JULY 2004

SPACE ACT AWARDS .................. 3Six Glenn-developed technologiesreceive Space Act Awards

TECHNOLOGY UP CLOSE ......... 5Thousands visit Glenn and learnabout NASA technology duringopen house and showcase events

NOVEL SUPERSONIC INLET ...... 12Inlets for propulsion systems topower air transport vehicles

Volume 6 Issue 7 July 2004

Glenn repeats revolutionary award performance

CScales named director of Operations harles Scales, who previously served as director of the Equal Opportunity Office atNASA Marshall, has been named director of Glenn's newly formed Center OperationsDirectorate, Code C.

As head of the directorate, Scales oversees the Office of Human Resources andWorkforce Planning, the Security Management and SafeguardsOffice, the Logistics and Technical Information Division, and theProcurement Division.

"It is an honor to join the dedicated team of professionals inCenter Operations as we support Glenn in continuing itslong tradition of expanding horizons and opening frontiers,"Scales said.

Scales began his NASA career in 1973 as a cooperative educationstudent at Marshall. Since then he has held a variety of manage-ment positions, including chief, Program Controls Facilities

Office; chief, Resources Management Branch, Information Systems Office; director,Plans and Analysis Office; and director, Business Management Office, Institutionaland Program Support Directorate.

Recognized for his outstanding leadership in the workplace and community,Scales has earned numerous honors and awards, including NASA's ExceptionalService Medal, Space Flight Leadership, and Silver Snoopy. ◆

Scales

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lenn repeated last year's outstandingperformance by garnering six TurningGoals Into Reality awards for technolo-gies to enable revolutionary capabilitiesin aeronautics, space transportation,and scientific exploration. The awards,sponsored by the NASA Office ofAerospace Technology (OAT), will bepresented during a July 14 ceremony inWashington, DC.

Research on the following award-winning technologies was managed atGlenn, with participation from otherNASA centers, industry, and academia.An overview of the technology is listedunder strategic themes and objectives.

Aeronautics Technology—Aviation Safety: Jet EngineContainment Concepts andBlade-Out Simulation TeamOne of the most complex, chal-lenging, and risky componentdesign and certification require-ment for commercial jet enginesis the "blade-out" rotor failure,which can result in catastrophiclosses. A Glenn-led team of in-dustry, university, and FederalAviation Administration (FAA)researchers developed break-through technology to improve

The Advanced Computational ConceptsLaboratory (ACCL) 128 node distributedcluster provided the computational powerfor the Ground-Truthing experiments.ACCL built the Information Power Gridcomputational resource to provide nearsuper-computing performance at a fractionof the price of traditional super computers.Pictured are Fran Lawas-Grodek (7160) andIsaac Lopez (0300/2900).

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Glenn merits six TGIR awards

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A s the 35th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission ap-proaches and the Cassini mission nears its destination,Glenn (Lewis) scientists, engineers, and technicians arereflecting with pride on their support of these missions.This Center's contributions to Apollo are prominentlyrecorded in NASA history. Former Center Director Dr.Abe Silverstein named the program and chaired the com-mittee to determine the launch vehicles that would beused. Not least, Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong,the first human to land and step onto the surface of theMoon, began his NACA and NASA career here.

The Center's pioneering research in liquid hydrogen and oxygen rocket fuels underSilverstein's leadership was applied to Saturn rockets used to launch Apollo missions

and the development of RL–10engines, which powered the upperstage of the famous Centaur.

Many years later, on October 15, 1997,the heaviest and most complex space-craft ever to be launched on an inter-planetary mission was set on course bya Titan IV-Centaur launch vehicle.

Apollo mission celebrates 35th;Cassini to reach Saturn

prediction rates for complex engine-airframe structural systems dynamicsand major improvement in fan bladecontainment capacity. Prediction ofengine blade-out has been improved by50 percent with a design cycle timereduction of 25 percent, a 30-percentimprovement in fan blade containmentcapacity, and 50-percent containmentsystem weight reduction.

Aeronautics Technology—Protect theEnvironment: Coated Ceramic MatrixComposite Components TeamThe future of gas turbine engines lies insuccessfully introducing high-tempera-ture, lightweight components that requirelittle or no cooling to improve perfor-mance. A new ceramic matrix composite(CMC) system developed under NASA'sUltra-Efficient Engine Technology Pro-gram demonstrated a 500º F increase inthermal capability of gas turbine hotsections over current superalloy andmetallic components, enabling significantreduction in emissions and fuel savings.

