Award Data

Reduced-mass polymer composite materials are crucial to the success of aerospace systems for reducing vehicle weight. But, composite material adoption is inhibited because the autoclave consolidation required is prohibitively expensive for the large tanks and skins contemplated in the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program. To remedy this, NASA-LaRC has been developing cost-effective, ...

Reduced mass composite materials are crucial to the success of aerospace systems, but their adoption is inhibited because they require autoclave consolidation, a process that is prohibitively expensive for large aerospace structure. To remedy this, NASA-LaRC has been developing cost-effective high-performance thermoplastic composite processing equipment that enables out-of-autoclave tape placemen ...

Quality vehicle health management systems are critical to the successful operation of modern sounding rockets, and other unmanned vehicles. Unfortunately, the software of these systems tends to be complex and rigid and thus expensive and failure-prone, especially given the several real-time constraints of rocketry. We propose to develop the ``Magic Bullet'' Adaptive Intelligent Vehicle Health Ma ...

Current Technology for CO2 removal from enclosed air of spacecraft utilizes LiOH canisters for CO2 absorption. This absorption is irreversible so longer flights require more LiOH. For long duration flights it is essential that a small, lightweight system that recovers the CO2 be developed. This allows the CO2 to be used to regenerate O2 for re-use. Compact Membrane systems (CMS) has identified ...

The pressing need exists within industry to accurately measure high aspect ratio microscale structures. For example, diesel injector nozzles are manufactured with microscale holes ranging from 50-200 micrometers in diameter and 3-5 mm depths. One fundamental challenge is to nondestrucvely measure these features in order to validate models, enhance manufacturing processes, and reduce fuel emissions ...

The innovation in this Phase I project is to prove the feasibility of using model-based design (MBD) tools to predict the performance and useful life of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components and COTS-based systems outside of their rated temperature range. These tools will consist of novel modeling tools, advanced system and data analysis capability. The modeling tools will differ from all kno ...

The physical difficulty of designing entry vehicles originates from the large degree of coupling between the various disciplines involved in the design. Every subsystem design decision has far reaching consequences that must be evaluated in a multidisciplinary fashion in order to assess the impact on the weight and the performance of the entire vehicle. The disciplines which must be accounted an ...

High-efficiency UV detectors will be developed in the Phase II program with ZnO and its alloy (ZnBeO). ZnO and ZnBeO are a very suitable material for fabrication of high-speed, high-detectivity, and radiation-hard UV detectors due to their unique structural, electrical and optical properties. The proposing company (MOXtronics) has shown the feasibility of fabricating new ZnO p-i-n UV detectors in ...

The development of advanced methods for Microwave Enhanced Freeze Drying of Solid Waste (MEFDSW) is proposed. Methods for the recovery of relatively pure water as a byproduct of freeze drying will also be fully developed. The Phase II project will result in the design, assembly, thorough testing, and delivery of a technology demonstrator prototype which may be employed over a broad range of missi ...

Volume reduction is a critical element of Solid Waste Management for manned spacecraft and planetary habitations. To this end, a Heat Melt Compaction System is under development at Ames Research Center. During the heating process, certain volatile organic vapors are produced. Here we propose the development of a catalytic system for the treatment of these gaseous byproducts which will decompose ...