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B. David Green, President and CEO, presented the 2019 Technical Achievement Awards to formally recognize the most significant technical achievements by our staff this past year. With hundreds of ongoing projects and numerous noteworthy contributors, the selection process is always difficult, and these awards recognize only a small fraction of the many significant accomplishments by our talented staff.
Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer Technology
Dave Green presents Elizabeth Schundler, Julia Dupuis and Jay Giblin with their Technical Achievement Award
Elizabeth Schundler, Principal Scientist; Julia Dupuis, Vice President, Tactical Systems; and Jay Giblin, Principal Research Scientist, were presented with Technical Achievement Awards for their work in the adaptation of the Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (SHS) technology to the detection of vapor, solid, and liquid materials by using both passive and active imaging approaches working across the wavelength range from the UV to the thermal IR. Their spectrometer design has demonstrated previously unachievable stability across this wavelength range. The combination of SHS with digital multi-mirror devices and resonant cavities has led to the creation of unique spectrometer designs that achieve both cost and performance objectives. In conjunction with QCL laser technology, the high throughput of these devices has enabled the development of rapid surface contamination detection technologies that will find future applications in many fields. This technology has advanced to meet ever more demanding specifications through numerous technology development projects. We also acknowledge the significant contributions of many co-workers to the success of these programs.
Towed Optical Plume Simulator
Scott Bender, David Oakes, Kristin Galbally-Kinney and Bob Minelli
Scott Bender, Product Manager; David Oakes, Group Leader, Aerothermal Interactions; Kristin Galbally-Kinney, Principal Scientist; and Bob Minelli, Principal Research Scientist, received Technical Achievement Awards for the development of the Towed Optical Plume Simulator. They have led a team to successfully complete the development and testing of a brassboard prototype solid state Towed Optical Plume Simulator (TOPS) emitter. The development effort began as a concept and culminated in the fabrication of a TRL 5 system that underwent both laboratory and field demonstrations at the Center for Counter-Measures facilities at the White Sands Missile Range, meeting or exceeding the aggressive key performance parameters identified by our customers. This system simulates missile signatures during testing of missile warning and infrared countermeasure (IRCM) systems in multiple bands. The success of the team has led to additional programs to improve supporting technologies for IR emitters, LED emitters and an IR beam attenuator subsystem.
We acknowledge the contributions of Joe Goodwin and Rick Wainner in the development of this technology.
Energetics Demonstration Facility in Epping, NH
Jason Wagner, Michael Behrens, Shigeng Shang and Jeff Wegener
Jason Wagner and Michael Behrens, Principal Scientists; Shigeng Shang, Senior Scientist/Engineer; and Jeff Wegener, Group Leader, Propulsion & Energetics, were presented with Technical Achievement Awards in recognition for the development of our unique energetics demonstration facility in Epping NH. The creation of this facility has enabled us to undertake many exciting and challenging new programs, as well as serve as a key demonstration site for many other non-related PSI emerging technologies. The team, with honorable mention to many others in the group, has worked tirelessly to overcome significant challenges. Their dedication to this new capability has been recognized by our customers and has enabled PSI to win programs to both develop new technologies and to move our maturing technologies toward insertion into national programs. Their achievement in creating this unique facility and in moving our technologies to acceptance embodies the very best aspects of PSI’s long heritage of applied technology advancement.
Rare Earth Elements Recovered from Coal Ash by PSI Lead Team
Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has developed a chemical process that yields valuable products from coal ash. PSI partnered with Winner Water Services (WWS), and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), with support from the Department of Energy to design, demonstrate, and fabricate a pilot plant. The plant is located at a WWS facility in Pennsylvania.
Prakash Joshi, Mark Allen, David Gamliel and Dorin Preda at the REE Pilot Plant Facility in Pennsylvania
The 30,000 square foot plant will process 12 tons of coal ash collected from power plants in Kentucky and pre-processed by CAER to produce the products. The resulting Rare Earth Elements (REE) and other products will be evaluated by the team and downstream vendors to support a domestic supply chain of these metals. Further, operational data acquired during the next months will be used to refine the design of a planned commercial scale plant.
“Rare Earth Elements are critically important to the United States. They are necessary in the production of electronics and for consumer and national defense purposes” said Dorin Preda, Research Leader. Current supplies of REE are highly dependent upon international sources. “Our intention is to develop a secure domestic supply of these materials to alleviate America’s dependency, while creating a business opportunity in the Appalachian region” said Todd Beers, Chief Operating Officer of WWS.
For more information about PSI’s rare earth element technology, please contact Mark Allen, Executive Vice-President of PSI’s Research and Development Division: allen@psicorp.com.
Representatives Trahan, Langevin Tour Raytheon, InstantEye Robotics Facilities in Andover
Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) hosted Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, to tour two defense-related facilities in Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District. The Representatives toured and met with employees of Raytheon and InstantEye Robotics, a division of Physical Sciences, Inc. in Andover, MA.
B. David Green, Congressman Jim Langevin, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, and Bill Marinelli tour InstantEye Robotics facility
“Our district is home to world-class engineers, industrial leaders in skilled manufacturing, and educational institutions that are researching and building next-generation defense technologies to keep our troops the best-equipped in the world. Raytheon and InstantEye Robotics are two such companies that demonstrate this important work,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “It was an honor to host Chairman Langevin, who understands the importance of leveraging cutting-edge capabilities to keep our troops safe and our competitive advantage strong in an evolving world.”
“We are honored that Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Chairman Langevin visited our InstantEye facility. They have an important role as leaders in the House Armed Services Committee on Emerging Capabilities in strengthening our nation’s science and engineering industry for both defense and civil uses. PSI has been in the Massachusetts Third District for nearly 40 years and is an active participant in the local high tech industry and university community. Many of our staff have New England roots or come from local universities. We support Congresswoman Trahan and Chairman Langevin’s efforts and appreciate their interest and recognition.” said PSI’s President and CEO, David Green.
Massachusetts-based Physical Sciences Inc. Partners with UND to Test Weather-measuring UAS Payload
The University of North Dakota (UND) recently provided Massachusetts-based Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) the advanced platform, authorization and flight experience to test its compact laser hygrometer, developed for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
David Sonnenfroh and Shin-Juh Chen with the UAS Payload
The hygrometer, built to measure ambient water vapor density, air pressure and temperature from an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), was successfully tested during a sustained six-hour flight south of Mayville, N.D.
Developed by PSI and its project team members, the instrument is designed for research at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility in northern Alaska, to better understand cloud microphysics.
Read the whole article: Massachusetts-based Physical Sciences Inc. partners with UND to test weather-measuring UAS payload.
For more information contact: David Sonnenfroh
New TDL Analyzer for H2S in Natural Gas Applications
Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) is pleased to announce the product release of AccuLase-GPATM by our licensee, Galvanic Applied Sciences Inc. (Galvanic), for the high-sensitivity measurement of hydrogen sulfide from 0 to 500 ppmv with detection limit down to 0.15ppmv; the most sensitive H2S analyzer in the market. This analyzer incorporates tunable diode laser technology, proprietary multipass optical cell, and detection electronics developed by PSI. Galvanic offers the product as CSA Div. 1 & 2 certified.
Galvanic is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, solving critical process-analysis and measurement problems with gas and liquid measurement systems for customers worldwide. Contact Galvanic at www.galvanic.com to place your order for this state-of-the-art H2S analyzer to support your critical measurement needs in natural gas processing, pipeline, or custody transfer applications.
For more information contact: Dr. Shin-Juh Chen
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