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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 NTRS1992

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1991 phase 1 projects

The objectives of 301 projects placed under contract by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are described. These projects were selected competitively from among proposals submitted to NASA in response to the 1991 SBIR Program Solicitation. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 301, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference of the 1991 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA Field Center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number are included.

Schwenk, F. Carl↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1992, phase 1 projects

The objectives of 346 projects placed under contract by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are described. These projects were selected competitively from among proposals submitted to NASA in response to the 1992 SBIR Program Solicitation. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 346, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference of the 1992 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA Field Center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number are included.

Schwenk, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The NASA Lewis Research Center SBIR program: An assessment

An assessment was made of the NASA Lewis Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for the years 1983 to 1989. The assessment was based on the study of 99 Phase 1 contracts and 39 Phase 2 contracts. The overall impact of SBIR was found to be very positive, contributing strongly to many NASA programs. In addition, many successful efforts were commercialized benefiting the small business, federal agencies, and the aerospace industry. The program was evaluated in terms of contract quality, innovativeness, comparison to the state-of-the-art, achievement of goals, difficulty, and impact. Program difficulties were also identified, which could suggest possible program improvements. Much of the information gained in this assessment provided a basis for a SBIR data base which will be updated every year. This data base is computerized and will provide an excellent source of information about past SBIR efforts and company capabilities.

Grimes, Hubert H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Parachuting to Safety

NASA's Langley Research Center awarded Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc., three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts to research and develop a new, low cost, lightweight recovery system for aircraft in both civilian and military markets. The company responded with a unique ballistic parachute system that lowers an entire aircraft to the ground in the event of an emergency. BRS parachutes are designed to provide a safe landing for pilots and passengers while keeping them in their aircraft. They currently fit ultralights, kit-built aircraft, and certified small business aircraft. The parachutes are lifesavers in cases of engine failure, mid-air collisions, pilot disorientation or incapacitation, unrecovered spins, extreme icing, and fuel exhaustion. To date, over 148 lives were saved as a result of a BRS parachute system.

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NASA NTRS2011

Design for On-Sun Evaluation of Evaporator Receivers

A heat pipe designed for operation as a solar power receiver should be optimized to accept the solar energy flux and transfer this heat into a reactor. Optical properties of the surface, thermal conductance of the receiver wall, contact resistance of the heat pipe wick, and other heat pipe wick properties ultimately define the maximum amount of power that can be extracted from the concentrated sunlight impinging on the evaporator surface. Modeling of solar power receivers utilizing optical and physical properties provides guidance to their design. On-sun testing is another important means of gathering information on performance. A test rig is being designed and built to conduct on-sun testing. The test rig is incorporating a composite strip mirror concentrator developed as part of a Small Business Innovative Research effort and delivered to NASA Glenn Research Center. In the strip concentrator numerous, lightweight composite parabolic strips of simple curvature were combined to form an array 1.5 m x 1.5 m in size. The line focus of each strip is superimposed in a central area simulating a point of focus. A test stand is currently being developed to hold the parabolic strip concentrator, track the sun, and turn the beam downward towards the ground. The hardware is intended to be sufficiently versatile to accommodate on-sun testing of several receiver concepts, including those incorporating heat pipe evaporators. Characterization devices are also being developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the solar concentrator, including a receiver designed to conduct calorimetry. This paper describes the design and the characterization devices of the on-sun test rig, and the prospect of coupling the concentrated sunlight to a heat pipe solar power receiver developed as part of another Small Business Innovative Research effort.

Jaworske, Donald A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Improved Method Being Developed for Surface Enhancement of Metallic Materials

