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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Applications of polymer extrusion technology to coal processing

Upon heating, many of the middle-aged bituminous coals exhibit a plasticity very similar to polyethylene for a few minutes. Plastic coal can be extruded, pelletized or molded using common plastics technology and equipment. Investigations concerning the plastic state of coals are conducted with the objective to develop techniques which will make useful commercial applications of this property possible. Experiments which show the characteristics of plastic-state coal are discussed, and problems related to a continuous extrusion of coal are considered. Probably the most significant difference between the continuous extrusion of coal and the extrusion of a thermoplastic polymer is that volatiles are continuously being released from the coal. Attention is given to aspects of dragflow, solids feeding, and melt pumping. Application potentials for plastic coal extrusion might be related to coal gasification, direct liquefaction, and coal combustion.

Lewis, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Evaluation of components, subsystems, and networks for high rate, high frequency space communications

The development of new space communications technologies by NASA has included both commercial applications and space science requirements. At NASA's Lewis Research Center, methods and facilities have been developed for evaluating these new technologies in the laboratory. NASA's Systems Integration, Test and Evaluation (SITE) Space Communication System Simulator is a hardware-based laboratory simulator for evaluating space communications technologies at the component, subsystem, system, and network level, geared toward high frequency, high data rate systems. The SITE facility is well-suited for evaluation of the new technologies required for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and advanced commercial systems. This paper describes the technology developments and evaluation requirements for current and planned commercial and space science programs. Also examined are the capabilities of SITE, the past, present, and planned future configurations of the SITE facility, and applications of SITE to evaluation of SEI technology.

Kerczewski, Robert J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiplexing Focusing Analyzer for Efficient Stress-Strain Measurements

Statement of the problem or situation that is being addressed. Although thermal and cold neutron scattering is widely used and is critical for success in many areas of materials science and engineering, relatively low neutron fluxes severely limit applications of not only laboratory neutrons generators, but also large national neutron facilities. State-of-the-art thermal and cold neutron sources are large expensive national facilities, which serve diverse community of scientific and industrial users. The constant need to improve the instruments performance, stems from the fact that neutron methods are gaining in popularity, and becoming more and more powerful, while new neutron sources are not being constructed to keep pace with the developments and needs of the scientific community. Small research reactors at universities and National Labs, and laboratory-based neutron generators, are necessary not only for education and training, but also when samples cannot be transported to other facilities. However, the standard neutron techniques, which were developed for high-flux facilities, require much higher efficiencies to be used effectively with the low fluxes of small sources. Thus, the efficient use of neutron sources, such as with our proposed analyzer, is important for the progress and broader use of these neutron techniques. General statement of how this problem is being addressed. We propose to design and demonstrate novel diffractive optical device, which will enable very efficient residual stress neutron diffractometers. The proposed device will be a multi-foil analyzer, where each foil is constructed of focusing bent single crystals of Si. Such device will enable polychromatic residual stress neutron diffraction. At large national facilities, such as at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, these analyzers would enable very fast measurements for determining residual stress tensors, raster large samples or screen multiple samples. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits The outcome of this project would be the demonstration of commercial devices, novel neutron optical components, which could be utilized to improve the performance of existing instruments or build novel neutron scattering instruments at DOE neutron facilities and commercial laboratory neutron sources. These new devices will widen the scope of research conducted using neutrons and enable measurements not feasible at present. Summary for Members of Congress Thermal and cold neutron beams are a powerful materials science probe, which provide unique information about the structure of matter. The proposed innovations expand the reach of neutron-based investigations to new materials and industries by enabling new instrumentation capabilities, thereby greatly enhancing and expanding the role of small, laboratory-based neutron instrumentation, and improving education and training of neutron users.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2002

