Air Force sbir 04. 1 Proposal Submission Instructions
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| PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATION: Demonstrate large scale manufacturability of the sen-sor device. Anticipated dual use applications include sulfur detection for commercial fuel cell auxiliary power generators and automobile power plants. Military applications include use as a sulfur sensor for diesel, turbine engine, and fuel cell auxiliary power generators.
REFERENCES: 1. Fuel Cell Handbook, 5th ed., U.S. Department of Energy, NETL, Prepared under contract DE-AM26-99FT40575, 2000. 2. Hu, J., et. al., Chemical Engineering Journal, 93, 1, May 15, 2003, pp. 55-60. 3. Ma, X., L. Sun, C. Song, Catalysis Today Volume: 77, Issue: 1-2 December 1, 2002, pp. 107-116. 4. Maurice, L.Q.; Lander, H.; Edwards, T.; Harrison III, W.E., Fuel Volume: 80, Issue: 5 April, 2001, pp. 747-756.
AF04-191 TITLE: Analytical Diagnostic Tools for Heat Utilization Effects on High-Speed Aircraft TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform OBJECTIVE: Design and demonstrate predictive tools, sensors, and control logic that make it possible to optimally meter hydrocarbon fuel as it undergoes changes in thermodynamic state and chemical composition in a heat exchanger/cracker. DESCRIPTION: As the flight envelope of high-speed aircraft continues to expand, the demand on aircraft fuel as the primary airframe/engine heat sink increases dramatically. Existing high-performance aircraft use fuel to cool engine oil, structural components, and aircraft electronics. After performing these functions, the fuel, heated hundreds of degrees, is then injected into the engine combustor. This amount of heat load does not substantially affect the fuel composition or physical properties. Therefore, conventional metering devices and techniques are adequate. In contrast, next-generation long range strike aircraft and hypersonic vehicles will subject the fuel to enormous heat loads (a factor of ten increase from current heat loads), resulting in significant changes in chemical composition and physical properties. Proper fuel metering will be a tremendous challenge as the fuel undergoes these changes throughout the flight profile. New analytical tools (sensors and control logic) must be developed in order to achieve optimal fuel metering to the combustor despite the thermal decomposition of the fuel. Metering instrumentation must be developed to route fuel to heat exchangers or the engine based on the fuel’s remaining available heat sink capacity and its gravimetric energy content. Potential coking of fuel injectors and over/under fueling during transients must also be controlled. PHASE I: Design analytical tools (predictive methods and sensors) for evaluating the energy content of the fuel – remaining thermal capacity and/or gravimetric heat content. Identification of its major constituents may be sufficient to determine the extent to which it has been cracked and provide a reasonable estimate of its molecular weight for proper metering. In any case the measurement must be rapid, robust, and of size and weight consistent with in-flight application. PHASE II: Experimentally demonstrate control of a fuel heat exchanger/cracker and optimal metering of hydrocarbon fuel to a combustor as the heat load is varied. Control should be sufficient to set total fuel flow to the heat exchanger based on the fuel’s remaining heat sink capacity. It should also be able to set an engine bypass flow rate if the total fuel energy exiting the heat exchanger exceeds the demand of the combustor. This level of control should be demonstrated for a range of heat flux from several hundred to 2000 BTU/pound fuel. AF facilities will be made available to the contractor in order to complete Phase II testing. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: This technology is relevant to any hydrocarbon fuelled engine in which thermal demands of the engine/airframe structure exceed the ability to cool with ingested air. Generally, this cooling problem occurs above Mach 2.5. Military aircraft clearly want to operate above the 2.5 limit. Space access vehicles will also operate well above that limit. The most immediate commercial use of this technology will be to lower the cost of access to space. This technology will be relevant to NASA’s future flight vehicles. Beyond that, in lower speed applications and ground power generation, the ability to track the chemical state of a fuel will be valuable as a system diagnostic tool. Realistically, one could look for contaminants within the fuel in place of the low molecular weight products of the cracking processes. REFERENCES: 1. "Mass Spectrometric measurements of the freestream flow in the T4 free-piston shock-tunnel," ISSW21-Paper 2899. 2. "Measurements of Scramjet Engine Performance by Gas Sampling," AIAA-98-1590. 3. Developments in High-Speed-Vehicle Propulsion Systems, Progress in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Vol. 165, AIAA Publications. 4. High-Speed Flight Propulsion Systems, Progress in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Vol. 137, AIAA Publications.
