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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

NASA Tech Briefs, August 2004

Topics covered include: Data Relay Board with Protocol for High-Speed, Free-Space Optical Communications; Software and Algorithms for Biomedical Image Data Processing and Visualization; Rapid Chemometric Filtering of Spectral Data; Prioritizing Scientific Data for Transmission; Determining Sizes of Particles in a Flow from DPIV Data; Faster Processing for Inverting GPS Occultation Data; FPGA-Based, Self-Checking, Fault-Tolerant Computers; Ultralow-Power Digital Correlator for Microwave Polarimetry; Grounding Headphones for Protection Against ESD; Lightweight Stacks of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells; Highly Efficient Vector-Inversion Pulse Generators; Estimating Basic Preliminary Design Performances of Aerospace Vehicles; Framework for Development of Object-Oriented Software; Analyzing Spacecraft Telecommunication Systems; Collaborative Planning of Robotic Exploration; Tools for Administration of a UNIX-Based Network; Preparing and Analyzing Iced Airfoils; Evaluating Performance of Components; Fuels Containing Methane of Natural Gas in Solution; Direct Electrolytic Deposition of Mats of MnxOy Nanowires; Bubble Eliminator Based on Centrifugal Flow; Inflatable Emergency Atmospheric-Entry Vehicles; Lightweight Deployable Mirrors with Tensegrity Supports; Centrifugal Adsorption Cartridge System; Ultrasonic Apparatus for Pulverizing Brittle Material; Transplanting Retinal Cells using Bucky Paper for Support; Using an Ultrasonic Instrument to Size Extravascular Bubbles; Coronagraphic Notch Filter for Raman Spectroscopy; On-the-Fly Mapping for Calibrating Directional Antennas; Working Fluids for Increasing Capacities of Heat Pipes; Computationally-Efficient Minimum-Time Aircraft Routes in the Presence of Winds; Liquid-Metal-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thrusters; Personal Radiation Protection System; and Attitude Control for a Solar-Sail Spacecraft.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2011

Nanomaterials for Electronics and Optoelectronics

Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes(CNTs), graphene, and inorganic nanowires(INWs) have shown interesting electronic, mechanical, optical, thermal, and other properties and therefore have been pursued for a variety of applications by the nanotechnology community ranging from electronics to nanocomposites. While the first two are carbon-based materials, the INWs in the literature include silicon, germanium, III-V, II-VI, a variety of oxides, nitrides, antimonides and others. In this talk, first an overview of growth of these three classes of materials by CVD and PECVD will be presented along with results from characterization. Then applications in development of chemical sensors, biosensors, energy storage devices and novel memory architectures will be discussed.

Koehne, Jessica E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Dielectrophoresis-Based Particle Sensor Using Nanoelectrode Arrays

A method has been developed for concentrating, or partly separating, particles of a selected species from a liquid or gas containing these particles, and flowing in a channel. An example of this is to promote an accumulation (and thus concentration) of the selected particle (e.g., biological species such as E. coli, salmonella, anthrax, tobacco mosaic virus or herpes simplex, and non-biological materials such as nano- and microparticles, quantum dots, nanowires, nano - tubes, and other inorganic particles) adjacent to the first surface. Additionally, this method can also determine if the particle species is present in the liquid. This is accomplished by providing an insulating material in an interstitial volume between two or more adjacent nanostructure electrodes. It can also be accomplished by providing a functionalizing substance, located on a selected region of the insulating material surface, which promotes attachment of the selected species particles to the functionalized surface, and measuring a selected electrical property such as electrical impedance, conductance, or capacitance. A time-varying electrical field E, having a root-mean-square intensity of E(sup 2) rms, with a non-zero gradient in a direction transverse to the liquid or fluid flow direction, is produced by a nanostructure electrode array with a very high-magnitude gradient near exposed electrode tips. A dielectrophoretic force causes the selected particles to accumulate near the electrode tips, if the medium and selected particles have substantially different dielectric constants. An insulating material surrounds most of the nanostructure electrodes, and a region of the insulating material surface is functionalized to promote attachment of the selected particle species to the surface. An electrical property value Z(meas) is measured at the functionalized surface, and is compared with a reference value Z(ref) to determine if the selected species particles are attached to the functionalized surface. Some advantages of this innovation are that an array of nanostructure electrodes can provide an electric field intensity gradient that is one or more orders of magnitude greater than the corresponding gradient provided by a conventional microelectrode arrangement, and that, as a result of the high-magnitude field intensity gradients, a nanostructure concentrator can trap particles from high-speed microfluidic flows. This is critical for applications where the entire analysis must be performed in a few minutes