Improved Open-Microphone Speech Recognition

Many current and future NASA missions make extreme demands on mission personnel both in terms of work load and in performing under difficult environmental conditions. In situations where hands are impeded or needed for other tasks, eyes are busy attending to the environment, or tasks are sufficiently complex that ease of use of the interface becomes critical, spoken natural language dialog systems offer unique input and output modalities that can improve efficiency and safety. They also offer new capabilities that would not otherwise be available. For example, many NASA applications require astronauts to use computers in micro-gravity or while wearing space suits. Under these circumstances, command and control systems that allow users to issue commands or enter data in hands-and eyes-busy situations become critical. Speech recognition technology designed for current commercial applications limits the performance of the open-ended state-of-the-art dialog systems being developed at NASA. For example, today's recognition systems typically listen to user input only during short segments of the dialog, and user input outside of these short time windows is lost. Mistakes detecting the start and end times of user utterances can lead to mistakes in the recognition output, and the dialog system as a whole has no way to recover from this, or any other, recognition error. Systems also often require the user to signal when that user is going to speak, which is impractical in a hands-free environment, or only allow a system-initiated dialog requiring the user to speak immediately following a system prompt. In this project, SRI has developed software to enable speech recognition in a hands-free, open-microphone environment, eliminating the need for a push-to-talk button or other signaling mechanism. The software continuously captures a user's speech and makes it available to one or more recognizers. By constantly monitoring and storing the audio stream, it provides the spoken dialog manager extra flexibility to recognize the signal with no audio gaps between recognition requests, as well as to rerecognize portions of the signal, or to rerecognize speech with different grammars, acoustic models, recognizers, start times, and so on. SRI expects that this new open-mic functionality will enable NASA to develop better error-correction mechanisms for spoken dialog systems, and may also enable new interaction strategies.

Abrash, Victor↗
NASA NTRS2008

Polymer Coats Leads on Implantable Medical Device

Langley Research Center s Soluble Imide (LaRC-SI) was discovered by accident. While researching resins and adhesives for advanced composites for high-speed aircraft, Robert Bryant, a Langley engineer, noticed that one of the polymers he was working with did not behave as predicted. After putting the compound through a two-stage controlled chemical reaction, expecting it to precipitate as a powder after the second stage, he was surprised to see that the compound remained soluble. This novel characteristic ended up making this polymer a very significant finding, eventually leading Bryant and his team to win several NASA technology awards, and an "R&D 100" award. The unique feature of this compound is the way that it lends itself to easy processing. Most polyimides (members of a group of remarkably strong and incredibly heat- and chemical-resistant polymers) require complex curing cycles before they are usable. LaRC-SI remains soluble in its final form, so no further chemical processing is required to produce final materials, like thin films and varnishes. Since producing LaRC-SI does not require complex manufacturing techniques, it has been processed into useful forms for a variety of applications, including mechanical parts, magnetic components, ceramics, adhesives, composites, flexible circuits, multilayer printed circuits, and coatings on fiber optics, wires, and metals. Bryant s team was, at the time, heavily involved with the aircraft polymer project and could not afford to further develop the polymer resin. Believing it was worth further exploration, though, he developed a plan for funding development and submitted it to Langley s chief scientist, who endorsed the experimentation. Bryant then left the high-speed civil transport project to develop LaRC-SI. The result is an extremely tough, lightweight thermoplastic that is not only solvent-resistant, but also has the ability to withstand temperature ranges from cryogenic levels to above 200 C. The thermoplastic s unique characteristics lend it to many commercial applications; uses that Bryant believed would ultimately benefit industry and the Nation. "LaRC-SI," he explains, "is a product created in a government laboratory, funded with money from the tax-paying public. What we discovered helps further the economic competitiveness of the United States, and it was our goal to initiate the technology transfer process to ensure that our work benefited the widest range of people." Several NASA centers, including Langley, have explored methods for using LaRC-SI in a number of applications from radiation shielding and as an adhesive to uses involving replacement of conventional rigid circuit boards. In the commercial realm, LaRC-SI can now be found in several commercial products, including the thin-layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensor (THUNDER) piezoelectric actuator, another "R&D 100" award winner (Spinoff 2005).

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NASA NTRS1987

Microgravity Science and Applications Program tasks, 1986 revision

The Microgravity Science and Applications (MSA) program is directed toward research in the science and technology of processing materials under conditions of low gravity to provide a detailed examination of the constraints imposed by gravitational forces on Earth. The program is expected to lead to the development of new materials and processes in commercial applications adding to this nation's technological base. The research studies emphasize the selected materials and processes that will best elucidate the limitations due to gravity and demonstrate the enhanced sensitivity of control of processes that may be provided by the weightless environment of space. Primary effort is devoted to a study of the specific areas of research which reveals potential value in the initial investigations of the previous decades. Examples of previous process research include crystal growth and directional solidification of metals; containerless processing of reactive materials; synthesis and separation of biological materials; etc. Additional efforts will be devoted to identifying the special requirements which drive the design of hardware to reduce risk in future developments.

