and the selection of an appropriate method to remove the coke would depend on the mechanism responsible. However, as a result of previous work, we have identified the mechanism primarily responsible for coke deposition with JP-7 and JP-8. Thus, the methods we develop in this SBIR Phase I proposal have a high probability of success.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The most immediate application of this technology for NASA would be in the removal of carbon deposits from fuel flow paths in vehicles that require a substantial amount of cooling from the fuel. Coke deposits will reduce the heat transfer and inhibit fuel flow, both of which can lead to total failure of the unit. Since coke deposition accompanies the cracking reactions required to provide the necessary cooling, methods to remove coke are critical to the continued development of reusable launch vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our technology would find substantial commercial use in removing hydrocarbons and other compound from high precision components such as semiconductors, magnetic disks, medical devices, optics, flight hardware, etc. Because of the current limitations in the use of chlorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons, alternative methods using more environmentally and less toxic compounds are of current interest. Because the goal of our project will be to identify conditions and solvents that are more effective for high molecular weight compounds, it will lead to significant improvements over cleaning methods currently used.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Continuum Dynamics, Inc.
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing ,NJ 08618 - 2302
(609) 538 - 0444

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Todd R. Quackenbush
todd@continuum-dynamics.com
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing ,NJ  08618 -2302
(609) 538 - 0444
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Enabling a new generation of high speed civil aircraft will require breakthrough developments in propulsion design, including novel techniques to optimize inlet performance across a wide speed range. Maximizing propulsive performance while minimizing weight and mechanical complexity is a key goal for such systems, and rapidly maturing smart materials technology can enable adaptive control of inlet geometry to allow in-flight optimization of engine flows. This proposal will build on established device technology using high strength Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators and will initiate development of adaptive inlets for high speed applications. Leveraging prior work in design and testing of SMA devices in challenging aerospace and marine applications will allow a jump start in development a family of actuation and flow control devices suitable for use in practical flight applications. Actuation systems employing a combination of high temperature SMA alloys and active heat control systems will be developed, along with complementary analysis and design tools for aero/thermo analysis of integrated actuators. The modeling and benchtop testing work proposed for Phase I will lay the groundwork for testing in representative high speed conditions in Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
By providing highly innovative concepts for propulsion system components for advanced high-speed aerospace vehicles, the proposed effort will directly support a wide range of broad NASA goals including enabling of high Mach point to point travel and global cruise capability for civil aircraft. The chief technical output of the effort will be enabling technology for a variable geometry, supersonic, mixed compression inlet to help meet functional airflow needs of high Mach number propulsion. In addition, the integrated aero/thermo/elastic models of actuator performance to be developed will assist the development of concurrent engineering tools for analysis and design of propulsion systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A successful Phase I/Phase II effort will open the door to prototype testing and eventual implementation of flight-qualified SMA adaptive inlet hardware. The most direct beneficiary would be candidate high speed civil vehicles that could incorporate high-force, all-electric inlet control systems in dramatically more efficient power plants. Successful implementation in this application would also lead to spinoff developments in a number of actuation tasks, including aerodynamic controls and thrust vectoring as well as steering and outflow redirection for marine propulsion that would directly benefit both civil and military systems.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
CFD Research Corp
215 Wynn Dr.
Huntsville ,AL 35805 - 1926
(256) 726 - 4800

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Essam F. Sheta
jls@cfdrc.com
215 Wynn Dr.
Huntsville ,AL  35805 -1926
(256) 726 - 4800
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
An integrated framework is proposed for efficient prediction of rotorcraft and airframe noise. A novel wavelet-based multiresolution technique and high-order accurate WENO scheme is proposed for efficient capturing of noise sources and unsteady flowfield. A wavelet compression is used to store the flowfield as a multi-level representation in functional space. The primary solution progresses using a coarse grid. The regularity of the flow field data is used to identify regions of steep variation. These regions are selectively solved recursively in the finer grid-levels and accurate information is injected into the coarse grids to correctly represent all flow features.

In Phase I, a three-dimensional wavelet-based multiresolution algorithm, and an acoustic analogy module based on the Kirchhoff-Ffowcs Williams and Hawking methodology will be developed. The feasibility of the proposed technology will be demonstrated by prediction of three-dimensional noise source and acoustic waves of vortex-blade interaction problems. The proposed technology will provide 2-3 orders-of-magnitude reductions in CPU requirements over existing techniques. In Phase II, the wavelet compression methodology will be integrated into a high-fidelity CFD module. An efficient data structure will be developed to store and update the multiresolution data. The modules will be coupled with a nonlinear finite-element structure dynamic module for noise prediction of flexible structures.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed framework will provide 2-3 orders-of-magnitude reductions in computational time for high-order accurate noise prediction and wake capturing. The framework will be directly applicable to several NASA's multidisciplinary noise and vibrations applications such as prediction of noise mechanisms and propagation for rotorcraft, propellers, and other airframes, and for analysis of wake/frame interaction induced noise and vibrations. The framework could also be used for other NASA's commercial applications such as flutter and buffet analysis of helicopter, fighter aircraft, nonlinear lift systems, analysis of active twist rotors.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology provides a viable tool for several commercial applications such as wing-trailing vortex dynamics of large civil aircraft, analysis of noise generated by landing gears of civil aircraft. The multiresolution technology is also applicable to a wide range of applications that involve embedded flow features requiring high resolutions. Such applications include Turbomachinery, Cavitation, Biomedical, Electronic Cooling, and many others.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
QorTek Inc
2400 Reach Road, Suite 204
Williamsport ,PA 17701 - 4183
(570) 322 - 2700

