Regional UAV Live-Virtual-Constructive Enterprise

Project period
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Innovation

The Goal of the Regional Live Virtual and Constructive Training Enterprise project (LVC) was to create a simulation environment that included automation to improve health care, specifically the transfer of care, through better training. 

Background

The primary partner for this effort was the Air Force, specifically the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing (AFRL 711th HPW). The project made...

Augmented UAV Operator Human Machine Interface (SAPHYRE)

Project period
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Innovation

  1. Adaptable experimental design in Flight Simulator: Researchers can create different scenarios in the application (PiTA: Pilot Trust in Autonomy) with different routes, goals, and biometric sensors. They can customize or create new data fields. 
  2. Adaptable experimental analysis: Data exploration and visualization analysis tool (Visionary) allows analysts to focus on any experimental variable(s). Database architecture and filtering features of Visionary greatly reduces data cleanup and provides quick look and deep dive analysis. 
  3. Research into flight control input patterns: Demonstrated predictive power of classification algorithms towards identifying...

High Temperature Magnetic Materials

case western university logo
Project period
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Innovation

Nanocomposite soft magnetic alloys designed for use in aircraft power converter and propulsion systems were designed, fabricated and characterized. 

The materials were prepared in the forms of ribbons, powders, thin films and 3D printed parts. Ribbon processing was the most mature of these techniques and excellent quality ribbons were produced. While materials were produced in each of the other forms, the properties were degraded compared with the ribbon materials (for a variety of...

High Energy/Power, Long Cycle Life, Thermally Safe Li-S Battery

Project period
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Innovation

University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) continue to pursue advancing ceramic electrolyte coated separator for high safety Li battery. To continue the R&D, UDRI proposed a DLA (battery for UAVs, desired by AFRL) application for potential funding for large-scale production of ceramic coated separator for Li batteries. If successful, UDRI will either transfer the technology to industries as decided by DLA or set-up a UD spin-off company to...

Multifunctional structural battery

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Project period
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Innovation

The solutions explored by this OFRN project are to replace the passive on-board uni-functional structural components on a typical craft with multifunctional components having the same weight and dimensions, but with additional capability to in-situ store electrochemical energy. In this way, multifunctional "building blocks” can be developed that can potentially enable extended flight times and/or increased payload. 

Objective

The multifunctional structure-integrated battery has the potential to significantly impact Ohio’s economy related to more-electric aero-crafts with strategic applications to space, defense and civilian platforms. The project synergistically aligns with several key AFRL and NASA technical programs, including AFRL programs on small and micro UAVs, manned aircrafts, autonomous sensor networks, next-generation...

Hybrid turbo-electric propulsion

The Ohio State University logo
Project period
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Innovation

In response to the growing aviation demands and the concern of environment and energy usage, hybrid/turbo-electric propulsion systems have been proposed by NASA. In this new concept, high power-density (specific power) and high-efficiency electric machines and power conditioning equipment (power electronics converters), and energy storage devices are the critical components that determine the success of this future aero- transportation architecture. NASA’s technical specifications for this future hybrid/turbo-electric propulsion system...

High performance plastic substrates for flexible electronics

UA logo
Project period
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Innovation

This project focused on using custom polymers from an Ohio based company (Akron Polymer Systems) to explore their utility for a variety of flexible electronics applications. Flexible electronics represents a significant potential market as well as provide new functionality for military and space applications especially for USAF and NASA due to potential lower weight. Problem is plastics used for many flexible electronics cannot withstand required processing temperatures for high...

High density Li-ion battery with silicon anodes

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Project period
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Innovation

To mitigate the volumetric change of silicon anodes, especially at high mass loading conditions, the University of Akron team has focused on developing resilient binder materials. Such an elastic binder can provide an inexhaustible interfacial adhesion to electrode components, enhanced mechanical performance and electrolyte stability to enable high Si loading and thus high energy density electrodes. 

The team has demonstrated an elastic binder based silicon anode exhibiting over 1000 mAh/g specific...

Intelligent Control Architecture

The Ohio State University logo
Project period
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Background

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have continued to receive attention from corporations and governmental agencies due to their wide range of potential applications and hybrid nature. More Electric Aircraft (MEA) promise many benefits (e.g., reduced weight, decreased fuel consumption, and high reliability) and their development continues to be the trend. Hybrid UAVs are an ideal prototype to implement concepts of aircraft electrification due to their small size and the direct current nature...

Adaptive bio-inspired aerospace structures actuated by shape memory alloys

university of toledo logo
Project period
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Innovation

Adaptive structures actuated by shape memory alloys (SMAs) have generated significant interest at NASA Glenn Research Center (High Temperature & Smart Alloys Branch) and two Ohio-based Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) directorates (Aerospace Systems and also Materials & Manufacturing).   

Objectives

The team collaborated with colleagues at NASA and AFRL to address the fundamental research questions to realize these structures. More specifically the team created the building blocks to develop bio-inspired articulating...