Submission of proposals
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| PHASE I: Devise an analysis method and a related design concept suitable for simple rotors. Demonstrate the ability to predict flows (and related performance) over a single isolated rotor with a tip Reynolds number varying between 500,000 and 20,000. Show the variation in airfoil performance from root to tip for this Reynolds number range (including a comparison with 2D airfoil behavior). Demonstrate that at low Reynolds number the hover figure-of-merit is consistent with the behavior of known small rotors. Propose small-scale test techniques for the validation of rotor analyses and diagnoses of behavior over a full range of advance ratios.
PHASE II: Develop a configuration optimization and layout method for the rapid design of small rotor configurations with a full range of practical constraints. This design tool should be able to incorporate all available test data as possible input. Complete development of the analysis method shall be demonstrated in Phase I. This method should include the ability to treat hover and forward flight and to include ducts and adjacent wings. For configurations of extreme geometric complexity, it would suffice to model distant elements in a practical and physically reasonable manner. Develop and demonstrate a test and validation method for use with this analysis. The demonstration shall include a small range of rotors and/or rotor/ducts sufficient to show the effectiveness of the analysis for a range of geometries. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: It is anticipated that miniature flying rotorcraft will be useful for a wide range of military and non-military applications. Because such models are fairly cheap and easy to fabricate there will be a major premium on the ability to design and build these rapidly for fast developing applications. This capability would be provided by the sought-for design, analysis and validation complex. OPERATING AND SUPPORT COST (OSCR) REDUCTION: At the size rotor that is envisioned here, cost is anticipated to be relatively small on the condition that the small rotorcraft is available for the specific application. It is anticipated that this availability will be contingent on the ability to custom design or modify these as required (at least until such time as operational experience identifies the reasonable range of configurations). Of course, if these mini-rotorcraft are not available then the job will have to be done by more conventional and much more costly means. REFERENCES: 1) "Analysis and Design of Rotors at Ultra-Low Reynolds Numbers," Peter J. Kunz, Roger C. Strawn, AIAA 2002-0099, 40th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 14-17 January 2002, Reno, NV. KEYWORDS: rotors, stall, separation, miniature rotors, low Reynolds number, test, aerodynamic analysis, design A03-078 TITLE: High Strength, Affordable Helicopter Gears TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM Apache OBJECTIVE: Affordably improve the contact fatigue and bending fatigue strength of helicopter gears by at least 25%. DESCRIPTION: There is a need to increase main gearbox power densities with minimal affect towards gearbox interfaces or growth within the Army's rotorcraft Force Modernization Fleet. Recent advances in gear manufacturing, processing and finishing make it possible to realize dramatic increases in contact fatigue strength and bending fatigue strength for helicopter transmission gears. It may be feasible to integrate several different processes to maximize potential benefits. Instead of growing the gearbox to accommodate the higher power density requirement, it may be possible to keep the gearbox fixed in size and weight, by exploiting these manufacturing processes. These processes include, but are not limited to, chemically accelerated isotropic finishing, near net shaped forging, and ausform finishing. PHASE I: Demonstrate potential for at least 25% improvement in bending fatigue strength and contact fatigue strength for Pyrowear 53 steel material through material coupon testing. Testing shall include single tooth bending fatigue and contact fatigue. The number of test specimens used will be statistically significant, in accordance with industry common practice. Testing will incorporate a baseline. PHASEII: Demonstrate process on Pyrowear 53 spur gears representative of a current helicopter aircraft main gearbox. Goal is to demonstrate strength increase of at least 25% by testing the development gears in a 200HR endurance gearbox test. The test rig will be capable of confirming 25% fatigue life enhancement. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate producibility and the affordability of the high strength gears. Develop an implementation plan for the manufacturing/post-manufacturing process with a Process Specification. Implement 200 Hour iron-bird endurance qualification test. Then flight test gearbox. Potential commercial applications include helicopter gearboxes, tank transmissions, hydraulic pumps, race car transmissions, turboprop engines, earth moving equipment, wind turbine generators, and UAV/SUAV high-performance gearboxes. REFERENCES: 1) Swiglo A. A., 2001, "Enhanced Surface Protection of Precision Gears," INFAC Program, IIT Research Institute. AMCOM Contract DAAJ09-95-C-5046. 2) Britton R. D., Elcoate C. D., Alanou M. P., Evens H. P., Snidle R. W., Proc. STLE/ASME Tribology Conference; Orlando, FL (1999) "Effect of Surface Finish on Gear Tooth Friction." KEYWORDS: power density, surface finish, superfinish, ausforming, aerospace gears, transmission, near net forge, fatigue life. A03-079 TITLE: Miniature Inertial Reference System TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO Aviation (Comanche) OBJECTIVE: Design and build a very small, lightweight miniature inertial reference system that can be integrated into an aviator's flight helmet to accurately measure the position of the pilot's head and the direction of the pilot's line of sight in real-time. DESCRIPTION: Knowledge of the position and the orientation (line of sight) of the pilot's head can increase both the safety and the effectiveness of aviation missions. This information can be used to improve the stabilization of imagery that is captured by the aircraft's sensors and displayed in the cockpit for better pilot awareness. These measurements are also essential to head-tracking