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NASA NTRS2006

Cryogenic Cooling for Myriad Applications-A STAR Is Born

Cryogenics, the science of generating extremely low temperatures, has wide applicability throughout NASA. The Agency employs cryogenics for rocket propulsion, high-pressure gas supply, breathable air in space, life support equipment, electricity, water, food preservation and packaging, medicine, imaging devices, and electronics. Cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen systems are also replacing solid rocket motor propulsion systems in most of the proposed launch systems, a reversion to old-style liquid propellants. In the late 1980s, NASA wanted a compact linear alternator/motor with reduced size and mass, as well as high efficiency, that had unlimited service life for use in a thermally driven power generator for space power applications. Prior development work with free-piston Stirling converters (a Stirling engine integrated with a linear actuator that produces electrical power output) had shown the promise of that technology for high-power space applications. A dual use for terrestrial applications exists for compact Stirling converters for onsite combined heat and power units. The Stirling cycle is also usable in reverse as a refrigeration cycle suitable for cryogenic cooling, so this Stirling converter work promised double benefits as well as dual uses. The uses for cryogenic coolers within NASA abound; commercial applications are similarly wide-ranging, from cooling liquid oxygen and nitrogen, to cryobiology and bio-storage, cryosurgery, instrument and detector cooling, semiconductor manufacturing, and support service for cooled superconducting power systems.

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NASA NTRS2016

SAFEGUARD: An Assured Safety Net Technology for UAS

As demands increase to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for a broad spectrum of commercial applications, regulatory authorities are examining how to safely integrate them without loss of safety or major disruption to existing airspace operations. This work addresses the development of the Safeguard system as an assured safety net technology for UAS. The Safeguard system monitors and enforces conformance to a set of rules defined prior to flight (e.g., geospatial stay-out or stay-in regions, speed limits, altitude limits). Safeguard operates independently of the UAS autopilot and is strategically designed in a way that can be realized by a small set of verifiable functions to simplify compliance with regulatory standards for commercial aircraft. A framework is described that decouples the system from any other devices on the UAS as well as introduces complementary positioning source(s) for applications that require integrity and availability beyond what the Global Positioning System (GPS) can provide. Additionally, the high level logic embedded within the software is presented, as well as the steps being taken toward verification and validation (V&V) of proper functionality. Next, an initial prototype implementation of the described system is disclosed. Lastly, future work including development, testing, and system V&V is summarized.

Dill, Evan T.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Lightning Detection in a Flash

In a joint project with NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Global Atmospherics, Inc. (GAI), participated in the upgrade and commercialization of the Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) System. Under a Space Act Agreement, GAI and Kennedy agreed to the joint development of a new LDAR system that meets the needs of both NASA and private industry. The resulting development was a volumetric lightning mapping system. NASA operates a three- dimensional LDAR system capable of determining the exact location and altitude of in-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning. Under the Space Act Agreement, GAI contributed its wealth of experience and resources to update and improve the current lightning mapping system used by NASA. Previously, commercial systems were only capable of locating cloud-to-ground lightning. The resulting innovations allowed GAI to position the LDAR system for commercial applications. The upgraded product has the ability to measure in-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning. Notable improvements have also been made in the system's location accuracy and signal detection. The new product, known as LDAR II, is targeted for use by utility providers, aviation companies, airports, and commercial space vehicle launch facilities. Presently, forecasting services, research facilities, and a utility company are using the system.

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NASA NTRS2013

Chemical Microsensor Development for Aerospace Applications

Numerous aerospace applications, including low-false-alarm fire detection, environmental monitoring, fuel leak detection, and engine emission monitoring, would benefit greatly from robust and low weight, cost, and power consumption chemical microsensors. NASA Glenn Research Center has been working to develop a variety of chemical microsensors with these attributes to address the aforementioned applications. Chemical microsensors using different material platforms and sensing mechanisms have been produced. Approaches using electrochemical cells, resistors, and Schottky diode platforms, combined with nano-based materials, high temperature solid electrolytes, and room temperature polymer electrolytes have been realized to enable different types of microsensors. By understanding the application needs and chemical gas species to be detected, sensing materials and unique microfabrication processes were selected and applied. The chemical microsensors were designed utilizing simple structures and the least number of microfabrication processes possible, while maintaining high yield and low cost. In this presentation, an overview of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen/hydrocarbons (H2/CxHy) microsensors and their fabrication, testing results, and applications will be described. Particular challenges associated with improving the H2/CxHy microsensor contact wire-bonding pad will be discussed. These microsensors represent our research approach and serve as major tools as we expand our sensor development toolbox. Our ultimate goal is to develop robust chemical microsensor systems for aerospace and commercial applications.

hydrogen sensors↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impacts of floating-point non-associativity on reproducibility for HPC and deep learning applications

