Award Data

The objective of the Phase II STTR project is to develop a prototype multi-analyte sensor system to detect gaseous analytes present in the test stands during propulsion test activities. Data on the concentrations of propellant-derived species are important to assure proper integration of safety protocols with testing activities to comply with environmental regulations. InnoSense LLC (ISL) has uti ...

We propose to design, construct and test a first implementation of a non-dispersive technique for the measurement of atomic absorption in the plumes of liquid rocket engines in altitude test facilities. Led by NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC), the observation of metal atom emission from liquid rocket engine exhausts at sea level conditions has become a highly successful health monitoring technique ...

The objective of this project is to demonstrate intelligent health and maintenance status determination and predictive fault diagnosis techniques for NASA rocket engines under online and offline conditions from either on-board or maintenance, test and analytic data. AGNC proposes a Health and Maintenance Status Determination and Predictive Fault Diagnosis System (HMSD/PFDS). The fuzzy qualitative ...

Middle-wave infrared (LWIR, 3.2-3.6 ƒÝm) photodetectors with a high specific photodetectivity (D*) are of great importance in NASA¡¦slidar and remote sensing applications. However, existing MWIR photodetectors are required to be operated at low temperature of below 77K to achieve high photodetectivity (D*). The requirement for cryogenic cooling systems adds cost, weight and reliability issues, ...

Computational codes in physics and engineering often use implicit solution algorithms that require linear algebra tools such as Ax=b solvers, eigenvalue, optimization, or graph algorithms. Developers face major challenges in selecting linear algebra tools that can support their algorithms, numerical schemes, meshes, and computing hardware and to minimize the time, space and complexity. The existin ...

Soil debris liberated by spacecraft landing on the lunar surface may damage and contaminate surrounding spacecraft and habitat structures. Current numerical simulations of these events lack credibility because lunar environment complexities have never been captured in suitable models: the mixed rarefied-continuum nature of the plume's surface layer flow, and the highly irregular soil particle shap ...

The proposed innovation is an aircraft flight envelope monitoring system that will provide real-time in-cockpit estimations of aircraft flight envelope boundaries, performance, and controllability. The adaptable monitoring system will provide information on current and predicted aircraft performance and controllability, alerting the pilot to any aerodynamic degradation of the control effectivenes ...

Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) in collaboration with Washington State University (WSU) proposes an approach of utilizing structurally integrated, distributed optical FBG sensor/piezo actuator arrays to monitor the health of a structure with accurate interpretation of sensor signals and real-time data processing. Our method involves a dynamic response-based damage detection tec ...

The Launch Abort System (LAS) for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will provide a safe escape for the crew in the event of an emergency during launch. A key component of the LAS is its Attitude Control Motor (ACM). Recent testing of the ACM valve assembly has resulted in failure during hot-fire testing. These failures are believed to be the result of the molybdenum alloy component disto ...

NASA has very specific requirements when it comes to power generation technology. Solar panels are an obvious solution but making them suitable for the grueling space environment. Panels must withstand intense radiation bombardment and extreme temperature swings while maintaining acceptable levels of efficiency. Additionally because of the exorbitant costs of current technology NASA would like to ...