systems that automatically point sensors or weapons to a target as cued by the pilot's vision. One of the existing technologies that measures the head position does so by creating and detecting magnetic fields. Although this technique is useful in many environments, the interaction of the electromagnetic fields and some of the materials in the cockpit can produce erroneous readings. Some of the existing systems cannot operate in real-time, and many require a complex mapping of the cockpit and/or a time consuming initialization before the system can be used. Additionally, the slightest change within the cockpit, such as the pilot adjusting his seat or repositioning equipment, will often require a new cockpit mapping or initialization. Novel techniques for accurately determining the position and orientation of the pilot's head are sought to provide three-dimensional inertial location data. The system design should be integrable into standard Army aviator flight helmets. Emphasis should be placed on minimizing the weight of the system and insuring the system does not block the pilot's vision or otherwise inhibit his ability to safely perform the mission under all realistic flight conditions. PHASE I: Design a system to determine the position and orientation (line of sight) of the pilot's head. Provide an estimate of the expected accuracy of these measurements. Develop a plan to integrate the system into the pilot's helmet and to relay the information through existing communication channels into the aircraft computer. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype system. Conduct testing to verify both the system performance and the ability to interface with the aircraft computer(s). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: This system can benefit both the military and the commercial sectors. Reliable and accurate position and pointing information can be utilized in remote tracking, robotics, entertainment, surgical, and surveillance applications. REFERENCES: 1) Ferrin, Frank J., "Large Screen Projection, Avionic, and Helmet-Mounted Displays," Proc. SPIE, 1456, 86-94 (1991). KEYWORDS: sensors, inertial reference, tracking A03-080 TITLE: Small Multi-decade Communications and Electronic Warfare (EW) Antenna TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM FIREFINDER OBJECTIVE: Develop a miniaturized multi decade bandwidth antenna for omni-directional broadband communications and electronics counter measures. DESCRIPTION: The Army is relying on a wide range of Radio Frequency (RF) systems for communications, navigation, combat ID, and electronics counter measures. In addition the Army is becoming increasingly mobile with smaller forces of greater capability. As a result, the Army needs smaller, wider bandwidth, and more capable antennas. The RF band from 20 MHz to 2000 MHz is of particular interest as it encompasses a wide range of communications, sensors and countermeasures systems. Current initiatives include the Army Sensor Countermeasure for the Objective Force (SCOF) STO, improved Global Positioning System (GPS), UHF satellite and line-of-sight communications radios, multifunction Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), and Shortstop Electronics Protection System (SEPS). The use of separate antennas for each of these systems results in a set of antennas that are individually cumbersome and whose performance is degraded due to interference and blockage from the other antennas. The purpose of this effort is to resolve these problems, by developing an innovative small antenna with greater than 100:1 bandwidth that can be used in a wide range of applications. The particular emphasis of this program is to develop antennas usable for both man portable and vehicular applications. It is critical that the solutions be small, light weight, low volume, visually concealed and have a low Radar Cross Section (RCS). As an example, typical broadband antennas, such as cavity-backed spirals, are at least 0.32 wavelengths at the lowest frequency of operation. For such antennas, a goal of this effort would be to retain the desirable electrical performance characteristics while reducing the diameter by a factor of 1.5 and the cavity depth by a factor of 2 for a 65% reduction in antenna volume. It is known that smaller sizes can be attained by loading the cavity, but under penalty of higher cost, weight, and greater loss associated with typical loading materials. Under this topic, innovative uses of new low-loss high-permittivity and high-permeability materials are encouraged. In addition, innovative structures with high radiation efficiency, such as photonic band-gap structures, should be considered. It is anticipated that both improved materials and innovative structures will be required in a successful design. The antenna is intended for both receive and transmit functions (up to 100W) and as such aperture efficiency is an important parameter. An efficiency of 50% or greater over the majority of the operating band is desired. The preferred polarization is vertical. PHASE I: Develop a theoretical model of the antenna. Predict the performance of the antenna in both manpack and vehicular installations. Development and test of breadboard models of the antenna are encouraged but not necessary. Document the design and predicted performance. Assess potential commercial applications and marketplace, and identify any design features/issues impacting dual-use. PHASE II: Construct and deliver a prototype of an antenna based on the designs of the Phase I program. Tests should be done in an environment emulating the intended applications of the antenna. Generate a report showing the results and comparisons to the theoretical models and any deviations from the expectations. PHASE III: Many commercial systems have requirements for broadband small antennas. Perfect examples are commercial and general aviation A/C industry with numerous antenna systems that are being added to all A/C for a variety of applications. Other good examples are vehicular and personal communication antennas for a wide range of communication and navigation applications. It is expected that successful results of this effort will easily find applications to a wide range of commercial systems. REFERENCES: 1) Frequency Independent Antennas Jaisk and Johnson. 2) Kraus, John D. Antennas, McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc., NY 1988.