Surface enhancement methods induce a layer of beneficial residual compressive stress to improve the impact (FOD) resistance and fatigue life of metallic materials. A traditional method of surface enhancement often used is shot peening, in which small steel spheres are repeatedly impinged on metallic surfaces. Shot peening is inexpensive and widely used, but the plastic deformation of 20 to 40 percent imparted by the impacts can be harmful. This plastic deformation can damage the microstructure, severely limiting the ductility and durability of the material near the surface. It has also been shown to promote accelerated relaxation of the beneficial compressive residual stresses at elevated temperatures. Low-plasticity burnishing (LPB) is being developed as an improved method for the surface enhancement of metallic materials. LPB is being investigated as a rapid, inexpensive surface enhancement method under NASA Small Business Innovation Research contracts NAS3-98034 and NAS3-99116, with supporting characterization work at NASA. Previously, roller burnishing had been employed to refine surface finish. This concept was adopted and then optimized as a means of producing a layer of compressive stress of high magnitude and depth, with minimal plastic deformation (ref. 1). A simplified diagram of the developed process is given in the following figure. A single pass of a smooth, free-rolling spherical ball under a normal force deforms the surface of the material in tension, creating a compressive layer of residual stress. The ball is supported in a fluid with sufficient pressure to lift the ball off the surface of the retaining spherical socket. The ball is only in mechanical contact with the surface of the material being burnished and is free to roll on the surface. This apparatus is designed to be mounted in the conventional lathes and vertical mills currently used to machine parts. The process has been successfully applied to nickel-base superalloys by a team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, Lambda Research, and METCUT Research, as supported by the NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and II programs, the Ultra Safe program, and the Ultra- Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program.

Gabb, Timothy P.↗
NASA NTRS2017

An Overview of Materials Structures for Extreme Environments Efforts for 2015 SBIR Phases I and II

Technological innovation is the overall focus of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The program invests in the development of innovative concepts and technologies to help NASA's mission directorates address critical research and development needs for Agency projects. This report highlights innovative SBIR 2015 Phase I and II projects that specifically address areas in Materials and Structures for Extreme Environments, one of six core competencies at NASA Glenn Research Center. Each article describes an innovation, defines its technical objective, and highlights NASA applications as well as commercial and industrial applications. Ten technologies are featured: metamaterials-inspired aerospace structures, metallic joining to advanced ceramic composites, multifunctional polyolefin matrix composite structures, integrated reacting fluid dynamics and predictive materials degradation models for propulsion system conditions, lightweight inflatable structural airlock (LISA), copolymer materials for fused deposition modeling 3-D printing of nonstandard plastics, Type II strained layer superlattice materials development for space-based focal plane array applications, hydrogenous polymer-regolith composites for radiation-shielding materials, a ceramic matrix composite environmental barrier coating durability model, and advanced composite truss printing for large solar array structures. This report serves as an opportunity for NASA engineers, researchers, program managers, and other personnel to learn about innovations in this technology area as well as possibilities for collaboration with innovative small businesses that could benefit NASA programs and projects.

integrated reacting fluid dynamics and predictive ↗
NASA NTRS2003

Building Safer Systems With SpecTRM

System safety, an integral component in software development, often poses a challenge to engineers designing computer-based systems. While the relaxed constraints on software design allow for increased power and flexibility, this flexibility introduces more possibilities for error. As a result, system engineers must identify the design constraints necessary to maintain safety and ensure that the system and software design enforces them. Safeware Engineering Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, provides the information, tools, and techniques to accomplish this task with its Specification Tools and Requirements Methodology (SpecTRM). NASA assisted in developing this engineering toolset by awarding the company several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center. The technology benefits NASA through its applications for Space Station rendezvous and docking. SpecTRM aids system and software engineers in developing specifications for large, complex safety critical systems. The product enables engineers to find errors early in development so that they can be fixed with the lowest cost and impact on the system design. SpecTRM traces both the requirements and design rationale (including safety constraints) throughout the system design and documentation, allowing engineers to build required system properties into the design from the beginning, rather than emphasizing assessment at the end of the development process when changes are limited and costly.System safety, an integral component in software development, often poses a challenge to engineers designing computer-based systems. While the relaxed constraints on software design allow for increased power and flexibility, this flexibility introduces more possibilities for error. As a result, system engineers must identify the design constraints necessary to maintain safety and ensure that the system and software design enforces them. Safeware Engineering Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, provides the information, tools, and techniques to accomplish this task with its Specification Tools and Requirements Methodology (SpecTRM). NASA assisted in developing this engineering toolset by awarding the company several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center. The technology benefits NASA through its applications for Space Station rendezvous and docking. SpecTRM aids system and software engineers in developing specifications for large, complex safety critical systems. The product enables engineers to find errors early in development so that they can be fixed with the lowest cost and impact on the system design. SpecTRM traces both the requirements and design rationale (including safety constraints) throughout the system design and documentation, allowing engineers to build required system properties into the design from the beginning, rather than emphasizing assessment at the end of the development process when changes are limited and costly.

