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Go to the NIST SBIR Awards by State.
Note: Certain non-ASCII characters may not be
represented accurately in this document. In cases where there may be doubt,
please refer to the printed copy of the solicitation or direct your questions
to sbir@nist.gov.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.02 Advanced Building Materials
and Systems
SUBTOPIC: 7.02.05 Development of Moisture
Sensor for Building Envelopes
TITLE: Optical Fiber-Based Sensors for
In-Situ Measurements of Moisture within Building Envelopes
NIST OU: 860
FIRM: Luna Innovations Incorporated
2851 Commerce Street
Blacksburg, VA
24060-6657
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Mark Jones
(540) 953-4274
Award AMOUNT: $74,993.00
ABSTRACT:
The presence of moisture in inaccessible
building regions can lead to paint failure and rotting that reduces property
values and creates dangerous habitat environments. Secondarily,
the presence of moisture can lead to mold growth with allergenic and toxic
properties that present a significant health risk. Diagnosis may
include measurement of the moisture content of building materials, as
well as measurement of water infiltration through the exterior barrier.
The current tools available for diagnosis are limited to bulky, electrical-based
sensors that are not optimal for embedding in small crevices and often
produce unreliable results over long-term evaluation. To address
the need for robust sensors and instrumentation to measure moisture content
within building envelopes, Luna Innovations proposes to develop low profile,
low cost, optical fiber-based instrumentation for in-situ simultaneous
measurements of humidity and temperature, within inaccessible regions
of buildings. The proposed system will enable remote detection in
an embeddable, multiplexed format, and offer a low cost solution that
can be used in may commercial and industrial structures and meets the
competitive price points of the housing industry.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The ability to measure moisture
content and temperature gradients within inaccessible regions of infrastructures
has many commercial and government applications. In addition to
providing a tool to the building research community, the proposed sensing
system will also find widespread applications in structural health monitoring
of composite structures, pipelines, bridges, and environmentally sealed
electronic housings.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.03 Advanced Detection and Suppression
of Fires
SUBTOPIC: 7.03.03 Fire Fighter Imaging
TITLE: A Low Cost Viewer for Fire Fighters
NIST OU: 860
FIRM: En'Urga Inc.
1291-A Cumberland Avenue
West Lafeyette, IN 47906-1385
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Yudaya Sivathanu
(765) 497-3269
Award AMOUNT: $75,000
ABSTRACT:
This Phase 1 proposal seeks to
evaluate the feasibility of a low cost infrared viewer for fire fighters.
There are four distinct components that comprise the novel infrared viewer.
The first is a Nipkow disc, which allows a two dimensional scene to be
scanned by a single element detector. The second is a four state
thermoelectrically cooled lead selenide detector that is sensitive in
the most appropriate part of the infrared spectrum for fire fighting applications.
The third is a low cost infrared diode that is used for illuminating the
fire scene. The fourth is a advanced single board processor that
converts the analog signal from the single element detector into a NTSC
compatible signal for direct viewing by a helmet mounted display panel.
These four key components will allow the fabrication of an infrared fire
fighter imager at less than thousand dollars, making a suitable for fire
fighting applications. During the Phase 1 part of the project, the
feasibility utilizing a Nipkow disc with a single element detector to
reliably image a two dimensional scene will be evaluated. During
the Phase 11 part of the project, a prototype viewer will be fabricated
and evaluated in a large scale fire experiment.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
There are two potential uses for
the proposed viewer. The first is that firefighters can use it to
locate and rescue fallen comrades and victims in fire fighting scenarios.
Currently, most fire departments do not have infrared viewers for every
single fire fighter due to their high cost. The second potential
use is in industrial process monitoring. For example, infrared viewers
can be used power plants to ascertain the degree of slagging of the boiler
pipes. The proposal low cost infrared viewer will have instant acceptability
for a wide ranging of monitoring applications in process industries.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.04 Condition-Based Maintenance
SUBTOPIC: 7.04.03 Development and Integration
of Condition-Based Maintenance Technologies
TITLE: Development of a Intelligent Condition
Based Maintenance System
NIST OU: 820
FIRM: VerTech LLC
15470 Riddle Road
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022-3943
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William H. VerDuin
(440) 247-8315
Award AMOUNT: $74,973.26
ABSTRACT:
An opportunity exists to develop
an Intelligent Condition Based Maintenance System (ICBMS) to provide "early
warning" of equipment maintenance needs. Adaptive process models
will estimate changes in machine health from analysis of sensor inputs
and machine usage. A troubleshooting and repair knowledge base will
provide advice on maintenance scheduling and procedures, and thus support
ongoing operations and training of new staff. ICBMS will minimize
the cost and disruption of maintenance, repair and unscheduled downtime.
Innovations include the use of advanced modeling technologies including
neural nets to provide "virtual sensors" and to estimate critical but
unmeasurable process and machine health parameters and other available
information. Our Automated Knowledge Acquisition technology will
extract structured rules by analyzing operational decisions and problem
solving approaches provided by machine operators and maintenance staff.
Objectives include preliminary process modeling, acquisition of troubleshooting
and maintenance expertise suitable for automated knowledge extraction,
and a preliminary conceptual design of ICBMS outlying system elements
integration strategies and functionality.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
Failure prediction and intelligent
scheduling of maintenance and repair for: (1) rotating machinery, including
power generation, machine tools, propulsion systems, (2) thermal processes,
(3) electromechanical systems, (4) high performance/extreme conditions
systems
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.05 Infrastructure Security (Electronic
Commerce)
SUBTOPIC: 7.05.01 Automated Techniques
for Syntactic Web Usability Evaluation
TITLE: Development of an Intelligent Assistant
for Web Usability Design
NIST OU: 890
FIRM: UserWorks, Inc
1738 Elton Road, Suite 138
Silver Spring, MD 20903
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Richard L. Horst
(301) 431-0500
Award AMOUNT: $74,991.00
ABSTRACT:
Usability is increasingly being
recognized a s a distinguishing aspect of successful applications on the
web. Many web design tools are available but most offer no guidance
to the user as to how to design for usability or accessibility.
