Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “high temperature electronics”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Zephyr: A Landsailing Rover for Venus

With an average temperature of 450C and a corrosive atmosphere at a pressure of 90 bars, the surface of Venus is the most hostile environment of any planetary surface in the solar system. Exploring the surface of Venus would be an exciting goal, since Venus is a planet with significant scientific mysteries, and interesting geology and geophysics. Technology to operate at the environmental conditions of Venus is under development. A rover on the surface of Venus with capability comparable to the rovers that have been sent to Mars would push the limits of technology in high-temperature electronics, robotics, and robust systems. Such a rover would require the ability to traverse the landscape on extremely low power levels. We have analyzed an innovative concept for a planetary rover: a sail-propelled rover to explore the surface of Venus. Such a rover can be implemented with only two moving parts; the sail, and the steering. Although the surface wind speeds are low (under 1 m/s), at Venus atmospheric density even low wind speeds develop significant force. Under funding by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts office, a conceptual design for such a rover has been done. Total landed mass of the system is 265 kg, somewhat less than that of the MER rovers, with a 12 square meter rigid sail. The rover folds into a 3.6 meter aeroshell for entry into the Venus atmosphere and subsequent parachute landing on the surface. Conceptual designs for a set of hightemperature scientific instruments and a UHF communication system were done. The mission design lifetime is 50 days, allowing operation during the sunlit portion of one Venus day. Although some technology development is needed to bring the high-temperature electronics to operational readiness, the study showed that such a mobility approach is feasible, and no major difficulties are seen.

rover↗
DOE OSTI2026

In Situ High-Temperature Ultrafast Electron Diffraction through Integrated Furnace and MEMS Platforms

Temperature fundamentally governs phase stability, defect evolution, and transport behavior in materials. Despite its central role, direct measurements of structural evolution at elevated temperatures on ultrafast timescales have remained limited. Here, we report the design, integration, and validation of 2 complementary in situ heating platforms that substantially extend the thermal operating range of ultrafast electron diffraction (UED). A compact furnace-type heating stage enables stable diffraction measurements from room temperature to 800 K with ±0.1 K stability under ultrahigh vacuum, achieved through multi-sensor feedback control, dual air-cooling channels, and a thermally isolated motion stage. In parallel, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based heating platform provides rapid thermal response and access to extreme temperatures ≥1,373 K with ±0.1 K stability over hundreds-micrometer regions while supporting simultaneous electrical biasing for electrothermal coupling studies. Absolute temperature calibration is established using diffraction-based thermometry via aluminum lattice expansion and independently validated through in situ melting of bismuth thin films. UED measurements further reveal pronounced temperature-dependent nonequilibrium lattice dynamics in bismuth, including modifications to electron–phonon coupling and Debye–Waller behavior, as well as enhanced ultrafast diffuse scattering in aluminum at elevated temperatures. Together, these developments establish a practical framework for quantitative, time-resolved studies of temperature-driven kinetics and nonequilibrium structural dynamics under extreme thermal environments.

Bai, Qianqian [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High Temperature Devices for Aerospace Applications

This presentation will overview important new capabilities and benefits that next-generation higher temperature electronics promise for a variety of aerospace systems and missions. Initial aerospace infusions of higher temperature electronics to be discussed include jet engines and the prolonged robotic exploration of the Venus surface. Complete redesign of systems compared to prior conventional electronics practices would yield the most revolutionary benefits. However, the inherent higher risk and expense associated with new technology adoption will likely drive a more evolutionary technology infusion process, especially since flight qualification demands large safety margins and testing that ensures reliable operation for far longer than actual mission duration. SiC pn-junction based devices are inherently capable of the most durable operation at the highest application temperatures compared other transistor technologies, but such integrated circuits (ICs) will never achieve integration levels near today’s silicon ICs. Extreme temperature high-power devices will also be de-rated compared to room-temperature performance. While the high temperature market will always be small compared to the conventional temperature mass-market, compatibility and leveraging of existing foundry manufacturing is vital to the establishment of a sustainable high temperature electronics ecosystem sufficient to significantly improve aerospace systems.