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NASA NTRS2002

NASA New England Outreach Center

The NASA New England Outreach Center in Nashua, New Hampshire was established to serve as a catalyst for heightening regional business awareness of NASA procurement, technology and commercialization opportunities. Emphasis is placed on small business participation, with the highest priority given to small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, HUBZone businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. The Center assists firms and organizations to understand NASA requirements and to develop strategies to capture NASA related procurement and technology opportunities. The establishment of the NASA Outreach Center serves to stimulate business in a historically underserved area. NASA direct business awards have traditionally been highly present in the West, Midwest, South, and Southeast areas of the United States. The Center guides and assists businesses and organizations in the northeast to target opportunities within NASA and its prime contractors and capture business and technology opportunities. The Center employs an array of technology access, one-on-one meetings, seminars, site visits, and targeted conferences to acquaint Northeast firms and organizations with representatives from NASA and its prime contractors to learn about and discuss opportunities to do business and access the inventory of NASA technology. This stimulus of interaction also provides firms and organizations the opportunity to propose the use of their developed technology and ideas for current and future requirements at NASA. The Center provides a complement to the NASA Northeast Regional Technology Transfer Center in developing prospects for commercialization of NASA technology. In addition, the Center responds to local requests for assistance and NASA material and documents, and is available to address immediate concerns and needs in assessing opportunities, timely support to interact with NASA Centers on a local level, and develop easy access to information. The Center acts in the manner of a "NASA Center or Field Office" with direction from NASA Headquarters, Code K.

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DOE OSTI2023

Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP)

Through the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), the U.S. DOE supports small businesses who design and manufacture small or medium wind turbine technology through cost-shared subcontracts awarded via a competitive process. The goals of the CIP are to: improve cost competitiveness with other distributed generation technology through optimized designs and advanced manufacturing processes; increase the number of certified small and medium wind turbine designs across a wide range of sizes; and accelerate deployment of improved, certified distributed wind energy technology. NREL manages the projects through a defined period of performance subcontract, providing technical monitoring and coordinating technical assistance from DOE labs.

advanced manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2023

Guia de Calentadores de Agua con Bomba de Calor para Pequenas Empresas

Esta guia esta destinada a propietarios de edificios y administradores de instalaciones interesados en electrificar los sistemas de calentamiento de agua de edificios comerciales a traves de sistemas nuevos o reemplazos. Esta guia tambien es un recurso para que los contratistas se familiaricen con los calentadores de agua comerciales con bomba de calor. Esta guia se enfoca en equipos de calentadores de agua con bomba de calor de fuente de aire unitario (estilo tanque), y aqui se incluyen informacion basica, mejores practicas y consideraciones clave. Un ingeniero debe ayudar a identificar las consideraciones especificas exclusivas de los sistemas individuales, segun sea necesario. This is the Spanish translation of NREL/FS-5500-84401, Heat Pump Water Heater Guide for Small Businesses.

decarbonization↗
DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 94: US DOE Procurement Opportunities and End-State Contracting Model Status

This panel focused on DoE's procurement implementation strategy and planned activities for its first-tier contractors (Tier 1 procurements). This panel also focused on the implementation status of DoE's End State Contracting Model, which uses a single-award ID/IQ approach to give DOE flexibility to better define discrete scopes of work for site closure or end states. The panelists provided their prospective on progress toward the implementation of this new approach, lessons learned and the path forward for upcoming opportunities utilizing this contracting model. Panelists with presentations: EFCOG (Billy Morrison); DOE Procurement Opportunities - 4 Ways for Small Business Participation (Anne Marie Bird); US DOE Procurement and Contracting Opportunities (Aaron Deckard)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2020

Lunar Technology with Roots in SBIR/STTR Will Reach the Moon in 2021

Astrobotic, a small business based in Pittsburgh, PA, received more than $80 million in contracts from NASA to support various aspects of the agency’s return to the Moon. The company’s compact lunar rover and precision lunar lander technology, which will deliver payloads to the lunar surface, were developed with funds from the NASA SBIR/STTR Program.