Space Launch Initiative—Mission Safetyand Reliability: Cooled Ceramic MatrixComposite Propulsion Structures TeamUnder NASA's Next Generation LaunchTechnology Program, development ofactively cooled carbon and CMC struc-tures led to demonstration of the world'slargest (6 X 30 inches) cooled nonmetal-lic com- posite panel for a scramjet en-gine test. Lightweight, high-temperature,actively cooled structures are a keytechnology to low cost access to space.Projected weight savings from utilizingCMC structures in hypersonic systemsis upwards of 50 percent, which trans-lates into increased payload and/orrange capability.

Mission and Science MeasurementTechnology—Science and Engineering-Driven Architectures and Technology:Ground Truthing TeamNASA's capacity to extend powerful com-puting resources to remote locationswill greatly impact the future of spaceexploration. Glenn scientists designed,performed, and analyzed a "groundtruthing" experiment to demonstrate

a new data verification method. Thenew method analyzes and reduces inreal time a combination of satelliteimagery and ground measurementsusing distributed computing resourcesto aid decisionmaking of robots or astro-nauts during planetary missions.

Innovative Technology Transfer Partner-ship—Extending Benefits to Society:Hybrid Ice Protection System TeamThe collaborative effort of a Governmentand industry team to create a new form ofaircraft icing protection resulted in thefirst deicing system to be FAA-certifiedin over 40 years. The hybrid systemmakes optimal use of the lower levelsof power available from modern highefficiency engines. The system requiresonly one-quarter of the power that anevaporative electrothermal system usesby combining a thermal anti-icing system

with a mechanical deicing system.An R&D 100 award winner in 2003, thissystem is now manufactured by Cox &Company, Inc., New York, NY. It isin production for use on the horizontaltail of Raytheon Aircraft's new Premier Ibusiness jet.

Enterprise Education and Outreach—Inspire Students, Engage Public:NASA Glenn Education and OutreachInitiatives TeamSeveral Glenn organizations have madeinnovative use of their means by poolingtheir resources together. Glenn's Educa-tion and Outreach Initiatives Team(Educational Programs Office, LearningTechnologies Project, and Ultra-EfficientEngine Technology Project) has partici-pated in a bevy of national and inter-national events, sustained successfulexternal partnerships, and createda broad repertoire of high-qualityeducational and outreach productsto inspire and motivate students topursue careers in science, technology,engineering, and mathematics. ◆

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Glenn garners six more Space Act AwardsS

Dr. Mark McDowell, right, is pictured with hisSIV technology, which fits into a cabinet for easyaccess. The PCS experiment, as integrated on ISS,is pictured below.

ix Glenn-developed technologies wereselected to receive 2004 NASA SpaceAct Awards by the NASA Inventions andContributions Board (ICB). Space ActAwards are monetary awards for out-standing scientific or technical contribu-tions sponsored, adopted, supported,or used by NASA that are significant toaeronautics and space activities.

Individual scientists, engineers, and con-tractors at NASA can receive a personalaward up to $100,000 based on thevalue of the invention in terms of savingsto the government. The ICB also honorscontributors with initial awards forinnovations reported in NASA TechBriefs, software released by NASA toqualified users, or a NASA-approvedpatent application.

DMBZ–15 is a new thermosettingpolyimide resin developed to extend thehigh temperature capability of aircraftengine components such as bushings,missiles, propulsion systems and air framestructures in space transportation.DMBZ15 was jointly developed byGlenn's Dr. Chun-Hua (Kathy) Chuang(5150) and Ray Vannucci (retired),with Dr. Robert Gray and Eric Collins ofMaverick Corporation of Blue Ash, OH.

The fault-tolerant, high-temperature, high-load radial magnetic bearing that incor-porates such innovative features as amodular C-core stator construction, opti-mized rotor/lamination assembly, andnew coil winding capable of withstandinga static 1000-lb force at 25,000 rpm orwhile operating in a fault-tolerant modeat 1000ºF has been parlayed intotwo new patents. The award-winningtechnology was developed by a Struc-tures and Acoustics Division teamincluding Andrew Provenza, the ArmyOffice's Gerald Montague and AlbertKascak; the University of Toledo's MarkJansen, and Ralph Jansen; NASA retireeBen Ebihara; and Texas A&M University'sDr. Alan Palazzolo.

