DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 310 945 SE 050 899

AUTHOR Haggerty, James J.TITLE Spinoff 1986.INSTITUTION National Aeronautics and Space Administration,

Washington, D.C.PUB DATE Aug 86NOTE 132p.; For other volumes, see ED 296 910 and SE 050

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EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Aviation Technology; *Industrialization; *Science and

Society; Science Programs; *Scientific and TechnicalInformation; *Scientific Research; Space Sciences;*Technological Advancement; *Technology Transfer

IDENTIFIERS *National Aeronautics and Space Administration

ABSTRACT

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) seeks to broaden and accelerate use of their technicalknowledge. This publication is intended to heighten public awarenessof the technology available for use and its potential for economicand social benefit to the United States. Section 1 outlines NASA'smainline efforts that generate new technology, including aviationtechnology, space technology, the space station, and commerical usesof space. Section 2 contains a representati%n> sampling of spinoffproducts and processes that resulted from technology utilization, orsecondary application, including the area of public safety, health,transportation, energy, consumerism, environment, manufacturingtechnology, and agriculture. Section 3 describes the variousmechanisms NASA employs to stimulate technology utilization andlists, in an appendix, contact sources for further information aboutthe Technology Utilization Program. (YP)

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SPINOFF 1986

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Office of Commercial Programs

Technology Utilization Division

by James J. Haggerty

August 1986

For sale by theSuperintendent of Documents,U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C. 20402

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FO.RE WORD

The year 1986 inevitably will beremembered as the year of theChallenger tragedy and the temporarydisruption of America's launchcapability.

I hope it also will be remembered asthe year of a new beginning for NASA,and the nation's space programaprogram that will be better and morereliable because we learned from ourmistakes. NASA's belief in the future ofspace exploration and its attendantgoals to that end have not changed, norhas the promise of public benefitthrough aerospace research.

The Space Station, which NASA isdeveloping in cooperation withfriendly nations, will permit continu-ous long-term space operations. It willafford a significantly improved capabil-ity for pursuing scientific and techno-logical research, and provide poten-tially enormous benefits to improve lifeon Earth.

NASA's space science effort will con-tinue to provide a wealth of new scien-tific knowledge. That knowledge isimmensely valuable in its own right;but it also is vital to provide anexpanded base for tomorrow's practicalapplications.

In the area of aeronautical research,NASA's major thrusts involve technol-ogy for a 1990s generation ofsuperefficient subsonic aircraft and anexperimental aerospace plane able tooperate within or beyond the atmo-sphere after ascent from a conventionalrunway. Successful implementation ofthe advanced aircraft program could

lead to a space transport system capa-ble of delivering payloads that wouldorbit at a fraction of today's cost, and tothe development of a 21st century air-liner flying passengers at hypersonicspeed.

NASA's new beginning comes at atime when rapid technological progresshas created opportunities for revolu-tionary aerospace advances. It is also atime of increasingly intense compe-tition among nations for the economicand social benefits that will accruefrom such advances. It is vitally impor-tant that the United States meet the in-ternational challenge and maintain itsleadership in aerospace technology.NASA is committed to meeting thisgreat challenge.

James C. FletcherAdministrator

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

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INTRODUCTION

Technology, says a dictionary; is thesum of the ways in which a societyprovides the material objects of civi-lization. In other words, it is technicalknow-how, or simply knowledge. And,like other forms of knowledge, it istransferable; technology developed forone purpose can be applied to usesdifferentand often remotefrom theoriginal application.

This secondary use of once-devel-oped technologyspinoffis impor-tant to the Nation because it representsan extra dividend on the original in-vestment, hence is an aid to increasednational productivity.

NASA programs, by their challengingnature, are particularly demanding oftechnological advances and the tech -nologies they generate are exception-ally diverse. Thus, the large storehouseof technology built over more than aquarter century of space explorationand six decades of aeronautical re-search constitutes a national resource,a bank of knowledge available fornew uses.

By Congressional mandate, NASA ischarged with stimulating the widestpossible use of this valuable resource.Through its Technology Utilization Pro-gram, NASA seeks to encourage greateruse of the knowledge bank by provid-ing a link between the technology andthose who might be able to put it toadvantageous secondary use. The aimis to accelerate and broaden the tech-nology transfer process, thereby to gainnational benefit in terms of new prod-ucts, new processes, new jobs and abonus return on the funds invested inaerospace research.

This publication is intended to fosterthat aim by heightening awareness ofthe NASA technology available fortransfer and its potential for benefit.Spinoff 1986 is organized in threesections:

Section 1 outlines NASA's mainlineeffort, the major programs that generatenew technology and therefore expandthe bank of knowledge available forfuture transfer.

Section 2, the focal point of thisvolume, contains a representativesampling of spinoff products andprocesses that resulted from technologyutilization, or secondary application.

Section 3 describes the variousmechanisms NASA employs to stimu-late technology utilization and lists, inan appendix, contact sources for furtherinformation about the TechnologyUtilization Program.

Isaac T. Gill= IVAssistant Administrator fo'Commercial Programs

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

AEROSPACE AIMS

'Flight Plan for Tomorrow 8

To the Planets and Beyond 20

Tomorrow in Space 32

Commercial Use of Space 42

TECHNOLOGY TWICE USED

Prologue 50

Spinoffs in:Public Safety 54

Health and Medicine 60

Transportation 70

Energy 76

Consumer/Home/Recreation 84

Environment 92

Manufacturing Technology/ 100Industrial Productivity

Agriculture/Resources Management

TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION

110

Putting Technology to Work 118

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A national policy `roadmap'charts an exciting course forNASA aeronautical research

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FLIGHT ELAN FOR TOMORROW

The United States has long been theworld's leader in aeronautical technol-ogy and it is vitally important that theU.S. retain that leadershipimportantto defense, to American jobs, to theU.S. international trade balance and tothe national economy as a whole.

Today, however, U.S. aeronauticalpreeminence is being challenged by awave of intense competition that hasnarrowed the American technologicaladvantage. Countries of Western Eu-rope, the Soviet Union, Japan and evensome emerging nations have advancedtheir technical capabilities to the pointwhere, in a number of aeronauticsrelated areas, they have achieved competence at least comparable and insome cases superior to that of the U.S.

Noting that the U.S. can ill afford orallow any further erosion of its compet-itive position, the White House Officeof Science and Technology Policy(OSTP) responded last year with a pol-icy "roadmap" for a research and devel-opment program whose success wouldassure continued U.S. aeronauticalleadership well into the next century.The answer to revitalizing America'scompetitive posture, said OSTP, is anintensified R&D effort concentrated oncertain "high payoff" technologies,those that )ffer really dramatic imprf.wemePts in the cost and perfor-mance of future aeronautical systems.Such an effort, OSTP continued,"would result in 21st centuly civil andmilitary aircraft of clear-cut superiority.Their technical excellence and cost ad-

vintages would more than overcomeforeign competition."

To focus the direction of aeronauticalR&D, OSTP made three specific recommendations, including an acceler-ated effort to advance key technologiesfor a new generation of superefficientsubsonic aircraft; work on pacingtechnologies for sustained supersoniccruise flight; and a program of "trans-atmospheric" research aimed towarddevelopment of an aerospace planethat could operate routinely in theatmosphere or into orbit from conven-tional runways.

Administration acceptance of two ofthose recommendations is reflected inthe President's Fiscal Year 1987 budgetproposal being deliberated by Con-gress. The proposed budget supportscontinued NASA development of keytechnologies for advanced subsonic air-craft and also calls for initiation of aNational Aerospace Plane program.Planned as a joint NASA/Department ofDefense effort, the latter program wasdefined by OSTP as one "to developand demonstrate the technologies for arevolutionary class of aerospace vehi-cles, powered by airbreathing engines,that would have the capability to takeoff and land horizontally on a standardrunway, cruise in the atmosphere athypersonic speeds, or fly into Earthorbit."

The plan calls for accelerated devel-opment of the enabling technologies,including propulsion, materials, structures and airframe design. A decision toproceed with construction of an experi-mental technology demonstrator, orX-plane, would be made in the latterpart of 1988. The Air Force has been

assigned program management respon-sibility; NASA is responsible for overalltechnology direction. Successful dem-onstration of the advanced technol-ogies in flight would pave the way for anew family of important applications,among them:

A space transportation vehicleproviding rapid access to space anddelivery of payloads to orbit at lowercosts.An entirely new class of military air-craft of extraordinary performanceand survivability.A 21st century hypersonic passengertransport, typically one flying at alti-tudes above 100,000 feet at speeds of4,000 miles per hour or more, possibly much more.

The subsonics goal set forth by theOffice of Science and Technology Pol.icy (OSTP) envisions an entirely newgeneration of extraordinarily efficientaircraft, including commercial trans-ports, military airlifters and high speedrotorcraft. They will burn substantiallyless fuel than their current counter-pans, have dramatically lower overalloperating costs, be produciblehencesalableat lower cost, and enablesuperior transportation at fares lowerthan today's.

That's a big order, but feasible. NASAis already working on, and has madeconsiderable progress in, the four areasof technology listed by OSTP as "inte-gral" to the development of such subsonic aircraft:

Propulsion systems. A major NASAeffort in propulsion research involvesinvestigation of advanced turbopropsystems that could power 1990s trans-ports at jetliner speeds with fuel say-

ings up to 30 percent (see page 14).NASA is also developing technologyincluding materials, instrumentationand controlsfor a generation ofhighly advanced turbofan engines thatwill be able to operate at higher tem-peratures and pressures for increasedperformance and efficiency.

Laminar flow control, a means ofcontrolling the layer of air next to anairplane's skin, keeping it smooth(laminar) to reduce aerodynamic dragand dramatically lower fuel consump-tion. NASA has identified several prom-ising technologies and some haveadvanced to flight test status.

Structural materials. NASA has ac-complished a great deal of research insecondary structures made of compos-ite materials, generally lighter yet stron-ger than metals. Composites constitute

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one ope of airplane envisioned for "transcentury"service is the advanced turbopropairliner, capable of operating aUmliner speedsbut with dramatically better fuel efficiency

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FLIGHT PLAN FOR TOMORROW (continued)

The "transannospherk" goal, an aerospaceplane capable of operating within or outside theatmosphere for more flexible, less costly lin 'th.toorbit gyrations.

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about three percent of the structuralweight of the latest U.S. jetliners andtheir use is growing. NASA is nowinvestigating a new generation of maserials and advanced design conceptsthat exploit the unique properties ofcomposites for reduced weight andincreased damage tolerance.

Flight controls. Research over thepast several years has built a strongtechnology base for advanced digitalelectronicrather than mechanicalflight controls and for systems of irate

grated flight and propulsion controlsthat offer greater airplane efficiency,improved handling qualities andreduced crew workload.

Another of OSTP's stated goals, thetransatmospheric goal, envisioned "acapability to routinely cruise into andout of the atmosphere with takeoff andlanding from conventional runways."The National Aerospace Plane repre-sents an experimental first step towardthat goal, a technology advancementeffort that could lead to operationalderivatives in the early 21st century.

Defined in a 1984.85 exploratoryresearched program conducted jointlyby the Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency and NASA, the aero-space plane concept centers on a hy-drogen-powered, horizontal takeoff andlanding aircraft capable of flyins fromEarth to orbital altitudes at speeds up to17,000 miles per hour.

The primary hypersonic propulsionsystem for the aerospace plane is thesupersonic combustion ramjet, or"scramjet," burning a mixture of hydro-gen and air; this obviates the need tocarry onboard liquid oxygen for com-bustion, as is necessary in today'srocket-powered launch vehicles. Theaerospace plane's horizontal takeoffand landing capability would eliminatethe costly launch complex currentlyrequired for the Space Shuttle and un-manned boosters. Thus, a later deriva-tive of the aerospace plane, needing noon-board oxygen or vertical launch fa-cilities, could potentially operate Withairplane-like flexibility and deliver pay-loads to orbit at a fraction of today'scost, with profound implications forfuture space operations.

Although it might seem that littletechnology exists for such an advancedconcept as the aerospace plane, NASAin fact has a long history of interest andinvolvement in hypersonic and trans-atmospheric vehicle technologies. Itbegan in the 1950s with the X-15 re-search airplane, which first exploredmanned hypersonic flight; it continuedin the 1960s with research on hyper-sonic airbreathing propulsion systems,in the early 1970s with lifting body air-craft research and more recently withthe Space Shuttle. Thus, although theNational Aerospace Plane will demandextensive development of new technol-ogy, there already exists a solid tech-nology base to serve as a departurepoint.

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Successfid development of the experimentalNational Aerospace Plane would make possible

a derivative hypersonic transport carryingpassengers at speeds upward of 4,000 miles

per hour.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT

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For more than 20 years, themilitary services have beenoperating aircraft whosewing sweep angles can bechanged in flight to get thebest aerodynamic efficiencyfor a given speed. A long-desired complement to thevariable sweep wing is thevariable camber wing, onewhose camberthe fore toaft curve of the airfoilcanalso be changed to get theoptimum wing shape for agiven flight condition, forexample, approach, landing,cruise, maneuvering ormaximum speed operation.

Such a wing, known asthe Mission Adaptive Wing(MAW), is part of the AirForce/NASA AdvancedFighter Technology Integra-tion (AFTI) program, whichinvolves flight testing ofaerodynamic and electronicadvancements that might beincorporated in future mili-tary aircraft. The MAW wingwas built under Air Forcecontract by Boeing MilitaryAirplane Company and in-stalled on a NASA NF-111aircraft earlier u6,-d onseveral research programs.Known as the AFTI F-111(top photo) the testbedaircraft has variable sweepcapability (as does thestandard F-111 fighter) inaddition to variable camber.

Covered by a flexiblecomposite material, the

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MAW wing has a computer-ized system of sensors, con-trols and internal hydraulicacuators to change the foreto aft contour. The MAWprogram is intended to dem-onstrate the use of variablecamber technology as ameans of effecting dramaticimprovements in aircraftpayload, range, maneuver-ability, fuel efficiency andhandling qualities. Firstflown in October 1985, theAFTI F-111 completed itsflight test program this yearat NASA's Ames-DrydenFlight Research Facility.

Also in flight test status atAmesDryden is the X-29Aadvanced technology dem-onstrator (left center), spon-sored by the Defense Ad-vanced Research ProjectsAgency with support fromNASA and the Air Force. TheX-29A features a unique for-ward-swept wing, made ofcomposite materials, whichoffers weight reduction of asmuch as 20 percent in com-parison with conventionalaft-swept wings. It also has avariable-camber system,similar in part to that of theAFTI F-111, that alters theshape of the wing's trailingedge to provide the bestwing shape for a given set

of flight conditions. Amongother advanced technol-ogies incorporated in theX-29A are a digital flightcontrol system; flaperonsthat combine the functionsof flaps and ailerons in a sin-gle airfoil; and forward 'ca-nard" wings whose anglesrelative to the airflo- arecomputer-adjusted 40 timesa second as a means of im-proving flight efficiency andaircraft agility. The X-29Aprogram is intended to dem-onstrate that this combina-tion of technologies makesit possible to build smaller,lighter and more efficientaircraft without sacrificingperformance.

Another AFTI project atAmes-Dryden is the AFTIF-16 (left bottom), a testversion of the General Dy-namics F-16 in operationalservice with the USAF.Ames-Dryden earlier con-ducted a Phase 1 programthat focused on evaluationof the F-16's computerizedflight control system and, in1985, initiated Phase 2 to in-vestigate the aircraft's Auto-mated Maneuvering AttackSystem, which integratesflight controls and fire con-trols to achieve automaticdelivery of weapons. Phase2 will be completed thisyear.

In cooperation with theNavy, NASA is starting a new

program that involves flighttesting of an advancedoblique wing concept. Anoblique wing is one that canbe pivoted in flight to formoblique angles with the air-plane's fuselage. Duringtakeoff and low speed oper-ation, such a wing would beat right angles to the fuse-lage or "straight." At fasterspeeds, it would swingaround a pivot so that theleading edge on one side isswept forward, the otherswept aft. In that configura-tion, the airplane would en-courter less air drag, so theoblique wing concept offersgreater aerodynamic effi-ciency at high speed whilemaintaining efficiency atlow speed.

In 1980.81, with a smallresearch craft known as theAD-1, NASA successfullydemonstrated the feasibilityof pivoting a wing inflightbut only at lowspeeds. The new program,which will employ the fuse-lage of a NASA F-8 researchplane with a new obliquewing (upper right), will ex-tend the technology to tran-sonic and supersonic speedsup to Mach 1.4 or close to1,000 miles per hour. Firstflights are planned for 1988.

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Among other NASAprojects are flight tests of aNavy F-18 fighter to investi-gate further stability andcontrol problems and otherphenomena experienced byhigh performance aircraftoperating at high angles ofattack (Lie angle of thewing to the airflow movingover it); the F-15 HIDEC(Highly Integrated DigitalElectronic Controls) pro-gram, involving flight research of advanced technol-ogy for integration of flight

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controls and propulsioncontrols; tests of advancedflight and engine controlsand cockpit displays in aMarine Corps AV-8B verticallift shipboard fighter; andwind tunnel tests of variousconfigurations for a super-sonic STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing)aircraft (above).

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ADVANCED TURBOPROPS

Despite moderation of jetfuel prices in recent years,fuel cost remains a pressingproblem for the airlineindustry and operators ofbusiness jets. Today, fuel ac-counts for about 30 percentof an airline's total operatingcosts and no one can besure that there will not beanother sharp price escala-tion, such as those experi-enced in the oil crises ofthe 1970s. Thus, there is in-creasing interest in the po-tential of the advanced tur-bine/propeller engine, orturboprop, which has inher-ently better fuel consump-tion than the jet engine.

When the jetliner madeits U.S. debut in the late1950s, the turboprop rapidlylost favor among commer-cial operators, because thepropellers of that day werelimited in tip speed and thatin turn restricted airplanespeed. Now, however, re-searchers have found thatadvanced propellers, or

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propfans, can providejetliner speeds when cou-pled with similarly advanceddrive systems and other newpropulsion technologiesand they can do so at fuelconsumption rates 15 to 30percent lower than a turbo-fan engine of the same timeperiod. If this potential isconfirmed by flight research,and if other turboprop draw-backssuch as noise and vi-brationcan be overcome,the propeller may stage acomeback in commercial airservice and allow airlinefuel savings of billions ofdollars annually.

For several years, LewisResearch Center has beendeveloping technology forpropfan systems that couldbe available to aircraft man-ufacturers in the early 1990s.The type of propeller that isemerging from Lewisresearch bears little resem-blance to the turbine-drivenpropeller of the 1950s. In-stead of the straight bladesof their ancestcr, propfandesigns feature extremelythin blades that sweep awayfrom the direction of rota-tion (top left) to providegreater efficiency at high tipspeeds. The blades areshorter than those of earlierturboprops, so the tips donot have to move as fast fora given airplane speed re-quirement. And where the

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old turboprops generallyhad four blades, the propfanhas more, typically eight, inorder to compensate for thethrust reduction caused byshortening the blades.

One advanced turbopropsystem has been extensivelyground tested and is nowbeing readied for flight test-ing under NASA's PropfanTest Assessment program.The system includes a nine-foot-diameter propfan as-sembly developed for Lewisby Hamilton Standard Divi-sion of United Technol-ogies; a drive systemconsisting of a modified ex-isting engine and gearbox,built by General Motors' Al-lison Gas Turbine Division;and a new-design enginenacelle built by Rohr Indus-tries, Inc. The whole assem-bly will be mounted as an"extra engine" on the wingof a twinjet Gulfstream ITlight transport (lower left)being modified by Lock-heedGeorgia Company.The latter company will con-duct a series of flight tests,beginning late this year andfocusing on propfan struc-tural integrity and acousticcharacteristics, the two re-

marring technical issues thatcannot be adequately inves-tigated at model scale. Lock-heed-California Companywill conduct separateground tests, analyze acous-tic data from the flight testsand develop new conceptsfor cabin noise reduction, animportant part of the pro-gram if the reborn propelleris to gain passenger accep-tance and realize its poten-tial in commercial service.

The Hamilton Standard/Allison propfan is a singlerotation system. Lewis isalso conducting res^arch,both analytical and experi-mental, on counter-rotatingpropellers and their drivesystems to determine theaerodynamic and acousticcharacteristics of bothgeared and ungeared de-signs and to evaluate the rel-ative merits of the single ro-tation and counter-rotationsystems. Now undergoingground test at General Elec-tric Company is a uniquetype of propfan known asthe "unducted fan" or UDF(right), a counter-rotationsystem with two rows ofeight blades. The UDF's fanblades are highly swept air-foils made of composite ma-terial to provide stiffnessand strength at light weight;the fans are driven directlyfrom the turbine without anintervening gearbox.

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ROTARY WING RESEARCH

At kit is a model of a new"X-wing" rotor concept thatwill be extensively flighttested, beginning this year,in a NASA/Defense Ad-vanced Research Projects

Agency program managedby Ames Research Center.The X-wing rotor has beendesigned for proof-of-con-cept testing on a RotorSystems Research Aircraft(RSRA), two of which werebuilt by Sikorsky Aircraft forinvestigations of promisingrotorcraft concepts with fu-ture commercial or militarypotential.

The X-wing rotor has fourextremely stiff blades thatcan be stopped in flight tobecome, in effect, an X-shaped fixed wing. For take-off, hovering and low speedflight, the rotor operates inthe spinning mode as a

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helicopter rotary wing; at aspeed of about 200 milesper hour, the rotor isstopped and locked in placeto provide fixed-wing liftfor attaining much higherspeeds, perhaps approach-

ing 500 miles per hour. Therotor can be restarted inflight for landing in the heli-copter-mode. The X-wingconcept offers utility as acivil or military short-haultransport beginning aboutthe end of the century.

In another area of rotarywing research, NASA signedan agreement with the Fed-eral Aviation Administrationand the Department of De-fense to study the possiblenational benefits of furtherdevelopment of tilt-rotor air-craft, which combine thevertical lift advantages of thehelicopter with the greaterforward speed of the fixed-wing airplane. The feasibil-ity of this concept has beendemonstrated in seven yearsof flight testsconductedby Ames Research Centerand Bell HelicopterTextronof the XV-15 Tilt-Rotor Research Aircraft pic-tured at left, a joint NASA/Army project. Bell built thetwo experimental XV-15s,which have helicopter-likerotors that provide verticallift for takeoff, then tilt for-ward to become propellers

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for cruise flight at speeds upto 350 miles per hour.

The success of the XV-15led to a Department of De-fense design and develop-ment program for a larger,more advanced tilt-rotorknown as the V-22 Osprey,being built by Bell Helicop-ter Textron and BoeingVertol Company. The three-agency study will center onthe V-22, including the po-tential for other versions andsizes, both civil and military;the considerations of certify-ing tilt-rotors for civil opera-tions; the impact of civilproduction on the defenseindustrial base; and identifi-cation of possible technol-ogy spinoffs. Targeted forfirst flight in 1988, the V-22is expected to bring tilt-rotortechnology closer to matu-rity and thereby reduce theinvestment risk involved indeveloping commercialversions.

COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION

Earlier this year, Ames Re-search Center introduced toservice the High Speed Pro-cessor-1, a Cray 2 systemthat is the fastest super-computer yet designed. Itrepresents the first majorbuilding block in the NASA-Ames Numerical Aeiody-namic Simulation (NAS)program, an effort to de-velop the world's most pow-erful computational facilityfor aeronautical researchand development.

Researchers have longemployed computer designtechniques in developingnew aircraft, creating math-ematical airplane modelsand "flying" them by com-puter simulation; this en-ables study of the perfor-mance and structuralbehavior of many differentdesigns before settling onone configuration. In recentyears, computational simula-tion has expanded enor-mously to embrace calcula-tion and visual imagery(right) of many types offorces acting on airplaneand engine components,including phenomena thatcannot be realisticallysimulated in wind tunnels.

The NAS will be an evolu-tionary development; in1989, when its extended op-erating capability has beenattained, the facility will

permit realization of a majorgoal in aeronautical science:the ability to simulate rou-tinely the immeasurablycomplex three-dimensionalairflow about a completeairplane. Such a capabilitywill allow solution of manypreviously intractable prob-lems and it will make possi-ble performance of most ofthe calculations required todevelop an advanced air-plane with increased accuracy and reliability, Thus,NAS will not only improve

the desigdprocess, provid-ing cost savings and aircraftperformance gains, it willalso reduce the long andexpensive wind tunnel andflight testing necessary tovalidate a design.

The key to attainment ofthe goal is far greater com-puter capability than hashitherto been available toNASA and industry. TheHigh Speed Processor-1 canperform 250 million opera-tions a second, more thanthree times faster than theprevious generation ofsupercomputers. But eventhat extraordinary perfor-mance represents only onestep toward the goal; NASA

hopes to expand NAS in1987 to a processing rate ofone billion operations persecond. In addition to itsimportant advantages in air-craft design, NAS will fur-ther benefit U.S. scienceand industry as a nationalfacilit) for research in otherareas, such as non - aerospacestructures, materials,weather and chemistry.

STORM HAZARDS RESEARCH

The airplane picturedabove, though more than aquarter century old, isextremely rugged and theideal craft for an unusualflight research job: trying toget hit by lighting. Operatedby Langley Research Center,it is an extensivelyinstrumented and lightning-hardened F-106B that hasrecorded more than 650lightning strikes on itssurfaces.

The work of the F-106Band its pilots is part ofNASA's Langley-conductedStorm Hazards Program,intended to improve thecapability for detecting andavoiding severe storm haz-ards and to provide a know-

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ledge base for protectingaircraft against hazards thatcannot be avoided.Equipped with two moviecameras and other sensors,the F-106B serves as alaboratory for studying theelectromagnetic characteris-tics of lightning strikes andimproving knowledge of thesusceptibility to lightning ofvarious parts of the aircraftsurface. This lightning phys-ics research is important tothe safety of tomorrow's air-craft. Current airplanes areprotected by their alumi-num skins, which are natural

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conductors; but future air-craft may have skins of lessconductive composite ma-terials and they will alsohave electronic controlspotentially more sensitive tolightning damage than to-day's mechanical controls,so protective measures mustbe devised.

Another part of the StormHazards Program is researchon heavy rain effect. Heavyrain can momentarily blurairfoil shapes, hence changethe airflow and cause loss ofairplane performance, possi-bly severe enough to affectsafety. Investigations areconducted in the Langley fa-cility shown below, a windtunnel equipped with a

spray system that simulatesmoderate to extremelyheavy rainfall on a wingmodel instrumented torecord force, moment andpressure data. The aim isimproved understanding ofthe mechanisms involvedand predictability of rain-caused changes in airplaneperformance (right).

Flying a B57B researchairplane, Langley is acquir-ing detailed data on turbu-lence in severe environ-ments, including tornadoes,funnel clouds and thunder-storm "outflows." Measure-ment of gust velocities invertical, lateral and longitu-dinal components are madeby "flow booms" (above)on either wingtip and on thenose of the B5713. This in-formation is important to air-craft structure design and toformulation of pilot trainingprograms.

A related effort is researchon wind shear, a suddenshift in wind velocity and

direction often associatedwith severe storms. The"microburst," the most vio-lent form of-wind shear, hasbeen identified as the prob-able cause of many aircraftaccidents. NASA research isdirected toward develop-ment of technology for ad-vanced ground and airbornesystems to detect wind shearand cockpit displays forwarning and avoidance ofthe hazard.

In a separate program,Lewis Research Center isengaged in laboratory andflight investigations of icingon fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Icing cancause increased aircraftdrag, reduced lift, stall, en-gine power loss and otherhazards. Lewis' Icing Re-search Thnnel simulatesnatural icing conditions fortests of full -scale aircraft

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components, ice protectionsystems and instrumentationfor flight tests. The centeralso operates aninstrumented researchairplane to fly into icingconditions and study icingproblems under natural,rather than simulated condi-tions. Researchers are seek-ing ways to prevent ice fromforming, remove it afterforming, or both.

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NASA's space science and applica-tions program seeks greaterknowledge of the universe andexpanded Earth benefits throughpractical applications of spacetechnology

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0 THE PLANETS AND BEYOND

Uranus, the seventh planet of the solarsystem, was discovered in 1781 by SirWilliam Herschel, a British musician,astronomer and telescope builder. Twohundred and five years later, the Voy-ager 2 interplanetary probe made thefirst spacecraft encounter with Uranusand provided scientists their first closeview of the distant planet, some twobillion miles from Earth.

That great distance makes the plan-et's detail visible only to the most pow-erful Earth-based telescopes and thenonly dimly, so not much was knownabout Uranus, its moons and its rings,until the Voyager reconnaissance. Thus,science has learned far more about theUranus system from the Voyager 2 en-counter than was learned in all theprior years since the planet's discovery.

Voyager made its closest approach toUranus-50,000 mileson January 24,1986. However, the Uranus encounterofficially began on November 4, 1985and continued for 113 days, throughFebruary 25, 1986. During that time,the spacecraft's 11 instruments sent toEarth volumes of data and thousands ofimages of incalculable scientific value.

Among Voyager's findings,In addition to the five known moonsof Uranus, which range in size from300 miles in diameter to more than1,000, there are 10 others, small satel-lites averaging about 30 miles across.Never before seen in detail, the twolargest Uranian moonsOberon andTitaniahave wide cracks in theirsurfaces and are crater-pocked likeEarth's moon. Voyager 2 also con-firmed earlier telescopic observationsof ice on the moons.

22

Unusual Miranda, innermost of thefive large moons, has a crazy quiltsurface made up of virtually all thegeologic forms found elsewhere inthe solar system, for example, highcliffs, cratered areas, rolling hills,grooved terrain, linear valleys andridges, fault systems and varyingsurface reflectivityUranus has 10 rings, not nine aspreviously believed; the nine rings,incidentally, were not discovereduntil 1977.The planet has a surprisingly strongmagnetic field and its magnetic polesare tilted sharply away from the axisof rotation. The degree of tiltabout55 degreesis unique in the solarsystem; in other planets, includingEarth, the magnetic and rotationalpoles are separated by only a fewdegrees.Temperature readings indicated thatthe surface of Uranus is about 390degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

Voyager 2's close flybyat 45,000miles per hourlasted for six hours.Voyager then flew into a trajectorywherein Uranus' immense gravity wasutilized as a "slingshot" to hurl thespacecraft toward Neptune, the eighthplanet, 2.8 billion miles from Earth.Voyager 2 is scheduled to make a veryclose approach to Neptunewithin800 mileson August 25, 1989. Thatwill be the spacecraft's fourth planetary

encounter over a 12-year span. Alongwith a companion craftVoyager lit left Earth in 1977, flew past Jupiter(1979) and Saturn (1981) and returnedsome 70,000 images of those planets.