A number of syntactic evaluation tools, allowing an automated scan of
the code and inferences about possible usability or accessibility shortfalls
have been developed, including the WEBSAT tool developed by NIST, but
all are limited in their scope and applicability. The present effort
will delineate the need for and conceptualize and overall design for an
Intelligent Assistant for Web Usability Design. This Assistant would
include a syntactic analyzer, perhaps incorporating WEBSAT, but would
extend the functionality by providing the web developer with more extensive
design suggestions or guideline resources in a context sensitive manner.
The Phase 1 project will culminate in a working proof of concept demonstration
of this Intelligent Assistant, illustrating the approach, architecture,
and look and feel.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The envisioned Intelligent Assistant should
be of interest to practically all web designer/developers, particularly
those working on products for competitive markets where usability and
accessibility might determine success. This software tool would be used
by the developer, either in conjunction with or embedded in, other design
tools. It might be commercialized either as a standalone tool or licensed
to web design tool vendors.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.05 Information Infrastructure
Security (Electronic Commerce)
SUBTOPIC: 7.05.05 Mobile Code Policy Toolkit
TITLE: Inlined Reference Monitors for
Java Bytecode
NIST OU: 890
FIRM: GrammaTech, Inc.
317 North Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Paul Anderson
(607) 273-7340
Award AMOUNT: $74,899.00
ABSTRACT:
Current state of the art technology for specifying
and enforcing security policies for software is generally too inflexible
and coarse-grained. In systems that make use of mobile code, such as Java
applets, the situation is yet more difficult. A more flexible and powerful
approach is needed that will allow a wide range of security policies to
be set by various policy-setting authorities for different applications.
We propose to commercialize mechanisms for specifying and enforcing security
policies for mobile code that work by inserting fragments of code into
programs in order to monitor their state and prevent them from violating
security policies. The proposed system will allow arbitrary policies to
be specified independently by different policy-setting authorities. We
will apply this approach, named Inclined Reference Monitors(IRMs), to
Java bytecodes. We believe that advanced static-analysis techniques, in
particular those embodies in our own dependence-graph technology, are
crucial to allow this to be done efficiently and fully automatically.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The software proposed has applications in computer
security policy specification and enforcement.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.06 Integration of Manufacturing
Applications
SUBTOPIC: 7.06.02 Discrete Event Simulation
Reference Data Set
TITLE: Selection of Probability Distributions
of Discrete-Event Simulation Models
NIST OU: 820
FIRM: Averill M. Law and Associates, Inc.
2601 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 110
Tucson, Arizona 85719-3163
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Averill M. Law
(520) 795-6265
Award AMOUNT: $73,600.00
ABSTRACT:
Discrete-event simulation is used by thousands
of companies to design new manufacturing systems and to improve the performance
of existing ones. Manufacturing systems contain numerous sources of randomness
such as machine times to failure and machine repair times, which greatly
impact on system performance. If each source of system randomness is not
modeled by an appropriate probability distribution, then it is highly
likely that the simulation model will produce erroneous performance results,
resulting in costly decisions.
If the system of interest exists in some form,
then it will often be possible to collect date and to use statistical
techniques to determine an appropriate probability distribution. However,
if the system does not exist, then collecting date is impossible and an
analyst is forced to use a somewhat arbitrary distribution.
To address this real and important problem,
we propose a Phase 1 research study to determine the technical feasibility
of developing (in Phase 2) a library of probability distributions that
would be appropriate for difference common sources of randomness encountered
in simulation models of manufacturing systems.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The research is directly applicable to discrete-event
simulation of manufacturing systems when data on system randomness (times
to failure, times to repair, processing times, ect.) are not available
- a commonly occurring situation. The results of the research will be
implemented in a computer program in Phase 3.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.09 Microelectronics Manufacturing
Infrastructure
SUBTOPIC: 7.09.05 Cryogenic Packaging
for Programmable Voltage Standards
TITLE: A Closed Cycle Refrigerator-based,
Programmable Voltage Standard System
NIST OU: 810
FIRM: HYPRES, Inc.
175 Clearbrook Road
Elmsford, NY 10523-1109
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Robert Webber
(914) 592-1190
Award AMOUNT: $74,957.00
ABSTRACT:
Researchers at the NIST have demonstrated a programmable
Voltage Standard(VS) chip based on SNS (superconductor-normal-superconductor)
tunnel junction technology. Excellent programmable VS were demonstrated
using this SNS technology in a liquid helium-based system. At HYPRES,
we have developed and commercialized a Closed Cycle Refrigerator
(CCR_-based DC Voltage standard system using a VS chip previously
developed and integrated into a liquid helium-based system at NIST.
Under this program, we propose to develop a high performance cryogenic
package for this programmable VS chip for integration with a CCR
system. This developmental work will involve collaborations between
HYPRES, NIST and Dr. Clark Hamilton to develop the package and integrate
it with a NIST-provided CCR. In Phase 1 of the program, we deliver
the complete cryogenic package to NIST upon completion of the program.
In Phase 2, HYPRES will procure a CCR system and develop and demonstrate
a complete CCR-based programmable VS system. This system has many
other applications such as D/A converters and signal synthesizers.
Phase 1 will establish the feasibility of the concept and Phase
2 will lead to a prototype system.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
Metrology laboratories around the world, high
precision instrumentation companies, and the military form a fairly large
existing customer base for the new, efficient, programmable voltage standard.
