STTR Phase 1 Solicitation    Abstract Archives

NASA 2007 SBIR Phase 1 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Adherent Technologies, Inc.
9621 Camino del Sol NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111-1522

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Andrea Hoyt Haight
adherent@earthlink.net
9621 Camino del Sol NE
Albuquerque,  NM 87111-1522

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Aging and durability of aircraft in both the military and civilian sectors are becoming major issues as the existing fleet continues to age. Additionally, the increased use of composite structures in the civilian fleet, such as in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380, make the understanding and/or improvement of composite durability, particularly durability of repairs, even more critical. Several areas have been identified as targets for improvement in composite aircraft repair. These include the development of rapid, low temperature repair methods and associated materials as well as development of the quality of repairs when they are made. Adhesion of bonded repairs is one area that needs to be addressed. Adherent Technologies, Inc. is proposing a novel moisture-resistant primer system for use in repairs of standard carbon/epoxy composites used in many subsonic aircraft. Our proprietary chemistry comprised of a reactive coupling agent and a carrier resin compatible with standard aerospace epoxy resins bonds directly to the prepared aircraft composite surface while retaining residual functionality that can be cured directly into the matrix of the repair leading to a covalently bound repair, thereby strengthening the repair interface. Proper selection of the coupling agent structure and carrier resin can serve to further enhance the moisture resistance and thereby durability of the composite repair.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This system is being designed to support the need for improvements in durability of repairs for subsonic aircraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed primer technology, which will improve the quality of composite bonded repairs as well as composite bonding in general, will used throughout the aerospace composite materials market as well as having potential applications in civilian infrastructure (e.g. CFRP bridge decks and the like). The civilian aircraft market is projected to be a particularly significant consumer.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Emerald Sky Technologies, LLC
6106 Hour Hand Court
Columbia, MD 21044-4702

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steven Fritz
steven.fritz@comcast.net
6106 Hour Hand Court
Columbia,  MD 21044-4702

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
With aircraft automation increasingly able to control flight autonomously, situational awareness and engagement of the crew can suffer. To improve aviation safety further we need new paradigms to balance between exploiting increasingly powerful technologies and retaining and promoting aeronautical decision making (ADM) by the crew. This proposal explores integrating H-mode, a flight control system developed by researchers at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) that shares workload with pilots to leverage the unique capabilities of human pilots and automated control systems, with OZ, a primary flight display system under development at eSky. OZ provides a single-screen display for IMC flight, mapping external objects such as airports, waypoints, air traffic, weather etc. onto the primary flight display. The hybrid system (H/OZ) will allow the pilot both to retain situational awareness and to monitor the flight and select alternative actions at critical points. H/OZ will marry the superior situational awareness capability of OZ with the superior cooperative flight control of H-mode. In phase 1, eSky will develop a design for H/OZ and explore the feasibility of key new design elements. eSky will map the user interface of H-mode into the OZ display and add functionality to both. In collaboration with LaRC, the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition and the University of Maryland, eSky will identify specific areas critical to the performance of H/OZ and use rapid prototyping to evaluate the usability of the new design elements. New OZ functionality will be evaluated using an eSky OZ laptop simulator. H-mode prototyping will be done in the NASA LaRC H-mode simulator. Feasibility will be tested by demonstrating that the OZ display metaphor supports full H-mode functionality without compromising the usability of the H-mode user interface. Phase 2 will focus on creating an H/OZ simulator and on usability and performance testing.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
H/OZ will be suitable as an integrated avionics suite for any aircraft or winged spacecraft. All aircraft operated by NASA will find the innovative OZ display and the cooperative flight control of H-mode useful in flight in both Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
H/OZ is being developed as an integrated avionics suite primarily general aviation. OZ has already been demonstrated to be superior to conventional instrumentation and the new "glass cockpit" technology such as the Garmin G1000 currently being supplied with general aviation aircraft. The hybrid H/OZ system will add cooperative flight control to maintain superior situational awareness on the part of pilots. This will be of primary importance during single pilot IFR flight when high workload and stress induced by external factors can compromise situational awareness and thus flight safety. H/OZ can also be successfully applied to air transport and military aircraft. In these aircraft types electronic displays are well-established but continue to rely on images of 1920's aircraft instruments and high levels of conventional flight control automation.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Intelligence
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ThinKom Solutions, Inc.
3825 Del Amo Blvd., Suite 200
Torrance, CA 90503-2168

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
William Henderson
billh@thin-kom.com
3825 Del Amo Blvd., Suite 200
Torrance,  CA 90503-2168

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed project will investigate the feasibility of utilizing ThinKom's low cost electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna concepts to enable affordable airborne hazard detection and avoidance radar systems with greatly enhanced performance relative to those currently deployed. This technology is comprised of a unique integrated feed/phase shifter/radiator topology that can be realized using very low cost manufacturing techniques and COTS electronics. Although it utilizes a densely spaced array of discrete radiators that allows the "grating lobe free" operation of traditional high cost phased arrays, the architecture is amenable to "quasi-monolithic" construction from a small number of inexpensive parts. It also enables the use of a highly reliable, low cost, low power consumption beam steering controller. The estimated total loss through the feed, phase shifter, and radiator is less than 1 dB at X-Band. The Phase I program will focus on creating a design for a small proof-of-concept (POC) ESA, and on doing a hardware demonstration of the phase shifter architecture. When fabricated under a Phase II program the POC unit will demonstrate the revolutionary cost reduction potential of this technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology is useful for a broad variety of radar and communication applications that are of interest to NASA. In addition to aviation hazard detection, other relevant radar applications include ground mapping, atmospheric studies, and launch range surveillance. Regarding RF communication, it is potentially useful whenever a highly directional steerable beam is required. This includes many distinct "on-the-move" communication systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Some of the potential Non-NASA applications include: 1. Radar systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). 2. Active protection radar for military ground vehicles. 3. Landing aid radar for commercial and general aviation 4. Weather/collision avoidance radar for commercial and general aviation. 5. Automotive collision avoidance. 6. Point-to-Multipoint data links for LANs and MANs. 7. Self-aligning point-to-point data links and SatCom antennas. 8. Air-to-Air and Air-to-ground communication links. 9. SatCom on-the-move for both ground and airborne vehicles. 10. Perimeter surveillance radar (e.g. for homeland security or border control). 11. Long Range surveillance radar (e.g. for ballistic missile defense).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Microwave/Submillimeter

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

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Estimation of aerodynamic models for the control of damaged aircraft using an innovative differential vortex lattice method tightly coupled with an extended Kalman filter is proposed. The approach exploits prior knowledge about the undamaged aircraft to reduce the order of the estimation problem. Test maneuvers will be designed to improve the observability of the system dynamics. The derived performance model will then be used to determine the aircraft flight envelope, performance parameters and the maneuver limits. The objective is to develop an aircraft performance model online to permit the derivation of viable landing guidance laws for damaged aircraft. Phase I research will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept using a NASA-supplied aircraft simulation. Complete aircraft performance estimation system will be developed during the Phase II research and evaluated in real-time, high-fidelity simulations.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed research will contribute towards NASA's Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control program.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed research will provide a systematic methodology for the guidance and control of damaged aircraft. Algorithms and software developed under the proposed SBIR work will contribute towards improving the safety of military, commercial and general aviation aircraft operations.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Guidance, Navigation, and Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scientific Systems Company, Inc.
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn, MA 01801-6503

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jovan Boskovic
jovan@ssci.com
500 W. Cummings Park
Woburn,  MA 01801-6503

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The main objective of this project is to develop and test a novel innovative Integrated Reconfigurable Aero & Propulsion Control (IRAP) system that achieves flight safety improvement in commercial aircraft. The main feature of the proposed IRAP system is that it is well suited for uncertain plants containing actuators operating on different time scales. The focus under this project is on the flight control system design for aircraft with fast actuators moving the flight control surfaces, and engines characterized by a slower response. The IRAP system will be developed for operation under faults, failures, damage and other upsets. The technique that will be used to achieve the related reconfigurable control objectives is referred to as the Sequential Signal Filtering for Certainty-Equivalence Adaptive Control (SSF-CEAC). Specific Phase I tasks include: (i) Problem formulation; (i) Adaptive control design for the case of aero-only control; (ii) Adaptive control design for the case of propulsion-only control; (iii) Integrated reconfigurable aero & propulsion control design; and (iv) Performance evaluation of the IRAP system. In collaboration with Boeing Phantom Works, in Phase II we plan to pursue extensions of the proposed approach to MIMO nonlinear models, further development of control allocation strategies, pilot interface design, integrated adaptive control design for safe landing under severe failures and damage using engines only, and IRAP software toolbox development.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
One of the important problems under the NASA Flight Safety Program and one of the main goals of Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) component is to provide aircraft stability, maneuverability, and safe landing in the presence of adverse conditions. The proposed IRAP system addresses all three features by assuring aircraft stability under severe flight-critical faults, failures and damage, minimizing the effect of the failures on the flight control system, and assuring safe landing under upsets and external hazards. Hence the proposed work is expected to have important impact on safety improvements for aerospace vehicles arising within the framework of the NGATS and Space Exploration systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA applications include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that are also characterized by fast flight control actuators and slow engines, commercial space vehicles, and other vehicle systems whose actuators operate on different time scales.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Guidance, Navigation, and Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scientific Monitoring, Inc.
8777 E. Via de Ventura Drive, Suite 120
Scottsdale, AZ 85258-3345