AF04-192 TITLE: Self-Powered Wireless Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for Vibration Monitoring TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors, Electronics, Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Development of an integrated MEMS device that will have power, sensing, and data transmission while maintaining affordability. DESCRIPTION: The ability to instrument a component relatively nonintrusively, quickly, and affordably is becoming possible by using MEMS technology. Using mass fabrication techniques, the cost of sensors will decrease at the same time the instrumentation costs also decrease. Lower cost enables more instrumentation during flight evaluation or can be included in a distributed network health management system. The vision is to create a postage stamp sensor that can be applied and acquire data, yet be affordable enough to be disposable as sensors fail. MEMS sensors, power storage, and telemetry already exist, but reducing the size and price to fit the goals of the effort is currently unavailable. The package will use a MEMS accelerometer representative of the current state of the art commercial sensors (±5g with 1% error and at least 10kHz bandwidth, 2mA at 3-5V power usage). The battery will power the device for at least 2 months with 3 hours sensing and transmitting a day. The telemetry unit will wirelessly transmit the real-time accelerometer data using Bluetooth or similar technology. PHASE I: Design a breadboard-level system consisting of current technologies that would demonstrate the ability to connect the separate systems into a functional wireless powered sensor. PHASE II: Develop prototype sensor that will optimize the Phase I system into an integrated system. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: Military uses include sensing for health management, test sensing, or remote detection in military vehicles or space applications. Commercial uses are for automotive engine performance sensing, power plant health management, and commercial aviation. REFERENCES: 1. N. Maluf, An Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems Engineering. Boston, MA: Artech House, 2000. 2. V. T. Srikar and S. D. Senturia, “The Reliability of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) in Shock Environments,” J. Microelectromech. Syst., Vol. 11, pp. 206-214, June 2002. 3. A. Beliveau, G. T. Spencer, K. A. Thomas, and S. L. Roberson, “Evaluation of MEMS Capacitive Accelerometers,” IEEE Design & Test of Computers, pp. 48-56, Oct.-Dec. 1999. 4. C. L. Britton et. al., “MEMS sensors and wireless telemetry for distributed systems,” Proceedings of the SPIE 5th International Symposium on Smart Materials and Structures March 2, 1998 San Diego, CA. KEYWORDS: MEMS, distributed networks, sensors, wireless telemetry, size minimization. AF04-193 TITLE: Solid-State Electrolyte for High Pulse-Power Energy Sources TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform OBJECTIVE: Develop a single ionic conducting polymer electrolyte specifically for lithium ions where ion transport depends primarily on an electric field gradient instead of polymer segmental motion. DESCRIPTION: Proposals are sought with advanced and innovative concepts related to developing a single ionic conducting polymer electrolyte specifically for lithium ions where ion transport depends primarily on an electric field gradient as would be encountered in a 3- to -5 volt lithium battery. Polymer electrolytes to date have been based primarily on alkyl-ethers such as polyethylene oxide (PEO). Lithium salts are added to the alkyl-ethers to form the polymer electrolyte. This being the case, these electrolytes are dual ion conductors where the contribution of the lithium ion to ionic conduction is estimated to be on the order of 30 to 50 percent. In this type of electrolyte, ion transport depends primarily on polymer segmental motion. The room temperature ionic conductivity for a PEO-based electrolyte is on the order of 10–8 S/cm. Attempts at preparing a single lithium ion conducting polymer electrolyte where the anion of the lithium salt is attached to the polymer backbone has also resulted in very low ionic conductivities at room temperature. Nonaqueous liquids can be added to these electrolyte compositions to improve ionic conductivity; however, under these conditions, dimensional stability of the electrolyte as well as increased electrode/electrolyte interfacial resistance can strongly affect electrochemical cell performance. To minimize or eliminate these problems, the emphasis of this investigation is to develop a low dimensional fast ion conductor specifically designed for lithium ions that does not depend on polymer segmental motion for ion transport. This can be accomplished if ion transport is dependent upon the electric field gradient established between the anode and the cathode. This being the