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A02-054 TITLE: Novel Techniques for Thermal Load Management TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO for Tactical Missiles and Smart Munitions OBJECTIVE: Presently all mechanical cooling systems utilize heat conduction processes such as refrigerants, heat pumps, pipes, or similar devices which transfer energy using molecular processes such as conduction and fluid flow. The objective of this effort is to develop a novel active cooling technology that can remove heat from systems that have temperatures ranging from room temperature (300°K) to a few degrees Kelvin, and radiate this heat to a vehicle's exhaust or other location which reduces its detectability to external sensors. This cooling technology will have no moving parts or pumps, be easy to manufacture in various formats, from nano-coolers to macro devices, and be inexpensive (comparable to, or less than thermo-electric systems). The cooling system should be able to conform to any shape in order to utilize volumes in current electronic components and vehicle structures. The heat should be transformed into another radiative medium (electrical, acoustic or optical) for removal. The heat removed should be redirected into the vehicle's exhaust system. DESCRIPTION: The future of Army systems is being driven by the Objective Force. Future combat systems will rely on small lightweight platforms, ground vehicles, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, and a complex network for situational awareness. As such, these vehicles utilize state-of-the-art electronic systems (sensors and high speed computers) and propulsion systems which involve the generation and removal of heat. Residual heat from these systems causes definitive thermal signatures which increases system and operational vulnerability. Current cooling systems are bulky, noisy (both in terms of sound and electrical noise - cryo-cooler junction noise). Therefore, the proposed thermal management technology must remove heat from the confined spaces associated with electronic and detector systems (Q<1 watt to hundreds of watts), yet be scalable in order to directionally (side view) reduce the IR signature associated with propulsion systems (Q=kilowatts). The heat removed should be emitted as radiation in a spectral region in which IR sensors do not operate (3-5 mm for cryo-cooled InSb; or 7.5-13 mm for microbolometers, which can detect temperature differentials as small as 0.1°C, depending on range and pixel size). The technology should use developed manufacturing and production technologies in order to reduce lead time to fieldable systems. The resulting system will be novel in that it has no moving parts, can operate over a wide temperature range, channels the heat in a form that does not use pipes or conductive media, and allows thermal energy to be removed from a low thermal source and diverted into a higher one. PHASE I: Demonstrate critical technologies for the fabrication of novel thermal management architectures. Design of a nano-cooler capable of cooling DSP or similar devices (Comanche helicopter electronic packaging issues for example). Design of a macro high power thermal management system (Future Combat Systems). Issues addressed will include energy removal and redirectional strategies in these design studies. PHASE II: Build and demonstrate a fully functional nano-cooler integrated with a sensor system, DSP, or detector. Test system with military hardware in operational environments. Demonstrate scalability by assembling benchtop macro-device (4 in2 modular tile). PHASE III: Reduction in heat and improvement in system performance for detectors, sensors, processor electronics. Military applications include lightweight nano-cooling for battlefield components and reduction in size and complexity of cooling methodologies and modified IR target signatures. Commercial applications include cooling of microprocessors, very large scale integration (VLSI) circuit cooling, superconducting optical switching circuits, and specialized industrial cooling processes, and automotive AC systems. REFERENCES: 1) Mungan, et.al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1030 (1997). 2) Laser Ablation: Principles and Applications; Miller J. C., Ed.; Springer-Verlag; Berlin, 1994. 3) Laser Ablation: Mechanisms and Applications - II; Miller, J. C., Geohegan, D. Bi, Eds.; AIP: New Yourk, 1994. KEYWORDS: Nano-cooling, superconducting, thermal load management A02-055 TITLE: Software Driven Virtual Minefield TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Human Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Mine, Countermine, and Demolitions OBJECTIVE: Building upon the foundation provided by recent university basic research results, conduct the applied research and development work that is necessary for the creation of a new training simulation capability for land mine detection. This new simulation capability will provide to the operator of handheld landmine detection systems a virtual experience for training that combines a mine field with realistic sensor signals corresponding