99--TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY NASA COMMERCIAL INVENTION OF THE YEAR FOR2013: THE LOW FREQUENCY PORTABLE ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEM DETECTS AND LOCATESATMOSPHERIC CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE AND SEVERE

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 system to detect and locate atmospheric clear air turbulence (CAT) by means of a ground-based infrasonic array to serve as an early warning system for aircraft. This system could augment existing systems such as pilot reports (PIREPs), airborne lidar, and airborne radar. The NASA system offers a benefit based on the fact that the existing electromagnetic methods lack targets at 30,00040,000 ft and will not detect CAT. Because CAT and severe storms emit infrasound that propagates over vast distances through the Earths atmosphere, the Langley system offers an excellent early warning opportunity. The system uses a three-element array in the field to locate sources of infrasound and their direction. It has been able to detect known eventssuch as detection of the launch of the Space Shuttle in Florida all the way from Virginia. It also has correlated data with NOAAs PIREPs information. This information has been correlated with PIREPs available in real time via the Internet, with 10 examples of good correlation. Other applications include severe weather monitoring, tornado locating, remote motion detection, mine communications through solid barriers. Langley has developed various technologies to enable the portable detection system, including a 3-inch electret condenser microphone, a compact nonporous windscreen, an infrasonic calibrator pistonphone, a laboratory calibration system, an anechoic vacuum isolation vessel to measure background noise, and a Helmholtz resonator that provides pure tone at 19 Hz. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to [email protected] 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.