The D/A applications are numerous, including signal synthesizers, spectroscopy,
and high accuracy instrumentation for signal processing.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.09 Microelectronics Manufacturing
Infrastructure
SUBTOPIC: 7.09.07 Precision Optical Current
Sensor
TITLE: Precision Optical Current Sensor
NIST OU: 810
FIRM: Precision Lightwave Instruments
9232 N. Invergordon Road
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: James Blake
(602) 538-7442
Award AMOUNT: $75,000.00
ABSTRACT:
Optical current sensing has been in development
for over a decade, and is beginning to grow in commercial popularity.
Fiber optic current sensors developed at Honeywell, based on the Sagnac
interferometer have demonstrated accuracy of better than 300 ppm over
the temperature range -40 to +60 deg. C. This Technology has been made
available to Precision Lightwave Instruments. In this program, we will
build on this technology base, using the sensor architecture to realize
a device that senses both rotation in inertial space and electrical currents
flowing through a fiber optic sensing coil. By having a device that responds
to both stimuli, we can tie the measurement of electrical current to the
measurement of rotation. The final goal of this program is to construct
a new optical current check standard for currents in the range 1 A to
10kA with uncertainties less than 10 ppm. The goals of Phase 1 are to
build, test, and deliver a prototype capable of achieving 100 ppm stability,and
to complete error analysis and design modifications for a Phase 2 build
of a 10 ppm sensor.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
1. Supplying optical current sense-check standards
to measurement labs.
2. Manufacture of high accuracy OCT's for the
electric power industry
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.03 Advanced Time-Resolved
Planar Velocity Diagnostics for Spray Flames
TITLE: High Frequency, Time-Resoved Digital
Particle Image Velocimetry System for Combustion Induced Flows
NIST OU: 830
FIRM: Aeroprobe
2000 Craft Drive, Suite 1104
Blacksburg, VA 24060
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Pavlos P.
Vlachos
(540) 951-3858
Award AMOUNT: $74,398.00
ABSTRACT:
A few years ago, an effort launched by members
of this group to perform very high frequency Digital Particle Image Velocimetry
(DPIV) measurements, resulted in a system capable of acquiring data with
up to 1000Hz. A spectacular opportunity has recently emerged that will
allow us to make a leap forward in DPIV technology. Speed and resolution
of the new generation of cameras has increased by one order of magnitude.
In short time, cameras will be available with maximum speed up to 60,000
frames-per-sec and maximum resolution of 1K x 1K pixels. It is proposed
to capitalize on our previous experience and on recent technological advances
to perform research towards the development of a system able to resolve
turbulent multiPhase flow fields with frequencies of 4KHz or more. Emphasis
is placed in this project on technology validation, demonstration and
comparison of the proposed system with conventional well-established methods.
In addition, great consideration will be given in the maturation of the
technology and its transition all the way from research and development,
in laboratory and industry applications.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
There is no system commercially available today
that can perform non-intrusive spatio-temporal measurements, with 4KHz
frequency and the ability to resolve mult-Phase flow fields. It is believed
that upon successful completion of the proposed work, a unique tool for
the analysis of complex flows will be delivered. This tool will be useful
to all types of basic research in fluid mechanics. Moreover it could prove
valuable to all types of industries related to applications of fluid mechanics
(i.e. aerospace, aeronautics, marine, power-generations ect).
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.04 Integrated Omni-Directional
Traversing Probe System for Mapping the Flow Field Within High-Temperature
Reactors
TITLE: A Fast Omni-Directional Velocity-Temperature
Probe for Hostile Flow Environments
NIST OU: 830
FIRM: Aeroprobe Corporation
2000 Kraft Drive, Suite 1104
Blacksburg, VA 20460
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Matthew D. Zeiger
(540)951-3858
Award AMOUNT: $74,963.00
ABSTRACT:
Laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV), particle-image
velocimetry (PIV) and hot-wire anemometry (HWA) are the methods which
are most often used in a laboratory environment to measure flows at high
frequency. However, these systems have drawbacks in industrial settings
such as intolerance to particulate flows (HWA) or two-Phase flows (LDV,
HWA), requiring optical access (LDV, PIV), etc. Moreover are very expensive
and require extensive training.
Aeroprobe has funded the development
and recently licensed technology for the exclusive marketing of the Omniprobe,
a nearly omni-directional multi-hole velocity probe capable of measuring
reversed flows. Aeroprobe is proposing to push the multi-sensor probe
technology envelope further by developing Omniprobes that have high frequency
response, can withstand high temperatures and can operate in dusty environments,
or in sprays. It is proposed to develop probes to meet one of the three
challenges at a time, then combine the advances in the three technologies
into one probe at a later Phase of the effort. A high-frequency Omniprobe
requires that appropriate sensors be mounted near the surface of the probe.
Surface mounting of the sensors will also increase the probe's ability
to operate in dusty environments. High-temperature sensors of the MEMS-type
and new cooling techniques for these sensors will be employed.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
Aerospace Corporation is the leading manufacturer
of multi-sensor velocity probes. Aeroprobe products are now employed by
Boeing, Lockheed, Aurora Flight Sciences, and Orbital Sciences Corporation
and other industries as well as universities and Government labs such
as NASA, NSWC, NREL, and DIAL. Aeroprobe Corp. has been very successful
in bringing this technology to non-aerospace industry as well, as it has
placed units with ICI Films, Norton Inc. Shell development Co., Ford Motor
Co., and United Technologies. It is believed that if the proposed work
is carried out successfully, the Company will be able to market the new
sensors to many of its present customers. Aerospace customers have repeatedly
asked for measurements at higher frequency, and many of our industrial
customers need probes for measurements in high-temperature hostile environments.