Managed by Jet Propulsion Labora-tory, the Voyager project exemplifiesone aspect of an area of NASA effortknown as space science and applica-tions. The space science program em-braces four main avenues of research:solar system exploration, or investiga-tion of the planets, moons, comets,asteroids and other phenomena in thesolar system; astrophysics, the study of

23

These computertetzerated views show Voyager 2on its historic encounter with the planet Uranus,never before visited by spacecraft and observedonly dimly by Earth based telescopes. At left,Vol ager is 21/2 hours away from its closest ap.proach to Uranus; above, the spacecraft isflying past Miranda, innermost of Uranus' fivemajor moons. On January 24, 1986, Voyager 2flew within 50,000 miles of Uranus and 18,000miles of Miranda.

21

The above is a color compo,Ite of the Uranianmoon Miranda, taken by lbyager 2 from adistance of91,000 miles The pkture was construtted from several images acquired by the

Harrow-angle camera's green, violet and ultra.violet filters Smallest of Uranus' major satellites,

Miranda is more potatolhaped than sphericaland has an unusual surface made up of many

diliment geologic forms The upper right image isa clear.filter closeup of Miranda taken from24000 miles; it shows a variety of grooves, ridges

and tram. There arc also many impact craters,the largest about 20 miles in diameter; some of

the others ranging from three to six miles in di-ameter. Taken still closer to Miranda, at 22,000miles the lower image covers an area about150 miles across. 7Wo distinct terrain apes are

visible; the rugged, higher elevation terrain atright and a lower, striated terrain. The big crater hi the lower part of the image is estimatedat 15 miles in diameter.

TO THE PLANETS AND BEYOND (continued)

.14

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, , 2ft..., i't% A _I4.-- P 7

, ... '..........c ....,' ` 1 It Z.44' 'lel!

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distant stars and galaxies; solar terres-trial research, study of the Sun's energyprocesses and their interactions withEarth's environment; and life sciencesresearch, aimed at understanding theorigin and distribution of life in theuniverse and at utilizing the space me-dium to improve Earth knowledge ofbiology and medicine.

The related applications program in-volves use of space technology to gen-erate direct public benefit on Earth.Examples include technology for thenowoperational systems of communi-cations, weather and Earth resourcessurvey satellites, which NASA pio-

neered in the 1960s and 19-1.JS-. Amongmore recent examples are a space-based system designed to aid searchand rescue operations and, in develop-ment, an orbital laboratory for monitor-ing the upper atmosphere and anocean dynamics survey satellite ofimportance to maritime operations.

25

These are Voyager 2 images of the two largest

moons In the Uranus sotem, Titania at left andOberon above, both about 1,000 miles in Name.ter. The Titania pktute is a reconstruction ofthree frames taken when Voyager was about two

million miles from the satellite; the Oberon viewwas made sligh*, closer, at 1.72 million milesThe surfaces of both moons show areas of lighter

and darker material, probably associated withimpact craters formed during long mposure to

cosmic bombardment. Thu lack of strong color

in both satellites is a distinctive characteristicof the moons and rings of Urania

23

11110.

24

FIRST COMET ENCOUNTER

In the scientific quest forunderstanding how the solarsystem began and how itevolved, spacecraft and tele-scopic studies of the planetshave provided much importarn evolutionary data. Butthe planets, particularly theinner planets, have changedconsiderably since the solarsystem was formed somefour and a half billion yearsago. Scientists need a \ Val oflooking back to the begin-ning. Comets have becomepriority research targetsbecause they are believed tocontain materials relativelyunchanged since the forma-tive epoch, hence offer valu-able clues to the earliestphysical and chemicalmakeup of the solar system.

The first of a number ofplanned closeup cometarystudies was accomplishedon September 11, 1985,when NASA's InternationalCometary Explorer (ICE) in-tercepted Comet Giacobini-Zinner, a relatively smallcomet that makes a passaround the Sun every sixand a half years. At point44 million miles from Earth,ICE flew through the com-et's tail within 4,800 milesof the nucleus. Traveling at45,000 miles per hour, ICEtook 20 minutes to cross thetail, establishing tail widthat 14,000 miles, about threetimes wider than antici

gated. The spacecraftreported data withoutinterruption during theencounter and emergedunscathed; scientists atGoddard Space Flight Cen-ter, which manages the ICEprogram, had feared thatthe spacecraft might bedestroyed by a blizzard ofhigh velocity dust particlesin the comet's tail.

In its brief encounter,ICE provided a wealth ofimportant data that scientistswill be studying for yearsAmong initial findings, datarvealed that no clear-cutbow shock accompanied thecomet; the existence or lackof bow shock, a phenome-non like the bow wave thatbuilds up in front of an aircraft approaching the speedof sound, had been a matterof conflicting conjectureamong scientists. An unexpected finding was the de-tectionwhile ICE was stillmore than a clay and some1.4 million miles away fromthe nucleusof electricalwave (plasma) disturbancescoining from the comet; scientists had theorized thatfirst detection might occurjust a few hours before ICEreached Giacobini-Zinner.

ICE's instruments disco'ered ionselectrically

46

charged particles morethan 1.1 million miles fromthe intercept point; it wasbelieved that gas moleculesescaping from Giacobini-Zinner's nucleus were ion-ized by solar ultravioletlight, then picked up andaccelerated back toward thecomet by the solar wind, aconstant outpouring of mag-netized, electrified gas fromthe Sun. ICE also made thefirst direct measurement ofmolecules in a comet, find-ing mainly water vapor ionsand supporting the generalview that comets are "dirtysnowballs" composed ofdust, rock and water ice.

The comet interceptionclimaxed a seven-year odys-sey through space for ICE,which began life as theInternational Sun/EarthExplorer. Launched in 1978,the spacecraft spent fouryears acquiring data on solarphenomena, in particularthe interaction between thesolar wind and Earth. ICEwas diverted to comet intercept duty at the suggestionof Goddard engineer Dr.Robert Farquhar. After thou-sands of computer simula-dons, Farquhar maneuveredICE past the moon fivetimes in 1983, using lunargravity to give the spacecraftthe additional thrust neededto send it into its interception trajectory.

HALLEY OBSERVATIONS

At right is a false-colorultraweight image of CometHalley's 121/2 million milelong coma, the cloud of gassurrounding the comet. Thisis a side view of the comet;the concentric colored areasshow gradations in cometbrightness, declining fromthe center outward. Theimage was made by NASA'sPioneer Venus Orbiter,whose ultraviolet telescopemade 20,000 scans of thecoma over a 72-hour periodin February 1986, when thecomet was near perihelionits closest approach to theSunon its once- every -76-years swing around the Sun.

The image was part of a10-week investigation ofComet Halley by PioneerVenus from its position inorbit around the planet'Venus; the spacecraft hasbeen studying the cloud-covered planet since 1978.Pioneer Venus was con-verted to temporary comet-watching duty because of animportant scientific opportu-nity: from its vantage pointin Venus orbit, it was theonly observatory able tostudy Halley at perihelion.The comet was on the op-posite side of the Sun fromEarth at perihelion, hencenot visible to Earth-basedtelescopes or Earth-orbitalspacecraft. The internationalfleet of four Halley close

encounter spacecrafttwo Soviet, one Japaneseand one European SpaceAgencyflew through thecomet's tail about a monthafter perihelion.

Pioneer's successfullyaccomplished assignmentwas to record, by means ofits instruments, day - todaychanges in Comet Halleyoccasioned by mountingheat as the comet camecloser to the Sun. In addi-tion to the imagery, Pioneerprovided data on waterevaporation, jets andoutbursts from the comet,the coma's composition andthe velocities and lifetimesof atoms in the coma.The Pioneer program ismanaged by Jet PropulsionLaboratory.

Pioneer Venus was one ofthree veteran U.S. spacecraft,all launched years earlier forother scientific programs,participating in the con-certed international investi-gation of Comet Halley. Theothers were the Interna-tional Cometary Explorer(see opposite page), whichprovided data on solar windand the comet's ion tail, andthe Solar Maximum Missionsatellite, which producedimages of Halley and used

its ultraviolet spectrometerto analyze the comet'scoma.

In addition to the flightactivity, NASA playedandcontinues to playa lead-ing role in coordinating theflow of Halley informationthrough the InternationalHalley Watch (IHW). JetPropulsion Laboratory is oneof two lead centers in theIHW, serving the WesternHemisphere, Japan andAustralia; the other center,serving Europe, Africaand the rest of Asia, is theAstronomical Institute ofWest Germany's Universityof Erlangen-Nurnberg. The47-nation IHW embracesabout 100 observatoriesaround the world, 900 pro-

fessional astronomers andmore than 700 amateurastronomers. The organiza-tion made observationsfrom Earth, analyzed dataand monitored the opera-tion of ground-based instru-ments plus the instrumentsaboard the internationalfleet of spacecraft, soundingrockets, aircraft and bal-loons. Halley data is nowbeing collated and orga-nized in preparation for its1989 publication as a com-prehensive archive for studyby researchers until Halleymakes its next appearancein 2061.

25

The planet Venus approxi-mates Earth in age, size,mass, density and orbitaldistance from the Sun. Yetin many other respectsatmosphere, temperature,water content, for exam-plethe two planets differmarkedly. Scientists want toknow why two similar plan-ets evolved in such dissimi-lar fashion. The answers areimportant to the continuingscientific quest for knowl-edge of the origin and evo

26

RADAR MAPPER

!ution of the solar system.There is, additionally, anunderlying practical aspectof more immediate poten-tial benefit: expandedknowledge of Venus mayprovide clues to greaterunderstanding of the manyfactors that influence Earth'scomplex environment.

From Venus flyby mis-sions, from instrumentedprobes that descended intothe atmosphere and observa-tions by the Pioneer VenusOrbiter (see page 25), scien-tists have acquired infor-

mation on the planet'satmospheric composition,temperatures, pressures,wind forces and otherelements of the Venusianenvironment. Pioneer Venusalso provided the first reallook at Venus' topography;its radar altimeter penetratedthe planet's permanentcloud cover and measured93 percent of the surface.Maps prepared from radardata show that about 60 per-cent of the surface is rela-

28

tively flat, rolling plain andabout one quarter of it ishighland, with mountainstaller than Everest.

Radar mapping by Pio-neer Venus and by Sovietorbiters allows study of theplanet from a new informa-tional plateau, but muchremains to be learned. Thenext step is amplificationof Pioneer Venus' findingsby a new planetary space-craft named Magellan (left),for the 16th century Portu-guese explorer.

The Magellan missionwill map 100 percent of thesurface, using an advancedinstrument called a syntheticaperture radar; it will orbitthe planet about once everythree hours and dip as closeas 150 miles above thesurface. Magellan will mapwith resolutions about 10times better than wereobtained by prior Sovietmissions. That will enableidentification of such smallscale features as volcanos,craters, lava flows, faults,erosion channels and possi-bly the remnant shorelinesof long-ago oceans. Such in-formation will help identifygeological processes andestablish a geological historyof the neighbor planet.Planned for service aboutthe end of this decade,Magellan is managed by JetPropulsion Laboratory.

MARS STUDY

Mars, the fourth planet ofthe solar system, is closelylinked to Earth by its volca-nic and erosional charac-teristics and by the fact that,like Earth, it experiencesclimatic changes. It is theoutermost member of thetriad of Earthlike planetsVenus, Earth, Mars. Al-though seemingly very dif-ferent, the members of thetriad exhibit a number ofcommon features. They arethe subjects of a continuingprogram of detailed com-parison studies intended toadvance understanding ofthe evolution of the innersolar system and therebyincrease knowledge ofEarth's own evolution.

Along with the Magellanmission to Venus (see oppo-site page), the next step inexploration of the triad is along term investigation ofMars designed to expandthe knowledge of the RedPlanet acquired by Earthobservatories and earlierspacecraft missions. Desig-nated Mars Observer, themission will be the first ofa series of Observer flightsto the planets and smallbodies of the solar system.To minimize costs, thesemissions will employ acommon basic spacecraft, anadaptation of an existing,proven type of Earth-orbitalsatellite that can be custom-

,

ized to each Observermission's requirements.

The Mars Observer willutilize a number of ad-vanced instruments to deter-mineon a global basisthe elemental and mineral.ogical character of the plan-

et's surface and to establishthe nature and chronologyof the surface forming proc-esses that have occurredover millenia. Additionally,the Observer's instrumentswill investigate the Martianclimate, present and past.Managed by Jet PropulsionLaboratory, the MarsObserver is targeted forservice in the early 1990s.

2927

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SPACE TELESCOPE

Earth's veil of atmospherefilters out or blurs most ofthe radiation coming fromdistant parts of the universe.Thus, even the most power-ful Earth-based telescopescan "see" only a smallportion of the cosmos. Sincethe early 1960s, NASA hasflown a number of increas-ingly sophisticated observa-tories designed to surmountthe problem of atmosphericdistortion by operatingabove the atmosphere. Agiant step in this continuingprogram is the HubbleSpace Telescope, potentiallythe most dramatic singleadvance in astronomy sincethe invention of thetelescope in 1610.

The Hubble Space Tele-scope is more than a space-craft; it is a major long

duration astronomy facilityintended to operate wellinto the 21st century withperiodic on-orbit servicingand provide astronomers aview of the universe 10.30times greater than currentcapability. Viewing in bothvisible and ultraviolet light,it will be able to peer muchfarther into space, detectobjects 50 times fainter andreturn images with 10.20times better clarity than thelargest Earth telescopes.Because light from distantgalaxies takes so long toreach us, scientists will liter-ally be looking back in timeas far as 14 billion years.Estimates of the age of theuniverse range from 12 to20 billion yearsso, whenobserving the most distantcelestial objects, the HubbleSpace Telescope will becapturing light that began itscosmic journey when theuniverse was in its infancy.This extraordinary capabilityshould provide immenselyimportant clues to theorigin and history of theuniverse.

The largest scientific pay-load ever built, the 121/2 ton43-foot telescope was devel-

30

oped by Lockheed Missiles& Space Company, Sunny-vale, California, spacecraftprime contractor, andPerkin-Elmer Corporation,Danbury; Connecticut,prime contractor for theoptical telescope assembly.The European Space Agencyfurnished the power-gener-ating solar array and one ofthe five major instruments.The system has been com-pleted and it awaits launchassignment.

Marshall Space FlightCenter manages the project.Goddard Space Flight Cen-ter led scientific instrumentdevelopment and will beresponsiblewhen theobservatory is in orbitforcontrolling the telescopeand processing the imagesand instrument data it re-turns. Goddard will forwardthe processed data by landline to the Space TelescopeScience Institute, located30 miles away in Baltimore,Maryland. There astrono-mers will view the imagesand get visual and printedreadouts of the data flowingfrom the Hubble observa-tory's instrument module.The Space TelescopeScience Institute is oper-ated for NASA by the17member Association ofUniversities for Research inAstronomy.

X-RAY OBSERVATORIES

A comprehensive spaceastronomy program requiresobservations of the universenot only in visible light butin other forms of radiationthat are largely or totallyinvisible to ground observa-toriesx-rays, ultravioletand infrared, for examplebecause each of these areasof the electromagnetic spec-trum offers a different set ofclues to the origin and evo-lution of the universe. Onearea of investigation that hasbeen particularly productiveof valuable information isstudy of x-ray emissionsfrom celestial objects.

Since the 1960s, NASAhas operated a series oforbital x-ray systems thathave provided a broadknowledge base about non-visible emanations fromstars, pulsars and galaxies.The knowledge base will beconsiderably expanded byan advanced observatoryplanned for service in thisdecade. Being developedjointly by NASA and theWest German Federal Minis-try for Research and Tech-nology, it is called ROSAT,for Roentgensatellit (upperright); West Germany isbuilding the spacecraft andx-ray telescope, NASA isproviding a high resolutionimaging system. ROSAT willconduct a sweeping surveyof x-ray sources and make

dedicated observations ofspecific sources for longperiods of time, allowingastronomers to study ingreater detail many of thephenomena discovered byearlier x-ray satellites.Goddard Space FlightCenter and the GermanAerospace Research Estab-lishment are the managingorganizations for the U.S.and German portions ofthe program.

For service in the 1990s,NASA is planning the Ad-vanced X-ray AstrophysicsFacility (AXAF), a 10-tonobservatory intended to op-erate at least 15 years withon-orbit servicing. AXAF(lower right) will haveinstruments 100 times moresensitive than those aboardthe second High EnergyAstronomy Observatory(HEAO-2); launched in1978, HEAO-2 provided thebroadest data yet acquiredon x-ray sources. AXAF'sinstruments will collect dataon the entire range of ob-jects known to astronomy,including stars, quasars, gal-axies, clusters of galaxiesand intergalactic space. Animportant objective will beimaging and measuring theiron produced and expelledby galaxies, because the

amounts of iron detectedwill tell much about theearly history and star forma-tion processes in the galax-ies observed.

Managed by MarshallSpace Flight Center, AXAFis considered as importantan advance in x-ray astron-omy as the Hubble SpaceTelescope (see oppositepage) will be in opticalastronomy. The two will beoperating in the same timeframe, along with theGamma Ray Observatory, in

development for launch latein this decade, and the pro-jected Space Infrared Tele-scope Facility. This family oforbiting telescopes, knownas the Great Observatories,will provide the capabilityfor simultaneous observa-tions of cosmic sources atvisible, ultraviolet, infrared,x-ray and gamma ray wave-lengths.

UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH

Since the start of thespaceprogram, NASA has devoteda good part of its space sci-ence effort to study of Earthand its environment, includ-ing such broad areas of in-vestigation as the transfer ofsolar energy to Earth's iaad,oceans and atmosphere;studies of the oceans; andexamination of the proc-esses that take place inEarth's atmosphere. In thelatter area, space-acquireddata has produced an enor-mous volume of scientificknowledge about the vari-

30

ous regions of the atmosphere, but all this effort hasserved to underline thatthere is still a great dealto be learned about theextraordinarily complexnear-Earth environment.

Among a number 1 NASAenvironmental programs inbeing or planned is ti,eUpper Atmosphere ResearchSatellite (UARS), which is atthe same time a scientificsatellite for advanced studyof the upper atmosphere'sphysical and chemical proc-esses, and an applicationsystem intended to providedirect Earth benefit throughgreater understanding of

weather, climate and theatmospheric effects of man-made pollutants. Formaldevelopment of UARS be-gan in 1985 with the awardof a contract to GeneralElectric Company's ValleyForge (Pennsylvania) SpaceCenter for development andconstruction of the observa-tory. Goddard Space FlightCenter has project manage-ment responsibility.

Scheduled to enter ser-vice in 1990, UARS will op-erate in a 373-mile circular

32

orbit, well above the airdrag level, so that it will beable to report continuouslyfor several years. It willcarry a complement of 10remote sensing instrumentsthat will providefor thefirst timeessentially globaldata about the compositionand dynamics of the upperatmosphere. The area ofstudy embraces the strato-sphere, mesophere and thethermosphere, regions ofthe atmosphere extendingfrom about six miles alti-tude to an indefinite bound-ary in near-Earth space.

Among the major objec-tives are understanding ofthe mechanisms that controlthe structure and variabilityof the upper atmosphereand the role of the upperatmosphere in climate andclimatic changes. In addi-tion, UARS will explore howthe upper atmosphereresponds to natural andhuman-related perturba-tions. The observatory is ex-pected to provide previouslyunavailable insight as towhether man's industrialand technological activitiesadversely influence the layerof ozone that protects Earthfrom the potentially harmfulultraviolet rays of the Sun,and how the stratosphere re-acts to such natural particleinjections as those caused byvolcanic eruptions.

OCEAN OBSERVATIONS

In 1978, NASA launchedand operated for threemonths a satellite calledSeasat, a brief but highlysuccessful experiment incollecting ocean surface datausing microwave remotesensing techniques. Seasatwas a companion project tothe Landsat Earth resourcessurvey satellites developedby NASA and operated con-tinuously since 1972, ini-tially by NASA, later by theNational Oceanic and At-mospheric Administration(NOAA) and, beginning lastyear, by the commercialEarth Observation SatelliteCompany (EOSAT), a jointventure of Hughes AircraftCompany and RCA Corpora-tion. EOSAT has assumedresponsibility for furtherU.S. development of landobservation satellites. NASA,accordingly, is placing re-newed emphasis on systemsfor monitoring the oceansfrom space, for scientificstudy and for practical bene-fit in such areas as weatherand climate prediction,coastal storm warning, mari-time safety, waste disposal,ship design, ship routingand food production fromocean sources.

Shown in the accompany-ing illustration is a plannedocean observation satelliteknown as TOPEX, forOcean Topography Experi-

ment. Intended for servicein the early 1990s, the radaraltimeter on TOPEX is amuch more advanced suc-cessor to the one that flewon Seasat. It is designed tomake highly accurate meas-urements of sea surfaceelevations over entire oceanbasins for several years.Integrated with subsurfacemeasurements, this informa-tion will be used in modelsto determine ocean circula-tion and its variability.Reporting continuously onsuch changing factors aswave heights, surface windspeed, current and tide pat-terns, TOPEX will provideimproved knowledge ofocean dynamics for scien-tific studies and will estab-lish an information base forpractical applications.

In a related project, NASAis participatingin coopera-tion with the Navy, AirForce and NOAA in theNavy Remote Ocean Sens-ing System (NROSS) pro-gram, planned for initialservice in 1990. NROSS willprovide oceanographicmeasurements on a continu-ous, near-real-time, all-weather, global basis forfleet operation require-

ments and for fundamental'research. NASA's contribu-tion to NROSS involvesdevelopment of a key com-ponent of the satellitesystem called a "scatter -ometer," a microwave radarthat enables calmation ofwind speeds and directionsby measurement of reflec-tions from the waves on theocean surface. NASA pio-neered that technique withthe Seasat scatterometer andis using the Seasat technol-ogy as a base for developingthe more advanced NROSSscatterometer, calledNSCAT NSCAT data willprovide a basis for researchstudies of waves, ocean cir-

33

J

culation, and the interactionbetween the oceans and theatmosphere. Together withsurface elevation data fromTOPEX, oceanographerswill have a first-ever view ofthe oceans' primary drivingforce (winds) and theirresponse (surface eleva-tions) to that force. This willpermit a fundamental break-through in man's under-standing of how the oceanswork as a dynamic systemand the oceans' role inclimate and climaticvariability.

Recommendations of the NationalCommission on Space offer anexciting glimpse of the next halfcentury in space

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TOMORROW IN SPACE

Human settlements on Earth's moonand on Mars, robot-manned extraterres-trial prospecting, mining and manufac-turing, a network of orbiting spaceportsserving as way stations for routinetravel in the inner solar systemtheseare a few of the prospects for the 21stcentury, according to a report by theNational Commission on Space. Itsounds like science fiction but it isactually a matter-of-fact statement pre-pared by a group of highly respectedspace experts, including a formerNASA administrator, government andindustry scientists and engineers, pastand current astronauts. Entitled Pio-neering the Space Frontlet; Our NextFifty Yeats in Space, the reportre-leased in May 1986recommends aseries of exciting space goals for 21stcentury America and offers a step-by-step program for their attainment.

The commission's scenario beginswith the assumption that the U.S./inter-national manned Space Station will beinitially operational by 1994 and goeson from there. A first requisite, to beaccomplished within the next 15 years,is cheaper transportation to space ofboth cargo and people, the report says."It is especially important that the costbe dramatically reduced for free enter-prise to flourish with commercializa-tion of space operations. The commis-sion is confident that the cost oftransportation can and should be re-duced below $200 per pound (1986dollars) by the year 2000." The $200figure represents a small fraction ofcurrent cost.

34

The first steps on what the commis-sion calls the "Highway to Space" area low cost Earth-to-orbit cargo vehicleand a companion passenger craft, to beflight ready around the turn of the cen-tury. Among other foreseeable vehicledevelopments are an electric propul-sion cargo ship for transfer to destina-tions beyond Earth orbit, to be flyingearly in the 21st century; a mannedMars exploration spacecraft, about2010; and, after 2015, large nuclearpowered spaceships capable of deliver-ing great amounts of cargo and, pre-sumably, people, because the reportpredicts vast expansion of space traveland commercial development.

The commission sees the Space Sta-tion expanding around the year 2000to an "initial spaceport," meaning agrowth version including laboratory,faoory, servicing facilities and a supplydepot. Continuing growth wouldproduce, around 2010, an even larger,more mission-capable "full spaceport"in Earth orbit.

The "Bridge Between Worlds," aphased expansion of operations in theinner solar system, would begin mod-estly with an unmanned lunar samplereturn mission in the late 1990s toassay lunar milling possibilities. Thatwould be followed by establishmentof a manned lunar outpost, a scientific/prospecting base, around 2005. Thebase would grow, in a few years, into apilot plant producing rocket propellantfrom moon materials and, about 2020,a full-scale lunar manufacturing facility.During this time frame, there would beexpanded study of accessible asteroids,followed by unmanned prospectingmissions to selected asteroids and,

.finally, robotic mining of asteroids formineral and other resources.

Development of bases beyond Earthwould include construction of a full lu-nar spaceport around 2012; a stationbetween Earth and lunar orbit, sometime about 2015; and finally, between2020-25, a Mars spaceport. Habitationof Mars would precede the full space-port, beginning with a robot-operatedfacility about 2012, a manned outpostin 2015, followed by a gradually ex-panding settlement that would reach"full base" status before 2030. The ulti-mate goal within the 50-year span ispermanent settlements on the moonand on Mars that would use local re-sources for human-supervised roboticfabrication of products to sustain theactivities of the settlements and thenetwork of spaceports.

It all sounds "far out" but 50 yearsin an era of snowballing technologyadvancement is a long time. The com-mission is not offering fanciful notionsof what might happen in space butwhat should occur over the next 50years. The report sums the potential insuccinct manner: "Technically chal-lenging but feasible."

This artist's conception shows a 21st century

lunar opered;;A: in which crews are miningilmenite,a moonsoil component from which oxygen can be produced to support the lunar base

and other facilities in space. Furry vehicles, suchas the one in the lower illustration, would linkthe moon base with other spaceports in the innersolar system.

1.'33

SPACE STATION

Shown above is a computer-generated representation cfa new NASA reference con-figuration for the permanentmultipurpose Space Stationbeing developed for initialoccupancy in the mid-1990s.The new "dual keel" designfeatures two vertical keels,or latticework beams (centerphoto), each the length of afootball field, joined at topanti bottom by connectingbeams to form a rectangularstructure. The two keels arecrossed near midsection bya single large horizontal

34

beam that supports the solarcell arrays and radiators.

Intended to increase thestructural area, the dual keelconfiguration is a refine-ment of an earlier "powertower" design. The changestemmed from a study ofuser requirements, includ-ing the types of payloadsand station growth that mustbe accommodated well intothe 21st century. It was fel!

36

that a larger structure withgreater stiffness would beneeded for mounting morestation systems and experi-ments. The rectangularstructure and the larger lat-ticework beamsnow morethan 16 feet widepro-vided the requisite stiffnessand the 361-foot-long vertical keels, plus their connect-ing beams, substantiallyincreased the area availablefor exterior mounting ofpayloads and equipment.

At right is a closeup viewof the station's pressurizedmodules, which arearranged in a raft patternand connected by a series ofexternal airlocks and tun-nels. The design refinementmoved the modules closerto the station's center ofmass, the most advanta-geous spot for conductingexperiments that require amicrogravity environment.The effective volume of themodules has been substan-tially increased, first by extending their length 9.5 feetand second by taking theairlocks out of the moduleitself and putting them outside, increasing the usableinterior area. Modules arenow 44.5 feet long and ap-proximately 13.8 feet in di-ameter, about the size of alarge bus.

Operating in low Earthorbit at an altitude of about

300 miles, the Space Stationwill serve as a laboratory forbasic research, a "look up"observatory for astronomy/astrophysics and a "lookdown" observatory for Earthstudies, a plant for manufac-ture of many importantproducts not producible onEarth and a facility for suchEarth applications as com-munications, weather ob-servation and remote sens-ing. In all these areas, man'spresence will afford an extrameasure of capability forobservations where humanjudgment and'skill are im-portant, for example, in in-strument selection and ad-justment, in managing thedata required by the instru-ments and in overall systemoperation and maintenance.

Additionally, the SpaceStation will be an operationsbase, allowing continuousrather than intermittentoperations in orbit, therebysignificantly increasing theamount of useful work thatcan be performed. It will bean assembly center for strut-tures too large to be carriedin the Shuttle Orbiter'scargo bay; a depot for servic-ing and repairing free-flyingsatellites; a warehouse forspare parts or replacementsatellites; a base for vehiclescapable of delivering pay-loads to higher orbit andreturning them when neces-

sary. In future years, theSpace Station can becomea departure pointlike thebase camp of a mountainclimbfor such activities asbuilding a permanent moonstation, manned missions toMars or to the asteroids, andunmanned missions forcollecting and returning toEarth samples from thedistant planets.

NASA, U.S. industry andcooperating foreign nationsare now in the late stages ofa 21month Phase B defini-

tion and preliminary designstudy, during which design-ers will identify and mkt-ate alternative systems, com-ponents and philosophies toarrive at a Space Station configuration that best meetsthe needs of potential users,is cost-effective in operationand maintenance, and isflexible in terms of eventualgrowth in ;ize and capabil-ity. Phase B is scheduled forcompletion next January andhardware contracts will beawarded later in 1987. Planscall for assembly of theSpace Station in orbitduring 1993-96.

?735

,:ff"letimpool

SPACE S TAT I 0 N (Continued)

In keeping with NASA'slong term policy of promot-ing cooperation with othernations in space projects,the Space Station is an inter-national endeavor. NASA hassigned agreements with theEuropean Space Agency

(ESA), Canada and Japan

that provide a framework forcooperation during the cur-rent Phase B definition andpreliminary design activity.

ESA is contemplating twotypes of unmanned platforms and a pressurizedmodule that could be usedas a laboratory portion ofthe Space Station properwith facilities for materialsprocessing and life sciencesexperimentation. Above is afull-scale mockup of the ESAmodule, named Columbus,at the Aeritalia plant inRome, Italy.

36

Japan is studying a multi-purpose research and devel-opment laboratory with apressurized segment and anexposed workdeck fittedwith a remote manipulator.Canada is focusing its studyeffort on a Mobile ServicingCenter that btlikls 'TonCanada's experience indeveloping the Space Shut-tle Orbiter's robot manipula-tor arm. The illustration atright, a Johnson Space Cen-ter concept, shows :De inter-national elements in place;in addition to the U.S.-builtcentral modules, there is theColumbus module (centerright) with the ESA insigniaand, also at center right, the

33

Japanese module with theRising Sun emblem. On theunderside of the top boomis the Space Station RemoteManipulator System, an ele-ment of Canada's MobileServicing Center.

