Briefs: Information Technology
Planning Complex Sequences Using Compressed Representations
A method that notably includes the use of compressed representations interleaved with non-compressed (time-line) representations of a general scheduling problem has been conceived as a means of increasing, by orders of magnitude, the speeds of computations needed for scheduling complex...
Briefs: Materials
Cyclic Oxidation Behavior of CuCrAl Cold-Sprayed Coatings for Reusable Launch Vehicles
The next generation of reusable launch vehicles is likely to use GRCop-84 [Cu-8(at.%)Cr-4%Nb] copper alloy combustion liners. The application of protective coatings on GRCop-84 liners can minimize or eliminate many of the environmental problems experienced by...
Briefs: Materials
Elastomer Reinforced With Carbon Nanotubes
Elastomers are reinforced with functionalized, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) giving them high- breaking strain levels and low densities. Cross-linked elastomers are prepared using amine-terminated, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), with an average molecular weight of 5,000 daltons, and a...
Briefs: Materials
Improving Heat Flux Performance of Flat Surface in Spray-Cooling Systems
A method has been developed for improving heat flux performance relative to flat surfaces in spray-cooling systems. Similar enhancement techniques have been used for convective heat transfer, but, to the best knowledge at the time of this reporting, never spray cooling of...
Briefs: Materials
Treating Fibrous Insulation To Reduce Thermal Conductivity
A chemical treatment reduces the convective and radiative contributions to the effective thermal conductivity of porous fibrous thermal-insulation tile. The net effect of the treatment is to coat the surfaces of fibers with a mixture of transition-metal oxides (TMOs) without filling the...
Briefs: Materials
Biologically Inspired Purification and Dispersion of SWCNTs
A biologically inspired method has been developed for (1) separating single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) from other materials (principally, amorphous carbon and metal catalysts) in raw production batches and (2) dispersing the SWCNTs as individual particles (in contradistinction to...
Briefs: Materials
Quantifying Airborne Hydrogen in Nearly Real Time
An indirect method of measuring small concentrations of hydrogen gas in air in nearly real time has been devised to circumvent the difficulty of performing such measurements directly. In this method, a sample of air suspected of containing hydrogen is first enclosed in a suitable container, and...
Briefs: Materials
Ceramic Fiber Structures for Cryogenic Load-Bearing Applications
This invention is intended for use as a load-bearing device under cryogenic temperatures and/or abrasive conditions (i.e., during missions to the Moon). The innovation consists of small-diameter, ceramic fibers that are woven or braided into devices like ropes, belts, tracks, or...
Briefs: Materials
Silica-Aerogel Composites Opacified With La0.7Sr0.3MnO3
As part of an effort to develop improved lightweight thermal-insulation tiles to withstand temperatures up to 1,000 °C, silica aerogel/fused-quartz- fiber composite materials containing La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 particles as opacifiers have been investigated as...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Inert Welding/Brazing Gas Filters and Dryers
A system has been designed to reduce the hydrogen molecule content in inert gases that are used for shielding the welding arc and molten weld area during the manual fusion, automated welding, and induction brazing process. Two desiccant pipeline dryer cartridges are connected together using either...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Fabricating Copper Nanotubes by Electrodeposition
Copper tubes having diameters between about 100 and about 200 nm have been fabricated by electrodeposition of copper into the pores of alumina nanopore membranes. Copper nanotubes are under consideration as alternatives to copper nanorods and nanowires for applications involving thermal and/or...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
The use of hybridized carbon/silicon carbide (C/SiC) fabric to reinforce ceramic matrix composite face sheets and the integration of such face sheets with a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A Technique for Adjusting Eigenfrequencies of WGM Resonators
A simple technique has been devised for making small, permanent changes in the eigenfrequencies (resonance frequencies) of whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) dielectric optical resonators that have high values of the resonance quality factor (Q). The essence of the technique is to coat the...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A small mass spectrometer utilizing a miniature field ionization source is now undergoing development. It is designed for use in a variety of applications in which there are requirements for a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Modifying Operating Cycles To Increase Stability in a LITS
The short-term instability in the frequency of a linear-ion-trap frequency standard (LITS) can be reduced by modifying two cycles involved in its operation: (1) the bimodal (bright/dim) cycle of a plasma discharge lamp used for state preparation and detection and (2) a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
An apparatus for simulating the environment at the surface of Mars has been developed. Within the apparatus, the pressure, gas composition, and temperature of the atmosphere; the...