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Asif Khalak
asif@scientificmonitoring.com
8777 E. Via de Ventura Dr., Suite 120
Scottsdale,  AZ 85258-3345

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed effort will combine a low cost physical modeling approach with inductive, data-centered modeling in an aerosopace relevant context to demonstrate effective, low cost data mining. In particular Phase I will evaluate various hybrid architecture concepts on the basis of false positive and fasle negative rates. The approach will use domain decompostiition to partition the physical platform under consideration into regimes appropriate for either model based or inductive based apoproaches.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Scientific Monitoring, Inc already offers a physical model driven, proprietary product called i-Trend. The i-Trend product provides sophisticated diagnostic and trending analysis to high value physical systems. Specific application areas include aerospace vehicles of all types, gas turbine and rocket engines, and aerospace subsystems. Combining an Inductive Monitoring System with i-Trend will provide enhanced features that will enable the hybrid system to address high value physical systems that are not easily modeled using conventional, physics based models. Such systems will include advanced aerospace structures and systems with substantial human interaction, as well as human physical performance and health monitoring of astronauts and pilots.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Scientific Monitoring, Inc already offers a physical model driven, proprietary product called i-Trend. The i-Trend product provides sophisticated diagnostic and trending analysis to high value physical systems. The i-Trend product, originally developed under a USAF SBIR, has already found commercial application as it is used by a leading aerospace firm to provide diagnostic and maintenance support to major airframe subsystems. Specific Non-NASA application areas include various land based transportation vehicles of all types, power generating systems and industrial manufacturing systems. Combining an Inductive Monitoring System with i-Trend will provide enhanced features that will enable the hybrid system to address high value physical systems that are not easily modeled using conventional, physics based models. Such systems will include advanced manufacturing systems or new structures and systems with substantial human interaction, as well as human physical performance and health monitoring.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michigan Aerospace Corporation
1777 Highland Drive, Suite B
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2285

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
John Trenkle
jtrenkle@michiganaerospace.com
1777 Highland Dr., Suite B
Ann Arbor ,  MI 48108-2285

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In response to NASA SBIR topic A1.05, "Data Mining for Integrated Vehicle Health Management", Michigan Aerospace Corporation (MAC) asserts that our unique SPADE (Sparse Processing Applied to Data Exploitation) technology meets a significant fraction of the stated criteria and has functionality that enables it to handle many applications within the aircraft lifecycle. SPADE distills input data into highly quantized features and uses MAC's novel techniques for constructing Ensembles of Decision Trees to develop extremely accurate diagnostic/prognostic models for classification, regression, clustering, anomaly detection and semi-supervised learning tasks. These techniques are currently being employed to do Threat Assessment for satellites in conjunction with researchers at the Air Force Research Lab. Significant advantages to this approach include: 1) completely data driven; 2) training and evaluation are faster than conventional methods; 3) operates effectively on huge datasets (> billion samples X > million features), 4) proven to be as accurate as state-of-the-art techniques in many significant real-world applications. The specific goals for Phase 1 will be to work with domain experts at NASA and with our partners Boeing, SpaceX and GMV Space Systems to delineate a subset of problems that are particularly well-suited to this approach and to determine requirements for deploying algorithms on platforms of opportunity.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
MAC's SPADE data mining system has a large potential market in both government and civil aviation as well as for other arenas with costly and complex vehicles such as marine craft. The need for next-generation data mining tools for aid in lifecycle issues for aircraft/spacecraft/satellites/ships is now widely recognized by both the private and public sectors, as exemplified by the scope of the solicitation for this program. The techniques used by MAC are amenable to deployment on any platform of opportunity including Clusters, airborne platforms, Laptops, FPGAs, Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), and others depending on the needs of the application.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The data mining techniques embodied in MAC's SPADE system have a broad commercial market. Potential arenas include: data fusion approaches to computer network security, intelligence, and public health monitoring; real-time quality control and damage detection for continuous physical processes (chemical & pharmaceutical plants, manufacturing facilities); text stream monitoring for news, email, IMs; financial event detection – monitor accounting or investment portfolio management systems to detect unexpected classes of price or cost changes which may signify problems; sales opportunity/threat identification – detect inter-product sales relationships, fad identification, competitor's pricing changes, seasonal and geographic changes; insurance claim monitoring for fraud; micro-climate change monitoring using digital imagery; gene expression profiling for medical diagnosis and understanding of diseases; proteomic data analysis and pattern recognition for medical diagnosis and biomarker discovery, and numerous other high-profile segments in which this system could be invaluable.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Acellent Technologies, Inc.
835 Stewart Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94085-4514

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Amrita Kumar
akumar@acellent.com
835 Stewart Drive
Sunnyvale,  CA 94085-4514

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
New engine fan blade containment structures are being manufactured with advanced composite structures such that they can withstand blade-out events. The use of advance composites requires the understanding of the possible effects of aging degradation on the performance of "hard wall" or "soft wall" composite fan containment structures to ensure durability in their use in jet engine applications. Acellent Technologies, Inc. proposes to develop an innovative, low-cost and reliable system for assessment of the integrity of composite fan containment structures that will automatically monitor in real-time the location and extent of damage in the containment structure. The system will utilize a network of miniature sensors integrated with the structure to scan the entire structural area for any impact events, resulting structural damage and monitor degradation due to usage. Phase I will focus on developing a prototype of the system and demonstrating functionality to detect damage both on the inner and exterior surface of the fan containment structure.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed system directly the need for inspection of fan containment composite structures and it is expected that once developed, the proposed system will provide the following advantages over current inspection techniques: · Low-cost built-in reliable damage detection system for monitoring of containment structure integrity · Improved personnel safety · Improvement of fan containment structure reliability · Ease of installation · Reduction of labor time · Real-time convenience and automation of inspection during service

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Since nearly all in-service composite structures require some form of inspection and maintenance procedures to monitor their integrity and health condition to prolong life span or to prevent catastrophic failures, the potential applications of the proposed system are very broad. In the future, this system can potentially be used to monitor all types of composite structures on aircraft and spacecraft.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Propellant Storage
Perception/Sensing
Airframe
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Thermal Insulating Materials
Structural Modeling and Tools
Tankage
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Ceramics
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Picometrix, LLC
2925 Boardwalk Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6765

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Zimdars
dzimdars@picometrix.com
2925 Boardwalk
Ann Arbor,  MI 48104-6765

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose to demonstrate key elements of feasibility for a high speed automated time domain terahertz computed axial tomography (TD-THz CT) non destructive evaluation (NDE) system which would provide true three dimensional images of aerospace composite structures. Traditional time domain terahertz reflection tomographic imaging captures only a single view of an object, generating images of laminar structure similar to an ultrasound "B-Scan". This reflection tomographic imaging is limited, however, in revealing only the laminar structure which presents a clear specular reflection from each interface. Furthermore, traditional time domain terahertz reflection tomographic imaging has substantial difficulty in determining the layer index of refraction an absorption properties without ambiguity. We propose to overcome these limitations by utilizing true computed axial tomographic reconstruction of the images. This method acquires not one view, but many radial axial views, generating a sinogram which can be used to reconstruct images using a derivative of standard X-Ray CT filtered back-projection. The sinogram can be generated by the transmission absorbance, transmission time of flight, and, in principle, reflection measurements. The reconstructed TD-THz CT images are 3D maps of the absorption coefficients and/or the index of refraction of the subsurface material.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed TD-THz CT NDE imager will be valuable in characterizing the aging and durability of aircraft and spacecraft materials and components. Material examples include Kevlar, Zylon, and other non-conductive polymer matrix composites. Example NDE applications where these materials are used include inspection of soft shell fan containment, thermal protection systems, and composite overwrap pressure vessels. These materials are in systems in which the 3D internal examination of new construction for flaws (voids, disbonds, inclusions, improper geometry and dimensions, and incomplete curing) may be critical. It will be critical to periodically inspect systems for damage, fatigue and chemical degradation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Polymer matrix composites are used in automobile and ships and many other consumer and industrial products. TD-THz CT 3D imaging applications can include inspection of automobile dashboards, imaging inspection for delamination of printed circuit boards, inspection of pipe insulation, as well as with manufactured parts such as pure plastic and paper products. TD-THz CT imaging benefits homeland security applications under development such as personnel and luggage inspection for concealed weapons and explosives (in luggage, shoes, etc.). TD-THz CT imaging and spectroscopy can inspect items in shipment such as mail, cardboards packages, and plastic and wood crates.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Airframe
Airlocks/Environmental Interfaces
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Erectable
Inflatable
Kinematic-Deployable
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Thermal Insulating Materials
Modular Interconnects
Structural Modeling and Tools
Tankage
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Microwave/Submillimeter
Optical
Suits
Photonics
Ceramics
Composites
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Extreme Diagnostics, Inc.
2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Bldg. E4, #262
Boulder, CO 80302-6746