In the above concept pro-vided by TRW, Inc., an Or-bital Maneuvering Vehicle istugging an unmanned spaceplatform toward the mannedbase; the solar array thatgenerates power for theplatform in normal opera-tion is folded duringtowing. The Space Stationplan contemplates a numberof freeflying platformscarrying instruments andexperiments for scientific.technological and productresearch.

One of them will operatein the same orbit as themain base, an orbit inclined

28.5 degrees to Earth's equa-tor, but it will be some dis-tance removed to avoid dis-turbance or contaminationfrom main station activities.For routine inspection andmaintenance, the coorbitingplatform can be visited byastronauts equipped withManned Maneuvering Units;when payload changeout isnecessary, the platform isbrought to the main stationas pictured. This process oftending, servicing and re-pairing unmanned platformsand other satellites in compatible orbits increases thelifetimes of expensive assetsand allows periodic upgrad-ing of such space systems as

technology advances. Therewill be other unmannedplatforms in high inclinationor polar orbits; they will belaunched and serviced bythe Space Shuttle.

A Marshall Space FlightCenter concept (above)illustrates another SpaceStation capability: orbitalassembly of structures toolarge to be delivered in onepiece by the Shuttle, futuresystems such as unmannedplatforms, telescopes orlarge antennas. At the bot-tom of the illustration, twoastronauts wearing MannedManeuvering Units arecompleting assembly of avery large antenna that maybecome part of the SpaceStation or may be depositedin orbit as a freeflyer.

3 937

The above concept showsthe power generating sys-tem planned for the SpaceStation, a hybrid that com-bines the familiar photovol-taic solar arrays, which con-vert sunlight directly intoelectricity, with a new ther-mal dynamic heat engine.In the latter system, thelarge dishes at either end ofthe central boom contain anumber of hexagonal mir-rors that collect solar heat,which is used to drive anelectricity-generating tur-bine. The combined systemwill produce 75 kilowatts ofelectricity. The hybrid de-sign was adopted becausethe heat engine is a more

38

SPACE S TAT I 0 N (Continued)

efficient way of generatingpower and the use of solarpanels alone would have re-quired an enormous array,increasing drag and necessitating more frequent adjust-ment of the Space Station'sorbital position.

The Rockwell Interna-tional concept at left centerdepicts a growth versionthat goes well beyond theInitial Orbiting Capability.This advanced station in-cludes, among other equipmeat, a number of large enclosed bays (above the coreof pressurized modules),which are servicing garagesfor repair of satellites in anenclosed environment andhangars for two types of vehic!es planned for use withthe Space Station. One is theOrbital Maneuvering Vehi

40

cle (OMV) shown---proach.ing its hangar at len centerin the illustration.

At center right is a close.tip artist's rendering of anOMV as seen by MartinMarietta Denver Aerospace,one of three manufacturerscompeting for a contract tobuild the vehicle; the othersare TRW Inc. and UV Aero-space and Defense.

The OMV is a reusable,free-flying spacecraft oilerated b remote control afterdeployment from the SpaceShuttle or the Space Station.A "smart tug" capable ofmoving satellites and otherobjects from one orbit to an-other, the OMV is a versatile

41.

spacecraft that can be configured by use of modification kitsto perform asmany as 17 different missions. For delivery of pay-loads, for example, it canpropel a satellite as far as1,200 miles from the SpaceStation or it can extend theShuttle's reach by that dis-tance. When mated with amodular "servicer," theOMV can provide routine orcontingency on-orbit servicing, maintenance or payloadchangeout. It will also be auseful system for Lonstruc-non of large space struc-tures, including the SpaceStation. First flight isplanned for 1991; MarshallSpace Flight Center is OMVproject manager.

At far right is a MartinMarietta Denver Aerospace%concept of an Orbital Trans-fer Vehicle (OTV) thatwould be used to transferpayloads between low andhigh Earth orbit, particularlygeosynchronous orbit(22,3000 miles), wherespacecraft are figurativelystationary with respect to apoint on Earth. In Shuttleoperations, such transfer isnow a two-step process; thepayload is deployed from

the Shuttle.Orbiter in lowEarth orbit, then boosted tothe higher altitude by an up-per stage propulsion unit.Existing upper stages arenot reusable, nor can theyretrieve payloads.

Targeted for operationalservice in the 1990s, theOTV would be a reusablesystem that could deliver

4I

payloads to high orbit and,when necessary, returnthem to the Space Shuttleor the Space Station forrefurbishment.

The OTV may be perma-nently based at the SpaceStation or it may be ground-based, operating as anadjunct of the Space Shuttle.Initially it will be an un-manned system but the ulti-mate goal is developmentof an OTV that can ferry amanned capsule to and fromgeosynchronous orbit, al-lowing on-orbit servicing ofspacecraft or multipayloadplatforms in orbits beyondthe Shuttle's reach. MartinMarietta and Boeing Aero-space are conducting OTVstudies for Marshall SpaceFlight Center.

39

SPACE STATION (Continued)

40

The core of the Space Sta-tion consists of a series ofpressurized cylindrical com-mon modules serving asliving quarters and labora-tories. The exact number ofU.S. modules will be deter-mined in the course ofPhase B studies now underway, but the initial SpaceStation will probably havetwo to four, interconnectedby airlocks and tunnels.

The atmosphere insidethe modules will be nearlyidentical to Earth's, so thatscientists will be able tocompare data acquired fromEarth-based testing with datagathered in orbit. An envi-ronmental control and lifesupport system will providethe crew with oxygen forbreathing; supply water fordrinking, bathing and foodpreparation; remove con-taminants from the module's

I

artificial atmosphere; andprocess biological wastes. Itwill be a closed cycle sys-tem that will enable recov-ery of oxygen from carbondioxide expelled by thecrew and will allow reuseof wash water, urine andcondensate. Only food andnitrogen will have to beperiodically resupplied.

The aerospace companiesworking on Phase B defini-tion and preliminary designof the Space Station haveconducted extensive studiesof interior arrangements andbuilt mockups of variouslyconfigured modules. At up-per left is Martin Marietta'smockup, showing an exte-rior view with hatches forirterconnection with other

p 42

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modules and a space-suitedastronaut for size compari-son. At lower left is aninterior view of the samemockup, configured as amanufacturing technologylaboratory.

Above is Boeing Aero-space Company's mockup ofan interior configured as amicrogravity and materialsprocessing facility, with allthe equipment needed forthe types of experiments en-visioned compactly stored in'tall cabinets.

At upper right is a Rock-well International mockupof a common module thatwould serve as both livingand working quarters. Thelower right illustrationshows a McDonnell Doug-las Corporation concept ofwhat the company calls a"quiet module," whereincrew members would work

r

and sleep; the sleeping facil-ity is the small partitionedarea from which the astro-naut is emerging.

The initial Space Stationwill probably have a crew ofeight; they will serve for pe-riods of approximately threemonths at a time. The SpaceStation will have a dockinghub in the pressurized mod-ule complex to allow SpaceShuttle docking for rotatingcrews and for periodic re-supply.

41

NASA seeks to stimulate privateinvestment in space-relatedventures to assure U.S. leadershipin a promising new field ofspace endeavor.

42

COMMERCIAL USE OF SPACE

In 1985, NASA launched a new pro-gram intended to stimulate interest andinvestment in commercial space activi-ties. The program involves establish-ment of Centers for the CommercialDevelopment of Space, not-for-profitjoint research undertakings composedof industrial firms, academic institu-tions and government organizations.

NASA seeks to encourage space re-lated research and development in theinterest of the U.S. economy, becausesuch activity holds promise for devel-opment of new products and processeswith commercial potential, for exam-ple, superior crystals for improvedelectronic systems; metallic superalloysfor construction and manufacturinguse; pure glass, free of containercontamination, for laser, optical andother uses; a new class of high pu-rity biological materials for moreeffective health care; and a variety ofindustrial process equipment andinstrumentation.

The program also seeks to expandinterest in space-based services, suchas remote sensing for land and oceanobservations and types of satellite com-munications not yet available to thepublicmobile communications forroad vehicles, for example, orelectronic mail for remote areas.

In August 1985, NASA selected fiveindustry/academic/government teamsto establish Centers for the Commer-cial Development of Space. The Cen-ters will work closely with NASA field

44

centers in developing and executing re-search programs; each will concentratein a particular area of research activity,although there will inevitably be someoverlap. The Centers, and their areas offocus, are:

Battelle Columbus (Ohio) Labora-tories, multiphase materials processing;University of Alabama, Birmingham,macromolecular crystallography; Uni-versity of Alabama, Huntsville, materi-als processing; Institute for TechnologyDevelopment, National Space Technol-ogy Laboratories, Jackson, Mississippi,space remote sensing; and VanderbiltUniversity, Nashville, Tennessee,metallurgical processing.

NASA will initiallyfor a period notexceeding five yearsprovide fundingfor the Centers, the amounts rangingfrom $750,000 to $1.1 million a yea:;continued funding will depend on a fa-vorable annual review of progress. Afterfive years, the Centers are expected tobe self-sustaining.

In the spring of 1986, NASA was

evaluating proposals submitted by anumber of other teams preparatory to aplanned second round of selections forCenter establishment.

The Centers for the CommercialDevelopment of Space represent thelatest step in NASA's program to en-courage and facilitate commercial useof space. NASA provides technical as-sistance to companies interested in pur-suing commercial space ventures andoffers reduced rate space transportationfor some high technology endeavors.NASA also conducts workshops andseminars that bring together govern-ment, industry and academic research-ers and other interests, such as the

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investment banking and insurancecommunities. NASA's aim is to pro-mote expanded private sector invest-ment and involvement in space activi-ties, the key to exploiting space forEarth benefit.

Above, a Space Shuttle payload specialist isreadying an experiment in growing crystals inorbit. The experiment was developed by the Cen-ter for Commercial Development of Space at theUniversity of Alabama, Birmingham, one of sev-eral such NASA-sponsored centers In the upperright photos are examples of crystals grown bythe Birmingham Center aboard the Shuttle. Thelow gravity environment of space allows growthof crystals much larger and with fewer defectsthan Eartb.grown covals offering advantage inproduction of improved electronic splents.

43

44

MATERIALS PROCESSING

At left, McDonnell DouglasCorporation payload special-ist Charles D. Walker ischecking procedures duringoperation of the company'smaterials processing systemaboard the Space Shuttle ona December 1985 flight. Thesystem, called EOS (Electro-phoresis Operations inSpace), separates materialsin solution by subjectingthem to electrical stimula-tion in a computer con-trolled process. The EOSsystem has demonstrated its.bility to produce in a

microgravity environmentmore than 700 times thematerial that could be ex-tracted from similar Earth-based processing, with afourfold increase in purity.

The EOS project is aimedat separating biological ma-terialscells, enzymes, hor-mones and other proteinsin sufficient quantities andpurities to enable produc-tion of advanced pharma-ceuticals for more effectivetreatment of many diseases.On the flight pictured, theseventh orbital operation ofEOS, the system was used toproduce quantities of a hor-mone for advanced testing.When Shuttle flights re-sume, McDonnell Douglasplans to introduce an ad-vanced, fully-automatedEOS-1 manufacturing unitthat will have 24 times the

capacity of the initial EOSsystem.

Another major U.S. firm-3M Companyhas beenpursuing a different type ofeffort in orbital materialsprocessing. At lower left,3M scientists are openingafter a Shuttle flightthecompany's DMOS (Diffu-sion Mixing of Organic So-lutions) experiment, a studyof space-grown crystals. Inspace, crystals can be grownlarger and more nearly flaw-less than on Earth, hencehave potential for advanta-geous applications in suchareas as electro,..cs, opticsand communications. 3Mhas flown the DMOS systemtwice and another type ofcrystal growing apparatusonce. The company's em-phasis is on research ratherthan product development,but it is exploring the pos-sibility of eventual use ofspace-grown crystals in im-aging, electronic and healthcare systems.

A recent magazine surveydisclosed that there areabout 20 U.S. companiesengaged in some form ofmicrogravity materials pro-cessing research, includingground-based experimentsand planned flight projects:

46

research areas include bio-logical processing, crystalgrowing, metallurgy, pureglass processing andresearch in fluid dynamics.Among those who havesigned agreements withNASA, in addition to Mc-Donnell Douglas and 3M,are Microgravity ResearchAssociates (crystallography);Martin Marietta Corporation(fluid dynamics research);Deere & Company (researchin alloy formation);Honeywell Inc. (crystallog-raphy); Boeing AerospaceCompany (electro-opticalcrystals); Grumman Aero-space Company (crystallog-raphy); and GTE Corpora-tion (organic and polymericmicrogravity growth tests).

While one group of com-panies is directly engagedin materials processing, an-other group is working ina related area of space com-mercialization: fabrication ofequipment for sale or leaseto materials processingexperimenters.

Rockwell International,for example, has developeda Fluids Experiment Appa-ratus (FEA) designed tohandle a range of process.ing applications, includingliquid chemistry, fluid phys-ics, thermodynamics, crystalgrowth and biological cellculturing. About the size ofa TV set, the FEA can heat,

cool; expose to vacuum andmanipulate experiment sam-ples, which may be gaseous,liquid or solid. GrummanAerospace is developing aprocessing furnace for useon the Space Shuttle.

At right, John M.Cassanto, president of In-strumentation TechnologyAssociates (ITA) displaysanother kind of Shuttle-useequipment for materials pro-cessing: cylindrical canisters(here shown without theirouter casings) forShuttleborne Getaway Spe-cial experiment packages.Getaway Specials are small,selfcontained payloadsflown on Shuttle missionswhere there is leftoverspace after primary payloadshave been accommodated.Managed by Goddard SpaceFlight Center, the GetawaySpecial program offers lowcost opportunities for orbitalresearch projects to experi-menters who could not jus-tify or could not afford thecost of a primary payloadeducational institutions, re-search organizations, industry researchers or privateindividuals. Getaway Specialexperiments require no useof Shuttle resources or crewtending; they are exposed tothe space environment inthe open payload bay, thenreturned to Earth foranalysis.

The photo shows twosizes of canisters offered byITA, the five cubic footmodule at left and a 2.5 cu-bic foot module; each pro-vides basic electronic equip-ment in the bottom "bay, asshown in the photo of thesmall canister. Avionics in-clude a power supply, a datarecorder, pressure and tem-perature sensors and a pro-grammer/sequencer; addi-tional equipmentsuch as avideo recordercan be in-cluded at the experimenter'soption.

ITA is developing a largerexperiment module for usewith NASA Hitchhiker pay-loads, which are Shuttle bayexperiment packages weigh-ing up to 1,000 pounds,more complex than Get-away Specials and generallyrequiring use of Shuttle re-sources, such as power,commands, recording andtelemetry. The ISEM-H (ITAStandardized ExperimentModule for Hitchhiker) willconsist of an exterior pres-sure vessel capable of beingpressurized or vented intospace and an interior struc-ture for mounting experi-ments or hardware for pro-duction of space processedmaterials. The unit also

provides avionic equipmentfor tapping into Shuttleresources.

ITA typifies a number ofcompanies that are not onlyproviding equipment formaterials processing butalso offering a full range ofrelated services. For experi-menters who have a research idea but are new tothe field, they can designand assemble an experimentapparatus, install it in amodule, deliver it to NASAfor Shuttle integration andhandle all the requisitesafety tests and adminis-trative detail.

4745

46

COMMERCIAL SPACE SYSTEMS

Although materials process-ing activities constitute thebroadest area of commercialspace development thus far,some companies are focus-ing their attention on an-other area: development offlight systems intendedprimarily for commercialspace operations.

One such system is theIndustrial Space Facility(ISF) shown in cutawayview at upper left. Beingdeveloped by Space Indus-tries, Inc. for service aroundthe end of the decade, theISF is designed as a Shuttle-serviced orbiting facility forexperimental or operationalmaterials processing, alter-natively as a scientific lab-oratory or a technologydevelopment facility for test-ing new space equipmentand procedures.

In the basic form shownin the cutaway view, the ISFis a single module, 35 feetlong and 141i feet in diame-ter, with a large solar arraypower source being devel-oped by Lockheed Missiles& Space Company. Themodule has built-in powerstorage, temperature control,communications and datamanagement equipment,along with laboratory/fac-tory equipment customizedto the job the facility is toaccomplish. As many as sixmodules can be docked to-

gether to create what the de-velopers call a "space indus-trial park." The lower leftphoto shows a mated two-module system.

The ISF is designed as anunmanned automated sta-tion, but a unique aspect ofthe design is provision of2,500 square feet of pressur-ized volume in each mod-ule. Thus, Shuttle-deliveredservicing crews will be ableto work in shirtsleeves forthe two or three days itmight take for repairs oradjustments, equipmentchangeouts, product harvest-ing and,cleaninerestockingproduction hardware.

In a shuttle/ISF resupplyand servicing operation, theShuttle Orbiter is docked tothe ISF by means of aberthing adapter. Astronautsenter the pressurized part ofthe facility through a dock-ing tunnel. Connected tothe facility module is aseparable supply modulecontaining oxygen forpressurization and otherconsumables; resupplymodules, six to 11 feet long,will be delivered everythree or four months anddepleted modules returnedto Earth. The periodicallyman-tended 'SF will operate

43

in the same orbit as that ofthe U.S./international SpaceStation and it will also beable to dock with the SpaceStation for servicing. Byagreement, NASA and SpaceIndustries will work to-gether on technical mattersand operational supportrequirements, and will ex-change nonproprietary data.

Another area of privatelyfunded space activity isdevelopment of upper stagepropulsion systems forboosting payloads to higherorbits, for example the22,300 mile high geosyn-chronous orbit wherecommercial communica-tions satellites and other"geostationary" satellitesoperate. This is a two-stepprocess wherein the pay-load is first deployed fromthe Shuttle Orbiter in lowEarth orbit, then transferredto geosynchronous orbit bya secondary boost from anupper stage launch vehicleaffixed to the satellite.

The first privately devel-oped upper stage was thePAM (Payload Assist Mod-ule) built by McDonnellDouglas Astronautics Com-pany and employed for allShuttle launches of com-mercial communicationssatellites thus far. The com-pany has developed an ad-vanced PAMDII that canboost 4,160 pounds to geo-

synchronous orbit.A new medium capacity

upper stage is under devel-opment as a commercial en-terprise in cooperation withNASA. Known as the Trans-fer Orbit Stage (TOS), it isbeing developed by OrbitalSciences Corporation (OSC)with private capital. NASA isnot contributing any directfinancial support but pro-vides technical monitoringof TOS progress through aproject office at MarshallSpace Flight Center. This ar-rangement will make a newspace transportation systemavailable for government aswell as commercial servicewhile saving the govern-ment the estimated $50million required to developthe system.

in March 1986, NASA se-lected the TOS system asthe upper stage vehicle tobe used after Space Shuttledeployment of the MarsObserver mission in 1990.

TOS is being built byMartin Marietta DenverAerospace, prime contractorto OSC. Powered by a solidpropellant rocket motor,TOS is being developed un-der a design philosophy thatcombines extensive use ofspace-qualified hardwarewith selective application ofnew technologies. The stageis expected to be ready forservice by late 1986.

OSC and Martin Mariettaare also developing a com-plementary upper stagecalled the Apogee andManeuvering Stage (AMS),which employs spacestorable liquid rocket tech-nology. Used as a combinedtwo-stage vehicle, the TOS/AMS can deliver a 6,500 -pound payload to geosyn-chronous orbit. On such

missions, the TOS stage de-livers a high-thrust, short-duration injection into ellipti-cal transfer orbit; the AMSprovides insertion into cir-cular orbit and precise finalpositioning of the payload.The photo above showsAMS boosting a large satel-lite following separation ofthe TOS stage. TOS/AMS istargeted for initial serviceavailability in December1987.

49 47

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A NASA-developed breathingsystem for firefighters exemplifiesthe benefit potential of aerospacetechnology transfer

50

SPACE TECHNOLOGY FOR THEFIRE DEPARTMENT

Firefighting and fire prevention areareas of activity that seem to be espedaily productive of aerospace spinoffs.In recent years, for example, aerospacetechnology has been beneficially trans-ferred to such civil-use applications as aportable firefighting module; protectiveoutergarments for workers in hazardousenvironments; a broad range of fire-retardant paints and foams; reblockingablative coatings for outdoor structures;and a number of types of flame resis-tant !Aries for use in the home, office,or in public transportation vehicles.

Perhaps the broadest fire-relatedtechnology transfer is the breathing ap-paratus worn by firefighters for protec-tion from smoke inhalation injury.Breathing equipment widely usedthroughout the United States is basedon a NASA development of the 1970sthat coupled NASA's design expertiseand lightweight materials developed1h the U.S. space program. Thatproject was the first concerted effort toimprove firefighter breathing systems,Nvh:ch had not changed appreciablysince the World War II era.

It started in 1971 in response to aneed expressed by many of the nation'sfire chiefs. The traditional breathingsystem was heavy; cumbersome, mobil-ity-restricting and so physically taxingthat it often induced extreme fatigue.Many firefighters preferred not to usethe equipment, electing to take theirchances of being overcome by smokerather than risk collapse from heat andexhaustion. As a result, smoke inhala-tion injuries were on the rise.

In cooperation with the Fire Tech-nology Division of the National Bureauof Standards, NASA established a public

52

interest technology utilization projectunder the direction of Johnson SpaceCenter (JSC). JSC embarked on amultiyear design and development ef-fort centered on application of technol-ogy developed for portable life supportsystems used by Apollo astronauts onthe moon. Specifications were drawnfrom input provided by a User Require-inents Committee made up of firechiefs and city managers. In addition,such fire service organizations as theNational Fire Protection Association,the International Association of FireFighters and the International Associa-tion of Fire Chiefs periodically re-viewed the program. Two companiesMartin Marietta Corporation and Struc-tural Composites Industries, Inc.were awarded contracts to build light-weight air cylinders patterned on tech-nology originally developed for rocketmotor casings. Scott Aviation, Lancaster,New York, received the contract tobuild the other components of thebreathing apparatus. JSC conducted itsown extensive testing of the new sys-tem and this was followed by a seriesof field testsin 1974.75by the firedepartments of New York (the nation'slargest), Houston and Los Angeles.

What emerged from the four yeardevelopment effort was a breathing sys-tem weighing slightly more than 20pounds, about one-third less thanpredecessor systems, with a reducedprofile design intended to improve themobility of the wearer. The system inchided a face mask, frame and harness,

a warning device and the air bottleWith its associated valves and regulator.The basic air cylinder offered the same30minute operating time as predeces-sor systems, but it was lighter and slim-mer; this was accomplished by usingaluminum/composite materials and bypressurizing the cylinders at 4,500pounds per square inch, roughly twicethat of earlier tanks. NASA also pro-vided an optional 45minute durationspecial use cylinder that was still withinthe allowable weight. The frame andharness was made easier to put on andtake off and the system's weight wasshifted from shoulders to hips to improve wearer comfort. The new facemask offered better visibility and closerfit, and the air depletion warning device was designed so that the beepingalarm could be heard only by thewearer, to minimize confusion in thehectic environment of a fire scene.

"It was a major improverncrit4iifirefighting equipment, no question,"says Chief James Manahan of the NewYork City Fire Department's SafetyOperating Battalion. He qualifies as aleading expert on breathing apparatus.A veteran of 29 years service, he hasworn both the old and new systems inactual firefighting operations. As a cap-tain with Squad Company Four, he wasproject officer for the NYFD participa-tion in the 1974.75 field tests. And inhis current work with the safety battal-ion, part of his job is observing the useof breathing systems at fire scenes andlooking for problems that may crop upin breathing system operation andmaintenance. "The NASA technologydefinitely made a contribution towardreducing firefighter fatigue."

(CwItinued)

I

47074::

At kit, the firdightets arc wearhig a protectivebreathing spiel', designed and developed byNASA Vohnson Space Center (ISC). The project

adapted materials and technology from the*ace program to a national need for lighter,less bulky breathing, apparatus. Shown above is

tix, original /SC design, which served as a &Darhire point for new sptems developed by majormanafacturm (ffirefighting equipment,

51

At a fire in a New )brk City office buildingNIFD firefighters group In the lobby awaitingassignment (above), their breathing apparatusstacked for use if needed. 11 wasthe upper floor

electrical fire generated much smoke. At right,one firefighter helps another adjust his breathingsystem.

At his dice on Randall's Island, NewYork, safety battalion Chief JamesManahan compared the modernfirefighter's breathing apparatus, basedon NASA technology, with pre NASAequipment.

"This one," he said, tapping a metalcase containing the old system, "washeavy, bulky, had narrow eye piecesand t;te weight pulled down on theshoulders When you wore that thingfor 15 minutes, you couldn't wait to getout of it. And this"he indicated anadjacent case"is the current systemwe use, with a smaller, lighter air cylin-der, better mask and harness." Asidefrom the lighter weight, nrefighters

52

SPACE TECHNOLOGY FOR THEFIRE DEPARTMENT (continued)

consider the waist-mounted harness abig plus; it shifted the weight fromshoulders to hips, provided betterweight distribution and thereforemakes the pack seem lighter than it is.

Has the NASA technology met theoriginal objective of inspiring greateruse of breathing systems? Firefightersare generally more hazardaware today,Chief Manahan said, because greatlyexpanded use of exotic chemicals, plas-tics and other synthetics in industrialoperations, building materials, home

and office furniture has increased theincidence of toxic fume generation infires. There is greater readiness to useprotective gear, and no doubt the avail-ability of a more comfortable breathingsystem contributed to that attitude.

After completion of the field tests adecade ago, the New York City FireDepartment became one of the first ofthe nation's fire services to adopt thenew technology on an operational ba-sis. Use of the lightweight apparatusspread quickly across the country asproducers of firefighting equipmentused the NASA technology as a depar-ture point for their own developmentof new breathing systems. Each com-

A NYFD firefighter is disposing of hazardous ma

feria!, protected by a "hazmat" suit. In LevelOne work, where the material is known or suspetted to generate toxic fiimes, the breathingapparatus is worn under the bazmat outer gear.

pany made its own modifications andrefinements to the original design, andnew features are continually beingadded, but today every major manufac-turer of breathing apparatus is produc-ing units that incorporate the NASAtechnology in some form.

''The existence of these units offersthe fire services a wide variety ofbreathing systems that would not havebeen available without NASA's efforts,"says J. Tom Smith, Firefighter Healthand Safety Specialist of the U.S. FireAdministration. "As a result of the in-troduction of lightweight breatiii..g sys-tems, inhalation injuries to firefightershave been drastically reduced."

fi

At the NYFD Randall's Island training facility;

firefighters undergo "mask confidence training,"carrying out such fire operations as hosing

(above) and probing building interiors (right),squeezing through narrow areas as might benecessary in a real fire with their breathing unitsattached and (below) momentarily detached.

The NASA-developed breathing system was

designed with reduced profile wherever possibleto improve mootlio, in tight confines

5:5 53

A fire resistant textile ingredienthighlights a sampling of spinoffsin the field of public safety

FIREBLOCKING FIBERS

Sometimes an aerospace spinoff prod-uct is a "late bloomer," meaning thatits adaptation to civil uses may not hap-pen until years, even decades, after theoriginal development. An example isthe fireblocking fiber known to chem-ists as polybenzimidazole and to every-one else as PBI. It was almost a quartercentury ago that Celanese Corporationof New York developed PBI for NASAand the Air Force Materials Laboratory,but it was not until the 1980s that PBI'sreal commercialization began. NowPBI is a full-fledged commercial prod-uct in wide use and its range of appli-cations is broadening rapidly.

PBI fiber emits very little smoke or"offgassing" at temperatures up to 1040degrees Fahrenheit. Fabrics made fromPBI are durable and comfortable, theydo not burn in air or melt, they havevery low shrinkage at high tempera-tures and they retain their flexibilityafter exposure to heat or flames. Theyalso resist strong acids, solvents, fuelsand oils. This combination of proper-ties makes them attractive candidatesfor a broad spectrum of thermalprotection and related applications.

PBI's development was originally in-tended to provide a flight suit materialthat would afford astronauts and mili-tary pilots maximum protection againstfire. After successful development ofthe fiber, Celanese designed a manu-facturing process and produced PBI inlimited amounts for military and spaceapplications; it was used, for example,in Apollo and Space Shuttle astronautgear and in webbings and tethers onApollo Skylab flights. But during mostof the 1970s, PBI found no large-scalecivil applications.

56

That changed in 1980 whenCelanese moved to full commercializa-tion and announced plans to build anew plant for PBI production. One rea-son for the company's decision wasthat a market had opened for an alter-native material to asbestos. Anotherwas stricter government anti-pollutionstandards; PBI's ability to resist corro-sive gases and chemicals made it anattractive material for filtering stackgases. There were also applications inthermal protective wear for foundryworkers, chemical plant employees,firefighters and others whose occupa-tional activities expose them to flameand intense heat.

Located at Rock Hill, South Carolina,the Celanese PBI plant started produc-tionin 1983of fibers for conversion

into fabrics by other manufacturers forboth military and industrial-applica-tions. The company has since increasedproduction substantially and also ex-panded its market through agreementswith Teijin Limited, Osaka, Japan tomarket PBI in the Far East and HoechstA.G., Frankfurt, Germany for Europeanmarketing.

The range of PBI uses is similarlyexpanding. Last year, the fiber found anew application in fabrics for a newline of auto racing driver suits manu-factured by Pyrotect, Inc., Minneapolis,Minnesota. And, since 1984, Celanesehas been working on what could be-come the most important applicationfrom the standpoint of public safety: afireblocking covering for the foamcushions in commercial airliner seats(see page 56).

At left, a Celanese Corporation laboratory tech-nician is acid bath- testing a batch of PB1 fibers.Originally developed as material for fire resis-tant flight suits the fibers are now being usedin a widening range of civil applications.

The firefighter pictured above is wearing ajacket whose fabric incorporates PB1fiber1 Thefabric does not burn or crack, thus providingflame protection to its wearer, and it is light-weight, allowing greater maneuverability with

Jess fatigue. These and other properties make PB1attractive for a variety of thermal protectionapplications, such as the gloves and outergarment 100771 by the foundry worker at left.

55

FIREBLOCKING FIBERS (continued)

In October 1984, the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) issued new andmore stringent flammability require-ments for aircraft seat cushions, asource of flame and smoke propaga-tion in the event of an aircraft fire. De-signed to give commercial airline pas-sengers an extra 40 to 60 seconds toevacuate a burning airplane by delay-ing the spread of fire, smoke and toxicfumes, the new rules requited chat air-liners carrying more than 30 peoplemustwithin three yearsinstallburnresistant seats.