There is truly nothing in the market now that could meet these needs.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.09 Three-Dimensional Imaging
System for Low Activity Brachytherapy Sources
TITLE: A Slot Camera Imaging System for
the Characterization of Line Brachytherapy Sources
NIST OU: 840
FIRM: NeuTek
13537 Scottish Autumn Lane
Darnestown, MD 20878-3990
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Yu-tarng Cheng
(301) 948-8172
Award AMOUNT: $75,000.00
ABSTRACT:
More than 20 years after the advent of balloon
angioplasty restenosis remains a major health risk and cost burden.
Success in animal trials and treatments in other non-malignant lesions
using radiotherapy has established a new branch of medical science,
intravascular brachytherapy (IVB) in treating restenosis. In just
over 6 years since the first application, there are today more than
500,000 operations a year in USA alone. Successful treatment will
depend critically on the delivery of proper radiation dosage to
the vascular site. Radioactive strength and uniformity of the IVB
sources used are of primary concern. This program takes a sensitive,
well proven radiation detection technology and couples it to an
innovative imaging approach for the characterization of IVB line/seed-train
sources. The end product is a fast, accurate and low-cost 3-D imaging
systems for the profiling of IVB line sources. A 2-D system will
be tested in Phase 1 for both gamma and ß IVB sources. The
results will be used for the design of a 3-D system to be constructed
in Phase 2.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
This proposed radiation imaging technique
will provide IVB manufacturers and practitioners a fast, accurate and
low-cost mean to acquire the critical information on the strength and
uniformity of an IVB line source. The technique is equally applicable
to other types of medical radioactive sources, including brachytherapy
sources in general. It is anticipated that the IVB field will continue
its fast pace of growth and so will the demand for measurement technologies
such as the one proposed here.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.12 Ultraviolet Detectors
and Optical Components
TITLE: High Performance Far Ultraviolet
Matrix Sensor by Micromachining
NIST OU: 840
FIRM: LEEOAT Company
2631 Colibri Lane
Carlsbad,CA 92009
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Eli Wiener-Avnear
(760) 438-1439
Award AMOUNT: $75,000.00
ABSTRACT:
In Phase 1I of the SBIR program, LEEOAT company
will develop and optimize the conceptual design and the fabrication
process of the far ultraviolet focal-plane-array detector and readout
system. Additionally, we will theoretically model the detector and
readout system and reduce-to-practice the crucial elements of the
innovation. We will estimate the cost/effort for the fabrication
and testing of a prototype in Phase 2 of the SBIR program.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The development of the high-performance
ultraviolet focal-plane-array detector with high discrimination against
gamma rays will open a large window of opportunity with an estimated annual
market of $40M.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.13 Two Dimensional Detection
of Neutrons with High Spatial Resolution, High Dynamic Range and Low Noise
TITLE: Solid State Thermal Neutron Detectors
Based on Boron-Doped Amorphous Selenium
NIST OU: 850
FIRM: EIC Laboratories, Inc.
111 Downey Street
Norwood, MA 02062-2612
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Krishna Mandal
(781) 769-9450
Award AMOUNT: $75,000.00
ABSTRACT:
Thermal neutrons are among the most useful probes
for investigation of the structural, magnetic and acoustic properties
of materials. Current methods of thermal neutron detection by large
cumbersome gas counters or scintillator-photomultiplier tube combinations
are limited by their detection efficiency, stability of response,
speed of operation, and physical size. To address these needs, EIC
plans to construct a large-area, lightweight, high-resolution, and
very fast position sensitive thermal neutron detector based on a
highly B-doped a-Se (As, Cl) alloy semiconductor. The proposed detector
would offer high detection efficiency over existing instruments,
and would be inexpensive for industrial mass production. The Phase
1 project will focus on the development and optimization of the
B-doped a-Se alloy materials, detector fabrication, and performance
evaluation by radiation testing. The Phase 1 research will establish
the basic feasibility studies followed by various characterizations
to reach optimum detector performance. The resulting detectors will
be compact, low power consuming devices, highly sensitive, and rugged.
The developed detectors will find widespread use in nuclear non-proliferation,
radiation safety, structural characterization in materials research,
protein dynamics, monitoring chemical and biological reactions in
"real time", and in characterizing polymer surfaces.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The resulting detectors will be compact,
highly sensitive and rugged. The fabricated detectors will be useful for
many applications in national nuclear physics laboratories including NIST.
Techniques utilizing thermal neutron detectors will include neutron diffraction
for structural biology, neutron scattering measurements, transmission
imaging, and neutron tomography.
FY2001 Phase 1 Award Winner
TOPIC: 7.11 General
SUBTOPIC: 7.11.14 High Efficiency Wavelength
Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Detectors
TITLE: Wavelength Dispersive Fluorescence
Detectors in Soft X-ray Region
NIST OU: 850
FIRM: HD Technologies, Inc.
7900 South Cass Avenue, Suite 255
Darien, IL 60561
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ke Zhang
(630) 241-9737
Award AMOUNT: $74,951.00
ABSTRACT:
A wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence detector
working in soft x-ray region has been proposed based on the diffraction
principles of multilayers. Using graded multilayers, the detectors
can be made tunable in a wide energy region, just the same way as
the detector constructed for hard x-rays. The detector uses multilayers
as analyzers to achieve good energy resolution and to avoid count
rate problems encountered by solid state detectors. Initial evaluation
shows that it is possible to achieve an energy resolution of 10-30
eV at 600 eV to 1KeV range. The proposed array detector will be
able to cover 5 to 10% of solid angle at a reasonable cost. Phase
1 project will evaluate the performance of multilayer detector with
various deposition and design parameters. A multilayer detector,
containing 2-3 multilayer elements, will be fabricated and fully
tested. Phase 2 will optimize the design based on the Phase 1I result,
and a multilayer analyzer array detector will be constructed and
tested.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The project covers the research and development
of x-ray fluorescence detectors in soft x-ray region. With superb energy
resolution, reasonable solid angle, and very large count rate limitations,
it will have a better market potential than non-energy resolving detectors
and solid state detector currently available. With different deposition
and design parameters, the multilayer detector can be tailored to satisfy
various applications.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.8 Advanced Detection and Suppression
of Fires
SUBTOPIC: 8.08.07 Fire Fighter Locator
TITLE: Ultra-wideband Wireless Fire Fighter
Locator
NIST OU: 860
FIRM: Intelligent Automation, Inc.
