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Moon Tires, Space Power Systems, Lunar Excavation
Glenn Partners with Industry to Advance Technologies
When Dr. Vivake Asnani came to NASA Glenn three years ago, he never imagined he would be working with a major tire manufacturer. Today he is leading a collaborative effort with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, to improve tire technology for a new generation of tires to be used on lunar vehicles for future exploration missions.
Image right: Glenn's Vivake Asnani, right, and Goodyear's Dave Fleming are pictured with an original wire mesh tire in Glenn's Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory. Credit: NASA/Michelle Murphy
Asnani, who is the founding member of the Surface Mobility Technology team in Glenn's Structures and Materials Division, is the principle investigator (PI) for one of six projects that will advance technologies critical to both exploration and aeronautics under NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP).
"While industry cannot justify investigating technology without an established market, NASA's long-term vision for traveling to the moon and Mars requires high-risk investment," Asnani said. "With Goodyear, we are developing airless, rubberless tire technology to use on the moon and potentially Earth. The partnership is mutually enabling: we couldn't build tires without them and they wouldn't deviate so drastically from the traditional design if we weren't sharing the risk."
The Goodyear partnership, along with Glenn's other five projects, is one of 38 partnerships awarded by NASA's IPP. The 2007 IPP projects at Glenn will contribute $1.5 million, with an additional $2 million of industry effort and $3.8 million of NASA program funding, for a total value of $7.3 million invested in support of the Glenn projects.
IPP, a NASA-wide program, funds collaborations between NASA centers and industry to develop innovative technologies in support of the four NASA Mission Directorates: Science, Exploration Systems, Aeronautics Research and Space Operations.
Image right: Staff engineer, Bill Bennett, ASRC/Electrochemistry Branch, examines battery components as part ?>of a destructive physical analysis following safety testing for the 2006 IPP "New Lithium-ion Batteries with Enhanced Safety and Power Density for Future NASA and Aerospace Missions" project. Credit: NASA
Those one-year projects will involve collaboration among three principal partners: a NASA partnership manager at Glenn; a co-principal investigator within NASA; and an external co-principal investigator from the private sector, academia or other government laboratory.
"The NASA Innovative Partnerships Program provides opportunities for Glenn to partner with the private sector to produce and enhance results of NASA's work in exploration and aeronautics," said Kathleen Needham, chief of Glenn's Technology Transfer and Partnerships Office. "Glenn's staff has once again demonstrated their creativity and willingness to collaborate with external partners to define some very exciting projects with the potential to benefit both NASA and industry."
Image left: Antony Skaff, SLI/Research Testing Division, works with the Hot Liquid Process Simulator instrument used to measure the thermal stability of the fuel samples for one of the 2006 IPP projects "Alternative Fuels for Next Generation Combustion Applications." Credit: NASA
The six projects managed by Glenn, and its partners, are:
Generalizing Moon Tire Technology -- Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio
Glenn PI: Dr. Vivake Asnani, Structures and Materials Division
Goodyear, which developed the original tires for the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, along with General Motors, is working to develop a new generation of airless, non-rubber, wire mesh tires to allow for use of heavier, longer-range exploration and lunar construction vehicles required for NASA's exploration goals. New tools will be developed to assess the tire structure as it relates to various terrains, both on the moon and on Earth.
Lunar Regolith Excavation, Handling and Processing Technology Development and Demonstrations for Outpost Operations -- Northern Centre for Advanced Technology, Inc (NORCAT), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Glenn PI: Dr. Kurt Sacksteder, Space Processes and Experiments Division
NORCAT will work to design and demonstrate new technologies that can be used to "mine" the moon for critical consumables such as water and oxygen. The machinery used for this mining will need to be very reliable and to operate in the extremely harsh lunar environment, which includes extreme temperatures and temperature variations, hard vacuum, partial gravity and highly abrasive and intrusive soil particles.
Human-rated Space Power Systems Pallet Demonstrating Fuel Cells, Lithium-Ion Batteries and Advanced Thermal Management Technologies -- Partners: The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., Hunt Valley, Md.; Center for Space Power, College Station, Texas
Glenn PI: Dr. Michelle Manzo, Power and In-Space Propulsion Division
This partnership will work on a preliminary design of a space power systems pallet. This pallet must incorporate an advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, a lithium-ion battery with advanced charge control management systems and advanced thermal technologies. It will be used to provide a means to space validate critical technologies under development by all the partners, with the potential for flight testing the resultant system on either the space shuttle or the International Space Station.
