99--TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY LIGHTWEIGHT LOW-PROFILE TRANSDUCER:LAR-17634

NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a novel transducer design capable of generating a transverse point load and measuring transverse velocity. The technology was developed to work in conjunction with an accelerometer to eliminate sound propagation through aerospace vehicles, specifically airplane and helicopter windows. Studies on aircraft acoustics have shown that the primary source of internal noise is external acoustic sources that propagate through the windows. Sources include turbulence against the fuselage, pressure variations, and the engines. The transducer works by generating a point source interference pattern along the edges of the window, thereby canceling out the ambient sound wave traveling through the window. The transducer can be readily incorporated into existing technologies for improved performance. Acoustic disturbances in an airplane can be a major annoyance. Various techniques have been applied to successfully dampen noise produced by the engine or traveling through the fuselage. However, the windows have persisted in providing a pathway for the propagation of external noise into the vehicle. Piezoelectric transducers have been developed that work in conjunction with an accelerometer in an attempt to cancel window noise. Accelerometers collect information as a point source whereas current transducers apply force over an area, resulting in reduced performance and efficacy as well as requiring the device to be positioned in the center of the window. NASA has solved these problems with the low-profile transducer, which incorporates a thin-layer, triangularly shaped piezoelectric material with interlaced integrated electrodes. When used as a surface-mounted or embedded actuator, the integrated electrodes apply an electric field in a set planer direction. This produces a point source flexural response at the tip of the actuator. The point force created can be matched more precisely with the accelerometer readings, thereby producing improved sound cancellation capabilities. The design allows for a compact dissipative vibration control that can be embedded or mounted along the perimeter of the desired material. The device can also be used as a transverse velocity sensor. When used as a sensor, the electrodes collect the electricity generated in the piezoelectric material. The charge output is proportional to the force applied at the tip of the device. U.S. patent 7893602. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to contact@example.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide the nature of your interest in the technology along with a brief background of your company. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at http://technology.nasa.gov/ . These responses are provided to members of NASA Langleys Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development OSACB for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.