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dr. Robert Owen
rowen@extremediagnostics.com
2525 Arapahoe Avenue / Bldg. E4 #262
Boulder,  CO 80302-6746

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR project delivers a single-chip structural health-monitoring (SHM) system that uses the impedance method to monitor bulk interiors and wave propagation methods to assess surfaces. This Three-Dimensional Health Monitoring (3DHM) unit supports nondestructive evaluation (NDE) systems and evaluates hard shell composites that include sandwich structures. Implications of the innovation Increasingly demanding weight and performance needs move manufacturers to the use of composite materials. New systems are needed to detect incipient damage in composites and identify aging-related hazards before they become critical. Three-dimensional health analyzers that actively examine both bulk interiors and large-scale surface areas address a major problem domain; however, no practical system exists. We address this deficiency by building on our existing SHM system. Technical objectives 3DHM leverages our previous NASA research in SHM. Our current prototype takes the form of a single custom printed circuit board, and is a TRL 5 unit. We have demonstrated bulk interior and limited surface area coverage in Boeing thermal protection system (TPS) tests and on wind turbine blades—both feature composite materials. We extend our surface coverage by adding wave propagation SHM. Our sensor validation includes computer modeling that generates virtual (simulated) data. Research description Phase 1 establishes feasibility for a single-chip approach that combines the impedance method and wave propagation, and demonstrates damage detection on a model composite. Phase 2 completes, validates and demonstrates single chip operation, and delivers an operational unit. Anticipated results Phase 1 establishes 3DHM feasibility by developing a detailed chip development and verification roadmap. Phase 2 delivers an operational unit that monitors and assesses bulk interiors and surfaces of hard shell composites that include sandwich structures.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
3DHM directly supports NDE systems for safety assurance of future vehicles—specifically those making heavy use of composite materials and sandwich structures. There is a major effort within NASA, the FAA, and the military to develop integrated vehicle health management technology that utilizes SHM information for computer controlled recovery actions aimed at avoiding catastrophe. 3DHM provides enabling technology for this effort. 3DHM supports the NASA Engineering and Safety Center by providing tools for independent testing, analysis, and assessment of high-risk projects. 3DHM applications include on-wing SHM of various aircraft components including static structures (e.g., containment components, ducts, vanes, nozzles, etc.) as well as rotating components (e.g., disks, blades, and shafts). 3DHM in situ SHM technology is needed to improve aircraft safety and reliability by verifying structural integrity and nondestructively inspecting, monitoring, and assessing aircraft and aerospace propulsion systems for damage. 3DHM is applicable to the next generation of turbine engines. These advanced propulsion systems will use revolutionary materials and structures. Structures based on such materials must withstand severe stresses and hostile aero-thermo-chemical environments, while weighing less and operating at higher temperatures than current engines.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include Homeland Security structural analysis to mitigate threats (preparedness) and assess damage (response), smart structures, and SHM of civil infrastructures, land/marine structures, medical devices, and military structures. Civil infrastructure includes bridges, highway systems, buildings, power plants, underground structures, and windmills. Land/marine structures include automobiles, trains, submarines, ships, and offshore structures. Medical devices include implants and health monitoring devices. Military structures include helicopters, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and others. SHM is an emerging industry driven by an aging infrastructure, malicious humans, and the introduction of advanced materials and structures. SHM applications are also driven by a desire to lower costs by moving from schedule-based to condition-based maintenance. Government customers include NASA and the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Energy. Non-government customers include energy companies, and other crucial-structure custodians. Westinghouse Electric Company (Nuclear Services Division) is our civilian commercialization partner. WEC sees 3DHM applications in nuclear power plant SHM, and provides engineering and marketing support at no cost.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Structural Modeling and Tools
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Composites
Power Management and Distribution
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Impact Technologies, LLC
200 Canal View Blvd.
Rochester, NY 14623-2893

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Roemer
mike.roemer@impact-tek.com
200 Canal View Boulevard
Rochester,  NY 14623-2893

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Impact Technologies, in cooperation with Raytheon, proposes to develop and demonstrate an innovative prognostics approach for aircraft digital electronics. The proposed non-invasive prognostic approach consists of advanced software and a minimal sensing, focused on incipient fault detection, isolating failure modes and predicting remaining useful life using improved prognostic models. The innovations will include development and validation of physics of failure models, applicable to a broad range of CMOS digital systems; associated damage accumulation models; and a signal processing and feature extraction approach for detecting and isolating VLSI failure modes. In this approach, cradle-to-grave health state awareness is achieved through the use of model-based assessments in the absence of fault indications, and by updating these model-based assessments with sensed information. The PowerPC MPC7447 microprocessor will be used for validation testing during this program based on its use in such systems as the F-35 fighter Integrated Core Processor (ICP) and the fact that it is representative of the wide spread CMOS technology found in modern digital devices. Finally, a commercialization path beginning with testing of the technologies within Raytheon's Labs will be presented along with the team's vision of how e-Prognostic technologies can be transitioned into safety critical commercial and military digital.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA systems, ranging from flight controls to data and signal processing systems will benefit from these technological advancements. Any digital system incorporating Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) and Large Scale Integrated (LSI) CMOS technology can benefit from the developed technologies. These digital systems are used in computing, communications, data transport, and digital control systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of e-Prognostics for aircraft digital electronic boards will provide multiple benefits including: improved safety associated with system operations, reduced life cycle or total ownership costs, and increased availability of commercial and military systems. Furthermore, the work will contain many generic elements that are readily applicable to a wide range of related applications. The integrated e-Prognostic approaches, techniques, and specific algorithms could also be implemented in a wide range of ground-based and naval military applications, as well as in civilian commercial aviation applications (passenger aircraft, cargo transports, business jets, private aircraft, etc.).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Computer System Architectures
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Extreme Diagnostics, Inc.
2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Bldg. E4, #262
Boulder, CO 80302-6746

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dr. Robert Owen
rowen@extremediagnostics.com
2525 Arapahoe Avenue / Bldg. E4 #262
Boulder,  CO 80302-6746

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR project delivers an on-board structural health-monitoring (SHM) system with embedded sensors that sense mechanical impedance deviations to flag incipient damage in time to recover from or prevent in-flight failures. This Component Damage Mitigation (CDM) system integrates early damage detection with failure recovery measures such as self-healing fasteners. Implications of the innovation Next Generation Air Transport Systems bring increasingly demanding weight and performance needs that encourage aircraft to operate relatively close to their design limits—minor structural failure can mean rapid catastrophe. On-board sensing, diagnostic, and damage mitigation capabilities are needed for early correction of incipient damage. However, no practical system exists. We address this deficiency by building on our existing SHM unit and incorporating damage mitigation. Technical objectives CDM leverages our work in impedance-based SHM. Our current prototype consists of a single custom electronics board, and is a TRL 5 unit. We have demonstrated field operation in Boeing launch simulation tests and on full-scale wind turbine blades. We propose to integrate our current approach with damage mitigation measures and to create a practical single-chip solution. We include computer modeling that generates virtual data in our sensor validation. Research description Phase 1 establishes feasibility for a single-chip approach based on the impedance method, and demonstrates damage mitigation on a model self-healing fastener. Phase 2 completes and validates single chip development, integrates damage detection and mitigation, and delivers an operational unit. Anticipated results Phase 1 demonstrates damage detection/mitigation integration and provides a detailed chip roadmap. Phase 2 delivers an operational unit that performs integrated damage detection, monitoring, and mitigation in crucial propulsion system and airframe components.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is a major effort within NASA, the FAA, and the military to develop Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) technology that utilizes SHM information for computer controlled recovery actions aimed at avoiding catastrophe. CDM provides enabling technology for this effort. CDM supports the NASA Engineering and Safety Center by providing tools for independent testing, analysis, and assessment of high-risk projects. CDM applications include on-wing SHM and damage mitigation of various aircraft components including static structures (e.g., containment components, ducts, vanes, nozzles, etc.) as well as rotating components (e.g., disks, blades, and shafts). CDM in situ SHM technology is needed to improve aircraft safety and reliability by verifying structural integrity and nondestructively inspecting, monitoring, and assessing airframes, aircraft systems, and propulsion elements for damage and health. CDM is integrated with damage mitigation and is applicable to the next generation of turbine engines. These advanced propulsion systems will use revolutionary materials and structures. Structures based on such materials must withstand severe stresses and hostile aero-thermo-chemical environments, while weighing less and operating at higher temperatures than current engines.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include Homeland Security structural analysis to mitigate threats (preparedness) and assess damage (response), smart structures, and SHM of civil infrastructures, land/marine structures, medical devices, and military structures. Civil infrastructure includes bridges, highway systems, buildings, power plants, underground structures, and windmills. Land/marine structures include automobiles, trains, submarines, ships, and offshore structures. Medical devices include implants and health monitoring devices. Military structures include helicopters, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and others. SHM is an emerging industry driven by an aging infrastructure, malicious humans, and the introduction of advanced materials and structures. SHM applications are also driven by a desire to lower costs by moving from schedule-based to condition-based maintenance. Government customers include NASA and the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Energy. Non-government customers include energy companies, and other crucial-structure custodians. Westinghouse Electric Company (Nuclear Services Division) is our non-government commercialization partner. WEC sees CDM applications in nuclear power plant SHM, and provides engineering and marketing support at no cost. We are also working with Boeing and the United Space Alliance.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Tankage
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Aircraft Engines