SBIR/STTR, small business↗
DOE OSTI2021

Isobutanol Octane Blending Model with Gasoline: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-17-00689

The purpose of this agreement between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Gevo, under the DOE Small Business Vouchers Pilot, is to develop a predictive octane blending model for isobutanol and blendstocks for oxygenated blending (BOBs). Validated models of ethanol octane blending effects are currently used in refinery blending models. While it is known that isobutanol increases octane when blended into BOBs, the effect is non-linear, and dependent on hydrocarbon blendstock properties. Because no predictive model currently exists for isobutanol and BOBs, blenders must perform expensive and time-consuming tests to determine the octane effect on each batch of finished fuel. NREL will make basic measurements of research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON) of finished gasoline-isobutanol blends prepared in a broad range of BOBs. The key properties and detailed composition of BOBs utilized will be measured by NREL. Using these measured fuel properties, NREL will develop a predictive octane blending model for isobutanol in BOBs that can be used by terminals to further reduce barriers to market penetration of isobutanol.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Testing and validating SMDS algorithms implemented in the cloud

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) provided technical assistance to NorthWrite Inc. under the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot. NorthWrite delivered services to owners of small commercial buildings, using a cloud-based service to monitor, control, and optimize building operations, saving energy and reducing operating costs for the owners while ensuring that occupant comfort needs were consistently met. NorthWrite had a longstanding desire to add a new suite of diagnostic capabilities to their service offering and had been trying, without success, to incorporate several diagnostic algorithms published by PNNL. These algorithms arise from research previously supported by BTO. Through the SBV awarded to NorthWrite, PNNL made available technical knowledge regarding the derivation and application of the following sets of algorithms for use in the NorthWrite Cloud-based service delivery system: • algorithms for monitoring rooftop packaged air conditioners and heat pumps (often referred to as rooftop units or RTUs) and diagnosing faults in these units, • advanced algorithms for automated fault detection and diagnosis of other equipment found in small buildings, and • algorithms for identifying, prioritizing, and assessing the economic effectiveness of implementing energy saving measures in small commercial buildings based on sensed data. The PNNL researchers involved were the original developers of these algorithms, had a unique understanding of the derivation of the algorithms, and had the source data used for this derivation. Further, the PNNL researchers had extensive experience using these algorithms in the laboratory, unique experience applying these algorithms in real-world small commercial buildings and could solve a number of key problems that NorthWrite and other users faced in using these algorithms at scale. In addition, PNNL had recently installed a pair of RTUs in a laboratory setting that were instrumented and connected with data acquisition systems that provided a unique test rig for validating the algorithms before NorthWrite began to deploy their new services in the field.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2018

Low-Power, Chip-Scale, Carbon Dioxide Gas Sensors for Spacesuit Monitoring

N5 Sensors, Inc. through a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract award has been developing ultra-small, low-power carbon dioxide (CO2) gas sensors, suited for monitoring CO2 levels inside NASA spacesuits. Due to the unique environmental conditions within the spacesuits, such as high humidity, large temperature swings, and operating pressure swings, measurement of key gases relevant to astronaut's safety and health such as(CO2), is quite challenging. Conventional non-dispersive infrared absorption based CO2 sensors present challenges inside the spacesuits due to size, weight, and power constraints, along with the ability to sense CO2 in a high humidity environment. Unique chip-scale, nanoengineered chemiresistive gas-sensing architecture has been developed for this application, which can be operated in a typical space-suite environmental conditions. Unique design combining the selective adsorption properties of the nanophotocatalytic clusters of metal-oxides and metals, provides selective detection of CO2 in high relative humidity conditions. All electronic design provides a compact and low-power solution, which can be implemented for multipoint detection of CO2 inside the spacesuits. This paper will describe the sensor architecture, development of new photocatalytic material for better sensor response, and advanced structure for better sensitivity and shorter response times.

Rani, Asha↗
NASA NTRS1981

NASA to launch second business communications satellite

The two stage Delta 3910 launch vehicle was chosen to place the second small business satellite (SBS-B) into a transfer orbit with an apogee of 36,619 kilometers and a perigee of 167 km, at an inclination of 27.7 degrees to Earth's equator. The firing and separation sequence and the inertial guidance system are described as well as the payload assist module. Facilities and services for tracking and control by NASA, COMSAT, Intelsat, and SBS are outlined and prelaunch operations are summarized.

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