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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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At least 19 records

Method and apparatus for releasably connecting first and second objects

The apparatus and method are disclosed for releasably connecting first and second objects, where a magnetic end effector may include at least one elongated pin number, a proximal end of which is connected to the first object and the distal end of which may be inserted into a receiving portion in the second object. Latch members are carried by the pin member for radial movement between retracted and expanded positions for releasing and locking, respectively, first and second objects. A plunger member carried by the pin member is axially moveable between first and second positions. In the first plunger position, the latch members are located in the expanded (locked) position and in the second plunger position the latch members are released for movement to retracted or unlocked position. The magnetic end effector is provided for releasable attachment to the first object and for moving the plunger member to the second position, releasing the first object.

Monford, Leo G., Jr.↗

Apparatus for releasably connecting first and second objects in predetermined space relationship

A releasable apparatus that connects first and second space objects, such as a spacecraft and a space vehicle, in predetermined spaced relationship is described. The apparatus comprises at least one probe member mounted on the first object, having an elongated shank portion, the distal end of which is provided with a tapered nose portion. At least one drogue assembly is mounted on the second space object for releasably capturing the probe member upon the first and second objects being brought into close proximity with each other.

Chandler, J. A.↗

Reinforced preform and method for molding

A reinforced preform includes a sheet of reinforced material having opposed first and second edges, with each edge having a respective first connection point located therealong. The preform also includes first and second tethers, with each tether being attached at a respective first end thereof to a respective one of the first connection points and having a respective second end thereof terminating in at least one of: a respective loop tied at the respective second end, a respective knot tied at the respective second end, a respective graspable member to which the respective second end is connected, and an attachment to a respective second connection point located along a perimeter of the sheet. A method and mold for molding a reinforced preform are also disclosed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Robotics Platforms Incorporating Manipulators Having Common Joint Designs

Manipulators in accordance with various embodiments of the invention can be utilized to implement statically stable robots capable of both dexterous manipulation and versatile mobility. Manipulators in accordance with one embodiment of the invention include: an azimuth actuator; three elbow joints that each include two actuators that are offset to allow greater than 360 degree rotation of each joint; a first connecting structure that connects the azimuth actuator and a first of the three elbow joints; a second connecting structure that connects the first elbow joint and a second of the three elbow joints; a third connecting structure that connects the second elbow joint to a third of the three elbow joints; and an end-effector interface connected to the third of the three elbow joints.

Kennedy, Brett A.↗

Low-cost connectors for inverters and converters and methods of manufacturing and using the same

In some embodiments, systems and methods for connector assembly for use with an AC or DC power interface of a power conversion device, such as a converter and an inverter, are provided. The connector assembly can include a circuit board, a power connector, and a pin. The power connector can have a base configured to be secured relative to the circuit board and define a first channel extending through the power connector along a first channel axis. The first pin can have a first pin body that extends along a first pin axis and a first connection element that extends along the first pin axis from the first pin body to a first terminal end that is skewed relative to the first pin axis.

Khaligh, Alireza↗

Travels, optimizations, and ordering

With all the necessary build pathing in place from the preceding steps, the final task is to organize the build pathing via directionality, ordering, and connectivity. Directionality controls closed-loop pathing by deciding whether construction occurs clockwise or counterclockwise. Ordering determines whether construction occurs outside-in or inside-out, by manipulating what path types will be printed first. Connectivity links all the pathing together, which is achieved through the insertion of travels. Connectivity has numerous approaches, but only the most common will be addressed in this chapter. In addition to these manipulations, other considerations, such as spiral pathing and unique cases for infill, will be discussed.

Borish, Michael↗

Characterizing Vulnerabilities Associated with Connected Lighting: Exploring Authorization Protocols

Cities are upgrading their infrastructure and converting traditional indoor and outdoor luminaires to Connected Lighting Systems equipped with sensors in an aggressive effort to reduce energy consumption, increase sustainability, and improve the quality of life. When you take something seemingly benign like a lighting system and connect it to the internet, if improperly secured a potential attack vector for hackers is created. Hackers could then access sensitive information, pivot into other networks, shut down services, or enslave devices to do their bidding. In attempt to close this attack vector and secure these systems, this paper extends previous work that investigated, compared and contrasted authentication vulnerabilities in Connected Lighting Systems that identified the need for additional testing and improved test method documentation. One additional authentication test and four new authorization tests were developed utilizing the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) as a test development and documentation guide. The new tests were integrated with the previous work to develop an updated test method with a focus on describing test procedures to make them easy to understand and repeat. In addition, a first Connected Lighting System use case was established to begin developing threat profiles that will aid in the identification of vulnerabilities whose focus areas extend beyond authentication and authorization. This use case describes the generation and flow of CLS data which assists in specifying methods to harden CLSs from outside interference and exploitation that can be implemented immediately on existing CLSs and as new products come to market.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Keck Task Library (KTL)