Lithium batteries have the highest powerdensity of any commercially available bat-tery, but are expensive to produce be-cause of their complex assembly and theliquid electrolyte technology. Glenn sci-entists Dr. Mary Ann Meador and Dr.James Kinder, Materials Division, devel-oped a new rod-coiled block polymerthat combines mechanical strength

needed to keep the anode and cathodeseparate with ionic conductivity, an orderof magnitude better then the state-of-the-art polymer electrolyte, all in one flexiblefilm. Use of this new polymer could sim-plify construction and consequently re-duce the cost of lithium batteries, whileenabling thinner, more flexible designs.

The Physics of Colloids in Space (PCS) isa rack-based microgravity experiment forEXPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Ex-periments to Space Station) that was per-formed on the International Space Sta-tion (ISS) from June 2001 to February2002. The PCS experiment gathered dataon the physical properties of colloids—very small particles about one-hundredththe thickness of a human hair—suspendedin a liquid or gas. Its significance lies indiscovering the collective phase behaviorof complex fluids and adding to the bodyof knowledge to engineer new structuresthat have potential uses in drug delivery,packaging, encapsulation, and fluids andsolids control, as well as establishing areusable ISS payload platform and systemfor colloidal and other complex fluidsresearch for the near future. The PCSwas developed and operated by a Micro-gravity Science Division team includingMichael Doherty and Amy Jankovsky;Zin Technologies' Tibor Lorik, Jeff Eggers,John Bowen, William Shiley, Carol Kurta,Kevin Dendorfer, and Michael Dobbs;and Subramanian Sankaran, NationalCenter for Microgravity Research.

Stereo Imaging Velocimetry (SIV) is athree dimensional, full-field quantitative,and qualitative analysis tool consistingof two cameras oriented at 90º, with

respect to each other, to track the motionof small tracer particles that have beenseeded in a transparent liquid. SIV wasused on three different shuttle experi-ments to track biological cells, to identifyand track bubble nucleation and migra-tion, and to determine the interface shapeof a typical colloid. Industrial applicationsinclude vacuum cleaner flow analysis,surface characterization, and in-line pro-cess inspection. SIV was invented byDr. Mark McDowell, Microgravity Divi-sion, who currently holds two patentsfor SIV technology.

ESCORT-D is a monitoring and recordingsystem designed and developed tosupport experiments tested in Glenn'sLewis Field and Plum Brook test facilities.ESCORT-D is the innovation of a groupof current and since retired employeesfrom Office of the Chief InformationOfficer including Bill Belter, TerrenceFlowers, Joseph Rossoll, Dennis Kay,Gayle Roth, Jerri Vokac, with retireesRobert Kannenberg, Sue Button, LeslieKee, Walter Ponezacs, Robert Setter,and June Thompson (GSP).

Three of these recent Space Act Awardshave also been recognized for otherprestigious honors. DMBZ–15 and radialmagnetic bearings earned an R&D 100award while the SIV earned a nominationfor the 2004 NASA Government Inven-tion of the Year.

Glenn innovators interested in applyingfor a Space Act Award should completeNASA Form 1329 and submit it to LaurelStauber, Technology Transfer and Part-nership Office. ◆

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Q: Has NASA considered implementing 360-degree-feedbackfor supervisors in management positions? This is a surveythat allows employees to evaluate their direct supervisors.The supervisors have access to their survey results and canuse their subordinates' anonymous comments, ratings, andideas to improve the way they manage people.

LESA MEETING: LESA/IFPTE, Local 28,will hold its next monthly membershipmeeting on Wednesday, July 14, at noonin the Employee Center, room 101.

MAMMOGRAPHY 2004: The 2004Corporate Mammography Program isbeing offered at the following locationsand dates: (1) Women's Diagnostic Clinicon Lorain Ave. Registration is fromJuly 1 to December 31. Screening is alsofrom July 1 to December 31. Fee is $90.(2) Women's Diagnostic Center atSeverance Center. Registration is fromAugust 1 to December 31. Screening isfrom October 1 to December 31. Feeis $85. (3) Cleveland Clinic at satellitelocations. (ALL participants through the

Cleveland Clinic MUST have a pre-scription order from their primary carephysician for a mammogram screening.This applies to the Cleveland Cliniconly!) Dates for registration, from July 1to October 1, and screening fromOctober 1 to December 31, will not beextended. Fee is $125. Computer- aideddetection interpretation is an additional$31, to be paid by the participant.

