Award Data

Current modeling of Lunar and Martian soil erosion and debris transport caused by rocket plume impingement lacks essential physics from the peculiar granular characteristics of highly irregular regolith particles. Current granular mechanics models are based on mono-disperse spherical particles empiricism unsuitable for capturing the poly-disperse irregularly shaped grain mechanics. CFDRC and the U ...

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

The proposed innovation is to use the refrigerant capabilities of nitrous oxide (N2O) to provide the cooling required for reusable operation of an aerospike nozzle in conjunction with an N2O-HTPB (hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, a synthetic rubber that is used as a binder in solid rocket motors and as a fuel in hybrid rocket motors) hybrid rocket motor. The phase change cooling as liquid N2O i ...

IFOS and its research institute collaborator, Washington State University (WSU), have demonstrated feasibility of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for aerospace vehicles such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or commercial airliners. In Phase 1, a unique high-speed, high-channel count fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation system enabling a new Lamb wave-based damage detection ...

The Keystone and MSU team propose to build on the successful feasibility demonstration conducted during Phase I to complete the development of solid-state joining of high strength and temperature alloys utilizing the Thermal Stir Welding process. The focus alloy for this project is Haynes 230; the alloy of choice typically utilized in rocket engine nozzel skirts. This class of alloy is difficult t ...

NASA is considering an electromagnetic catapult, the MagLifter to lowerthe cost of cargo delivery to space. A carrier sled levitated and propelledby magnets provides the initial velocity to a space transportation vehicle.Superconducting magnets enable higher fields at lower weights than normalconducting magnets and consequently a significantly larger clearancebetween the guideway and the carrier s ...

The objective of this proposal is to develop a highly automated software system for rapid geometry modeling and grid generation for turbomachinery applications. The proposed system features a graphical user interface for interactive control, a direct interface to commercial CAD systems, support for IGES geometry output, and a scripting capability for parametric definition of geometries and for obt ...

This study will demonstrate the feasibility of using emulsified nanoscale iron particles to remediate pools of DNAPLs (Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids) through the use of an in-situ dehalogenation process. The emulsified system will consist of a surfactant stabilized oil-in-water emulsion with the nanoscale iron particles contained within the emulsion particles. DNAPLs, such as TCE, diffuse throug ...

Tailored carbon nanofibers are under development at Florida Atlantic University. These materials exhibit an uncommon double-layer capacitance at high frequencies; this feature makes them desirable for electrochemical capacitor applications. Their power and energy characteristics may be dramatically improved by surface functionalization using processes developed at Inorganic Specialists, Inc. Funct ...

NASA¿s objective for affordable access to space requires inexpensive production of rocket fuel. The key to achieving this objective is the production of hydrogen, since hydrogen accounts for more than 80% of the fuel cost. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), collaborating with Louisiana State University (LSU), proposes a novel hydrogen production method that offers significant advantages over conventiona ...