Plasma Combined Mass-Flux and Gas Species Sensor For Hypersonic Combustion Monitoring | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity about?

This opportunity seeks research proposals to advance a specialized plasma-based sensor designed for harsh aerospace environments, especially those tied to hypersonic flight and SCRAM-jet propulsion. The goal is to mature an integrated sensing approach that can survive and function in high-speed, high-enthalpy flows where conventional sensors may fail or produce limited data.

Which government organization is issuing the opportunity?

The opportunity is issued by the Department of Defense through the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is CRANBAA16 004.

What is the posting date for this grant?

The opportunity was posted on January 22, 2016.

What is the application closing date?

The closing date shown (both original and current) is February 29, 2016.

What type of grant is this?

It is described as a discretionary grant in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 12.300.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. That typically indicates a wide range of applicant types may apply, unless there are additional eligibility limitations not included in the provided excerpt.

How many awards does the agency expect to make?

The expected number of awards is one.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed is $5,000.

What sensor capability is the Navy trying to develop or mature?

The central objective is a single, integrated sensing approach that can operate in harsh hypersonic and SCRAM-jet-related flows and provide simultaneous measurements of mass-flux and gas species information. Depending on the configuration, the same approach may also be able to capture static pressure.

What measurements are specifically called out as priorities?

The notice emphasizes simultaneous measurement of: (1) mass-flux and (2) gas species information. It also notes that static pressure measurement may be possible depending on the sensor design configuration.

Why is this sensor needed for hypersonic and SCRAM-jet environments?

Hypersonic combustion and related flows can be highly transient, chemically reactive, and difficult to instrument. Traditional sensors can struggle to survive, can be overly intrusive, or may not provide adequate time-resolved data in high-speed, high-enthalpy conditions. The sought approach is meant to provide robust, synchronized diagnostics for these challenging environments.

What is the basic technical concept behind the sensor?

The concept is based on maintaining a stable glow discharge (a small, controlled region of ionized gas) between two closely spaced electrodes. The discharge is sustained using a high-frequency alternating current around 1 MHz, creating an electrical plasma sensor that can respond to changes in the surrounding flow.

What has already been demonstrated in prior work?

Prior work has already demonstrated the mass-flux sensing function. Specifically, the voltage drop across the discharge changes in a way that correlates with time-dependent mass-flux (identified in the notice as U).

How does the sensor measure mass-flux according to the notice?

The notice indicates that mass-flux is inferred from the electrical behavior of the discharge, where the voltage drop across the glow discharge correlates with time-dependent mass-flux (U).

Is static pressure measurement part of the scope?

Yes. The opportunity states that by modifying the design, the same plasma sensing approach can be used to measure static pressure. The excerpt presents this as a flexible platform where different physical quantities may be inferred from the discharge behavior under changing flow conditions.

What is the major new expansion area highlighted in this solicitation?

A key expansion area is using optical emission spectroscopy from the glow discharge. The plasma emits light with wavelengths that can reflect the species present and the thermodynamic state of the gas, creating an additional measurement channel beyond electrical signals alone.

How is optical emission spectroscopy expected to help?

Optical emission from the discharge can produce characteristic emission lines associated with species and gas conditions. The notice suggests these emission features are promising for extracting quantities such as temperature and density, and potentially identifying gas species.

Are there examples of flows or fuels mentioned where emission lines were observed?

Yes. The opportunity references recent experiments in combusting flows using ethylene and propane, where the discharge produced useful emission lines.

What is the intended end result of combining electrical and optical measurements?

The intended result is a multi-parameter sensor suite that combines electrical measurement of mass-flux (and possibly pressure) with optical emission signatures so multiple diagnostics can be collected in a synchronized way. This is described as especially valuable for time-resolved hypersonic combustion testing.

Is the sensor expected to operate in real time?

The description indicates a desire for a robust diagnostic tool that can help monitor and understand hypersonic combustion and related flow phenomena in real time or in time-resolved testing environments.

What kind of environments is the sensor meant to withstand?

The sensor is targeted at harsh aerospace environments associated with hypersonic flight and SCRAM-jet propulsion, specifically high-speed, high-enthalpy flows.