Just two days later, Celanese Cor-poration announced that fabrics madeof its PSI fiber meet the FAA require-ments: no more than 10 percent cush-ion weight loss and no spread of flameacross the full width of the seat after

exposurefor two full minutesto atemperature of 1900 degrees Fahren-heit. Prior :o the FAA's issuance of thenew guidelines, Celanese Fiber Opera-tions, Charlotte, North Carolina, hadset up its own seat burn facility for ad-vanced research and testing of PM incooperation with airlines, seat manufac-turers and fabric manufacturers.

PM, which does not burn in air, isused in a fabric covering around thepolyurethane foam seat cushion, creat-ing a fireblocking layer between theseat's upholstery and the foam, thus allbut eliminating the toxic fumes andfire-spreading gases emitted by burn-ing foam. PM fabrics have consistentlydisplayed superior fireblocking perfor-mance in tests and additionally haveimpressed airline officials with theirdurability, ease of fabrication, comfort,weight and in-service maintainabilityall big factors in selecting coverings forthousands of airliner seats. A range ofPIM airline seat fabrics has been de-signed and a number of airlines havespecified or are testing PSI fireblockedseats.

56 58

Tbe first two photos show a seat burn test of afabric that does not contain Celanese PBI the farleft photo shows the seat after 30 seconds expo-sure to a temperature of 1900 degrees Fahren-heit, the adjacent photo at 90 seconds. The lattertwo photos illustnate the dramatically reducedflame involvement, at the same time intervalsand temperature, in seats incorporating PB

FIRE DETECTOR

For use in the Space Shut-tle's main engines and otherrocket systems, NASA storesliquid hydrogen in largespherical tanks at KennedySpace Center (KSC) andfeeds it to launch padsthrough a network of pipes,valves and return lines. Ahigh energy propellant, hy-drogen is important to spaceoperations but it requirescareful handling on theground; it is easily ignitedand a spark could touch offan intensely-burning firethat is especially trouble-some because hydrogenburns with an invisibleflame. NASA thus saw aneed for a portable hydro-gen fire detector that wouldenable technicians to moni-tor regularly the spread-outpropellant storage anddelivery system.

The answer was a hand-held ultraviolet fire detector,developed under NASA con-tract by Detector Electron-ics, Minneapolis, Minnesota,manufacturer of a wide arrayof permanently-mountedultraviolet and infrared firedetectors. Shown in use atKSC (above) and in closeup(far right), the system devel-oped for NASA has becomea commercial product foruse in hydrogen generatingplants, pipelines and otherhydrogen handling facilities.

.4"

A

The hand-held detectorhas sensors that can spot aninvisible hydrogen flame atdistances up to 100 feet. Ithas a visual readout thatshows the level of ultravio-let radiation and it also pro-vides an aural fire alert, abuzzing sound in the oper-ator's earphones. Becausethe sensors are designed toreact only to a narrow band

of ultraviolet radiation, thedetector cannot be fooledby sunshine, reflections, in-candescent or fluorescentlights. Detector Electronicsdelivered the first commer-cial units in 1985. A

5557

58

PERSONAL COOLING SYSTEM

At left above, Ariiona cropduster Gary Owens is aboutto board his agricultural air-plane. In Arizona, most cropdusting work is done in thelate afternoon or evening, soOwens' plane has beenexposed to hot sunlight forhours and the.cockpit tem-perature may be as high as125 degrees Fahrenheit. Andthe plane's cockpit is not airconditionedfew are,because of the expense.

Cockpit heat poses a ma-jor problem for Gary Owensand others of his professionbecause elevated body tem-perature can cause fatigue,dehydration and even col-lapse, extremely dangerouspossibilities to a pilot flyingat times only two to four

feet above the vegetation(above). but Gary Owenshas an answer; in July 1985he became the first cropduster to purchase a CoolHead?' personal coolingsystem from Life SupportSystems, Inc. (LSSI),Mountain View, California.

At far right, Owens mod-els the Cool Head system.He is wearing a lightweightvest unit through whichcooling liquid circulatesand, under his flight helmet,he has a companion coolingheadliner. Visible in the

60

cockpit is the portable. cool-ing package, which includesa heat exchanger that coolsthe working fluid circulatedthrough vest and headliner,and a control display unitcontaining a pump, a liquidreservoir, temperature con-trol and power unit. CoolHead can operate from itsown rechargeable battery orfrom the airplane'sorother vehicle'spower sys-tem. With Cool Head, saysLSSI, 40 to 60 percent ofbody heat storage caused byhigh temperature can beeliminated and heart ratecan be lowered by 50 to 80beats a minute.

Cool Head user Gary Ow-ens calls it "a winner." In aletter to LSSI, he wrote: "I

don't sweat at all with theCool Head system. Thismakes me more comfort-able, more alert, less fa-tigued and provides muchgreater safety in flight. Forthe first time in my (eightyear) crop dusting career, Iam fresh, alert and withoutmental pressure."

The Cool Head technol-ogy originated in a 1968NASA development programthat produced a channeledcooling garment for :pacewear. In 1971, NASA's AmesResearch Center awarded a

contract to Acurex Corpora-tion for an extension of thetechnology involving devel-opment of a heat stress alle-viating liquidcooled headliner for helicopter pilots.In the mid-1970s, NASA andthe Bureau of Mines jointlysponsored an Acurex pro-gram for development of aself-contained cooling sys-tem for mine rescue work-ers. In 1980, William Elkins,formerly with Acurex andlong associated with coolingsystem research, formedLSSI to pursue commercialuses of the technology.

Cool Head personal cool-ing systems have been ac-quired by the Army and theAir Force for use by person-nef who must perform ardu-ous work while wearing hotand bulky protective gear,such as garments to preventcontact with chemical/bac-teriological warfare agents.Cool Heads have also beenbought by the U.S. Navy forevaluation in helicoptersand light aircraft, and bymilitary unit_ of foreigngovernments.

Among commercial appli-cations are use by employ-ees susceptible to on-the-job heat stress in suchindustries as primary metalsreduction, deep mining,chemicals, paper and glass.Other commercial uses in-clude personal cooling for

heavy equipment operatorsand workers wearing toxicwaste clean-up suits. CoolHead is also being used bya number of auto racingdrivers, notably Paul New-man of motion picture fameand Bill Elliott.

Additionally, Cool Headis being evaluated byNASA's Research TriangleInstitute (North Carolina)Technology ApplicationsTeam, which is conducting aprogram to utilize aero-space-derived technology toimprove on-board equip-ment in public service heli-copters, such as those en-gaged in law enforcement,search and rescue, drug en-forcement, border patroland forest service activities.The NASA application teamand LSSI are working toidentify possible improve-ments in the Cool Head sys-tem that would enhance itsutility in the public servicehelicopter application.

TM Cool Head is a trademark ofLife Support Systems, Inc.

t: 61 59

Among spinoff innovations inmedicine is a line of efficiencyenhancing products for separat-ing chemical compounds in fluids

AID FOR THE MEDICAL LABORATORY

In the early 1970s, Jet Propulsion Lab-oratory (JPL) undertook a communityservice project to meet a need of theLos Angeles Police Department. Thedepartment's forensic chemistry labor-atory needed a reliable but more rapidway of detecting drugs in blood orurine samples taken from suspectednarcotics users. JPL applied its worldrenowned technological expertise, in-vented a technique for speedier separa-tion of biological compounds, then ad-vanced the technique another step bydeveloping a method of automating theprocess. The JPL effort provided a tech-nology base for a line of sample prepa-ration products developed byAnalytichem International, Harbor City,California and sold all over the world.

Liquid/liquid extraction is a termused in chemistry to describe a methodof separating chemical compoundscontained in blood, urine or other bio-logical fluids for research or forensicwork, medical treatment or pharma-ceutical manufacture. At the time JPLbegan its research, the conventionalextraction process involved transferringthe compounds to be separated into asolvent liquid in a series of compli-cated operationsagitation, emulsionformation, centrifuge spinning,mechanical filtration and other steps,each step time-consuming and eachrequiring certain special equipment.

Looking for a simpler, easier way,JPL developed a new single step extrac-tion process that sharply cut processingtime, reduced cost and eliminatedmuch of the equipment requirement.The technique involved use of dispos-able tubes called "extraction columns"partially filled with an absorbent pack-

6o 62

ing material, such as ceramic wool,shredded filter paper, glass wool, cellu-lose powder or absorbent cotton. In atypical extraction, a liquid sample waspoured into an extraction tube wherethe packing material absorbed waterand impurities from the sample andspread the specimen as a very thin filmover a large area; this made the drug-bearing components easily separablethrough contact with organic solvents.To extract a particular compound, anappropriate liquid solvent was intro-duced to the tube. As the solventpassed through the packing material,the desired compound became dis-solved in the solvent and exitedthrough the tube's bottom stem, to becollected for further processing. By in-troduction of another solvent, a differ-ent compound could be extractedfrom the remaining sample.

JPI, then developed an automatedsystem for analyzing the extracted com-pound. Called AUDRIfor AutomatedDrug Identificationthe device com-bined computer, spectrographic andgas chromatograph technology in a sys-tem that removed the solvent from theextract, vaporized the extract, thendirected the vapor into a series of gaschromatographs, instruments that sepa-rate and identify the various gases in amixture and their amounts (AUDRI hada separate gas chromotograph for eachfamily of compounds to be identified).The data from the chromatographs andother AUDRI instruments was sent to a

)

j

computer, which compared the datawith a repertoire of drug characteristicsstored in its memory and thus made afinal drug identification.

NASA waived title for the extractiontube and AUDRI technology to JPL'sparent-organization, California Instituteof Technology (Caltech) and Caltechgranted licenses for commercial use ofthe technology to three companies,one of them Analytichem International.Analytichem initially introduced theJPL disposable extraction column un-der the trade name Extube and is stillproducing it in two forms: Chem Elut'columns for applications demandingexceptional purity and Tox Elut®,specifically designed for urine drugabuse screening.

Analytichem has advanced the origi-nal technology by developingforapplications in sample preparation,analysis and pharmaceutical manufac-turinga range of Sepralyte® chemicalisolation products based on silica ad-sorbing materials, or sorbents. A keySepralyte product is Bond Elut®, a liq-uid/solid extraction column designedfor fast, efficient, economical process-ing. The company also produces a vari-ety of Bond Elut accessories, includinga Vac Eluttm processing station that canhandle up to 10 Bond Elut columnssimultaneously and provide resultsin a few minutes.

In addition, Analytichem used theJPL/AUDRI technology as a departurepoint for company development of anautomated sample extraction and analy-sis system known as AASP®. The instru-ment is manufactured by Varian Asso-ciates and Analytichem produces AASPCassettes with 10 sorbent cartridges for

10 simultaneous sample extractions;the cassettes embrace the completespectrum of Sepralyte sorbents toaccommodate virtually any separationapplication. Analytichem's productshave found wide and growing accep-tance, thus, JPL's community service ef-fort of a decade and a half ago playedan important part in bringing new, effi-ciency-enhancing products to themarketplace and in generating salesrunning into the millions of dollars.

TM Extube, Chem Elut and Vac Elut aretrademarks of Analytichem International, Inc.

® 'fox Elut, Sepralyte, Bond Elut and AASP areregistered trademarks of AnalytichemInternational, Inc.

63

At left, a National Institute of Health technicianis assaying a laboratory sample prepared by useof the equipment in foreground, a processing

unit and a series of "extraction columns" thatmake possible rapid separation of the compounds in biological or other fluids. Developed

by Analyticheni International, the equipmentand technique derive from technology originallydeveloped by jet Propulsion Laboratory to detectdrugs in blood or urine samples

.ciaddivit :1, p

Shown in closeup are two members of the

Analydcbem family of products for sample prepa-ration and analysis: the Bond Elul (top) and7&Iltlt extraction columns, the latter specifi-catty designed for drug abuse screening

61

DIGITAL IMAGING

="1-,,----- ,---,

...

Image analysis is the art ofobtaining information frompictures, for example,through visual examinationof a photograph or x-ray.But visual extraction and in-terpretation of informationis slow, tedious and errorprone because it is subjec-tive. To support spacerequirements, NASAinparticular Jet PropulsionLaboratory (JPL) devel-oped the technique ofdigital imaging, computer-processed numerical repre-sentation of physical images,such as the planets andmoons of the solar system.JPL also played a lead rolein developing digital imageprocessing, or enhancementof images to improve theirquality and make them eas-ier to interpret. Quantitativedigital image analysis goes astep further and includes lo-cation of objects within animage and measurementof each object to extractquantitative information.

In the decade of the1980s, these technologies

62

are finding scores of non-aerospace applications. Inmedicine, for example, CATscanners and diagnostic ra-diography systems are basedon digital imaging; three-di-mensional reconstructiontechniques are proving avaluable aid to microscopy;and computerized imageanalysis of cardiologicalx-rays is providing quantita-tive data on heart valve andartery functions. In industry,digital imaging is notablyemployed in quality controlinspection systems; it alsohas applications in chemis-try, cartography, manufac-ture of printed circuitry,metallurgy, ultrasonics andseismography, in additionto many aerospace uses.

Shown in the accompany.ing photo is the PSICOM327, a stand-alone work sta-tion designed to perform allof the commonly used func-tions in quantitative digitalimage analysis. The photoshows a medical applica-tion quantitative measure-ments of a microscope spec-imenbut PSICOM 327 is ageneral purpose system withbroad industrial and scien-

' 64

tific uses in addition to itsclinical applications.

Introduced to the com-mercial market in 1985, thePSICOM 327 is manufac-tured by Perceptive Systems,Inc. (PSI), Houston, Texas.PSI is a NASA technologytransfer company employinga number of personnel withNASA-acquired technical ex-pertise, operating under aNASA patent license, and in-corporating in its productsdigital imaglog technologydeveloped by JPL. The com-pany was founded in 1984by Dr. Kenneth Castleman,now vice presidentresearch and development,and Don Winkler, vice presi-dentengineering. Bothare former NASA digital im-aging experts, Castlemanwith JPL and Winkler withJohnson Space Center.

The PSICOM 327, now inuse at several universitiesand industrial facilities, isPSI's first product. The com-pany recently introduced anew PSICOM 427 high reso-lution imaging system tomeet market demand forgreater accuracy and imageresolution in some applica-tions, and it also developedthe first model of a 200 Se-ries that will feature lowercost, smaller, more mobilesystems designed for spe-cific rather than generalpurpose applications.

DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY

The accompanying photo-graphs show components ofa new digital radiographysystem designed for im-proved efficiency, flexibilityand costeffectiveness inhospital radiographic exami-nations. Developed and

'built by DigiRad Corpora-tion, Palo Alto, California, itis called System One and isintended to reduce hospitaloperating costs by eliminat-ing the expense of film inx-rays and other imageacquisition procedures.

With System One, patientradiographic examinationsare conthrted in the stan-dard manner except thatbody images are not re-corded on film but on theDigiRad RIM®, or ReusableImage Medium, essentiallyan intensifying screen that iscapable of retaining an im-age. System One "reads"the RIM with a laser scanner(not pictured) and uses thescan information to producea digital image in the imageprocessor shown at upperright. The image is thenstored in the computer'smemory; the RIM, mean-while, is automaticallyerased so that it can be usedagain. Images are stored onoptical disks that can ac-commodate 400 imageson a planer the size of aphonograph record.

In the reading room, aradiologist selects imagesfrom System One's directoryfor display on the physi-cian's console (lowerphoto). A key element ofSystem One is what DigiRadcalls "energy selective imag-ing," an image enhance-ment feature that improvesdiagnostic capability by en-abling the system's operatorto subtract certain features.For example, the radiologistcan "dial away" the ribs in achest picture or remove softtissue from the image, thispermits the physician tocompareon the threeimage screens of the con-solestandard, bone-sub-tracted or soft tissue-subtracted views.

Filmless radiography, saysDigiRad, substantially lowersthe direct cost of makingimages (film cost) andprovides additional indirectsa lgs of significant orderby eliminating the need forfilm accessory equipment,by compressing image stor-age space and by improvingproductivity in calling upimages. System One is com-patible with all existingradiographic equipment andit produces high resolution

images, resolving the prob-lem of image quality loss in-curred in prior attempts toeliminate film.

System One incorporatesdigital imaging technologyspeufically the energy se-lective technologydevel-oped by Stanford Universitywith support from NASAgrants. One of the partici-pants in the Stanford re-search program, Dr. RobertE. Alvarez, now chairman ofthe board of DigiRad, ob-tained a license from Stan-ford for commercializationof the digital radiographysystem, which was intro-duced to service in 1984. A

RIM is a registered trademark ofDigiRad Corporation.

6.5 03

64

X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM

The unit pictured is aFluor° Scan" Imaging Sys-tem, a high resolution, lowradiation device for continu-ous real-time viewing of sta-tionary or moving objects.Intended primarily formedical applications, it isproduced under NASAlicense by Health Mate, Inc.,Northbrook, Illinois.

The FluoroScan system isa second generation spinofffrom NASA technology orig-inally developed for use inx-ray astronomy, where im-aging at extremely low x-rayintensity is required. Thetechnology was subse-quently appliedby Goddard Space Flight Centerto development of an isoto-pic, portable, minimal radia-tion x-ray instrument knownas the Low Intensity X-rayImaging Scope, designedprincipally for emergencymedical use. One of severalNASA licensees, Health Matereplaced the isotope penetrating source with a variablepower x-ray tube and addeda number of improvementswhile retaining the smallsize, light weight andmaneuverability advantagesof the original system.

Major components of theFluoroScan system include

66

an x-ray generator, an x-rayscintillator, a visible lightimage intensifier and avideo display; in the photo,the cylindrical tube containsthe detector, intensifier andvideo camera, while thex-ray housing, tube andpower supply are in the "C-um" from which the cylin-der is suspended. X-raysfrom the generator cast ashadow the object beingexamineda bone, for ex-ampleon the scintillator,which converts the x-ray im-age to a visible light image.Intensified by the high gainlight intensifier, the imagecan be viewed directlythrough the tube or on theclosed circuit television(CCTV) monitor; use ofCCTV allows images to berecorded and stored.

Easy mobility is providedby the wheel-andcaster baseand by the primary arm/Carm arrangement shown,allowing the examining phy-sician to position the unitrather than position the pa-tient. Moving the unit closerto the patient is not danger-ous because radiation levelsare far below those of conventional x-ray equipment,and such movement allowsmagnification of the imageup to 41/2 times with higherresolution. For all its ,:a-pabilities, is luor° Scan occupies only two square feet of

space and weighs about 20pounds. It can be pluggedinto an electrical outlet or,in portable use, operated bypower from a rechargeablebattery.

In medical applications,Fluor° Scan has particuiatutility in examination offractures, dislocations andforeign ohjeccs and in p!ace-ment of catheters. In sur-gery, its continuous real-time imaging capabilityoffers continual monitoring;for example, an orthopedicsurgeon can set a fracturewhile viewing the insertionof pins. In attendingnewborns, espec'ally thoserequiring intensive care, itoffers the dual benefits oflower radiation for tiny pa-tients and higher resolutionof the area being viewed. Inveterinary medicine, FluorScan permits examininganimals without sedationbecause it does not requirea still patient to produce aquality image. A

m FluoroScan is a trademark ofIlealthMate, Inc.

IMAGE PROCESSIN`G SYSTEM

A unit of the WashingtonUniversity School of Medi-cine, the Mallinckrodt Insti-tute of Radiology (MIR)is engaged in medical re-search in such areas as computerized tomography, posi-tron emission tomography,nuclear imaging, high energy radiation therapy andangiography. With morethan 125 terminals, MIR'scomputer system is thelargest radiology computerfacility in the world.

Since 1979, the institutehas been developing theMIR Digital Image Process-ing System, a transposablesystem for medical imageenhancement. The systemhas many potential applica-tions in diagnostic imageryanalysis and has been usedin digital vascular imagingstudies of the coronaryarteries. For these studies,blood vessels are injectedwith x-ray dye and imagesare produced over a periodof time to analyze whetherthe arteries have narrowed,an indication of athero-sclerosis (hardening ofthe arteries).

The accompanying illus-trations exemplify digitalimage processing, which al-lows visualizing features thatwould otherwise not be visible. At upper right is a digi-tal image of coronary aner-ies in a two-yearold child

with congenital heart disease. In the lower photo,the image shows the carotidarteries of a 50-year-old being evaluated for atheroscle-rosis. Comparison tests ofthe MIR Digital Image Pro-cessing System with routinecardiac examinations indi-cate that the system offersgreat potential in determining whether cardiac surgeryis necessary.

The MIR system employsNASA-developed digital im-age processing technology,used to improve the qualityof diagnostic examinationby clarifying the images andextracting specific quantitative information on bloodflow in the arteries. As a basis for developing the com-puter imaging routines fordata processing, contrast en-hancement and picture dis-play, Mallinckrodt radiolo-gists relied on a computerprogram, developed byNASA's Jet PropulsionLaboratory at the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology,known as MiniVICAR/IBIS,for Video Image Communi-cation and Retrieval /ImageBased Information System.The program was suppliedto MIR by the ComputerSoftware Management andInformation Center (COS-MIC)®, a unit of NASA's

technology transfer network.Located at the University ofGeorgia, COSMIC collectsand stores government-developed computer pro-grams that have secondaryapplicability and makesthem available to industrialfirms, government agenciesand other organizations.

49 COSMIC is a registered trade,mark of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration.

67 65

VITAMIN D INVESTIGATION

At left, Dr. Bonny Specker,an epidemiologist at theUniversity of CincinnatiMedical Center, holds an in-fant who is wearing a sun-light-measuring deviceknown as a solar dosimeter.A spinoff from NASA solarcell technology developedto provide spacecraft power,the solar dosimeter playeda part in an important studyconducted last year by Dr.Specker and her MedicalCenter associates, bio-engineer Neil Edwards, re-search assistant Sean Lyonand director of neonatologyDr. Reginald Tsang.

The group investigatedthe effect of sunlight expo-sure on maintaining vitaminD status in infants. VitaminD is derived from dietarysources or produced by theskin after stimulation by ul-traviolet light. The effect ofsunshine on vitamin D isparticularly important to ex-clusively breast-fed infantswho are not receiving sup-plements, because thevitamin D content of breastmilk is low.

In order to investigate therelationship between sun-shine exposure and viuuninD, it was necessary to de-velop a method of quantify-ing sunshine exposure ininfants. This was accom-plished in part by a specifi-cally d2signed "sunshine

66

diary," in which volunteermothers recordedeachday for a week--how manyminutes the infant wasoutdoors and what typeof clothing was worn.

Looking for a way to dou-ble check the diary, engi-neer Neil Edwards read anarticle in the NASA publica-tion Tech Briefs (see page127) that described the solardosimeter, a miniature inte-grating light meter originallydeveloped by Langley Re-search Center for measuringaccumulated radiation in theultraviolet and other regionsof the spectrum.

Biomedical researchers atthe University of Virginia,conducting long-term stud-ies to clarify the role of sun-light in inducing skin can-cer, expressed a need for aminiaturized solar dosim-eter that could be worn bystudy participants through-out a days activity and pro-vide data on the amount ofsolar radiation to which thewearer was subjected. Lang-ley adapted the technologyto the simple, personal-usedosimeter shown at rightcenter. The two circular"eyes" are silicon photovol-taic detectors that collect in-

cident solar energy after pas-sage through filters. Thereceived energy is convertedto electrical signals that areproportional to the amountof radiation absorbed. Theelectric charge is transmittedto E-cells that record thecharge by plating silver ionsonto an electrode: on com-pletion of an activity period,the total radiation receivedby the wearer of the devicecan be determined by mea-suring the time required toreplate th' silver. The do-simeter was used in theUniversity of Virginia studyand later in another sun-shine exposure study con-ducted by Virginia Polytech-nic Institute and StateUniversity.

The University of Cincin-nati's Edwards followed upon the Mcb Briefs article byobtaining from LangleyResearch Center a chnicalSupport Package that pro-vided details of the solar do-simeter's construction andoperation and by conferringwith Langley officials. Satis-fied that the device was theanswer to its need, the Med-ical Center sought and re-ceived a license from NASA,and Edwards' engineeringgroup fabricated about 70units of the dosimeter forthe vitamin D investigation.The Cincinnati team em-ployed the basic technology

but modified the dosimeter,making it tamper-proof bysealing it, making it moredurable and making it small-er for easy wear by infants.At upper right, medical stu-dent Bill Brazerol, who as-sisted the Cincinnati investi-gators in the study, displaysthe Medical Center's versionof the dosimeter. Right be-low, an adult wearer of thedosimeter is given a dosageof ultraviolet in a lightchamber, part of an addi-tional Medical Center studyrelating vitamin D synthesisto skin pigmentation.

In the Cincinnati investi-gation, readings from thesolar dosimeter correlatedwell with the sunshine diarydata recorded by participat-ing mothers. The study pro-

-19111111

vided considerable valuableinformation on the sunshineexposure/vitamin D rela-tionship, including the factthat vitamin D concentra-tions in the blood of infantscorrelated directly with thedegree of sunshine expo-sure, and that infants wereable to maintain vitamin Dconcentrations within nor-mal ranges with sunshineexposure of only 30 minutesa week when wearing dia-pers or two hours a weekfully clothed.

ji 9 67

BLOOD inRESSURE CONTROL

In tne photo, the model isdemonstrating use of theBaro-Cuff, a system typicalof that developed for a car-diovascular study of weight-less astronauts; it may helppeople who suffer fromcongestive heart failure ordiabetes. The astronaut ex-periment was conceived byVeterans Administration Dr.Dwain L. Eckberg; theequipment was developedby Engineering Develop-ment Laboratory (EDL),Newport News, Virginia foruse on the Spacelab 4 mis-sion as part of a broaderSpace Shuttle Life ScienceExperiments program. EDLthen conducted an internalresearch and developmentprogram to reduce the com-plexity of the system andadapt it to Earth-based med-ical research applications.

hg

During space flight, astro-nauts experience greaterthan usual blood pressureand heart rate instability,which sometimes inducespostflight lightheadednessor even momentary black-out, temporary symptomsthat gradually disappear,suggesting that weightless-ness may impair the body'snormal blood pressure con-trols. In the Spacelab 4investigation, the Baro-Cuffwill be used to study "reset-ting" of blood pressure re-flex controls. A siliconerubber chamber strapped tothe neck, the Baro-Cuff willstimulate the carotid arteriesby electronically-controlledapplication of pressure orsuction.

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Patients with congestiveheart failure, chronic dia-betes mellitus and otherconditions also experienceabnormal blood pressure re-flex controls. As a medicalresearch tool, the Baro-Cuffwill be used to study bloodpressure controls and theresults of stimulation insuch patients.

In 1985, EDL delivered itsfirst Model E-2000 Baro-CuffSystem to the VeteransAdministration Hospital inGainesville, Florida, whereit is being used in kidneyfunction research. The com-pany has also developed andr rid specialized configura-tions for use by U.S. medicalcolleges in clinical investi-gations and is marketing thesystem to internationalresearchers in the field ofcardiovascular physiology.

-1

SCALP COOLER

_Treatment of cancer withchemotherapeutic drugs(chemotherapy) usually in-duces hair loss in patients,causing emotional distressand adding an often severepsychological problem tothe physiological difficult)!A method of combating alupecia, as hair loss is calledin medical parlance, is scalpcooling. It has been foundthat lowering the scalp tem-perature reduces the amountof drug absorbed by hair fol-licles and prevents hair lossin many patients, yet doesnot weaken the drug's anti-cancer effect.

A new scalp cooling sys-tem based on NASA spacesuit technology was intro-duced last year. Known asthe CHEMO-COOLERThTreatment Support System,it is produced by CompositeConsultation Concepts, Inc.(CCC), Hol.ston, Texas.

The accompanying photoillustrates the use of theCHEMO-COOLER duringintravenous administrationof chemotherapy. Under thepatient's blue head coveringis a network of flexible plas-tic tubing through which acoolantusually coldwateris pumpcirculatedfrom the reservoir (whitecylinder). A thermistor,placed directly on the scalp,senses the surface tempera-ture of the scalp and reports

to the controller (black boxin right foreground). Thecontroller regulates thecooling temperature withinpreset limits and provides adigital readout of scalp tem-perature and elapsed treat-ment time. The scalp iscooled before, during andafter drug administration,the cooling time determinedby the type of drug, dosageand other factors.

A study of cancer patientsgiven drug known to causealopecia anticipated thatnone would retain as muchas 25 percent of his hair;with the CHEMO-COOLER,63 percent iost virtually nohair and nine percent suf-fered only moderate hairloss.

The basic technologyinvolved in the CHEMO-COOLER stems from John-son Space Center (JSC)development of a liquidcooling undergarment, wornbeneath a space suit,through which coolant iscirculated to remove the ex-cess body heat of astronauts.In a 1970s community ser-vice project, JSC used thattechnology to develop anexperimental scalp coolingsystem for a cancer patient.The system worked well onthe single patient, but the

technology lay dormant forseveral years thereafterun-til Virginia Hughes, a JSCemployee, contracted lym-phoma, a form of cancer forwhich chemotherapy wasprescribed. Her husbandH. Mery Hughes II, a seniormanagement analyst withJSCrequested permissionto use the scalp-coolingprototype in an attempt tospare his wife the emotionalanguish associated with hairloss. For the second timethe prototype worked well;Mrs. Hughes still has a fullhead of hair.

While going through thedaily chemotherapy treat-ments, Mery and VirginiaHughes decided to make

,4

the technology available toothers by commercializingthe system. After retiringfrom NASA, Hughes formedCCC to refine and improvethe scalpcooling system andto develop other spinoffproducts for commercializa-tion. CCC's CHEMO-COOLER bears little resem-blance to the JSC prototype;the company spent 3.4 yearsin development and test be-fore bringing it to the com-mercial market in 1985.

CHEMOCOOLER is a trademarkof Composite Consultation Con-cepts, Inc.

A system for assessing passengerride comfort highlights spinoffsin the field of transportation

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TECHNOLOGY FOR SMOOTHER TRANSIT

In designing any kind of transponationvehicle, a major consideration is assur-ing that passengers get a smooth, com-fortable ride. Until recently, that wasdifficult, due to the lack of a reliableand accurate method of measuring the"ride quality" of the vehicle being de-veloped. Ride quality evaluations werebased on the subjective judgments ofindividuals involved in system testing;this imprecise method often causedcostly and time-consuming adjust-ments, sometimes requiring redesignand retooling, to get the desired levelof ride comfort.

