RHRC AWARDED NASA SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PHASE II CONTRACT

December 1, 2009 - Rolling Hills Research Corporation has been selected by NASA for a $600,000 Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract.  The funding for this program was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

The proposed innovation is a self-contained, self-powered, robust flight test sensor array for the determination of separation. The proposed system uses off-the-shelf, currently available technology to create a reusable distributed sensor array, which requires no external wiring or power source. A distributed array of sensors is embedded in a flexible, self-adhesive backed sheet of polymide substrate. The proposed separation sensor array will provide real-time, accurate determination of separation across a wide range of flight conditions. The self-contained blanket array can be quickly and easily applied to aircraft surfaces in question. No wiring, external power, or remote viewing is required for acquisition. After testing is complete, the system can be quickly removed and reused. Additionally, the system could be miniaturized for use in ground test facilities or other types of vehicles. Results produced during the Phase I program have shown that the sensor concept is a viable and robust technology, able to provide a reliable and cost effective separation detection system across an incredibly wide range of both flight and ground test conditions.

Dr. Mike Kerho of RHRC will act as the Principal Investigator for this research program.