List

Reducing the inert mass of propulsion systems in sample return spacecraft will reduce their launch costs and increase opportunity for these missions. Compared to a pressure-fed system, a propellant pump-fed system can significantly reduce overall propulsion system mass, especially for a system with high propellant throughput. To address this need, we propose to develop a compact, lightweight elect ...

Refueling spacecraft in space offers tremendous benefits for increased spacecraft payload capacity and reduced launch cost. However, in a microgravity environment, acquiring vapor-free cryogenic liquid propellants from supply tanks and then transferring them to receiving tanks of a rocket engine is very challenging. To address this challenge, we propose to develop a robust, lightweight cryogenic s ...

Makai proposes to address the towed vertical array shape control problem by developing a technology for direct integration onto the vertical array: the SURTASS Vertical Array Control System (SVACS). The SVACS innovation will solve the issues of straightness, verticality and orientation without requiring expensive redesign of the arrays themselves and can be easily incorporated into the existing an ...

Combustion instability is an ongoing concern for military propulsion systems such as augmented gas turbine engines. Augmentor screech can limit the performance of military aircraft, and can cause durability issues or even catastrophic failure if it occurs. Modern augmentors have close-coupled fueling using simple round injectors to minimize manufacturing cost. In a jet-in-crossflow injector, liqui ...

Turbochargers are critical components of internal combustion engines on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Control of the turbocharger speed is needed to avoid operation near resonant speeds and to optimize turbocharger performance and life. Currently, there are no robust flight sensors capable of measuring titanium blade turbocharger speeds at high temperatures with limited access. In the proposed ...

Oceanit proposes to develop visual analytics tool to support collaborative decision making with high-dimensional variables using 2D, 2 1/2D, and 3D visualization with interaction for demonstration.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Ship groundings can cause sever environmental damage to the delicate ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and beaches. At present, survey work is performed by hand – a method that is inefficient and difficult to perform reliably. Improved bottom survey tools are clearly needed to evaluate the extent and type of damage and assist in determining remediation efforts. ...

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: NOAA and the National Weather Service maintain an immense network of automated maritime, surface, and upper-air observing stations throughout the world and at great expense. These automated stations provide regularly updated data for both short-term weather prediction and long-term climate models. Maritime and surface observations occur as frequently as every 10 to 20 minutes, ...

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Creare proposes to develop a self-sustained small-scale power conversion system to power NOAA’s weather monitoring network stations located in harsh uninhabited locations. Our miniature heat engine will take advantage of the existing year-round thermal gradients found between water and air in Arctic regions. Our baseline approach is the development of a compact Turbo-Rankine ...

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Bottom Feeder will be a highly maneuverable Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), with a tethered operations option and modular sensor bay, to support benthic optical surveys, coral reef mapping and health assessment, and be expandable for future survey operations. It will integrate a low drag hullform, a minimum of four degrees of independent motion control, a highly efficient ...