Award Data

This NASA STTR Phase I proposal is aimed at rapid prototyping of antennas beam-shaping with metamaterials and metasurfaces through additive manufacturing of a highly conductive filament - Electrifi. The proposal includes the use of the highly conductive 3D printing filament, which was developed by Dr. Shengrong Ye, the principal investigator at the SBC - Multi3D and is at least 100 times more cond ...

A new UV imaging polarimeter design was demonstrated by Optical Coating Solutions, Inc. (OCS) as a proof-of-concept breadboard in a 2016 Phase I effort (NASA Contract NNX16CA44P). A version of that generic design is proposed for atmospheric studies in a follow-on effort.nbsp;The new polarimeter design can operate to wavelengths as short as 260nm and does not employ electronic or mechanical modulat ...

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) using acoustic vibrations is a widely used method to assess unique structures and composite materials. Non-contact forms of ultrasonic NDE, such as laser-induced ultrasound, are particularly suited for in situ evaluation in extreme environments. Current limitations of this method include the inability to identify shadowed defects, probe double-walled vessels, and e ...

Bulk metallic glass (BMG) has gained popularity over the last two decades as alloys have been developed that can remain in a supercooled state at sufficient intervals to allow for processing in a similar manner to plastics. Their physical properties, including an unusual combination of hardness, strength, and elasticity, have made them ideal candidates for the production of strain wave gears. Both ...

Nerve agents exert their toxic effect by binding to and inactivating enzyme acetylcholinesterase, a key enzymatic regulator of cholinergic neurotransmission. The binding becomes irreversible after a varying amount of time with nerve agents and this aging process limits the treatment window of oxime reactivators. To enhance the current antidote treatment of nerve agent autoinjectors, a pyridostigmi ...

DNA microarray technology, in combination with statistical and predictive modeling tools, could be used to evaluate thousands of genes against distinct gene expression patterns induced by chemical/biological agents to provide early identification and speed therapeutic intervention. The overall objective of this Phase II effort is to leverage existing public domain resources and commercial tools t ...

Effective collective protection fabrics must have a reliable closure system. During our Phase I Work Plan, Sigma-K began developing a Hermetic Textile Closure Hardware (HATCH) system. The HATCH combines both a magnetic and geometric self locking mechanism that will provide a hermetic seal when closed. Our current Phase I successes include developing self closing samples that can provide a hermetic ...

Field emission electric propulsion (FEEP) thrusters have gained considerable attention for spacecrafts disturbance compensation because of excellent characteristics. The application of current FEEP has been slow in developing mainly caused by high specific power, which limit the milli-Newton thruster development due to insufficient onboard power. Dramatic field improvement from nanometer carbon ...

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used as an analysis tool to help the designer gain greater understanding of the fluid flow phenomena involved in the components being designed. The next step in the design process is to modify the design to improve the components performance, typically performed manually by the designer in a trial and error fashion. The innovations proposed herein will provide ...

Manning Applied Technology proposes to develop a handheld infrared spectrometer, ideally suited to detection of airborne chemical agents at and below permissible exposure limits. This approach offers unmatched sensitivity and specificity for detection of all types of chemical vapors. The instrument is modular, rugged, compact and highly sensitive. Volume pricing will be less than $1000 each. ...