Last year, Wyle Laboratories, Hamp-ton, Virginia, introduced to the com-mercial market an instrument thateases the job of the ride quality engi-neer, a portable Ride Quality Meter de-signed to measure the discomfort levelof a vehicle passenger subjected tocomplex vibrations and noise. Pro-duced under NASA license, the systemis based on a prototype meter and com-puter model developed by Langley Re-search Cemer. Offering the first verifi-able way of measuring ride quality, it isa design and diagnostic tool applicableto development of passenger cars,trucks, buses, trains, aircraft, spacecraftand a wide range of special purposetransponation systems.

The Langley ride comfon researchprogram was an offspring of NASA stud-ies, conducted more than a decadeago, of how new types of controlsmight contribute to smoother rides inpassenger aircraft and surface vehicles.In the course of that research, it be-came apparent that there was a needfor a mathematical model for estimat-ing noise and vibration effects on pass-

72

enger comfort and for the ultimatedevelopment of ride quality criteria.

To develop such a model, Langleysought to determine human comfonresponses to vehicle vibrationsindifferent frequencies and in differentaxesand noise in various octavebands. Over a period of 10 years, morethan 3,000 people served as test sub-jects in a Langley ride quality simulator.During exposure to controlled com-binations of noise and vibration, eachsubject was asked to make evaluationsdetailing the level of discomfort experi-enced. These responses provided thebasis for development of the computermodel, which transforms individualnoise/vibration elements into subjec-tive units, then translates the subjectiveunits into a single discomfort indexthat typifies passenger sensation of thetotal environment.

In order to acquire data in actual ve-hicle operations, Langley developed aprototype ponable ride quality meter,which was designed by Wyle Labora-tories under NASA contract. That devel-opment provided the technology forthe Wyle Ride Quality Meter, whichthe company describes as "the mostimportant advance in ride qualityengineering to date."

Mounted on the vehicle to be eval-uated, the Ride Quality Meter gets itsvibration input from an external pack-age of sensors and its noise input froma commercial sound level meter. Aboutthe size of a breadbox, the meter in-cludes a computer and its Langley-

developed software, conditioning ele-ments. a liquid crystal display and aprinter. The conditioning elements fil-ter, amplify and average the sensor-generated noise and vibration signals,which are computer processed to de-termine, display and print a set of dis-comfort indices representative of thesubjective discomfort level producedby the noise and vibration. Among theprinter outputs are: the total discomfortindex; the vibration component of thetotal; the noise component, discomfortdue to each of five axes of vibration;and discomfort due to individual noisebands. Thus, the meter serves as a"passenger jury" delivering a reliableand accurate verdict as to the ride qual-ity of the vehicle being evaluated.

The system underwent extensivepre-production testingby Langley/Wyle independently and in coopera-

tion with vehicle manufacturersand itperformed well under a variety of ridecondition.; aboard helicopters, passen-ger cars, trucks, trains and surface ef-fect ships. Since it represents the firstknown capability for summing the ef-fects of noise and vibration into a sin-gle ride quality index, it has attractedconsiderable attention among govern-ment and industrial transportationinterests; some of the nation's majormanufacturers of transportation equip-mentincluding Ford Motor Company;Firestone Tire and Rubber Companyand International Harvesterwereamong the initial customers. A

ht thethe upper photos a technician is using a WyleLaboratories Ride Quality Meter to assess thelevel of con ebrt experienced by passengers in ve-hicles of the Baltimore Metro system. Shown incloseup above, the Ride Quality Meter includes

noise and vibration sensors and a computerizedmeter that processes the sensor-generated data,

then displaj and prints a ride quality reading.

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72

AUTO DESIGN

For Chrysler Corporation,computer technology is anintegral part of all automo-bile manufacturing opera-tions; the corporation's op-erations are supported byone of the world's largestcomputer systems-16mainframe computers, pro-cessing 464 million instruc-tions per second, connectedto 700 terminals.

One phase of Chrysler'swork is illustrated in theabove photo, which shows acomputer-aided design sys-

tem used to create vehiclebody designs, includingpanels, steering geometry,suspension and other sys-tems. The imagery picturedwas part of a seating studyfor the Chrysler LeBaronGTS, which is shown infinal configuration atupper left.

One of the computer de-sign tools employed by

74

Chrysler engineers is a com-puter program developed byNASA's Lewis Research Cen-ter. Called SPAR (StructuralPerformance and Design), itis used to optimize the de-sign of the outer bodypanels of Chrysler cars andtrucks. SPAR's advantagesare that it is interactive, easyto use and fast. It is used tosolve relatively small prob-lems when quick responseis important; other programsprovide the necessarystructural analysis for largeproblems.

SPAR was supplied toChrysler by NASA's Com-puter Software Managementand Information Center(COSMIC) ®, which rou-tinely provides to industryand government customerssoftware packages that canbe adapted to uses otherthan those for which theywere originally developedby NASA and other technol-ogy generating agencies ofthe government. COSMICmaintains a library of some1,300 programs applicableto a broad spectrum ofbusiness and industryoperations.

G' COSMIC is a registered trade-

mark of the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration.

.11.11.1.11.1=1.AMPHIBIOUS AIRPLANE

The airplane pictured is thenew Air Shark I, a four-placeamphibian that makes ex-tensive use of compositematerials and cruises atclose to 200 miles per hourunder power from a 200 -horsepower engine. AirShark I is a "homebuilt" air-plane, assembled from a kitof parts and componentsfurnished by Freedom Mas-ter Corporation, SatelliteBeach, Florida The airplaneincorporates considerableNASA technology and itsconstruction benefited fromresearch assistance providedby Kennedy Space Center(KSC).

In designing the Shark,company president ArthurM. Lueck was able to drawon NASA's aeronautical tech-nology bank through KSC'scomputerized "recon" li-brary. As a result of his workat KSC, the wing of the AirShark I is a new airfoildeveloped by Langley Re-search Center for light air-craft. In addition, Lueckopted for NASAdeveloped"winglets," vertical exten-sions of the wing that re-duce drag by smoothing airturbulence at the wingtips.The NASA technology bankalso contributed to the hulldesign. Lueck is consideringapplication of NASA laminarflow technologymeans ofsmoothing the airflow over

wing and fuselageto latermodels for further improve-ment of the Shark's aerody-namic efficiency.

A materials engineer,Lueck employed his ownexpertise in designing andselecting the materials forthe composite segments,which include all structuralmembers, exposed surfacesand many control compo-nents. The materials arefiber reinforced plastics,or FRP. They offer a high

strength-to-weight ratio,with a nominal strength rat-ing about one and a halftimes that of structural steel.They provide other advan-tages: the materials can beeasily molded into finishedshapes without expensivetooling or machining, andthey are highly corrosion re-sistant. The first homebuiltto be offered by FreedomMaster, Air Shark I com-pleted air and water testingin mid-1985 and the com-pany launched productionof kits.

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74

---1.M11111111.1111111111r-AMIMI=FLEXIBLE CIRCUITS

Flexible circuitry is an ar-rangement of printed wiriagthat offers certain advan-tages over other means ofinterconnecting the compo-nents of an electronic sys-tem. First applied on mili-tary aircraft and missiles,where size, weight and reli-ability are of primary impor-tance, the circuitry's flexibil-ity allows it to be molded tothe shape of a chassis formarked reduction inAlthough flex circuits genet-ally cost more than conven-tional connectors, theynonetheless offer savings insome applications becausethey are less costly to install.The flexible circuit is alsoattractive in dynamic appli-cations, those that involvecontinuous or periodicmovement of the circuitry;in such applications, wherereliability must be main-tained over millions offlexing cycles, flexible cir-cuits have demonstratedexcellent performance.

Now being used in abroad range of civil applica-tions as well as in militaryand space systems, flexiblecircuits are produced bycombining three materials:an insulating plastic film; ametallic conductor, usuallycopper foil; and an adhe-sive, one of sew. I types ofpolymers, to bind the insu-lator and the conductor into

a laminated circuit. The ad-hesive is important to theoverall performance of thecircuit and it is selected withcare, taking into consider-ation such factors as bondstrength; resistance to tem-perature during processingand in the operation of theend product, resistance tomoisture, which can create"voids" or defects in thebond; insulation resistance;and the flexible lifetime ofthe printed circuit.

A new type of laminatingadhesive has made its ap-pearance in commercialmanufacture of flexible elec-tronic circuits. Developedby Langley Research Center,it is a thermoplasticpolyimide resin known asLARC-TPI; it is being usedto produce laminates, underan exclusive NASA license,by Rogers Corporation'sCircuit Materials Division,Chandler, Arizona, one ofthe nation's largest manufac-turers of flexible circuits.NASA has granted a licenseto Japan's Mitsui ToatsuChemicals to produce theresin and Mitsui has built aplant for commercial pro-duction of the adhesive;NASA is in the process of li-

76

censing Rogers Corporationand three other companiesto make the resin.

The family of linearpolyimides of which LARC-TPI is a member are gener-ally tough, flexible and haveexcellent mechanical andelectrical characteristics overa wide temperature range.Hence, they have been usedand are being consideredfor broader future useasstructural adhesives forbonding together parts ofaircraft, missiles and space-craft subjected to high tem-peratures, for example, en-gine nacelles and cowls, orthe friction-heated leadingedge of a high speed air-plane. The problem withlinear polyimides is thatthey have been difficult toprocess.

Special requirements forbonding components of aproposed space system ledLangley Research Center toundertake development ofan advanced structural adhe-sive by chemically alteringthe structure of the linearpolyimide to improve itsoverall characteristics andeliminate processing prob-lems. The resulting LARC-TPI has substantially im-proved processability; it canbe processed at lower tem-perature and it has goodmoisture resistance, both ofwhich contribute to prevent-

ing formation of voids; andit has excellent adherenceto a large number of plasticsand metals. Although origi-nally developed as a struc-tural adhesive, LARC-TPIwas found to have specialutility in laminating flex cir-cuits and it has other appli-cations, such as a matrix forfiber reinforced compositematerials; for high tempera-ture resistant films, foamsand fibers; and as a moldingpowder for void-freemolded parts.

In its initial commercialapplication by Rogers Cor-poration's Circuit MaterialsDivision it is being used asthe adhesive that binds theinsulating film Kaptono tocopper foil conductor mate-rial in the manufacture offlexible circuits, the photo atleft shows a spool of copperfoil and a spool of Kapton. Inthe other photos are repre-sentative Rogers Corporationflexible circuits; the coins in-dicate size. The product lineof the Circuit Materials Divi-sion spans a broad spectrumthat includes flexible circuitsfor such consumer productsas electronic watches, cam-eras, TV games, calculatorsand burglar alarms; industrialapplications such as displaypanels, medical instruments,test instrumentation, opticalcontrols and electrostaticcopiers; computer jumpers,

memories, terminals andprinters; aerospace systemssuch as missiles, transpon-ders, telemetry and avionics;such automotive applicationsas dashboard clusters, fuelcontrols, engine controls andpollution controls; and, incommunications, CB radios,telephone receivers, tele-phone switching equipment,pagers and antennas.

® Kapton is a registered trademark

of E.I. du Pont de Nemours andCompany.

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An energy saving device for televi-sion transmission highlights tech-nology transfers in energy supplyand conservation

76

TECHNOLOGY FOR TELEVISION

In 1952, the Federal Trade Commis-sion adopted the dual-band system fortelevision broadcasting, opening up theultra high frequency (UHF) range inaddition to the earlier established veryhigh frequency (VHF) system. Thenumber of UHF-TV stations on the airhas grown steadily, from only six in1953 to more than 400. But UHF-TVwas born with a handicap that hasnever been corrected: UHF stationsneed greater transmitter power for ade-quate reception than is required forequivalent VHF reception and, addi-tionally, the efficiency of UHF transmit-ters is inherently much lower than theirVHF counterparts. As a result, UHF sta-tion operators must pay, on the aver-age, about four times as much in elec-tric utility costs as VHF stations, asubstantial competitive disadvantage.

UHF electricity costs could besharply reduced if there were availablepower amplifying devices with efficien-cies comparable to those of VHF. Sucha development is the aim of a NASAtechnology utilization program involv.ing adaptation of space technology toUHF transmissions; the program is be-ing conducted by Lewis Research Cen-ter (LeRC) in cooperation with theUHF-TV broadcast industry.

The project is based on work in theearly 1970s by LeRC's Dr. Hew: Kc,-mahl, who developed a radio wave am-plifier to improve efficiencies of corn-munications satellite transmissions.Called a Multistage Depressed Collec-tor, or MDC, the amplifier allowed sat-ellites to transmit more powerful sig-nals, thus making possible the use ofsmaller, less costly Earth terminals forsignal reception. Dr. Kosmahl later

conducted preliminary research onadapting the MDC to boost the effi-ciency of UHF-TV klystron transmitters.

The klystron is a vacuum electronictube used to generate and amplify ul-trahigh frequencies for broadcasting TVsignals. The kylstron abstracts radiofrequency energy from a high voltageelectron beam when amplifying UHF-TV signals, but it does so at a low levelof efficiency; on the average, only 10-15 percent of the beam energy is con-verted to radio frequency energy. Therest is dissipated as heat, mostlydumped into cool water. The conceptbehind the LeRC development pro.gram is that the MDC could recovermuch of the energy being wasted byrecycling a large part of the electronbeam energy. LeRC feels that efficien-cies up to 30 percent can be attainedby modifying klystrons to incorporatethe MDC and another Lewis develop-menta spent beam refocuserthatchanges the magnetic field shapes ofelectron beams in a manner designedto aid the energy recovery function ofthe MDC. Efficiency gains of the ordercontemplated would result in energysavings of 50 percent for UHF-TVstations.

The MDC klystron developmentproject is being conducted, under LeRCcontract, by Varian Associates, Inc.,Palo Alto, California, the largest manu-facturer of UHF-TV klystron tubes inthe United States and Canada. Jointlyfunded by NASA, the National Associa-tion of Broadcasters and Public Broad-

casting Systems, the program is in thesecond year of a planned three-yeareffort. The initial design and materialsselection phases have been completedand 10 experimental MDC klystronsare being built and tested to demon-strate their performance capabilities.

If the development effort proves suc-cessful, it would offer benefits of sig-nificant order to the UHF-TV industry.A typical 200,000-watt UHF-TV stationin a medium-tolarge metropolitan areaspends some $300,000 a year on elec-tricity; thus the target efficiency of 30percent for MDC klystrons would allowa saving of $150,000 for the typical sta-tion, an estimated $45 million a yearnationwide.

Above, an engineer ofstation WEDI-71; Bethesda,Maryland, is checking an experimental advancedklystron prior to installation; the installed klystronis shown at left. Klystrons generate and amplifyUHF.7V broadcast signals, a NASA/industiy devel-opment program seeks to improve klystron officiencies for large -scale savings in energy costs.

.:; '479 77

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7.

COAL RESEARCH

The search for alternativefuels sparked by the oil cri-ses ..e 1970s promptedextensive research anddevelopment investments,by both government agen-cies and private firms, to-ward new forms of coal.Progress in that area, coupled with increased emphasis on reducing energycosts, has brought coal moreprominently into the U.S.fuel picture in recent years.Among a number of tech-niques aimed at developingpractical, environmentallyacceptable coal forms as fuel

1:r.)

-V

1

for large energy users areways of producing "clean"coal or coal slurriespul-verized coal mixed with oilor water. Coal slurries offerseveral advantages, in par-ticular a significantly lowercost than oil.

One company involved indeveloping improved coal-cleaning and slurry fuel pro-cesses is Advanced FuelsTechnology (AFT), Cleve-land, Ohio. AFT has de,yel-oped an economical pilkessfor cleaning coal that reN.r,ves up to 85 percent ofthe mineral sulphur and anaverage 75 percent of theash. Coal thus cleaned provides more energy with lessvariability in burning charac-teristics; it also provides bet-ter boiler performance andreliability while reducingair-pollutant emissions. Atleft is the control room ofACT's pilot plant at Bridge-port, New Jersey where coaldevelopment work is con-ducted; in the lower photois a ball mill that grinds thecoal in preparation forcleaning and slurrying.

In the course of theircoal cleaning technologydevelopment, engineers atAFT-Bridgeport tested un-clean slurry against cleanslurry to determine theamount of sulphur and ashthat would be allowable. Toevaluate the produr,s left of

80

ter combustionsolid, liq-uid and gaseous materialsAFT employed a computerprogram developed byLewis Research Center thatprovides specific capabili-ties for determining prod.MIS of combustion. Theprogram was supplied toAFT by NASA's ComputerSoftware Management andInformation Center (COS-MIC)°, located at the Uni-versity of Georgia. COSMICmaintains a large library ofprograms originally devel-oped by NASA and othertechnology-generating agen-cies of the government androu,inely supplies them togovernment and industrycustomers at a fraction oftheir original cost. Theseprograms can be adapted toa broad spectrum of busi-ness and industrial applica-tions, enabling users to savetime and money by takingadvantage of COSMIC's ser-vice. AR reported a savingof four man-months thatwould have been requiredto develop similar softwarehad the Lewis program notbeen available.

'COSMIC is a registered trademarkof the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.

11111111111.111111111.1111111M11ENERGY SYSTEMS DESIGN

Cogeneration is the use ofone energy sourceusuallycoal, oil or gasto produceboth process energy andelectricity. For example, aschool that burns coal toheat its buildings can oftenfit a small generator into thesystem to tap the excesssteam energy and generate aportion of tl-tt electricity itneeds. Or a mine using die-sel engines to run ore pro-cessing equipment can se

excess engine heat to drivea small generator.Cogeneration turns wasteheat into power, conservingnatural resources and reducing operating expenses.

The Energy Systems Divi-sion of Thermo ElectronCorporation, Waltham,Massachusetts specializes incustom design of cogenera-tion systems. Many compa-nies manufacture the com-ponents of the cogenerationsystemboilers, turbines,valves, generators, piping,pressure regulators, etc.livo such components arepictured: in the upper photois a 22,300 kilowatt dieselprime mover and in thelower photo is a steam tur-bine rotor. Thermo Electronengineers analyze the needsof the customer and the pa-rameters of the componentsto design a system of maxi-mum efficiency, using acomputer modeling system

to predict the fuel efficiencythat would be achieved withdifferent brands, sizes andmodels of boilers orturbines or piping.

One element of ThermoElectron's computer systemis a software package calledPRESTO (Performance ofRegenerative SuperheatedSteam Turbine Cycles), sup-plied by NASA's ComputerSoftware Management andInformation Center (COS-MIC). Developed by LewisResearch Center, PRESTO isflexible enough to handlethe specifications for mostenergy systems and preciseenough to give a realisticprediction of design ef-ficiencies. An engineer canenter a manufacturer's speci-fications for different mod-els of a turbine, for exam-ple, and check the effect ofeach model on system effi-ciency quickly and accu-rately. PRESTO is not theonly program that can per-form such calculations, butalternative software wasmuch more expensive.Thermo Electron estimatessavings on the order of$13,500 a year through useof PRESTO.

81.t,

79

Satellitebased scientific in-struments that observe incertain nonvisible portionsof the electromagnetic spec-trumsuch as infrared,x-ray and gamma ray detec-torsmust be kept at super-cold temperatures to pickup the faint levels of energyemanating from distant bod-ies in space. This has beenaccomplished so far by L eof cryogenic gases that coolthe instruments to tempera-tures 300 degrees or morebelow zero Fahrenheit. Butthere is a problem with thisapproachthe cryogenicgases boil off gradually, thuslimiting the satellite's datagathering lifetime to abouta year. An alternative ap-proach investigated by NASA

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SUPERCOOLING REFRIGERATOR

is the closed loop coolingsyst An, in which the samegases are used over andover. This technique couldlengthen satellite life, but itposes new problems. wearof the system's mechanicalcomponents due to frictionand possible contaminationof the coolant by organicmaterials and lubricants. Forplanned orbital observa-tories that will be operatingin the 1990s and beyond,NASA is looking for a superior refrigeration system thatwill cool instruments forfive years or more withoutgenerating adverse effectson other components of theobservatory.

Goddard Space FlightCenter (GSFC) believes ithas the solution: a novelrefrigeration system whosecomponents work withoutseals, lubricants or conven-tional bearings and do not

wear down from friction.Developed with GSFC guid-ance by Philips Laboratories,Briarcliff Manor, New York,a division of North AmericanPhilips Corporation, the system offers an extraordinaryrange of potential spinoffsin industrial applications,medical research, comput-ers, food processing androbotic machinerybecauseof its long-life, friction-free,noncontaminatingcharacteristics.

Called the Stirling CycleCryogenic Cooler, theNASA/Philips closed loopsystem is designed to produce five watts of super-cooling to 65 degrees Kelyin, which conesponds toir_inus 343 degrees Fahrenheft. Friction is eliminatedby use of electronically con-trolled linear magnetic bearingsrather than conven-tional sliding or ballbearingsso that the refrig-erator's components remainlevitated while working,centered in magnetic fieldsand moving without touchMg the sides of their housing. The design minimizesthe chance of mechanicalfailure through employmentof a direct linear drive mo

282

tor that drives a piston anddisplacer, eliminating themechanical linkages andshaft required by rotary mo-tors. Contamination of thesystem's helium workingfluid is eliminated by metaland ceramic constructionand by the fact that nolubricants are needed.

The initial model, calledthe Proof of PrincipleModel, has successfullycompleted more than twoyears of operation withoutdegradation of performanceand it has demonstrated itsability to cool to 65 degreesKelvin. Philips Laboratoriesis fabricating a second gen-eration cooler, known as theTechnology DemonstrationModel, that has design re-finements for survival ofShuttle launch and opera-tions in space, it is sched-uled for completion in thelate spring of 1987.

Philips Laboratories,which seeks to identify anddevelop technologies thatwill be important to the par-ent company's business fiveto 10 years in the future,sees a variety of Earth-usepossibilities for the coolertechnology. It could, for ex-ample, be adapted to devel-opment of pumps, motors,compressors and other me-chanical devices featuringlonger, wearproof lives.

REMOTE MANIPULATOR

Shown at right, the"Canadarm," or RemoteManipulator System as it isknown to NASA, is a SpaceShuttle-based crane that per-forms a variety of functions,operating as a 50-foot exten-sion of an astronaut's arm ei-ther automatically or underastronaut control. Weighingless than 1,000 pounds, thearm is capable of lifting65,000 pounds (the equiva-lent of a fully-loaded bus) inthe weightlessness of space.Usually emplqyed to depositpayloads in orbit or to re-trieve malfunctioning satel-lites for repair, the versatileCanadarm has also beenused as an astronaut workplatform, as a huge tool toknock an ice plug from afrozen Shuttle drain line,and as a robotic handflicking a flyswatter in an at-tempt to start an errant satel-lite. Redesigned versions ofthe Canadarm are nowfinding Earth-use utility inenergy and mining uses.

Designed and built bySpar Aerospace Limited, To.ronto, Ontario, under con-tract to the National Re-search Council of Canada,the Remote Manipulator Sys-tem was Canada's contribu-tion to the Space Shuttleprogram, funded by the Canadian government in theconviction that the technol-ogy would generate Earth

spinoffs. The first spinoffversion, its sophisticatedsoftware and some of itshardware redeveloped towork in an Earth gravityenvironment, will go intoservice late this year withOntario Hydro, a Canadianprovincial electric powercompany.

The Hydro manipulator(lower right) will be em-ployed in r arbishment ofthe utility's Candu nuclearreactor. Capable of liftingmore than 2,500 pounds, thesystem has a grasping accu-racy ) within one-tenth ofan inch; it will be able tomaneuver the brittle, highlyradioactive calandria tubesfor more than 25 feet with-out wavering a fraction of aninch. Additionally, the de-vice will be used to performabout 60 other tasks underthe direction of an operatoroutside the reactor chamber.Its use will enhance safeand timely reactor refurbish-ment and save the utilitymoney in the process; itseconomic advantage is evi-dent in the fact that down-time of a reactor costs On-tario Hydro $250,000 a dayfor alternative energy.

Last year, Spar Aerospacesigned a memorandum of

Mop

understanding with IncoLimited, Mississauga, On-tario, the world's largestnickel producer, to join indevelopment of remotelycontrolled undergroundmining equipment, basedon Canadarm technology,for improved safety andproductivity in deep-Earth,hard-rock mining. A

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1

MOTOR STARTERS

At left, employees ofIntellinet Corporation, Balti-more, Maryland, are fabricat-ing units of the company'sPower Phasere Series MSP-II solid state motor starters;a completed unit is shownat right center.The starterselectronically regulate thestarting current and runningvoltage of any alternatingcurrent (AC) motor; they aredesigned to reduce energyconsumption, lower mainte-nance costs and extend mo-tor life. The Power Phasersystems incorporate tech-nology originally developedat Marshall Space FlightCenter (MSFC) as part ofNASA's energy conservationresearch in support of theDepartment of Energy.

In the mid-seventies,MSFC sought to find a wayof curbing power wastagecaused by the fact that ACmotors operate at a fixedvoltage. The fixed voltage iswhat motors need to handlethe heaviest loads they aredes;;ned to carry. But a mo-tor usually does not operateat full load conditions.Nonethe!ess, it gets full-loadvoltage while operating atless than full-load, evenwhile idling, and the cumu-lative power wastagecon-sidering the mi'Aions of

electric motors in serviceis of enormous order.

MSFC engineer FrankNola came up with an an-swer: a device called thePower Factor Controller(PVC) that matches voltagewith the motor's actualneed. Plugged into a motor,it continuously determinesmotor load by sensing shiftsin ale relationship betweenvoltage and current flow.When the PFC senses a lightload, it cuts the voltage tothe minimum needed; thisin turn reduces current flowand heat loss. Laboratorytests showed that the PFCcould trim power used bysix to eight percent undernormal motor load condi-tions and as much as 65 per-cent when the motor wasidling. With such potentialfor energy savings, the PFCquickly became one of themost widely adopted tech-nology transfers; more than150 companies sought andwere granted NASA licensesfor commercial use of thetechnology.

Intellinet used the PVCtechnology as a departurepoint for its own five-yearresearch and developmenteffort that culminated in theintroduction of the Power

84

Phaser MSP-II motor starter,featuring "soft-start" and"load-responsive" controlmodes. In the soft startmode, the system controlsthe voltage applied to themotor so that the motoraccelerates gradually andsmooth(); rather thanabruptly, this protects mo-tor, gears and belts frommechanical stresses causedby instantaneous starting.The Load-Responsivem con-trol tunes voltage to matchthe motor to its load almost200 times a second; duringperiods when motor loadsare light or line voltage ishigh, the Load-Responsivecircuit automatically reducesoperating voltage withoutreducing motor speed.

MSP-II starters also have anumber of motor protectionfeatures, including the basicfact that curbing excess en-ergy lowers motor heat andthus extends the useful livesof electrical insulation andbearing lubricants. Anotherfeature is a proprietary Di-agnostic Module, whose in-dicator lights help inquickly isolating faults inthe control system, powerline or motor and load.

The photos illustratesome applications of theMSP-II starters. At upperright an engineer is check-ing gages after a comparisontest at an industrial facility.

The gage at his left moni-tored a motor equippedwith an Intellinet starter,'controller; it registeredpower usage some 25 per-cent less than the right gage,which checked a motor notequipped with the PowerPhaser.

At Baltimore's Fort How-ard Veterans AdministrationHospital, the patient air sys-tem supports kidney dialysisand other critical proce-dures. Because the systemmust be available at alltimes, it is supported by thehospital's emergency powersystem in the event thatpublic utility power fails. Inemergency tests, startingsurges from the system'sthree compressor motors,cycling off and on in re-sponse to air pressure de-mand, overloaded and cutoff part of the hospital'sbackup system. Intellinetprovided a motor controlcenter (right) equippedwith three Power Phasersand now, because of thesoft-start feature, emergencypower tests work without ahitch, no matter what thecycle rate,

At a United States Gyp-sum factory, starting the fi-nal segment of a 750.foot.long conveyor (right)sometimes broke drivechains and interrupted pro-duction for several hours.

Intellinet field engineersstudied the problem andsupplied a motor starter thatoperates with a variable-speed drive and providessmooth starts, it solved theproblem.

TM Power Phaser and Load Rebpon-swe are trademarks of !IndiumCorporation.

-0

5 83

A new line of athletic shoestypifies aerospace technologyderivatives for consumer, homeand recreational use

SPINOFF ,FROM A l'Vj00N BOOT

The Apollo lunar suit worn by a dozenmoonwalking astronauts was a master-piece of design and engineering, acomplex space system that included abuilt-in artificial atmosphere for breath-ing and pressurization, protectionagainst temperature extremes, micro-meteoroid shielding, eye protectionagainst blinding glare and a score ofother features intended to assure lunarmobility with safety and comfort. Onelittle-known feature was use of a spe-cial three-dimensional "spacer" mate-rial in the lunar suit's boots for cush-ioning and ventilation. That materialhas turned up, in modified form, as thekey element of a new family of athleticshoes designed for improved shock ab-sorption, energy return and reducedfoot fatigue.

Manufactured by KangaROOS USA,Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, the new lineof shoes resulted from a two-year re-search and development program. Thecompany sought to reduce athletic im-pact forces, which are transferred bythe muscular-skeletal system throughthe foot and lower leg, and at the sametime provide "medio lateral control" orlateral stability. The problem was thatthe two functions were inverselyrelatedif conventional design tech-niques were employed, improvingone would work to the disadvantageof the other.

The development effort involvedKangaROOS High Performance Devel-opment Division, aided by consultants,and used as an informational base astudy performed by NASA's AerospaceResearch Applications Center, India-napolis, Indiana. From this effortemerged the DynacoilTM athletic shoe

84. 8 G

cushioning system, featuring a depar-ture from conventional design that, saysthe company, not only reduces impactshock and provides the requisite lateralstalility, but also contributes toincreased athletic efficiency.

The mechanical core of the cushion-ing system is "Tri-Lock" three-dimen-sional space fabric; an advancement ofthe original lunar boot material, thewoven fiber fabric includes a series offiber coils as the third dimension. Inthe KangaROOS Dynacoil midsole de-sign, the space fabric is encapsulatedwithin a polyurethane foam carrier,which in turn is surrounded by a stable"motion control rim."

This design, says KangaROOS, pro-duces a cushioning system that losesvirtually none of its shock-absorbingcapabilities throughout the life of theshoe. The Dynacoil midsole attenuatesthe pounding that accompanies running and court sports by virtue of thefact that the waves of interlocking fi-bers engineered into the space fabricspread the impact of foot strike over alonger time interval, greatly reducingimpact forces. In addition, KangaROOSstates, the midsole's exceptional resil-iency helps cycle energy back into theathlete. The company explains:

"As the foot makes contact with theground, the encapsulated space fabricis compressed. As the foot begins toreach the end of its stride, the heel-to-toe waves of fibers provide a reboundeffect, producing upward force much

Team KangaROOS runners and Olympic milersJohn Walker and Ray Flynn are wearing a newOpe of athletic shoe that incorporates technology

from lunar astronauts' boots

like that of a resilient spring. The'coiled energy' effect actually absorbsand redistributes energy back into theathlete with every step in a Dynacoilmidsole. This energy saving adds toathletic efficiency and reduces footfatigue."

