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Sporian Microsystems,
a developer of sensors and sensor systems, has been awarded two contracts from
the US Air Force to develop small, modular, field-deployable sensors for use
in solid rocket motor (SRM) health assessment in the field or the depot. One
project will focus on sensing potentially damaging vibrations and impacts using
Sporian's AssetOverseer® SS family of accelerometers. The other effort will
monitor solid rocket motor bore vapor chemistry. The efforts leverage Sporian's
expertise in areas including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering,
analytical chemistry, optics, low power design, wireless communications and
electro-mechanical packaging.
"The system should help increase operational readiness and reduce the
cost of ownership by extending the service life of assets and reducing lot level
replacements based on time alone. We expect to develop a low-power, networked
system that will give an unprecedented, yet cost-effective view of the evolving
health of these systems," said Dr. Brian Schaible of Sporian.
The Motor Branch of Space and Missile Propulsion Division of the US Air Force
Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base in California will monitor the
results of Sporian's development efforts. ATK Launch Systems of Brigham City,
UT will provide consulting support to Sporian, providing physical design requirements
for retrofit and forward-fit SRM deployments and data requirements for ATK's
physics-based simulation models to predict asset damage and remaining lifetime
from sensor inputs. Because the contracts are targeted at small businesses,
ATK's participation is capped at 1/3 of the contract funding. Beyond the DoD,
Sporian anticipates opportunities in building control systems, industrial process
control, occupational health and safety, and homeland defense.
Posted October 26th, 2009
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