7519 Standish Place, Suite 200
Rockville, MD 20855
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Leonard Haynes
(301) 222-0450
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
The key innovation of this proposal is the use
of Time Modulated Ultra-Wideband (TM-UWB) technology to develop
a low cost radio system that allows both voice communication and
tracking positions of fire fighters inside buildings. This radio
has several characteristics which make it ideal for tracking multiple
individuals without line-of-sight. During Phase 1 we have performed
many tests, including basic ranging, 3-D position determination,
communication through fire, smoke, steam, and different kinds of
walls. We have developed a new system architecture to track the
location of a fire fighter, which is more scalable, less sensitive
to errors due to multipath and wall penetration than the multilateration
based scheme, and does not require clock synchronization. This scheme
uses a two-antenna array which transmits two consecutive TM-UWB
pulses. The fire fighter carries a receive-only TM-UWB tag which
will receive these pulses. By measuring the Time Difference of Arrival
(TDOA) of these pulses, the mobile unit can calculate the Angle
of Arrival (AOA), which in turn gives the 3-D location. During Phase
2, we will conduct more extensive tests to characterize the multipath
effects, noise problem, material penetration, etc. We will implement
the AOA architecture and construct prototype tags and a base unit.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The potential market for a technology
able to track persons in buildings is very large. We have initially segmented
that market in accordance with our current thrusts into "fire-fighting"
and "military" applications. IAI has had extensive discussions
with its partner company Time Domain Corporation and with three other
companies with specific interest in the commercialization of this technology.
These companies are Golden West Communications; On Scene, Incorporated;
and Sage Technologies, Incorporated. An enclosed letter from Golden West
Communication commits $100k of in-kind support during Phase 2, and $500k
during Phase 3 to support the development of TM-UWB radios and position
location tracking systems for fireman, police, and similar applications.
a similar letter from OnScene, Inc., commits
$70,000 in-kind during Phase 2 and $500,000 during Phase 3.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.8 Advanced Detection and Suppression
of Fires
SUBTOPIC: 8.08.10 Drop Size and Velocity
in Industrial Fire Sprinklers
TITLE: Real-time Technique to Measure
Particle Size and Velocity of Polydisperse Sprays with Large Dynamic Size
Range
NIST OU: 860
FIRM: MetroLaser, Inc.
18010 Skypark Circle, Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92614-6428
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Cecil F. Hess
(949) 553-0688
AMOUNT: $299,969.00
ABSTRACT:
This is a Phase 2 proposal to develop
an instrument to simultaneously measure particle size, velocity, and concentration
in applications characterized by a large size range and high particle
concentration. The instrument will be based on the Pulse Displacement
Technique whose feasibility was demonstrated during Phase 1. Experiments
performed during Phase 1 demonstrated a high accuracy in measuring spherical
particles and the ability to measure nonspherical particles undergoing
oscillation. The technique bases its measurement on accurate time-domain
algorithms that are immune to fluctuations in laser intensity. The Phase
2 work will consist of developing a system prototype including all the
hardware and software for real-time measurement of sprays, system testing
with known-size particles, and system testing with realistic sprays. Phase
1 measurements with calibrated glass beads and calibrated liquid sprays
showed a remarkable accuracy that placed the measurement within the particle
manufacturer's tolerances. Based on the results of Phase 1 we anticipate
that the system prototype will be able to measure the size of 10 µm
to 4 mm and a downpour of 200 cm/hr as stated in the solicitation.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The laser-based technique proposed here
should have broad commercial applications given its large dynamic range
and its abilities to measure either liquid or solid particles. Potential
users include industries and Government agencies interested in spray atomization
and powder technology such as food, pulverized coal combustion, and sand
blasting.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.11 Intelligent Control
SUBTOPIC: 8.11.02 Simulation and Animation
Tools Supporting RCS Control Systems Development
TITLE: Intelligent Software and Animation
Tools for RCS Architecture Based Development
NIST OU: 820
FIRM: Pathway Technologies Incorporated
510 Township Line Road, Suite 110
Blue Bell, PA 19422
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ananthakrishnan
(Andy) Suri
(267) 625-3292
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
Based on the outline for a theory of intelligence,
and using NIST's hierarchical real-time control system (RCS) architecture,
in Phase 1, we developed proof-of-concept OpenSim and OpenAnimation
toolboxes consisting of the following innovations, namely, (i) Simulation
and Animation Software Design that will seamlessly interface with
RCS Hierarchy, (ii) Knowledge hierarchy consistent with the four
key paradigms and four key elements of the theory of intelligence,
(iii) Identification of an extensive collection of simulation models
and algorithms that will lead to implementation level software for
the knowledge hierarchy, (iv) Real-time Simulation that reduces
computational load through efficient numerical algorithms, intelligent
dynamic modeling, and real time planning, and (v) Structured Approach
to GUI and Animation Development. Unlike existing software tools
that cover one or two aspects of intelligent systems design and
implementation, OpenSim & OpenAnimiation toolboxes provide a
unified environment for design and rendering of intelligent systems
with features that allow seamless transition from non real-time
simulation to real-time simulation and subsequent hardware testing
using industry standard mechatronics hardware. In Phase 2 we will
develop detailed software that incorporate the innovations described
above leading the commercial OpenSim and OpenAnimation toolboxes.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
OpenSim and OpenAnimation toolboxes will
be well suited for real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing
using commercial vendor boards such as dSPACE, PC 104 and DSP boards.
