Tech Briefs

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A comprehensive library of technical briefs from engineering experts at NASA and major government, university, and commercial laboratories covering all aspects of innovations in electronics, software, photonics, imaging, motion control, automation, sensors, test, materials, manufacturing, mechanical, and mechatronics.

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Briefs: Physical Sciences

Solar photovoltaic cells would be designed to exploit photonic-bandgap (PBG) materials to enhance their energy- conversion efficiencies, according to a proposal. Whereas the...

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Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Internal heating is a key issue for vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), a semiconductor micro laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical...

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Briefs: Materials

Polyimides of a recently developed type have an attractive combination of properties, including low solar absorptivity (manifested as low color) when cast into thin films, resistance to...

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Briefs: Electronics & Computers

A waveguide feed has been designed to provide specified illumination patterns for a dual-reflector antenna in two wavelength bands: 8 to 9 GHz and 30 to 40 GHz. The feed (see figure) has a...

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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Magnetic-Flux-Compensated Voltage Divider

A magnetic-flux-compensated voltage divider circuit has been proposed for use in measuring the true potential across a component that is exposed to large, rapidly varying electric currents like those produced by lightning strikes. An example of such a component is a lightning arrester, which is typically...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

A method of recognizing or classifying patterns is based on an artificial immune system (AIS), which includes an algorithm and a computational model of nonlinear dynamics inspired by the...

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Briefs: Electronics & Computers

An advanced communication system has been proposed for transmitting and receiving coded digital data conveyed as a form of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on orthogonal...

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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
High-Performance Satellite/ Terrestrial-Network Gateway

A gateway has been developed to enable digital communication between (1) the high-rate receiving equipment at NASA’s White Sands complex and (2) a standard terrestrial digital communication network at data rates up to 622 Mb/s. The design of this gateway can also be adapted for use in...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

The Internet Voice Distribution System (IVoDS) is a voice-communication system that comprises mainly computer hardware and software. The IVoDS was developed to supplement and...

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Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Advanced packaging techniques are the key to utilizing state-of-the-art microelectronic devices. The flip-chip method has become a cost-effective means of erasing...

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Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

A stripline to microstrip transition has been incorporated into a multilayer circuit board that supports a distributed solid-state microwave power amplifier, for the purpose of...

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Briefs: Materials
Glass Frit Filters for Collecting Metal

Filter disks made of glass frit have been found to be effective as means of high throughput collection of metal oxide particles, ranging in size from a few to a few hundred nanometers, produced in gas phase condensation reactors. In a typical application, a filter is placed downstream of the reactor and a...

Briefs: Medical
Multicompartment Liquid- Cooling/Warming Protective Garments

Shortened, multicompartment liquid-cooling/ warming garments (LCWGs) for protecting astronauts, firefighters, and others at risk of exposure to extremes of temperature are undergoing development. Unlike prior liquid circulation thermal-protection suits that provide either cooling or...

Briefs: Materials
Anhydrous Proton-Conducting Membranes for Fuel Cells

Polymeric electrolyte membranes that do not depend on water for conduction of protons are undergoing development for use in fuel cells. Prior polymeric electrolyte fuel-cell membranes (e.g., those that contain perfluorosulfonic acid) depend on water and must be limited to operation below a...

Briefs: Software
Portfolio Analysis Tool

Portfolio Analysis Tool (PAT) is a Webbased, client/server computer program that helps managers of multiple projects funded by different customers to make decisions regarding investments in those projects. PAT facilitates analysis on a macroscopic level, without distraction by parochial concerns or tactical details of...

Briefs: Software
Computing Q-D Relationships for Storage of Rocket Fuels

The Quantity Distance Measurement Tool is a GIS BASEP computer program that aids safety engineers by calculating quantity-distance (Q-D) relationships for vessels that contain explosive chemicals used in testing rocket engines. (Q-D relationships are standard relationships between specified...

Briefs: Software
Simulator of Space Communication Networks

Multimission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE) is a suite of software tools that simulates the behaviors of communication networks to be used in space exploration, and predict the performance of established and emerging space communication protocols and...

Briefs: Software
Contour Error Map Algorithm

The contour error map (CEM) algorithm and the software that implements the algorithm are means of quantifying correlations between sets of time-varying data that are binarized and registered on spatial grids.

Briefs: Software
Quadratic Programming for Allocating Control Effort

A computer program calculates an optimal allocation of control effort in a system that includes redundant control actuators.

Briefs: Software
Range Process Simulation Tool

Range Process Simulation Tool (RPST) is a computer program that assists managers in rapidly predicting and quantitatively assessing the operational effects of proposed technological additions to, and/or upgrades of, complex facilities and engineering systems such as the Eastern Test Range. Originally designed for...

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

A portable electron-beam free-form fabrication (EB F3) system, now undergoing development, is intended to afford a capability for manufacturing metal parts in nearly net sizes and...

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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Solid-Phase Extraction of Polar Compounds From Water

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) process has been developed for removing alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, amines, and other polar organic compounds from water. This process can be either a subprocess of a water-reclamation process or a means of extracting organic compounds from...

Briefs: Physical Sciences

The Mars Electrostatics Chamber (MEC) is an environmental chamber designed primarily to create atmospheric conditions like those at the surface of Mars to support experiments on electrostatic...

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Briefs: Physical Sciences

A multistage system has been proposed for cooling a circulating fluid that is subject to intermittent intense heating. The system would be both flexible and redundant in that it could...

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Briefs: Physical Sciences

Laser gauges have been developed to satisfy requirements specific to monitoring the amplitude of the motion of an optical path- length modulator that is part of an astronomical...

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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Estimating Aeroheating of a 3D Body Using a 2D Flow Solver

A method for rapidly estimating the aeroheating, shear stress, and other properties of hypersonic flow about a three-dimensional (3D) blunt body has been devised. First, the geometry of the body is specified in Cartesian coordinates. The surface of the body is then described by its...

Briefs: Medical

The figure schematically depicts a miniature laboratory system that has been proposed for use in the field to detect sparsely distributed biomolecules. By emphasizing concentration and...

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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Have you ever seen a piece of spaceflight hardware? When you do, you will notice some letters and numbers etched or inscribed on it. All NASA parts have...

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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

A hyperspectral imaging system of high spectral and spatial resolution that incorporates several innovative features has been developed to incorporate a focal-plane scanner (U.S. Patent 6,166,373)....

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Webcasts

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On-Demand Webinars: Defense

From Data to Decision: How AI Enhances Warfighter Readiness

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Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

April Battery & Electrification Summit

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Upcoming Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Tech Update: 3D Printing for Transportation in 2024

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Upcoming Webinars: Materials

Unleashing Epoxy's Potential: Ensuring Hermetic Sealing in Modern...

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Upcoming Webinars: Test & Measurement

Building an Automotive EMC Test Plan

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Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

The Moon and Beyond from a Thermal Perspective

Videos