A03-081 TITLE: Blockage Mitigation Techniques for On-the-Move Satellite Communications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM WARFIGHTER INFORMATION NETWORK-TACTICAL OBJECTIVE: Design and build a blockage mitigation capability suitable for use with small Ka-band and Extremely High Frequency (EHF) satellite communications terminals operating on the move. This capability must include a Satellite Communications-On-The-Move (SOTM) protocol that encompasses acknowledgement-based protocols to recognize disruption in service and to employ appropriate correction techniques. Protocol analysis needs to ensure signal quality is maintained in the presence or random errors during transmission, as well as maintaining quality of service (QoS) if the signal is blocked. Appropriate forward error correction (FEC) and automatic repeat request (ARQ) techniques need to be developed and analyzed to define the optimum implementation strategy to maintain QoS within the network. DESCRIPTION: Communications while on the move is an important requirement for the Army’s Future Combat System/Objective Force (FCS/OF). Satellite communications (SATCOM) will be a vital part of the future communications architecture. However, both urban and rural terrain presents many obstacles (i.e., buildings, mountains, foliage, etc.) that block satellite signals and interrupt voice and data transmissions for tactical vehicles communicating while on the move. FCS/OF SATCOM needs technology to ensure that voice and data communications are received in full despite interruptions during transmission from blockage without using excessive amounts of limited SATCOM bandwidth. Existing efforts primarily address on-the-move antenna pointing and transport layer issues (e.g., Transport Control Protocol issues). Additional approaches are needed at the physical, data link and network layers to achieve a comprehensive, robust blockage mitigation capability for networks of on-the-move satellite terminals. Consideration of time tracking and signal acquisition under low Bit Energy-To-Noise Power Density Ratio (Eb/No) conditions are also important aspects of blockage mitigation. Without this capability, communications among the networks of numerous small Ka-band and Extremely High Frequency (EHF) on-the-move satellite terminals envisioned by the Warfighter Information Network–Tactical (WIN-T) and FCS/OF architectures will be adversely effected by the signal blockages expected in most types of terrain. This will result in less robust networks and inefficient use of satellite resources in the face of frequent signal blockages. PHASE I: Develop overall system design that includes specification of the blockage mitigation techniques, how they interact with other elements of a three-dimensional communications network (terrestrial, airborne relay, and satellite), the impact on satellite terminal design, and how they can be expected to perform in a networks of small, on-the-move terminals. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a prototype system in a realistic environment. Conduct testing to prove feasibility over extended operating conditions and ability to support networks of numerous small terminals. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: This system could be used in a broad range of military and civilian communications applications where there is a need for on-the-move satellite communications – for example, in overseas peacekeeping operations, emergency response/disaster relief operations, mobile news coverage, and in-vehicle business communications and entertainment systems. REFERENCES: 1)Army Vision of Future SATCOM Support, http://www.army.mil/ciog6/references/armysat/Chapter_12.PDF 2) Space Communications Protocol Standards (SCPS) Homepage, http://bongo.jpl.nasa.gov/scps/ 3) Employment Of ACTS Mobile Measurements At 20 GHz For Prediction Of Earth-Satellite Fades Due To Trees And Terrain, http://acts.grc.nasa.gov/docs/SCAN_20010910164047.PDF 4) Encryption And Error Correction Using Random Time Smearing Applications To Mobile And Personal Satcom, http://acts.grc.nasa.gov/docs/SCAN_20010913161741.PDF 5) Finite State Markov Models For Error Bursts On The ACTS Land Mobile Satellite Channel, http://acts.grc.nasa.gov/docs/SCAN_20010911124730.PDF K/Ka-Band Channel Characterization For Mobile Satellite Systems, http://acts.grc.nasa.gov/docs/SCAN_20010911145550.PDF
A03-082 TITLE: Extensible Markup Language (XML) Compression Tool TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Soldier Warrior OBJECTIVE: Develop a software-based XML compression tool that will compress and encode XML data prior to transmission over a network. DESCRIPTION: This software XML compression tool must operate in a transparent fashion to the user once installed, intercepting datastreams from an application prior to transmission out over the network. It should have the capability of using a highly-efficient encoding algorithm for XML data for which knowledge about the Schema and DTD is well-known for both the sending and receiving application, as well as a less-efficient algorithm for transmitting XML data in which either the Schema is not well-defined or the recipient has little knowledge about the data?s structure. With the proliferation of XML in military systems and its associated high overhead for its tagging structure (sometimes exceeding 90% overhead versus data), this tool can reduce transmission and bandwidth requirements by a factor of 