This DOD Phase I SBIR program would develop high-frequency, surface-mounted nanomembrane based strain sensors for non-intrusive pressure measurements. Such non-intrusive pressure sensors will be implemented using a series of surface-mounted high frequency nanomembrane strain sensors and supporting data acquisition and signal processing electronics, that are applied to existing gun tubes for dynamic pressure analysis. During Phase I, the team will develop an improved mechanical and electrical model of the nanomembrane based non-intrusive pressure sensors that will allow quantitative optimization of material properties and suggest optimal methods for sensor attachment and use for high frequency measurement applications. The team will perform synthesis of nanomembrane sensor materials with optimized transduction, hysteresis and environmental properties, specifically for high g-force accelerations and varying temperatures. The team will also perform an engineering tradeoff analysis of transducer materials and data acquisition technologies to identify the optimized sensor solution.