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ross W. Bird
rbird@qortek.com
2400 Reach Road, Suite 204
Williamsport ,PA  17701 -4183
(570) 322 - 2700
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The purpose of the research into ?Compliant Actuator? design will be to demonstrate to prototype level a low profile fully integrated control mechanism. This mechanism will be the first of its kind in that it enables independent multifunctionally integrated control including all i/o, processing, control and power functions in a single compliant package that uses a active piezoceramic substrate. A compliant actuator can integrate a choice of piezoceramic actuators including piezoceramic wafers, MFC?s, NASA Flex-Pak or QorTek?s Thunder bimorphs etc. as its substrate/activation component as to yield a wide variety wideband controlled actuation systems with high s/n ratio. Used as a strain actuator, it extends with internal applied voltage while bonded to the surface of a structure. Used as a bimorph actuator, it bends with applied voltage while clamped firmly at one end in response to the internal thin film sensor measurements

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Within NASA the proposed technology would have direct application to programs as diverse as large area boom assemblies such as solar sail or antenna to aircraft tail control or surface morphing. Through the new proposed integration and manufacture process, ?Compliant Actuators? will provide a more reliable system by eliminating the external wiring and interface connections and replacing these with low risk trace interconnects. Such actuators are of substantial interest since they can be embedded in or attached to the surface of a flexible structure for distributed deflection, surface vibration damping, active twist, and acoustic control of curved and flat panels.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Even the latest piezoelectric commercially available packages must add-on additional external power, sensing, processing, and control components in order to function. Moreover, the device specific manufacture approach of such products is not amenable to migration to other piezoelectric designs and devices. The proposed technology is easily copied over to many device geometries, materials, and designs. This advance will enable easy integration of piezoelectrics into a wide variety of volume-manufactured products.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Comet Technology Corporation
1796 Stonebridge Drive North
Ann Arbor ,MI 48108 - 8593
(734) 998 - 0126

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Satha T Raveendra
t.raveendra@netzero.net
1796 Stonebridge Drive North
Ann Arbor ,MI  48108 -8593
(734) 998 - 0126
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Prediction and enhancement of vehicle interior noise due to high frequency excitation, based on computer simulation, allows the application of the technology at the early stage of design process thereby improving the quality and reducing the cost. Traditionally, Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) has been used for this purpose. Modeling of SEA is rather complex and requires high level of analyst expertise as well as occasional testing of the product's components. In this proposal, a comprehensive Energy Finite Element Analysis (EFEA) software will be developed for the evaluation of vehicle interior noise. Since the low frequency noise and vibration modeling is traditionally performed using finite element method, the development of an EFEA software will provide a unified framework for the both the low and high frequency noise and vibration analyses.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The software developed as part of the proposal will be applicable for the evaluation and improvement of aerospace interior noise at the early stage of design process. In particular, airframe and noise control treatments can be systematically evaluated for optimal performance.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Interior noise performance is important in aerospace, automotive, naval and other industries. For example, as a result of increased use of telematic devices in the interior of automobiles, the automotive industry is paying more and more attention to early stage evaluation tools that can be used to enhance the interior noise. The software developed as part of the proposal will be applicable for interior noise performance of automobiles. Similarly the software is applicable for the noise evaluation of aircrafts as well as naval vessels.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Hood Technology Corp
1750 Country Club Rd
Hood River ,OR 97031 - 8636
(541) 387 - 2288

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Andreas   von Flotow
andy@hoodtech.com
1750 Country Club Rd
Hood River ,OR  97031 -8636
(541) 387 - 2288
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Preliminary results have shown that low temperature eddy current sensors can provide excellent resolution for blade tip timing, and have the ability to see ?through the case? of an engine and measure blade passings, without having to drill into the case material or subject the sensor to the harsh environment of the gas flow. What is needed is a rugged, high resolution sensor that can be used for applications up to turbine temperatures, and that can easily overcome issues of velocity dependent calibration, low pass filtering through cases, varying case materials and thicknesses, high temperature, and limited standoff distances. Eddy current is the only technology that can provide the solution to these problems, and at the same time operate in dirty environments (oil, steam, etc.) This SBIR plans to develop an eddy current sensor technology that can be used at turbine temperatures, be mounted outside the engine case, work in hostile environments and provide Generation 4 resolution for Non-Intrusive Stress Measurements (NSMS) of turbine blades.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications include the ability to test turbines and/or high pressure compressors at temperature for High Cycle Fatigue and other vibration anomalies, while potentially making measurements outside the gas path. Other applications include using the sensor in spin pit tests in the presence of oil, and also making accurate vibration measurements through a gear box, for helicopter applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Major applications are for commercial engine companies and government agencies involved in High Cycle Fatigue Testing, Low Cycle Fatigue testing, gearbox testing, and the development of high pressure compressors and turbines. The ability to see ?through the case? will be critical to many applications where direct access to blades are difficult or impossible.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Advanced Projects Research Inc
1925 MCKINLEY AVE SUITE
LA VERNE ,CA 91750 - 5800
(909) 392 - 3151