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

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert McKillip, Jr.
bob@continuum-dynamics.com
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing,  NJ 08618-2302

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Advanced microcontrollers having digital signal processing features have enabled the capability to distribute on-board computation for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Distributed processing can result in a lighter weight avionics suite with improved performance, by locating data conversion units adjacent to the sensors and control actuators, and reducing EMI through minimization of the amount of interconnection wiring. The proposed work will leverage CDI's and AMDI's substantial prior experience in the development and operation of flight control avionics for ROVs in the design of a new system for supporting advanced research using these systems. The avionics suite to be developed consists of serially interconnected distributed nodes that may be programmed through a Matlab graphical interface to perform control and sensing functions in support of custom requirements from the research community. The flexibility of custom-configured distributed computing nodes for use in a research context ensures that "just enough" instrumentation and control is provided for the specific test requirements at hand. Phase I will provide risk reduction by demonstrating the operation of the subcomponent technologies, culminating in a simplified flight test of the avionics system. Phase II continuation will develop the complete system to support testing activities at a NASA research center of interest.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's use of small remotely operated vehicles, particularly unmanned aircraft, in research applications would benefit from the use of a lightweight, low-power avionics system for vehicle control and data collection. Use of the proposed distributed sensing and control network would reduce overall avionics system weight, permitting the use of additional sensors, alternate control features, or better performance of the vehicle from reduced weight operation. Having a convenient, user-friendly interface for system configuration control would expedite the planning and execution of experiments using the avionics suite installed in these vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed system to be developed here could support a variety of instrumentation and control needs for both commercial industry and defense applications. The ability to custom tailor the required control and instrumentation components would allow the system to optimize weight and power requirements to permit its use on a host of lightweight robotic systems and devices.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Teleoperation
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Coherent Technical Services, Inc.
46655 Expedition Drive, Suite 101
Lexington Park, MD 20653-5120

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ian Gallimore
Ian.Gallimore@goCTSi.com
46655 Expedition Drive, Suite 101
Lexington Park,  MD 20653-5120

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The use of UAVs has increased exponentially since 1995, and this growth is expected to continue. Many of these applications require extensive Research and Development; however, the need to fund development of the UAV often competes with funding intended for the end-user application. Therefore, off the shelf, low cost, easily configurable integrated avionics systems will significantly reduce the budget impact for UAVs yet will support the wide range of applications for their use. CTSi and Virginia Commonwealth University are proposing the use of an integrated VCU developed avionics package with a user configurable autopilot system that will meet the needs of a wide range of experimental test bed UAVs. The system will include: 1. The ability for the safety pilot to take direct control of the aircraft using an on-board fail-safe control switch 2. A built-in autopilot to provide return-to-home capability upon failure of the RF links, safety/ground pilot assistance in performing research maneuvers, and limited upset recovery 3. An open-architecture hardware design enabling customer upgrade of sensors, actuators, and data links 4. An open-architecture software design enabling push-button auto-coding of control algorithms direct from Simulink 5. A flexible architecture allowing customer-developed control laws to be executed on ground-based computers via uplink and downlink telemetry or onboard the aircraft using an optional Advanced Adaptive Flight Control Processor.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA has many applications for Unmanned Vehicles as Research and Development tools. Our proposal describes one use as part of the NASA AirStar System. In this application our ASROV system provides NASA with an integrated avionics system that allows NASA to focus on their experimental research in flight dynamics, vehicle state assessment and automatic flight control. ASROV will allow NASA to quickly and easily update control laws, without tedious hand coding of the new software. The CTSi/VCU ASROV system is a modular, open-architecture hardware and software design that allows the customer to change or upgrade the avionics as needed depending on the specific application. This architecture can be used throughout NASA as an avionics/auto-pilot system that allows maximum flexibility for the user quickly and easily update components of the system, to meet the data quality requirements for their specific application.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Government agencies such as DoD, DoT, NSA, and civil research and development entities such as Universities and defense contractors are all heavily invested in using UAVs for Research and Development. Companies such as Northrop Grumman, and Universities such as Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Texas at Arlington have expressed interest in a low cost, reconfigurable open architecture UAV avionics system. Each of these entities have specific interest in the ability to rapidly change the platform control laws to meet the requirements of their specific application without having to request changes from the autopilot manufacturer. ASROV provides the ability to go from SIMULINK models to C/C++ code on an ASROV platform without ever having to go back to the autopilot manufacturer. This capability allows UAV operators to focus their funding and their development efforts on their application, instead of on developing a UAV Testbed.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ZONA Technology, Inc.
9489 E. Ironwood Square Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85258-4578

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dario Baldelli
dario@zonatech.com
9489 E. Ironwood Square Dr.
Scottsdale,  AZ 85258-4578

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A novel approach is proposed for the suppression of the aircraft's structural vibration to increase the resilience of the flight control law in the presence of the aeroelastic/aeroservoelastic (AE/ASE) interactions. Currently aircrafts with non-adaptive control laws usually include roll-off or notch filters to avoid AE/ASE interactions. However, if changes in the aircraft configuration are significant, the frequencies of the flexible modes of the aircraft may be shifted and the notch filters could become totally ineffective. With the proposed approach, the flexible modes can be consistently estimated in real-time via system identification algorithm. The identified flexible modes information is sought to be injected to the adaptive control algorithm to update a set of pre-chosen basis functions, These are the key elements for the effectiveness of the proposed method. As a result, undesirable effects of elastic modes will be suppressed while the whole system stability being maintained. Two case/analysis scenarios will be considered. First, the feedforward filter topology will be mainly used to reduce any atmospheric induced structural vibration of the aircraft. Second, the adaptive feedback control is triggered to suppress any AE/ASE interactions, and prevent any possible Flutter/Limit Cycle Oscillation (LCO) of the actual flexible aircraft.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Being capable of on-line estimation/monitoring of the elastic modes of the aircraft, the proposed adaptive control technology can be automatically adjusted to attenuate any potential adverse aeroelastic/aeroseroelastic effects of an aircraft before a sustained limit cycle and vehicle damage are encountered. Hence, the proposed project will assist NASA in its goal to achieve an integrated flight control system resilient to failures, damage, and upset conditions unforeseen during the development of the aircraft's original control law.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed adaptive feedforward/feedback control framework will have extensive application in non-NASA commercial applications. Firstly, due to the potential Flight Control System (FCS) benefits from avoiding notch filters, the proposed methodology can be used by military and commercial aircraft manufacturers for new aircraft designs, modifications and upgrades. Secondly, it brings a variety of applications in other industries. Among others it can be mentioned: (1) Acoustic noise cancellation in headphone devices; (2) Reduction of the noise level for rotating fans in computer servers; (3) Suppression and/or attenuation of vibrations in large satellite structures; (4) Cabin noise reduction for the next generation executive transport aircraft, such as the Marcel Dassualt's Falcon 7X. The noise source can be associated with engine or gust noise; (5) Vibration suppression across the automotive industry, such as vehicle's engine vibration, adaptively tuning of the suspension in formula 1 racing cars, and so on.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Structural Modeling and Tools
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
CSA Engineering, Inc.
2565 Leghorn Street
Mountain View, CA 94043-1613

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Keas
paul.keas@csaengineering.com
2565 Leghorn Street
Mountain View,  CA 94043-1613