10 or more. Since the military typically operates over wireless transmission channels in the battlefield with limited bandwidth, such an information management savings will be essential to meet the demands of the Future Combat System and Objective Force. Also, with XML gaining wide acceptance in the commercial world, as well as the widespread use of mobile users, this tool could have an extremely large commercial market to exploit. PHASE I: Research algorithms and methods to rapidly encode XML data utilizing a software-based approach. The techniques must be capable of compressing in real-time or near real-time an XML data stream prior to transmission over a wireless or wired link. It must also have the capability to decode a received stream of encoded data in near real-time. PHASE II: Develop a software tool based on the algorithms researched during phase I to perform real-time or near real-time encoding and decoding of XML data streams. This software should be able to be ported to numerous platforms, ranging from workstations and servers to desktop computers, laptops, wearable computers, and personal digital assistants. Porting to web-enabled phones would be a plus. PHASE III: Fieldable software tool that will be used with battlefield systems to compress XML data prior to transmission over the battlefield and de-compress these streams at the receiving end. Commercial plug-in software modules that could compress/decompress XML files to reduce transmission time and overall file size prior to transmission over a commercial network. REFERENCES: 1) XML and compression - see http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-matters13.html. 2) Army Joint Technical Architecture - see http://www-jta.itsi.disa.mil/
A03-083 TITLE: Military 3-D Visualization Utilizing Gaming Technology TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Human Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Future Combat Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a standardized application programming interface (API) for a military 3-D gaming simulation tool that will facilitate the integration of a gaming environment with planned military C2 applications (such as the Commander’s Support Environment, Combined Arms Planning and Execution System, DaVinci Toolkit). DESCRIPTION: This 3-D visualization interface will be required to work with a standard C2 Data Model and associated XML Schema and DTD to render 3-D visualizations of military units, as well as have the desired capability to render 3-D terrains and environments from standard NIMA maps and imagery. The simulation tool should be capable of taking live feeds from the associated military planning tools in a networked environment (multiple feeds desired) and rendering a 3-D virtual environment in near real-time for war-gaming scenarios. The API developed as part of this effort should be robust and extensible to allow for integration of live sensor feeds at a later date. Currently, no standard gaming API exists in the industry, which hampers the rapid development and application of gaming technology to large-scale simulation systems and trainers. (Each system becomes a custom environment.) The system should leverage commercial standards to the maximum extent and leverage existing gaming engine technology. It is desired that the system be capable of running on a current Windows 2000 environment, but Unix/Linux based systems will be considered. Development of such a system will directly support all Future Combat System experiments, which currently employ the Commander’s Support Environment. Commercial applications include the use of such a system for Homeland Security, both in stand-alone exercises of non-military emergency personnel, as well as joint operations between civilian authorities and NORTHCOM. Commercial applications also allow gaming manufacturer’s to develop an industry-standard interface to allow for gaming applications to be used as simulation trainers for various commercial environments. PHASE I: Research current 3-D visualization techniques that are generated in real-time on desktop computing platforms utilizing commercial gaming engines and develop a systems architecture to incorporate these systems into Future Combat Systems C2 operational software. The systems should have the capability of interoperating with a command and control object model based on the DaVinci architecture, along with the ability to read XML data streams as input drivers to the system to effect movement of the objects during an operation. PHASE II: Develop a prototype 3-D visualization system and API that can be integrated into the Future Combat System C2 application based on the DaVinci architecture and its associated object model, XML Schema and DTD. As part of this effort, verify the validity of the API by demonstrating a working prototype where the existing the C2 application input/output effects are displayed in 3-D form using the visualization engine in a laboratory environment over a wired network. PHASE III: Future Combat System applications. This 3-D visualization system can also be used in commercial simulation scenarios for Homeland Security and Disaster Relief and Recovery systems for both civil defense and corporate applications. REFERENCES: 1) Future Combat System - See http://www.darpa.mil/fcs/index.html 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 1.85 Mb. Share with your friends:
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