Li, Jun↗
NASA NTRS2016

Nanomaterial Based Sensors for NASA Missions

Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene and metal nanowires have shown interesting electronic properties and therefore have been pursued for a variety of space applications requiring ultrasensitive and light-weight sensor and electronic devices. We have been pursuing development of chemical and biosensors using carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers for the last several years and this talk will present the benefits of nanomaterials these applications. More recently, printing approaches to manufacturing these devices have been explored as a strategy that is compatible to a microgravity environment. Nanomaterials are either grown in house or purchased and processed as electrical inks. Chemical modification or coatings are added to the nanomaterials to tailor the nanomaterial to the exact application. The development of printed chemical sensors and biosensors will be discussed for applications ranging from crew life support to exploration missions.

sensors↗
NASA NTRS2016

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet as a Dry Alternative to Inkjet Printing in Flexible Electronics

We have developed an atmospheric pressure plasma jet printing system that works at room temperature to 50 deg C unlike conventional aerosol assisted techniques which require a high temperature sintering step to obtain desired thin films. Multiple jets can be configured to increase throughput or to deposit multiple materials, and the jet(s) can be moved across large areas using a x-y stage. The plasma jet has been used to deposit carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver nanowires, copper nanoparticles and other materials on substrates such as paper, cotton, plastic and thin metal foils.

Printable electronics↗
NASA NTRS2017

Electrochemical Device Comprising an Electrically-Conductive, Selectively-Permeable Membrane

An electrochemical device, such as a fuel cell or an electrolyzer. In one embodiment, the electrochemical device includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), an anodic gas diffusion medium in contact with the anode of the MEA, a cathodic gas diffusion medium in contact with the cathode, a first bipolar plate in contact with the anodic gas diffusion medium, and a second bipolar plate in contact with the cathodic gas diffusion medium. Each of the bipolar plates includes an electrically-conductive, non-porous, liquid-permeable, substantially gas-impermeable membrane in contact with its respective gas diffusion medium, the membrane including a solid polymer electrolyte and a non-particulate, electrically-conductive material, such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and/or metal nanowires. In addition, each bipolar plate also includes an electrically-conductive fluid chamber in contact with the electrically-conductive, selectively-permeable membrane and further includes a non-porous and electrically-conductive plate in contact with the fluid chamber.

Mittelsteadt, Cortney K.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Role of a Chemist in Modern Industries: Design and Development of Nanoengineered Multifunctional Materials

During the past fifteen years significant investment has been made for the applications of nanotechnology in almost every aspect of life. Almost every area of research has projected improvements including biotechnology, bioinspired electronic, optical and radiological sensors, or a promise for the emergence of some novel device technologies. For such applications major focus has been placed on research nanoparticles, nanotubes nanorods and two-dimensional structures similar to that of graphene. Some near- term applications of nano- particles and nanowires have produced very promising results for better synthesis of energy storage materials, design of biologically active composites like apatites, laser host crystals, photodetectors and sensor materials for radiation detection. To achieve desired morphologies, nanomaterials can be utilized some organic melt and orient the grains by the directional solidification method. The organic treated materials produce different characteristics than coarsened oxide materials. The focus is also understanding the morphology and performance function in human organs that occur because of aging or disease, and responses to interventions. We annealed to determine the changes in morphologies and hence effect of aging. In this presentation, we will discuss correlation between the designed composition, micromorphology and the performance parameters of nanomaterials. To understand the mechanism of formation of nanoparticles, nanoboloids, fibers experimental details and observations on the of multinary compounds will be presented. These observations on the transition of nanomorphology can highlight the mechanism of the phase transition in some oxides and selenides.

