Hybrid Self-Control and Power-Harvesting Tile

To address these Navy needs for utilizing thermal and vibration effects in an aircraft carrier deck environment, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new HYbrid Self-controlling and POwer-harvesting Tile (HYSPOT) for the flight deck. The proposed HYSPOT is based on self-sensed/self-control vibration suppression for vibration-damping and power-harvesting structures to convert thermal energy of jet exhaust to electrical energy. The HYSPOT has a reinforced, tile-like modular structure that can be laid out (or interconnected) to cover a wide area without electric wiring. The innovative self-sensed/self-control design for vibration suppression and high-efficiency power harvesting enables the HYSPOT to damp/absorb impinging jet energy and to convert it to useful energy, as well as to reduce acoustic noise. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the HYSPOT concept with numerical models and experiments on system components showing power-harvesting efficiency from thermal loads, and the vibration reduction due to impingement of an unsteady hot jet. In Phase II, POC plans to develop a HYSPOT prototype and experimental rig to examine the effectiveness of noise isolation, and vibration and thermal energy utilization from hot jet impingement.