Portable Fringing Electric Field Dielectrometry Instrumentation and Algorithms
Abstract
Summary of the Technology. The overall goal of the proposed project is to accelerate the transition of portable fringing electric field (FEF) sensing technology from demonstration projects to commercial products. In essence, the electric field extending below the plane of the electrodes can be controlled and used for the interrogation of material properties. The proposed project first builds on earlier DOD projects (with a quicker route to commercialization) and then focuses on the currently active Basic Research Award, 6.1 funding category. This 6.1 award is dedicated to the development of the supercritical water reactor technology, with the sensor monitoring component playing a major role in the technology innovation. The commercialization efforts will cover both the FEF sensor and supercritical water reactor applications, with emphasis on the efforts determined dynamically, based on customer discovery and other inputs. Advantages over Competing Technologies. Several of the advantages of using FEF sensors over related technologies include: 1) Physical contact between the sensor and the material under test is not required, which is highly desirable for high-speed scannings. 2) Measurements are safe, in contrast to other methods, such as x-ray based techniques. 3) The signal dependence on ionic conductivity is comparable to the dependence on dielectric permittivity. Therefore, it is easier to separate simultaneously acting effects of temperature, moisture, and concentration of chemicals through wideband spectroscopy. 4) FEF sensors are economical. 5) Fringing fields penetrate through non-conducting materials; for example, plastic and paper layers can separate the material under test without significantly affecting measurement sensitivity. Relation to the DoD. Our team has explored the use of FEF sensors for a broad variety of military and related applications, some of which include: 1) detection of bulk and trace explosives; 2) measuring the thermal damage that occurs on a composite portion of a fuselage (for precise and cost-maximized unit repair); 3) measuring paints and coatings that are applied to modern military aircraft (necessary for rain erosion resistance); and 4) enhancement of supercritical water reactor process control. Project Team. The PI, Professor Alexander Mamishev of the University of Washington, is an expert in sensor design and integration. He is a Director of Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory, and a co-founder of a recently formed university spin-off high-tech company. Professor Mamishev has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, with a Ph.D. Minor in Technology Commercialization and Marketing from Harvard and MIT. He first focused on his academic career, but now has reached a full professor status and is ready to transition to the commercialization of technologies developed by him and his academic partners. The entrepreneurial lead for the project will be Sep Makhsous, a graduate student from the University of Washington. Sep Makhsous has completed his Ph.D. program coursework, which focused on sensors, robotics, and image processing. He has also just completed his concurrent MBA program, with emphasis on technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. He is the recent winner of the University of Washington business plan competition (first place among about 100 competing entries). The mentor for this project is Robert Roth, a business expert with technical marketing experience. He retired from Intel after 13 years as a technical marketing electrical engineer, managing instrumentation solutions for IntelÕs processor roadmap for both military and civilian market customers. He currently focuses on marketing and business development solutions for high-tech start-ups.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 11, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710603
Entities
People
- Alexander Mamishev
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of Washington