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
CSA Engineering proposes the design of an adaptive aeroelastic mode suppression for advanced fly-by-wire aircraft, which will partition the modal suppression function from the rigid-body Flight Control System (FCS). CSA is recognized as having world-class expertise in the areas structural dynamics, vibration control, and control-structure interaction. Phase 1 will leverage expertise in structural dynamics and system-identification to develop adaptive filtering algorithms which operate in both the spatial and time domains to identify/estimate key aeroelastic generalized (modal) DOF and suppress aeroservoelastic interactions while minimizing the degradation of phase margin with respect to the FCS. During Phase 1, CSA will develop an end-to-end aeroelastic aircraft dynamic model of appropriate complexity as well as related sensors and measurement systems which will support the adaptive mode suppression effort. Sensors and measurement systems will be evaluated concurrently with adaptive filtering algorithms with regard to convergence, stability, and robustness. Filter architecture parameterization and constraints will be investigated. The goal of this development is to partition the suppression of aeroservoelastic interactions separate from the rigid body FCS, enabling FCS design and configuration/adaptation to be independent of aeroservoelastic considerations.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology will be applicable to manned and unmanned vehicles and will enable safe operation in the presence of large uncertainties, component failures and system changes. This research will enable the R&D of others who are working with NASA on adaptive flight control by addressing the area of aeroservoelasticity and allowing others to focus on other core flight control aspects.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The ability to field adaptive fault-tolerant flight control systems will undoubtedly be of interest to developers of civil transport aircraft from the standpoint of improved ride quality and safety, especially if such technologies can readily be certified for such applications. Advances in adaptive flight control will serve future growth in air traffic in the US, continuing to reduce the fatal accident rate over time. Potential customers for CSA's algorithms, sensor subsystems and control systems are aerospace and defense companies with government often being the upstream customer.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Barron Associates, Inc.
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville, VA 22901-2559

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Alec Bateman
barron@bainet.com
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville,  VA 22901-2559

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Advanced diagnostic systems have the potential to improve safety, increase availability, and reduce maintenance costs in aerospace vehicle and a variety of other mechanical system. Numerous recent research efforts have produced a variety of diagnostic algorithms that show significant promise, but to date advanced diagnostic approaches have seen rather limited use in operational air vehicle systems. One of the major hurdles to transitioning such systems to fleet vehicles is the lack of adequate verification and validation (V&V) approaches. Barron Associates and MUSYN propose a Phase I research effort to develop a V&V framework for diagnostic systems that combines novel analysis approaches with experimental techniques to provide high confidence in the performance of diagnostic techniques. Performance evaluation of diagnostic systems is currently based primarily on numerical testing approaches, which may be applied to both simulation results and actual experimental data. While such testing is extremely important and should form a key component of the overall V&V strategy, it is not adequate alone. This is because it is impossible to collect sufficient test data or even sufficient Monte Carlo simulation data to exhaustively cover the space of potential test conditions. To achieve reasonable confidence in the coverage of the V&V procedures, it is necessary to intelligently select Monte Carlo or experimental test points to target the regions of the test space that are most likely to reveal problems. The team will work to develop analysis approaches that can help to identify combinations of conditions (flight conditions, uncertainties, external disturbances, vehicle configuration, etc.) that are most likely to lead to inadequate performance of diagnostic algorithms. The team will also extend the existing CAESAR software tool for control law V&V to automate V&V of diagnostic systems.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed V&V approaches will be applicable to diagnostic algorithms applied to a wide variety of systems developed and operated by NASA. Many future air vehicles can be expected to employ diagnostic algorithms to monitor systems including actuators, sensors, engines, gearboxes, and structural components. Examples of such vehicles include commercial transports, unmanned observation and communications platforms, and research aircraft. Diagnostic algorithms will be particularly important in commercial transport aircraft, where safety is of the utmost importance, and in long endurance unmanned vehicles, which lack human operators to recognize and respond to failure conditions. In the unforgiving environment of space travel, diagnostic algorithms will also offer significant benefits. Even in orbital flight, providing assistance to a damaged vehicle is extremely difficult and the problem will only be compounded on journeys to the moon and mars. Diagnostic algorithms will be critical to timely identification and isolation of fault conditions so the appropriate corrective actions can be initiated promptly.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed V&V approaches will be applicable to diagnostic algorithms applied to a wide variety of systems developed and operated by NASA. Many future air vehicles can be expected to employ diagnostic algorithms to monitor systems including actuators, sensors, engines, gearboxes, and structural components. Examples of such vehicles include commercial transports, unmanned observation and communications platforms, and research aircraft. Diagnostic algorithms will be particularly important in commercial transport aircraft, where safety is of the utmost importance, and in long endurance unmanned vehicles, which lack human operators to recognize and respond to failure conditions. In the unforgiving environment of space travel, diagnostic algorithms will also offer significant benefits. Even in orbital flight, providing assistance to a damaged vehicle is extremely difficult and the problem will only be compounded on journeys to the moon and mars. Diagnostic algorithms will be critical to timely identification and isolation of fault conditions so the appropriate corrective actions can be initiated promptly.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aptima, Inc.
12 Gill Street, Suite 1400
Woburn, MA 01801-1753

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jamie Estock
jestock@aptima.com
1726 M Street, N.W., Suite 900
Washington,  DC 20036-4526

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The runway safety issue has been on the Most Wanted list of the National Transportation Safety Board since the list's inception in 1990. The FAA has responded by implementing two ground surveillance technologies at major U.S. airports to reduce the risk of runway incursions. However, both technologies route information through air traffic control (rather than directly to pilots), which significantly delays safe responses. Several flight deck technologies that communicate information directly to pilots are currently in development. However, there is a need for tools to rapidly test the technologies early in the design process and measure their impact on pilot performance prior to implementation. The Aptima/George Mason University team proposes to develop two technologies that can be used together or independently to evaluate performance of flight deck technologies aimed at improving runway safety. We will deliver a computational cognitive model (Adaptive Control of Thought-Runway Safety; ACT-RS) that realistically emulates pilot performance, thus reducing the need for human pilots early in the design process. In addition, we will deliver a measurement tool (Performance Measurement Engine) that can measure the impact of the flight deck technology on the performance of ACT-RS and human pilots, making it useful across the technology lifecycle.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
ACT-RS and the PM Engine will be useful to NASA researchers within the Aviation Safety Program as tools that will allow them to: (1) assess the impact of flight deck technologies aimed at improving runway safety throughout the design lifecycle, (2) identify the underlying factors driving experience-based effects of technology implementation on pilot performance, and (3) assess performance in different conditions and scenarios by providing flexible modeling and software frameworks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
ACT-RS and the PM Engine will appeal to customers who are developing flight deck technologies aimed at improving runway safety and those who develop and conduct training for pilots on new flight deck technologies. Avionics developers can benefit by using the proposed tools to collect and provide objective data that is evaluative in terms of FAA regulations, policies, and standards. Airline Training Directors can also benefit by using ACT-RS and the PM Engine to understand the effects of new runway safety technologies and to develop training curriculum that prepares pilots for these changes.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
M4 Engineering, Inc.
2161 Gundry Avenue
Signal Hill, CA 90755-3517

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Myles Baker
myles.baker@m4-engineering.com
2161 Gundry Ave
Signal Hill,  CA 90755-3517

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
M4 Engineering proposes to develop a method of incorporating several analyses into one process and then optimizing the structure. This method will allow for significant weight savings of structural compoents by incorporating analyses for damage tolerance, and durability in the design phase. Damage tolerance analyses, especially, have been difficult to iterate on since it has been time consuming to create models of each damage condition. The proposed method will be a highly efficient and useful method in reducing weight of structures.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA will find great use for this method as they deal with applications that are highly sensative to weight. This method is suitable for both aviation and spacecraft applications of which is NASAs buisness.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This proposed method is suitable for application outside of the NASA network. Aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Airbus will find great use for this tool in applying weight savings techniques to their structures. In addition, the automotive industry will find significant use for this tool since structures with weight concern are also developed.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Composites
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Materials Research and Design
300 E. Swedesford Road
Wayne, PA 19087-1858

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Brian Sullivan
brian.sullivan@m-r-d.com
300 E. Swedesford Road
Wayne,  PA 19087-1858

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The fatigue life of CMCs must be well characterized for the safe and reliable use of these materials as integrated TPS components. Existing fatigue life prediction models for composite materials may be classified into three different categories: a) fatigue life model (S–N curves), b) residual strength or residual stiffness model, and c) progressive damage model. Recently, a damage index and accumulation model has been developed by Liu and Mahadevan based on Tsai-Hill static strength failure criterion. Using this approach as a framework, MR&D is proposing to develop and verify a relatively simple and computationally manageable approach to the fatigue life prediction of fabric reinforced C/SiC composites for hypersonic vehicle load bearing thermal protection system designs. A combined experimental and analytical program is proposed to achieve the objective of the proposed Phase I effort. At the conclusion of Phase I, a TRL of 2 will have been achieved and progress towards achieving a TRL of 3 will have been made.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology developed here will directly support the design of existing and future NASA space exploration vehicles. A working model which successfully predicts the thermal and mechanical fatigue life of coated C/SiC components will enable confident predictions of the structural life of CMC TPS components. Such a tool would also enable inspection and maintenance schedules to be generated for C/SiC materials, using actual data from flown mission environments collected from integral health monitoring sensor systems. Thermal protection system (TPS) elements, ranging from thick leading edges to doubly-curved acreage TPS panels, to hot structure control surfaces, will all benefit from the proposed program, if successful. Additionally, the fatigue life prediction tools developed in the Phase I program, if successful, may support the development of any hot structure materials used on the Crew Exploration Vehicle and subsequent airframes required for the Mission to Mars.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed Phase I program will result in enhanced design expertise that ultimately can be used by Government agencies and other companies to design and manufacture high temperature composite thermal protection system (TPS) components. Additionally the high temperature composite TPS design knowledge gained by MR&D from the Phase I program will open new opportunities to provide design and analysis services. An example of this growth path is provided by a Naval Air Warfare Center CMC Repair Phase I SBIR that grew into a Phase III SBIR, which was responsible for $1,288,521 of MR&D sales for CMC design and development services as of January 2006.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Structural Modeling and Tools
Ceramics
Composites

