-1
10260
30
Briefs: Information Technology
Initialized Fractional Calculus
The fractional calculus (which admits of integrals and derivatives of non-integer order) dates back almost to the origin of the better-known ordinary (integer-order) calculus, but thus far has been treated more as a mathematical curiosity than as a scientific and engineering tool. Increasingly many physical processes...
Briefs: Materials
Some changes have been made in the fabrication of PSSA/ PVDF-based membrane/electrode assemblies for direct methanol fuel cells. The effect of the changes is to improve the electrochemical...
Briefs: Software
Software for Capturing Software-Design Rationale
Better Elicitation and Communication of Arguments Underlying Software Engineering (BECAUSE) is a computer program that records and codifies the rationale that underlies decisions made in the course of developing software. To minimize the additional sensory, cognitive, and motor demands upon the...
Briefs: Software
Software for Scientific Exploration by Multiple Rovers
Multi-Rover Integrated Science Understanding System (MISUS) is a computer program designed to coordinate the activities of multiple small, instrumented robotic vehicles (rovers) engaged in autonomous scientific exploration of the surface of Mars. MISUS includes a component that utilizes...
Briefs: Software
Software Accelerates and Standardizes Procurement by NASA
Virtual Procurement Office (VPO) is a Web-based application program designed for use by procurement professionals throughout NASA. Prior to the development of VPO, each of the 700+ NASA procurement pro- fessionals had to spend much time searching numerous locations on-line and off-line for...
Briefs: Software
Software for Managing a Health and Environmental Database
Health and Environ- mental Resource System (HERS) is a relational-database computer program with a graphical user interface that assists members of an envi- ronmental health organization in the collection, analysis,
and reporting of data pertaining to industrial hygiene, radiation health,...
Briefs: Software
GUI Software for Managing Router Configuration Files
Cisco IOS Manager (CIOSMAN) is a computer program that generates a graphical user interface for managing configuration files for an Internet-Protocol router. [In this context, “IOS” signifies the Cisco Internet- working Operating System and “router” signifies a system of computer-network...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Making Audible Alarms More Noticeable in Noisy Environments
An improved method of generating audible alarms has been invented for stressful environments in which there may be consid- erable background noise and where the intended recipients of the alarms also need to pay att- ention to sounds other than the alarms. An aircraft cockpit is a typical...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Clamps for Testing Cable Shields and Connector Shells
Connector test clamps (CTCs) are clamping electrical connectors designed for use in testing electrical continuity from the backshell of a connector at one end of a shielded electrical cable, through the cable shield, to the backshell at the other end of the cable. CTCs increase the reliability...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
During development and production, cell phones and other portable devices must be tested and calibrated with a power source that accurately simulates battery...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
A mid-infrared wave-number range has been identified as being useful for laser measurements of CO and CO2 gases that contain various combinations of isotopes of C and O. The isotopic...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
The figure schematically depicts two proposed alternative versions of an instrument that amounts, in effect, to a compact, lightweight optoelectronic microscope that contains no lenses...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
The figure depicts the laboratory setup of an optical-fiber-coupled microsphere laser with an output in the 1.55-µm wavelength band used in some communication systems. This laser offers...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
A conceptually simple, effective scheme for reliable, high-power pumping of neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers (and perhaps also other solid-state lasers) has been devised. Heretofore, it has been common...
Briefs: Information Technology
Methods and Software for Mining Data in Context
The Perilog methods and software provide a suite of data-mining tools. Perilog retrieves and organizes data from any sequence of terms that are contextually associated (e.g., text, music, genetic sequences). Perilog data mining includes: (1) keyterm-in-context search; (2) flexible, model-based phrase...
Briefs: Information Technology
Beacon-Based Exception Analysis for Multimissions
BEAM is a method of real-time, automated analysis and diagnosis applicable to a broad class of complex electromechanical systems, including spacecraft, aircraft, and process-control systems. Some aspects of its operation were described in “Reusable Software for Autonomous Diagnosis of Complex...
Briefs: Information Technology
A generalized data processor, proposed for use in the reception of binaryphase-shift-keyed (BPSK) radio signals, provides preliminary estimates of the block and convolutionally encoded...
Briefs: Information Technology
Improved Transponder for Earth/Spacecraft Communication
A prototype of a relatively inexpensive S-band transponder has been developed for use aboard a spacecraft as part of a NASA space- craft tracking and data network (STDN). The transponder design incorporates recent advances in digital processing of received radio signals. Notable features of...
Briefs: Information Technology
A method of semi- automated ident- ification of biomaterials, now under development, is based on the use of a combination of neural-network and of self-...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Data is any company’s most valuable asset. Archiving systems are essential to ensuring that valuable data is preserved. A wide variety of technologies exists, but tape medium remains...
Briefs: Materials
The fabrication of membrane/electrode assemblies (MEAs) for direct methanol fuel cells can be modified to make the cathodes hydro- phobic. These modifications improve the performances of the...
Briefs: Materials
A class of developmental membrane electrolyte materials for methanol/air and hydrogen/air fuel cells is exemplified by a composite of (1) a melt-processable polymer [in particular,...
Briefs: Materials
Windows that absorb x rays and are transparent to visible light can be made by compression molding of tantalum oxide/polymer composite materials. The main x-ray-absorbing medium in these windows is tantalum...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Computational Test Cases for Oscillating Clipped Delta Wing
Computational test cases have been selected from archived sets of data acquired some years ago in wind-tunnel experiments on a clipped delta wing equipped with a hydraulically actuated trailing-edge control surface. In some of the experiments, the wing was subjected to pitching...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Flight data gathered by use of the F-18 System Research Aircraft (SRA) based at Dryden Flight Research Center have been used to estimate stability and control derivatives for a baseline F-18 airplane....
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of generating fountains and fogs over a body of water (see Figure 1) by utilizing high-intensity ultrasound to induce acoustic streaming, cavitation, and...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A fail-safe, continue-to-operate design concept for machine jackscrews calls for the incorporation of a redundant follower nut that would assume the axial jack load upon failure of the...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Pulse-Tube Refrigerator for Liquid Hydrogen
An improved closed-loop, two-stage pulse-tube refrigerator provides 4 W of cooling power at a temperature of 15 K. The original intended application of this refrigerator is in preventing boiloff of liquid hydrogen from a propellant tank aboard a spacecraft. The basic refrigerator design can also be...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
An easy-to-implement design concept shows promise for improving the performances of impact tool bits used in abrading surfaces, drilling, and coring of rock and rocklike materials. The concept is...
Top Stories
Blog: Design
A Stretchable OLED that Can Maintain Most of Its Luminescence
INSIDER: Design
Advancing All-Solid-State Batteries
Blog: Power
My Opinion: We Need More Power Soon — Is Nuclear the Answer?
Blog: Energy
Batteries that Can Withstand the Cold
Quiz: Power
Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control
Microscopic Swimming Machines that Can Sense, Respond to Surroundings
Webcasts
On-Demand Webinars: Transportation
Advantages of Smart Power Distribution Unit Design for Automotive &...
Upcoming Webinars: Unmanned Systems
Quiet, Please: NVH Improvement Opportunities in the Early Design...
Upcoming Webinars: AR/AI
From Spreadsheets to Insights: Fast Data Analysis Without Complex...
Upcoming Webinars: Electronics & Computers
Cooling a New Generation of Aerospace and Defense Embedded...
Upcoming Webinars: AR/AI
Beyond AI-Copy-Paste Engineering: Advanced AI-Integration Success...
Upcoming Webinars: Energy