High Temperature↗
NASA NTRS1994

Thermal and Nonthermal Electron-ion Bremsstrahlung Spectrum from High-Temperature Plasmas

Electron-ion bremsstrahlung radiation from high-temperature plasmas is investigated. The first- and second-order Coulomb corrections in the nonrelativistic bremsstrahlung radiation power are obtained by the Elwert-Sommerfeld factor. In this paper, two cases of the electron distributions, the thermal and nonthermal power-law distributions, are considered. The inclusion of Coulomb corrections is necessary in deducing correctly the electron distribution function from radiation data. These results provide the correct information of electron distributions in high-temperature plasmas, such as in inertial confinement fusion plasmas and in the astrophysical hot thermal and nonthermal x-ray sources.

Jung, Young-Dae↗
NASA NTRS1997

Electron Beam Cured Epoxy Resin Composites for High Temperature Applications

Electron beam curing of Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC's) is a nonthermal, nonautoclave curing process that has been demonstrated to be a cost effective and advantageous alternative to conventional thermal curing. Advantages of electron beam curing include: reduced manufacturing costs; significantly reduced curing times; improvements in part quality and performance; reduced environmental and health concerns; and improvement in material handling. In 1994 a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), sponsored by the Department of Energy Defense Programs and 10 industrial partners, was established to advance the electron beam curing of PMC technology. Over the last several years a significant amount of effort within the CRADA has been devoted to the development and optimization of resin systems and PMCs that match the performance of thermal cured composites. This highly successful materials development effort has resulted in a board family of high performance, electron beam curable cationic epoxy resin systems possessing a wide range of excellent processing and property profiles. Hundreds of resin systems, both toughened and untoughened, offering unlimited formulation and processing flexibility have been developed and evaluated in the CRADA program.

Janke, Christopher J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

500 C Electronic Packaging and Dielectric Materials for High Temperature Applications

High-temperature environment operable sensors and electronics are required for exploring the inner solar planets and distributed control of next generation aeronautical engines. Various silicon carbide (SiC) high temperature sensors, actuators, and electronics have been demonstrated at and above 500C. A compatible packaging system is essential for long-term testing and application of high temperature electronics and sensors. High temperature passive components are also necessary for high temperature electronic systems. This talk will discuss ceramic packaging systems developed for high temperature electronics, and related testing results of SiC circuits at 500C and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) integrated circuits at temperatures beyond commercial limit facilitated by these high temperature packaging technologies. Dielectric materials for high temperature multilayers capacitors will also be discussed. High-temperature environment operable sensors and electronics are required for probing the inner solar planets and distributed control of next generation aeronautical engines. Various silicon carbide (SiC) high temperature sensors, actuators, and electronics have been demonstrated at and above 500C. A compatible packaging system is essential for long-term testing and eventual applications of high temperature electronics and sensors. High temperature passive components are also necessary for high temperature electronic systems. This talk will discuss ceramic packaging systems developed for high electronics and related testing results of SiC circuits at 500C and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) integrated circuits at temperatures beyond commercial limit facilitated by high temperature packaging technologies. Dielectric materials for high temperature multilayers capacitors will also be discussed.

dielectric performance↗
NASA NTRS1983

O(+) ions in the polar wind

A semikinetic model was used to describe the steady state collisionless flow of the polar wind along diverging geomagnetic field lines at high latitues. Emphasis was given to studying the behavior of O(+) ions for a wide range of boundary conditions at the baropause (4500 km). The main result obtained was that for high electron temperatures Te = about 10,000 K) O(+) is not gravitationally bound and significant escape fluxes (about 10 to the 7th/sq cm sec) of suprathermal (2eV) O(+) ions occur. The O(+) flow is supersonic over most of the altitude range considered, and O(+) Mach numbers as large as 20 are predicted at 10 earth radii. Also, depending on the boundary conditions, the O(+) density can be comparable to or greater than the H(+) density at high altitudes above the baropause when the electron temperature is high.

