Award Data

To enhance NASA systems, Spire proposes a novel technique for growing a graded nanocrystalline ZrON/ZrO2 protective coating with superior heat tolerance on relevant in-space substrates. The proposed coating technology will adhere to and protect engine components such as injectors, combustion chambers, nozzles, and nozzle extenders. Conventional high temperature coatings applied by chemical vapor ...

ElectroChem proposes to develop oxidation resistant, electrically conductive, hydrophilic coatings in PEM fuel cells and in PEM electrolyzers. The use of hydrophilic coatings can improve the transport of the water within the cells resulting in higher electrochemical performance. However, the successful development of oxidation resistant hydrophilic coatings will be the key requirement due to the ...

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis units are currently designed to require active water flow and phase separation, or are based on a passive vapor transport mechanism that inherently limits performance due to mass-transport limitations. ElectroChem has developed and successfully demonstrated a passive water transport Integrated Flow Field concept (its IFF Structure) that controls the ...

The long-term objective of this program is to develop flexible, lightweight, single-junction solar cells using quantum structured designs that can achieve ultra-high efficiencies (approaching 45%) while avoiding the current matching issues that plague high-efficiency multi-junction devices. Ultra-low dark currents and record-high open circuit voltages have recently been achieved with a novel III- ...

A new method of transferring epitaxially grown active films onto an inexpensive polymeric flexible carrier. Specifically, for making thin lightweight high efficiency (> 30%) IMM3J solar cells while reusing the GaAs or Ge base wafer. This will reduce the costs of fabricating high efficiency PV cells by 30% and will raise specific power to > 200W/kg. The method uses a thin strained layer under the e ...

As the consumer and industrial requirements for compact, high-power-density, electrical power systems grow substantially over the next decade; there will be a significant need for novel electrode/electrolyte materials for high-power/energy-density capacitors. To meet the strong market demand for miniaturization and higher capacitance/voltage values in a given case size, new and advanced technolog ...

Future space-borne cloud radars will require significant technical innovations for improving remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planetary bodies such as Venus and Saturn's moon Titan, which have significant cloud cover. One critical innovation required is a pulse compression scheme at W-band (95 GHz) with ultra-low range sidelobe levels - on the order of 90 dB. Th ...

The innovation is an advanced Airborne Thematic Thermal InfraRed and Electro-Optical Imaging System (ATTIREOIS). ATTIREOIS sensor payload consists of two sets of advanced Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs)Â? a broadband Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) and a four (4) band Multispectral Electro-Optical Sensor (MEOS) to approximate Landsat ETM+ bands 1,2,3,4, and 6, and LDCM bands 2,3,4,5, and 10+11. T ...

Long term ocean measurements are severely impacted by algae growth. In this proposed work algae will be inhibited by localized, intermitent microgeneration of chlorine from seawater at sub-PPM levels. This technology will minimize operational labor requirements by eliminating ship time now required for cleaning of these sensors, as well as preventing the release of caustic chlorine to the environ ...

This project addresses the need for higher data rate recording capability, increased correlation speed and flexibility needed for next generation VLBI systems.The proposed solution utilizes an innovative software defined platform with standard interfaces to commodity hardware, using advances in multi-core, multi-processing, and graphics processors, technology, combined with streaming data and stor ...