Singh, N. B.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Superconducting Sensors for Microwave and Optical Photon-Starved Communications (Plenary)

NASA mission modeling indicates a desire for approximately a tenfold data improvement per decade from the Deep Space Network through the year 2040. Some of this improvement will come from aperture enhancement and antenna arraying, increased use of Ka-band over X-band, and high performance optical terminals (e.g. 12 m ground telescope). The remainder will depend on "disruptive" technologies. Deep-space communications differs from near earth communications. One way light travel times are measured in minutes rather than seconds and distances involved are large enough such that optical signals are photon limited and microwave signals have extremely low flux density. High frequency SQIF receivers and single photon detectors for optical communications will be described. Specifically, progress towards a "noiseless" receiver based on arrays of incommensurate area SQUIDs, and single photon counting detectors based on superconducting nanowires and kinetic inductance effects, will be discussed. Finally, the design of an optimal array of optical telescopes to emulate performance of a monolithic 12 m telescope will be outlined. In this case, optimal means minimizing the initial capital investment and operational cost while maintaining performance requirements of the deep-space link.

Romanofsky, Bob↗
NASA NTRS2015

CubeSat with Nanostructured Sensing Instrumentation for Planetary Exploration

This report provides a summary of the work performed under NIAC Phase I award NNX15AL86G entitled "CubeSat with Nanostructured Sensing Instrumentation for Planetary Exploration". The objective of this research is to investigate the feasibility of an innovative, low cost, CubeSat based planetary mission concept for in situ "ground truth"analysis of small asteroids and comets. The project includes an instrument study and a mission/spacecraft design study. The instrument study concerns with the development of anew TiO2 nanotube sensor with integrated compound semiconductor nanowires to determine surface composition element via neutron activated analysis (NAA). The mission/spacecraft design study concerns with the development of CubeSat based lander to small asteroids and comets. The Phase I study suggests that our concept is feasible and could provide significant benefit to NASA's future planetary missions. This research was carried out at the University of Southern California and the University of Utah.

Satellites↗
NASA NTRS2019

Characterization of a Photon Counting Test Bed for Space to Ground Optical Pulse Position Modulation Communications Links

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed a laboratory transmitter and receiver prototype of a space to ground optical communications link. The system is meant to emulate future deep space optical communication links, such as the first crewed flight of Orion, in which the transmitted laser is modulated using pulse position modulation and the receiver is capable of detecting single photons. The transmitter prototype consists of a software defined radio, a high extinction ratio electro-optic modulator system, and 1550 nm laser. The receiver is a scalable concept and utilizes a single-pixel array of fiber coupled superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. The transmit and receive waveforms follow the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications High Photon Efficiency Standard. This paper describes the transmitter and receiver prototypes as well as the system test configuration. System level tests results are presented and compared to predictions from software simulations.

Nappier, Jennifer M.↗
NASA NTRS2018

One Time Programmable Antifuse Memory Based on Bulk Junctionless Transistor

One time programmable (OTP) antifuse base memory is demonstrated based on a bulk junctionless gate-all-around (GAA) nanowire transistor technology. The presented memory consists of a single transistor (1T) footprint without any process modification. The source/drain (S/D) and gate respectively become bit line and word line where the antifuse is formed by oxide breakdown across the gate and the channel. The channel is connected directly to the bit line due to junctionless S/D and inherently isolated from the neighboring cell by the GAA channel. Therefore, an array of 1T antifuse OTP can be a candidate for the sub-5-nanometer technology node.