Subjective wear tests by athletes andadditional testing by independentbiomechanic and exercise physiologylaboratories support the company'sclaim that KangaROOS Dynacoil offerssuperior shock absorption, stability andmotion control. KangaROOS plans acomplete program of Dynacoil-basedfootwear to include running, tennis,basketball, aerobics, walking andcleated shoes, each product design-tunedby scaling the shape and sizeof the fabric coilsto a specific sportand individual athlete. A

TM Dynacoil is a trademark ofKangaROOS USA, Inc.

-

In the top photo are samples ofKangaROOS shoeswith Dynacoil midsoles designed to reduce userfatigue through improved shock absorption. Thecore of the cushioning system is a spacederivedthree-dimensional woven coil fabric shown incrasslection in the lower photo.

8 '785

FABRIC MANUFACTURE

Chatham ManufacturingCompany, Elkin, North Car-olina is a large manufacturerof fabrics for furniture, autointeriors, wearing apparel,rugs, =pets and other prod-ucts. Shown above is a dis-play of Chatham blankets,produced by a patentedFiberwoven process onlooms such as the oneshown at left, where a com-pany employee is inspectinga finished blanket for flaws.The looms were designedand built by Chatham Re-search and Development, adivision of Chatham Manu-facturing also located inElkin.

A key element in the ma-chines' operation is therocker arm assembly, awelded steel structure (rightforeground in the lowerright photo) that oscillate atvery high speed, driving anarray of barbed needlesthrough the bats of fibers,thus entangling them toform the fabric. When themachines were first put intoservice, engineers discov-ered that the rapid oscilla-tion created a problem forChatham and other manu-facturers to whom Chatham

88

leases looms: it acceleratedmetal fatigue and causedfractures in the metal, a sig-nificant matter due to thehigh cost of replacing parts.

Chatham R&D tried to se-lect materials and fabricationtechniques to minimize theproblem. They succeeded inreducing the incidence offailure, but the failure ratewas still far too high. At thatpoint, Chatham R&D soughtproblem solving assistancefrom the North Carolina Sci-ence and Technology Re-search Center (NC,STRC),Research Triangle Park,North Carolina, one of nineNASA-sponsored dissemina-tion centers that provideinformation and technicalhelp to industrial and gov-ernment clinics. NC/STRCconducted a computersearch of the NASA databank and provided a num-ber of reports on metal fa-tigue and crack propagation,several of which proved par-ticularly pertinent and help-ful in finding a solution.

Chatham R&D deter-mined that metal fatigue wascaused by tensile stress, thatsuch stresses varied widelywithin a given piece ofmetal and that cracks gener-ally develop on the surface;their goal, therefore, was tofind a way of reducing sur-face tensile stresses. TheNASA-provided literature

suggested a method of do-ing that: build in a residualcompressive stress; any ten-sile load applied to the partwould have to overcome thecompressive stress beforethe surface was put intotension, thus the resultanttensile load on the surfacewould be lessened.

The only practica!method for creating com-pressive stress on largeirregular surfaces, such asthose of the loom machines,was by "shot peening," atechnique in wide use in themanufi -cure of aircraft en-gine components and otheraerospace parts. Shot peen-ing consists of bombarding apart with a high velocitystream of very small shot,which act like thousands oftiny ball peen hammerspounding and compressingthe surface of the part. Chat-ham R&D purchased a stan-dard shot peening machine,modiqed it to handle thecompany's bulky machineparts and it proved to be thesolution. Since then, Chat-ham has shot peened allmoving parts of its ma-chines, such as the rockerarm shown at right above;the black metal in fore-ground is unpeened, thesilvery metal is a peenedrocker arm and the tiny shotemployed is shown on thefingers and in the mount at

left. In eight years of usingthe technology, Chathamhas not had a single failureof a part that had been shotpeened and the savings areestimated to approach aquarter million dollarsannually. A

r.

8987

SPACE PENS

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At left is a Fisher Space Pen,one of a score of space penmodels manufactured byFisher Pen Company, ForestPark, Illinois. Originally de-veloped for NASA astronautrecord-keeping on Apollomissions, the pens were alsopurchased by the SovietUnion for cosmonaut useand the resultant publicityhelped build a multimilliondollar a year civil market forthe pens.

Developed personally bycompany president andfounder Paul C. Fisher, theFisher Space Pen was cre-ated to allow writing in or-bit where ordinary pens thatrely on gravity and atmo-spheric pressure for inkflows are inadequate. Fish-er's answer was a cartridgepressurized with nitrogen.The cartridge seals out air,preventing evaporation andoxidization of the ink; inte-rior pressure forces ink out-ward toward the ball pointregardless of gravity condi-don or the position in whichthe pen is held. A compan-ion Fisher development wasa special "thixotropic"visco-elastic (rubberlike liq-uid) ink, needed becausestandard ink would ooze outof the ball point under pres-sure. The thixotropic ink isalmost solid; only when theball point revolves does fric-tion liquefy just enough ink

88 90

for smooth writing. Thesefeatures combine to provideadvantages in everyday Earthuse of the pens, for exam-ple, uniform ink flow with-out skipping, long pen life,and the ability to write onmany types of surfaces, evenunder water (lower left).

To meet NASA specifica-tions, the Fisher Space Penhad to demonstrate failproofoperation at temperaturesfrom minus 50 to plus 45degrees Fahrenheit and towithstand atmospheric ex-tremes from pure oxygen tohard vacuum. The antigrav-ity pen passed those testsand also demonstrated con-tinuous-writing enduranceseveral times better than theNASA requirement.

The pens were intro-duced to space service onthe Apollo 7 mission andhave been in regular NASAuse since then.

SELF-ADJUSTING SUNGLASSES

The sunglasses shown atright are Serengeti® Drivers,produced by Corning Op-tics, a division of CorningGlass Works, Corning, NewYork. They are unique inthat their copper SpectralControl' lenses self-adjustand selectively filter thelight to sharpen the imagewhile suppressing glare orblue light. The lenses actmuch like the haze filter ofa camera, the company says,improving visibility and re-ducing eye fatigue by cut-ting through the scatteredblue light in haze. Thephotochromic lenses adaptquickly to changing lightconditions, darkening orlightening to optimize thelevel of light reaching theeye; they also eliminatemore than 99 percent of theultraviolet rays in sunlight.

The frames were also thesubject of extensive researchand their design benefitedfrom use of technology con-tained in a NASA Anthropo-metric Source Book. An-thropometry is the study ofthe size, shape and motioncharacteristics of the humanbody; the three-volumeNASA source book is proba-bly the world's most com-prehensive compendium ofanthropometric data. Itscompilation was intendedprimarily for use in design-ing clothing, equipment and

workplaces in flight vehi-cles, but its information isalso useful in a wide rangeof non-aerospace applica-tions. Corning drew uponthe NASA data in "bio-engineering" the Serengetiframes (right) for optimumfit and comfort. Featuringself-adjusting nose pads andhinges with self-lockingscrews, the frames are avail-able in metal or tortoise-shell styles.

°Serengeti is a registered trade-mark of Corning Glass Works.

174 Spectra! Control is a trademarkof Corning Glass Works.

91. 89

AIR CONDITIONER/DEHUMIDIFIER

Working under NASA con-tract in cooperation with theFlorida Solar Energy Center(FSEC), Dinh Company,Alachua, Florida has devel-oped a prototype heat pipedehumidification systemthat can double the moistureremoval capacity of any airconditioner and save sub-stantial amounts of energy.This marks a major step in aNASA application engineer-ing program intended toapply spacedeveloped tech-nology to control of humid-ity in building environ-ments. Moisture removalremains a persistent prob-lem in warm, humid cli-mates, not only with respectto personal comfort but alsoin providing adequatedehumidification for properstorage and functioning ofcostly equipment. Heat pipetechnology developed fortemperature control ofspace electronic systemsoffers a promising approachto cost-effectivedehumidification.

The idea of a heat pipe-based dehumidifier origi-nated with Khanh Dinh,who at one time was associ-ated with NASA's SouthernTechnology ApplicationsCenter (STAC),where heconducted research on grav-ity heat pipes. In 1981, Dinhvisited FSEC and learned ofa problem that FSEC was

then investigating: the highenergy losses incurred inextracting excess moisturefrom superinsulated build-ings Al very humid climates.In a moderately humid cli-mate, a typical room air con-ditioner cools air and low-ers humidity with normalcooling coil operation. In ahighly humid environment,however, the same air con-ditioner will only partiallyreduce humidity, leavinguncomfortably humid roomair. To lower the humidityto an acceptab!e level, theair conditioner must operatelonger and use moreenergy. Then, in the processof lowering humidity, itovercools the room air; thatnecessitates reheating the airto get it back to a comfort-able temperatureand thattakes additional energy.

On the basis of his NASA/STAC experience, Dinh sub-mitted a proposal to FSECfor an advanced energy sav-ing dehumidifier fitted withthree banks of heat pipes.FSEC accepted the proposaland had Dinh build an ex-perimental air conditioner/dehumidifier, which wassuc .essfully tested. It at-tracted the attention of Ken-nedy Space Center's Tech-

92

nology Utilization Office,which awarded FSEC a con-tract to study the feasibilityof the heat pipe-based de-humidifier. The followingyear, the newly-formedDinh Company received aNASA contract for furtherdevelopment of thedehumidification system.

Tn the Dinh system, theheat pipes are used toprecool the air before itreaches the cooling coil ofan air conditioner. The cool-ing coil removes additionalheat and humidity, thenthe heat pipes restore theovercooled air to a comfort-able temperature. In otherwords, the cooling coil op-erates for a normal periodof time regardless of humid-ity conditions and leaves thejob of reheating to the pas-sive heat pipes, which useno energy. With dryer air,the same comfort level canbe attained with higher ther-mostat settings. Thus, theDinh system offers typicalenergy savings of 15 to 20percent.

The heat pipe is undergo-ing test at several sites inFlorida, one of them thehome pictured at left;the Dinh unit is the bluebox nearest the garage dooradjacent to the hot watertank (white cylinder); visi-ble on the roof are the solarpanels that provide electric-

ity for the heat pipe system.In another Florida home,Dinh Company has installeda retrofit cooling coil,known as the "Z" coil, onan existing standard heater/air condition :r (above); theZ coil, which _places theregular A coil evaporator, in-creases moisture removal byalmost 100 percent. KhanhDinh (at right in photo) isexplaining the bonus bene-fit of a heat recovery unit,included in this installation,that takes heat removed bythe Z coil during the de-humidification process anduses it to provide free hotwater. The upper rightphoto shows the various

..

-- 1

components of the heatpipe dehumidifier. At lowerright are a number of pro-duction units in variousstages of completion; in theforeground, a company em-ployee is performing a qual-ity control check on the Zcoil.

In 1985, Kennedy SpaceCenter and the NASA Appli-cation 1;-,am instituted athree-year extension of theheat pipe technology pro-gram that involves furtherdevelopment and commer-cialization of the Dinhdehumidifier, optimization

of dehumidifiers and heatpipes by FSEC, and supportfrom Carrier Corporation forlarge-scale implementationof the heat pipe-based de-humidifier and comparisonof its effectiveness with con-ventional approaches. NASAis sharing the funding andserving as technical monitorfor the program.

Formed in October 1983,the Dinh Company isengaged in several areas ofdevelopment related to heattransfer and solar power. Inaddition to the dehumidi-fier, the company has developed a photovoltaic (solarcellpowered) air condi-tioner and a highly efficient

93,

1110

0 A

solar-powered water pump.It is also planning develop-ment of a solar dishconcentrator that combinesphotovoltaic and heat pipetechnology in an attempt tomake a dramatic reductionin the cost of solarelectricity. L

91

A device that increases efficiencyin smoke-cleaning precipitatorsleads a sampling of environmentrelated spinoffs

INNOVATION FOR POLLUTION CONTROL

Started in 1980, Project Recoup was aprogram for applying advanced tech-nology to solution of a problem sharedby a growing number of U.S. communities: hcw to dispose of refuse in areaswhere acceptable landfill sites arescarce. Jointly sponsored by LangleyResearch Center, Langley Air ForceBase and the adjoining City of Hampton, Virginia, the program involveddevelopment of a Refusefired SteamGenerating Facility that incineratestrash, reduces it to a readily-disposableash, and employs the heat of trash-burning to create steam for practicaluse at Langley Research Center.

Shown above is the Refuse fired Steam GeneratingFacility at Hampton, Virginia, a highly efficienttrashburning, energy producing plant jointly de.veloped by NASA, the Air Force and the City ofHampton. Effective air pollution control requireddevelopment of an advanced electronic controlsystemfor thefacility's precipitators, which remove

pollutant particles from smoke.

92 9

A design base for modeling similarprojects elsewhere, the facility hasproved eminently successful. It dis-poses of all solid waste from the NASAcenter, the Air Force Base and othergovernment installations in the area,and it also accommodates about 70percent of Hampton's municipal waste.Hampton, principal financier for theproject, realizes revenue from trash dis-posal fees and from the sale of steamto Langley Research Center. And thereis an energy conservation bonus in thatthe steam generated by burning wastecuts the amount of fuel normally usedat Langley by some two million gallonsa year.

The project produced another bonusthat has largely escaped notice. an airpollution equipment control device,developed of necessity in the course ofthe program, that is now commerciallyavailable. The device is an advancedelectronic control for electrostatic pre-cipitators, widely used in pollutioncontrol applications throughout indus-try. It is built by Kinetic Controls, Inc.,Newport News, Virginia, a companyformed by two NASA/Langley employ-eesT. K. Lusby, Jr. and David F. John-stonwho developed the control astheir contribution to Project Recoup,working for the most part on personaltime and with private funds.

The function of an electrostatic pre-cipitator is to remove particulate matterfrom the combustion gas created bythe burning of a fuel before the gas isexpelled through a smokestack. Thegas is passed through a precipitatorchamber and exposed to an electro-static field; dust particles in the gas be-come electrically charged and migrateto collecting surfaces under the influ-ence of the field, thus cleaning thesmoke. To maximize the capture ofparticles, a precipitator must be oper-ated at the highest practical voltage; thelimiting factors are phenomena knownas "sparking" and "arcing," essentiallyelectrical breakdowns of the gas that,uncontrolled, would decrease theprecipitator's efficiency.

In developing the Hampton Refuse-fired Stearn Generating Facility,researchers encountered a problem.When standard fuels are burned, thesmoke is of relatively constant compo-sition and the highest practical voltageis fairly constant; once the voltage isset, as long as the same type of fuel isused, only small changes in precipita-tor voltage are needed. But whenrefuse is used as a fuel, the comp°.sition of the smoke changes continuallyand that requires correspondingchanges in precipitator voltage over avery wide range. If a constant voltagewere applied in a refuse ,uming facil-ity, it would have to be : et very low toprevent sparking and di! precipitatorwould, therefore, be less efficient.

So, to insure minimal pollution ofthe atmosphere, the two NASA-Langleyemployees undertook to develop an in-novative, microprocessor-based controlthat automatically senses and compen-

sates for the changes in smoke compo-sition by adjusting the precipitator'svoltage and current to permit maxi-mum particle collection. It proved tobe the answer to efficient precipitatoroperation at the Refuse-fired SteamGenerating Facility, but it has muchbroader applicability. Because its de-velopers included a number of ad-vanced featuressuch as constantmonitoring and control of sparking andbuilt-in diagnostic capabilityand be-cause the control is adaptable to anyelectrostatic precipitator, it offers a reli-able, high technology means of upgrad-ing existing precipitators, regardless ofwhether they burn coal, oil or refuse.

Since late 1983, when they formedKinetic Controls, developers Lusby andJohnston have been busy readyingtheir product for the commercial mar-ket and building the first units. Thecontrols are marketed throughPrecipTech, A BHA Group Company,Kansas City, Missouri. In addition,Western Precipitation Division of JoyManufacturing Company, Los Angeles,California, a manufacturer of electro-static precipitators, also uses the tech-nology in its systems. Both companiesdesign customized units for their cuz-tomers and Kinetic Controls manufac-tures the controls to the companies'specifications. Each of the companieshas made its first installations and thefuture of the spinoff device appearspromising.

95

The spinoff electronic control system is in use atGeneral Motors' Flint, Michigan plant (lop).Above, a company technician is inspecting one of

the installation's four control panels. The micro-processor-based control automatically senseschanges in smoke composition and adjusts pre-cipitator voltage and current to assure maximalremora! df polhuant particles.

93

RADIATION SENSOR

1

".

94

In mineral explorat rt,

clues to the presence ofprecious metal deposits areobtained by analyzing rocksand soil to identify andquantify the specific miner-als in the sample. There area number of ways of effec-tively conducting suchanalyses, but they take time,are often costly and requireuse of a vellequipped laboratory. Barringer ResearchLimited, Rexdale, Ontario,Canada has designed, testedand is pr-paring to intro-duce to the commercialmarket a costeffective,portable systemcalledClaypakfor rapid onsiteanalysis of clay minerals.

Claypak is an adaptationof Baringer's Hand HeldRatioing Radiometer(HHRR), which the com-pany manufactures underNASA license. The HHRR

-'11C {),F-

was originally developed byJet Propulsion Labor Cory for"ground truthing," makingon-the-spot examinations ofground targets as a means

of verifying remotely-senseddata reported by NASA'sLandsat satellites.

A radiometer is an instrumeat for measuring the in-tensity of reflected radiationas a means of discriminatingamong classes of visually-similar objects or, in mineralstudy, discriminating amongdifferei. Amerals present ina sample the term "ratio-ing" describes an addedcapability of the BarringerHI1RR: the system simulta-neously analyzes radiationintensities in two separateband' of the spectrum andcalculates the ratio of one tothe other. This 'affords morepositive identification of thematerial being analyzed.Computerprocessed anddisplayed in digital form,the "reflectance ratio" en-ables analysts to determinethe particular characteristicsof the target. Ratioing radiometers have application insuch areas as agriculture,water quality studies anddetermining pollution Keaon forest cover.

The Claypak is a specialversion of the 1-11-111R for uett

as an aid to precious metalexploration: it offers on-siteidentification and quantifica-

96

Lion of such clay minerals askaohnite, illite,smecute, chlorite, muscoviteand biotite. In tests of morethan 3C rock and soil sam-ples from Alberta, Saskatch-ewan, Ontario and Nevada,the Claypak system correctlydetermined the mineralgrouping in 94 percent ofthe cases wherein a mineralwas present in a quantitygreater than 10 percent. Atupper left, the ClaypakWin is shown in a sin:non of a sample analyMs; atleft is the data processor, atright (blue box) the HHRR.The unit atop the IIIIRR isa portable artificial lightsource, needed in clay anal-ysis because the system usesa region of the spectrum justoutside of natural lightwavelengths. At lower left,

the black, masklike object isan accessory called the CoreViewing Attachment (CVA),used in analysis of small,drilled core subsurface sam-ples such as the one pic-iured at left. The CVA clipsover the radiometer's"eyes," causing it to"squint": this allows closeupmeasurements at a distance

of 30 centimeters ratherthan the usual distanceof more than 100centimeters.

'111111111MIIMMIMMOMMINOISE ABATEMENT MATERIALS

During development of theApollo spacecraft, research-ers found a severe vibrationproblem in an early versionof the spacecraft's guidancesystem. The problem wastraced to a plastic com-pound encapsulating thesystem's electronics; it didnot absorb sufficient energyto dampen vibrations.Arthur C Metzger, thenNASA's resident manager atMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology, discovered abetter compound, a veryelastic type of plastic that literally soaked up energy and,in addition to its vibration-damping ability, offered ex-traordinary potential as anoise abatement material.After his retirement fromNASA, Metzger founded acompany to develop andmarket the compound andassociated products, a lineof noise-deadening adhe-sives, sheets, panels andenclosures.

These materials areknown as SMARTS products(for Sound Modification andRegulated Temperature)and Metzger's firm isSMART Products Company,Inc., Framingham, Massa-chusetts. The company isfinding scores of applica-tions for its acoustic materi-als at a time when environ-ment laws and labor unioninsistence are making it

necessary for many firms toinstitute noise abatementmeasures. SMART products,-75 to 80 percent lighter thantraditional soundproofingmaterials, have demon-strated high degrees of ef-fectiveness. For example, anindependent laboratory testthat compared-a comparableproduct with a SMARTacoustical vibration damp-ing pad for the AmericanMotors Alliance autoshowed that the SMART padproduced 15 percent betterperformance at 75 percentlower weight. Last year,American Motors introducedSMART pad on productionAlliances and SMART Prod-ucts licensed the Sanbree,"Renault Corporations asworldwide sales agents fortransportaion applications.

The photos illustrate tworecent applications in otherareas. Varian/Extrion Divi-sion of Varian Associates,Danvers, Massachusetts fab-ricates enclosures for highvoltage terminals and otherelectronic system compo-nents. The work demandedconsiderable sanding andgrinding in an open "snag-ging" area where employeeswere exposed to extremelyhigh noise levels. Richard

Sheppard, Varian's safetyadministr^,., sought helpfrom SMART Products increating individual, lessnoisy work cells for thesnaggers. Above. Shepparddisplays the result: a workcell enclosed by a series,ofpanels that incorporatSMART com:ound; the pin-els not only sharply reducenoise, they offer flexibilityin that they are mounted onoverhead tracks and can beshifted to vary the numberand size of the cells asworkload dictates.

SMART Products alsomanufactures audiometrictest booths for industrialfirms that must comply witha federal regulation requir-ing periodic hearing testsfor employees who are con-sistently subjected to highnoise levels. Easter SealCenter, Waterbury, Connect-

97

icut wanted a lightweight,portable booth that could betaken on the road to con-duct the tests in factories.In the above photo, audiolo-gist Thomas j. Kisatsky isconducting a hearing testusing the SMART Micro OneMinni Booth, which can bequickly disassembled andreassembled and is easilytransportable.

0 SMART is a registered trademarkof SMART Products Company, Inc.

95

PORTABLE GAS ANALYZER

At upper left is theMichromonitor"' M500 Uni-versal Gas Analyzer, a porta-ble system intended forfield and laboratory use,operable by unskilled oper-ators with little or no tech-nical training. Heart of thesystem is a series of minia-ture modules, each of whichis a complete gas chromato-graph, an instrument thatseparates a gaseous mixtureinto its components, thenmeasures the concentrationsof each gas in the mixture.

96

Manufactured byMicrosensor TechnologyInc. (MTI), Fremont, Cali-fornia the system has abroad range of applications,such as environmental anal-ysis, monitoring work areasfor gas leaks or volatilechemical spills, industrialsafety and hygiene, stack gasmonitoring for compliancewith pollution laws, analyz-

ing industrial process gases,food processing, and identi-fying gases produced duringenergy exploration. Thephotos illustrate a specialapplication by the U.S. CoastGuard, working in coopera-tion with the NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, for identifi-cation of unknown sub-stances in public areas thatmight be hazardous. At left,two emergency team mem-bers of the Alameda (Cali-fornia) Coast Guard Stationunload the Michromonitorfrom their response truck.At right, wearing safety gear,they are using the system toinvestigate a barrel that haswashed up on the snorelineof San Francisco Bay. TheMichromonitor identifiescomponents of compoundsin the barrelor escapingfrom the barreland deter-mines whether it is safe tohandle and dispose of thebarrel.

The miniaturized gaschromatograph technologyon which the system isbased originated in a NASAplanetary research program.In the early 1970s, NASAwas developing instrumen-tation for two automatedViking Landers destined toland on Mars and conductextensive photographic andsoil sampling research. in-

cluding an effort to detectlife on the Red Planet. Oneof the instruments plannedwas a gas chromatographSuch systems were then inwide industrial and labora-tory use, but they weregenerally very bulky units.NASA wanted an extremelysophisticated system capableof detecting respiratorygases given off by Martianmicrobesif they existedbut the system also had tobe very small and light-weight to fit in a spacecraftpacked with otherinstrumentation for lifedetection, soil analysis andatmospheric sampling.

Ames Research Centerdesigned such a miniaturechromatograph and StanfordUniversity built flight unitsfor the Viking Landers. Asthings turned out, however,the system never went toMars; the device had notbeen developed in time.But the technology inter-ested the National Institutefor Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH), which waslooking for a portablemeans of detecting toxic gasleaks in industrial environ-ments. NIOSH funded fur-ther development of theAmes/Stanford gas chro-matograph system. Subse-quently, three Stanford re-searchers who had worked

on the project left the uni-versity to form MTI forcommercial applicationof the technology.

Anyone can use theMichromonitor after a fewminutes instruction. Theoperator uses a pushbuttonkeyboard to select one to10 gases for analysis, thentouches a START button.The microcomputer auto-mates the entire analysis cy-

cle, calculating and display-ing the gas concentrations.The system consists of asensing wand connected toa computerized analyzerthat measures gas concentra-tions as small as one partper million. TheMichromonitor is pro-grammed to identify asmany as 100 different gasesand it runs through a 10-gascycle in 45 seconds. Thenthe operator pushes the DIS-PLAY button and the resultsof each analysisidentity of

gas, its concentration inparts per million or percent-age, the time of analysisappear in the system'sdisplay window.

1m Michromonitor is a trademark ofMicrosensor Technology Inc.

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98

WATER FILTRATION PRODUCTS

The black cylinder at left isan Aquaspace industrial fil-ter used by a pharmaceuti-cal manufacturing companyto insure the purity of thewater it uses in pharmaceuti-cal processing. It is one of aline of filtration products,manufactured by AmericanWater Corporation (AWC),Hollywood, Florida, thatprovide clear, safe, good-tasting water by removingall toxic contaminants, mi-crobiological agents, chlo-rine and other water-pro-cessing substances used byutilities, unpleasant taste,

color and odor. AWC pro-duces a wide range of filtersystems to meet a variety ofneeds ranging from campingfilters to high capacity unitsfor communities in develop-ing nations where the wateris highly contaminated.

For example, there is theGemini Minisoftener-Puri-fier, the white tank unit(above), which not only fil-ters the water but also re-moves the minerals thatmake the water hard; the

4,14r4c1;446:4-,

4.

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Apollo Pocket Filter, thepen-like object at left in thesame photo, which is usedlike a drinking straw; theLunar, for camping (aboveright), the Carafe, for restau-rants (near right) and, at farright, a new model forsinktop installation in homeor office. There are alsomodels such as Skylab, forundersink installation in thehome, Spacecraft, a largecapacity unit for restaurantsand hotels, and a completeline of very large capacitycommercial and industrialfilters.

As the space-relatednames for many of the AWCproducts suggest, Aquaspacefilters incorporate technol-ogy originally developed formanned space operations.

The key to the AWCfilters is Aquaspace Com-pound, a proprietary AWCformula which, through acomplex manufacturing pro-cess that the company keepssecret, scientifically blendsvarious types of granular ac-tivated charcoal with otheractive and inert ingredients;a sample of the compoundis shown in the large photoon the opposite page, theblack substance in the smalldish below the Geminimodule. The systemsremove some substanceschlorine, for examplebycatalytic reaction, removecertain types of particulatematter by mechanical filtra-tion, and still other sub-stancessuch as a suspen-sion of organic vaporby acombination of filtrationand adsorption.

AWC's Dr. No Pera beganwork in 1980 to find a moreeffective method of purify-ing potable water that washighly contaminated. Hissearch of technical literatureuncovered research accom-plished by NASA concerningmethods of on-board waterpurification in long durationmanned spacecraft. Dr. Pera

obtained a number of NASAreports on these efforts;NASA information thatproved especially useful, hesays, was technology relatedto use of silver ions in watersterilization and methodsdealing with the absorptionand adsorption of organiccompounds. The NASAtechnology contributed im-portantly to Dr. Pera's devel-opment of Aquaspace Com-pound, which is findingwide acceptance in indus-trial, commercial and recre-ational applications in theU.S. and many foreigncountries.

With Aquaspace Com-pound a success, Dr. Peraturned his attention to a re-lated environmental prob-lem: odor control. Using thetechnology arising out of theoriginal research, AWC de-veloped a new line of prod-ucts based on a deodorizingcompound called Biofresh'.One Biofresh product,called Frigipurefor pre-serving food and removingodors in refrigerecorsisshown in the upperleft photo next to the dishof Aquaspace Compound.Biofresh compound is com-posed of millions of tinysponge-like granules con-taining hundreds of small

holes that trap gas and mois-ture inside the unit. Biofreshhas a lengthy list of applica-tions; to mention just a fewcited by AWC: animalrooms, bathrooms, chemicalplants, physicians' offices,exhaust hoods, greenhouses,kitchens, soap factories,tanneries and any unventi-lated space. A

mBlofresh is a trademark ofAmerican Water Corporation.

All rights to Aquaspace were soldto Western Water InternationalIncorporated, which is currentlymanufacturing Aquaspace waterfilter products in their Forestville,Maryland facility.

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A new type of composite materialheads spinoff advances in manu-facturing technology and indus-trial productivity

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COMPOSITES FOR LIGHTER STRUCTURES

In the never-ending quest for reducedweight in all types of aerospace vehi-cles, designers are more and moreturning their attention toward compos-ite fiber-reinforced materials, fibersbound together in a matrix. The resul-tant composite is generally lighter yetstronger than the metal it supplants.Extensive research and developmentover the past two decades resulted inexpanding use of composite components, initially in military aircraft andmissiles, later in commercial jetliners,more recently in private airplanes.Polymer matrix composites are alsoused in a broad range of non-aerospaceapplications where lower weight isadvantageous, such as automobiles,boats, rapid transit vehicles and avariety of sports equipment from golfclubs to racing cars.

Until now composites have beenlimited to uses wherein they encounteronly low or moderate temperatures.This year, composite materials develop-ment takes a giant step forward withthe first use of a high temperature poly-mer matrix composite component as aprimary structural member in a produc-tion-type jet engineGeneral ElectricCompany's F404, power plant for theNavy's F/A-18 strike fighter. The com-posite segment is the engine's outerduct, a passageway for "bypass" air,cool air that bypasses the compressorsection and is ducted toward the rearof the engine to mix with the hot exhaust gas. The mix increases enginethrust and the cooler bypass air servesas a coolant for afterburner parts thatoperate at very high temperatures.