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Thomas  H. Sobota
thomas.sobota@advancedprojects.com
1925 MCKINLEY AVE SUITE
LA VERNE ,CA  91750 -5800
(909) 392 - 3151
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Laser induced thermal acoustics (LITA) is a nonintrusive, transient-grating optical technique that provides
simultaneous high-accuracy measurements of velocity, sound-speed, and thermal diffusivity among other
parameters. In a fluid of known composition, sound speed and thermal diffusivity are readily correlated to
temperature and density. Thus LITA provides a measurement of thermodynamic state. We are developing a
computer-controlled semi-portable LITA system for robust, long-baseline measurements. This novel system
automatically adjusts its own alignment to optimize accuracy. In prior work, LITA velocimetry was incorporated
into this system and demonstrated. System level requirements for multi point LITA measurements were identified
and system components, which as a whole, meet these requirements were designed or identified. In the proposed
effort, elements of the design will be separately validated and will then be incorporated into a complete system for
delivery to NASA in Phase II. By providing velocimetry and multi point capability the proposed system will beideal
for high-value ground-test experiments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Because LITA is the first non-intrusive flow diagnostic that can be used to measure instantaneous
thermodynamicstate and velocity simultaneously at a point in an unseeded flow, it may replace combinations of
other diagnostic tools such as laser Doppler velocimetry and intrusive probes in aerodynamic ground test facilities.
Additionally, LITA provides accurate measurements over a wide range of conditions including high-pressure and
reacting flows, making it a valuable technique for combustor and chemical reactor test and development. Because of
its automatic alignment, calibration, and data analysis, the high-measurement-rate LITA-based instrument we
propose will open new markets in instruments for aeronautics, propulsion, combustion, and industrial process
systems research and development.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Laser Induced Thermal Acoustics (LITA) is the first non-intrusive flow diagnostic that can be used to
simultaneously measure instantaneous thermo-dynamic state and velocity at a point in the flow. As such it may
serve as a replacement for combinations of other diagnostic tools such as laser doppler velocimetry. Additionally,
because LITA works accurately over a wide range of flow conditions including high pressure and reacting flows,
LITA offers a valuable tool for combustor and chemical reactor test and development. APRI anticipates a significant
market for LITA based instruments.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
TDA Research, Inc.
12345 West 52nd Ave
Wheat Ridge ,CO 80033 - 1916
(303) 422 - 7819

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mr. James   Nabity
nabity@tda.com
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge ,CO  80033 -1916
(303) 940 - 2313
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal addresses a NASA solicitation topic A2.06 need for propulsion system flow control. A dual mode ram/scram engine is the most likely cycle for the high-speed propulsion flowpath of turbine and rocket based combined cycle engines, but its feasibility with storable liquid hydrocarbon fuels remains to be demonstrated. A key reason is that a stable, low drag engine pilot for the needed operational envelope has eluded us. Due to its simplicity, the cavity flameholder is the subject of renewed investigation, but it suffers from acoustically coupled combustion instabilities originating in the shear flow. Active control of the shear flow over the cavity could substantially improve flameholding stability. Therefore, TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) proposes an active control strategy having no moving parts to manipulate the spectral content and amplitude of shear layer disturbances, and hence control the coupling responsible for resonance and unsteady flow response that leads to premature flame extinguishment. The proposed experimental and analytical development effort will produce a robust, stable and low drag scramjet engine pilot.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The control of shear layer dynamics is central to all cavity-flow control strategies due to coupling between the separated shear layer dynamics and cavity resonance characteristics. Therefore, the cavity flow stabilization technology proposed by TDA has wide-spread application to combustion flameholding and acoustic noise reduction. For example, future high speed aircraft powered by turbine-based combined cycle engines would benefit from low Mach transition to scramjet mode. In addition, the aircraft wheel wells are a large source of noise pollution during take-off and landing, which could be alleviated through shear layer control.

Countercurrent shear layer technology has also been shown to be effective in thrust vector control (TVC) resulting in increased aircraft agility. Improved short takeoff and landing capability for military aircraft is expected because of increased lift from a TVC system.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We can also apply this technology to automotive noise reduction for neighborhood and passenger comfort. Noise due to separated flow in wheel wells and off of side mirrors could be reduced.

In addition, a counterflow TVC system can increase missile agility resulting in reduced time-to-target and increased probability of kill.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Thoughtventions Unlimited LLC
40 Nutmeg Lane
Glastonbury ,CT 06033 - 2314
(860) 657 - 9014

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Stephen   Bates
thought@tvu.com
40 Nutmeg Lane
Glastonbury ,CT  06033 -2314
(860) 657 - 9014
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
It is proposed to create a rugged, reliable, compact, standardized imaging system for hypervelocity and re-entry vehicles using sapphire windows, small imagers, and independent telemetry. Such a system is a novel creation that can tolerate the severe aerothermal environment associated with hypervelocity flight. The proposed system answers a critical need for enhanced situation awareness, performance characterization, and rapid anomaly resolution. Images of control surfaces, vehicle health, separation deployment, plume dynamics, combustion behavior, and many other vehicle properties provide a rapid, global assessment of the flows and control status of aerospace vehicles and propulsion systems using a standardized diagnostic package. The system design includes a window, window mounting system, camera, and independent telemetry system. Work in Phase 1 will include computational aerothermal modeling, window, mount, camera, and telemetry design, preliminary hazards analysis, and feasibility/ applications assessment. A Phase 2 prototype will be designed and fabricated for testing at a NASA facility, and finally used on a variety of vehicles in Phase 3. It is expected that the imaging system will have broad application for NASA, DOD, and commercial aerospace vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
An on-board imaging system would allow direct and global monitoring of many parameters that determine the critical capabilities of many NASA vehicles. Capabilities include: bow shock visualization, leading edge condition, thermal surface mapping, body surfaces degradation, control surface actuation, shock/surface interaction, engine inlet flow monitoring, engine component/combustion monitoring, plume phenomenology, separation events, and situational awareness. NASA vehicles needing the system include: X-43A, X-43C, ISTAR, HYFLY, FAAST, FALCON, X-37, OSP, AAS, Aero-Assisted OTV

