Discrete Proportional Valve Technology

The DPV concept matches the unique needs of electric vehicle cooling and energy management systems.

Giving Bug-Like Bots a Boost

A new fabrication technique helps improve the performance of flying micro-robots.

Energy Harvesting Can Enable 1 Trillion Battery-Free Sensors in the IoT

A tiny investment in system capital expenditures can lead to huge rewards in reduced capital and operating expenses.

Nanotransistors Stay Cool at High Voltages

The transistors enable power converters to perform at substantially improved efficiencies, especially in high-power applications.

Turning Diamond into Metal

Normally an insulator, diamond becomes a metallic conductor when subjected to large strain.

Soft Magnetic Nanocomposite for High-Temperature Applications

The material can be used in power electronics and power converters for solar energy power systems.

Composite Material Increases Electrical Current Capacity of Copper Wires

The material can be scaled for use in ultra-efficient, power-dense, electric vehicle traction motors.

Products of Tomorrow

An A/C alternative, AI that sharpens blurry images, and a NASA energy harvester.

Maximizing Safety in Advanced Battery Systems

Fuse devices enable circuit safety in high-power applications, such as motion control and alternative energy generation, in addition to electric vehicles.

Low-Inductance DC Power Bus

The bus is designed for high-frequency, high-temperature operation in electric drive systems and next-generation power electronics.

Ultra-Wide-Bandgap Power Electronics

Power electronics used for routing, control, and conversion of electrical power traditionally utilize silicon semiconductors. These systems tend to be bulky, require active cooling, and are inadequate for...

3D-Printed Lab on Wheels

Next-generation manufacturing takes on a 50-year-old icon as ORNL researchers transform the classic Shelby Cobra sports car into a 3D-printed laboratory on wheels. Additive manufacturing enables the seamless...

High-Voltage Power System for Hybrid Electric Aircraft Propulsion

Innovators at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have developed a variable-frequency, alternating current (AC) power system to enable turbo-electric and hybrid electric...

Products of Tomorrow

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.

2016 Create the Future Contest: Aerospace & Defense Category Winner

FLASH® BAINITE — HIGH PERFORMANCE ARMOR

Gary Cola, Flash Bainite, Washington, MI

The Flash® Bainite Process is a rapid heat treating process for creating...

Hermetic Feedthroughs for Mission-Critical Electronics

One of the most common causes of electronics failure is moisture. Because water and electronics do not mix well, several strategies exist to protect mission-critical components from...

Automotive Circuit Protection Using High-Reliability TVS Diodes

Designing automotive electronics presents numerous technical challenges, including the need to protect against electrical hazards. The three major sources of electrical hazards...

LED Drivers

SL Power Electronics (Ventura, CA) has introduced its new LE Series of LED drivers. Available in 10 models from 75 to 300 watts, the constant current LED drivers enable highly efficient LED lighting for applications that require...

Dual-Leadframe Transient Liquid Phase Bonded Power Semiconductor Module Assembly and Bonding Process

A high-temperature-capable widebandgap semiconductor power module package, coupled with a new high-temperature- capable bonding process...

Energy Harvesting Wireless Lighting Control Systems

Energy can be found everywhere — in the movement of doors and windows or machine components, the vibration of motors, changing temperature or variances in luminance level. These energy...

Simulation Leads to Better Cooling of Electronic Components in Toyota Hybrid Vehicles

If carmakers could reduce the number, size, and weight of the components in there, better fuel economy would result. A case in point is the design and...

John H. Glenn Research Center

Innovators at NASA’s Glenn Research Center design game-changing spaceflight technologies that advance exploration of our solar system. They have also established themselves as global leaders in aeronautics by...

Light Your World With Solid-State Lighting

Partly due to rising environmental concerns and the increasing cost of energy, the industrialized world is now replacing billions of conventional incandescent light fixtures. While a significant...

Create the Future Design Contest Winners: Where Are They Now?

The Create the Future Design Contest was launched in 2002 by the publishers of NASA Tech Briefs to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. The competition has attracted...

Reducing Electromagnetic Interference in Motion Systems

EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) comes in different forms, frequencies, and levels. Electronic equipment has different categories for both emissions and susceptibility. Under normal...