Barakat, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Development of Silicon Carbide Based Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Sensors

Silicon carbide is a high temperature electronic material. Its potential for development of chemical sensors in a high temperature environment has not been explored. The objective of this study is to use silicon carbide as the substrate material for the construction of chemical sensors for high temperature applications. Sensors for the detection of hydrogen and hydrocarbon are developed in this program under the auspices of Lewis Research Center, NASA. Metal-semiconductor or metal-insulator-semiconductor structures are used in this development. Specifically, using palladium-silicon carbide Schottky diodes as gas sensors in the temperature range of 100 to 400 C are designed, fabricated and assessed. The effect of heat treatment on the Pd-SiC Schottky diode is examined. Operation of the sensors at 400 C demonstrate sensitivity of the sensor to hydrogen and hydrocarbons. Substantial progress has been made in this study and we believe that the Pd-SiC Schottky diode has potential as a hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor over a wide range of temperatures. However, the long term stability and operational life of the sensor need to be assessed. This aspect is an important part of our future continuing investigation.

Liu, Chung-Chiun↗
NASA NTRS2002

High-Temperature Gas Sensor Array (Electronic Nose) Demonstrated

The ability to measure emissions from aeronautic engines and in commercial applications such as automotive emission control and chemical process monitoring is a necessary first step if one is going to actively control those emissions. One single sensor will not give all the information necessary to determine the chemical composition of a high-temperature, harsh environment. Rather, an array of gas sensor arrays--in effect, a high-temperature electronic "nose"--is necessary to characterize the chemical constituents of a diverse, high-temperature environment, such as an emissions stream. The signals produced by this nose could be analyzed to determine the constituents of the emission stream. Although commercial electronic noses for near-room temperature applications exist, they often depend significantly on lower temperature materials or only one sensor type. A separate development effort necessary for a high-temperature electronic nose is being undertaken by the NASA Glenn Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio State University, and Makel Engineering, Inc. The sensors are specially designed for hightemperature environments. A first-generation high-temperature electronic nose has been demonstrated on a modified automotive engine. This nose sensor array was composed of sensors designed for hightemperature environments fabricated using microelectromechanical-systems- (MEMS-) based technology. The array included a tin-oxide-based sensor doped for nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensitivity, a SiC-based hydrocarbon (CxHy) sensor, and an oxygen sensor (O2). These sensors operate on different principles--resistor, diode, and electrochemical cell, respectively--and each sensor has very different responses to the individual gases in the environment. A picture showing the sensor head for the array is shown in the photograph on the left and the sensors installed in the engine are shown in the photograph on the right. Electronics are interfaced with the sensors for temperature control and signal conditioning, and packaging designed for high temperatures is necessary for the array to survive the engine environment.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS1997

High-Temperature Passive Power Electronics

In many future NASA missions - such as deep-space exploration, the National AeroSpace Plane, minisatellites, integrated engine electronics, and ion or arcjet thrusters - high-power electrical components and systems must operate reliably and efficiently in high-temperature environments. The high-temperature power electronics program at the NASA Lewis Research Center focuses on dielectric and insulating material research, the development and characterization of high-temperature components, and the integration of the developed components into a demonstrable 200 C power system - such as an inverter. NASA Lewis has developed high-temperature power components through collaborative efforts with the Air Force Wright Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, and the University of Wisconsin. Ceramic and film capacitors, molypermalloy powder inductors, and a coaxially wound transformer were designed, developed, and evaluated for high-temperature operation.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2014

Venus High Temperature Atmospheric Dropsonde and Extreme-Environment Seismometer (HADES)

The atmospheric composition and geologic structure of Venus have been identified by the US National Research Council's Decadal Survey for Planetary Science as priority targets for scientific exploration, however the high temperature and pressure at the surface, along with the highly corrosive chemistry of the Venus atmosphere, present significant obstacles to spacecraft design that have severely limited past and proposed landed missions. Following the methodology of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) proposal regime and the Collaborative Modeling and Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) design protocol, this paper presents a conceptual study and initial feasibility analysis for a Discovery-class Venus lander capable of an extended-duration mission at ambient temperature and pressure, incorporating emerging technologies within the field of high temperature electronics in combination with novel configurations of proven, high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) systems. Radioisotope Thermal Power (RTG) systems and silicon carbide (SiC) communications and data handling are examined in detail, and various high-temperature instruments are proposed, including a seismometer and an advanced photodiode imager. The study combines this technological analysis with proposals for a descent instrument package and a relay orbiter to demonstrate the viability of an integrated atmospheric and in-situ geologic exploratory mission that differs from previous proposals by greatly reducing the mass, power requirements, and cost, while achieving important scientific goals.