KTL is a set of routines which eases the job of writing applications which must interact with a variety of underlying sub-systems (known as services). A typical application is an X Window user interface coordinating telescope and instruments. In order to connect to a service, application code specifies a service name--typically an instrument name--and a style, which defines the way in which the application will interact with the service. Two styles are currently supported: keyword, where the application reads and writes named keywords and the resulting inter-task message traffic is hidden; and message, where the application deals directly with messages. The keyword style is intended mainly for user interfaces, and the message style is intended mainly for lower-level applications. KTL applications are event driven: a typical application first connects to all its desired services, then expresses interest in specified events. The application then enters an event dispatch loop in which it waits for events and calls the appropriate service's event-handling routine. Each event is associated with a call-back routine which is invoked when the event occurs. Call-back routines may (and typically do) interact with other sub-systems and KTL provides the means of doing so without blocking the application (vital for X Window user interfaces). This approach is a marriage of ideas culled from the X window, ADAM, Keck instrument, and Keck telescope control systems. A novel feature of KTL is that it knows nothing about any services or styles. Instead it defines a generic set of routines which must be implemented by all services and styles (essentially open(), ioctl(), read(), write(), event(), and close()) and activates sharable libraries at run-time. Services have been implemented (in both keyword and message styles) for HIRES (the Keck high resolution echelle spectrograph built by Lick Observatory), LWS (the Keck long wavelength spectrometer built by UC San Diego), and the Keck telescope. Each of these implementations uses different underlying message systems: the Lick MUSIC system, RPC's, and direct sockets (respectively). Services for the remaining three front-line Keck instruments will be implemented over the next few months.

Lupton, W. F.↗

Clifford Circuit Optimization with Templates and Symbolic Pauli Gates

The Clifford group is a finite subgroup of the unitary group generated by the Hadamard, the CNOT, and the Phase gates. This group plays a prominent role in quantum error correction, randomized benchmarking protocols, and the study of entanglement. Here we consider the problem of finding a short quantum circuit implementing a given Clifford group element. Our methods aim to minimize the entangling gate count assuming all-to-all qubit connectivity. First, we consider circuit optimization based on template matching and design Clifford-specific templates that leverage the ability to factor out Pauli and SWAP gates. Second, we introduce a symbolic peephole optimization method. It works by projecting the full circuit onto a small subset of qubits and optimally recompiling the projected subcircuit via dynamic programming. CNOT gates coupling the chosen subset of qubits with the remaining qubits are expressed using symbolic Pauli gates. Software implementation of these methods finds circuits that are only 0.2% away from optimal for 6 qubits and reduces the two-qubit gate count in circuits with up to 64 qubits by 64.7% on average, compared with the Aaronson-Gottesman canonical form.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Observations of low energy interplanetary electrons

Observations of the temporal behavior of low energy (0.16-6 MeV) at 1 AU are reported. The electron intensity is found to vary by a factor of more than five from one quiet time to another, including short-term enhancements of the type reported at higher electron energies. Over a period of about four months, beginning with the time at which the interplanetary field line first connects earth and Jupiter, the magnitude and frequency of the increases grow abruptly and remain high. The observed longitudinal distribution of Jovian electrons could be the result of the interconnection of the interplanetary field with an extended Jovian magnetotail.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗

Observations of Jovian electrons at 1 AU

It has recently been suggested that electrons of Jovian origin are responsible for the quiet-time increases in the electron intensity greater than 3 MeV observed at 1 AU. Using data from electron/isotope spectrometers on Imp 7 and 8, the temporal behavior of quiet-time electrons at 1 AU is studied over the period October 1972 through May 1975. The 1- to 6-MeV electron intensity is found to vary by a factor of about 10 from one quiet-time period to another, including numerous short-term enhancements characteristic of the quiet-time increases reported during 1964-1972. The magnitude and frequency of the increases grow abruptly and remain high for an approximate 4-month period beginning with the time at which the interplanetary field line first connects earth and Jupiter. It is suggested that the interconnection of the interplanetary field with an extended Jovian magnetotail of about 2 AU in length could result in the observed longitudinal distribution of Jovian electrons of 1 AU.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗

A distributed Clips implementation: dClips

A distributed version of the Clips language, dClips, was implemented on top of two existing generic distributed messaging systems to show that: (1) it is easy to create a coarse-grained parallel programming environment out of an existing language if a high level messaging system is used; and (2) the computing model of a parallel programming environment can be changed easily if we change the underlying messaging system. dClips processes were first connected with a simple master-slave model. A client-server model with intercommunicating agents was later implemented. The concept of service broker is being investigated.

Li, Y. Philip↗

Misalignment Accommodating Connector Assembly

Misalignment accommodating connector assembly for removably connecting first and second objects which may comprise: a first connector subassembly having an arm member extending therefrom transversely through which is provided a tubular member; a second connector subassembly having a pair of spaced apart arm members each of which is provided with a transversely disposed coaxially aligned semi-cylindrical recess for receiving opposite ends of the first connector tubular member upon lateral insertion of the first connector arm member into the space between the second connector pair of arm members. An axially extendable and contractible fastener subassembly carried by the first connector tubular member is extendable to allow insertion or removal of the first connector arm member into or from the space between the second connector pair of arm members and contractible when the opposite ends of the tubular member are substantially received by the semi-cylindrical recesses of the pair of spaced apart arm members to lock the first and second connector subassemblies together.

Stemper, Jack S.↗

Robotic Finger Assembly

A robotic hand includes a finger with first, second, and third phalanges. A first joint rotatably connects the first phalange to a base structure. A second joint rotatably connects the first phalange to the second phalange. A third joint rotatably connects the third phalange to the second phalange. The second joint and the third joint are kinematically linked such that the position of the third phalange with respect to the second phalange is determined by the position of the second phalange with respect to the first phalange.

Ihrke, Chris A.↗

Robotic Finger Assembly

A robotic hand includes a finger with first, second, and third phalanges. A first joint rotatably connects the first phalange to a base structure. A second joint rotatably connects the first phalange to the second phalange. A third joint rotatably connects the third phalange to the second phalange. The second joint and the third joint are kinematically linked such that the position of the third phalange with respect to the second phalange is determined by the position of the second phalange with respect to the first phalange.

Ihrke, Chris A.↗

Lower Robotic Arm Assembly Having a Plurality of Tendon Driven Digits

A lower robotic arm includes a base structure, a plurality of digits, and a plurality of tendons. The digits each include first, second, third, and fourth phalanges. Each digit is operatively attached to the base structure at the respective first phalange. A first joint operatively connects the first and second phalange to define a first axis, a second operatively connects the second and third phalange to define a second axis, and a third joint operatively connects the third and fourth phalange to define a third axis, such that the phalanges are selectively rotatable relative to the adjacent phalange, about the respective axis. The tendons are operatively connected to a respective one of the fourth phalanges. Each tendon selectively applies a first torque to the respective fourth phalange to urge the respective phalanges to rotate in a first direction about the respective axes.

Guo, Raymond↗

Multi-spool CO2 aircraft power system for operating multiple generators

A CO 2 bottoming cycle system includes a first compressor operatively connected to a first turbine through a first shaft. A first generator is operatively connected to the first shaft. A second compressor is fluidically connected to the first compressor. The second compressor is operatively connected to a second turbine through a second shaft. A second generator is operatively connected to the second shaft. The first turbine is fluidically connected to the second turbine.

Taylor, Stephen H.↗

Jitter minimization flexure pointing system

The illustrative embodiments provide for a telescope. The telescope includes a housing; an optical assembly disposed inside the housing and configured to gather light from a distant object; and a jitter reduction system connected to the housing. The jitter reduction system includes a first flexure assembly comprising a first base to which is attached to a first armature connected to a first linear motor winding configured to push out a first flexure connected to the first armature and to push out a second flexure connected to the first armature opposite the first flexure, wherein the first flexure and the second flexure have a first normal axis pointing through a center of mass of the optical assembly.

42 ENGINEERING↗