Low-Density Turbine Blade Superalloys for Improved Engine Performance and Reduced Emissions -- Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, Ariz.
Glenn PI: Dr. Rebecca MacKay, Structures and Materials Division
Honeywell will scale-up and test a NASA-patented superalloy in a lower density, stronger turbine blade with the potential to provide improved performance, reduced fuel burn and reduced emissions in subsonic aircraft.
Development and Validation of Foam-Metal Acoustic Liner for Attenuation of Turbofan Engine Noise -- Williams International, Walled Lake, Mich.
Glenn PI: Dr. Daniel Sutliff, Aeropropulsion Division, and Dr. Cheryl Bowman, Structures and Materials Division
A small business-jet-class turbofan engine will be supplied by Williams to allow NASA to test the use of foam-metal liners in close proximity to the rotor with the goal of achieving a significant reduction in aircraft noise.
Demonstration of Polymer Cross-Linked Aerogel Blanket Insulation -- Aspen Aerogels, Northborough, Mass. Parker Hannifin, Cleveland, Ohio
Glenn PI: Dr. Mary Ann Meador, Structures and Materials Division
A Glenn-developed process aimed at improving the strength of aerogel materials through the addition of cross-linked polymers. Aspen Aerogels, a world leader in the commercial production and sales of polymer aerogel composite materials, will work to scale-up the production of the material, and Parker Hannifin will assess the applicability of the aerogel composite materials for hose insulation for a number of industrial applications.
Needham reported that two of the 2006 IPP proposals are drawing to a successful closure.
Alternative Fuels for Next Generation Combustion Applications, led by Dr. Chi-Ming Lee and Dr. Dan Bulzan of the Combustion Branch, tested Fischer-Tropsch fuels using the new Pratt & Whitney ultra-high bypass ratio engine. Results have demonstrated, for the first time, that Fischer-Tropsch fuels can run in advanced engines with no combustor or fuel compatibility issues.
New Lithium-ion Batteries with Enhanced Safety and Power Density for Future NASA and Aerospace Missions, led by Dr. Rick Baldwin, Electrochemistry Branch, with a team from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ABSL and Northrup Grumman, have quantified and demonstrated the use of A123 commercial-off-the-shelf Li-ion cells to address some aerospace mission needs requiring high power and high rate capability. While life-cycle testing will continue, the Li-ion battery project team will present their findings to NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program in the near future.
For information about the IPP, visit http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/
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By Katherine Martin and Doreen Zudell
Glenn Partners with Industry to Advance Technologies
When Dr. Vivake Asnani came to NASA Glenn three years ago, he never imagined he would be working with a major tire manufacturer. Today he is leading a collaborative effort with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, to improve tire technology for a new generation of tires to be used on lunar vehicles for future exploration missions.
Image right: Glenn's Vivake Asnani, right, and Goodyear's Dave Fleming are pictured with an original wire mesh tire in Glenn's Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory. Credit: NASA/Michelle MurphyAsnani, who is the founding member of the Surface Mobility Technology team in Glenn's Structures and Materials Division, is the principle investigator (PI) for one of six projects that will advance technologies critical to both exploration and aeronautics under NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP).
"While industry cannot justify investigating technology without an established market, NASA's long-term vision for traveling to the moon and Mars requires high-risk investment," Asnani said. "With Goodyear, we are developing airless, rubberless tire technology to use on the moon and potentially Earth. The partnership is mutually enabling: we couldn't build tires without them and they wouldn't deviate so drastically from the traditional design if we weren't sharing the risk."
The Goodyear partnership, along with Glenn's other five projects, is one of 38 partnerships awarded by NASA's IPP. The 2007 IPP projects at Glenn will contribute $1.5 million, with an additional $2 million of industry effort and $3.8 million of NASA program funding, for a total value of $7.3 million invested in support of the Glenn projects.
IPP, a NASA-wide program, funds collaborations between NASA centers and industry to develop innovative technologies in support of the four NASA Mission Directorates: Science, Exploration Systems, Aeronautics Research and Space Operations.
Image right: Staff engineer, Bill Bennett, ASRC/Electrochemistry Branch, examines battery components as part ?>of a destructive physical analysis following safety testing for the 2006 IPP "New Lithium-ion Batteries with Enhanced Safety and Power Density for Future NASA and Aerospace Missions" project. Credit: NASAThose one-year projects will involve collaboration among three principal partners: a NASA partnership manager at Glenn; a co-principal investigator within NASA; and an external co-principal investigator from the private sector, academia or other government laboratory.