Our tools, because of its open, modular, hierarchical, and structured
approach can provide an easy means of developing real-time interface to
these types of boards and other vendor software. With increasing focus
on integrated mechatronic systems that control several subsystems, there
is wide application scope for the software in automotive, aerospace, and
manufacturing industry. We believe that our innovations will lead to a
unique real-time environment for design and testing of large-scale intelligent
systems.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.11 Intelligent Control
SUBTOPIC: 8.11.08 X-ray Optics for Spectrometers
in X-ray Microanalytical Systems
TITLE: Improve X-Ray Microanalysis in
Low-Vacuum and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope Systems by using
Monolithic Polycapillary X-Ray Optics
NIST OU: 830
FIRM: X-Ray Optical Systems Inc.
30 Corporate Circle
Albany, NY 12203-5619
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Ning Gao
(518) 464-3334 x 212
AMOUNT: $298,963.00
ABSTRACT:
This SBIR Phase 2 project will significantly improve
the quality of elemental analysis in SEMS under partial pressure
conditions by using a polycapillary x-ray optic in front of the
energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) in low-vacuum scanning electron
microscopes (LV-SEM) or environmental SEMs (ESEM). LV-SEMS and ESEMs
are designed to work at elevated sample chamber pressures to allow
analysis of nonconductive or moist specimens. An undesirable consequence
results from the broadening electron beam due to the presence of
the gas. This degrades the elemental-detection sensitivity, because
the fluorescent x rays generated far from the center of the electron
probe create high background. It also greatly reduces spatial resolution
for elemental mapping. The Phase 1 results have successfully demonstrated
the feasibility of the proposed approach. In the Phase 2, a fully-functional
prototype polycapillary optic-based EDS will be built and demonstrated
in a commercial LV-SEM system. This will include an optimized polycapillary
x-ray optic with a large collecting angle, optic detector mounting,
detector-SEM mounting which provides fine alignment, an operating
procedure, and examples of application data. The team involved world
leaders in developing and commercially providing x-ray optics and
EDS systems.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The additional of polycapillary optic between
the sample and the detector has commercial applications for a focused
beam analytical system applied to advanced microanalytical problems including
materials, semiconductor devices and environmental applications. The immediate
commercial application to be pursued by XOX and Thermo NORAN Instruments
(EDS supplier)is the addition of a polycapillary optic to the EDS detector
in ESEM and LVSEM systems.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.13 Infrastructure for Distributed
Electronic Commerce
SUBTOPIC: 8.13.03 Infrastructure for Interoperable
MPI (IMPI) Parallel Algorithms
TITLE: Collective, Performance-Oriented
Algorithms for Interoperable MPI (IMPI)
NIST OU: 890
FIRM: MPI Software Technology, Inc.
101 S. Lafayette Street, #33
Starkville, MS 39759-2946
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Rossen Dimitrov
(662) 320-4300 x 21
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
This Phase 2 SBIR Project will provide optimization
framework and technology for Interoperable Message Passing Interface
Technology, and the underlying Message Passing Interface Standard.
This effort represents a challenge and Opportunity. With the emergence
of cluster computing, there are many opportunities to connect diverse
parallel programming Environments based on the MPI programming model;
currently interoperation is almost non-existent between such Environments.
The IMPI standard by itself addresses basic interoperability, and
the results of this effort will drive performance of collective
communication higher, in order to promote wider use of interoperable
MPI for demanding performance situations. Interestingly, the practical
support for high performance interoperable MPI's, and collective
operations places important Technical constraints on the underlying
MPI implementations, including the ability to handle multiple network
protocol stacks efficiently (called "devices" in MPI nomenclature).
Proposer's underlying technology is particularly suited to adaptation
to this task, moreso than are public-domain implementations of MPI.
The effort will lead to wider use of interoperable
parallel programming environments through the IMPI standard, and will
widen the space of potential applications of IMPI-oriented parallel programming
to additional Commercially valuable applications which need support for
such heterogeneity. Proposer will commercialize the technology Devised
here through incorporation into MPI products.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
Proposer already conducts its primary
business activities in the area of parallel processing message passing
software with Government, university and commercial clients in the United
States and overseas. The added capability of the IMPI-tuner Described
in this proposal would provide competitive advantage for situations where
customers want to interoperate several Parallel machines or clusters,
and demand high performance, which is becoming an increasingly high demand
for Commercial and research uses of parallel clusters and parallel machines.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.16 Microelectronics Manufacturing
Infrastructure
SUBTOPIC: 8.16.01 Co-axial Atomic Force
Microscope Probes for Electrical Measurements
TITLE: Co-Axial AFM Probes for Near Field
Microwave and Electrical Measurements
NIST OU: 810
FIRM: Manufacturing Instrumentation Consulting
company, LLC (MICC)
11000 Cedar Avenue, Suite 427
Cleveland, OH 44106
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Jon Collister
(216) 721-8030
AMOUNT: $299,924.00
ABSTRACT:
Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) has become a very popular
tool in many areas of inquiry including surface science, semiconductor
electronic devices and integrated circuit design and testing, biology
and chip-tissue interface, to name a few. Here we propose to develop
and commercialize a relatively new family of local probes capable
of performing electromagnetic measurements with nearly atomic resolution
over a wide frequency range covering up to 100 GHz. Potential applications
of these so called near-field or evanescent probes (EMP) are in
surface science, chemical sensing, molecular electronics and molecular
spectroscopy, biological studies, quantum computing, IC industry
and manufacturing quality control to name a few. Composed of a co-planar
wave-guide terminated by an AFM compatible cantilever beam with
a co-axial tip, these EMP's were designed and tested during a Phase
1I SBIR and the current proposal is to optimize the performance
and fabrication technology. To facilitate their wide spread use
by the SPM community, we will also develop a microwave instrumentation
unit (MIU) that can be used to retrofit commercial SPM units and
enable them to use our EMP's for microwave imaging of various specimens.
