Description: A passive wireless miniaturized sensor patch will be developed using piezoelectric MEMS for operation in harsh environment. The proposed system provides temperature and pressure readings from hard to access locations via wirelessly communicating with a nearby (>20 ft. away) transceiver module at ISM 2.4 GHz band. The combination of the stress-free low-loss substrate and excellent energy confinement in the MEMS device enables reliable and accurate readings in cryogenic to high temperatures. Technology Purpose: This technology enables competitively long-distance measurement of physical parameters (temperature and pressure in this effort) in sub-GHz to few GHz range, which represents an optimal balance between antenna size and communication distance. The change in the frequency of the MEMS resonator responsive to the physical parameter provides a simple, battery-less digital readout. Intended Use of Funding: Experimental evaluation of lifetime and robustness of the proposed sensor in extreme conditions is the main objective of the proposed effort. This funding would allow for design and fabrication of testbeds and the sensor system (chip containing resonant sensors coupled with a small antenna) for comprehensive performance characterization in temperature, pressure, vibration, – extremes that mimic real world application scenarios. Target Markets: Battery-less and wireless sensor solutions enjoy a vast market opportunity and are needed across many industries. While the compact, resilient, and modular nature of the proposed sensor technology makes it application range broad, the proposed effort aim to support NASA's rocket propulsion testing applications.

Benefits: The proposed technology offers a wide range of applications across various NASA missions. This effort seeks to primarily address the needs within propulsion systems development which include reducing costs and providing previously unavailable data for evolutionary improvements and predictive maintenance. Installing the proposed system in harsh and hard to reach locations with minimally disturbing such location and wirelessly monitoring the system from a distance would address this need. Besides, the proposed technology can be integrated into thermal protection systems to ensure components remain within a safe temperature range. It can monitor the pressure in fuel tanks to prevent leaks or measure the temperature and pressure during probe and extraction missions on other planetary surfaces. This technology can further aid in modeling and design improvements (e.g, thermal, aerodynamic) by providing missing data from previously inaccessible locations. These are just a few examples of how the proposed sensor module can support NASA mission directives.Beyond rocket propulsion testing and NASA applications, this technology addresses the needs in multiple industries that span aerospace (government/private aerospace companies), energy, and manufacturing. Hence there would be less barriers to adoption and market entry due to versatility and cost-effectiveness (since the proposed sensors are batch fabricated). Benefiting from being compact, wireless, and robust in harsh conditions the proposed sensor provides value propositions such as increased conditional awareness in hot zones, on rotary parts, and in inaccessible locations with minimal impact on the system under test. Application examples include but are not limited to hot zones of internal-combustion engines, high temperature oil/gas pumps, high-temperature/pressure environments in power generation/storage systems, rotary shafts of manufacturing equipment as well as manufacturing facilities with extreme environmental conditions.