IC2 today announced the company has recently concluded a Phase I contract with the NASA SBIR program to develop High Channel Count, High Density Microphone Arrays for Wind Tunnel Environments.   This work seeks to advance the development of high channel count, high density, reduced cost per channel, directional microphone arrays for noise source measurement using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based piezoelectric microphones with backside contacts and advanced packaging technology. 

The long-term goal of this research is to develop advanced phased-array technology to revolutionize array measurement capabilities through increases in array density and channel count while easing installation into wind-tunnels and significantly reducing cost per channel. Specifically, this array technology is being developed to address NASA’s needs for acoustic and relevant flow field measurement methods for subsonic, transonic and supersonic vehicles targeted specifically at airframe noise sources and the noise sources due to the aerodynamic and acoustic interaction of airframe and engines.  At a broader level, this work is aimed at meeting the aerospace industry’s need for economically viable array technology that meets required performance metrics.  The Phase I work was carried out in conjunction with the University of Florida.  IC2 hopes to continue this work directly through the NASA SBIR program and has submitted a Phase II follow-on proposal, now under evaluation.