SBIR Phase I: High Temperature Pressure Transducers from Shape Memory Alloys

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design, fabricate, and test novel, high-temperature pressure-sensing elements composed of shape memory alloys. Ever-increasing demands on material systems under conditions of high temperatures and harsh environments create needs for high performance, low cost, reliable pressure transducers. The sensing element will be suitable for a wide range of environments along with an ability to provide greater sensitivity than silicon carbide sensors. Phase I will evaluate several candidate shape memory alloy materials and design a packaging scheme to maximize the sensitivity of this novel transducer. Emphasis will be placed on exploiting property changes during phase transformations.A high temperature pressure transducer is expected to have large impact in the automotive industry as an in-cylinder pressure sensor. Furthermore, other industries such as geothermal drilling, industrial applications, and aircraft turbine engines will benefit from in-situ, high sensitivity pressure measurements. The high-temperature pressure transducer would provide more than a three-fold increase in the maximum operating temperature and an order-of- magnitude increase in sensitivity over traditional pressure transducers.