Briefs: Physical Sciences
Model of Fluidized Bed Containing Reacting Solids and Gases
A mathematical model has been developed for describing the thermofluid dynamics of a dense, chemically reacting mixture of solid particles and gases. As used here, "dense"...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Using Diffusion Bonding in Making Piezoelectric Actuators
A technique for the fabrication of piezoelectric actuators that generate acceptably large forces and deflections at relatively low applied voltages involves the stacking and diffusion...
Briefs: Software
Exchanging 3D Data Between Mechanical CAD (MCAD) Systems
Manufacturing companies must bring high-quality products to market faster than ever before. This tightened timeframe significantly impacts the manufacturing supply chain — a familiar...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Wheel Design Verified With FEA Software
This paper examines an aluminum wheel design used with a run-flat tire called an extended mobility technology (EMT) tire, which can be safely driven without air for at least 80 km (50 miles). The setup of the finite element model of the wheel is discussed in detail, along with a parametric study of the...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Membrane Mirrors With Bimorph Shape Actuators
Deformable mirrors of a proposed type would be equipped with relatively-large-stroke microscopic piezoelectric actuators that would be used to maintain their reflective surfaces in precise...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Rollable Thin-Shell Nanolaminate Mirrors
A class of lightweight, deployable, thin-shell, curved mirrors with built-in precise-shape-control actuators is being developed for high-resolution scientific imaging. This technology incorporates a...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Surface-Micromachined Planar Arrays of Thermopiles
Planar two-dimensional arrays of thermopiles intended for use as thermal-imaging detectors are to be fabricated by a process that includes surface micromachining. These thermopile arrays...
Features: Photonics/Optics
Advanced Near-Infrared Cameras
Many imaging applications in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum require sensors that see beyond the traditional charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor’s spectral range. A standard uncoated CCD...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Touchdown Ball-Bearing System for Magnetic Bearings
The torque-limited touchdown bearing system (TLTBS) is a backup mechanical- bearing system for a high-speed rotary machine in which the rotor shaft is supported by magnetic bearings in...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Flux-Based Deadbeat Control of Induction-Motor Torque
An improved method and prior methods of deadbeat direct torque control involve the use of pulse-width modulation (PWM) of applied voltages. The prior methods are based on the use of...
Briefs: Medical
Time-Resolved Measurements in Optoelectronic Microbioanalysis
A report presents discussion of time-resolved measurements in optoelectronic microbioanalysis. Proposed microbioanalytical "laboratory-on-a-chip" devices for detection of microbes and toxic chemicals would include optoelectronic sensors and associated electronic circuits that would...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Block QCA Fault-Tolerant Logic Gates
Suitably patterned arrays (blocks) of quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) have been proposed as fault-tolerant universal logic gates. These block QCA gates could be used to realize the potential of QCA...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Hybrid VLSI/QCA Architecture for Computing FFTs
A data-processor architecture that would incorporate elements of both conventional very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuitry and quantum- dot cellular automata (QCA) has been proposed to...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Block Copolymers as Templates for Arrays of Carbon Nanotubes
A method of manufacturing regular arrays of precisely sized, shaped, positioned, and oriented carbon nanotubes has been proposed. Arrays of carbon nanotubes could prove useful in...
Briefs: Information Technology
Collaborative Software Development Approach Used To Deliver the New Shuttle Telemetry Ground Station
United Space Alliance (USA) developed and used a new software development method to meet technical, schedule, and budget challenges faced...
Briefs: Materials
Reliability and Design Considerations for Long Life Using Mica Capacitors in High-Voltage Apps
Over the last 40 years, a series of misconceptions regarding mica capacitor applications has led novice users to consistently over- derate wound...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Folded Resonant Horns for Power Ultrasonic Applications
Folded horns have been conceived as alternatives to straight horns used as resonators and strain amplifiers in power ultrasonic systems. Such systems are used for cleaning, welding,...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Rollable Thin Shell Composite-Material Paraboloidal Mirrors
An experiment and calculation have demonstrated the feasibility of a technique of compact storage of paraboloidal mirrors made of thin composite-material (multiple layers of carbon...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Cellular Pressure-Actuated Joint
A modification of a pressure-actuated joint has been proposed to improve its pressure actuation in such a manner as to reduce the potential for leakage of the pressurizing fluid. The specific joint for which...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Force-Measuring Clamps
Force-measuring clamps have been invented to facilitate and simplify the task of measuring the forces or pressures applied to clamped parts. There is a critical need to measure clamping forces or pressures in some applications — for example, while bonding sensors to substrates or while clamping any sensitive or delicate...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Multiple-Use Mechanisms for Attachment to Seat Tracks
A Seat Track Attach Mechanism (SAM) is a multiple-use clamping device intended for use in mounting various objects on the standard seat tracks used on the International Space Station...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Tool for Bending a Metal Tube Precisely in a Confined Space
A relatively simple, manually operated tool enables precise bending (typically, within ±1/2° of the specified bend angle) of a metal tube located in a confined space, with a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Turbulence in Supercritical O₂/H₂ and C₇H₁₆/N₂ Mixing Layers
This report presents a study of numerical simulations of mixing layers developing between opposing flows of paired fluids under supercritical conditions, the purpose of the study being to elucidate chemical-species- specific aspects of turbulence. The simulations were...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Throttling Cryogen Boiloff To Control Cryostat Temperature
An improved design has been proposed for a cryostat of a type that maintains a desired low temperature mainly through boiloff of a liquid cryogen (e.g., liquid nitrogen) at...
Briefs: Software
Software for Viewing Landsat Mosaic Images
A Windows-based computer program has been written to enable novice users (especially educators and students) to view images of large areas of the Earth (e.g., the continental United States) generated from image data acquired in the Landsat observations performed circa the year 1990. The large-area...
Briefs: Software
Updated Integrated Mission Program
Integrated Mission Program (IMP) is a computer program for simulating spacecraft missions around the Earth, Moon, Mars, and/or other large bodies. IMP solves the differential equations of motion by use of a Runge-Kutta numerical-integration algorithm. Users control missions through selection from a large menu...
Briefs: Software
Software for Sharing and Management of Information
DIAMS is a set of computer programs that implements a system of collaborative agents that serve multiple, geographically distributed users communicating via the Internet. DIAMS provides a user interface as a Java applet that runs on each user’s computer and that works within the context of the...
Briefs: Software
Update on Integrated Optical Design Analyzer
Updated information on the Integrated Optical Design Analyzer (IODA) computer program has become available. IODA was described in “Software for Multidisciplinary Concurrent Optical Design” (MFS-31452), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 10 (October 2001), page 8a. To recapitulate: IODA facilitates...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Custom Software for Infrared Camera Image Acquisition and Control
Infrared cameras based on hybrid focal-plane array sensors are unlike consumer video products such as camcorders. They are complicated imaging devices that output very large amounts of digital image data at high speeds, require multiple levels of camera control, and produce...
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A Solid-State Alternative to the Vacuum Photomultiplier Tube