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Technology Transfer
Introduction
Today, more than ever, advanced technology is the key to America's
economic growth and development. NASA's Commercial Technology Network is
at the forefront of developing relationships that allow aerospace
expertise and technology to be incorporated into the private sector. As
critical technologies for aerospace use are developed, NASA works with
industry by co-developing, partnering, and licensing to commercialize
these technologies and maximize their impact across the broadest range
of applications.
NASA strengthened the Commercial Technology Network's Technology
Transfer program in 1989 to make technology available to businesses,
universities, and other government agencies. Working with national and
regional technology transfer networks and our industrial partners, we
reduce development costs, accelerate production schedules, and deploy
existing technologies to points where they can make significant
differences for both companies and individuals. By sharing technology
with industry, NASA realizes two of its major goalsÑto strengthen
America's competitiveness in the world marketplace and ensure future
technological breakthroughs.
National needs for quality, durability, value, and environmental
protection benefit from NASA's drive to improve on all these fronts.
Across the agency, researchers are applying aerospace technologies in
conventional and unconventional ways, stretching the boundaries and
creating new applications for a host of new materials, processes, and
inventions, many of which find their most promising uses outside the
traditional aerospace applications. NASA works directly with industry to
develop many aircraft technologies, but we also develop technology for
launch vehicles, spacecraft, rocket engines, pumps, turbines, nozzles,
and injectors. Insulation, coatings, electronic components, and even
software emerge from NASA's efforts in a steady stream, and almost all
are available for use by American industry.
As we move into the 21st century, NASA is seizing the technological high
ground, and bringing the opportunities that come from it to America's
industries and people. ( Following are brief examples of technologies
developed for NASA applications outside of aeronautics. The
commercialization of these technologies has provided benefits to the air
transportation industry in a variety of applications. Also included are
a few examples of technologies that have potential benefits for
aviation.
Better Part Marking: Compressed Symbology
NASA needed a method of identifying and tracking the hundreds of
thousands of Space Shuttle parts, some as small as a screw. Each part
needed to be marked to easily reference its manufacturing history,
specifications, and operational data, and the markings had to withstand
temperatures from minus 250 degrees farenheit to over 2,000 degrees farenheit.
Digital data matrix technology identifies products with invisible and
virtually indestructible markings. The laser-etched markings applied
directly to the product are as small as 4 micronmeters and as large as
2 square feet.
The marking technique is compatible with steel, paper, glass, fabric,
ceramics, plastic, metal, etc., and conforms to the shape, size, color,
and other properties of the product. Each symbol of the
checkerboard-like matrix contains from 5 to over 100 coded characters,
providing up to 100 times as much information as a bar code in the same
or less space.
Symbology Research Center, in Huntsville, AL., was founded to market the
"compressed symbology" product marking system after being proven in the
demanding environment of space flight. The technology clearly has
enormous potential industry-wide for efficiency and cost savings.
Reusable Surface Insulation
Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation was developed by Ames
Research Center to protect the Space Shuttle from the searing heat that
engulfs it on reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Hi-Temp. Insulation,
Inc., has adapted this Space Shuttle program technology for commercial
use.
NASA assisted improvements to the insulation material gives it the
ability to withstand heating and cooling cycles, rapid and fluctuating
temperature changes, continuous vibration and gravitational stress, and
contact with aircraft engine contaminants.
A Fire Protection Division of Hi-Temp Insulation has been established
offering the first suit designed exclusively by and for aircraft rescue
fire fighters. The suit offers great mobility, comfort and flexibility
while weighing far less than other heat-protecting apparel. From the
inside out, the suit retards heat, scalding steam, flammable fumes, and
molten liquids.
Thermal Packaging
Aluminized polymer film used in spacecraft as a radiation barrier to
protect both astronauts and delicate instruments now has many different
applications.
The packaging reflects outside heat away from contents inside the
container. Spinoff applications of the material include aluminized
shipping bags, food cart covers, medical bags, gel packs, insulated
panels, and express mailers.
Spacecraft Tiles for Use on Earth
A new tile material composite, based on the ceramic fiber tiles on the
Space Shuttle could be used commercial products that require
mechanically tough superinsulation. The new tiles have a layer of
aerogel, sometimes called "solid smoke," inside its air spaces. The new
material potentially could be used for furnaces, automobile catalytic
converters, liquefied gas transport trucks, and liquid carbon dioxide,
special nitrogen, and oxygen containers.
Shuttle Insulation-Aerogel
Pure aerogel was invented decades ago and has evolved tremendously,
becoming lighter, cheaper, safer and easier to manufacture, and it is
useful for specialized applications. Aerogel tiles can be machined into
different shapes for many uses here on Earth. The aerogel tile composite
was developed to exploit the insulating properties of aerogel's under
demanding operating conditions (which would shatter a pure aerogel). It
works similarly to a chunk of solid vacuum because it prevents air or
other gases from transporting heat through the material.
Airline Operations Aid
C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS), a NASA-developed expert
systems program, is used by American Airlines for three purposes: as a
rapid prototyping tool; to develop production prototypes; and to develop
production applications. An example of the latter is CLIPS' use in "Hub
S1AAshing," a knowledge-based system that recommends contingency plans
when severe schedule reductions must be made. Hub S1AAshing has replaced
a manual, labor intensive process. It saves time and allows operations
control coordinators to handle more difficult situations. Because the
system assimilates much of the information necessary to facilitate
educated decision making, it minimizes negative impact in situations
where it is impossible to operate all flights.