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

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Todd Quackenbush
todd@continuum-dynamics.com
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing,  NJ 08618-2302

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Recent advances have strengthened interest in supersonic cruise aircraft, though achieving economic viability for these vehicles will require dramatic improvements in cruise efficiency without excessively penalizing off-design performance. Optimization of inlet design offers a potent method for achieving these goals, and a range of flow control concepts are available that can provide an adaptive ability to minimize blockage, reduce boundary layer bleed, and mitigate adverse effects of flow distortion on inlet/engine stability. By exploiting high temperature smart materials technology, these concepts can be mechanized in robust, compact, and lightweight devices, enabling actuators suitable for the environment of supersonic powerplants. This effort will demonstrate the feasibility of applying High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy (HTSMA) technology to this problem, focusing initially on design and demonstration of variable geometry flow control devices for use in supersonic mixed compression inlets. The project will build on prior successful development of smart materials actuators, and will extend earlier work by incorporating new HTSMA materials as well as by exploiting recent insights into microramp and vortex generation devices. The project will include refinement and characterization of actuator-ready HTSMAs, development of design tools for aero/thermo/structural analysis of flow control concepts, and experiments on demonstrator-level implementations.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
By providing foundational research on innovative concepts for propulsion system components for supersonic transport aircraft, the proposed effort will directly support a wide range of fundamental NASA goals in aeronautics. One key result of the effort will be extended development and characterization of highly promising HTSMA materials, a resource of great potential for high speed and/or high temperature applications in subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aircraft. In addition, the Phase I effort will lay the groundwork for enabling technology to provide integrated inlet/engine control to ensure safe, stable, and efficient operation for continuous flight above Mach 2. Also, the projected integrated aero/thermo/elastic models of actuator performance to be assembled and validated will assist the development of concurrent engineering tools for analysis and design of smart-materials-based propulsion flow control systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A successful Phase I/Phase II effort will open the door to prototype testing and eventual implementation of a HTSMA-driven adaptive flow control system. The most direct beneficiary would be next generation supersonic aircraft that could incorporate these robust, low-profile, low-power flow control devices to permit an optimal balance of improved engine/inlet performance and enhanced engine safety. Successful implementation in this application would also lead to spinoff developments in a number of actuation tasks, including follow-on control concepts for compressor and turbine stages in subsonic or supersonic engines that would directly benefit both civil and military systems. Supersonic cruise technology is also of interest to the U.S. Department of Defense agencies and the developments projected here would directly benefit numerous missile designs as well as both manned and unmanned aircraft systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Kinematic-Deployable
Structural Modeling and Tools
Metallics
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
30 Forbes Road
Northborough, MA 01532-2501

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Wendell Rhine
wrhine@aerogel.com
30 Forbes Road, Building B
Northborough,  MA 01532-2501

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The push to hypersonic flight regimes requires novel materials that are lightweight as well as thermally and structurally efficient for airframes and thermal protection systems to increase safety and decrease system weight. The materials required must maintain their performance throughout the lifetime of the system, without degrading over time or with use. A critical component of the system is the thermal protection system required to maintain internal temperatures compatible with the airframe. Currently available thermal protection system (TPS) designs and materials are not capable of providing the level of protection required by NASA without a significant increase in TPS weight and volume. In addition, current concepts for insulation utilize approaches that add nothing to the structural efficiency of the vehicle, or are made from materials that add unnecessary weight to achieve the required thermal performance. Therefore, NASA needs new TPS concepts for hypersonic vehicles that will provide the highest level of thermal performance and can also be structurally integrated with the airframe rather than just add parasitic weight. For this SBIR effort, Aspen proposes to develop a multifunctional aerogel that could be used in structurally integrated thermal protection systems to improve vehicle safety and decrease system weight.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The multifunctional aerogel-based materials developed during this project will have applications as high temperature insulation and as lightweight structural components for integrated thermal protection systems for hypersonic aircraft and reusable launch vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The aerogels developed in this project would find applications for military hypersonic vehicles and as the insulation used for high temperature industrial processes. Lightweight structural aerogels would find applications as a component of composite sandwich panels that are both lightweight and insulating. Such panels could find many applications including uses in as fire barriers in buildings. Carbon aerogel also have applications such as catalyst supports and fuel cell electrodes.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Thermal Insulating Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
UES, Inc.
4401 Dayton-Xenia Road
Dayton, OH 45432-1894

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Young-Won Kim
ywkim@ues.com
4401 Dayton-Xenia Rd
Dayton,  OH 45432-1894

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The primary material and manufacturing limitations of gamma TiAl alloys include processing difficulties, requiring costly non-conventional processing requirements, and large lamellar grains, which reduces damage tolerance. We have developed a new class of TiAl-based alloys, called beta gamma, which would remove such barriers. Unlike existing gamma alloys, beta gamma alloys are designed such that the ductile â phase is adequate at elevated temperatures (for processing) but negligible at the anticipated use temperatures (for performance). The alloys also feature significant grain refinement and compositional homogeneity. This program is aimed to utilize such beneficial beta-phase distribution and microstructure features observed in small (0.7kg) samples into forged disks from medium size (25kg) ingots. The process-ability will be validated by employing a conventional forging process, and refined lamellar microstructures will be generated through usual alpha treatments. The significance of this innovation is that beta gamma alloy disks can not only be produced by conventional forging, but also show improvements in RT strength and ductility and may retain other attributes (density, creep and oxidation) of conventional gamma alloys.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Due to their low density (only 50% of those of superalloys), high temperature capability (up to 800<SUP>o</SUP>C for long-term use), and expected damage tolerance improvements, once the premised process-ability and engineering microstructures achieved, beta gamma alloys will eventually find their potential applications for rotational components, such as compressor rotors and disks, and other hot structures in future NASA advanced engines. With some adjustments of processing parameters and conditions, these alloys can be rolled into thin sheets relatively readily, which then can be used for thin-section hot structures such TPS and nozzle components.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
For the same reasons described above, there exist near future application opportunities for beta gamma in LPT components (blades and others) in future commercial aero engines and for high-pressure compressor (HPC) blades and vanes in advanced engines. These blades made of conventional gamma alloys are on the verge of being implemented in spite of their inferiority in processing and microstructure to those of beta gamma alloys. The rotors in future missile engines are a viable application area for beta gamma alloys. Some commercial automotive engines have used turbochargers made of conventional gamma alloys and a cost reduction is the only issue for exhaust valve applications. These are the ideal application areas for beta gamma alloys.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hyper-Therm High-Temperature Composites
18411 Gothard Street, Units B&C
Huntington Beach, CA 92648-1208

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Shinavski
robert.shinavski@htcomposites.com
18411 Gothard Street, Units B&C
Huntington Beach,  CA 92648-1208

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Durable, creep-resistant ceramic composites are necessary to meet the increased operating temperatures targeted for advanced turbine engines. Higher operating temperatures result in improved performance, fuel savings (higher efficiency) and reduced pollution. Silicon melt infiltrated ceramic composites have been identified as having a 2400F maximum use temperature, which does not take advantage of the highest temperature capability of the newest generation of near stoichiometric SiC fibers. Conversely ceramic composites containing a SiC matrix derived from chemical vapor infiltration have sufficient stability to take full advantage of the creep resistance of the fibers. For many applications, no existing matrix system for SiC-reinforced composites has sufficient through-thickness thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures to result in low thermally induced stresses; such that longer service life at higher temperatures can be achieved. This Phase I work will demonstrate a higher temperature melt infiltrated matrix that is stable to 2950F, and thus allows the full temperature capability of the latest generation SiC fiber reinforcements to be used. This higher temperature capability is combined with a significantly higher predicted elevated temperature thermal conductivity for the ceramic composite, which will reduce the thermally induced stresses on the material that often dominate the stress state on the material. The Phase I effort will produce ceramic composites with this higher temperature melt infiltrated matrix and perform both thermal and mechanical property evaluations at ambient and elevated temperatures to demonstrate the benefits of the system.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications for NASA include application in the hot gas path of turbine engines for supersonic aircraft. Specific components include turbine shrouds, combustor liners, and turbine vanes. Other applications for silicon carbide fiber reinforced composites include applications for advanced air-breathing propulsion systems for hypervelocity vehicles, hot structure, and actively cooled hot structures, as well as high temperature heat exchangers that can benefit from the higher operating temperatures and high temperature thermal conductivity.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications include application in military and potentially commercial turbine engines for aircraft, and land-based turbine components for power generation. Other applications that can benefit from the higher operating temperatures and high temperature thermal conductivity are catathermal combustion devices, heat exchangers, and radiant burners.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Ceramics
Composites
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Reaction Systems, LLC
1814 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401-1710