to actual target signatures in various realistic soil and environmental conditions. The system would provide feedback to the operator for performance enhancement and would support operator training and reorientation to a new environment, as well as experimentation with operator cueing formats. The new capability will require significant research and developmental advances over currently available technology and will involve technical risk. DESCRIPTION: Recent advances in the understanding of the thought processing by acknowledged expert operators of handheld landmine detector systems, coupled with advances in electro-optic tracking of sensor heads, has opened the opportunity for software driven minefield simulations which provide feedback for the training and reorientation of landmine detector operators. Using these techniques, experiments with laboratory equipment have established that new, inexperienced operators can approach expert performance with minimal training time. (See refs. 1 and 2.) Advances in the ability to analyze Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) signatures provide the capability to identify how the signatures vary with time, frequency, spatial location, soil conditions, and environmental conditions (ref. 3). This effort will combine these capabilities to develop a software driven virtual minefield which will provide feedback to operators in training of how the signatures of specific landmines change with the operator’s sweeping motion of the real or simulated sensor head. The virtual minefield will provide a range of audio cues based on the landmine signature. These cues will include the audio signals from the standard Army issue PSS-12 metal detector: 800-1400 Hz tone, increasing in frequency with the magnitude of the sensor signal above a threshhold, but will include a variety of other audio tones and signals, to allow experimentation with better operator audio coding schemes. Multiple audio channels will be provided to allow signals from multiple sensors or from different features of a single sensor signal to be simulated. Use advanced electromagnetic simulation codes to determine EMI and GPR signatures of a variety of mine and clutter types, experimentally verifying critical examples. Analyze PSS-12 and other common detector types to determine the audible cues which would result from the selection of mines and clutter types. Determine effects on the audible cues due to common soil and environmental conditions. The virtual minefield will be capable of realistically simulating variation in signature due to soil and environmental conditions. It will allow software locations of mines and clutter to be discovered by the operator as he moves through the virtual minefield. The system will turn any piece of available ground, whether over dirt or the deck of an embarked troop ship, into a simulated minefield for operator practice. Artificial intelligence (AI) software will support either individual training or practice, or training under the supervision of teachers with a variety of experience. PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of the system with separate laboratory equipment items and featuring only standard PSS-12 EMI signatures of a large and a small metallic landmine and one clutter item. Use electromagnetic simulation codes to determine the signatures. Analyze the PSS-12 processing to determine the effect of these signatures on the audible cues. Provide appropriate audible cues in the demonstration system correlated to movement by the operator of a realistic detector head simulant. PHASE II: Develop a rugged, fieldable system addressing the EMI and GPR signatures of a variety of landmine types, clutter types, under a variety of soil and environmental conditions. Use electromagnetic simulation codes to determine the signatures of mines and clutter types under common soil and environmental conditions. Analyze the processing of common EMI and GPR sensors to determine the effect of these signatures on the audible cues. Provide appropriate audible cues in the demonstration system correlated to movement by the operator of a realistic detector head simulant. Provide AI in the system to provide a structured training program based on operator feedback. PHASE III: UN experts estimate that there are over 100 million landmines currently scattered through at least 62 countries. There are significantly more items of unexploded ordnance resulting from bombardments by the US and other countries in various foreign interventions. Several hundred people are injured by landmines alone each month. These items of unexploded ordnance are a triple threat to a developing economy: they reduce the pool of young labor available to build the economy, they produce injured and helpless people who absorb resources from the economy, and they reduce the amount of arable land available to agriculture. These landmines are being cleared principally by nonmilitary personnel and agencies, typically using using commercially available sensor technologies, usually electromagnetic detectors. Since the software driven minefield will be able to emulate any common sensor response, it will transition rapidly to the commercial market because it be highly effective in training the demining personnel on current land mine sensor technologies and will significantly enhance their performance. This commercial market is expected to be an order of magnitude larger than the military market, resulting in a significant dual use capability. REFERENCES: 1) J. J. Staszewski and A. Davison, “Mine Detection Based on Expert Skill,” in Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets V, ed. A. C. Dubey, J.F. Harvey, J. T. Broach, and R.E. Dugan, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4038 (2000), p. 90. 