Antifuse↗
NASA NTRS2019

Characterization of a Photon Counting Test Bed for Space to Ground Optical Pulse Position Modulation Communications Links

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed a laboratory transmitter and receiver prototype of a space-to-ground optical communications link. The system is meant to emulate future deep space optical communication links, such as the first crewed flight of Orion, in which the transmitted laser is modulated using pulse position modulation and the receiver is capable of detecting single photons. The transmitter prototype consists of a software defined radio, a high extinction ratio electro-optic modulator system, and a 1550 nm laser. The receiver is a scalable concept and utilizes a single-pixel array of fiber coupled superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. The transmit and receive waveforms follow the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Standard. A software model of the optical transmitter and receiver has also been implemented to predict performance of the optical test bed. This paper describes the transmitter and receiver prototypes as well as the system test configuration. System level tests results are presented and shown to align with predictions from software simulations. The validated software model can be used to in the future to reduce the design cycle of optical communications systems.

software defined radio↗
NASA NTRS2019

Single-mode Fiber and Few-Mode Fiber Photonic Lanterns Performance Evaluated for Use in a Scalable Real-Time Photon Counting Ground Receiver

Photonic lanterns provide an efficient way of coupling light from a single large-core fiber to multiple small-core fibers. This capability is of interest for space to ground communication applications. In these applications, the optical ground receivers require high-efficiency coupling from an atmospherically distorted focus spot to multiple fiber coupled single pixel super-conducting nanowire detectors. This paper will explore the use of photonic lanterns in a real-time ground receiver that is scalable and constructed with commercial parts. The number of small-core fibers that make a photonic lantern determines the number of spatial modes that they couple. For instance, lanterns made with n number of single-mode fibers can couple n number of spatial modes. Although the laser transmitted from a spacecraft originates as a Gaussian shape, the atmosphere distorts the beam profile by scattering energy into higher-order spatial modes. Therefore, if a ground receiver is sized for a target data rate with n number of detectors, the corresponding lantern made with single-mode fibers will couple n number of spatial modes. The energy of the transmitted beam scattered into spatial modes higher than n will be lost. This paper shows this loss may be reduced by making lanterns with few-mode fibers instead of single-mode fibers, increasing the number of spatial modes that can be coupled and therefore increasing the coupling efficiency to single pixel, single photon detectors. The free space to fiber coupling efficiency of these two types of photonic lanterns are compared over a range of the free-space coupling numerical apertures and mode field diameters. Results indicate the few mode fiber lantern has higher coupling efficiency for telescopes with longer focal lengths under higher turbulent conditions. Also presented is analysis of the jitter added to the system by the lanterns, showing the few-mode fiber photonic lantern adds more jitter than the single-mode fiber lantern, but less than a multimode fiber.

photon counting↗
NASA NTRS2019

Real Time Photon-Counting Receiver for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications

We present a scalable design for a photon-counting ground receiver based on superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) real-time processing for applications to space-to-ground photon starved links, such as the Orion EM-2 Optical Communication Demonstration (O2O), and future deep space or low transmitter power missions. The receiver is designed to receive a serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) waveform, which follows the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Red Book standard. The receiver design uses multiple individually fiber coupled, 80% detection efficiency commercial SNSPDs in parallel to scale to a required data rate, and is capable of achieving data rates up to 528 Mbps. For efficient fiber coupling from the telescope to the array of parallel detectors that can be scaled both to telescope aperture size and the number of detectors, we use either a single mode fiber (SMF) photonic lantern or a few-mode fiber (FMF) photonic lantern. In this paper we give an overview of the receiver system design, the characteristics of the photonic lanterns, the performance of the SNSPDs, and system level tests. We show that 40 Mbps can be received using a single SNSPD, and discuss aspects for scaling to higher data rates.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Real Time Photon-Counting Receiver for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications

We present a scalable design for a photon-counting ground receiver based on superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) real-time processing for applications to space-to-ground photon starved links, such as the Orion EM-2 Optical Communication Demonstration (O2O), and future deep space or low transmitter power missions. The receiver is designed to receive a serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) waveform, which follows the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Red Book standard. The receiver design uses multiple individually fiber coupled, 80% detection efficiency commercial SNSPDs in parallel to scale to a required data rate, and is capable of achieving data rates up to 528 Mbps. For efficient fiber coupling from the telescope to the array of parallel detectors that can be scaled both to telescope aperture size and the number of detectors, we use either a single mode fiber (SMF) photonic lantern or a few-mode fiber (FMF) photonic lantern. In this paper we give an overview of the receiver system design, the characteristics of the photonic lanterns, the performance of the SNSPDs, and system level tests. We show that 40 Mbps can be received using a single SNSPD, and discuss aspects for scaling to higher data rates.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Measurements of few-mode fiber photonic lanterns in emulated atmospheric conditions for a low earth orbit space to ground optical communication receiver application

