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© 2008  American Science and Technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SDSU

 Microelectronics Division

                                      Supported by South Dakota State University’s research on non-destructive testing, AST has established a microelectronics
                                      program in Brookings, South Dakota. This division is involved in the effort to produce a system capable of measuring fatigue in
                                      a component and making real-time decisions about the health of that component that will serve to minimize O&M costs for the
                                      U.S. military, while maintaining the safety of the systems and their operators.

                                      American Science and Technology is one of five research partners involved with this effort. The other partners include
                                      Augusta Systems, South Dakota State University, Army Benet Laboratories, and Batcheller Consulting Group.

Fatigue Odometer Sensor

To guard against fatigue-based component failures in one of the most critical weapon systems elements, gun barrels, advanced
sensors and systems that record changes are needed to monitor and detect possible weapon systems health issues, and more
significantly, lead to more accurate tracking of actual remaining life for specific component parts.

Building upon recent advances in mechanical-based and micro-electronics systems for sensor miniaturization and computing
technologies, AST, in cooperation with Benet Weapons Lab and Augusta Systems, is currently developing a fatigue
monitoring system to predict the remaining life of individual system components.

Bushmaster

 Center for Alternative Energy Technology

                                     As a joint initiative between American Science and Technology and Chicago State University,
                                              the Center for Alternative Energy Technology (CAET) is performing basic and applied research to evaluate, develop, and
                                              commercialize alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, as well as alternative energy technologies such as fuel-cell, bio-fuel,
                                              direct carbon, and energy harvesting from solar, wind, and other natural resources.

                                              For more information on CAET and the upcoming 2008 Alternative Energy Symposium,
                                              please visit
www.caetonline.com.

CSU-CAET

High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell

Presently, most mobile robotic systems, such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
are powered either by petroleum-derived fuel engines or by batteries. The limitations of these strategies, however, are revealed
as these robotic vehicles have been deployed for extended periods of time in the battlefield.

Fuel-cells are ideal for robotic vehicle applications, and in fact, for some mission profiles they would be the only suitable
choice. By replacing conventional power supply systems with fuel-cell technology packages designed specifically for mobile
robotics systems, the potential for enhanced mission capabilities, maintenance efficiency, and, ultimately, cost-savings for
the Federal government can be met.

In the Fall of 2007, American Science and Technology, in conjunction with Chicago State University and Enerfuel Inc.,
designed and developed an innovative High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cell system (HTPEMFC). This system has demonstrated
the capability of producing at least 50% more power than its conventional PEM counterparts. The developed technology has
been part of the attempt by AST to increase conventional fuel cells’ power density and power-to-weight ratio.

UAV
UGV
  High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Designed for Unmanned Vehicle Applications
  Developed in Conjunction with Enerfuel

      - Dramatic system simplification
      - No separate radiator required
      - No liquid water management strategies required

  This New Technology Has the Potential to Operate
  in Extreme Environments Inaccessible to Standard PEM

      - High temperature operation permits heat rejection in desert climates
      - Absence of liquid water permits operation in sub-zero environments
Fuel Cell

Bio-Fuel                                               

                                                With growing global population and fast pace of industrialization, especially in developing countries, the thirst for energy
                                                has become even more pronounced. The reserves of fossil energy are finite and non-renewable; and their use has
                                                contributed to global warming. These issues have prompted researchers to search for alternative sources of energy to
                                                reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

                                                Bio-energy can offer an alternative to fossil fuels and thus addressing energy security and environmental concerns while
                                                providing new economic opportunities.

                                                At AST, our research is focused on developing cheaper bio-fuels and bio-crude from non-food materials. Our efforts are
                                                directed toward process improvement and optimization, development of novel catalysts, synthesis of biologically-derived
                                                additives, and development of genetically modified plants.

AST is teaming up with the University of Wisconsin at Superior in an effort to design and develop an efficient and economically affordable bio JP-8 production process which can serve as an alternative to petroleum-derived JP-8 process in quality and price. The process will involve setting up a bio-JP-8 pilot production facility to verify the manufacturability of the developed process and technologies.

AST is also teaming up with the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point to develop a sustainable alternative energy source using bio-mass. Areas of focus include the optimization of the pulping process to achieve higher cellulose output, metabolic control modeling, and enzyme / catalyst development.

At the same time, AST will be working with South Dakota State University to develop an affordable and efficient process to produce bio-fuel from cold climate vegetation.

Biofuel

Solar Energy

Sunlight provides the largest of all carbon-neutral energy sources. More energy from sunlight strikes the Earth in one hour
than all the energy consumed on the planet in a year.

It is estimated that solar energy can provide 110 GW of new annual power needs by 2016. This would be enough electricity
to power 28 million homes, create 260,000 jobs and save consumers over $100 billion in energy costs. Despite the great
potential of solar energy, solar power accounts for well under 1% of U.S. electricity generation. One of the reasons for low
application of solar power is the high cost of solar panels. High costs of solar panels have been due to volatile silicon prices,
low production volumes and high setup costs.

One potential alternative to crystalline silicon PV cells is use of thin films (< 1µm) of semiconducting polymers, which can
easily be cast into flexible substrate over a large area using a variety of processing techniques. AST has teamed up with
Chicago State University and University of Wisconsin at Madison to develop a thin film flexible solar cell that will have much
higher efficiency than its silicon
PV cell counterpart.

Solar Panels

Sustainable Energy Systems

As the cost of fossil fuel based energy continues to rise, the demand for alternatives has increased
as well. Fortunately, alternative energy sources are abundant; in the forms of solar, wind, and
geothermal energies. Combined with the recent advancements in fuel cell technology, it is becoming
more feasible to develop sustainable energy systems to generate and store all the energy that a
house or building requires, on-site.

AST recognizes the crucial connections between the generation and use of energy and the whole
systems that sustain planetary health. We envision energy systems that interact to preserve and
improve our air, water, resources, and ecosystems, while vitalizing economies, building local
security and regional self reliance, and improving the quality of all life.

                                                AST is committed to developing new and improved energy technologies, systems and services, including renewable
                                                energies. Such research in developing sustainable energy systems and services for use in homes across America is not
                                                only a part of AST’s objectives, but also of great strategic importance to our nation, in both the short and the longer term.

Geothermal Energy
Wind Turbines
Solar Energy
Zero Energy Homes

Automatic Control

As the U.S. military moves towards a robotic army and the missions for the unmanned vehicles continue to expand, the need to increase their capabilities becomes more crucial. The more that these vehicles are able to accomplish in hostile environments, the less American lives are placed at risk.

To help with this effort, American Science and Technology has teamed up with West Virginia University Tech to enhance the autonomous, automatic control that can be used by the ground stations to control the unmanned vehicles.

This application allows the user of the ground station to wirelessly retrieve sensory information from many different sensors. The sensory data can include multimedia feeds (video and audio), environmental feeds (temperature, humidity, and wind speeds), and location feeds (latitude, longitude, and elevation).

Ground Station Screen Shot
Ground Station