"The NASA Innovative Partnerships Program provides opportunities for Glenn to partner with the private sector to produce and enhance results of NASA's work in exploration and aeronautics," said Kathleen Needham, chief of Glenn's Technology Transfer and Partnerships Office. "Glenn's staff has once again demonstrated their creativity and willingness to collaborate with external partners to define some very exciting projects with the potential to benefit both NASA and industry."
The six projects managed by Glenn, and its partners, are:
Generalizing Moon Tire Technology -- Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio
Glenn PI: Dr. Vivake Asnani, Structures and Materials Division
Goodyear, which developed the original tires for the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, along with General Motors, is working to develop a new generation of airless, non-rubber, wire mesh tires to allow for use of heavier, longer-range exploration and lunar construction vehicles required for NASA's exploration goals. New tools will be developed to assess the tire structure as it relates to various terrains, both on the moon and on Earth.
Lunar Regolith Excavation, Handling and Processing Technology Development and Demonstrations for Outpost Operations -- Northern Centre for Advanced Technology, Inc (NORCAT), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Glenn PI: Dr. Kurt Sacksteder, Space Processes and Experiments Division
NORCAT will work to design and demonstrate new technologies that can be used to "mine" the moon for critical consumables such as water and oxygen. The machinery used for this mining will need to be very reliable and to operate in the extremely harsh lunar environment, which includes extreme temperatures and temperature variations, hard vacuum, partial gravity and highly abrasive and intrusive soil particles.
Human-rated Space Power Systems Pallet Demonstrating Fuel Cells, Lithium-Ion Batteries and Advanced Thermal Management Technologies -- Partners: The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., Hunt Valley, Md.; Center for Space Power, College Station, Texas
Glenn PI: Dr. Michelle Manzo, Power and In-Space Propulsion Division
This partnership will work on a preliminary design of a space power systems pallet. This pallet must incorporate an advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, a lithium-ion battery with advanced charge control management systems and advanced thermal technologies. It will be used to provide a means to space validate critical technologies under development by all the partners, with the potential for flight testing the resultant system on either the space shuttle or the International Space Station.
Low-Density Turbine Blade Superalloys for Improved Engine Performance and Reduced Emissions -- Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, Ariz.
Glenn PI: Dr. Rebecca MacKay, Structures and Materials Division
Honeywell will scale-up and test a NASA-patented superalloy in a lower density, stronger turbine blade with the potential to provide improved performance, reduced fuel burn and reduced emissions in subsonic aircraft.
Development and Validation of Foam-Metal Acoustic Liner for Attenuation of Turbofan Engine Noise -- Williams International, Walled Lake, Mich.
Glenn PI: Dr. Daniel Sutliff, Aeropropulsion Division, and Dr. Cheryl Bowman, Structures and Materials Division
A small business-jet-class turbofan engine will be supplied by Williams to allow NASA to test the use of foam-metal liners in close proximity to the rotor with the goal of achieving a significant reduction in aircraft noise.
Demonstration of Polymer Cross-Linked Aerogel Blanket Insulation -- Aspen Aerogels, Northborough, Mass. Parker Hannifin, Cleveland, Ohio
Glenn PI: Dr. Mary Ann Meador, Structures and Materials Division
A Glenn-developed process aimed at improving the strength of aerogel materials through the addition of cross-linked polymers. Aspen Aerogels, a world leader in the commercial production and sales of polymer aerogel composite materials, will work to scale-up the production of the material, and Parker Hannifin will assess the applicability of the aerogel composite materials for hose insulation for a number of industrial applications.
Needham reported that two of the 2006 IPP proposals are drawing to a successful closure.
Alternative Fuels for Next Generation Combustion Applications, led by Dr. Chi-Ming Lee and Dr. Dan Bulzan of the Combustion Branch, tested Fischer-Tropsch fuels using the new Pratt & Whitney ultra-high bypass ratio engine. Results have demonstrated, for the first time, that Fischer-Tropsch fuels can run in advanced engines with no combustor or fuel compatibility issues.
New Lithium-ion Batteries with Enhanced Safety and Power Density for Future NASA and Aerospace Missions, led by Dr. Rick Baldwin, Electrochemistry Branch, with a team from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ABSL and Northrup Grumman, have quantified and demonstrated the use of A123 commercial-off-the-shelf Li-ion cells to address some aerospace mission needs requiring high power and high rate capability. While life-cycle testing will continue, the Li-ion battery project team will present their findings to NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program in the near future.
For information about the IPP, visit http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/
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