Radiation Alert Immediate Disclosure

Recent testing involving Hyper Velocity Impacts has resulted in the capture of broad band high frequency energy resulting from the impact of projectiles onto targets. These test impacts have been demonstrated from 3 to 7 kilometers per second at both NASA WSTF and Sandia National Labs. In all cases, radio frequency (RF) energy was captured as radiated from the impact and conducted from the impact by the target material. If these broad band impulses of energy can be received and analyzed, it will be possible to locate the point of impact. The problem lies in the processing of a "messy" broad band signal. The innovation herein is that these signals may be "cleaned up" and become useful by means of passive RFID Surface Acoustic Wave circuits. A SAW device, commonly used for inexpensive inventory coding and security entry systems can be excited by the energy from an HVI. The result would be transmission of a unique code, distinguishable from RF noise and other encoded SAW responses by a receiver/decoder. SAW devices are inexpensive, require no power, and are physically small and robust. They can be manufactured in quantity at low cost (as demonstrated by the commercial use of the devices as throw-away inventory markers). SAW devices placed over the surface of vehicles or structures exposed to HVI impacts could detect the HVI RF impulses and respond with a unique code that would identify the location of the impact. Thus, an impact detection and location system could be implemented where the RF impulse energy from a HVI is used to encode and transmit a signal to a passive receiver that would provide useful information on the location and magnitude of the HVI. To best execute this program, Invocon is joined by another small business ASRD. This company is a major player in RFID SAW device design and fabrication planning. Both companies have a successful history of product development for both NASA and commercial customers More »