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
An on-board imaging system would allow direct and global monitoring of many parameters that determine the critical capabilities of many commercial launch vehicles. Capabilities include: bow shock visualization, leading edge condition, thermal surface mapping, body surfaces degradation, control surface actuation, shock/surface interaction, engine inlet flow monitoring, engine component/combustion monitoring, plume phenomenology, separation events, and situational awareness.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Physical Sciences Inc
20 New England Business Ctr
Andover ,MA 01810 - 1077
(978) 689 - 0003

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Joel M Hensley
hensley@psicorp.com
20 New England Business Ctr
Andover ,MA  01810 -1077
(978) 689 - 0003
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Ground test facilities are used by NASA to simulate the conditions present during flight at hypersonic velocities, to test thermal protection materials for existing spacecraft and develop new hypersonic aircraft. To ensure the accuracy and usefulness of ground test results, the state of the gas in the ground test facility must be known. Key components of the test gas, such as atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen, can be monitored today using pulsed laser sources operating in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. However, this measurement scheme is not fast enough to detect rapid fluctuations which may be present. Our innovation is a sensor based on compact, portable source of tunable laser radiation in the far-infrared (terahertz) region of the spectrum which can be used to measure the number density and velocity of atomic oxygen continuously during a ground test. During Phase I we will prove feasibility by showing that a laser with the required wavelength, tuning range, and linewidth can be constructed. During Phase II we will prove practicality by optimizing the properties of the laser, building a prototype sensor, demonstrating the detection of atomic oxygen, and delivering the sensor to an appropriate NASA test facility.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The laser-based diagnostic developed during this project will increase the accuracy of test results at hypersonic wind tunnel facilities used to simulate atmospheric re-entry. Using these test results, NASA will be able to optimize the amount of thermal protection material used in the Space Shuttle and other vehicles, so that safety can be ensured without reducing the payload unnecessarily. The diagnostic will also provide more accurate results in facilities which simulate combustion at hypersonic speeds, thus facilitating the design of engines for future hypersonic aircraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Compact, tunable terahertz lasers will be useful for container-penetrating detection of dangerous substances for homeland defense applications, detecting contraband substances for law enforcement applications, and detecting trace amounts of moisture for industrial process control.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
CLEAR SCIENCE CORP.
663 Owego Hill Road
Harford ,NY 13784 - 0233
(607) 844 - 9171

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Henry   Carlson
hcarlson@htva.net
663 Owego Hill Road
Harford ,NY  13784 -0233
(607) 844 - 9171
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Clear Science Corp. proposes to develop computational methods for designing active flow control systems on aerospace vehicles with the primary objective of controlling lift, drag, and flow separation. Simulated control inputs will include moving boundaries for aerodynamic shaping and aspirating walls for virtual shaping and separation control. The software will include model order reduction, system state estimation, integration of low-dimensional models and estimators with high-order CFD-based models for control-in-the-loop simulations, and the integration of turbulence models with control models. CSC is developing reduced-order flow control models for laminar, incompressible flow based on a proper orthogonal decomposition of the primitive flow variables, and we will extend the methods to compressible formulations with conserved variables and turbulence models. We will develop and demonstrate our computational methods using LaRC's CFD code, CFL3D. Control models and estimators will be modular in the form of both embedded and pre-processing subroutines, enabling off-line and in-the-loop control design and testing. The project will include the application of modeling and estimation techniques to moving-mesh problems for control simulations with time-dependent system disturbances (e.g. changing angles of attack) and wing warping control input. Phase I work includes a demonstration of the technical merit of the tool and the development of a detailed Phase II work plan.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed innovation offers new computational tools for designing next-generation air vehicles. The project represents an enabling technology for high-lift systems that ties directly to NASA?s Breakthrough Vehicle Technology (BVT) Program, the Morphing and Aerospace Concepts to Test (ASCoT) Project, and its Micro-Aero-Adaptive Flow Control (MAAC) element. Integrating methods of modeling flow control systems with existing NASA software will provide in-house tools to complement wind tunnel/flight tests that are ongoing under the aegis of the Efficient Aerodynamic Shapes and Integration component of the 21st Century Aircraft Technology (TCAT) Programs. All of these programs reflect NASA?s commitment to the advancement of commercial aviation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercial product to be developed is integrated CFD software for designing and simulating active flow control systems in aerospace and industrial applications. The corresponding market includes designers of aerospace, automotive, and industrial systems for which flow control is critical. Potential applications of the software include control system designs for high-lift wings on commercial aircraft (enabling short take-offs and alleviating airport congestion), noise control in aircraft and land vehicles, high-lift blades in rotorcraft, low-distortion jet engine inlets, and high-mixing combustors. Integrating the software into a validated NASA code and demonstrating it on cutting-edge problems will attract commercial customers from the aerospace community and from related manufacturing industries.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Optimal Synthesis Inc.
868 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto ,CA 94303 - 4622
(650) 213 - 8585