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Bradley Hitch
rxnsys@comcast.net
1814 19th Street
Golden,  CO 80401-1710

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Simulations of reacting flow in applications such as scramjet engines are currently limited in their utility or accuracy by the chemistry sub-models employed. Accurate chemistry models for hydrocarbon fuels are particularly problematic since the detailed kinetic mechanisms can be highly complex, essentially prohibiting obtaining a timely solution. Simpler global chemistry models, while tractable, are notoriously inaccurate except over narrow ranges of conditions. Reactions Systems therefore proposes to explore a new approach to capturing the detailed chemistry in a reduced multi-dimensional format that could combine the advantages of ISAT with recent RSLLC proprietary innovations in species reduction.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Increased accuracy and productivity of reacting flow CFD codes using realistic RP-1 type fuels would materially enhance the efficiency of the design process and ultimate performance of new hydrocarbon-fueled airbreathing engines and rocket engines for space access. If successful, the proposed innovation could also be applicable to modeling many other reacting flow situations such as rocket plumes or chemically-reacting endothermic fuels used for cooling of hypersonic vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Detailed chemical kinetic models are applicable to a wide range of gas phase chemical processes such as fuel autoignition, formation of toxics and air pollutants in combustion processes, modeling of catalytic processes, tailoring of industrial chemical processes, and in jet and rocket propulsion systems. Furthermore, these chemistry models are often run as subsets of models that describe flow and/or time dependent processes. While a number of problems in chemical kinetic modeling can be solved using global kinetics and simple thermodynamics, many require the use of detailed chemical kinetic models involving a large network of elementary reaction steps. These large networks of simultaneous elementary reactions are computationally expensive, and follow-on codes such as CFD codes are even more burdened by having large numbers of species to consider. Dramatically reducing the time and cost required to obtain accurate reacting flow simulations could allow much better optimization of the design and operation of many types of commercial equipment.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
High Energy Propellents (Recombinant Energy & Metallic Hydrogen)
Monopropellants
Database Development and Interfacing
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Combustion
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Combustion Research and Flow Technology
6210 Keller's Church Road
Pipersville, PA 18947-2010

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
William Calhoon
calhoon@craft-tech.com
3313 Memorial Parkway S, Suite 108
Huntsville,  AL 35801-5375

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This effort entails the validation of a RANS turbulent scalar transport model (SFM) for high speed propulsive flows, using new experimental data sets and accompanying large-eddy simulation (LES) solutions. The SFM has been used to predict local values of the turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers and also provides the rms scalar fluctuation values that are used with assumed PDF models for turbulent combustion. Performing the experimental work in unison with LES studies ensures that the two sets of data will be fully compatible, and may be used to support SFM model validation. Work to date indicates some deficiencies in the present SFM model for high speed mixing problems where the two streams have very different densities, which we will attempt to resolve in this program. PIV data for the transverse injection of hot air and helium/nitrogen mixtures into a Mach 3.5 stream will be obtained in unison with LES studies to yield scalar fluctuation data not readily obtained in experiments. SFM upgrades will be performed using this unified data. Experiments will be performed by Dr. Seiner and coworkers at U. Miss using a new 12"x12" trisonic tunnel and existing slot/round jet injector models.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A validated scalar fluctuation model (SFM) has potential post applications to support design optimization and concept evaluation for scramjet fuel injection systems, where use of current models does not provide the accuracy required, typically underestimating fuel/air mixing. Use of the SFM alleviates the need to somewhat arbitrarily specify values of Prandtl and Schmidt number, whose values have a first-order effect on predicted performance and hence on optimizing designs, and also provides the fluctuations needed to include in assumed PDF turbulent combustion models. Other NASA applications entail use of the SFM in improving the design of launch vehicles for thermal protection where plume heating effects in the base region are a major design issue, as well as many other applications involving fuel/air mixing and plume effects.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
From a DoD perspective, we are involved in Army and Air Force sponsored scramjet propulsive system design programs focusing on fuel injector optimization. Having a more reliable SFM will lead to better designs since the fuel/air mixing will be predicted more accurately. We are also involved in interceptor missile design activities supported by the Missile Defense Agency, where plume heating effects are problematic and are requiring the use of ablative shields. We require accurate estimates of plume afterburning which is directly related to plume/air entrainment rates and thus to turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers. This work will provide us with a more accurate tool to support DoD, and, it will enhance our code licensing and prime contractor support activities since a validated SFM provides improvements in predictive capabilities for a broad variety of high speed mixing problems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aerodyne Research, Inc.
45 Manning Road
Billerica, MA 01821-3976

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hsi-Wu Wong
hwwong@aerodyne.com
45 Manning Rd
Billerica,  MA 01821-3976

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this proposed SBIR project, we seek to implement the Adaptive Chemistry methodology in existing CFD codes used to investigate the emissions performance of gas turbine engine combustors. We will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating Adaptive Chemistry algorithms to current CFD codes. We will also further develop the Adaptive Chemistry method to take advantage of species reduction enabling even larger CPU speedups. The value of the technique is enhanced predictive capability and computational efficiency of existing CFD codes for reacting flows such as gas turbine engine combustion systems. The successful completion of this project will produce the first CFD numerical code that is able to model detailed chemical kinetics as well as fluid dynamics. The end results allow the user to easily and transparently control the balance between computational efficiency and solution accuracy.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As a result of this project, an interface of Adaptive Chemistry to any generic reacting flow solver will be constructed. The techniques developed in this project offer a combination of high efficiency, low computational cost, and enhanced accuracy on the reacting flow simulation. The interface developed in this work will complement NASA's combustion research, and NASA's in-house combustion codes can be integrated with the techniques developed to enhance its efficiency and simulation capability.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA application includes implementing Adaptive Chemistry into other commercial CFD codes. The technique developed in this project will potentially provide significant CPU speedups to current CFD codes. The predictive capability of existing CFD software will also be greatly improved to facilitate flow field simulations with more detailed chemistry included.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Combustion
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Energy Plus Ltd.
23342 South Pointe Drive, Suite E
Laguna Hills, CA 92653-1422

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vincent McDonell
mcdonell@erc-ltd.com
23342 South Pointe Drive, Suite E
Laguna Hills,  CA 92653-1422

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
For many applications involving liquid injection, the ability to predict the details of the breakup process is often limited due to the complexity of the two-phase phenomena. Likewise, the ability to experimentally characterize these phenomena is also limited due in part to the need to rely upon visualization tools which are inherently qualitative. As a result, the ability to validate predictions using these diagnostic tools is also limited. In recent years, visualization diagnostics have evolved substantially in terms of spatial and temporal resolution. The advancements, coupled with a tool to conveniently quantify the results obtained relative to the breakup process offer the potential for a marked increase in understanding of this phenomenon. The proposed effort will develop such a tool that will be applied initially to the problem of liquid injection into a crossflow. The typical characteristics associated with this type of liquid breakup, such as column flattening, bending, fracture point, dynamics, etc. will be automatically quantified using the tool proposed. The project will utilize existing results obtained with state-of-the-art high speed imaging.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The project will result in a novel experimental technique that can be applied to existing and new imaging based diagnostic available at NASA. As applied to various two-phase flow problems, the tool developed will facilitate CFD validation as well as increased understanding of the breakup of liquids for a variety of applications. The tool is particularly well suited for quantitative comparison of experimental results with predictions from advanced simulation techniques such as LES and/or VOF or other high fidelity phase interface tracking methods. ERC will work closely with NASA to focus the Phase I efforts on areas/imaging problems of immediate interest to NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The product produced by the proposed project will be of interest to end users of advanced high speed imaging systems that are currently being applied to liquid injection problems. It will also be of interest to those using CFD calculations coupled with experiments. As a result, the potential for deployment of the product within software provided by vendors of advanced imaging systems as well as CFD vendors is significant. The understanding provided through this efficient analysis tools can potentially lead to breakthroughs in models for liquid breakup phenomena which can then be applied in a wide variety of applications involving liquid injection/application.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Simulation Modeling Environment
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Combustion
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Energy Plus Ltd.
23342 South Pointe Drive, Suite E
Laguna Hills, CA 92653-1422