Run to run variability in parallel programs caused by floating-point non-associativity has been known to significantly affect reproducibility in iterative algorithms, due to accumulating errors. Non-reproducibility can critically affect the efficiency and effectiveness of correctness testing for stochastic programs. Recently, the sensitivity of deep learning training and inference pipelines to floating-point non-associativity has been found to sometimes be extreme. It can prevent certification for commercial applications, accurate assessment of robustness and sensitivity, and bug detection. New approaches in scientific computing applications have coupled deep learning models with high-performance computing, leading to an aggravation of debugging and testing challenges. Here we perform an investigation of the statistical properties of floating-point non-associativity within modern parallel programming models, and analyze performance and productivity impacts of replacing atomic operations with deterministic alternatives on GPUs. We examine the recently-added deterministic options in PyTorch within the context of GPU deployment for deep learning, uncovering and quantifying the impacts of input parameters triggering run to run variability and reporting on the reliability and completeness of the documentation. Finally, we evaluate the strategy of exploiting automatic determinism that could be provided by deterministic hardware, using the Groq LPUTM accelerator for inference portions of the deep learning pipeline. We demonstrate the benefits that a hardware-based strategy can provide within reproducibility and correctness efforts.

Shanmugavelu, Sanjif↗
DOE OSTI2020

Accobeam - Acoustic Collimated Beam

Researchers at Los Alamos have developed a collimated acoustic imaging technology for non-destructive characterization of highly attenuating media, such as concrete, rocks, mud, and metal casings. The technology is used to investigate structural defects that could compromise important assets such as well boreholes, building structures and sensitive materials like explosives. Current acoustic methods are often unable to penetrate such materials deeply for more informative analysis, which limits what can be learned about asset structural integrity, crucial information companies require to make investment decisions such as fixing or replacing structures well before assets are completely compromised. ACCObeam provides requisite penetration and high-resolution acoustic imaging with applications in borehole imaging, explosives threat evaluation, and structural health evaluation. This technology will potentially save companies significant money by producing accurate and useful visual analyses to better understand the actual condition of assets in the field and respond accordingly. Los Alamos is searching for a collaboration partner to develop this technology for commercial applications that will lead to licensing opportunities for broad industry deployment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ground Source Heat Pump Screening Tool and Related Resources

This archive contains both a link to Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Screening Tool and related resources documenting its development, technical features, and applications. The web-based screening tool is a techno-economic analysis resource designed to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of implementing GSHP systems in buildings across various U.S. climate zones. It is intended for use by building owners, HVAC system designers, and installers to support decision-making in residential and commercial applications, incorporating advanced modeling capabilities such as ground heat exchanger design. The included resources detail the tool's creation and use, covering topics such as innovative ground heat exchanger design methodologies, the development of an open library of g-functions for borehole configurations, and studies on GSHP performance and economic viability in retrofitting single-family homes.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2001

NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography: A Continuing Bibliography

This report lists reports, articles and other documents recently announced in the NASA STI Database. Several thousand inventions result each year from the aeronautical and space research supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The inventions having important use in government programs or significant commercial potential are usually patented by NASA. These inventions cover practically all fields of technology and include many that have useful and valuable commercial application. NASA inventions best serve the interests of the United States when their benefits are available to the public. In many instances, the granting of nonexclusive or exclusive licenses for the practice of these inventions may assist in the accomplishment of this objective. This bibliography is published as a service to companies, firms, and individuals seeking new, licensable products for the commercial market. The NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography is a semiannual NASA publication containing comprehensive abstracts of NASA owned inventions covered by U.S. patents. The citations included in the bibliography arrangement of citations were originally published in NASA's Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) and cover STAR announcements made since May 1969. The citations published in this issue cover the period July 2000 through December 2000. This issue includes 10 major subject divisions separated into 76 specific categories and one general category/division. This scheme was devised in 1975 and revised in 1987 in lieu of the 34 category divisions which were utilized in supplements (01) through (06) covering STAR abstracts from May 1969 through January 1974. Each entry consists of a STAR citation accompanied by an abstract and, when appropriate, a key illustration taken from the patent or application for patent. Entries are arranged by subject category in ascending order. A typical citation and abstract presents the various data elements included in most records cited. This appears after the table of contents.

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NASA NTRS1986

Research and competition: Best partners

NASA's Microgravity Science and Applications Program is directed toward research in the science and technology of processing materials under conditions of low gravity. The objective is to make a detailed examination of the constraints imposed by gravitational forces on Earth. The program is expected to lead ultimately to the development of new materials and processes in Earth-based commercial applications, adding to this nation's technological base. An important resource that U.S. researchers have readily available to them is the new Microgravity Materials Science Laboratory (MMSL) at NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland. A typical scenario for a microgravity materials experiment at Lewis would begin by establishing 1-g baseline data in the MMSL and then proceeding, if it is indicated, to a drop tower or to simulated microgravity conditions in a research aircraft to qualify the project for space flight. A major component of Lewis microgravity materials research work involves the study of metal and alloy solidification fundamentals.