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
P. K.   Menon
menon@optisyn.com
868 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto ,CA  94303 -4622
(650) 213 - 8585
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Research on next-generation air traffic control systems are being conducted at several laboratories. Most of this work is being carried out using custom software. In order to provide a more uniform research platform, NASA Ames Research Center has recently developed a software package called FACET for investigating future air traffic management concepts. While the FACET software incorporates all the features needed for conducting advanced air traffic control research, extending its capabilities require significant investment in programming.
The proposed research will develop a scriptable software environment for accessing the capabilities of the FACET software. This interactive environment will enable users to readily build-in additional functionality and will allow integration with other commercial software packages. This will make the FACET capabilities accessible to a larger population of researchers, making it a powerful platform for rapid prototyping of air traffic management algorithms. Phase I research will develop an initial version of the software. The use of the software will then be illustrated by formulating several research problems. Integration of the software with commercial software packages will be demonstrated. Complete version of the proposed software will be developed during the Phase II work. Phase III will commercialize the software to the ATM community.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA researchers working on ATM concepts such as the operation of UAVs in the NAS and wind optimal trajectory computations can accelerate their research using the proposed software environment.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Software developed under the present SBIR project can be used for rapid prototyping of next-generation air traffic management and automation algorithms. This capability can quicken the pace of research in the air traffic management area.
Modified versions of the software can be used for investigating command and control architectures for multiple UAVs, spacecraft formations and groups of under water vehicles.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Infoware Systems, Inc.
476 Highway A1A, Suite 7
Satellite Beach ,FL 32937 - 2331
(321) 773 - 5881

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Donald F Linton
lintond@InfowareSystems.com
476 Highway A1A, Suite 7
Satellite Beach ,FL  32937 -2331
(321) 773 - 5881
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Our innovation is a high-speed method for the prediction of aerodynamic debris fields that employs an extensive database of generalized empirical equations coupled with interpolation and localization techniques. An essential element of our innovation is the vehicle independence of the equations database which allows it to be generated once and applied to any vehicle. The large-scale operation of unpiloted aircraft within the National Airspace (NAS) will require a very high tempo of flight risk assessments, both for pre-mission planning and in the event of unplanned anomalies or deviations from the approved flight path. These risk assessments will require a large number of debris field predictions each of which will involve predicting the expected impact point and impact dispersion of many distinct representative debris pieces. Our innovation is aimed at making this volume of predictions feasible and cost-effective.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Cost-effective, rapid, debris risk assessments for NASA unpiloted aircraft, both developmental and operational. Launch and re-entry debris risk assessments for the Space Transportation System or other aerospace craft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Federal Aviation Administration use in commercial space licensing. Cost-effective, rapid, debris risk assessments for commercially operated unpiloted aircraft and spacecraft.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Seagull Technology Inc
1700 Dell Avenue
Campbell ,CA 95008 - 6902
(408) 364 - 8200

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
David   Schleicher
drs@seagull.com
1700 Dell Avenue
Campbell ,CA  95008 -6902
(408) 364 - 8200
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Aviation and Air Traffic Management researchers are increasingly utilizing complex regional or NAS-wide simulations to evaluate future concepts. These analyses require many thousands of flights (a flight schedule) that are each accurately defined for every stage of the flight (a flight plan). Current methods of generating these huge input datasets are costly and time-intensive. The largely manual nature of the current process and lack of existing automation tools leaves great potential for significant errors in the data sets. We propose to develop a powerful automated system for future demand generation. This tool will be able to input a variety of existing FAA and NASA flight data sets, provide the user with extensive options on defining the future demand data set, and output new flight data sets in formats compatible with major research simulation and analysis tools. This capability will provide NASA and FAA research programs with significantly better analysis conclusions through the new ability to perform extensive sensitivity studies on new concepts to ensure they are robust to alternate potential future demand scenarios. This is crucial to ensuring the decision to proceed with a multi-million dollar Decision Support Tool development is robust to alternate future demand possibilities.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Within NASA aviation research, our demand generation application can be used to advance research efforts including advanced airspace system concept fast-time and/or human-in-the-loop evaluation and demonstration, ATM decision support tool performance and benefit evaluations, human operator (e.g., pilot, controller, or dispatcher) stress testing, aerospace vehicle-NAS integration studies, and ATM concept environmental impact studies. In general, NASA simulation capabilities exist for these areas but the capability for efficient generation of new flight demand is lacking.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The FAA or other international air traffic service providers can use our product to create future demand for their airport and airspace demand, capacity, noise and emission analyses to support future airport and airspace planning and design efforts. Commercial airlines can combine their internal flight schedules with the future flight demand generated from our product to evaluate the operability of the flight schedules airlines created and support fleet planning and optimization. Future extensions to the tool can support improved simulation and stress-testing to support planning and analysis of other transportation networks such as the nation?s highways.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Metron Aviation, Inc.
131 Elden Street, Suite 200
Herndon ,VA 20170 - 4758
(703) 456 - 0123