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vincent McDonell
mcdonell@erc-ltd.com
23342 South Pointe Drive, Suite E
Laguna Hills,  CA 92653-1422

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
As air-breathing combustion applications advance, increased use of fuel for cooling, combined with cycle advancements, leads to a situation where the fuel can become superheated. While this can lead to potential benefit in terms of the eventual fuel injection process, with enhanced atomization and evaporation, it creates a significant challenge relative to any computational design tools that might be used in these systems. Dealing with the superheat behavior in the injection of a liquid fuel requires substantially more physical phenomena to be accounted for compared to a subcooled system. As a result, detailed data and models for this behavior as encountered in practical fuels are needed in order to validate and evolve the models needed. In the work proposed, emphasis will be given to the injection of a plain liquid jet under superheated conditions. In Phase I the behavior of the liquid internal to the injector will be addressed, with both models and experiments carried out. The models evolved will be incorporated into an existing simulation environment developed by ERC for atomization of liquid jets. In addition, data will be available for CFD validation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
For Aerospace applications, development of fuel injection schemes that involve fuel superheat will be enhanced by model construction and validation resulting from the proposed project. Both standalone modeling tools and models for incorporation into a CFD environment will result from the project. NASA design tools will be enhanced in general and any simulation platforms needing to incorporate superheated fuel behavior will benefit in particular.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The project outcomes will be applicable to any application in which superheated fuels are involved. The main products in this regard are data and models which can be incorporated into larger design tools for these liquid injection systems. The standalone design tool can be used for assisting design of liquid injection systems using superheated fuels.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Facilities
Feed System Components
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Combustion
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Physical Sciences, Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Bryan Bergeron
bergeron@psicorp.com
20 New England Business Center
Andover,  MA 01810-1077

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Physical Sciences Incorporated (PSI) and United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) propose to develop, characterize, and evaluate the performance of innovative nanocatalysts that are homogeneously dispersed (0.01 % - 0.1 % by wt.) within a synthetic endothermic hydrocarbon fuel for ramjet, scramjet, and Rocket-Based Combined-Cycle (RBCC) applications. Coke build-up will be significantly reduced since the catalyst will be expelled with the product gases and liquids from the cracking system into the combustion zone. Increased cracking efficiencies will result using the nanocatalyst due to the higher surface area/volume and dramatically enhanced settling times compared to conventional microcatalysts. As a result, higher heat sinks due to endothermic cracking will be obtained. The reaction product distribution and efficiencies of the nanocatalytic hydrocarbon cracking reaction will be measured using standard chromatography methods. Use of the alternative synthetic fuel is advantageous due to its low sulfur content, high thermal stability, high endotherm, and production through a non-petroleum based reaction. In Phase II, new nanocatalysts will be synthesized, characterized, and tested. Catalytic efficiency will be optimized. The implications of the nanocatalyst on combustion performance will be evaluated. This program comprises TRLs 1 through 3 within Phase 1.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We believe that the proposed nanocatalysts will lead to significant improvement for propulsion systems that rely upon cracking of synthetic endothermic fuels. The novel catalyst may also act as a reaction site for liquid propellant combustion in air-breathing and conventional systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
DoD and DoE could benefit significantly from advances in hydrocarbon cracking. For example, AF has complementary ongoing programs using synthetic endothermic fuels, and is currently positioned to test the new X-51 WaveRider. Homogeneously dispersed catalysts in crude and processed bio-oil could yield new approaches to produce alternative energy for DoE/DoD, particularly in commercial markets such as the automotive and heating industry.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Renewable Energy
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ATA Engineering, Inc.
11995 El Camino Real
San Diego, CA 92130-2566

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Parthiv Shah
parthiv.shah@ata-e.com
11995 El Camino Real, Suite 200
San Diego,  CA 92130-2566

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A novel quiet engine air-brake is proposed in response to NASA's solicitation for concepts for active and passive control of noise sources for conventional and advanced aircraft. The air-brake concept is applicable to 1) next-generation, conventional tube and wing aircraft (current generation +1) and 2) advanced integrated airframe/propulsion system configurations (current generation +2), and could enable system level noise reductions of several decibels at the ground observer during approach by quietly generating drag equivalent to up to three turbofan-sized bluff bodies per powerplant. Such drag generation could enable slower, steeper approach trajectories with reduced need for drag generators such as flaps, slats and undercarriage. Proposed research tasks build upon a rigorous understanding developed by the investigating team on the aero-acoustics of drag generating, swirling exhaust flows. The objectives are to 1) create an engine air-brake design specification to constrain the design and identify and address issues and challenges associated with implementation, 2) perform trade studies on two aircraft/powerplant combinations in current generation +1 and +2 configurations to identify the attributes of suitable devices installed on such aircraft and 3) develop a candidate design for model scale aerodynamic and aeroacoustic validation in an experimental facility. The deliverable will be a written report presenting a conceptual design of a model-scale engine air-brake and proposed test plan for Phase II validation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The most immediate opportunity for this system is to assist NASA in the development of next generation quiet aircraft, including tube and wing (current generation +1) and integrated airframe propulsion system configuration (current generation +2). These aircraft are likely to have noise sources from the engine and airframe that have comparable levels at approach. A quiet air-brake device will allow noise reduction by creating drag without the associated unsteady flow structures of devices such as flaps, slats, and undercarriage. In addition these devices will enable steep approaches, thereby locating the noise source further from the affected communities. An additional application for swirling exhaust flows is in the area of wake vortex avoidance and induced drag management. For example, swirling outflow devices placed on wing tips could be used to swirl in the opposite or same direction to the bound vortex that is shed by a finite wing, resulting in potential induced drag reduction or increase (possibly of value in a quiet drag sense).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercial potential for this system extends beyond NASA's development programs related to next-generation quiet aircraft. The larger, shorter term market potential relates to engines which are currently being developed for commercial deployment in the next five to ten years by large-engine manufacturers where there is potentially still an opportunity to incorporate features of this concept into the final design. Another significant commercial opportunity is the development of a version or versions of the concept proposed here which can be retrofitted to existing or legacy engines to allow them to continue to operate under the more stringent future noise requirements.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Kinematic-Deployable
Aircraft Engines
Aerobrake

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mechanical Solutions, Inc.
11 Apollo Drive
Whippany, NJ 07981-1423

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Platt
mjp@mechsol.com
11 Apollo Drive
Whippany,  NJ 07981-1423

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
There are several ongoing challenges in non-contacting blade vibration and stress measurement systems that can address closely spaced modes and blade-to-blade variations (mistuning). Traditional NSMS systems are applicable but have limitations due to the undersampling that is inherent in time-of-arrival data processing and the uncertainty that is introduced by inferring, as opposed to calculating, the mode of vibration. Based on Navy SBIR research, MSI is developing a radar-based blade vibration measurement system with the following capabilities: •Provides a continuous time series of blade displacement data over a portion of a revolution (solving the undersampling problem). •Includes data reduction algorithms to directly calculate the blade vibration frequency, modal displacement, and vibratory stress (solving the mode inference problem). •Uses a single sensor per stage to monitor all of the blades on the stage. The goals for the proposed project are to design and construct an innovative blade vibration measurement system with resolution capable of characterizing mistuning parameters and closely spaced modes of vibration. Development and demonstration of such a system will provide substantially superior capabilities to current blade vibration technology. Phase I demonstration testing will be conducted in MSI's laboratory with an existing instrumented compressor rig.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Improvements in blade vibration measurement capability will significantly reduce the cost and risk of development and operation of gas turbine engines. The potential applications include any turbine engine ranging from gas turbine propulsion engines to industrial steam turbines used for power generation. However, commercialization to existing NSMS users is the most direct and near term path. The costs associated with maintenance, downtime, and readiness are already well established and understood by both military and industrial users, so an improved NSMS would be attractive to many types of customers.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Successful project completion addresses two of the commercialization hurdles that face current NSMS technology especially for new users – physical complexity and technical complexity. By characterizing closely spaced modes and mistuning parameters, and needing only a single sensor per stage, this project will lower the barrier to entry for new NSMS users. This will serve to widen the user base and help insure the successful commercialization of this technology for both civil and military aircraft as well as for industrial turbomachinery.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Facilities
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
M4 Engineering, Inc.
2161 Gundry Avenue
Signal Hill, CA 90755-3517

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kevin Roughen
kroughen@m4-engineering.com
2161 Gundry Avenue
Signal Hill,  CA 90755-3517

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
M4 Engineering proposes to develop a generalized reduced order model generation method. This method will allow for creation of reduced order aeroservoelastic state space models that can be interpolated across a range of flight conditions. This development will be a significant advance to the process of control law development, especially in the design of control systems required to provide flutter suppression, gust load alleviation, and ride quality enhancement. The proposed