2) H. Herman, J. McMahill, and G. Kantor, “Training and Performance Assessment of Landmine Detector Operator Using Motion Tracking and Virtual Mine Lane,” in Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets V, ed. A. C. Dubey, J. F. Harvey, J. T. Broach, and R. E. Dugan, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4038 (2000), p. 110. 3) L. Carin, I .J. Won, and D. Keiswetter, “Wideband Frequency- and Time- Domain EMI for Mine Detection,” in Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets V, ed. A. C. Dubey, J. F. Harvey, J. T. Broach, and R. E. Dugan, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3710 (1999), p. 14, and many other papers in this conference series. KEYWORDS: handheld landmine detector, operator training A02-056 TITLE: Safe Packaging of Ammonia for Compact Hydrogen Sources TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Human Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Soldier Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a lightweight, low-cost ammonia adsorbent that when used in a compact storage and delivery system releases ammonia at near-ambient conditions at a sustained maximum rate of 0.12 g/min. Thermal decomposition of 0.12 g/min of ammonia produces sufficient hydrogen to produce 20 W (electric) from a hydrogen/air fuel cell. DESCRIPTION: The Army has need for high-energy, lightweight power sources for the soldier; for example, one potential scenario would require 20 W (electric) for a three-day mission (1.5 kWh). Hydrogen-air fuel cells are candidates to fill this need, but the source of hydrogen is problematical. Ammonia is a potential solution (1-3) with 18% weight hydrogen. Upon thermal decomposition to hydrogen and nitrogen, ammonia has a theoretical energy density of 5.9 kWh/kg, which translates to a practical electrical energy density of 3 kWhe/kg. Liquid ammonia is not, however, the optimal phase for the fuel since it has a significant vapor pressure and requires storage in a pressure vessel. A leak could produce high concentration of ammonia vapor and unpleasant, and potentially unsafe, conditions. There is need for a lightweight, low-cost material that adsorbs ammonia at high-weight fraction and, when used in a storage-delivery system, releases ammonia at near-ambient conditions at a maximum rate sufficient to power the cell (e.g., approximately 0.12 g/min for a fuel cell producing 20 W). PHASE I: Identify, develop, and investigate low-cost and lightweight adsorbent materials that release ammonia at near-ambient conditions. Determine ammonia equilibrium uptake on these materials over a range of temperature and pressure that encompasses full behavior of the adsorption isotherm. Measure intrinsic rate of ammonia desorption from the material as a function of temperature and pressure. PHASE II: Further develop and characterize the most promising adsorbents identified in Phase I, and down-select to the best material. Design, construct, and evaluate a compact and lightweight adsorbent-based ammonia storage/delivery system that stores 0.5 kg of ammonia and releases it at a sustained maximum rate of 0.18 g/min (maximum rate = 150% of design rate) at near-ambient conditions with an overall system energy density greater than 1.5 kWhe/kg. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Developments in safe hydrogen sources for fuel cells will have immediate impact on a wide range of military uses as well as commercial power sources such as computer power, emergency medical power supplies, recreational power, etc. REFERENCES Continued on Next Page. 1) M. Powell, M. Fountain, and C. Call, "Ammonia-based hydrogen generator for portable fuel cells", Proceedings International Conference on Microreaction Technologies (IMRET 5) 2001. 2) L.R. Arana, S. B. Schaevitz, A.J. Franz, K.F. Jensen, and M.A. Schmidt, "A Microfabricated Suspended-Tube Chemical Reactor for Fuel Processing," Proceedings 15th IEEE International Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Conference, 2002. 