Photonic lanterns are being evaluated as a component of a scalable photon counting real-time optical ground receiver for space-to-ground photon-starved communication applications. The function of the lantern as a component of a receiver is to efficiently couple and deliver light from the atmospherically distorted focal spot formed behind a telescope to multiple small-core fiber-coupled single-element super-conducting nanowire detectors. This architecture solution is being compared to a multimode fiber coupled to a multi-element detector array. This paper presents a set of measurements that begins this comparison. This first set of measurements are a comparison of the throughput coupling loss at emulated atmospheric conditions for the case of a 60 cm diameter telescope receiving light from a low earth orbit satellite. The atmospheric conditions are numerically simulated at a range of turbulence levels using a beam propagation method and are physically emulated with a spatial light modulator. The results show that for the same number of output legs as the single-mode fiber lantern, the few-mode fiber lantern increases the power throughput up to 3.92 dB at the worst emulated atmospheric conditions tested of D/r(sub 0)=8.6. Furthermore, the coupling loss of the few-mode fiber lantern approaches the capability of a 30 micron graded index multimode fiber chosen for coupling to a 16 element detector array.

Tedder, Sarah A.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Measurements of Few-Mode Fiber Photonic Lanterns in Emulated Atmospheric Conditions for a Low Earth Orbit Space to Ground Optical Communication Receiver Application

Photonic lanterns are being evaluated as a component of a scalable photon counting real-time optical ground receiver for space-to-ground photon-starved communication applications. The function of the lantern as a component of a receiver is to efficiently couple and deliver light from the atmospherically distorted focal spot formed behind a telescope to multiple small-core fiber-coupled single-element super-conducting nanowire detectors. This architecture solution is being compared to a multimode fiber coupled to a multi-element detector array. This paper presents a set of measurements that begins this comparison. This first set of measurements are a comparison of the throughput coupling loss at emulated atmospheric conditions for the case of a 60 cm diameter telescope receiving light from a low earth orbit satellite. The atmospheric conditions are numerically simulated at a range of turbulence levels using a beam propagation method and are physically emulated with a spatial light modulator. The results show that for the same number of output legs as the single-mode fiber lantern, the few mode fiber lantern increases the power throughput up to 3.92 dB at the worst emulated atmospheric conditions tested of D/r0=8.6. Furthermore, the coupling loss of the few mode fiber lantern approaches the capability of a 30 micron graded index multimode fiber chosen for coupling to a 16 element detector array.

Tedder, Sarah A.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Single-Photon Counting Detector Scalability for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications Links

For high photon-efficiency deep space or low power optical communications links, such as the Orion Artemis-2 Optical Communications System (O2O) project, the received optical signal is attenuated to the extent that single- photon detectors are required. For direct-detection receivers operating at 1.55 µm wavelength, single-photon detectors including Geiger-mode InGaAs avalanche photon diodes (APDs), and in particular superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) offer the highest sensitivity and fastest detection speeds. However, these photon detectors exhibit a recovery time between registered input pulses, effectively reducing the detection efficiency over the recovery interval, resulting in missed photon detections, reduced count rate, and ultimately limiting the achievable data rate. A method to overcome this limitation is to divide the received optical signal into multiple detectors in parallel. Here we analyze this approach for a receiver designed to receive a high photon efficiency serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) input waveform. From measured count rate and efficiency data using commercial SNSPDs, we apply a model from which we determine the effective detection efficiency, or blocking loss, for different input signal rates. We analyze the scalability of adding detectors in parallel for different modulation orders and background levels to achieve desired data rates. Finally we show tradeoffs between the number of detectors and the required received optical power, useful for real link design considerations.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