Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “DISPLAY DEVICES”

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 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

NASA Tech Briefs, April 2005

Gas-Tolerant Device Senses Electrical Conductivity of Liquid Nanoactuators Based on Electrostatic Forces on Dielectrics Replaceable Microfluidic Cartridges for a PCR Biosensor CdZnTe Image Detectors for Hard-X-Ray Telescopes High-Aperture-Efficiency Horn Antenna Full-Circle Resolver-to-Linear-Analog Converter Continuous, Full-Circle Arctangent Circuit Advanced Three-Dimensional Display System Automatic Focus Adjustment of a Microscope Topics covered include: FastScript3D - A Companion to Java 3D; Generating Mosaics of Astronomical Images; Simulating Descent and Landing of a Spacecraft; Simulating Vibrations in a Complex Loaded Structure; Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program; Software Template for Instruction in Mathematics; Support for User Interfaces for Distributed Systems; Nanostructured MnO2-Based Cathodes for Li-Ion/Polymer Cells; Multi-Layer Laminated Thin Films for Inflatable Structures; Two-Step Laser Ranging for Precise Tracking of a Spacecraft; Growing Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Interconnections in ICs; Multilayer Composite Pressure Vessels; Texturing Blood-Glucose-Monitoring Optics Using Oxygen Beams; Fault-Tolerant Heat Exchanger; Atomic Clock Based on Opto-Electronic Oscillator; Microfocus/Polycapillary-Optic Crystallographic X-Ray Sys; Depth-Penetrating Luminescence Thermography of Thermal- Barrier Coatings; One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Superprisms; Measuring Low-Order Aberrations in a Segmented Telescope; Mapping From an Instrumented Glove to a Robot Hand; Application of the Hilbert-Huang Transform to Financial Data; Optimizing Parameters for Deep-Space Optical Communication; and Low-Shear Microencapsulation and Electrostatic Coating.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Designing Facilities for Collaborative Operations

A methodology for designing operational facilities for collaboration by multiple experts has begun to take shape as an outgrowth of a project to design such facilities for scientific operations of the planned 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The methodology could also be applicable to the design of military "situation rooms" and other facilities for terrestrial missions. It was recognized in this project that modern mission operations depend heavily upon the collaborative use of computers. It was further recognized that tests have shown that layout of a facility exerts a dramatic effect on the efficiency and endurance of the operations staff. The facility designs (for example, see figure) and the methodology developed during the project reflect this recognition. One element of the methodology is a metric, called effective capacity, that was created for use in evaluating proposed MER operational facilities and may also be useful for evaluating other collaboration spaces, including meeting rooms and military situation rooms. The effective capacity of a facility is defined as the number of people in the facility who can be meaningfully engaged in its operations. A person is considered to be meaningfully engaged if the person can (1) see, hear, and communicate with everyone else present; (2) see the material under discussion (typically data on a piece of paper, computer monitor, or projection screen); and (3) provide input to the product under development by the group. The effective capacity of a facility is less than the number of people that can physically fit in the facility. For example, a typical office that contains a desktop computer has an effective capacity of .4, while a small conference room that contains a projection screen has an effective capacity of around 10. Little or no benefit would be derived from allowing the number of persons in an operational facility to exceed its effective capacity: At best, the operations staff would be underutilized; at worst, operational performance would deteriorate. Elements of this methodology were applied to the design of three operations facilities for a series of rover field tests. These tests were observed by human-factors researchers and their conclusions are being used to refine and extend the methodology to be used in the final design of the MER operations facility. Further work is underway to evaluate the use of personal digital assistant (PDA) units as portable input interfaces and communication devices in future mission operations facilities. A PDA equipped for wireless communication and Ethernet, Bluetooth, or another networking technology would cost less than a complete computer system, and would enable a collaborator to communicate electronically with computers and with other collaborators while moving freely within the virtual environment created by a shared immersive graphical display.