The composite material replacestitanium that had to be machined to

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shape, then chemically milled. Its usein the outer duct trims engine weight,thus contributing to lower fuel con-sumption, and reduces engine cost bymore than $9,000 per unit. Since theF/A-18 is scheduled for high volumeproduction over several years, savingson that single program may run as highas $30 millionand General Electricis extending the technology to severalother engine programs.

The material used in the duct is afabric woven of Union Carbide'sThorne!' graphite fiber impregnatedwith a high temperature polyimideresin. Known as PMR-15, the resin wasdeveloped by Dr. Tito T. Serafini andother investigators at Lewis ResearchCenter in response to a need for a resincapable of withstanding higher tem-peratures to enable a significant expan-sion of composite applications. Epoxyresins, the resins most widely used ascomposite matrix materials, have excel-lent mechanical properties and can beprocessed easily, but they are limitedto applications where temperatures donot exceed 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Polymers with theoretically double thetemperature resistance posed extraordi-nary processing difficulties. More thana decade ago the Lewis team startedresearch toward a high temperaturepolyimide resin that could be readilyprocessed. After lengthy experimenta-tion involving alteration of the chemi-cal nature of the resin and methods ofprocessing it, they successfully devel-oped PMR-15, which offers good pro.

cessing characteristics and remains sta-ble at high temperatures, thus allowingfabrication of defect-free fiber rein-forced composites that can operate inan environment of 600 degreesFahrenheit or more.

But laboratory development of thepolyimide was only a milestone; it thenhad to be converted to a manufacturingmaterial for cost-effective productionline use. In 1979, when the Lewis workwas in an advanced stage and PMR-15began to look highly promising, Gen-eral Electric's Aircraft Engine BusinessGroup, looking for a lightweight, lowcost substitute for titanium plate in theF404 engine duct, became interested.There ensued a four-year processingtechnology effort, jointly funded byNASA and the Navy, followed by aNavy-sponsored manufacturing tech-nology program which resulted in amanufacturing process for use of thegraphite polyimide composite. Initiallyclothlike in appearance, the material iscut, layered and shaped to a desiredconfiguration, then cured in an auto-clave, where the fibers and resin aremolded under pressure into a comp°.

nent that looks metallic but weighsabout 15 percent less than the prede-cessor titanium duct. Fabricated byGeneral Electric's Albuquerque, NewMexico facility, the F404 compositeduct-was extensively ground and flighttested in 1984.85 and qualified for pro-duction line use beginning in 1986.

The PM R formulation was madeavailable to commercial suppliers ofcomposite materials and GeneralElectric selected Ferro Corporation,Culver City, California to provide the"prepreg," or resin-impregnated fibermaterial, for the F404 duct. Other man-ufacturers are producing composite fab-rics and tapes based on PMR-15 for arange of applications that is growingrapidly.

TM Thorne! is a trademark of Union Carbide.

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The engine duct at left is the first composite pri-mary structural component qualified for use ona production jet engine. Key to its high tempera-ture resistance is a polyimide resin formulationdeveloped by Lewis Research Center: In thephoto above, the duct is shown in place (centersection) on the General Electric F404 jet engine.

These are samples of composite fabrics producedby Ferro Corporation, which supplied theclothlike raw material for the General Electricengine duct. The material is tailored to shapeand pressure molded to become a compositeduct lighter but stronger than the metal ductit replaces.

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------EIREIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMINIINNIiINDUSTRIAL PUMPS

o

The upper photo shows aseries of Worthingtoncentrifugal pumps used torecirculate wood molassesat Superwood Company,Duluth, Minnesota. Woodmolasses is a highly viscoussubstance and it would poseintake problems for conven-tional pumps. But the Type316 stainless steel pumpspicturedmanufactured byWorthington Pump Divi-sion, Dresser Industries,Inc., Mountain Side, NewJerseyfeature an addeddevice for increasing pumpintake capability that Wor-thington calls a flow inducer. At left, a Worthingtontechnician is inspecting

inducers of several sizes.The inducer is essentially

a small booster pump thatlifts the suction pressuresufficiently for the rotatingmain impeller of the centrif-ugal pump to operate effi-ciently at higher fluid intakelevels. In the Worthingtondesign, the boosting in-duce: and the main pumpare incorporated into onecasing and mounted on asingle shaft. The conceptderives from NASA technol-ogy of the early 1960s,when space payloads were

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becoming heavier androcket thrust demands wererising, requiring faster fuelflow in liquid fuel rocketsystems. NASA developedthe inducer as an auxiliaryimpeller to boost the flowrate capability of rocketfuel pumps.

Worthington picked upthe NASA technology andfurther advanced it to meeta need, in the 1970s, forhigher industrial pump op-erating speeds, occasionedby rising production costsand industry's drive to offsetthem by getting maximumperformance out of plantequipment. There are sev-eral ways to increase pumpoperating speeds but, ac-cording to Worthington, theinducer offers the most costeffective way. The companyoffers inducer-equippedpumps for special applica-tions requiring improvedsuction performance; theycome in a number of sizes,primarily in the small,higher speed range.

An interesting sidebar isthat the inducer conceptoriginated with a Worthing-ton employee, one OscarDorer, who was granted thefirst inducer patent about1926. The concept was tooadvanced for its time andthe idea was forgotten untilNASA developed the imple,menting technology. A

ROBOT HAND

Although recent years haveseen considerable advancesin robotic systems technol-ogy, limitations are slowingbroader use of robots in in-dustry. A major limitation tothe manipulative capabilityof a robot is the dexterityof the "hand," technicallyknown as the end effector.Current hands have short-comings in grasping objects,they are limited in the rangeof configurations the handmay assume and many typesof robots must be fitted withspecial fingers for each ob-ject being handled. Robotsare also limited in effectingprecise position and forcecontrol. Attainment of truerobot dexterity requiresimprovement in robotmechanisms coupled withadvancements in robotcontrol technology.

Beginning in 1982, NASAsought to promote such ad-vancements, toward futureuse of dexterous telemanip-ulators in space or in indus-trial applications, by devel-oping a test bed for researchon control and utilization ofdexterous robot hands. Incooperation with StanfordUniversity and CaliforniaInstitute of Technology(Ca !tech), Jet PropulsionLaboratory (JPL) initiateddevelopment of an articu-lated hand capable of adapt-ing its grasping posture to a

wide variety of object shapesand of performing rapid,small motions required fordelicate manipulation with-out need for moving themore massive arm joints.Initial specifications weredrawn up by Carl Ruoff of

and -Dr. Kenneth Salisbury, then with Stanford andnow a research scientist withMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology's Artificial Intel-P.gence laboratory. Later,Salisbury developed thefinal, detailed design.

The Stanford/JPL Hand,which has more recentlycone to be known as theSalisbury Hand, has threehuman-like fingers, eachwith three joints. Therounded tips of the fingersare covered with a resilientmaterial that provides highfriction for gripping. Likethe fingers on a humanhand, the robot hand fingerscan provide more than threecontact areas since morethan one segment of eachfinger can contact an object.Thus, the robot hand canmove objects about, twistthem and otherwise manip-ulate them by finger motionalone. The hand can beadapted to different arms.

At MIT's Artificial Intelli-gence Laboratory, Salisburyhas continued his work onthe robot hand, concentrating on advanced softwarefor commanding fingermotion and interpretinginformation from fingertipsensors. The accompanyingphoto shows a NationalBureau of Standards dem-onstration wherein the robotwas commanded to explorethe faceted crystal ball andconstruct a map of the ob-ject's shape, using inputfrom finger-sensed contacts.It has successfully demon-strated that it can produceaccurate representations ofcomplex surfaces explored.Although real industrialapplication of such advanced robot hands is stillsome distance in the future,Salisbury feels that the JPL/Stanford/MIT work has pro-vided a solid base for furtherexploration of the potential

1 405

of dexterous robot hands.In response to requests

from other research groupsfor copies of the hand, Salis-bury formed Salisbury Ro-botics, Inc., Palo Alto, Cali-fornia, to reproduce thedevice. In addition to theprototype, still in use inStanford's Robotic Project,and another unit at MIT,copies have been deliveredto General Motors ResearchLaboratory, the National Bu-reau of Standards, SandiaNational Laboratories andthe University of Massachu-setts at Amherst.

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TRAINING CIRCUIT BOARDS

104 401 106

Young Electronics Com-pany, Inc., North Holly-wood, California is literallya young company, riot yetthree years old, but it is al-ready a thriving businessproducing printed circuitboards. The product lineranges from one- and two-sided boards for computersand television sets to com-plex 21-layer boards for theon board computers of AirForce fighter aircraft. A newYoung Electronics productis a training circuit boarddeveloped by NASA as aquality assurance aid.

The testboard was devel-oped by Jet Propulsion Lab-oratory (JPL) as a tool fortraining and qualifying per-sonnel in board assemblyand in the art of solderingcomponentssuch as tran-sistors, integrated circuits,resistors, capacitors and sur-face mount deviceswith-out damaging boards orcomponents. Looking for acompany to manufacture thetraining boards in quantity,JPI. selected Young Electronics. Working to NASAspecifications, Young builtand delivered 200 units toJ PL.

Within a few weeks,Young was getting callsfrom electronics companiesinterested in purchasingtraining boards for theirown operations. Young

soughtand was grantedpermission to use the NASAblueprints and tooling forcommercial production andsale of training boards.

Young modified the origi-nal JPI, design and went intoproduction. The companyhas built a broad customerbase for the training boardsamong principal electronicsystems manufacturers, whobuy them in substantialquantities and use them pri-marily as a means of pre-employment testing. Candi-dates are required to set upan electronic assembly andsolder the componentsunder stringent qualityguidelines established bycompany or governmentspecifications. The trainingboards are also used bysome companies for peri-odic requalification of per-sonnel as they are upgraded.

The accompanying photo-graphs illustrate Young Elec-tronics' manufacturingoperations. At far left on theopposite page, an employeeis using a target sight to program holes to be drilled inthe circuit board; she alignsthe holes on a template andassigns them coordinates ona computer tape that willlater guide the drilling

0414)4000

machines. In the lower leftphoto, two employees areimage transferring from filmonto copper inner layersprior to drilling; they areworking in a yellow fluores-cent light environment as a"safelight" condition for ex=posing the film. In the largephoto at left center, a highspeed air bearing drill isworking on a coppercircuit board.

Young Electronics manu-factures the boards withoutthe components. The basicboards are designed to pro-vide ,Parious levels of diffi-culty in assembling and sol-dering the components.

.1 1 n 7

4111111Nm

Employment candidates orrequalification personnelare tested for how fast andwith what degree of qualitythey can complete theboard. Upon completion, aninspector checks the solder-ing for quality (above); thetestboard then becomes partof the individual's perma-nent record.

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INDUSTRIAL TAPE

A high temperature tapeoriginally developed forNASA use by 3M Companyis now being produced as acommercial product by 3M'sIndustrial Tape Division, St.Paul, Minnesota.

Known as Scotch® BrandMN 364 (upper photo), itis an aluminized glassclothtape used, in aerospaceapplications, to protect elec-trical and instrumentationcables and fluid lines from

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rocket launch blast condi-tions (lower photo). Thetape can withstand pro-longed exposure to tem-peratures up to 500 degreesFahrenheit and it is capableof functioning in tempera-tures as low as minus 65degrees.

No. 364 is a second gen-eration cable wrapping thatcombines the best charac-teristics of aluminum foiland glasscloth tapes.Coated with a siliconeadhesive, it spiral-wrapssmoothly without crackingand is easily applied tocompound surfaces. It hasexcellent solar energy re-flectance, tested at morethan 85 percent, and testsalso indicate an extremelylow propensity for develop.ing static charge, so it doesnot present an electrostatichazard.

As a product for non.aero-space use, 3M IndustrialTape Division sees uses inthe automotive and generaltransportation industries andfor heat reflection applica-dons in high temperaturebuilding construction.

°D Scotch is a registered trademarkof 3M Company.

ANTI-CORROSION COATING

Two areas of the Texas util-ity pictured were test-coatedwith Super Span® RM 8000,an anti-corrosion coatingspecifically designed tomeet a problem widely ex-perienced by the power in-dustry: damage to emissionscontrol systems, or scrub-bers, due to corrosioncaused by the use of highsulfur content coal. The util-ity company had previouslyfound it necessary to repairor replace ducting and otherparts of the facility every fewmonths. Nine months afterSuper Span RM 8000 wasapplied, the two test areaswere inspected; neithershowed any signs of aciddegradation, abrasive wearor cracking. At the end of1985, the coating had beenin service for more thanthree years at the utilitywithout component failures.

Super Span RM 8000 wasdeveloped by RM Engi-neered Products, Inc., NorthCharleston, South Carolinawith an assist by the NASA-sponsored New England Re-search Applications Center(NERAC), one of nine dis-semination centers provid-ing search and retrievalservices to industry clients.

RM's decision to developan anti-corrosion coatingstemmed from the compa-ny's experience as a pro-ducer of nonmetallic expan-

sion joints for utilities andindustrial processes. "Wewere well aware," said RMvice president John Hal-berda, "of a major problemin the power generating in-dustry: the necessity to shutdown plants temporarily torepair or replace carbonsteel duct work that had be-come corroded by the acidgases produced as part ofthe process of burning coal.What we needed was state-of-the-art information to en-sure that the company's re-search and development didnot duplicate existingresearch and that our effortswould result in a productsuperior to those already onthe market."

RM requested help fromNERAC, which conductedcustomized searches of sev-eral data banks, includingNASA's, and provided agreat many abstracts outlin-ing research pertinent toRM's development; wherethe basic informationproved of particular interest,NERAC followed up withfull-scale reports. Of specialutility was NASA-developedspace technology in areasrelated to the thermoconductivity of carbon steel andthe bonding characteristics

of polymers. Nr'llAC's in-formation confirmed theneed for a new compoundthat would outlast othercoatings and reassured RMthat its research effort washeaded in the right direc-tion. NERAC.r searches alsoidentified other groups inthe same field and helpedRM project a completiondate for an early entry intothe market.

RM's successful develop-ment program resultedin a terpolymer coatingSuperSpan RM 8000that,the company says, will pro-vide protection to steel

ducts six times longer thanepoxy coatings and 38 timeslonger than polyester/flakedglass coatings. The producthas found good market ac-ceptance; sales are alreadyin the multimillions and RMis projecting a $10-$15 mil-lion increase over the nextfive years. The success ofthe initial collaboration withNERAC prompted RM toseek NERAC's assistance ona second coating develop-ment, still in R&D status.

®SuperSpan is a registered trademark of RM Engineered Products,Inc.

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MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

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Advanced Process Systems,Inc. (APS), Louisville, Ken-tucky, is a small_but grow-ing business engaged inapplication of advancedtechnology to the designand production of equip-ment used principally inmanufacturing processes,generally self-containedcomponents of larger manu-facturing systems. APS hasdesigned and fabricatedsuch diverse equipment assolvent, resin and oil recov-ery systems, juice and wineconcentrating plants, carbondioxide scrubbers and otherenvironmental control sys-tems. APS is also establish-ing research and develop-ment ties with universities,an area of effort thatstemmed from company

AL

awareness of new techno-logical opportunities result-ing from a contractualassociation with NASA. Inthe photo, company anduniversity officials confer inthe University of Louisville'srobotics laboratory.

Founded in 1982, APSwon a NASA contract in Oc-tober, 1983 for design andconstruction of a self-con-tained environmental con-trol system for ground useon the Space Shuttle Or-biter. Mounted on a flat-bedtruck, the Portable PurgeUnit is designed to protectflight and ground crewsfrom toxic fumes and, addi-

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tionally, to provide a post-landing controlled environ-ment for the Orbiter'ssensitive electronic equip-ment when the spacecraft'senvironmental controlsystem is turned off.

APS feels that its NASAwork has future spinoff po-tential but company officialssay that the real benefit ofAPS' association with NASAcame from awareness of aNASA goal that promptedthe company to refocus itsresearch and developmentstrategy. One facet ofNASA's Microgravity Scienceand Applications programinvolves establishment of"centers of excellence"similar to an existing materi-als processing center atMassachusetts Institute ofTechnologyto stimulategovernment/industry/academia collaboration inspecific areas of research.APS awareness of the NASAprogram sparked initiativesthat led to development of ajoint research and develop-ment effort which willinvolve APS and severaluniversities in the compa-ny's vicinity. Thus, says thecompany, its associationwith NASA has had the two-pronged effect of contribut-ing to an expanded APSmarket and broadening thecompany's research anddevelopment horizons.

BOLTING TECHNOLOGY

Raymond Engineering Inc.,Middletown, Connecticutdesigns, develops, engi-neers and manufacturesprecision electromechanicaland electronic systems anddevices primarily for themilitary market. Among thecompany's principal prod-ucts are magnetic to e mem-ory systems and peripheralequipment for digital com-puters; sophisticated safing,arming and fuzing devicesfor weapon systems; andspecialized bolting andtorquing equipment forboth military and commer-cial applications.

During the past few years,Raymond's Power-Dyne® Di-vision, also located in Mid-dletown, has expanded thecompany's scientific boltingcapability through develop-ment of a line of sophisti-cated tools and instrumentsfor producing and control-ling high torques affectingbolted joints in military, pet-rochemical, nuclear power,automotive and other appli-cations. Two examples arepictured: at upper right isan ultrasonic bolt gage formonitoring bolt tension andat lower right a worker isusing a wrench attachmentknown as a blind flangeadapter, used where there isno adjacent structure to pro-vide a torque reaction point.

Raymond Engineeringcredits a NASA industry as-sistance centerNew Eng-land Research ApplicationsCenter (NERAC), Storrs,Connecticutwith a sup-porting role in developmentof the bolting tools and inexpanding the company'sgeneral technology base.Raymond is building a li-brary of knowledge throughin-house experimentationand accumulated field ex-perience, complemented bya computerized data bank ofinformation on boltedjoints. NERAC has con-ducted a series of world-wide literature searches ofthe latest bolting technol-ogy, adding to the Raymondlibrary and also contributingto product development.

Technology locatedthrough NERAC's search andretrieval service aided com-pany development of thebolting tools by identifyingunfilled technical needs andby providing informationthat helped define betterspecifications for RaymondEngineering products. Thecompany has also usedNERAC's information indesigning and presenting aseries of Raymond BoltingSeminars, which have beenwell received in the United

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States, Canada and theUnited Kingdom.

"Bolted joints are verycomplex things," said Ray-mond Engineering vicepresident John Bickford."Their behavior is imper-fectly understood. NERAChas been able to educate usin the state-of-the-art ofbolted joints ... The in-formation received from theNASA data base has provento be very beneficial to theoverall program." He addedthat the new bolting toolshave contributed to a siz-able sales increase and tothe creation of new jobs,within Fver-Dyne and inother companies supplyingmaterials to Power-Dyne.

Based at the University ofConnecticut, NERAC is oneof nine NASA user assis-tance centers, affiliated withuniversities across the coun-

ti

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try, that provide informationretrieval services and tech-nical help to industrial andgovernment clients.

'g'Power-Dyne is a registered trademark of Raymond Engineering,Inc.

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A private company founded onNASA data processing technologyleads a selection of technologytransfers in agriculture andnatural resources management

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REMOTE SENSING SPINOFF

Remote sensing is the process of ac-quiring physical information from a dis-tance, for example, obtaining data onEarth features from a satellite or anairplane. The best known and mostwidely used remote sensing systemsare the NASA-developed Landsat re-sources survey satellites, which offer ameans of monitoring changing Earthconditions through spaceborne sensorsthat detect various types of radiationemitted or reflected from objects onEarth's surface. This information can beput to practical use in such applicationsas agricultural crop forecasting, landuse management, mineral and petro-leum exploration, mapping, rangelandand forest management, water qualityevaluation, disaster assessment andscores of others.

Raw data from Landsat or otherremote sensing systems is computer-processed at ground facilities and trans-lated into tapes or images. The data canthen be interpreted to tell the differ-ence, for example, between one typeof vegetation and another, betweendensely populated urban areas andlightly populated farmland, or betweenclear and polluted water. The basic im-agery can also be computer-enhancedto correct sensor errors, to make theimage compatible with standard maps,or to emphasize certain features. Thistechnology has given rise to a smallbut growing industry that supportsusers of remotely sensed data by pro-viding computer-processing, dataanalysis and interpretation services.

One such company is Delta DataSystems, Inc. (DDS), Picayune, Missis-sippi, which might be considered a"double-barreled spinoff." It is, on the

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one hand, an example of the personneltype of technology transfer, in whichaerospace scientists and engineersmove to other industries or form newcompanies, transferring their aero-space-acquired skills and know-how tonew applications. In addition, a majorDDS developmentthe ATLAS soft-ware systemis an adaptation of aNASA-developed computer program.

DDS was formed by a group of for-mer NASA/industry engineers with ex-tensive experience at NASA centers indesigning hardware and software fordigital image processing systems. SaysDDS president Ferron Risinger: "Thiscompany is an outgrowth of our previ-ous work for NASA; its purpose is tocarry on beyond NASA's role in trans-ferring remote sensing technology."Risinger was formerly a systems engi-neer with Lockheed Electronics, later acomputer systems analyst for the NASAEarth Resources Laboratory at the Na-tional Space Technology Laboratories.

In the latter connection, Risingerwas project leader for installationsatAmes Research Center and other facili-tiesof the NASA-developed computerprogram for processing remotelysensed data called ELAS (Earth Re-sources Laboratory Applications Soft-ware). After founding DDS, he and hisassociates used ELAS as a "shell" fordeveloping the company's ATLAS geo-graphic information system, used toprocess satellite and aircraft data, todigitize soil and topographic maps andto generate land use maps. The ATLAS

system has been used by a number ofDDS clients for producing land coverclassification maps. Although ATLASwas developed for geographic use,DDS also plans some medical applica-tions that Involve processing of digitalimage data. An unusual application iscomputer-directed tuna processing; thecomputer assigns values to differentparts of the fish (cat food, white meat,dark meat, etc.), then directs themovements of a robotic cuttingwaterjet to slice the tuna withmaximum efficiency

The company estimates that use ofELAS as a basis for ATLAS developmentsaved an additional four man-years thatwould have been required to developthe 100 applications modules in theATLAS system. ELAS was supplied toDDS by NASA's Computer SoftwareManagement and Information Center(COSMC)®, an extension of NASA'sTechnology Utilization Program whichprovides NASA computer programs toother agencies of the government andto the private sector (see page 127).

Among DDS hardware designs are amicroprocessorbased system for pro-duction control and energy manage-ment systems, turnkey remote sensingsystems and high speed interfaces be-tween several types of computers andassociated equipment, such as imagedisplays. DDS also provides a numberof specialized services for the remotesensing community, including con-sultation, training personnel in use ofthe ATLAS system, in-house data pro-

COSMIC is a registered trademarkof the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.

cessing and on-site data processingsupport. The company's customers in-clude private firms, educational institu-tions, state and federal agencies, amongthem the National Park Service, Van-denberg Air Force Base, the FloridaDepartment of Transportation andseveral universities.

In the upper photo, a Delta Data Systems techni-cian is computeenbancing a Landsat image toinclude geographic coordinates. At right, com-pany president Ferron Risinger is adjusting awire wrap board, one of a number of hardwaresptums developed by Delta Data Systems forprocessing remotely sensed data.

113 111

112

iiMOMMMEMMMIMM.PEAT PROCESSING

Humics, Inc., Camden, NewJersey is a new small busi-ness manufacturing purifiedhumic acid and humic acidsalts, primarily for agricul-tural applications. A partner-ship of Hal Hartung, achemical engineer, and E.F.Moran, who has backgroundin textiles and industrialchemicals, the company wascreated expressly to exploreand exploit the commercialpotential of products de-rived from peat, an organicsoil widely used in Europeas a fuel. Humics, Inc. cred-its a NASA user assistancecenter with a major assist inidentifying potential applica-tions of humic acid andhelping to focus thecompany's research anddevelopment activities.

Hartung and Moranstarted work in 1981 on thepremise that peat was "toovaluable to burn," that therewere probably many impor-tant applications other thanfuel. Hartung's early studyand experimentation con-vinced him that the humicsubstances in peat offeredthe greatest potential value.However, extraction of hu-mic acid and salts by con-ventional means was noteconomically feasible. Thepartners directed their worktoward developing an eco-nomical method for extract-ing humics; their efforts

proved successful and inJuly 1984 they were granteda U.S. patent for a method ofseparating wet peat intocomponent fractions andprocessing it to produce avariety of useful materials.The upper photo shows HalHartung with a batch of rawpeat material; in the lowerphoto, a company employeeis inspecting a separatorused in peat processing.

In the meantime, the part-ners had formed Humics,Inc. to commercialize theirtechnology. Looking for thewidest possible range ofapplications, they learnedof a NASA service providedby a network of industrialapplications centers that of-fer Information retrieval andtechnical help. They askedthe New England ResearchApplications Center(NERAC), Storrs, Connecti-cut to conduct a computer-ized literature search forapplications of humic acidas a supplement to theirown research.

"What came back over thenext year or so astoundedus," Hartung says. NERAC'ssearches provided some5,000 references andrevealed that humic acidhad worldwide interest forscores of uses; what wasneeded was a reliable, pureand economic source. "We

11.4

were forced to rethink thescope and nature of ourproject," Hartung adds.

Humics, Inc. directed itsinitial effort at agriculture,where a market existed.Humic acid and soluble hu-mates have been shown toimprove germination ofseeds, stimulate root devel-opment, increase plantvigor, improve crop yieldsand help plants withstandstresses, such as tempera-ture extremes. Humic, Inc.'sextraction process allowedthe company to develop twoinitial purified humic acidproducts for which demandrequired doubling plant ca-pacity in a matter of months.The company is exploringthe potential of humic acidas a sewage disposal agent;test marketing a kind of hor-ticultural peat, a byproductof humic acid production;and conducting field andlaboratory experiments to-ward introduction of a num-ber of industrial applica-tions. And, although theoriginal idea was to explorenon-fuel uses of peat, thecompany now feels that itstechnology makes possibleeconomical production ofpeat fuels. Humics, Inc. esti-mates that gross sales ofpeat-derived products willreach $8.10 million withinthe next two to threeyears.

THERMAL ANALYSIS

The accompanying photosillustrate research by theUniversity of Georgia's Agri-cultural Engineering Depart-ment on new designs forpoultry houses. Improvedhousing offers great poten-tial benefit for Georgia'spoultry farmers, whose in-dustry is a billiondollar-a-year business. One investi-gation involved winter useof passive solar heating forthe poultry houses, using asouthern exposure withconcrete walls; the designprocess could be most effi-ciently handled by computerthermal models basedon the *thermal analysiscapabilities of the NASAStructural Analysis System(NASTRAN)®.

The NASTRAN program,originally developed foraerospace design applica-tions by Langley ResearchCenter and supplied byNASA's Computer SoftwareManagement and Informa-tion Center (COSMIC), isa general purpose programthat mathematically analyzesa design and predicts how itwill stand up under the vari-ous stresses and strains itwill encounter in opera-tional service. This permitsengineers to study the struc-tural behavior of manydifferent designs beforesettling on a final design.

At the University of Geor-giaand other universitiesstudents are being trainedto use the NASTRAN systemfor a variety of new and dif-ferent applications, includ-ing thermal analysis of agri-business-related structures,nursery containers and post-harvest handling of vegeta-bles. In the latter applica-tion, NASTRAN is used todevelop a model for moni-toring the transient coolingof vegetables that have beenharvested and stored in bins.The produce can deterioratein quality because of thehigh temperatures often ex-perienced. The University ofGeorgia's Agricultural Engi-neering Department isinvestigating the use ofconvective and evaporativecooling to reduce tempera-tures, thereby reducingquality loss.

Another study at the Uni-versity of Georgia involvedthermal analysis of blackand green nursery contain-ers commonly used by com-mercial nurseries to growplants. The growth media inthe containers can be sub-jected to temperatures of110 degrees Fahrenheit ormore due to solar radiation.Plant root growth is gener-

ally retarded above 85 de-grees and ceases above 100degrees. Attempts havebeen made to reduce heat-induced stress on plantroots through use of perfo-rated containers, whiteplastic containers and evapo-rative cooling. UsingNASTRAN, a thermal analy-sis was conducted to quan-tify the thermal environmentof a nursery container ex-posed to summer solar radi-ation; researchers exploredthe potential for reducingmedia temperatures of suchparameters as different me-dia composition and differ-ent container surface colors,geometry and dimensions.

The AgriculturalEngineering Departmentfaculty reports that use ofNASTRAN and exposure tofinite element analysis hasencouraged student appre-

ciation of numerical prob-lem solving techniques. Thedepartment plans additionalapplications of NASTRAN inits continuing program forteaching and applyingsophisticated computeranalysis.

®NASTRAN is a registered trade-mark of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration.

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114

CITRUS INVENTORY

2=-

An aerial color infrared(ACIR) mapping system de-veloped by Kennedy SpaceCenter (KSC) has beenadapted by Oliver Lowe,Property Appraiser for Flori-da's Charlotte County, forinventorying citrus trees asa basis for assessing citrusgrove valuations. With ACIR,Lowe has been able to ob-tain more accurate propertyvaluations while reducingthe county's appraisal costs.As recently as 1981, it tooktwo appraisers six to ninemonths to appraise thecounty's 8,500 acres ofcitrus; today, survey of thecounty's 10,000 acres takesone appraiser about 75 days

with the help of the dualvideo system (above andleft) for interpreting ACIRphotographs. The videosystem was jointly devel-oped by KSC and the CitrusResearch and EducationCenter of the University ofFlorida.

Aerial photographicflights were made annuallyeach June during 1983-1985and the resultant photos in-terpreted by the video sys-tem, composed of pairedcolor video cameras con-nected to two monitors; thissystem makes it possible toview two different annualimages and detect changesthat may have occurred fromone year to the next. Differences found are verified by

11,6

field visits, which addition-ally serve to determine theprobable cause of treelosses, damage or decline.Appraiser Lowe invites cit-rus growers to view photo-graphs of their properties(individual property bound-aries are outlined in theACIR transparencies) andsee for themselves areaswhere problems may exist,thus eliminating many po-tential tree failures and en-abling growers to plant cit-rus in areas where betterchances of successfulgrowth are indicated.

The Florida State Depart-ment of Revenue would liketo see development of animage analysis system thatwould automatically surveyand photointerpret groveimages; such a systemwould make inventory andappraisal feasible and eco-nomical in counties withvery large citrus acreages,where visual interpretationand data input would be tooslow a process. KSC's Tech-nology Utilization Officehas awarded a contract toDr. C.1-1. Blazquez of theCitrus Research and Educa-tion Center to adapt a proto-type system that would auto-matically count trees andreport a total of trees perblock or grove. A

AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING

A decade-long program ofresearch on agricultural aviation, conducted by LangleyResearch Center, focused oninvestigations designed tohelp the aerial crop dustingand spraying industry solvea major problem: wastefuldrift of chemical beyond tar-get areas, a matter that washeightening environmentalconcerns and was becomingever more expensive aschemical costs increased.

