SITIS Topic Details |
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| Proposals Accepted: | |
| Program: | SBIR |
| Topic Number: | AF103-009 (AirForce) |
| Title: | Innovative Energy Deposition for Improving the Control Effectors and Performance of High Speed Vehicles | Research & Technical Areas: | Air Platform |
| Objective: | Develop and demonstrate laser-microwave pulsed discharges to generate surface and volumetric plasma regions in high speed aerodynamic flows to improve vehicle performance and flight control.
| Description: | The Air Force is investigating innovative means of manipulating high-speed aerodynamic flows that improve vehicle performance and flight control effectiveness. Application interests are for hypersonic glide vehicles, reusable launch vehicles, and sustained supersonic cruise platforms. The proposed project will develop hardware, analysis and tools that demonstrate laser-microwave (MW) discharges are capable of forming surface and volumetric regions favorable for flow control applications. Laser (MW) generated discharge sequences are started by a pulsed laser that creates a focused stream cloud of electrons. A pulsed MW burst is then aimed at the cloud of electrons creating a plasma core concentrated in the electric field created by the electron clouds. Computations and laboratory test show plasma clouds created from the laser initiator-MW discharge require lower MW power at higher pressures than MW plasma discharges alone. It has also been demonstrated it is possible to create or form surface and volumetric plasma discharges using only MWs. With a laser precursor, it is conceivable with patterned slewing, that surface and volumetric discharge clouds may be sculpted and customized to have two- or three- dimensional shapes placed strategically on or over a vehicles that could have benefits for drag reduction, vehicle steering, and, possibly, heat transfer reduction.
| PHASE I: Define favorable high speed conditions for laser MW discharges, e.g., reduced power. Determine test parameters for testing a slewing laser MW system that produces sculpted surface-volumetric discharges in quiescent and flowing air. Identify plans to develop laser MW system and demonstrate system.
| PHASE II: Identify/develop appropriate laser MW system for testing in quiescent and flowing air: Document test results for surface and volumetric plasma discharge regions. Demonstrate applicability through simulation and testing on a basic generic configuration and identify costs to achieve alterations in aerodynamic conditions using surface and volumetric plasma generation approaches.
| PHASE III | DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION:
Military Application: The laser-MW technologies are to be incorporated in hypersonic systems, long-range bombers, re-entry systems, sustained high-speed air vehicles, fighters, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Commercial Application: High speed transport, space launch and reentry systems.
| References: | 1. “Experimental Investigation of Combined Laser-DC-MW Discharges,” AIAA 2006-1459 , 2. "Interaction of Microwave-Generated Plasma with a Blunt Body at Mach 2.1," AIAA-2009-846 3. "Instabilities, Vortices and Structures Characteristics During Interaction of Microwave Filaments with Body in Supersonic Flow," AIAA-2010-1004 4. “Interaction of Heated Filaments with a Blunt Cylinder in Supersonic Flow,” AIAA 2010-1005 5. “Survey of Aerodynamic Drag Reduction at High Speed by Energy Deposition,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 24, No. 6, November–December 2008 |
| Keywords: | active flow control, flow control, innovative control effectors, plasma |
Questions and Answers: |
Q: Would laser initiated discharges excited at lower than MW fequencies be considered ? |
A: . . . response pending . . . |
As of midnight September 1, questions for solicitations SBIR 10.3 and STTR 10.B will no longer be accepted.
To read the solicitation for full proposal preparation and submission details click here. |