NASA SBIR 2010 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
SibellOptics
1855 South 57th Court
Boulder, CO 80301 - 2811
(303) 913-1772

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Russ Sibell
hanoverberry@msn.com
1855 South 57th Court
Boulder, CO 80301 - 2811
(303) 913-1772

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 2
End: 4

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
SibellOptics proposes to develop an eye-safe, long-range, compact, versatile, all-fiber wind LIDAR system for atmospheric wind velocity measurement applications that is more efficient, and reliable, and at a much lower up-front and lifetime cost than any wind LIDAR system currently available. The hardware for this fiber wind LIDAR system has already been designed and the major components identified. Therefore, it is proposed that, for this Phase 1 SBIR program effort, that SibellOptics procure all materials for the scanner / telescope, assemble the sub-system, and run a preliminary test.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Of particular interest to this program is the detection, tracking, and measurement of wake vortices and turbulence. The major incentives for wake vortex and turbulence monitoring are twofold: safety and efficiency. A coherent LIDAR system has the ability to dynamically track wake vortices and turbulence along the glide slope path of an aircraft to a much greater resolution than other meteorological measurement systems. Furthermore, a fiber-based system will be greatly reduced in size, weight, and power (SWAP) over the only aviation LIDAR system currently available commercially.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Wind Energy
Wind energy generation is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and LIDAR technology is gaining a great deal of momentum in this market segment as a means to assess potential wind farm sites, optimize the performance of current facilities, and to protect expensive wind turbines from damage. A wind LIDAR for both wind assessment and operations where its longer range (14 km) combined with an attractive price can be utilized to replace multiple LIDARS or anemometer towers.

Yachting and Harbor Subscriptions
Maritime markets potentially include ocean-going vessels as well as subscription wind data and weather sales to harbors and ports. There are four opportunities to address in this market: (1) the owners of luxury yachts, (2) the yacht manufacturers, (3) the yacht charter operators and (4) the harbor market where ships of all types operate.

Meteorological
Environmental scientists have successfully used the WindTracer^REG system to accurately track the direction and dispersion of factory atmospheric emissions and volcanic ash. The WindTracer^REG LIDAR has also been used by atmospheric scientists to study the formation of typhoons over the Pacific Ocean.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.)

Air Transportation & Safety