Teams of researchers and scientists at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland were recently named as contributing to two of the top 100 technologically significant new products in 2013.
The R&D 100 Awards have long been a benchmark of excellence for industry sectors as diverse as telecommunications, high-energy physics, manufacturing and biotechnology. The awards can be vital for gauging government agency’s efforts at commercializing emerging technologies.
The technologies and teams selected are:
Superelastic Intermetallic Nickel Titanium Alloys and Manufacturing Techniques for Advanced Bearing Applications–Meant for use in ball bearings, gears and other mechanical components, these new alloys can withstand tremendous loads and stresses, but unlike those made of steel, they are immune to corrosion and rust and do not chemically degrade lubricants. They are also 20 percent lighter than steel, non-magnetic, electrically conductive, polish to a smooth finish and are readily machined before final hardening. They are ideal for use in harsh terrestrial, marine and aerospace environments.
The alloys and applications team consisted of Glenn’s Chris DellaCorte, Ron Noebe, Santo Padula, Glen Bigelow, Malcolm Stanford, Fransua Thomas and Walter Wozniak; and Glenn Glennon of Abbott Ball Company, West Hartford, Connecticut.
Thin Titanium-Water Vapor Chamber Therma-Base®–This invention is a thermal management system for cooling electronics. Along with low weight, high strength, and high heat dissipation capability, it also improves thermal performance by up to 15 times compared to a solid copper–based heat spreader. Its cutting-edge two-phase cooling approach provides extremely reliable thermal conductivity. Its unique planar structure renders it thin and compact, making it ideal for cooling proton exchange membrane fuel cells and for use in many space-based, military, and commercial applications—particularly computer electronics and light-emitting diode–based devices—that require highly reliable heat dissipation in a small and compact form factor.
The Therma-Base® team consisted of Glenn’s Ken Burke and Anthony Colozza; Ian Jakupca of Vantage Partners, Lanham, Maryland; and Sergey Semenov of Thermacore, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The R&D 100 Awards, announced annually and selected by the editors of R & D Magazine, will be presented during its banquet on November 7 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
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For more information on the 2014 R&D 100 awards, visit:
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2014/
Katherine K. Martin
Media Relations Office
216-433-2406
katherine.k.martin@nasa.gov