Wireless SAW Interrogator and Sensor System

Wireless, passive, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW), Orthogonal Frequency Coded (OFC) temperature sensors, operating in a multi-sensor environment, developed at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have been successfully interrogated wirelessly at a distances ranging from 7 to 21 feet with a transceiver system developed by Mnemonics, Inc (MNI). The proposed innovation adds a coherent detection capability to the interrogator receiver, allowing the phase of the received signal to be measured. As is done in GPS signal processing, the phase information allows precise measurement of range (from the interrogator to sensor) as well as motion, and if multiple antennas are used, angle of arrival (i.e. direction) can also be sensed. The investigation will include optimizing waveforms for the new measurement capabilities and will extend the detection range well beyond the 21 feet. Other objectives are to develop a compact integrated sensor and antenna, synchronize timing and phase in a multiple interrogator network and improve RF performance on both the transmit and receive side of the interrogator. The proposed interrogator is based on a quadrature receiver technique and will also include wireless backhaul for instantaneous distribution of measurement data. The proposed interrogator and SAW sensors are to operate at the 915 MHz frequency band. The proposed system will be used in a broad range of NASA, as well as commercial applications.

Potential Non-NASA commercial include the Automotive Industry, Civil Engineering structures, Chemical and Biological sensing and detection, and the oil industry. The utilization of a wireless SAW device for remote monitoring of hostile environments will become not only technically feasible but also economically feasible based on the extremely low cost associated with the SAW device technology. The coded passive sensors and the wireless interrogator acting as the active portion of the link enables an architecture which can support the monitoring of possibly hundreds of sensors per interrogator. In the automotive industry, the wireless SAW can be deployed as pressure sensors in tires, liquid contaminant sensors in the fuel and oil supplies, temperature and pressure sensors within the engine, and carbon monoxide sensors within the vehicle. In the civil Engineering and transportation industry, highway safety information could be deployed with each informational sign or within construction areas to alert and inform drivers.

Wireless, passive, low cost, rugged, Surface Acoustic Wav, Orthogonal Frequency Coded sensors and interrogator systems have multiple NASA applications. The lightweight, extremely low profile SAW sensors can be installed on the leading edges of aircraft and spacecraft wings to monitor temperature, pressure, and stress/strain in a wireless fashion. . Additional NASA applications include acceleration sensing for monitoring vehicular acceleration and vehicular vibration, vehicular docking, rotation and directional sensing, tilt control, and fall detection. Additional NASA applications include the monitoring of structural integrity, extreme temperature, extreme pressure, toxic or lethal environments. Airframe safety and the required/planned maintenance process are also potential applications. This technology can allow the feasible embedment of sensors in key structural components of an airframe for persistent monitoring both during flight and as a post flight analysis. Critical states of air flight could be instrumented without the increased cost of weight associated with fiber optic or wired communication.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.