We will also develop, design and fabricate a variety of calibration
samples as standards for EMP calibration and quantification of its
output signal. We have estimated that about 100 laboratories around
the world would be interested in an add-on package and would be
valued at $20000 for a total of $2,000,000. The market for replacement
tips would be about 5000 tips at $100 per tip for a total market
of $500,000 per year.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
Quality
Control of Semiconductors Microwave Imaging of biological materials, Quality
control for the coating market.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.16 Microelectronics Manufacturing
Infrastructure
SUBTOPIC: 8.16.06 Measurement of Trace
Alpha-Radiation in Polymeric Microchip Material
TITLE: Alpha Detector with Active Background
Suppression for Electronic Materials Characterization
NIST OU: 840
FIRM: X-Ray Instrumentation Associates
8450 Central Avenue
Newark, CA 94560-3430
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: John E. Wahl
(510) 494-9020
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
As flip-chip bonding becomes the predominant
standard in the electronics industry, the increased proximity between
dice surfaces and packaging materials will require a significant reduction
in the latter's alpha particle activity in order to avoid soft errors.
Emission rates at or below 0.001 a/cm2/hr are desirable, which
is well below the 0.0050 a/cm2/hr capability of today's best detectors.
We have developed an active background suppression scheme that dramatically
improves the performance of a gas-filled parallel plate chamber, yielding
a sensitivity of 0.00017 a/cm2/hr. In Phase 2, we propose to design
and build a prototype commercial detector using this scheme to achieve
a sensitivity of 0.00005-0.0001 a/cm2/hr. To achieve this goal,
we will improve both our background suppression scheme and the instrumentation
on the detector. Phase 3 development would then be carried out at XIA
to produce a marketable commercial detector.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The initial
commercial application will be a detector for screening polymeric and
other packaging materials for the electronics industry at 0.0001 a/cm2/hr
activity levels. We will then work to replace the Si barrier detectors
used for environmental and health physics screening applications since
our background level will be over 100 times smaller and our active area
100 or more times larger.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.16 Microelectronics Manufacturing
Infrastructure
SUBTOPIC: 8.16.10 High Speed/Low Power
Magnetic Field Sensing Devices
TITLE: High Speed/Low Power GMR/SDT Devices
for Magnetic Field Sensing
NIST OU: 850
FIRM: NVE Corporation (formerly Nonvolatile
Electronics, Inc.)
11409 Valley View Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Dexin Wang
(952) 996-1608
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
This SBIR Phase 2I program will demonstrate prototype
galvanic isolating devices of high-speed/low-power by incorporating
high-speed magnetic films into giant magnetoresistive structures
and by combining with high-speed IC electronics. The new devices
will have five important improvements over existing devices, a factor
of 10 faster, without a drive IC chip, a flip-chip approach, a lower
supply voltage, and without incidental latching. High-speed magnetic
films require less power to switch at the same speed in the ns range.
The elimination of the driver chip will lower the power requirement,
complexity and cost. Flip-chip technology will enhance the yield
and provide a fast way for prototyping new devices at a low cost.
A low voltage is intrinsic in reducing power and increasing speed.
These improved isolating receiver and transceiver devices will meet
the demand of the next generation high-speed data communications.
Based on the results achieved in Phase 1I program, we plan to fabricate
spin valve bridges using high-speed magnetic films, and make them
compatible with fast IC electronics. The end devices will have the
state of the art static properties, a high operating speed of 1
GBaud, a reasonably low budget, and a low cost.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
There are several commercial applications
for the devices proposed mainly for high-speed data communications, field
bus isolation and telecommunication.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.18 Photonics Manufacturing
SUBTOPIC: 8.18.02 Actively Quenched IR
Avalanche Photodiode
TITLE: SWIR Photon Counting Avalance Photodiode
NIST OU: 840
FIRM: VOXTEL INC.
2640 SW Georgian Place
Portland, OR 97201
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: James Gates
(503) 806-4041
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
High performance NIR APDs suitable for photon
counting are presently unavailable. New high sensitivity, high speed
photodetectors operating from 1.0 to 1.6 microns are needed for
both military and commercial applications. New research has demonstrated
APD structures, which use a Si multiplication region and an InGaAs
absorption region. This device shows high sensitivity, very high
speed, low noise and high temperature and voltage stability. However,
the developed for high speed 1540 nm optical fiber communication,
specifically high GB product, these APDs have high dark current
(dark count) and low gain (10-20) and are not suited for lower speed
photon counting applications. Our Phase 1 research identified new
detector architectures suitable for photon counting:. These detectors
provide high internal gain (50-500) and low dark current. The high
gain can be achieved at relatively low bias (below breakdown) such
that photon counting is possible without passive or active quenching.