Products
Dewetron USA, Wakefield, RI, has introduced the DEWE-43-V, an ultra-portable data acquisition system that includes eight 24-bit dynamic analog input channels with >100 dB dynamic range; eight...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Assembly Machines Produce Optics for NASA’s NuSTAR Telescope
ABTech
Swanzey, NH
603-358-6431
www.abtechmfg.com
ABTech has completed the first of two cylindrical optics module assembly machines for Columbia University’s Nevis Astrophysics Laboratory. The multi-axis air...
Application Briefs: Imaging
CCD Imaging Sensors Aid Hubble in Exploring the Universe
e2v
Chelmsford, UK
44 (0)1245 493493
www.e2v.com
e2v CCD imaging sensors were launched recently on the Space Shuttle Atlantis as part of a mission to upgrade and repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The imaging sensors...
Tech Needs
Anchoring Technology to Hold an Active Ingredient Within a Targeted Depth of Soil
A company seeks technologies that enhance the duration that herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and similar products are held at a targeted depth within the top layers of soil. Duration should be between 30 and 60 days. The targeted depth varies with the crop...
Tech Needs
Dissolvable Paper/Packaging Material
A company is searching for a disruptive technology relating to dispersible packaging materials. The material should easily dissolve in cold water and be 100% biodegradable in a short space of time, without compromising the strength and performance of the material for its given application. While paper-based...
Techs for License
Fluorinated ZDDP Improves Mileage and Reduces Engine Wear
This technology takes ZDDP — Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophos - phate, an anti-wear oil additive — and enhances it by adding fluorine to the chemical backbone. The resulting new molecule improves engine fuel economy by 3%, reduces engine wear from that available with conventional ZDDP, and...
Techs for License: Defense
Real-Time Dogfight Guiding System
Successful performance of BFM (Basic Flight Maneuvers) presents the greatest challenge facing combat pilots. Acquiring and maintaining the required skills for dogfights is a long, complicated and costly process. The solution is a system that provides automatic assessment of a situation and automatic...
NASA Tech Needs
John C. Stennis Space Center is embarking on a very ambitious era in its rocket engine propulsion test history. The first new large rocket engine test stand to be built at Stennis Space Center...
Eye on Innovation: Manufacturing & Prototyping
There’s no question that the economic slowdown has taken an enormous toll on the industrial and manufacturing sectors. But despite the downturn, the glass, in my view, remains half full for...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
HAWE Hydraulics, Charlotte, NC, offers proportional valves and controls typically used by companies manufacturing machine tools, lifting platforms, mobile cranes,...
Application Briefs: Medical
Spiralock Fasteners Safeguard Reliability for Medical Lasers and Implants
Failure is not an option when it comes to medical equipment. From critical or sensitive devices like lasers, MRI scanners, knee joints, and implantable pacemakers to instruments as straightforward as stethoscopes, when life is at stake, medical equipment must be...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Parker Hannifin, Marysville, OH, has added a 45cc model to its P1/PD line of piston pumps. The variable displacement, axial piston pump is optimized for medium pressure, open-circuit mobile and industrial applications.
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
The Heavy-Duty Slide 2 from Techno, Inc., New Hyde Park, NY, is constructed of single rigid aluminum extrusion and able to handle heavy cantilevered loads. It measures 225mm wide and is available in travels from 122 to...
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Webcasts
On-Demand Webinars: Defense
From Data to Decision: How AI Enhances Warfighter Readiness
Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace
April Battery & Electrification Summit
Upcoming Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Tech Update: 3D Printing for Transportation in 2024
Upcoming Webinars: Materials
Unleashing Epoxy's Potential: Ensuring Hermetic Sealing in Modern...
Upcoming Webinars: Test & Measurement
Building an Automotive EMC Test Plan