Award Data

Sierra Engineering Inc. and Purdue University propose to develop a non-intrusive plume instrument capable of detecting and diagnosing combustion instability. This Stability Diagnostic System (SDS) will be designed, assembled, and tested during this effort. The SDS will include a high-speed video camera and multiple photodiode detectors for observing the plume. It will also include a software pa ...

The purpose of the Enhanced Brine Dewatering System (EBDS) is to provide an easily scalable means of completely recovering usable water from byproducts created by reverse osmosis water purification systems without the use of consumable wicks. Extended duration Lunar and Mars missions will require the conservation and recovery of water to allow for autonomous closed environments that in turn can dr ...

The proposed Plasma Air Decontamination System (PADS) is a trace contaminant control device based on non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma technology that operates at ambient pressure and temperature and has the potential to replace the existing Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) used on the International Space Station and future exploration vehicles. Non-thermal atmospheric plasma has been ...

NASA's future missions to investigate the structure and evolution of the universe require highly-efficient, very low temperature coolers for low-noise detector systems. We propose to develop a highly-efficient, lightweight, space magnetic cooler that can continuously provide remote/distributed cooling at temperatures in the range of 1 K with a heat sink at about 30 K. The proposed magnetic coole ...

Manned lunar exploration will require extravehicular activity (EVA) suits that surpass existing technology. We propose an innovative thermal control system for EVA suits that uses an absorption heat pump with a flexible radiator that offers reduced size, lighter weight, conformability, rugged construction, and freeze tolerance. The heat pump absorbs a crew member's metabolic heat and rejects it ...

Environmental control systems for manned lunar and planetary bases will require condensing heat exchangers to control humidity. Condensing surfaces must be hydrophilic to ensure efficient operation and biocidal to prevent growth of microbes in the moist, condensing environment. The coatings must be extremely stable and adhere to the condensing surface for many years. We propose an innovative co ...

For lunar-based fission power systems that will support In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) or Mars robotic and manned missions, power requirements may vary from 10s to 100s of kWe to support initial human missions and longer term lunar bases. Due to the large amounts of waste heat generated by these systems, a key consideration is the development of lightweight, highly efficient heat rejection s ...

Long-duration missions may one day present the most demanding situations ever encountered in manned spaceflight. Success will therefore depend on the knowledge and flexibility of the crew and the critical tools at their disposal. This Phase I proposes to combine intelligent tutoring with highly interactive 3D simulation software to create an on-demand situational training and operations support sy ...

We propose to develop a compact handheld longwave infrared camera based on quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array (FPA) technology. Based on the photoexcitation of electrons out of quantum wells of GaAs sandwiched between AlGaAs barriers, QWIP FPAs have emerged as a promising new candidate for longwave infrared imaging and spectroscopy, offering superb sensitivity, pixel ope ...

The new devices and missions to achieve the aims of the NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) are creating increasingly demanding thermal environments and applications. A key element that drives the design of thermal management systems in these demanding applications is the thermal interface material (TIM) between mating surfaces. Our innovation is a novel, vacuum-compatible, durable, heat-co ...