SATURDAY VISITOR CENTER EVENT:Glenn's Visitor Center July 17 specialevent will feature two presentations inthe auditorium. At 11 a.m., GeologistMike Blair will present "Lord of TheRings," a talk about the composition ofSaturn and its rings. At 1 p.m. Blair will

present "Amazing Saturn," which focuseson the Cassini mission. Registrationfor both programs is required by calling216–433–9653. This event will alsofeature hands-on children's activitiesand free photo souvenirs.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIER: The PlumBrook Reactor documentary premier willbe Wednesday, July 14, from 7 to 9 p.m.at the Sandusky State Theatre, 107Columbus Ave., Sandusky,OH. FREE.

R&T REPORT: The 2003 "Research &Technology (R&T) Report" selectivelysummarizes Glenn's research andtechnology accomplishments. It is nowavailable in hard copy and on-line athttp://www. grc.nasa.gov/WWW/RT/.

• Don't forget before summer isover to stop by the Exchange Storeto purchase Cedar Point AmusementPark tickets for the 2004 season.

• Stay tuned to Today@Glenn fordetails on summer specials at theExchange Store and cafeterias.

Exchange Corner

A. (Posted 6/1/04) Thank you for your question suggesting NASA implement 360-degree-feedback for supervisor and management positions. As a result of the findingsof the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) and the Safety and MissionSuccess (SMS) week feedback from across the Agency, the Administrator engagedBehavioral Science Technology, Inc., a safety consulting firm, to help effect a culturalchange concerning NASA's leadership and management behavior. Specific focus isbeing placed on engendering a fear-free environment for employees to openlycommunicate safety issues, and on improving managers demonstration of leadershipand support of the workforce. As part of the overall cultural change effort, BST isfacilitating 360 degree-feedback input for the Agency's leaders and managers. Theprocess is beginning with the Administrator, the Deputy Administrator, and theAssociate Administrators being the first to undergo a 360-degree evaluation, andsubsequently be professionally coached to achieve improvements based on the inputsto their evaluation. Here at GRC, within the next 2 weeks, 12 organizational leaders andproject managers, including myself, will be the first to participate in the 360-degree-feedback and coaching initiative. Also, initially participating will be the Deputy and

Associate Director, six directors of, andthree project managers. As the processevolves over the summer, all the Center'ssupervisors and managers will be parti-cipating in the 360-degree-feedback pro-gram, as you suggested. ◆

The above question was chosen by theDirector as a sampling from the Ask theDirector Web site. The entire column fromthe Ask the Director Web site can beviewed under Corporate Focus on Glenn'sinternal homepage (WING).

Savings Bond Drive KickoffMark your calendar for August 13 to attend Glenn's

Savings Bond Drive Kickoff in the Administration Building Auditorium.This annual event offers food, fun, and prizes!

JULY 2004

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ver 35,000 visitors of all ages came for a glimpse of what lies behind the gates of NASAGlenn during an open house, held June 12 and 13 as part of the Journey to Tomorrowcelebration. Enthusiastic Glenn staff guided the public through world-class facilities, and"wowed 'em" with the technologies behind some of the Nation's greatest innovations. Morethan 600 Glenn employees and their families came to NASA Night at Jacobs Field on June10 to root for the Cleveland Indians after Administrator Sean O'Keefe tossed the ceremonialfirst pitch. On June 14, the Technology Showcase explored opportunities to build relation-ships and contracting partnerships among 430 registered attendees from business, industry,and academia.

"Words cannot adequately express my pride in being part of the NASA Glenn team. Journeyto Tomorrow was exactly what we needed to share our workand accomplishments with the public and to reaffirm who weare and where we are going as a Center," said Center DirectorDr. Julian Earls. "The reactions and comments from the visitorswere inspirational. I thank all who worked so hard to achieveour goals. You bring a new dimension to one of our values,'our NASA Family.'"