Norris, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS2013

Forward-Looking IED Detector Ground Penetrating Radar

There have been many developments of mine or metal detectors based on ground penetrating radar techniques, usually in hand-held or rover-mounted devices. In most mine or metal detector applications, conditions are in a stationary mode and detection speed is not an important factor. A novel, forward-looking, stepped-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been developed with a capability to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at vehicular speeds of 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h), 10 to 20 m ahead of the vehicle, to ensure adequate time for response. The GPR system employs two horn antennas (1.7 to 2.6 GHz, 20 dBi) as transmit and receive. The detector system features a user-friendly instantaneous display on a laptop PC and is a low-power-consumption (3 W) compact system with minimal impact on vehicle operations. In practice, the whole GPR system and a laptop PC can be powered by plugging into a cigarette lighter of a vehicle. The stepped-frequency continuous-wave (CW) radar scans frequency from 1.7 to 2.6 GHz in 1,000 steps of 0.9 MHz, with the full frequency scan in 60 ms. The GPR uses a bi-static configuration with one horn antenna used as a transmitter and the other used as a receiver so that isolation between transmitter and receiver is improved. Since the horn antennas (20 dBi) are mounted on the roof of a vehicle at a shallow inclination angle (15 to 25 with respect to horizontal), there is a first-order reduction in ground reflection so that a significant amount of the total reflected power received by the GPR comes from the scattering of RF energy off of buried objects. The stepped-frequency technique works by transmitting a tone at a particular frequency, while the received signal is mixed with the transmitted tone. As a result, the output of the mixer produces a signal that indicates the strength of the received signal and the extent to which it is in phase or out of phase with the transmitted tone. By taking measurements of the phase relationship between the transmitted and received signals over a wide frequency range, an interference pattern is produced showing all target reflections. When a Fourier transform is performed on this pattern, the result is a time-domain representation of targets. Among the advantages of this technique over impulse radar is the ability to transmit and receive much more total energy, and to use non-damped, highly focused horn antennas. The novelty of the IED detector GPR has been achieved by miniaturization of GPR electronics (single electronics board, 10x5x2 cm), low power consumption (3 W), faster signal processing capability, and minimal impact on vehicle operations.

Kim, Soon Sam↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Diagnostics of the External Plasma for the Plasma Rocket

The plasma rocket is located at NASA Johnson Space Center. To produce a thrust in space. an inert gas is ionized into a plasma and heated in the linear section of a tokamak fusion device to 1 x 10(exp 4) - 1.16 x 10(exp 6)K(p= 10(exp 10) - 10(exp 14)/cu cm ). The magnetic field used to contain the plasma has a magnitude of 2 - 10k Gauss. The plasma plume has a variable thrust and specific impulse. A high temperature retarding potential analyzer (RPA) is being developed to characterize the plasma in the plume and at the edge of the magnetically contained plasma. The RPA measures the energy and density of ions or electrons entering into its solid angle of collection. An oscilloscope displays the ion flux versus the collected current. All measurements are made relative to the facility ground. A RPA is being developed in a process which involves the investigation of several prototypes. The first prototype has been tested on a thermal plasma. The knowledge gained from its development and testing were applied to the development of a RPA for collimated plasma. The prototypes consist of four equally spaced grids and an ion collector. The outermost grid is a ground. The second grid acts as a bias to repel electrons. The third is a variable v voltage ion suppressor. Grid four (inner grid) acts to repel secondary electrons, being biased equal to the first. Knowledge gained during these two stages are being applied to the development of a high temperature RPA Testing of this device involves the determination of its output parameters. sensitivity, and responses to a wide range of energies and densities. Each grid will be tested individually by changing only its voltage and observing the output from the RPA. To verify that the RPA is providing proper output. it is compared to the output from a Langmuir or Faraday probe.

