Neutral beams require sources of negative hydrogen or deuterium ions. a method for production on the negative ions uses a biased negative ion forming electrode with a low work function surface immersed in a deuterium or tritiumdischarge. the low work function surface is maintained by adsorbing a… More

An emission-controlled device for limiting terminating current in utility power line transmission and distribution networks has been developed and demonstrated experinmentally by rasor associates through funding by the electric power research institute. because of its automatic instantaneous… More

This project is to determine the practical feasibility of operating sp-100-type thermionic fuel elements (tfes) in an advanced self-pulsed mode of operation. such operation can potentially greatly increase the performance of the tfes. to achieve this at practical power levels, electrodes having an… More

Research is proposed to perform initial activities toward establishing the feasibility and performance ramifications of employing very high temperature thermionic conversion in space nuclear power systems operating under burst power conditions. such reactor systems are presently under… More

In the thermal management of space nuclear power systems, heat pipes provide a helpful design alternative to convective loops because of their quasi-isothermal nd modular characteristics. ultimately, however the system designer must use structural solids to conduct heat to and from the convective… More

The addition of small quantities of oxygen into a thermionic converterhas long been recognized as a possible means of allowing a wider interelectrode spacing without performance penalty or alternatively ofimproving the output performance characteristics relative to a converter without the oxygen… More

Phase i research will evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility of making accurate noninvasive and continuous measurements of arterial blood gases (po2, pco2, and ph) in a single device, utilizing the oral mucosa as a unique and optimal site for these measurements. innovative sensor features will be… More

The cesium reservoirs for the thermionic reactor systems presently under development impose significant design constraints and stability uncertainties. a new type of liquid cesium reservoir has been conceived that maintains a temperature-independent cesium pressure, continuously recirculates cesium… More

Direct energy conversion systems are of interest for use with radioisotope heat sources because these systems can significantly exceed the 6 to 8% efficiency of state-of-the-art thermoelectric systems. conventional thermionic energy converters, in general, do not operate efficiently at… More

By use of cesium-oxygen mixed vapors (cs/o) it may be posible to as much as double the output power and efficiency of thermionic fuel elements and the associated space nuclear power systems. in phase i of this research, the electrical and thermal operating characteristics of the ussr topaz… More

A new class of micro-structural material, k-max, has been developed with exceptional heat transfer properties that canrelieve or accommodate many of the constraints of spacesuit thermal management. the local thermal conductivity of k-maxcan be varied rapidly from that of a good insulator to many… More

In thermionic power systems, thermal radiation heat transfer between the hot emitter and cold collector constitutes a parasitic heat loss which reduces conversion and system efficiencies. After observing that the radiant heat depends linearly on the effective emissivity of the electrode pair, a… More

The objective of this Phase I work is to evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility of a Modular Enginer for vehicular applications having major advantages in fuel economy and low poluutant emissions. The Modular Engine is an advanced engine concept using exhaust gas regeneration and multi-stage air… More

The objectives of this proposed Phase I program are to demonstrate the feasibility and potential advantages of a new technical approach for the deglycerolizatio of thawed frozen human blood. This approach uses a hollow fiber separator to remove glycerol and saline wash solution from red cells in an… More

The objectives of this project are to develop an improved process for red cell glycerolization prior to freezing utilizing a closed, sterile disposable set. This Set is coupled to an actuation and monitoring system that provides fully automatic, well-controlled, consistent operation. The hemolysis… More

The objectives of this project are to develop an improved process for red cell glycerolization prior to freezing utilizing a closed, sterile disposable set. This Set is coupled to an actuation and monitoring system that provides fully automatic, well-controlled, consistent operation. The hemolysis… More

The objectives of this project are to design, develop, test, and evaluate prototypes of Systems for deoxygenating human packed red blood cells that are fully compatible with current blood banking techniques and devices. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of reducing red cell oxygen partial… More

The long-term objective of this research is the development of a closed, sterile, fully automated system for thawing and washing red blood cells that have been frozen with the polymeric cryoprotectant hydroxyethyl starch (HES). The only currently available method for freezing red cells utilizes… More

Not Available We propose to conduct an investigation of current and developing technologies related to wireless communications and networking for the purpose of identifying Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies and products that can be used to replace existing legacy submarine communications… More

The long-term objectives of this research are to substantially improve the military frozen blood system with a number of specific devices and advances. A Dry Heat system is developed to permit very rapid thawing (under 10 minutes) instead of the 40 to 60minutes now necessary using an inconvenient,… More

The long-term objectives of this research are to substantially improve the military frozen blood system with a number of specific devices and advances. A Dry Heat system is developed to permit very rapid thawing (under 10 minutes) instead of the 40 to 60minutes now necessary using an inconvenient,… More