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(1) A young visitor shakes hands with a virtualastronaut. (2) NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefethrows out the first pitch at Jacobs Field at thegame between the Cleveland Indians and theFlorida Marlins. Prior to the game, the CommunitySupport Committee, who raised $100,000 in cashand in-kind services for Journey to Tomorrow,hosted a dinner for O'Keefe and local dignitariesat the Terrace Club. (3) Larry Oberle (5520)describes optical diagnostic technology to aTechnology Showcase attendee. (4) The NASA JamBand, comprising past and current employees,provided musical entertainment on Sunday.(5) Thousands stopped by the Visitor Center toenjoy exhibits and speakers.

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(1) Center Director Dr. Julian Earls and the Cleveland Indians' mascot,Slider, enjoy NASA Night at Jacobs Field. (2) Matthew Smith (5960) utilizesthe Water Bearing Rig to teach visitors about oil-free turbomachinery. (3)Aviation enthusiasts get an upclose look at Glenn's S–3 Viking (pictured),Learjet 25, and Twin Otter; NASA Johnson's T–38 (which was flown in byAstronaut Mike Foreman); and the EGC/Northcoast Baron 789 CB, a flight testaircraft with the thermawing de-ice system developed under the Glenn SmallBusiness Innovation Research Program. (4) Lisa VanDerAar (7140) explainsembedded Web technology. (5) Displays and interactive booths in Glenn'sHangar, one of six facilities open to the public, highlights the Center's diversetechnology. (6) Crowds of all ages view a robotics demonstration at the FIRST(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Program display.

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"I can't believe this is free!"—John Cranston, Cleveland

"I signed up for the TechnologyShowcase. . . but I brought mydaughter, Sarah, to the openhouse for her to see more ofwhat NASA is all about."—Frank Popiel, Columbia Station

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"Journey to Tomorrow was truly ateam effort. Glenn employeeswent above and beyond thecall of duty to make this eventinformative and fun!"—DavidDeFelice, Journey to Tomorrowproject manager

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"I haven't been back since I was a CubScout and now I'm 41. It's been great."—Dale Kostura, Valley View

"We were impressed with the activities forchildren. . . things they could really get theirhands on."—The Amantea Family, Brook Park

(5) Eric McFarland (5810) helps guests build poprockets. (6) A coloring activity enables children todemonstrate their creativity. (7) Astronaut DonaldThomas, a Cleveland Heights native, shares hisexperiences in space and signs autographs in theVisitor Center. (Astronaut Mike Foreman alsoattended the open house and signed autographs.)(8) Tim Dedula (9200) helps future flyers recreatethe Wright Brothers first flight in this replica of the hipcradle used by the Wright Brothers' to control thefirst airplane.

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(1) Deputy Director Rich Christiansen,right, and Rick Gilmore (IDI/9200) discussGlenn's research and mission during one ofsix live NASA TV broadcasts and Web castsin the Visitor Center. (2) Nancy Rabel Hall(6712) replays a drop using the wirelessMicrogravity Demonstrator while (3) acrowd of visitors gather in the Zero-GravityResearch Facility. (4) Roger Chamberlin(7620) briefs visitors on research performedin the Propulsion Systems Laboratory.

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"We're amazed atthe amount ofproducts that filterto the public as aresult of importantwork done atNASA." —Georgeand Robin Gardner,Bryan

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ore than 400 leaders and technologists from businessesof all sizes, administrators and researchers from academia,and entrepreneurs attended Glenn's Technology Showcase.Rescheduled from Friday, June 11, to Monday, June 14,in respectful observance of President Ronald Reagan'sfuneral, the event showcased NASA Glenn technology andpartnering opportunities. One hundred employees staffedthe event.

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"It was encouraging to see that 'entrepreneurship' is alive and wellin Ohio and that NASA Glenn is helping support it."—Paul Fisher, C3

(1) NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (via satellite) joins CenterDirector Dr. Julian Earls, standing, in welcoming participants to theTechnology Showcase. Seated, left to right, are Colonel Michael Heil,director, Air Force Research; State Senator Robert Spada; and JohnHairston, director, Glenn's External Programs Directorate. (2) LindseyFlash (7180) explains the Regenerative Fuel Cell and LabVIEWdemonstration. (3) One-on-one sessions link Glenn scientists andengineers with participants. (4) Patrick Valente, deputy director,Technology Division, Ohio Department of Development, provides anupdate on Ohio's Third Frontier Program during a breakout session.(5) Henry Speier (7420) explains thruster technology in the ElectricPropulsion Laboratory. (6) Astronaut Carl Walz, manager of NASA'sMulti-Mission Nuclear Power and Propulsion Technology, shares anoverview of Project Prometheus.