Karr, Gerald R.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Chinese Ink: A Powerful Photothermal Material for Solar Steam Generation

Solar steam generation offers signifcant promise in alleviating fresh water crises, particularly in regions with accessible seawater and abundant insolation. Affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly photothermal materials are needed to fabricate sunlight-driven evaporation devices. In this work, Chinese ink, a carbon-based paint used in traditional painting and calligraphy, is readily coated on diverse substrates and stabilized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) for solar steam generation. The ALD/Chinese ink coating exhibits strong and broad light absorption from the NIR to UV regions. Both ALD/Chinese-ink-coated membranes and wood display excellent photothermal properties and superior evaporation performance under simulated sunlight. This study demonstrates the potential of ALD/Chinese ink coating to achieve higher evaporation rate and efficiency by utilizing substrates with rough, structured surfaces and low thermal conductivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Graphene diamond-like carbon films heterostructure

A limitation to the potential use of graphene as an electronic material is the lack of control over the 2D materials properties once it is deposited on a supporting substrate. Here, the use of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) interlayers between the substrate and the graphene is shown to offer the prospect of overcoming this problem. The DLC films used here, more properly known as a-C:H with ∼25% hydrogen content, have been terminated with N or F moieties prior to graphene deposition. It is found that nitrogen terminations lead to an optical band gap shrinkage in the DLC, whilst fluorine groups reduce the DLC's surface energy. CVD monolayer graphene subsequently transferred to DLC, N terminated DLC, and F terminated DLC has then been studied with AFM, Raman and XPS analysis, and correlated with Hall effect measurements that give an insight into the heterostructures electrical properties. The results show that different terminations strongly affect the electronic properties of the graphene heterostructures. G-F-DLC samples were p-type and displayed considerably higher mobility than the other heterostructures, whilst G-N-DLC samples supported higher carrier densities, being almost metallic in character. Since it would be possible to locally pattern the distribution of these differing surface terminations, this work offers the prospect for 2D lateral control of the electronic properties of graphene layers for device applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Weyl points in photonic-crystal superlattices

In this paper, we show that Weyl points can be realized in all-dielectric superlattices based on three-dimensional (3D) layered photonic crystals. Our approach is based on creating an inversion-breaking array of weakly-coupled planar defects embedded in a periodic layered structure with a large omnidirectional photonic band gap. Using detailed band structure calculations and tight-binding theory arguments, we demonstrate that this class of layered systems can be tailored to display 3D linear point degeneracies between two photonic bands, without breaking time-reversal symmetry and using a configuration that is readily-accessible experimentally. These results open new prospects for the observation of Weyl points in the near-infrared and optical regimes and for the application of Weyl-physics in integrated photonic devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Realization of ordered magnetic skyrmions in thin films at ambient conditions

Magnetic skyrmions have captivated physicists due to their topological nature and novel physical properties. In addition, skyrmions hold significant promise for future information technologies. A key barrier to realizing skyrmion-based devices has been stabilizing these spin structures under ambient conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate that the tunable magnetic properties of amorphous Fe/Gd mulitlayers enable the formation of skyrmion lattices which are stable over a large temperature and magnetic field parameter space, including room temperature and zero magnetic field. These skyrmions, having a hybrid nature displaying both Bloch-type and Néel-type characteristics, are stabilized by dipolar interactions rather than Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, typically considered a requirement for the generation of skyrmions. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used in combination with soft x-ray microscopy to provide a unique, multiscale probe of the local and long-range order of these structures. The hexagonal lattice seen in SANS results from the hybrid skyrmion picture obtained with micromagnetic simulations. Furthermore, these results identify a pathway to engineer controllable skyrmion phases in thin film geometries which are stable at ambient conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-66: A Prototype for Couch Based Real-Time Dosimetry in External Beam Radiotherapy

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to design a prototype for couch-based based real time dosimetry system in external beam radiotherapy Methods: A prototype of 100 ionization chambers was designed on a printed circuit board by etching the copper layer and each ionization chamber was wired to a 50 pin connector. The signals from the two 50 pin connectors collected from the ionization chambers were then transferred to a PXI module from National Instruments. The PXI module houses a current amplifier that amplifies the charge collected from the ionization chamber. The amplified signal is then sent to a digital multimeter module for converting the analog signal to digital signal. A software was designed in labview to read and display the signals obtained from the PXI module. A couch attachment frame was designed to house the 100 ionization chamber module. The frame was fixed underneath the treatment couch for measuring the dose during treatment. Resutls: The ionization chamber based prototype dosimetry was tested for simple radiotherapy treatment fields and found to be a useful device for measuring real time dosimetry at the treatment couch plane. This information could be used to assess the delivered dose to a patient during radiotherapy. It could be used as an invivo dosimeter during radiotherapy. Conclusion: In this study, a prototype for couch based real time dosimetry system was designed and tested. The prototype forms a basis for the development of large scale couch based real time dosimetry system that could be used to perform morning QA prior to treatment, assess real time doses delivered to patient and as a device to monitor the output of the treatment beam. Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Demonstration of multi-active region p-down green LEDs with high quantum efficiency