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Dr. Stephen    Atkins
atkins@metronaviation.com
131 Elden Stree, Suite 200
Herndon ,VA  20170 -4758
(978) 692 - 9484
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
There is presently poor knowledge throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) of the airport configurations currently in use at each airport. There is even less information about expected future configuration changes. The airport configuration is a primary factor in various airport characteristics such as arrival and departure capacities and terminal area traffic patterns. These characteristics, in turn, are central to a variety of Air Traffic Management (ATM) decisions, such as setting arrival restrictions to avoid airborne holding. Consequently, uncertainty about the current or future airport configuration can result in traffic management decisions that under-utilize or overload airports, resulting in unnecessary or inefficient delays. Moreover, air carriers would make use of configuration information. FedEx, for example, selects parking gates for arrivals to Memphis based on expected departure runways to minimize taxi congestion and time. The proposed effort will develop an airport configuration recognition and prediction system. The airport configuration depends on a variety of factors; Phase 1 will consider local weather, arrival and departure demand, noise restrictions, and airport-specific considerations.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The product of Phase 2 could be used by NASA to improve SMS or other future automation. SMS predictions currently depend on knowledge of future configuration changes, which currently must be entered manually. Errors in SMS?s knowledge of future configuration changes reduces the accuracy of SMS predictions. The proposed system could be integrated into SMS to remove the need for manual configuration entries.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Automation capable of recognizing the current airport configuration and predicting future configuration changes would likely be deployed by the FAA at a large number of airports. A variety of FAA decisions and decision support systems make assumptions about airport characteristics which depend on the airport configuration. Knowledge of airport configuration would also allow air carriers to better anticipate arrival runways and taxi times as well as departure runways, delays, and flight time. Therefore, air carriers would be interested in the output of the proposed system. Air carriers may purchase such a system for their hub airports.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Cognitive Systems Engineering, Inc.
7197 Calhoun Rd
Ostrander ,OH 43061 - 9420
(740) 666 - 1117

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Amy   Spencer
amyspencer@columbus.rr.com
7197 Calhoun Rd
Ostrander ,OH  43061 -9420
(614) 885 - 9858
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Decision support tools that make use of surface surveillance technologies data can potentially make it possible to increase airport throughput, better accommodate NAS user needs and improve safety. Currently, the major emphasis of tools like NASA?s Surface Management System and the FAA?s Departure Spacing Program has been on improving the performance of the FAA. However, to fully achieve the potential benefits, corresponding tools must be made available to NAS users. To this end, we propose to develop a sophisticated suite of tools for the NAS users that make integrated use of data about airport surface and airspace operations, and that will allow them to work more effectively in coordination with FAA staff. Two classes of tools will be explored under this SBIR. The first class will consist of programmable alerts and critiquing functions that monitor for important events. The second will focus on the design of advanced algorithms that assist with departure planning and execution. Phase I will result in the development of a prototype system that demonstrates the capabilities of these tools, along with appropriate formative evaluations. Phase II would result in the completion of an operational suite of tools.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA application of the proposed effort includes integrating features and functions (expected to be useful based on input from airline user feedback) into systems such as SMS. The tools that we propose to develop focus on supporting NAS user needs. However, to fully realize the benefits of such NAS user tools through coordination with the FAA, FAA staff must have complementary capabilities. Thus the designs we develop could, in part, be incorporated into tools like SMS as part of that NASA activity.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This SBIR product will be software (with advanced interface designs and sophisticated new algorithms) whose intended market is airlines and any other NAS user groups that have centralized ramp control or dispatch functions. Taxi-time reductions and improved abilities to prioritize flights potentially represent savings by NAS users on the order of billions of dollars per year. It is our contention that these savings cannot be realized without the type of software we propose to develop, and that few other groups have the breadth and depth of expertise to develop this software as effectively. Thus, the potential market is very significant.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Metron Aviation, Inc.
131 Elden Street, Suite 200
Herndon ,VA 20170 - 4758
(703) 456 - 0123

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Dr. Robert   Hoffman
hoffman@metronaviation.com
131 Elden Street, Suite 200
Herndon ,VA  20170 -4758
(703) 456 - 0123
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A fundamental component of traffic flow management (TFM) is the rerouting of aircraft to alleviate congestion in constrained airspace. An integral concept in the future of TFM is a more collaborative process in which TFM disseminates airspace constraints and the users react with a selection of a (possibly) limited number of rerouting options. With the advent of more elaborate and collaborative traffic management initiatives, the NAS operators are now confronted with a myriad of options in rerouting and delay absorption that they have never before encountered. The only decision support tools currently available to the airlines are flight planning tools, which choose an optimal route for an isolated flight given the physical properties of the aircraft and some forecasted winds. This completely ignores the effects of traffic congestion and, therefore, the potential intervention of air traffic service providers. We propose to develop a flight rerouting decision support tool for use by the airlines that will allow rerouting choices to be made in the face of forecasted airspace constraints and traffic congestion.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA Ames Research Center has designed the FACET tool to provide a simulation environment for exploration, development and evaluation of advanced air traffic management concepts. FACET is currently capable of modeling system-wide en route airspace operations over the contiguous United States. Part of the FACET mission is to model traffic flow management intiatives, such as the rerouting of aircraft around flow contrained areas. A rerouting capability that mimics airline behavior and routing preferences could be an integral part of traffic flow modeling.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Several decision support tools are under development to help the FAA design control actions or to evaluate their impact. Metron Aviation designs and maintains the Route Management Tool (RMT) to allow users to choose reroutes from among a list of known departure routes, or coded departure routes (CDRs). The Collaborative Routing Coordination Tool (CRCT), developed by MITRE, is a graphical tool that allows the user to define flow problem areas, identify affected flights, and construct and evaluate proposed reroutes. Each of these tools would benefit from a core algorithm to perform flight planning under congestion.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
K T ENGINEERING CORPORATION
4835 University Square, Suite 2
Huntsville ,AL 35816 - 1845
(256) 489 - 5832

