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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 307 records · Page 17

Prototyping the Future

Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR) of Tucson, Arizona, researches transforming scientific concepts into technological achievement. Through the SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) program, ACR developed a high pressure and temperature fused deposition system, a prototyping system that is known as extrusion freeform fabrication. This system is useful in manufacturing prosthetics. ACR also developed a three-dimensional rapid prototyping process in which physical models are quickly created directly from computer generated models. Marshall Space Flight Center also contracted ACR to fabricate a set of ceramic engines to be appraised for a solar thermal rocket engine test program.

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Power Play, Laser Style

Under a NASA SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) SDL, Inc., has developed the TC40 Single-Frequency Continuously Tunable 500 mw Laser Diode System. This is the first commercially available single frequency diode laser system that offers the broad tunability and the high powers needed for atomic cooling and trapping as well as a variety of atomic spectroscopy techniques. By greatly decreasing both the equipment and the costs of entry, the TC40 enables researchers to pursue some of the most interesting areas of physical chemistry, biochemistry, and atomic physics.

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All-in-One Chip

Under an SBIR contract, EMC Technology, Inc., was funded to develop a family of Temperature Compensating Attenuators. These devices are used to compensate for changes in amplifier gain with temperatures. Special thermistor materials were developed that not only satisfied NASA requirements, but also proved useful on several new commercial products. New Thermopad devices with greater compensation and lower loss were developed and used by companies such as Hughes Space and Communications, Motorola, Lucent, Ericsson, and General Instrument. A Power Sensing Termination (Smartload) was also developed for use in communication systems that require accurate, reliable, low cost power detection for level control and alarm circuits.

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Agent Building Software

AgentBuilder is a software component developed under an SBIR contract between Reticular Systems, Inc., and Goddard Space Flight Center. AgentBuilder allows software developers without experience in intelligent agent technologies to easily build software applications using intelligent agents. Agents are components of software that will perform tasks automatically, with no intervention or command from a user. AgentBuilder reduces the time and cost of developing agent systems and provides a simple mechanism for implementing high-performance agent systems.

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Putting the Pressure On

Langley Research Center's interest in hypersonic flight led to a SBIR contract with IAP Research, Inc. to develop an electromagnetic launcher. The launcher technology was the basis for IAP's Magnepress process which manufactures high-density parts at rapid rates. The powder compaction technology can be used in the automotive industry and has also been sold to ice cream dispenser manufacturers.

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Complicated Geometry

Using NASA SBIR funding, CFD Research Corporation has developed CFD-GEOM, an extension of traditional computer-aided drawing (CAD) software. CFD-GEOM can provide modeling and interactivity of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) latest field, mesh-generation and allows for quick and easy updating of a grid in response to changes in the CAD model.

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Picturing Video

Video Pics is a software program that generates high-quality photos from video. The software was developed under an SBIR contract with Marshall Space Flight Center by Redhawk Vision, Inc.--a subsidiary of Irvine Sensors Corporation. Video Pics takes information content from multiple frames of video and enhances the resolution of a selected frame. The resulting image has enhanced sharpness and clarity like that of a 35 mm photo. The images are generated as digital files and are compatible with image editing software.

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Pumped up Lasers

Cutting Edge Optronics released the first of potentially three products to result from an SBIR contract with Goddard Space Flight Center. The first commercial result is the WhisperMiniSlab, a diode pump for high performance laser systems. The slab uses a zig-zag path through the laser crystal which eliminates the need for thermal lensing. The result is smaller lasers with better beam quality for use in medical and industrial applications.

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A New Way to Spray

A NASA SBIR contract provided the funding for a new nozzle shape to be used in plasma spray techniques. The new design, a bell shape, reduces overspray. The result is a significant decrease in the cost of plasma spraying and a higher quality, more pure coating.

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Robotic Surgery

The Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning, or AESOP, was developed by Computer Motion, Inc. under a SBIR contract from the Jet Propulsion Lab. AESOP is a robotic endoscopic positioning system used to control the motion of a camera during endoscopic surgery. The camera, which is mounted at the end of a robotic arm, previously had to be held in place by the surgical staff. With AESOP the robotic arm can make more precise and consistent movements. AESOP is also voice controlled by the surgeon. It is hoped that this technology can be used in space repair missions which require precision beyond human dexterity. A new generation of the same technology entitled the ZEUS Robotic Surgical System can make endoscopic procedures even more successful. ZEUS allows the surgeon control various instruments in its robotic arms, allowing for the precision the procedure requires.