Abstract Longer wavelength emitters such as green LEDs display a pronounced efficiency drop at higher current densities, resulting in relatively low wall-plug efficiency (WPE). Multi-active region approach can improve the WPE significantly and tackle the “green gap” challenge. This work reports multi-active region p-down LEDs with high external efficiency operating entirely in the green wavelength. Devices were developed using p-down topology, where the PN junction is oriented such that electric fields from depletion and built-in polarization dipoles are aligned. Ga-polar multi-active region green LEDs with excellent voltage and external quantum efficiency scaling, and significantly higher WPE is demonstrated in this work.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1974

Serpentuator simulation using MARSYAS

The Serpentuator is a serpentine teleoperator device for intraand extravehicular activities in space. It is simulated using the digital simulation software MARSYAS. Direct Simulation (DS) and Component-Connection Simulation (CCS) models are set up. The simulation execution time for the CCS model is less than that of the DS model by a factor of the order of 100. A visual display of the Serpentuator positions is obtained using AMTRAN.

Singh, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Preliminary flight tests of an oculometer

A remote sensing oculometer has been successfully operated during flight tests. This device was able to track the pilot's eye-point-of-regard (lookpoint) consistently and unobtrusively in the flight environment. The instantaneous position of the lookpoint was determined to within approximately 1 degree. Data were recorded on both analog and video tape. The video data consisted of continuous scenes of the aircraft's instrument display and a superimposed white dot (simulating the lookpoint) dwelling or moving from instrument to instrument as the pilot monitored the display information during landing approaches.

Middleton, D. B.↗
DOE OSTI2020

In-situ resonant band engineering of solution-processed semiconductors generates high performance n-type thermoelectric nano-inks

Thermoelectric devices possess enormous potential to reshape the global energy landscape by converting waste heat into electricity, yet their commercial implementation has been limited by their high cost to output power ratio. No single “champion” thermoelectric material exists due to a broad range of material-dependent thermal and electrical property optimization challenges. While the advent of nanostructuring provided a general design paradigm for reducing material thermal conductivities, there exists no analogous strategy for homogeneous, precise doping of materials. Here, we demonstrate a nanoscale interface-engineering approach that harnesses the large chemically accessible surface areas of nanomaterials to yield massive, finely-controlled, and stable changes in the Seebeck coefficient, switching a poor nonconventional p- type thermoelectric material, tellurium, into a robust n -type material exhibiting stable properties over months of testing. These remodeled, n -type nanowires display extremely high power factors (~500 µW m -1 K -2 ) that are orders of magnitude higher than their bulk p -type counterparts.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tacky Elastomers to Enable Tear-Resistant and Autonomous Self-Healing Semiconductor Composites

Mechanical failure of π-conjugated polymer thin films is unavoidable under cyclic loading conditions, due to intrinsic defects and poor resistance to crack propagation. Here, the first tear-resistant and room-temperature self-healable semiconducting composite is presented, consisting of conjugated polymers and butyl rubber elastomers. This new composite displays both a record-low elastic modulus (<1 MPa) and ultrahigh deformability with fracture strain above 800%. More importantly, failure behavior is not sensitive to precut notches under deformation. Autonomous self-healing at room temperature, both mechanical and electronic, is demonstrated through the physical contact of two separate films. The composite film also shows device stability in the ambient environment over 5 months due to much-improved barrier property to both oxygen and water. Butyl rubber is broadly applicable to various p-type and n-type semiconducting polymers for fabricating self-healable electronics to provide new resilient electronics that mimic the tear resistance and healable property of human skin.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Self-Management of Patient Body Position, Pose, and Motion Using Wide-Field, Real-Time Optical Measurement Feedback: Results of a Volunteer Study