case, one could anticipate very good low temperature ionic conductivity that cannot be attained in present polymer electrolytes without resorting to the use of nonaqueous liquid additives. This is important because one of the primary applications for this electrolyte in a rechargeable lithium battery is for space-based radar where the battery would have to function at temperature extremes, such as –40 °C or +90 °C. In addition, the battery must have a high cycle life that is consistent with mission parameters. With this development, the solid-state electrolyte can function over a broad temperature range, thereby enabling rechargeable lithium batteries to meet a broad spectrum of mission requirements. The technology developed under this topic will be useful for computer equipment, communications equipment, land, sea and air vehicles (manned and unmanned), and for advanced weapons power. PHASE I: Describe a technical approach in order to develop this type of electrolyte and provide experimental data that validates the approach. PHASE II: Fabricate rechargeable lithium cells with this electrolyte and evaluate electrochemical performance characteristics as a function of cycle life at 100 percent depth of discharge. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: The technologies developed for high-energy-density batteries are for space applications. Commercial applications can be used for cellular phones and lap top computers. REFERENCES: 1. W. Krawiec, L. G. Scanlon, ISPE-5, Book of Abstracts, Uppsala, 11-16 August 1996, p. 0-2. 2. L. Scanlon, L. Lucente, W. Feld, G. Sandi, D. Campo, A. Turner, C. Johnson and R. Marsh, Lithium-Ion Conducting Channel, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Electrochemical Systems, Editors: A. R. Langrebe, R. J. Klingler, PV 2000-36, p. 326, The Electrochemical Society Proceedings Series, Pennington, NJ (2001). KEYWORDS: energy storage, batteries, electrochemical energy storage, solid-state electrolyte, lithium, lithium ion AF04-194 TITLE: Fuel Cell Power System with Parallel-Connected Bi-directional DC-DC TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platforms OBJECTIVE: Develop a space power system employing fuel cells and fast-responding control electronics. DESCRIPTION: Fuel cells have shown promising potential for several areas of applications such as remote communication facilities or remote-ground support stations. Coexistence of solar array source and fuel cell technologies makes the fuel cell source renewable and environmentally safe by using the electrical energy from the solar array source to convert the consumed fuel (such as water) back to the usable fuel (such as hydrogen gas). However, fuel cell energy sources require a much more complex controlling scheme that must ensure efficient and robust power transfer from the sources without risks of their rapidly degraded reliability due to prolonged over-current and/or under-voltage conditions. The power architecture and control scheme dedicated for fuel cell sources must provide a smooth power flow to the load. This requires a bi-directional dc-dc converter that interfaces between a standby battery and the system output bus connected to the fuel cell source. Bi-directional power flow through the fuel cell source must be prevented by a protection diode. Otherwise, the reverse power flow into the fuel cell source can cause damage or dramatically shorten its operating life. During light or typical load conditions, the fuel cell source can supply most or all of its power to the load, and at the same time some or none of its power to charge the standby battery through the bi-directional dc-dc converter. During peak heavy load conditions, the system controller enables the discharge mode of operation in which additional power is transferred from the standby battery through the bi-directional converter to support the load demand, thereby, preventing the operation of the fuel cell outside its undesirable operating regions. During any blackout or brownout state within the fuel cell source, the controlled bi-directional converter must react quickly to fulfill the load demand and to sustain the system bus voltage, thereby, sufficiently preventing a subsequent over-current which can occur immediately after disappearance of the blackout or brownout state. Under a fast over-current or a short-circuit condition across the system output bus, the system controller must immediately disconnect the fuel cell source from the bus and at the same time enable a current-limiting operation through the bi-directional converter to prevent an excessive current drawn from the battery. The system bus voltage should be properly regulated at a slowly adjustable voltage that is compatible with an optimum output voltage of the fuel cell source such that the system achieves a maximal energy conversion efficiency of fuel supplied to the fuel cell source