3D Audio System
Research into virtual reality led to the development of the Convolvotron
(manufactured by Crystal River Engineering), a high-speed digital audio
processing system that delivers three-dimensional sound over headphones.
It consists of a two-card set designed for use with a personal computer.
The Convolvotron's primary application is presentation of 3D audio
signals over headphones. Four independent sound sources are filtered
with large time-varying filters that compensate for motion. The
perceived location of the sound remains constant. Possible applications
are in air traffic control towers or airplane cockpits, hearing and
perception research, and virtual reality development.
Traffic Monitor
The X-15 "Eye in the Sky," a traffic monitoring system, incorporates
NASA imaging and robotic vision technology. A camera or "sensor box" is
mounted in a housing. The sensor detects vehicles approaching an
intersection and sends the information to a computer, which controls the
traffic light according to the traffic rate. Jet Propulsion Laboratory
technical support packages aided Mestech in developing the system. The
X-15's "smart highway" can also be used to count vehicles on a highway
and compute the number in each lane and their speeds, important
information for freeway control engineers. Additional applications are
in airport and railroad operations. The system is intended to replace
loop-type traffic detectors.
Environment Monitor And Explosives Detection
When Viking landers touched down on Mars equipped with a variety of
systems to conduct automated research, each carrying a compact but
highly sophisticated instrument for analyzing Martian soil and
atmosphere. Instrument called a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer
(GC/MS) had to be small, lightweight, shock resistant, highly automated
and extremely sensitive, yet require minimal electrical power. Viking
Instruments commercialized this technology and targeted their primary
market as environmental monitoring, especially toxic and hazardous waste
site monitoring. Waste sites often contain chemicals in complex
mixtures, and the conventional method of site characterization, taking
samples on-site and sending them to a laboratory for analysis is time
consuming and expensive. Other terrestrial applications are explosive
detection in airports, drug detection, industrial air monitoring,
medical metabolic monitoring and for military, chemical warfare agents.
Airline Wheelchair
Few people who use wheelchairs travel by air because of the difficulties
in moving through the airplane cabin. A cooperative program involving
several organizations has led to a wheelchair that is capable of moving
through the narrow aisle of an airliner to move passengers to their
seats and give them access to the lavatories. One of the prototypes was
designed by the University of Virginia Rehabilitation Engineering Center
with help from NASA's Langley Research Center. Langley applied aerospace
technology in structural analysis and materials engineering. The
wheelchair is stable, durable, and easy to handle. It is made of
composite materials, weighs only 17 pounds, and can support a 200-pound
person. The chair folds easily for stowage when not in use.
Technology For Transportation Safety
A polyimide foam material developed for the Space Shuttle, resists
ignition. Commercially known as Solimide, it chars and decomposes when
exposed to open flames. The material does not "outgas" until it begins
to char, making it safer than current materials with respect to toxic
fumes. The polyimide can be made in two forms: a resilient foam and a
rigid foam. It is used in commercial transport interiors for such soft
components as seat cushions and door, wall, floor, and ceiling panels.
The material's flame resistance could lengthen, from 2 minutes to 5, the
time needed for passenger evacuation in a ground emergency. It is also
part of an advanced wire and cable jacketing material that has superior
flame resistance and smoke retardation characteristics, and used for
low-smoke cable assemblies on rapid transit systems in the U.S. and
abroad.
Weight Saving Escape Chutes For Airplanes
Weight saving is an important consideration in airliners. Boeing saved
200 pounds per airplane by changing the compressed-gas cylinders used to
inflate the passenger escape chutes. The new cylinders, constructed by
winding fibers around an aluminum liner, are 60 percent lighter than the
previously used cylinders. The technology involved was originally
developed for rocket motor casings.
Faster Finances
TRW has applied the Apollo checkout procedures to retail-store and
bank-transaction systems, as well as to control systems for electric
power transmission gridsÑreducing the chance of power blackouts.
Automatic checkout equipment for Apollo Spacecraft was one of the most
complex computer systems in the world. Used to integrate extensive
Apollo checkout procedures from manufacture to launch, it spawned major
advances in computer systems technology. Store and bank credit systems
have caused significant improvement in speed and accuracy of
transactions, credit authorization and inventory control. A similar
computer service called "Validata" is used nationwide by airlines,
airline ticket offices, car rental agencies, and hotels.
Portable Medical Equipment: Defibrillator
The Portable Medical Status and Treatment System (PMSTS), was designed
to give medical treatment in remote areas where considerable time may
elapse before a patient receives due attention. The system incorporates
NASA astronaut-monitoring, electronic circuitry and microminiaturization
technologies.
Key elements of the battery-powered PMSTS include a vital signs monitor
and a defibrillator, used to deliver an electrical shock to restore an
erratic heartbeat. The system also includes a 10-channel radio with
two-way voice communication to transmit vital signs to a distantly
located physician. The Porta-Fib III, designed for use in a hospital
environment, is credited with saving the life of a heart attack victim
during a commercial airline flight.
NASA POC:
Dr. Robert Norwood
202-358-2320
rnorwood@hq.nasa.gov
Web Site:
http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/index.html
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