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"I learned something in theThird Frontier breakout thatwas a real eye-opener and worththe 'price of admission,'"—CarolCash, GE Aircraft Engines

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"The overwhelming response of the attendees I spoketo was positive. They were glad they had attendedthe event, and they said they had learned a greatdeal."—Kathy Needham, co-program chair,Technology Showcase

"I'm looking forward to futureevents."—J. Collura, John CarrollUniversity

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Vision supported

Stepping out

Centaur celebrated

Senators in Ohio's 125th General Assembly passed unanimously a concurrent resolutionencouraging the U.S. Congress to support and fully fund NASA's Vision for SpaceExploration Program. State Senator Robert F. Spada from the 24th District, along withState Representative Thomas Patton of the 18th District, sponsored the resolution andinvited NASA Glenn to Columbus, Ohio's Capitol, to offer proponent testimony aboutits role in expanding America's exploration boundaries from the 13 original states to thelunar surface. They also praised Glenn for igniting the interest of American students inscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Director of External ProgramsJohn Hairston provided expert testimony.

On May 19th, 140 Glenn employeesparticipated in the annual Step Outsponsored by Singleton Health Services.This event, in honor of NationalEmployee Health and Fitness Day,features a 1.4-mile walk, door prizes,and blood pressure screenings.

CONCURRENTRESOLUTION

To encourage the UnitedStates and Congress to

support and fully fund theNational Aeronautics and

Space Administration'sVision for Space Explora-

tion Program.

Current and former Center employees who worked on the Centaur filled theDEB Auditorium on June 9 for a special ceremony celebrating the release ofthe book Taming Liquid Hydrogen: the Centaur Upper Stage Rocket 1958—2002. Locally authored by Dr. Virginia Dawson and Dr. Mark Bowles, thishistory publication focuses on the technical and political hurdles that Centaurfaced over the three decades that it was managed by NASA Glenn (Lewis).In welcoming remarks, Center Director Dr. Julian Earls applauded theemployees for their outstanding teamwork while former Center DirectorAndy Stofan highlighted some of the talented people and milestonesachieved during his 16 years on the Centaur project. Dawson and Bowlesacknowledged the dozens of interviewees and others who helped shapethe book before graciously accepting the American Institute of Aeronauticsand Astronautics (AIAA) 2004 History Manuscript Award presented byAIAA's Dr. John Blanton, Region III director, and Christopher Pestak, deputydirector. Pictured, seated, is Bowles and Dawson at the book signing.

Administrator Sean O'Keefe joined adistinguished group of speakers, includingBryan O'Connor, associate administrator,Code Q, during the Seventh AnnualAssurance Technology Symposium fromJune 8 to 11, at OAI. Major Gen. John L.Berry, vice president of SAP Labs, Inc., andexecutive director of the Columbia AccidentInvestigation Board, provided the keynoteaddress. Hosted by Glenn and sponsoredby the NASA Office of Safety and MissionAssurance (SMA), the symposium pro-vided a forum for technical interchangebetween SMA personnel and otherinterested project personnel. Participantsshared ideas, best practices, and lessonslearned regarding technical advances insafety and assurance technologies, andshowcased technical excellence in thefield among the NASA centers.

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AeroSpace Frontiers is an official publication ofGlenn Research Center, National Aeronauticsand Space Administration. It is published thefirst Friday of each month by the Communityand Media Relations Office in the interest ofthe Glenn workforce, retirees, Governmentofficials, business leaders, and the generalpublic. Its circulation is approximately 6700.

Editor..................................Doreen B. Zudell InDyne, Inc.

Assistant Editor.......................S. Jenise Veris InDyne, Inc.

Managing Editor......................Lori J. Rachul

DEADLINES: News items and briefannouncements for publication in the Augustissue must be received by noon, July 16. Thedeadline for the September issue is noonAugust 13. Submit contributions to theeditor via e-mail, doreen.zudell@grc.nasa.gov,

fax 216–433–8143, phone216–433–5317 or 216–433–2888, or MS 3–11.Ideas for news stories arewelcome but will bepublished as space allows.View us online at http://A e r o S p a c e F r o n t i e r s .grc.nasa.gov.