without degrading its reliability. During repetitive pulsating or turbulent load conditions, the controlled bi-directional converter should quickly absorb most of the load ripple current and allow for very smoothed current drawn from the fuel cell. For future expansion, the bi-directional dc-dc converter should be constructed from parallel-connected converter modules that can have their inputs and outputs, respectively, parallel-connected or only parallel-connected outputs with their distributed inputs dedicated to the respective distributed standby battery banks. PHASE I: Determine technical feasibility of various power architecture approaches that yield high efficiency of at least 95 percent. Identify the best system control approach for a medium and high power fuel cell, determine the power system design blocks to achieve the robust system performance, stability and reliability, and validate the concept of the proposed fuel cell power system. PHASE II: Design all the power system components, build a prototype, and validate by testing. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: Anticipated military applications include use in remote telecommunication stations or space-and-ground support facilities. Commercial applications include utility, commercial launch facilities, and onsite power. REFERENCES: 1. Rastler, D., "Challenges for Fuel Cells as Stationary Power Resource in the Evolving Energy Enterprise," J. Power Sources, 86, (2000), pp. 34-39. 2. Vosen, S.R. and Keller, J.O., "Hybrid Energy Storage Systems for Stand-Alone Electric Power Systems: Optimization of System Performance and Cost Through Control Strategies," Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 24, (1999), pp. 1139-1156. KEYWORDS: Fuel cells, dc-dc converter, bidirectional converter, energy conversion, power source, standby battery AF04-197 TITLE: Improved Jet Canopy Properties Through Hybrid Polymers TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes OBJECTIVE: Synthesis and processing of POSS-polycarbonates to improve physical and mechanical properties of polycarbonates [also enhance compatibility with methacrylates and POSS-methacrylates]. DESCRIPTION: Over the last nine years the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has invested in an innovative new polymer technology (POSS = Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane) that results in dramatic property enhancements when blended, grafted or copolymerized into almost any polymer system. One area of focus involves studying how the incorporation of POSS improves the use temperature of methacrylate polymers, and how such technology could increase the capabilities of plastic jet canopies. Polycarbonates also play a key role for plastic canopies, and have the similar upper use temperature lim-its. It is the goal of this program to develop the POSS monomers and POSS-polycarbonates, followed by extensive testing to show the improvement in critical properties (e.g., stiffness, fracture toughness, and abrasion resistance) of the polymer system as applied to a jet canopy. In addition, demonstrated com-patibility with methacrylates and POSS-methacrylates is recommend since mixed polycarbon-ate/methacrylate systems have tremendous commercial applications. Demonstration that the copolymeri-zation/condensation to form a POSS-polycarbonate on a significant scale (>100g) along with written plans detailing scale-up and subsequent cost reduction is required. Current physical and mechanical properties of the POSS-polymers will be provided to the interested parties. PHASE I: A successful Phase I would demonstrate the synthesis of POSS-polycarbonate copolymer and provide full physical/mechanical characterization of the material. In addition, the program would also demonstrate processability of the material and provide compatibility testing data with methacrylates and POSS-methacrylates. Finally, a successful program would scale up the synthesis to >100g/batch, demonstrate small-scale processability to form a part by heating & bending, demonstrate small-scale cost reduction, and provide list of required properties for canopy implementation. PHASE II: A successful Phase II would fully optimize the material properties of targeted POSS-polycarbonate and demonstrate optimization by providing data of full physical/mechanical characterization of POSS-polycarbonate. In addition, the materials production should be scaled-up to a larger-scale with delivery of no less than a 1 Kg batch. Large-scale processability by heating& bending (4'x8' sheet), 10 time price decrease in POSS-polymer should also be demonstrated. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: Military applications of POSS-polycarbonates include superior high-temperature jet canopies, bulletproof glass, and military face-shields. Commercial examples include bulletproof glass, lenses, signs furniture, illuminated consoles, windshields and appliance parts. REFERENCES: 1. Haddad, T.S.; Mather, P.T.; Jeon H.G.; Phillips, S.H. "Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Diblock Copolymers. Nanostructure in Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Polynorbornenes," Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials III, Edited by: R. Laine, C. Sanchez, E. Giannelis and C. Brinker, Materials Research Society Symposia Proceedings, 2000, 628. 2. Shockey, E.G.; Bolf, A.G.; Jones, P.F.; Schwab, J.J.; Chaffee, K.P.; Haddad, T.S.; Lichtenhan, J.D. "Functional-ized Polyhedral Oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) Macromers: New Graftable POSS-Hydride, POSS-Alpha-Olefin, POSS-Epoxy, POSS-Chlorosilane Macromers and POSS-Siloxane Triblocks," Appl. Organomet. Chem. 1999, 13, 311-327. 3. Mather, P.T.; Jeon, H.G.; Romo-Uribe, A.; Haddad, T.S.; Lichtenhan, J.D., "Mechanical Relaxation and Micro-structure of Poly(norborneneyl-POSS) Copolymers," Macromolecules, 1999, 32, 1194-1203. 4. J. D. Lichtenhan, Y. A. Otonari, M. J. Carr, "Linear Hybrid Polymer Building Blocks: Methacrylate-Functionalized Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Monomers and Polymers." Macromolecules, 1995, 28, 8435-8437. 5. General information on the Propulsion Directorate can be found at: http://www.pr.afrl.af.mil KEYWORDS: polymers, Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS), silsesquioxanes, jets, plastics, canopy, methacrylate, polycarbonate AF04-198 TITLE: High Power Hall Thruster Technology Development TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platforms OBJECTIVE: Develop "high power" Hall thruster technologies that improve thruster operating characteristics and reduce thruster life cycle cost. DESCRIPTION: The application of electric propulsion (EP) systems for orbit transfer of satellites will deliver larger payloads and provide greater mission capability when compared to chemical propulsion systems. Over 100 Russian Hall thrusters operating up to 1.35 kW have flown in space. Development of Hall propulsion systems with powers up to 10 kW is proceeding internationally, and on-orbit application of several 4.5 kW systems is projected within the next few years. To support future missions, multiple Hall systems operating at powers exceeding 20 kW are envisioned. These high power levels are especially applicable for communications satellites, where high on-board power availability enhances the primary mission. The development of innovative Hall thruster technologies that can significantly improve thruster operating characteristics and/or reduce thruster life cycle cost is expected to provide greatly increased mission capability and system application. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: thrust-to-thruster mass ratio; thrust-to-thruster power ratio; efficiency; total impulse; thruster production cost; electromagnetic and contamination output and measurement; ground test cost. Research may focus on one or more improvement objectives. Since these characteristics are both interrelated and power dependent, it is necessary that such effects be accounted for when investigating technology improvements. Innovations may include, but are not limited to: thruster magnetic system; thruster geometry; thruster materials; thruster fabrication techniques; propellant type; ground test pumping system; thruster diagnostics. Research may focus on one or more innovations. Evaluation of technology improvements with respect to state of the art should occur throughout the effort. Government and commercial test and evaluation facilities may be utilized if proper documentation of efforts to secure these facilities is provided. Government facilities can be sought at no cost to the contractor or SBIR office. Information regarding government test facilities may be obtained from the technical point of contact. PHASE I: Identify and evaluate candidate technology improvements applicable to 10 kW and greater thruster power. Perform initial validation of high payoff concepts through analysis and/or test. Develop preliminary designs implementing the selected technologies. PHASE II: Deliver a full scale prototype Hall thruster at a power greater than 10 kW. DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: High power Hall thrusters will find military applications by providing propulsion for orbit transfer vehicles and for repositioning large DoD space assets. The primary commercial application will be in performing orbit raising for final insertion of large geosynchronous communications satellites. REFERENCES: 1. Jankovsky, R. S., McLean, C., McVey, J., "Preliminary evaluation of a 10 kW Hall thruster", American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics AIAA Paper 99-0456, Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 37th, Reno, NV, Jan 1999. 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