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At least 1,585 records · Page 88
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

A Shape-Memory Alloy Thermal Conduction Switch for Use at Cryogenic Temperatures

The following summarizes the activities performed under NASA grant NAG10-323 from September 1, 2002 through September 30, 2004 at the. Univ ersity of Central Florida. A version of this has already been submitt ed for publication in the international journal Swart Materials and S tructures in December 2004. Additionally, a version of this has alrea dy appeared in print in Advances in Cryogenic Engineering, American Institute of Physics, (2004) 50A 26-3; in an article entitled "A Shape Memory Alloy Based Cryogenic Thermal Conduction Switch" by V.B. Krish nan. J.D. Singh. T.R. Woodruff. W.U. Notardonato and R. Vaidyanathan (article is attached at the end of this report).

Vaidyanathan, Raj↗
NASA NTRS1998

Advanced Electric Distribution, Switching, and Conversion Technology for Power Control

The Electrical Power Control Unit currently under development by Sundstrand Aerospace for use on the Fluids Combustion Facility of the International Space Station is the precursor of modular power distribution and conversion concepts for future spacecraft and aircraft applications. This unit combines modular current-limiting flexible remote power controllers and paralleled power converters into one package. Each unit includes three 1-kW, current-limiting power converter modules designed for a variable-ratio load sharing capability. The flexible remote power controllers can be used in parallel to match load requirements and can be programmed for an initial ON or OFF state on powerup. The unit contains an integral cold plate. The modularity and hybridization of the Electrical Power Control Unit sets the course for future spacecraft electrical power systems, both large and small. In such systems, the basic hybridized converter and flexible remote power controller building blocks could be configured to match power distribution and conversion capabilities to load requirements. In addition, the flexible remote power controllers could be configured in assemblies to feed multiple individual loads and could be used in parallel to meet the specific current requirements of each of those loads. Ultimately, the Electrical Power Control Unit design concept could evolve to a common switch module hybrid, or family of hybrids, for both converter and switchgear applications. By assembling hybrids of a common current rating and voltage class in parallel, researchers could readily adapt these units for multiple applications. The Electrical Power Control Unit concept has the potential to be scaled to larger and smaller ratings for both small and large spacecraft and for aircraft where high-power density, remote power controllers or power converters are required and a common replacement part is desired for multiples of a base current rating.

Soltis, James V.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Switch array system for thin film lithium microbatteries

This paper presents a design approach for charging and discharging microbatteries. Maximum flexibility in terms of voltages and currents are also obtained through the use of a switching matrix.

microbattery on-chip power micropower↗
NASA NTRS2006

Smectic A Filled Birefringent Elements and Fast Switching Twisted Dual Frequency Nematic Cells Used for Digital Light Deflection

We describe the application of smectic A (SmA) liquid crystals for beam deflection. SmA materials can be used in digital beam deflectors (DBDs) as fillers for passive birefringent prisms. SmA prisms have high birefringence and can be constructed in a variety of shapes, including single prisms and prismatic blazed gratings of different angles and profiles. We address the challenges of uniform alignment of SmA, such as elimination of focal conic domains. Fast rotation of the incident light polarization in DBDs is achieved by an electrically switched 90 twisted nematic (TN) cell.

Pishnyak, Oleg↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Current Source Method For t(sub q) Measurement of Fast Switching Thyristors

A current source driven circuit has been constructed to measure the turn-off time (t(sub q)) of fast-switching SiC thyristors. This circuit operates from a single power supply and a dual channel pulse generator to provide adjustment of forward current, magnitude and duration of reverse applied voltage, and rate of rise of reapplied forward voltage. Values of t(sub q) down to 100 ns can be resolved.

Niedra, Janis M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Bearingless Switched-Reluctance Motor for High Specific Power Applications

A 12-8 switched-reluctance motor (SRM) is studied in bearingless (or self-levitated) operation with coil currents limited to the linear region to avoid magnetic saturation. The required motoring and levitating currents are summed and go into a single motor coil per pole to obtain the highest power output of the motor by having more space for motor coil winding. Two controllers are investigated for the bearingless SRM operation. First, a model-based controller using the radial force, which is adjusted by a factor derived from finite element analysis, is presented. Then a simple and practical observation-based controller using a PD (proportional-derivative) control algorithm is presented. Both controllers were experimentally demonstrated to 6500 rpm. This paper reports the initial efforts toward eventual self levitation of a SRM operating into strong magnetic core saturation at liquid nitrogen temperature.

Choi, Benjamin B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

DC-to-DC switching converter

A dc-to-dc converter having nonpulsating input and output current uses two inductances, one in series with the input source, the other in series with the output load. An electrical energy transferring device with storage, namely storage capacitance, is used with suitable switching means between the inductances to DC level conversion. For isolation between the source and load, the capacitance may be divided into two capacitors coupled by a transformer, and for reducing ripple, the inductances may be coupled. With proper design of the coupling between the inductances, the current ripple can be reduced to zero at either the input or the output, or the reduction achievable in that way may be divided between the input and output.