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Dr. Baaklini

Dr. Isaiah Blankson and Dr. Steven Schneider, Research and Technology Directorate,were issued U.S. patent 6,696,774-B1, entitled "Magnetohydrodyamic Power Extrac-tion and Flow Conditioning in a Gas Flow Turbine." This invention provides a systemfor conditioning flow in a gas flow turbine or turbojet and for achieving powerextraction to increase relative velocity and efficiency of the engine.

Bruce Steinetz and Patrick Dunlap,Mechanical Components Branch, wereissued U.S. patent 6,702,300, entitled"High Temperature Seal for Large Struc-tural Movements." This invention wasoriginally conceived of as a high-temperature seal that could accommo-date large deflections between adjacentlinear aerospike engine ramps on theX–33 vehicle. The seals prevent hot gasesfrom getting behind the ramps and intobackside cavities.

Dr. Robert Okojie, Sensors and Elec-tronics Technology Branch, was issuedU.S. patent 6,706,549, entitled "Multi-functional MicroelectromechanicalDevices and Method of Bulk Manufac-turing Same." This patent describesa method for the simultaneous fabrica-tion of silicon carbide (SiC) micro-electro-mechanical devices that offersa multiuser platform for bulk micro-machining of three-dimensional struc-tures. Individual SiC pressure sensors,accelerometers, and flow sensors canbe simultaneously fabricated on a singleSiC wafer by allocating diespace, whichlowers production costs by eliminatingthe need for individual users to possessand maintain fabrication facilities toproduce devices that have inherentlylow volume demand.

Dr. Blankson

Dr. Okojie

Awards and Honors

Dr. George Baaklini, Dr. Jerry Sawicki(CSU) and Dr. Andrew Gyekenyesi (OAI)of the Optical Instrumentation Technol-ogy Branch received a Best PaperAward from the International Societyfor Optical Engineering at the 9th Interna-tional Symposium on NondestructiveEvaluation for Health Monitoring andDiagnostics. Their paper, entitled"Vibration-Based Crack Diagnosis in Rotating Shafts During Acceleration ThroughResonance," focused on the development of a nonlinear rotor-dynamics model thatwill be used in conjunction with vibration data for in situ health monitoring ofcommercial aviation propulsion systems.

Jane Odom, NASA Headquarters archivist, presented a Certificate of Appreciation toRobert Mate, a Glenn History Office intern from Marquette University, for research heconducted to identify all of the Agency's historic landmarks. Due to Mate's efforts,all NASA facilities previously designated landmarks will finally receive a plaque toprominently display its identification. Mate's final report is serving as a roadmap forcollecting the histories on these landmarks.

Dr. Matt Melis, Structures and Acoustics Division, recently received the Space ShuttleProgram Star Award for his contributions as team lead for Glenn's Ballistic Impacteffort supporting the Columbia Accident Investigation and Return to Flight. Melis wasone of 12 selected from a group of 68 nominees for this significant award.

Patents

Dr. Gyekenyesi

Dr. Sawicki

Dunlap

Dr. Melis

SteinetzDr. Schneider

Mate

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a closer look at our colleagues

Donna Herbster

JULY 2004

John Dunning, Jr., retired on May 31,2004, with 37 years of NASA service.

Robert Smalley, Research Testing Div-ision, retired on May 31, 2004, with 39years of NASA service.

Shirley Joseph, Safety and AssuranceDirectorate, retired on June 3, 2004,with 26 years of NASA service.

Karen Wester, Power and On-BoardPropulsion Division, retired on June 3,2004, with 42 years of NASA service.

Dunning Smalley

Job Assignment: Avionics Lab manager in theMetals Technologies Branch of the EngineeringDevelopment Division

Time at NASA: Too many—27 years

Describe your family: My father is deceased.My family consists of my mother and twobrothers.

Dream job: Full-time licensed minister

Most embarrassing moment: When I was anapprentice and blew out all the fuses in thebuilding with a drill motor.

Hobbies/interests outside of NASA: I enjoy watching science fiction TV andmovies and camping. I have been an auxiliary police officer for Cleveland for 9years, currently holding the title of police auxiliary commander for base A–14.I am pursuing a degree in theology and have currently been "called" to serve asa pulpit supply minister for the United Church of Christ. Pulpit supply ministersfill in for ordained ministers as needed.

Food temptations: Chocolate and cheese

Stress buster: Go camping for a week.

Favorite Web site: The Bible Unbound because it's a quick reference source formy theological studies and for preparing sermons.