Shaw, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography: A Continuing Bibliography

Several thousand inventions result each year from the aeronautical and space research supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The inventions having important use in government programs or significant commercial potential are usually patented by NASA. These inventions cover practically all fields of technology and include many that have useful and valuable commercial application. NASA inventions best serve the interests of the United States when their benefits are available to the public. In many instances, the granting of nonexclusive or exclusive licenses for the practice of these inventions may assist in the accomplishment of this objective. This bibliography is published as a service to companies, firms, and individuals seeking new, licensable products for the commercial market. The NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography is a semiannual NASA publication containing comprehensive abstracts of NASA owned inventions covered by U.S. patents. The citations included in the bibliography arrangement of citations were originally published in NASA's Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) and cover STAR announcements made since May 1969. The citations published in this issue cover the period July 2001 through December 2001. This issue includes 10 major subject divisions separated into 76 specific categories and one general category/division. (See Table of Contents for the scope note of each category, under which are grouped appropriate NASA inventions.) This scheme was devised in 1975 and revised in 1987 in lieu of the 34 category divisions which were utilized in supplements (01) through (06) covering STAR abstracts from May 1969 through January 1974. Each entry consists of a STAR citation accompanied by an abstract and, when appropriate, a key illustration taken from the patent or application for patent. Entries are arranged by subject category in ascending order. A typical citation and abstract presents the various data elements included in most records cited. This appears after the table of contents.

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NASA NTRS2003

NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography: A Continuing Bibliography

Several thousand inventions result each year from research supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA seeks patent protection on inventions to which it has title if the invention has important use in government programs or significant commercial potential. These inventions cover a broad range of technologies and include many that have useful and valuable commercial application. NASA inventions best serve the interests of the United States when their benefits are available to the public. In many instances, the granting of nonexclusive or exclusive licenses for the practice of these inventions may assist in the accomplishment of this objective. This bibliography is published as a service to companies, firms, and individuals seeking new, licensable products for the commercial market. The NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography is a semiannual NASA publication containing comprehensive abstracts of NASA owned inventions covered by U.S. patents. The citations included in the bibliography arrangement of citations were originally published in NASA's Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) and cover STAR announcements made since May 1969. The citations published in this issue cover the period July 2002 through. December 2002. This issue includes 10 major subject divisions separated into 76 specific categories and one general category/division. (See Table of Contents for the scope note of each category, under which are grouped appropriate NASA inventions.) This scheme was devised in 1975 and revised in 1987 in lieu of the 34 category divisions which were utilized in supplements (01) through (06) covering STAR abstracts from May 1969 through January 1974. Each entry consists of a STAR citation accompanied by an abstract and, when appropriate, a key illustration taken from the patent or application for patent. Entries are arranged by subject category in ascending order. A typical citation and abstract presents the various data elements included in most records cited. This appears after the table of contents.

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NASA NTRS2006

NASA Patent Abstracts October 2006: A Continuing Bibliography

Several thousand inventions result each year from research supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA seeks patent protection on inventions to which it has title if the invention has important use in government programs or significant commercial potential. These inventions cover a broad range of technologies and include many that have useful and valuable commercial application. NASA inventions best serve the interests of the United States when their benefits are available to the public. In many instances, the granting of nonexclusive or exclusive licenses for the practice of these inventions may assist in the accomplishment of this objective. This bibliography is published as a service to companies, firms, and individuals seeking new, licensable products for the commercial market. The NASA Patent Abstracts Bibliography is an annual NASA publication containing comprehensive abstracts of NASA-owned inventions covered by U.S. patents. The citations included were originally published in NASA s Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) and cover STAR announcements made since May 1969. The citations published in this issue cover the period July 2005 through September 2006. The range of subjects covered includes the NASA Scope and Subject Category Guide's 10 broad subject divisions separated further into 76 specific categories. However, not all categories contain citations during the dates covered for this issue; therefore, the Table of Contents does not include all divisions and categories. This scheme was devised in 1975 and last revised in 2005 in lieu of the 34 category divisions which were utilized in supplements (01) through (06) covering STAR abstracts from May 1969 through January 1974. Each entry consists of a citation accompanied by an abstract and, when appropriate, a key illustration taken from the patent or application for patent. Entries are arranged by subject category in ascending order. When available, citations contain a link to the full-text document online. Two indexes, Subject Term and Personal Author, are available within the publication.

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