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Joseph   Szedula
4835 University Square, Suite 2
Huntsville ,AL  35816 -1845
(256) 489 - 5832
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Launch vehicle subsystem preliminary design tools that are fast, accurate, and seamlessly integrated into an electronic design and optimization environment have become an essential part of the preliminary design process. A Phase I study is proposed to significantly enhance the capabilities of the existing Aerospike Design and Performance Tool (ADAPT) computer code for use in the design and analysis of launch vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles. Proposed Phase I enhancements include: 1) provisions to enable the analysis of user defined nozzle geometry, 2) consideration of base pressure with and without base bleed in the performance calculations, 3) methods to accommodate user defined combustion devise and nozzle efficiencies, and 4) methods to estimate potential side (control) forces resulting from asymmetric throttling of individual thrusters on an aerospike, plug, or plug-cluster engine. The proposed Phase I enhancements fit within a broader and more comprehensive Phase I-II plan. Future (Phase II) enhancements will include: 1) extension of the design and analysis methodology to other altitude compensating nozzle types, 2) modification of ADAPT allowing it to be used as an analysis module within a broader multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) framework, and 3) a web-based user interface.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The enhanced ADAPT computer code will provide NASA with an innovative preliminary design tool to assess the technical viability of next generation launch vehicles. When integrated into NASA?s multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization process, ADAPT will significantly improve NASA?s ability to quickly and accurately perform integrated analyses and evaluation of preliminary launch vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The enhanced ADAPT computer code is a significant addition to existing MDO techniques and tools currently available in the public domain. Computer models such as POST, OTIS, OPGUID are used extensively in launch vehicle preliminary design studies. In addition, large aerospace companies typically possess proprietary tools that perform essentially similar analyses. ADAPT will be integrated as an analysis module that can be embedded into a launch vehicle MDO simulation and driven by a numerical optimizer. It will be used by non-NASA engineers in the evaluation of preliminary vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
BARRON ASSOCIATES, INC.
1160 Pepsi Place, Suite300
Charlottesville ,VA 22901 - 0807
(434) 973 - 1215

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
John   Schierman
schierman@barron-associates.com
1160 Pepsi Place, Suite300
Charlottesville ,VA  22901 -0807
(434) 973 - 1215
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Barron Associates, Inc. proposes to develop a novel on-line trajectory optimization approach for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) under failure scenarios, targeting alternative abort-landing sites. Key features of the proposed approach are:
An innovative on-line optimization approach: By describing decision variables (variables whose optimal solutions are sought) in terms of appropriate basis functions, the trajectory optimization problem can be reformulated to find the relatively few basis function coefficients that characterize the desired trajectory. This significantly reduces the search domain, enabling rapid convergence to feasible solutions. This key idea will be coupled with a numerical optimization approach known as Piecewise Linear Programming (PLP), which has been used successfully in related programs requiring on-line, real-time optimal solu-tions.
A generic bootstrapping capability: To improve the speed and robustness of the on-line procedure, a method will be developed to generate initializing trajectories for the on-line optimization that are suitable for all recoverable ranges, vehicle configurations, energy conditions, and abort scenarios.
Phase I simulation studies will demonstrate on-line generation of alternative re-entry trajectories for dif-ferent landing targets and vehicle configurations. Computation time and accuracy will be assessed from the simulation studies.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
With the increased emphasis on affordable, reliable access to space, Barron Associates anticipates a number of opportunities to apply this SBIR-developed technology to space launch vehicles. The main application of our technologies is to provide increased safety and reliability to future launch platforms. This is accomplished by enabling the guidance system to autonomously adapt, and the trajectory com-mands to autonomously reshape to account for subsystem failures or off-nominal vehicle behavior. In the event that a mission abort is required, the current proposed effort is aimed at furthering the capabilities to autonomously re-target the commanded trajectory to alternative destinations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Other potential applications of the proposed technology are in the areas of: (1) "smart" munitions and guided missiles, (2) other unmanned systems, such as UAVs, UGVs and UUVs, and (3) international or commercial (non-NASA) satellite/spacecraft systems, such as satellite formation operations and un-manned re-supply of the International Space Station. It is anticipated that integration of the unique trajec-tory reshaping capabilities that would be developed as part of the proposed effort would offer these sys-tems significantly advanced autonomy in ever-changing battlefield environments and/or mission require-ments.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
PHYSICAL OPTICS CORPORATION
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance ,CA 90501 - 1821
(310) 320 - 3088