HADES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Toward electron temperature profiles in hot-dense plasmas from x-ray spectral ensembles

High repetition rate laser systems enable new strategies for diagnosing plasma behavior with large datasets. Here, we define an ensemble technique that relies on randomized targeting of x-ray tracer micro-stripes. On each shot, a high-intensity laser pulse is focused on a solid target with Ti tracer stripes embedded in an Al foil, randomly targeting a micro-stripe, a portion of a stripe, or a gap between stripes. High-resolution, time-integrated x-ray spectrometers capture line emission from the portion of the micro-stripe that is heated to sufficiently high electron temperatures. Accumulation of many such cases is used to construct ensemble distributions of x-ray line intensities that encompass all relative offsets of the laser focus to the micro-stripe centers. Synthetic intensity distributions are likewise generated using collisional-radiative modeling. Bayesian fitting of modeled to measured intensity distributions establishes the most likely radial temperature profiles, enabling comparison to hydrodynamic models and calling into question the cylindrical symmetry of these micro-stripe-embedded systems. Ensemble techniques have significant potential for high-energy-density plasma diagnostics, especially with the advent of high repetition rate experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2019

Long Duration Venus Probes and Landers

Planetary probes have long been a tool used by scientists to gain early clues on environments and systems of new planetary targets. This not only fueled the scientific process but also helped prepare for future missions, such as landers, and helped ensure their success. Venus, Earth's sister planet, has been the target of more probes and landers than any other body in our solar system except for Earth and yet many fundamental questions are unanswered. Challenge for Venus Surface Science: This lack of knowledge is a result of the challenging Venus environments. Remote sensing of the surface and portions of the atmosphere is difficult at best due to the thick layers of sulfuric acid clouds and the high pressure supercritical CO2 atmosphere below those clouds. This has hampered the ability of orbiting missions to provide us insight into surface features and processes and thus hides potential clues on interior process from our view. Surface probes and landers face an even more daunting challenge, which is the extreme temperature, pressure and unfriendly chemical composition of the near surface atmosphere. Over 10 assets have landed on the surface yet the longest surviving asset Venera-13 lasted only 127 minutes before succumbing to the extreme temperature. While this and other landers provided valuable new data, the short life impacted ability to understand any temporal processes, for example meteorology, seismic active, and therefore very little is known about the interior and surface atmosphere interactions. New Capability Offering Potential Solutions: Re-cent developments by NASA are offering hope of overcoming the technical challenges of surface operations and life with the use of high temperature electronics and systems. Wide band gap, SiC based electronics have been demonstrated to function successfully for extended periods of time both at 500C, Venus surface temperatures as well as when temperature is combined with the reactive chemistry of the surface atmosphere and the high pressures (over 90 bar pressure at the surface). In addition to electronics a number of other subsystems are in development including power in the form of high temperature batteries and power management devices, communications including antennas, transmitters and other components, materials, and structures and mechanisms. These are all activities under NASA's Long Lived In situ Solar System Exploration (LLISSE) project. Other activities are also funded under NASA's HOTTech program.

Kremic, T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High temperature superconductor analog electronics for millimeter-wavelength communications

The performance of high temperature superconductor (HTS) passive microwave circuits up to X-band was encouraging when compared to their metallic counterparts. The extremely low surface resistance of HTS films up to about 10 GHz enables a reduction in loss by as much as 100 times compared to copper when both materials are kept at about 77 K. However, a superconductor's surface resistance varies in proportion to the frequency squared. Consequently, the potential benefit of HTS materials to millimeter-wave communications requires careful analysis. A simple ring resonator was used to evaluate microstrip losses at Ka-band. Additional promising components were investigated such as antennas and phase shifters. Prospects for HTS to favorable impact millimeter-wave communications systems are discussed.

Romanofsky, R. R.↗