On Phase 2, we propose to fabricate the NIR photodiodes and monolithically
integrate these detectors with low noise CMOS readouts by a new
epitaxial layer process and calibrate the detectors at NIST facilities.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
A NIR APD is well suited for applications
that require high sensitivity and fast response times in the 1.Q to 1.8
micron spectral range. These include: communications systems, eye-safe
laser detectors, confocal microscopy, particle detection, photon correlation
studies, lidar, astronomical observation, optical range finding, optical
fiber test and fault location, ultra sensitive florescence, etc.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.20 Integration of Manufacturing
Applications
SUBTOPIC: 8.20.03 Ontological Engineering
Applied to Manufacturing System Integration Research
TITLE: Broadening Effective Participation
in Distributed Collaborative Ontology Development
NIST OU: 820
FIRM: Stottler Henke Associates, Inc.
1660 S. Amphlett Blvd., Suite 350
San Mateo, CA 94402
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Eric Domeshek
(650) 655-7242
AMOUNT: $300,000.00
ABSTRACT:
As ever more of industry and commerce
moves onto electronic networks, there is a growing appreciation for the
usefulness of expressive general models of enterprise activities, such
as design and manufacturing. Ontologies are commitments to formal declarative
multi-purpose representations with clear semantics that can serve as a
solid foundation for such models. While there has been much work on representation
languages, and on tools for creating, browsing, editing, and translating
expressions in such languages, there has been relatively little attention
to supporting the larger process of figuring out what ought to be encoded
in an ontology. Some existing tools support collaborative teams, but by
and large they seem to assume that all team members will be AI experts
and that the work will focus on generation and manipulation of formal
expressions. In this project, we propose to develop a complete prototype
of a Domain Expert Collaborative Ontology Development environment (DECODE)
that ensures those who best understand the domain, but least understand
the technology of ontology, can make necessary contributions to the development
process. DECODE will support development of ontologies in the context
of solving systems integration problems; this systems integrations payoff
will help to motivate investment in ontology development.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
By enabling effective participation in
the ontology development process by those who actually understand the
target domain and will use the ontology, this technology will lower the
cost and increase the quality of ontologies developed to integrate functions
in a particular organization.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.21 General
SUBTOPIC: 8.21.08 Fast-Scanning FTIR Spectrometer
for Measurements In Spray Flames
TITLE: A Fast-Scanning FT-IR Emission/Transmission
Spectrometer for Spray Combustion Diagnostics
NIST OU: 830
FIRM: Advanced Fuel Research, Inc.
87 Church Street
East Hartford, CT 06108-3728
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: James R. Markham
(860) 528-9806 x 104
AMOUNT: $299,701.00
ABSTRACT:
This subtopic solicited Phase 1 R&D for an
advanced Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) system that would provide
fast-scanning high resolution (3 scans/sec at 1cm-1 resolution),
low noise, mid-infrared measurements for characterization of spray
flames. In Phase 1, Advanced Fuel Research, Inc. (AFR) demonstrated
FT-IR emission/transmission (E/T) measurements from the NIST spray
combustion facility at 7 scans/sec 1 at cm-1 resolution. Significant
Phase 1 work designed the low noise optical system that could be
coupled to the NIST spray chamber, and as expected, the high scan
rate was successful in removing droplet/particle transit noise from
interfering in the mid-infrared spectrum. Tomographic reconstruction
of multiple lines of sight through a non-sooting spray flame provided
spatially resolved (3 mm) measurements of multiple gas species concentrations
and temperatures and initial qualitative information on fuel spray
droplets. Phase 2 R&D will result in further improvements to
the optics and coupling design. Spectral resolution is to be improved
to 0.5 cm-1 and spatial resolution to 2 mm. Phase 2 will result
in delivery and installation of an advanced FT-IR E/T system for
routine use on the NIST spray combustion facility. NIST researchers
will have the capability to non-intrusively probe and characterize
the spray flame in more detail than ever before with a single instrument
for gases, droplets and soot.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The instrument to be developed through Phase 2
will have wide applicability as a research and development tool
in many areas of combustion. The Phase 2 installation at NIST will
lead to a point of reference for other Government facilities and
universities concerned with gas combustion and spray combustion
diagnostics. Several applications of the measurement technology
exists in private sector industries that are based on spray combustion,
including the turbine engine industry and combustion boiler industry,
flame assisted synthesis of commodity chemicals such as TiO2, SiO2
and Al2O3, and also in the synthesis of nanomaterials and deposition
of high performance electronic materials. Improvements in process
efficiency and quality can result in substantial energy, environmental,
and manufacturing savings, thus making advanced diagnostics cost
effective tools.
FY2001 Phase 2 Award Winner
TOPIC: 8.21 General
SUBTOPIC: 8.21.22 Ultra High Efficiency
Solid State Soft X-Ray Detectors for Low Z Fluorescence
TITLE: X-Ray Detectors for Low-Z Fluorescence
Measures (No. 7241-050)
NIST OU: 850
FIRM: Physical Sciences, Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Willi G. Schwarz
(703) 941-0495
AMOUNT: $299,895.00
ABSTRACT:
The goal of the proposed program is to develop detectors
for X-ray fluorescence that have enhanced efficiency and energy
resolution for low energy (<1 keV) X-rays. The better performance
will be achieved through (1) determination of a process to reduce
the "dead layer" in the crystal that, in existing detectors,
limits the penetration of low energy X-rays into the active semiconductor
material, and (2) realization of a process for depositing the window
isolating the detector from the environment directly on the crystal.
In Phase 2, a multi-element Si(Li) detector will be fabricated and
tested. That detector is expected to have a collection efficiency
at Carbon Ka (277 eV) a factor of two greater than current standard
Si(Li) X-ray detectors and an energy resolution of <100 eV FWHM
at 277 eV for 100 kcps total throughput.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
(1) applications utilizing energy dispersive
X-ray microanalysis with scanning and transmission electron microscopes,
(2) industrial applications using X-ray tube fluorescence, (e.g., quality
control of semiconductor wafer fabrication), and (3) fundamental materials
research by fluorescing samples from a monochromatic synchrotron beam.
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