NASA SBIR 2012 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Invocon, Inc.
19221 IH 45 South, Suite 530
Conroe, TX 77385 - 8746
(281) 292-9903

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Doug Heermann
heermann@invocon.com
19221 I-45S, Ste 530
Conroe, TX 77385 - 8746
(281) 292-9903 Extension :128

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Aaron Trott
atrott@invocon.com
19221 IH 45 South, Suite 530
Conroe, TX 77385 - 8746
(281) 292-9903 Extension :121

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 4

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Aviation External Hazard Sensor Technologies is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Invocon has devised a method to determine the location of lightning
strikes on structures to as close as 1" by combining simple sensors
with highly capable electronics. This method measures a strike from
multiple transducers to triangulate its location. Initial testing on metallic and composite structures has provided good results. The next step is to extend the wireless nature of the system to the transducers in order to simplify installation and use of the system.

The proposed development is based on nearly 10 years of successfully development and flight testing of high-speed impact detection and evaluation systems combined with lightning detection and location research. It will also take advantage of Invocon's successful 20 year history of deploying highly synchronized wireless networks on aerospace vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
NASA applications include monitoring aircraft and spacecraft for lightning strikes. Launch vehicles can benefit from lightning detection and location in order to quickly assess damage prior to and during launch. Other applications include test instrumentation for studying lightning strikes on aircraft. NASA has expressed interest in a tool that is simple to install and use on aircraft. ATK has also expressed interest in STORM for monitoring its composite encapsulated rocket motors.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
STORM is useful for monitoring non-NASA aircraft and spacecraft for lightning strikes and quickly determining the level of structural damage. This includes test aircraft used by commercial aircraft manufacturers to better understand the impact of lightning on composites as well as fleet aircraft for long term monitoring. STORM is also useful for detecting damage to large petrochemical tanks.

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.)

Ad-Hoc Networks (see also Sensors) Air Transportation & Safety Airship/Lighter-than-Air Craft Analytical Instruments (Solid, Liquid, Gas, Plasma, Energy; see also Sensors) Circuits (including ICs; for specific applications, see e.g., Communications, Networking & Signal Transport; Control & Monitoring, Sensors) Composites Condition Monitoring (see also Sensors) Data Acquisition (see also Sensors) Data Fusion Data Processing Diagnostics/Prognostics Electromagnetic Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE; NDT) Sensor Nodes & Webs (see also Communications, Networking & Signal Transport) Space Transportation & Safety Spacecraft Instrumentation & Astrionics (see also Communications; Control & Monitoring; Information Systems) Transmitters/Receivers