Purpose: We present the results of a clinical feasibility study, performed in 10 healthy volunteers undergoing a simulated treatment over 3 sessions, to investigate the use of a wide-field visual feedback technique intended to help patients control their pose while reducing motion during radiation therapy treatment. Methods and Materials: An optical surface sensor is used to capture wide-area measurements of a subject's body surface with visualizations of these data displayed back to them in real time. In this study we hypothesize that this active feedback mechanism will enable patients to control their motion and help them maintain their setup pose and position. A capability hierarchy of 3 different level-of-detail abstractions of the measured surface data is systematically compared. Results: Use of the device enabled volunteers to increase their conformance to a reference surface, as measured by decreased variability across their body surfaces. The use of visual feedback also enabled volunteers to reduce their respiratory motion amplitude to 1.7 ± 0.6 mm compared with 2.7 ± 1.4 mm without visual feedback. Conclusions: The use of live feedback of their optically measured body surfaces enabled a set of volunteers to better manage their pose and motion when compared with free breathing. The method is suitable to be taken forward to patient studies.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Compact quantum dot surface modification to enable emergent behaviors in quantum dot-DNA composites

Quantum dot (QD) biological imaging and sensing applications often require surface modification with single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) oligonucleotides. Furthermore, ssDNA conjugation can be leveraged for precision QD templating via higher-order DNA nanostructures to exploit emergent behaviors in photonic applications. Use of ssDNA-QDs across these platforms requires compact, controlled conjugation that engenders QD stability over a wide pH range and in solutions of high ionic strength. However, cur-rent ssDNA-QD conjugation approaches suffer from limitations, such as the requirement for thick coatings, low control over ssDNA labeling density, requirement of large amounts of ssDNA, or low colloidal or photostability, restraining implementation in many applications. Here, we combine thin, multidentate, phytochelatin-3 (PC3) QD passivation techniques with strain-promoted copper-free alkyne-azide click chemistry to yield functional ssDNA-QDs with high stability. This process was broadly applicable across QD sizes (i.e.,λ em = 540, 560, 600 nm), ssDNA lengths (i.e., 10–16 base pairs, bps), and sequences (poly thymine, mixed bps). The resulting compacts sDNA-QDs displayed a fluorescence quenching efficiency of up to 89% by hybridization with complementary ssDNA-AuNPs. Further-more, ssDNA-QDs were successfully incorporated with higher-order DNA origami nanostructure templates. Finally, this approach, combining PC3 passivation with click chemistry, generates ssDNA-PC3-QDs that enable emergent QD properties in DNA-based devices and applications.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Quantum Information Processing With Frequency-Comb Qudits

Classical optical frequency combs have revolutionized a myriad of fields, from optical spectroscopy and optical clocks to arbitrary microwave synthesis and lightwave communication. Capitalizing on the inherent robustness and high dimensionality of this mature optical platform, their nonclassical counterparts, so-called “quantum frequency combs,” have recently begun to display significant promise for fiber-compatible quantum information processing (QIP) and quantum networks. In this review, the basic theory and experiments of frequency-bin QIP, as well as perspectives on opportunities for continued advances, will be covered. Finally, particular emphasis is placed on the recent demonstration of the quantum frequency processor (QFP), a photonic device based on electro-optic modulation and Fourier-transform pulse shaping that is capable of realizing high-fidelity quantum frequency gates in a parallel, low-noise fashion.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1976

Intensified charge coupled devices for ultra low light level imaging

Development of a sensor incorporating a CCD and photocathode for operation in the electron bombarded mode in both a magnetic and an electrostatic focussed, gated configuration is described. Initial format size is 100 x 160 pixels with eventual growth to 400 x 400 pixels. The sensor is part of a digital camera system which includes the low level video conditioning electronics, a camera controller, a high speed buffer memory, and digital recording and display electronics. The memory uses CMOS/SOS and has a capacity of 1.6 Mbits with operating rates of 48 Mbits/sec. Individual frames are co-added to provide wide dynamic range and photometric precision better than 1%. A 4-bit video quantization is used to increase the photon counting detection rate before coincidence losses become serious.

Sobieski, S.↗