Fairmount Automation Awarded Office of Naval Research (ONR) Grant to Investigate Use of Smart-Valve Technology for Automated Damage Control

PHOENIXVILLE, PA-SEPTEMBER 25, 2003-Fairmount Automation today announced that it has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop new signal processing techniques for rupture detection in shipboard fluid systems. The grant provides approximately $100,000 in research and development funds for a Phase I study. If early results are promising, the Company could receive an additional $750,000 in Phase II funding.

The U.S. Navy is aiming to slash the crew size in its next generation land attack destroyer-the DD(X) platform-by nearly two-thirds as compared to its modern-day Arleigh Burke Class destroyers. But it is widely recognized that the Achilles-heel of such personnel reduction efforts is the need to alleviate sailors from their damage control responsibilities. The objective of this funded research effort is to develop and demonstrate high-performance embedded algorithms for smart valves that exhibit improved ability to detect and isolate damage (i.e., leaks and piping ruptures) to shipboard fluid networks, and that subsequently automatically reconfigure the system to continue to meet the ship's mission-without sailor intervention. For example, the conceptual design of the DD(X) Automated Fire Suppression System (AFSS) relies on smart valves installed in the firemain to isolate piping breaks or ruptures after a combat damage event. Smart valve technology is also being considered to improve the survivability of the ship's chilled water system-a vast fluid network that provides cooling for critical air warfare systems.

Fairmount Automation's Phase I study will focus on deriving and validating non-deterministic smart valve sensor models as well as synthesizing parametric and non-parametric detection algorithms. Existing algorithms for rupture detection resort to little more than trial-and-error type of experiments with arbitrary thresholds tuned ad hoc. This effort aims to develop a well-founded detection algorithm based on a model and detection performance index that gives designers clear guidance regarding the needed quality and placement of smart valves. It will also define what can and cannot be detected and allow implementation of decisions regarding the tolerable rate of false alarm so as to guarantee a minimum level of rupture detection performance.

Brian Callahan, Vice President of Engineering Services for Fairmount Automation authored the winning proposal and will lead the research and development effort. "We are very pleased to have an opportunity to advance the state-of-the-art in smart valve technology," said Callahan. "We believe we can apply recent advances in detection theory and sensor fusion to significantly improve the performance characteristics of fluid damage detection systems and realize the promise of earlier related research efforts."

About Fairmount Automation, Inc. 

Fairmount Automation is a leading provider of high-performance distributed control solutions for extreme environments. The Company is an original equipment manufacturer of rugged programmable automation controllers used to monitor and regulate industrial processes and machinery. It also provides advanced engineering services to investigate and develop automated damage control systems for U.S. Navy surface combatants, including the Navy's next generation land attack destroyer. The Company is developing distributed intelligent systems that automatically detect and isolate equipment failures and reconfigure themselves to sustain the ship's mission. The Company is based in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.FairmountAutomation.com.

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