3) 3. T. V. Choudhary, C. Sivadinarayana, and D.W. Goodman, "Catalytic ammonia decomposition:COx-free hydrogen production for fuel cell applications," Catalysis Letters, 72, 2001, 197-201. KEYWORDS: Ammonia, hydrogen, fuel cells, power source A02-057 TITLE: Hybridized Full Wave – Asymptotic Electromagnetic (EM) Computational Engine for Antenna Computer Aided Design (CAD) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors OBJECTIVE: Create an EM computing engine which can adaptively address the small features of an antenna/vehicle structure and the large features simultaneously in a coherent, accurate manner and in an optimization and design environment. DESCRIPTION: Full wave EM simulation codes have been successfully used to analyze and design relatively small (in terms of wavelength) antenna arrays or structures with fine features. Approximate asymptotic codes are used to analyze larger structures such as vehicle mounting the antennas or large reflecting elements, where finer features are ignored or averaged over. This topic requires an integrated, single computational engine which hybridizes the two EM simulation approaches in such a way that finer features or arrays in part of the structure can be treated accurately, while the effects of much larger features can be economically accounted for. This hybridization will enable the integrated treatment of very large antenna arrays, of antennas and arrays mounted on large vehicular structures, of the effects of surrounding vehicles or trees, of fine feed structures with large reflector elements, and of multiple antennas interacting through vehicle and surrounding structures in a cosite interference environment. The resulting simulation engine operate in an optimization and design environment, with appropriate graphical user interface. The code should have a flexible capability for serial or parallel processing at the users option, depending on the computational platforms at his disposal. The codes should be capable of treating conformal arrays on nonplanar structures. PHASE I: Select candidate full wave and asymptotic computing engines. Demonstrate their compatibility and the feasibility of hybridization using a crude interface between the two. Demonstrate the capability to analyze a simple 5 by 5 element planar array mounted on a simple stylized ground vehicle in a self consistent manner. PHASE II: Produce a fully integrated, hybridized code operating in a CAD environment for fast optimization as well as analysis of a variety of complex antenna structures. Develop the full capability for nonplanar structures, flexible choice of level of parallel computation, and an interactive graphical user interface supporting antenna design. PHASE III: The resulting CAD code will have applications in commercial and military markets. The ability to optimize and design antenna elements and arrays in the presence of large objects interacting with the EM field is essential for the inexpensive design of antennas and antenna arrays mounted on vehicles, of antennas which have fine features feeding large reflectors, and of very large arrays in the presence of surrounding objects. Current practice is to design the finer features or a small array in isolation, then to either determine problem areas empirically or to apply an asymptotic calculation to attempt to account for the effects of larger objects. The capability resulting from this topic would allow the entire design process to be accomplished in a single step, saving significant amounts in nonrecurring design costs. Because military systems are usually of smaller sales volume than commercial products, the nonrecurring costs are most critical to military radar, communications, and EW systems. However, commercial SATCOMs, terrestrial communications systems, and cellular systems will also benefit. REFERENCES: 1) K. F. Sabet, et al., “Fast Simulation of Large-Scale Planar Circuits using and Object-Oriented Sparse Solver,” 1999 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, p. 373. 2) H.-T. Chou, P. H. Pathak, and R. J. Burkholder, “Novel Gaussian Beam Method for the Rapid Analysis of Large Reflector Antennas,” IEEE Trans. Antennas and Propagation 49, p. 880 (June 2001).
of this compound that significantly enhances the usability of this compound. This method may involve changes in the delivery system to make the compound more effective and less toxic. The investigators may limit their application to internal human use or external decontamination, if necessary. The Phase I deliverable will be identification of a novel or known compound, a plan for making this compound usable, and data from ongoing research to make the compound more bacteriocidal, and/or less toxic. PHASE II: The investigators will continue to test compounds for the ability to germinate anthrax spores. Effective compounds will be tested for efficacy and toxicity in cells and animals, and on surfaces. The researchers will investigate toxicity and methods of application and develop this product to a point that the company or a commercial partner would have interest in taking over development at the end of Phase II. The investigators will have demonstrated by the end of Phase II that the product is effective and non-toxic. The Phase II deliverable is a compound ready for commercial production. PHASE III COMMERCIALIZATION: If successful, this program will lead to either a commercially viable spore germination compound for use in buildings and on other surfaces, or a N in vivo human germination compound. If we had such a compound now, the Hart building and postal equipment decontamination problems would not have occurred - the anthrax spores could have been treated to induce germination and the building could have been treated with a variety of benign agents. If we had such a compound approved for human use, the thousands of people taking Cipro could have been treated for days instead of months. Logistical costs of transporting Cipro for troops or decontaminating Army equipment contaminated with anthrax could be greatly reduced.