John McAulay, 77, who retired in 1982with 34 years of NASA service, recentlydied. He was a project manager for air-breathing engine research and workedon the Centaur.

John Morley, 61, who began hisNASA career in 1963, recently died. Heretired in 1995 as a supervisory voucherexaminer.

George Seikel, 70, who retired in 1981with 25 years of NASA service, recentlydied. He served as chief of the PlasmaPhysics Branch and managed the MHDProject for which he received NASA's

Outstanding Achievement Award. Therecipient of several NASA GroupAcheivement Awards and member ofAIAA, Seikel is listed in Who's Who in theWorld and American Encyclopedia ofScientists and Engineers.

Frederic Stickney, 87, who retired in1976 with 13 years of NASA service,recently died. He was chief ofprocurement.

Contact the AeroSpace Frontiers at216–433–2888 to place an "In Memory"item for a civil servant employee inthe newsletter.

The Glenn launch team managedCassini's launch and monitored its flightthrough Centaur separation. The mission,a collaboration of NASA, the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA), and the Italian SpaceAgency, includes the ESA-built Huygensprobe and 12 scientific experiments.

Cassini is scheduled to reach Saturn thismonth and begin a 4-year orbit of theplanet, after deploying the Huygensprobe. A Glenn-developed 32-GHztraveling wave tube with its power supply(amplifier), called a TWTA, is aboardto help researchers measure distancesmore accurately in space expecially forradio science and gravitational waveexperiments conducted while Cassiniorbits Saturn. The mission, managed byNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, marksthe first time a space probe attemptsto land on the moon of another planet,providing vital data on the Earth-likeatmosphere of Titan to more than 250scientists worldwide.

For more information, visit www. grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/history.html/history.◆

Continued from page 2

Apollo 11; Cassini

12

Volume 6 Issue 7 July 2004

AeroSpace Frontiersis recyclable!

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John H. Glenn Research CenterLewis Field21000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, Ohio 44135

lenn recently completed testingon an advanced high-speed inlet for pro-pulsion systems to power air transportvehicles at supersonic speeds.

"Compared to typical inlets in this oper-ating range, tests showed high pressurerecovery, low cowl drag, reduced com-plexity, increased safety, significant manu-facturing cost reduction and weight, aswell as increased efficiency," said DavidLam, Aeropropulsion Projects Office.

Seeking potential applications tosupersonic cruise vehicles, NASA hasvigorously pursued an alternative topreviously used inlet designs.

Prior to this latest testing, nearly 75 hoursof testing the inlet late last year con-firmed the advantages of the ParametricInlet. Unlike typical inlets for supersoniccruise that rely on a mix of external andinternal compression, this inlet accom-plishes all of the supersonic compressionexternally. Comparable performanceto typical inlets was shown to bepossible, with the added benefits ofrelatively low weight and the elimination

Supersonic inlet tests show promise

GGlenn news release

of unstart, which is a recurring problemin propulsion systems with mixedcompression inlets.

Unstart occurs in mixed compressionsupersonic inlets due to the mismatchbetween the inlet air supply flow andthe engine required flow, resulting inshock waves that are violently expelledfrom the engine. This often results incompressor stall combustor blowoutand large increases in drag, which inturn decreases efficiency. Additionalaircraft structure and larger controlsurfaces are necessary to compensatefor the possibility of inlet unstart.

"NASA's tests of its Parametric Inlethave proven that this type of inlet canoperate safely in the flow regime normallyreserved for mixed compression inlets,"said Dave Davis, Inlet Branch.

Four years ago, Boeing Aircraft, Seattle,WA, and TechLand Research, Inc., NorthOlmsted, OH, which received NASAfunding through NASA's Small BusinessInnovation Research (SBIR) program,jointly conceived conceptual design of

the Parametric Inlet. The inlet came to beknown as the Parametric Inlet due tothe wide range of geometric variablesdesigned into it. After competing thethree phases of the SBIR process indesigning the inlet, Glenn took the leadin refining the aerodynamic lines andmechanical design, with help fromTechLand. NASA's Vehicle SystemsProgram funded testing of the Paramet-ric Inlet. Additional funding for testingwas provided by the U.S. Air Force. ◆

C-2004-378

Pictured is a Parametric Inlet ready fortesting in Glenn's 10-by-10-Foot SupersonicWind Tunnel.