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Preserving Fresh Fruit

Geo-Centers, Inc. has developed an Ethlyene Monitoring and Control System through an SBIR contract with Kennedy Space Center. As plants grow, they produce by products of ethylene and ammonia which are harmful to plant development. The system provides optimal exposure of fruit to ethylene since the proper balance in ethylene is necessary to prevent fruit loss. It can be used to monitor the de-greening process of citrus fruits, in particular.

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Emergency Response Breathing Apparatus

Aerospace Design & Development, Inc.'s (ADD's) SCAMP was developed under an SBIR contract through Kennedy Space Center. SCAMP stands for Supercritical Air Mobility Pack. The technology came from the life support fuel cell support systems used for the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. It uses supercritical cryogenic air and is able to function in microgravity environments. SCAMP's self-contained breathing apparatus(SCBA) systems are also ground-based and can provide twice as much air than traditional SCBA's due to its high-density capacity. The SCAMP system was designed for use in launch pad emergency rescues. ADD also developed a protective suit for use with SCAMP that is smaller and lighter system than the old ones. ADD's SCAMP allows for body cooling and breathing from the supercritical cryogenic air, requiring no extra systems. The improvement over the traditional SCBA allows for a reduction of injuries, such as heat stress, and makes it easier for rescuers to save lives.

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The Center of Attention

New Hampshire-based Creare, Inc. used a NASA SBIR contract with Dryden to develop "middleware" known commercially as DataTurbine. DataTurbine acts as "glueware" allowing communication between dissimilar computer platforms and analysis, storage and acquisition of shared data. DataTurbine relies on Ring Buffered Network Bus technology, which is a software server providing a buffered network path between suppliers and consumers of information.

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Cool Software for Hot Materials

Deformation Control Technology, Inc. (DCT) used a NASA SBIR contract to develop a computer modeling system for evaluating thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) beforehand. Traditional tests of TBCs required Burner Rig tests, which involved the actual application of a coating to a surface. DCT's software reduces experimentation costs as well as led to a breakthrough in understanding the role of bond coat oxidization. DCT's method has been used in a variety of turbine applications.

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Software Sleuth

NASA's need to trace mistakes to their source to try and eliminate them in the future has resulted in software known as Root Cause Analysis (RoCA). Fair, Isaac & Co., Inc. has applied RoCA software, originally developed under an SBIR contract with Kennedy, to its predictive software technology. RoCA can generate graphic reports to make analysis of problems easier and more efficient.

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Age and Stress Prediction

Genoa is a software product that predicts progressive aging and failure in a variety of materials. It is the result of a SBIR contract between the Glenn Research Center and Alpha Star Corporation. Genoa allows designers to determine if the materials they plan on applying to a structure are up to the task or if alternate materials should be considered. Genoa's two feature applications are its progressive failure simulations and its test verification. It allows for a reduction in inspection frequency, rapid design solutions, and manufacturing with low cost materials. It will benefit the aerospace, airline, and automotive industries, with future applications for other uses.

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The Imagery of Sound

Automated Analysis Corporation's COMET is a suite of acoustic analysis software for advanced noise prediction. It analyzes the origin, radiation, and scattering of noise, and supplies information on how to achieve noise reduction and improve sound characteristics. COMET's Structural Acoustic Foam Engineering (SAFE) module extends the sound field analysis capability of foam and other materials. SAFE shows how noise travels while airborne, how it travels within a structure, and how these media interact to affect other aspects of the transmission of noise. The COMET software reduces design time and expense while optimizing a final product's acoustical performance. COMET was developed through SBIR funding and Langley Research Center for Automated Analysis Corporation.

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Increasing the Flow

Under an SBIR contract with Glenn, SiCOM, Inc. has developed circuit cards for improved wireless communications. The high-speed wireless digital modem is useful for satellite to earth communication links. Commerical applications include HDTV broadcasts, digital satellite news gathering, Ethernet links and Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS). The cards are programmable and allow customers to choose modulation frequencies to best serve their needs.

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