Langley's investigationsinvolved studies of aircraftwake and how the wakeaffects chemical dispersalpatterns; the aim was toidentify modifications to air-planes or to dispersal equip-ment to allow more accu-rate, more uniform spraypatterns. From this researchcame an important aid toaerial applicators and equip-ment designers, a computercode called AGDISP (forAgricultural Dispersal) thatallows accurate spray anddrift predictions. Jointlyfunded by NASA and theForest Service of theDepartment of Agriculture,AGDISP was written forLangley by ContinuumDynamics, Inc., Princeton,New Jersey.

Continuum Dynamics hassince advanced the technol-ogy another step by devel-oping, with company funds,a commercially available

ver,ion of the code for useon a personal computer byan operator who need nothave any prior computer ex-perience. Called SWA +H(Spray Width for AirplanesPlus Helicopters), the soft-ware models the turbulentflow behind an agriculturalaircraft and predicts the mo-tion of materials releasedfrom spray nozzles, takinginto consideration airplane,atmospheric, material andnozzle characteristics. Theprinter output (right) pro-vides detailed informationon the concentrations andmotions of the spray cloud,including an estimate ofdrift. The user may thenchange certain factorssuch as spray height or noz-zle positionto achieve thedesired swath width andapplication concentrationwhile minimizing drift.

SWA+H users include theForest Service, the FederalAviation Administration anda number of agriculturalchemical manufacturers,one of which is The DuPontCompany's AgriculturalProducts Division, Wilming-ton, Delaware. It is difficultand expensive to field testdifferent equipment andchemicals in actual flight,because the environment isso variable, so DuPont uses

L.

SWA+H to save time andmoney by narrowing the pa-rameters, computer data isthen checked out by "fieldtesting for truth." Essentialinput to the computer codeis data on the characteristicsof the chemicals and disper-sion systems. One of theways DuPont accomplishesthis is by using the laser sys-tem at right to measure theparticle characteristics ofvarious spray compounds.Particles released from adispersal system (top ofphoto) are measured by thelaser unit (gold); then thelaser beam is moved fromside to side (red) and theparticles are measuredalong the radius of theirtrajectory.

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In a comprehensive nationwideeffort, NASA seeks to increasepublic and private sector benefitsby broadening and acceleratingthe secondary application ofaerospace technology

118

PUTTING TECHNOLOGY TO WORK

The wealth of aerospace technologygenerated in the course of NASA pro-grams is an important national assetin that it offers potential for secondary=applicationsnew products and pro-cesses that collectively represent avaluable contribution to the U.S. econ-omy. But such technology transfers donot materialize automatically;translation of the potential into realityrequires an organized effort to put thetechnology to work in new applicationsand reap thereby a dividend on thenational investment in aerospaceresearch.

NASA's instrument for accomplishingthat objective is the TeC1111010gyUtili7.311011 Program, which employs anumber of mechanisms intended tobroaden and accelerat ransfer ofaerospace technology t. :er sectorsof the economy. An important mech.anism is the job of "getting the wordout"letting potential users knowwhat NASA-developed technologies areavailable for transfer. This is accomplished primarily through "Ii,.cb Briefs,a hi-monthly publication that describesfor a wide government /industryence newly developed processes, research advances and other innovationsstemming from NASA technologydevelopment (see page 127).

An example of how Rech art*benefits industrial firms is the case ofthe Zimmatic agricultural irrigationsystem built by Lindsay ManufacturingCompany, Lindsay, Nebraska. The sys-tem is a network of water pipes andspray nozzles supported by a series ofwheeled towers. The whole system ro-tates around a center pivot, wateringhundreds of acres in a single revolu-

lion. Each of the three ton towers hasits own electric motor, which transmitspower to the wheels through gearboxes, one on each wheel. These gearboxes incorporate NASA lubricationtechnology that protects them fromstress and wear.

The technology originated in aLubrication Handbook compiled byMidwest Research Center under contract with Marshall Space Flight Center.Intended as a reference source for de-signers and manufacturers of aerospacehardware and those responsible formaintenance of such equipment, it hasmuch wider applicability because it de-tails the chemical and physical proper-ties, applications, specifications andtest procedures for more than 500 typesof lubricants. Engineers of LindsayManufacturing Company learned of thehandbook through Rech 13rit.fc andused it in redesigning gear boxes forthe center pivot system. In the newdesign, gears are immersed in NASA-developed lubricants that providewearing surfaces and bearings withlow-friction protective coatings. The in-formation in the handbook helped re-duce the amount of lubricant requiredand allowed selection of comparablebut less expensive lubricants.

13ricfs more often than not sim-ply provides a lead for follow-up con-tact that may generate a spinoff productor process, but in some cases the in-formation in 'Tech &I* is by itself suf-ficient to inspire a new development.An example is the work of Carlos F.

Horvath, senior engineer of BurroughsCorporation, Paoli, Pennsylvania,which manufactures large computersystems.

Looking for a better way of testingECL (Emitter Coupled Logic) chips,integrated circuits used in Burroughs'computer systems, Horvath developedhis own unit, an AC/DC tester with anassociated ramp voltage generator thatchecks out ECI. devices and theirfunctionality within the computer.Horvath's invention allows rapid man-ual checking without extensive pro-gramming, as is required by other testmethods; thus the ECL tester makes iteasier to find out what component ismalfunctioning and it does the jobfaster. With minimal training, anyonecan use the equipment, where priortesters require skilled technicians.

Horvath reported that a single articlein Tech Briefs provided the informa-tion that led to his development of theramp voltage generator, an essential ac-cessory to the basic tester. The testeritself did not evolve from any specificarticle but from an accumulation ofinformation on new electronic circuitand component technology publishedin a number of issues of 7ecb Briefs.

NASA's Technology Utilization Pro-gram is managed by the TechnologyUtilization Division, an element of theOffice of Commercial Programs. Head,quartered in Washington, D.C., thedivision coordinates the activities oftechnology transfer specialists locatedthroughout the United States. In addi-tion to Tecb Briefs and related publica-tions, other mechanisms employedby the division include TechnologyUtilization Officers, located at each of

NASA's nine field centers, who serveas regional Technology Utilization Pro-gram managers; a network of user assis-tance centers that provide informationretrieval services and technical help togovernment and industry clients; appli-cations engineering projects, efforts tosolve public sector problems throughthe application of pertinent aerospacetechnology; and a software center thatprovides, to industry and governmentclients, computer programs adaptableto secondary use. The mechanisms areamplified on the following pages.

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The Zimmatic irrigation system (above) con.sists of a series of wheeled spray towers rotatingaround a center pivot and watering hundredsof acres on a single swing. Electric motorsdrive the system through gear boxes on eachwheel (left). The manufacturer improved theefficiency of the gear boxes through a redesignthat incorporated NASA technologn

A Burroughs Corporation engineer developedthis computer component tester using information from a number of issues of the NASA pubii.cation Tech Briefs.

APPLICATIONS CENTERS

To promote technologyutilization, NASA operatesa number of user assistancecenters whose job is to pro-vide information retrievalservices and technical helpto industrial and government clients. There are nineIndustrial Application Cen-ters (IACs) affiliated withuniversities across the couptry. The centers are backedby off-site representatives inmany major cities and bytechnology coordinators atNASA field centers; the latterseek to match NASA exper-tise and ongoing researchand engineering in areas ofparticular interest to clients.

The network's principalresource is a vast storehouse

of accumulated technicalknowledge, computerizedfor ready retrieval. Throughthe application centers, cli-ents have access to nearly100 million documentscontained in the NASA databank and over 250 othercomputerized data bases.The NASA data bank in-cludes reports coveringevery field of ae-ospace-relata. activity plus thecontinually updated,selected contents of some15,000 scientific andtechnical journals.

Now this technology isput to work is exemplifiedby the work of one of thecentersthe New England

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Research ApplicationsCenter (NERAC), Storrs,Connecticutinflexible etched circuits forelectronic systems. Thecompany is AdvancedCircuit Technology (ACT),Nashua, New I iampshire. Attop left, sculptured circuitsare being assembled inAC'I"s manufacturing room,at lower left is a selection ofthe types of circuitsproduced.

NERAC conducts comput-erized literature searches tofind and apply technical in-formation pertinent to its cli-ent's needs. ACT'S productresearch and developmentgroup regularly employsNERAC's search service tostay abreast of new develop-ments in interconnectiontechnology and, in particu-lar, to find new opportuni-ties for applying its scull)tured circuit process.NERAC provides info am-tion in such areas of company interest as materialsand processes used inprinted circuit fabrication,new interconnection prod-ucts and latest advances in

manufacturing technology.Search efforts divide into

two classes: currencyaimed at company aware-

122

ness of broad trends in elec-

tronics development andmanufactureand productintelligence, research of amore specific nature directlyapplicable to ACT develop-ment programs. NERAC fur-nishes abstract listings toACT personnel, who period-ically follow up withrequests for full lengthreprints of documents thatseem to warrant detailedstudy. ACT has several new

products in developmentand the company reportsthat each of them has bene-fited from NERAC's comput-erized technology search.

Another NERAC exampleis the assistance the centerprovided to John I sill, aphotographer who operatesTigerhill Studio, WesternSprings, Illinois. Ifnispecializes in high qualityoblique aerial photography,supplying three dimen-sional frontal photos such asthe oblique view of the ArtInstitute/Michigan Avenuearea of Chicago shown atright and the segment ofWashington, D.C. along thePotomac River (far right).

In preparing his businessplan for entering this highlyspecialized field, Hillaware of many NASA

advances in photography, re-mote sensing and computer-ized image enhancementsought to build an inform-

tion base on space age tech-nology related to his work.He was advised by the Chi-cago Small Business Admin-istration office to contactNERAC.

NERAC searched theNASA data base and pro-vided extensive informationon aerial oblique andarchitectural photography,electro-optics, image en-hancement and processing.Hill followed up the NERACreport through personalcontacts with manufacturersof photographic equipmentand film, aerial surveyors,processing laboratories andcamera retailers. As a resultof this cooperative researcheffort, Hill was able to effectan immediate and substan-

1.31.S...

tial reduction in overheadcosts. Much of the savingstemmed from his switchfrom a heavy military aerialcamera to a lighter weight,more manageable camerathat makes sharper picturesand can be used in a smallfixed-wing airplane as wellas in more costly helicop-ters. Additionally, he is usingNERAC-provided informa-tion on electro-optics, imageenhancement, microwaveand infrared systems to planfor his introduction ofadvanced optics.

Staffed by scientists, engi-neers and computer retrieval

specialists, the IACs providethree basic types of services.To an industrial firmcontemplating a newresearch and developmentprogram or seeking to solvea problem, they offer "retro-spective searches"; theyprobe appropriate databanks for relevant literatureand provide abstracts or fulltext reports on subjects ap-plicable to the company'sneeds. IACs also providecurrent awareness services,tailored periodic reports de-signed to keep a company'sexecutives or engineersabreast of the latest ad-vances in their fields with aminimal investment of time.Additionally, IAC engineersoffer highly skilled assis-

123

tance in analyzing the in-formation retrieved to thecompany's best advantage.

For further information onIAC services, interestedorganizations should contactthe director of the nearestcenter; addresses are listedin the directory thatfollows.

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122

SOFTWARE CENTER

In the course of its variedactivities, NASA makes ex-tensive use of computers,not only on Space Shuttlemission' but in such °the..operations as analyzing datareceived from satellites ordeep space probes, conduct-ing aeronautical designanalyses, operating numeri-cally-controlled machineryand performing routinebusiness or project manage-ment functions. NASA andother technology-generatingagencies of the governmenthave of necessity developedmany types of computerprograms, a valuable re-source available for reuse.Much of this software isdirectly applicable to secon-dary use with little or nomodification; most of it canbe adapted for special pur-poses at far less than thecost of developing a newprogram.

To help industrial firms,government agencies andother organizations reduceautomation costs by takingadvantage of this resource,NASA operates the Com-puter Software Managementand Information Center(COSMIC) ®. Located at theUniversity of Georgia, COS-MIC collects, screens andstores computer programsdeveloped by NASA andother government agencies.The Center's library cur-

rently contains more than1,400 programs that providecomputer instructions forsuch tasks as structural anal-ysis, design of fluid systems,electronic circuit design,chemical analysis, deter-mination of building energyrequirements and a varietyof other functions. COSMICoffers these programs at afraction of their original costand the service has foundwide acceptance in industry.

An example of COSMIC'sservice is found in manufac-ture of heavy duty truckssuch as the one pictured atleft. The truck is poweredby the L-10 turbochargedengine shown at rightcenter, one model of adiversified line of dieselsmanufactured by CumminsEngine Company,Columbus, Indiana.

Part of the company'sresearch effort is aimedtoward introduction ofadvanced turbochargedengines that deliver extrapower with greater fuel effi-ciency. In a number of feasi-bility studies of turbine rotordesigns, engineers of Cum-mins' turbocharger grouputilized a COSMIC com-puter program. Originallydeveloped by Lewis

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Research Center, the pro.gramFortran IV Programto Estimate Off DesignPerformance of Radial FlowTurbinescalculates turbinerotor mass flows andefficiencies to assist inpredicting the performancecharacteristics of a possibleturbine design. The com-pany reports that use of theprogram substantiallyreduced software develop-ment costs.

In a related area, COS-MIC also provided assis-tance to Ai Research Manu-facturing Company, LosAngeles and Torrance, Cali-fornia, a division of The Gar-rett Corporation engaged inmanufacturing a broad vari-ety of products for the aero-space, energy, metals, transitand marine industries.Among many activities at itsTorrance facility, Ai Researchprovides design and analysisof ancillary equipmentsuch as fuel controls and ro-tating accessoriesfor gasturbines produced by an-other Garrett division,Garrett Turbine EngineCompany, Phoenix, Arizona.

An example of theGarrett gas turbine line isthe GTCP36-100 auxiliarypower unit (APU) shown attop right. These APUs pro-vide pneumatic power forstarting airplane engines, forcabin air conditioning and

4-4 S'4 4 4-

for electric power supply toother aircraft systems whilethe plane is on the ground.The GTCP36-100 is installedin such business jets as theFrenchbuilt Dassault-Breguet Falcon 50 (right),the Canadair Challenger andthe Grumman Gulfstream; itis also used on the new Brit-ish Aerospace Model 146short-haul airline transport.

One step in the designwork at AiResearch-Torranceinvolves analysis of light-weight rubber seals usedin accessory equipment onGarrett APUs. Over a periodof time, stress and straincause expansion and con-traction of of these seals. Com-puterized analysis is em-

ployed to determine howwell a proposed seal designwill stand up to suchstresses. For such analysis,AiResearch used a computerprogram known as VISCEL,supplied by COSMIC,NASA's software distributioncenter. AiResearch engi-neers report that use of theVISCEL program allowed asaving of 400 to 500 hoursin software developmenttime; additionally, it contrib-uted to improved efficiencyin seal analysis.

To assist prospective cus-tomers in locating poten-

RIR

tially usefuLsoftware, COS-MIC publishes an annualindexed catalog of all theprograms in the center's in-ventory. Available on micro-fiche, computer magneticprint tape or in hard copyform, the catalog may bepurchased directly fromCOSMIC. The center alsohelps customers definetheir needs and suggestsprograms that might beapplicable. For furtherinformaton on COSMIC'sservices, contact the directorat the address in the direc-tory that follows.

000SMIC is a registered trademarkof the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.

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One facet of NASA's Tech-nology Utilization Programis an applications engineer-ing effort involving use ofNASA expertise to redesignand reengineer existingaerospace technology forthe solution of problems en-countered by federal agen-cies, other public sectorinstitutions or privateorganizations.

Applications engineeringprojects originate in variousways. Some stem from re-quests for assistance fromother government agencies;others are generated bitechnologists who perceive

124

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

possible solutions to publicsector problems by adaptingNASA technology to theneed. NASA employs anapplication team composedof several scientists and en-gineers representing differ-ent areas of expertise. Theteam members contact pub-lic sector agencies, medicalinstitutions, trade and pro-fessional groups to uncoverproblems that might be sus-ceptible to solution throughapplication of aerospacetechnology.

An example of an applica-tions engineering project isa simulator known as theEmergency ManagementComputer Aided TrainingSystem, or EMCAT, shownabove.

Developed by MarshallSpace Flight Center (MSFC)in response to a requestfrom the Huntsville (Ala-bama) Fire Department,EMCAT enables a traineeto assume the role of fire-ground commander andmake quick decisions onbest use of his firefightingpersonnel and equipment.

Watching the fire'sprogress on the TV screen,the trainee is presented asequence of decisions onthe computer monitor; hisresponse, tapped out on thekeyboard, causes the videofire to change for better orworse. If he makes a seriesof correct decisions, the fireis extinguished; if he errs,he will see the fire go outof control. At the end of theexercise, he is critiqued byan instructor and informedwhich decisions were rightor where he went wrong.

The prototype was shownto firefighting authoritiesfrom all over the country indemonstrations at MSFC, inMemphis, Tennessee andin Fresno, California. Thehighly favorable response asto the system's concept andpotential led to initiation ofa development program foran advanced EMCNI, a train-

126

ing aid for the firefightingand other emergency man-agement communities. Theprogram is a joint undertak-ing of NASA and the Na-tional Fire Academy, FederalEmergency ManagementAgency; MSFC is projectmanager.

In the prototype, the vis-ual portion of the systemwas created by video tapingan actual controlled burn oftwo condemned buildings.The fire was started andstopped repeatedly to allowtaping at various stages ofinvolvement. The tape,transferred to a computercompatible video disc,enabled programmers tochoose from a variety of vi-sual outcomes that wouldresult from the trainee's se-quence of decisions.

The prototype, however,has only one scenario. A sur-vey showed that potentialusers would want a varietyof fire and other emergencyscenarios, each involvingsomewhat different tacticsand management tech-niques. Since it is impossi-ble to tape actual burningsof such structures as highrise apartments, factories orairport facilities, the devel-opment team is us.ng videographic and animation tech-niques. Tests indicate thatrealistic visual scenarios canbe created by overlaying

pictures of static structureswith dynamic flame andsmoke imagery.

Another example is anapplication effort involvingaquatic plantsprincipallywater hyacinthsfor treat-ment and recycling ofwastewater, a project thatoriginated at National SpaceTechnology Laboratories(NSTL), Bay St. Louis, Mis-sissippi as a solution to a lo-cal wastewater problem.

In the early 1970s, NSTLdiscovered that the glossygreen water hyacinths liter-ally thrive on sewage; theyabsorb and digest nutrientsand minerals from wastewa-ter, converting sewageeffluents to clean water.Thus, they offer a means ofpurifying water at a fractionof the cost of a conventionalsewage treatment facility.Additionally, they providebonus value in byproducts.The proteinrich hyacinthsmust be harvested at inter-vals; the harvested plantscan be used as fertilizer, ashigh protein animal feed, oras a source of energy.

NSTL first tested the prac-tical application of aquacul-ture in 1975, when hya-cinths were planted in a40-acre sewage lagoon atBay St. Louis; the once nox-ious lagoon soon became aclean water garden. NSTLpublished a study report

that attracted considerableattention and followed upby providing technical guid-ance to communities inter-ested in applying the tech-nology. Several southerntowns, with populationsranging from 2,000 to15,000, use water hyacinthsas their year-round primarymethod of treating wastewa-ter. Other towns employaquaculture as a part-time orsupplementary process insewage treatment.

The "aquaculture" tech-nique advanced significantlyin the early 1980s with itsadoption by a major citySan Diego, Californiaaspart of a multi-step reclama-tion process designed to re-cover potable water fromsewage. San Diego had de-veloped its own two-phasereclamation system in thelate 1970s, but four) needfor further filtration to re-move metals and suspendedsolids. After consultationwith NSTL, the city added awater hyacinth treatmentfacility and the combinedprocesses began operatingas an experimental systemin 1981.

The prototype facility op-erated so successfully overa two-year span that San

Diego built a onemillion-gallon-per-day plant for ser-vice beginning in 1984. Thenew facility has an aquacul-ture component that em-ploysin addition to waterhyacinthsa reed-rock filterunit, the latest wastewatertreatment developed atNSTL. The hybrid aquaticplant/microbial filter com-bination, unlike the waterhyacinth system, will oper-ate in cold as well as warmclimates.

The photos illustrate theaquaculture part of the sew-age treatment process at SanDiego. At upper right is thefirst step, in which the sew-age passes through a screen-ing device for removal oflarge solids. The raw sewageis pumped into greenhouse-like aquaculture tanks, suchas the ene at right. Afteraquaculture cleansing, thewater is further treated byan "ultrafilter," then itpasses into the reverse os-mosis facility, San Diego'soriginal system, which re-moves most of the salt andviruses from the sewage.Additional cleanup steps areprovided by the NSTL mi-crobial filter process and bya city-developed carbon ab-sorption technique.

4g),(2 125

An important elementamong the NASA mecha-nisms for accelerating andbroadening aerospace tech-nology transfer is the Tech-nology Utilization Officer,or TUO. TUOs are technol-ogy transfer experts at eachof NASA's nine field centerswho serve as regional man-agers for the TechnologyUtilization Program. In thephoto are the Langley Re-search Center TUO (right)and his staff, examining aLangley invention devel-oped as a technology utili-zation project.

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TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATIONOFFICERS

The TUO's basic respon-sibility is to maintain con-tinuing awareness ofresearch and developmentprograms conducted by hiscenter that have significantpotential for generatingtransferable technology. Heassures that the center's pro-fessional people identify,document and report newtechnology developed in thecenter laboratories and,together with other centerpersonnel, he monitors thecenter's R&D contracts tosee that contractors similarlydocument and report newtechnology, as is requiredby law. This technology,whether developed in-

house or by contractors,becomes part of the NASAbank of technical knowl-edge that is available forsecondary use.

The TUO's next job is"getting the word out"ad-vising potential users of thetechnology's availability. Todo so, he evaluates andprocesses selected newtechnology reports forannouncement in NASApublications and other dis-semination media. Prospec-tive users are informed thatmore detailed informationis available in the form of aTechnical Support Package,which the TUO preparesand distributes in responseto inquiries.

The TUO also acts as apoint of liaison betweenindustry representatives andpersonnel of his center, andbetween center personneland others involved inapplications engineeringprojects, efforts to solvepublic sector problemsthrough the application ofpertinent aerospace technol-ogy. On such projects, theTUO prepares and coordi-nates applications engineer-ing proposals for joint fund-ing and participation byother federal agenciesand industrial firms.

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NASA conductsinde-pendently or in cooperationwith other organizationsaseries of conferences,seminars and workshops de-signed to encourage broaderprivate sector participationin the technology transferprocess and to make privatecompanies aware of theNASA technologies thathold promise for commer-cialization. The TUO plays aprominent part in this aspectof the program. He arrangesand coordinates his center'sactivities relative to themeetings and whenas fre-quently happensindustryparticipants seek to followup with visits to the center,he serves as the contactpoint.

Support for the TUOsand for all other groupswithin the NASA technologyutilization networkisprovided by the technologyutilization office at the NASAScientific and Technical In-formation Facility. Thefacility's Technical ServicesGroup handles centralizedmaintenance and reproduc-tion of all Technical SupportPackages. Additionally,It responds to more than80,000 annual requests forinformation.

PUBLICATIONS

An essential measure in pro-moting greater use of NASAtechnology is letting poten-tial users know what NASA-developed information andtechnologies are availablefor transfer. This is accom-plished primarily throughthe publication NASA TechBriefs.

The National Aeronauticsand Space Act requires thatNASA contractors furnishwritten repo is containingtechnical information about

inventions, improvements orinnovations developed inthe course of work forNASA. Those reports pro-vide the input for TechBriefs. Issued bi-monthly,the publication is a currentawareness medium and aproblem solving tool formore than 100,000 govern.ment and industry readers.

First published as singlesheet briefs in 1962, TechBriefs was converted to aNASA-published magazineformat in 1976. In 1985,publishing responsibilityincluding sale of advertis-ingwas turned over to acommercial firm in a jointventure between NASA andAssociated Business Publica-tions, Inc. of New York City.Thus, Tech Briefs becamethe first government publi-cation to accept paidadvertisements, an arrange-ment that relieves the gov-

ernment of publication costsand permits broader circula-tion.

NASA supplies the edito-rial content and the basicmagazine format used since1976 remains essentiallyunchanged. Each issue con-tains information on a par-ticular product or processdescribed in the publication.Innovations reported inTech Briefs annually gener-ate more than 100,000requests for additionalinformation, concrete evi-dence that the publication isplaying an important part ininspiring broader use ofNASA technology.

Tech Briefs is available toscientists, engineers, busi-ness executives and otherqualified technology transferagents in industry or in stateand local governments. Thepublication may be obtainedby contacting the Director,Technology Utilization Divi-sion, NASA Scientific andTechnical Information Facil-ity, Post Office Box 8757,Baltimore/WashingtonInternational Airport,Maryland 21240.

A related publicationdeals with NASA patentedinventions available forlicensing, which number

J..

almost 4,000. NASA grantsexclusive licenses to encour-age early commercial devel-opment of aerospace tech-nology, particularly in thosecases where considerableprivate investment is re-quired to bring the inven-tion to the marketplace.Non-exclusive licenses arealso granted, in order topromote competition andbring about wider use ofNASA inventions. A sum-mary of all available inven-tions, updated semiannually,is contained in the NASAPatent Abstracts Bibliogra-phy, which can be pur-chased from the NationalTechnical InformationService, Springfield,Virginia 22161. A

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NASA's TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SYSTEM

The NASA system of technology trans-fer personnel and facilities extendsfrom coast to coast and providesgeographical coverage of the nation'sprimary industrial concentrations,together with regional coverage of stateand local governments engaged intransfer activities. For specific informa-tion concerning the activities describedbelow, contact the appropriatetechnology utilization personnelat the addresses listed.

For information of a general natureabout the Technology Utilization Pro-gram, address inquiries to the Director,Technology Utilization Division, NASAScientific and Technical InformationFacility, Post Office Box 8757,Baltimore/Washington InternationalAirport, Maryland 21240.

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Field Center Technology UtilizationOfficers: manage center participationin regional technology utilizationactivities.

Industrial Applications Centers: pro-vide information re..-ieval servicesand assistance in applying technicalinformation relevant to user needs.

The Computer Software Manage-ment and Information Cc 'lter(COSMIC): offers government-developed computer programs adapt-able to secondary use.

Application Team: works with publicagencies and private institutions inapplying aerospace technology tosolution of public sector problems.

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FIELD CENTERS

Ames Research CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationMoffett Field, California 94035Technology Utilization Officer:

Laurence A. Mi lovPhone: (415) 694-5761

Goddard Space Flight CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationGreenbelt, Maryland 20771Technology Utilization Officer:

Donald S. FriedmanPhone: (301) 286.6242

Lyndon B. Johnson Space CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationHouston, Texas 77058Technology Utilization Officer:

William ChmylakPhone: (713) 4833809

John i Kennedy Space CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationKennedy Space Center, Florida 32899Technology Utilization Officer:

Thomas M. HammondPhone: (305) 8673017

Langley Research CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationHampton, Virginia 23665Technology Utilization and Applications

Officer: John SamosPhone: (804) 865-3281

Lewis Research CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

Administration21000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, Ohio 44135Technology Utilization Officer:

Daniel G. SoltisPhone: (216) 433.5667

George C. Marshall Space Flight CenterNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationMarshall Space Flight Center, Alabama

35812

Director, Technology Utilization Office:Ismail Akbay

Phone: (205) 544-2223

Jet Propulsion Laboratory4800 Oak Grove DrivePasadena, California 91009Technology Utilization Officer:

Norman L. ChalfinPhone: (818) 354-2240

NASA Resident OfficeJPL4800 Oak Grove DrivePasadena, California 91109Technology Utilization Officer:

Gordon S. ChapmanPhone: (213) 354.4849

National Space Technology LaboratoriesNational Aeronautics and Space

AdministrationNSTL, Mississippi 39529Technology Utilization Officer:

Robert M. BarlowPhone: (601) 688.1929

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION CENTERS

Aerospace Research Applications Center611 N. Capitol AvenueIndianapolis, Indiana 46204E T. Janis, Ph.D., directorPhone: (317) 262-5003

Kerr Industrial Applications CenterSoutheastern Oklahoma State UniversityDurant, Oklahoma 747017bm J. McRorex Ph.D., directorPhone: (405) 924.6822

NASA Industrial Applications Center823 William Pitt UnionPittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260Paul A. McWilliams, Ph.D.,executive directorPhone: (412) 624-5211

NASA Industrial Applications CenterResearch Annex, Room 200University of Southern California3716 South Hope StreetLos Angeles, California 90007Robert Mixer, Ph.D., directorPhone: (213) 743.8988

New England Research Applications CenterMansfield Professional ParkStorrs, Connecticut 06268Daniel Wilde, Ph.D., directorPhone: (203) 429.3000

North Carolina Science andTechnology Research Center

Post Office Box 12235Research Triangle Park,North Carolina 27709James E. Vann, Ph.D., directorPhone: (919) 549.0671

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Technology Applications CenterUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87131Stanley A. Morain, PhD., directorPhone: (505) 277-3622

Southern Technology Applications Center307 Well hallUniversity of FloridaGainesville, Florida 32611J. Ronald 'Thornton, directorPhone: (904) 392.6760

NASA/UK Technology Applications Program109 Kinkead flailUniversity of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky 40506Wiliam R. Strong, managerPhone: (606) 257.6322

COMPUTER SOFTIMRE MANAGEMENTAND INFORMATION CENTER

COSMIC

Computer Services AnnexUniversity fl GeorgiaAthens, Georgia 30602John A. Gibson, directorPhone: (404) 542-3265

APPLICATION TEAM

Research Triangle InstitutePost Office Box 12194

Research Triangle Park,

North Carolina 27709Doris Rouse, PhD., directorPhone: (919) 541-6980

COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS

Headquarters, National Aeronauticsand Space Administration

Office of Commercial ProgramsCommercial Programs DivisionWashington, D.C. 20546Gary E. Krieg directorPhone: (202) 453.8430

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SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICALINFORMATION FACILITY

Centralized Technical Services GroupNASA Scientific and TechnicalInformation FacilityP.O. Box 8757

BW1 Airport, Maryland 21240Walter Ileiland, managerTechnology Utilization Office

Phone: (301) 859-5300, extension 242

_ o;.,