1) Dixon T C, Fadl A A, Koehler T M, Swanson J A, Hanna P C, 2000, Early Bacillus anthracis-macrophage interactions: intracellular survival survival and escape. Cell Microbiol 2000 Dec; 2 (6): 453-63 2) Dragon D C, Rennie R P, 1995, The ecology of anthrax spores: tough but not invincible. Can Vet J 1995 May ;36 (5): 295-301. 3) Welkos S, Little S, Friedlander A, Fritz D, Fellows P, 2001, The role of antibodies to Bacillus anthracis and anthrax toxin components in inhibiting the early stages of infection by anthrax spores. Microbiology 2001 Jun; 147 (Pt 6): 1677-85. KEYWORDS: Bacillus anthracis, anthrax, spores, germination. A02-059 TITLE: High Density Optical Data Storage TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics ACQUISITION PROGRAM: OBJECTIVE: Develop an optical data storage technology capable of achieving a data density exceeding 1 Terabit/in2 with significant improvements in data access rates over current optical technologies. DESCRIPTION: The data density of conventional optical storage technologies has been limited by the Rayleigh criterion. However, recently much work is being done in both near-field optics and sub-Rayleigh criterion optics that holds promise for new optical data storage technologies. Employing parallel readout to an array of such optics is another means to increase read/write access time and data throughput and can be readily adapted into this technology. These new technologies will enable new data storage products that will be required as the information content in next generation warfare takes a more prominent role by providing for a more rich data set to be accessed in the field in vehicles, aircraft, and with the soldier. This will also enable the capability of recording large quantities of operational data. The features of this technology that make it particularly useful are ruggedness, lack of susceptibility to electromagnetic fields, and small size and mass. Current commercial trends for optical storage technology indicate a storage capacity of 50 GB/disk by 2004, with 4-layer adaptive focus layered media and blue lasers [1]. Small business innovative research programs in this topic will provide a means to pursue a new storage technology and perhaps exceed conventional expectations [2,3]. PHASE I: Demonstrate the concept of data-storage using sub-Rayleigh criterion optics. In particular, a proof-of-principle device should be created to demonstrate the ability to read and write, write once-read many (WORM), to an optical medium using sub-Rayleigh criterion optics. PHASE II: A prototype device should be fabricated and tested to demonstrate the achievement of a data density of at least 1 Terabit/in2, with full read/write (WORM) capability with reliability and compatible with military environments. This will demonstrate the ability of such a device to be used in the field to provide access to rich data sets and record operational data. PHASE III: Produce a full-scale prototype of high-density optical disk drive including control-read/write electronics and development of compatible optical medium. The media and technology to manufacture such a disk should be clearly studied and demonstrated. The performance of the prototype should be fully characterized. REFERENCES: 1) S. Esener, “WTEC High Density Data Storage Study,” 1998, see http://itri.loyala,edu/hdmem/welcome.htm 2) Ebbesen, T. W., Lezec, H.J ., Ghaemi, H. F., Thio, T., and Wolff, P. A., “Extraordinary optical transmission through sub-wavelength hole arrays” Nature, Vol 391, 12 February, 1998, pp 667-669. 3) R. Wannemacher, Plasmon-supported transmission of light through nanometric holes in metallic thin films, Optics Communications, August 2001, 195(2001) 107-118. KEYWORDS: Optical Data Storage, Small Apertures, Rayleigh criterion Directory: osbp -> SBIR -> solicitations solicitations -> Army sbir 09. 1 Proposal submission instructions dod small Business Innovation (sbir) Program solicitations -> Navy sbir fy09. 1 Proposal submission instructions solicitations -> Army 16. 3 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Air force 12. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Army 14. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Navy small business innovation research program submitting Proposals on Navy Topics solicitations -> Navy small business innovation research program solicitations -> Armament research, development and engineering center solicitations -> Army 17. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Navy 11. 3 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions Download 1.78 Mb. Share with your friends:
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