Technology Opportunity Showcase

Technology Opportunity Showcase highlights some unique technologies that NASA has developed and which we believe have strong potential for commercial application. While the descriptions provided here are brief, they should provide enough information to communicate the potential applications of the technology. For more detailed information, contact the person listed. Please mention that you read about it in Innovation.

Personal Cabin Pressure Altitude Monitor and
Warning System

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) seeks qualified companies to license and commercialize a technology designed to help prevent aircraft accidents by warning the crew of potentially dangerous or deteriorating cabin pressure altitude conditions.

Hypoxia, an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body’s tissues, results from unprotected exposure above certain altitudes and insidiously affects the central nervous system and organs. The most dangerous element of hypoxia is that the victim may lose the ability for critical judgment before becoming aware of any impairment.

This technology has been developed to alert the user of dangerous cabin pressure conditions based on the limits prescribed in the Federal Aviation Regulations. The device provides an alert when a programmed cabin pressure altitude is reached and an alarm if a second programmed cabin pressure altitude is reached, or after 30 minutes between the two altitudes. The technology uses a calibrated, temperature compensated, pressure transducer that functions independently from other aircraft systems. A standard unit is the size and weight of a personal pager. It contains a battery, the pressure transducer, a timer, alarms (auditory, vibratory, and visual), and a display that indicates the cabin pressure altitude and battery life.

For more information, contact Nicole Martel at Research Triangle Institute (RTI), a technology firm assisting NASA KSC with the marketing of this technology 919/541-6310. Please mention you read about it inInnovation.

New Technologies for Fire-Resistant Textiles and Membranes

NASA Langley Research Center seeks industry partners to cooperatively developcommercial products based on this technology via a patent licensing agreement. These novel polyimide fibers and waterproof, breathable membranes can be used in fire-resistant textiles and membranes. Fabrics made with the novel polyimide fibers resist solvents and moisture absorption. The byproducts from burning these textiles or membranes are less harmful than from burning competing materials.

Fiber sample testing indicates a glass transition temperature near 270¼C. The quality of the fibers, based on tensile strength and elongation-to-break data, allows them to be used with normal textile equipment. Since the fibers are thermoplastic, they can be co-mingled with reinforcing media such as glass fiber, graphite fiber, and inert fillers to form composite structures that could have uses in fire-resistant applications. Melt-extruding the fibers eliminates the need for volatile liquids such as acids or organic solvents. The process also is relatively inexpensive and offers an alternative to hot compression molding, ream extrusion, direct forming, and hot coining processes using powder feed. In addition to polyimide fibers, polyimide powders are used by NASA to form waterproof, breathable, fire-resistant laminates. Suspending polyimide powder particles in silicone rubber creates pathways that allow the passage of water vapor molecules but not liquid water. Fabrics coated with this laminate simultaneously repel liquid and permit the passage of water vapor. Additionally, the laminate significantly reduces the danger of toxic compound production when exposed to high heat sources.

For more information, contact Diane Hope at NASA Langley Research Center 757/864-7294 d.l.hope@larc.nasa.gov Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

Affordable, Robust Ceramic Joining Technology (ARCJoinT)

NASA is seeking partners to finish the development and commercialization of a process to join silicon carbide-based ceramics and fiber-reinforced composites. The engineering design of the majority of these components often requires fabrication of complex shaped components, which are very expensive. The technology was developed at NASA Glenn Research Center in collaboration with Dynacs Engineering Company, Inc. This new way of joining allows the fabrication of complex shapes by joining geometrically simple shapes. The joining technology at NASA was a winner of the R&D 100 Award in 1999 and NORTECH (EDI) Innovation Award in 2000. The as-machined surfaces are cleaned in acetone and dried before joining.

The joining steps include the application of a carbonaceous mixture in the joint area and curing it at 110-120¼C for 10 to 20 minutes. A silicon or silicon-alloy in tape, paste or slurry form is applied to the joint regions and heated up to 1250-1450¼C (depending on the type of infiltrant) for 5 to 10 minutes. Molten silicon or silicon-alloy reacts with carbon to form silicon carbide with controllable amounts of silicon and other phases as determined by the alloy composition. No high temperature tooling is needed and the joint thickness and composition can be controlled.

For more information, contact Dr. M. Singh at NASA Glenn Research Center, 216/433-8883 msingh@grc.nasa.gov Please mention you read about it in Innovation.