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Russell   Kurtz
sutama@poc.com
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance ,CA  90501 -1821
(310) 320 - 3088
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA is seeking improved methods of rapid prototyping, which are best achieved by using directed metal deposition (DMD). Current DMD systems consume a great deal of power, are inefficient, require significant flow of cooling water, and are fixed in one location. To address the need for a rapid prototyping DMD laser, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new holographic optical element-based laser diode source (HOELDS) to replace conventional DMD lasers. The proposed laser source is an innovative combination of extended laser diode arrays with a non-imaging beam combiner to produce over 500 W output in a 100 micron diameter spot. HOELDS will greatly increase efficiency, resulting in a less expensive prototyping system that can be moved from laboratory to laboratory as needed, requiring only wall plug power, and cooled without water. In Phase I, POC will design, assemble, and test a HOELDS model to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technology. In Phase II, HOELDS technology will be optimized to produce a prototype DMD laser for evaluation in an engineering environment. This project will be followed by a smooth transition to a commercial prototype that will be compact, power-efficient, and portable.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The capability of a HOELDS-based DMD system to operate on wall plug power will make it very useful to all NASA sites requiring rapid prototyping. Its portability will permit on-the-spot prototyping and repair of many diversified NASA?s metallic components. A HOELDS-based rapid prototyping device will be beneficial for any NASA facility having a laboratory building mechanical components or devices.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The HOELDS capabilities that make it so attractive for NASA applications make it equally so for commercial ones. HOELDS technology brings methods of rapid prototyping, parts replacement, and repair of metallic components to the tooling industry (currently $100 billion per year) and the high-performance parts industry. The portability of a HOELDS-based DMD system also makes it attractive to other government agencies. For example, HOELDS meets the need of the U.S. Army to fabricate parts on or near the battlefield.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Nassau Stern Company
3216 Kirkwood Hwy., #113
Wilmington ,DE 19808 - 6130
(302) 559 - 0504

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Alexander   Brown
alexbrown@comcast.net
3216 Kirkwood Hwy., #113
Wilmington ,DE  19808 -6130
(302) 559 - 0504
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Nassau Stern Company is investigating an approach for manufacturing oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) aluminum in bulk rather than powder form. The approach combines novel ceramic injection molding technology to produce preforms for subsequent pressure infiltration casting with aluminum. The preforms contain between 30 and 40 volume percent sub-micron aluminum oxide and 60 to 70 volume percent nano-porosity. The resulting ODS aluminum could be near net-shape or as a billet ready for secondary processing. If successful, this approach will eliminate defects associated with consolidating powders into bulk form, such as contamination, adsorbed gas and non-uniform packing. Elimination of these defects will allow the ODS aluminum to perform closer to theoretical tensile strength, especially at elevated temperatures. ODS aluminum is also expected to possess exceptional elevated temperature fatigue behavior, vital for aerospace propulsion components and structures. The high level of aluminum oxide will also improve thermal expansion and stiffness behavior of the ODS aluminum. The envisioned elevated temperature performance of ODS aluminum will open up a wide range of space and aviation applications not feasible for conventional aluminum alloys.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The improved performance of ODS aluminum, especially at elevated temperature, would permit its application to structures for launch vehicles as well as space and satellite structures. The material would also be suitable airframe structures, ducting and turbine shrouds and missile fins.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The increased stiffness and thermal expansion behavior makes ODS aluminum suitable for structural components contained in precision optic systems and computer disk drives. The performance at elevated temperatures would be beneficial for internal combustion engine pistons, cylinder liners and connecting rods as well as disk brake rotors.

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
WEBCORE TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
2000 Composite Drive
Dayton ,OH 45420 - 0000
(937) 297 - 4200

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Fredrick   Stoll
msheppard@webcoreonline.com
2000 Composite Drive
Dayton ,OH  45420 -0000
(937) 297 - 4200
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry states that reducing the cost to orbit is an essential ingredient for progress. This Phase I project will focus on the development of composite sandwich panel technology for large rocket payload fairings that shows promise to greatly reduce production costs compared to current large-fairing constructions. An innovative foam and fiber preform technology will be used with Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) molding to produce high-performance, damage-resistant sandwich panel designs that enable cost reductions in tooling, materials, and processing, and that are free of the size limitations imposed by existing autoclaves. The preforms are fabricated from low-cost fiber forms and foams using high-speed, automated processes. The preforms work well with VIP molding, an environmentally friendly, non-autoclave process suitable for large, integrated structures. The orthotropic tailorability of the preforms will be exploited by using a linked local/global design analysis to achieve minimum-weight composite sandwich designs for a selected large-diameter fairing application. Sandwich panel designs will be fabricated and tested for mechanical and physical properties. The designs will be assessed by comparing structural performance and projected fairing fabrication costs against the baseline aluminum honeycomb/prepreg/autoclave technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Future space-lift of large systems for space- and earth-science research

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Future space-lift of large systems for manufacturing, telecommunications, and colonization of space.

Military Applications: Air Force Space-Based Laser

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Synterials, Inc
318 Victory Drive
Herndon ,VA 20170 - 5216
(703) 471 - 9310

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Daniel R Petrak
dpetrak@synterials.com
318 Victory Drive
Herndon ,VA  20170 -5216
(703) 471 - 9310
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Interface coatings for fiber-reinforced composites are an enabling
technology for high temperature ceramic matrix composites. Because of
their availability and relative cost, graphite fibers are preferred for
many structural composite of interest for space propulsion applications.
However, high temperature stable silicon carbide fibers are also of
interest, even though they are higher cost. Recent work at Synterials,
has suggested that a thin layer of carbon at the surface of the fiber is
key to preventing corrosion of the fiber and subsequent fiber strength
reduction on graphite fibers. The proposed work will evaluate three
interface coatings one three graphite fibers and one silicon carbide
fiber. The coating are: B4C, Si-doped BN/Si3N4 and HfC. The coatings
will be evaluated by preparing mini-composites via a polymer plus CVI
processing route.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These materials should find application in commercial and military
aerospace engines as well as power generation components.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A successful