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Carbon Nanotube Plasma Limiter

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: W31P4Q-09-C-0099
Agency Tracking Number: B063-034-0545
Amount: $736,312.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: MDA06-034
Solicitation Number: 2006.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-02-03
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2011-09-30
Small Business Information
7001 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
United States
DUNS: 146369124
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Luke Gritter
 Principal Investigator
 (423) 894-4646
 lgritter@accurate-automation.com
Business Contact
 Roger Bailey
Title: CFO
Phone: (423) 894-4646
Email: rogerdalebailey@netzero.net
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The enabling solid state semiconductor technology in modern electronics and radar systems increases their vulnerability to the effects of high power, fast rise-time EMP, HPM, and UWB pulses. In recent years, significant advances in the technology used to produce these pulses have been made in the United States and abroad, increasing the need for effective protection against these threats. However, currently available protection devices are incapable of achieving the necessary combination of fast response time, high power handling capability, and low impact on system performance demanded by modern radar systems. To meet this need, Plasma Sciences Corporation is taking advantage of recent advances in nanotechnology to create a plasma limiter capable of both high speed and high power operation while having minimal degradation on normal system performance. Existing plasma limiter technology utilizes metallic point-plane electrode configurations, but the advent of aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays presents an opportunity to generate a breakthrough in plasma limiter performance. Using a CNT array as a field enhancing electrode in a plasma limiter promises to offer faster reaction time, higher power handling capability, lower insertion loss, and greater reliability than existing systems, providing effective protection for radar systems against high power, fast rise-time pulses.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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