Cuk, Slobodan M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Optical path switching based differential absorption radiometry for substance detection

An optical path switch divides sample path radiation into a time series of alternating first polarized components and second polarized components. The first polarized components are transmitted along a first optical path and the second polarized components along a second optical path. A first gasless optical filter train filters the first polarized components to isolate at least a first wavelength band thereby generating first filtered radiation. A second gasless optical filter train filters the second polarized components to isolate at least a second wavelength band thereby generating second filtered radiation. A beam combiner combines the first and second filtered radiation to form a combined beam of radiation. A detector is disposed to monitor magnitude of at least a portion of the combined beam alternately at the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band as an indication of the concentration of the substance in the sample path.

Sachse, Glen W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Charge control switch responsive to cell casing deflection

A switch structure, adapted for sensing the state-of-charge of a rechargeable cell, includes a contact element which detects cell casing deflection that occurs as a result of an increase in gaseous pressure within the cell when the cell is returned to its fully charged state during a recharging operation.

Fischell, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Fast all-optical switch

An apparatus and method wherein polarization rotation in alkali vapors or other mediums is used for all-optical switching and digital logic and where the rate of operation is proportional to the amplitude of the pump field. High rates of speed are accomplished by Rabi flopping of the atomic states using a continuously operating monochromatic atomic beam as the pump.

Shay, Thomas M.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Dual mode solid state power switch

A solid state amplifier has an output transistor stage and an input transistor stage interconnected as a Darlington circuit. An interstage transistor interconnecting the collectors of the two stages of the Darlington circuit is connected with the first stage transistor in a compound configuration. When the load current furnished by the amplifier is less than a predetermined value, the output stage operates as a simple saturated switch with its base drive current flowing through the emitter-base junction of the first stage which produces no collector current because the base-emitter junction of the interstage transistor is reverse-biased. When the load current exceeds said predetermined value, the interstage transistor begins to conduct allowing the input and output stages to operate as a Darlington amplifier and diverting a significant portion of the base drive current of the output transistor back into the load.

Maus, Louis C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Optical path switching based differential absorption radiometry for substance detection

An optical path switch divides sample path radiation into a time series of alternating first polarized components and second polarized components. The first polarized components are transmitted along a first optical path and the second polarized components along a second optical path. A first gasless optical filter train filters the first polarized components to isolate at least a first wavelength band thereby generating first filtered radiation. A second gasless optical filter train filters the second polarized components to isolate at least a second wavelength band thereby generating second filtered radiation. A beam combiner combines the first and second filtered radiation to form a combined beam of radiation. A detector is disposed to monitor magnitude of at least a portion of the combined beam alternately at the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band as an indication of the concentration of the substance in the sample path.

Sachse, Glen W.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Tm:germanate Fiber Laser: Tuning And Q-switching

A Tm:germanate fiber laser produced >0.25 mJ/pulse in a 45 ns pulse. It is capable of producing multiple Q-switched pulses from a single p ump pulse. With the addition of a diffraction grating, Tm:germanate f iber lasers produced a wide, but length dependent, tuning range. By s electing the fiber length, the tuning range extends from 1.88 to 2.04 ?m. These traits make Tm:germanate lasers suitable for remote sensin g of water vapor.

Barnes, Norman P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Memory switches based on metal oxide thin films

MnO.sub.2-x thin films (12) exhibit irreversible memory switching (28) with an OFF/ON resistance ratio of at least about 10.sup.3 and the tailorability of ON state (20) resistance. Such films are potentially extremely useful as a connection element in a variety of microelectronic circuits and arrays (24). Such films provide a pre-tailored, finite, non-volatile resistive element at a desired place in an electric circuit, which can be electrically turned OFF (22) or disconnected as desired, by application of an electrical pulse. Microswitch structures (10) constitute the thin film element, contacted by a pair of separate electrodes (16a, 16b) and have a finite, pre-selected ON resistance which is ideally suited, for example, as a programmable binary synaptic connection for electronic implementation of neural network architectures. The MnO.sub.2-x microswitch is non-volatile, patternable, insensitive to ultraviolet light, and adherent to a variety of insulating substrates (14), such as glass and silicon dioxide-coated silicon substrates.

Ramesham, Rajeshuni↗
NASA NTRS1979

DC static switch circuit with power saving feature

A main switch transistor is provided with a base drive circuit to vary the base drive current in accordance with load current to minimize power dissipation. Base drive may also be limited to a maximum for overload current limiting.

Baker, Donal E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Thin membrane sensor with biochemical switch

A modular biosensor system for chemical or biological agent detection utilizes electrochemical measurement of an ion current across a gate membrane triggered by the reaction of the target agent with a recognition protein conjugated to a channel blocker. The sensor system includes a bioresponse simulator or biochemical switch module which contains the recognition protein-channel blocker conjugate, and in which the detection reactions occur, and a transducer module which contains a gate membrane and a measuring electrode, and in which the presence of agent is sensed electrically. In the poised state, ion channels in the gate membrane are blocked by the recognition protein-channel blocker conjugate. Detection reactions remove the recognition protein-channel blocker conjugate from the ion channels, thus eliciting an ion current surge in the gate membrane which subsequently triggers an output alarm. Sufficiently large currents are generated that simple direct current electronics are adequate for the measurements. The biosensor has applications for environmental, medical, and industrial use.

Case, George D.↗