NASA Tech Briefs Insider BlogRobotic Rotary Motor Runs on Compressed AirPosted May 17th, 2007 by adminNASA Tech Briefs INSIDER 05/17/2007
The unit is lighter than piston motors and produces no fumes. The compressed air would be held in tanks mounted under the loading floor of ground-based vehicles. Engineair plans to develop a new burden carrier, driven by the motor, for use on a small scale. Engine For SatellitesPosted March 1st, 2007 by adminNASA Tech Briefs INSIDER 03/01/2007 Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new protoype engine that uses up to 40% less fuel by running on solar power while in space and by fine-tuning exhaust velocity. The key to the engine improvements is the ability to optimize the use of available power. A traditional chemical rocket engine (attached to a satellite ready for launch) runs at maximum exhaust velocity until it reaches orbit, i.e., first gear. The new engine allows ground-control units to adjust the engine’s operating gear based on the immediate propulsive need of the satellite. The engine operates in first gear to maximize acceleration during orbit transfers and then shifts to fifth gear once in the desired orbit. This allows the engine to burn at full capacity only during key moments and conserve fuel.  Dedicated to helping you design better products in a digital world... your guide to the latest tools & techniques for digital prototyping, simulation, and analysis of the real-world performance of your ideas.
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