Patents Assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Patent number: 10490550
    Abstract: A process of fabrication and the resulting microelectronic device that realizes metal features with larger lateral areas to maintain damage-free integrity over larger temperature ranges. The process and device enable the realization of highly durable extreme-environment microelectronic integrated circuits with increased functional capability, including realization of larger-area on-chip integrated metal-insulator-metal capacitor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: David J. Spry, Philip G. Neudeck
  • Patent number: 10461621
    Abstract: An electro hydrodynamic pump apparatus includes a cartridge body member that includes an interior cavity portion and openings on either end of the cartridge body member. A first electrode member is disposed within the interior cavity portion of the cartridge body member. The first electrode member includes a conductive bar member which has a plurality of spaced apart elements extending therefrom. A second electrode member is also disposed within the interior cavity portion of the cartridge body member. The second electrode member also includes a conductive bar with a plurality of spaced apart elements extending therefrom. The elements of the first electrode member are configure to be interspersed with the elements of the second electrode member when the first electrode member and the second electrode member are disposed within the interior cavity portion of the cartridge body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Matthew T. Showalter, Jeffrey R. Didion, Mario S. Martins, Franklin L. Robinson
  • Patent number: 10460714
    Abstract: Broadband acoustic absorbers may be capable providing good absorption performance between 0 and 3,000 Hz, and particularly below 1,000 Hz. Reeds may be incorporated in a single layer, multiple layers, or bundles. Such broadband acoustic absorbers may be applied for acoustic absorption in aircraft, spacecraft, residential and commercial buildings, vehicles, industrial environments, wind tunnels, or any other suitable environment or application where noise reduction is desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Lisa Danielle Koch, Michael G. Jones, Peter J. Bonacuse, Christopher J. Miller, J. Chris Johnston, Maria A. Kuczmarski
  • Patent number: 10449804
    Abstract: A tire includes a plurality of SMA springs. Each SMA spring includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each SMA spring is interlaced with at least one other SMA spring thereby forming a laced toroidal structure extending about an entire circumference of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Santo A. Padula, II, James Benzing, Vivake M. Asnani
  • Patent number: 10450080
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system for an aircraft is provided that includes a turbine engine, a first electric machine assembly connected to the turbine engine, a second electric machine assembly driven by the first electric machine assembly, and multiple third electric machine assemblies driven by the first electric machine assembly, wherein the multiple third electric machines provide a thrust output to propel the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Raymond F. Beach
  • Patent number: 10446920
    Abstract: Systems and methods for lightweight, customizable antenna with improved performance and mechanical properties are disclosed. In some aspects, aerogels can be used, for example, as a substrate for antenna fabrication. The reduced weight and expense, as well as the increased ability to adapt antenna designs, permits a systems to mitigate a variety of burdens associated with antennas while providing added benefits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Mary Ann B. Meador, Felix A. Miranda, Frederick W. Van Keuls
  • Patent number: 10444180
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte-based sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes a conductive polymer electrolyte film including water-retaining components. The water-retaining components facilitate operational conductivity of the conductive polymer electrolyte film in lower humidity environments than would be possible without the water-retaining components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Gary W Hunter, Jennifer C Xu, Chung-Chiun Liu
  • Patent number: 10433308
    Abstract: A sensor network may be configured to operate in extreme temperature environments. A sensor may be configured to generate a frequency carrier, and transmit the frequency carrier to a node. The node may be configured to amplitude modulate the frequency carrier, and transmit the amplitude modulated frequency carrier to a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Michael J. Krasowski
  • Patent number: 10427461
    Abstract: A tire having a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) radial stiffening elements including a first end portion, a second end portion, and an arching middle portion. Each SMA radial element is secured to the rim of a wheel to form arching elements extending about an entire circumference of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Santo A. Padula, II, James Benzing, Colln M. Creager
  • Patent number: 10429521
    Abstract: A small, low power, solid state particle counter may be configured to detect radiation. A scintillator may be doped to emit light in a predetermined energy range when impacted by radiation particles. A photodiode attached to or held against the scintillator may be configured to detect the emitted light in the predetermined energy range and output a current proportional to an amount of the emitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Susan Y. Wrbanek, John D. Wrbanek, Gustave C. Fralick
  • Patent number: 10414485
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved propeller blade design by modifying a classic propeller blade design by changing the twist distribution across the propeller blade(s). This is accomplished by increasing the twist of each propeller blade on the inboard portion of the blade compared to a classic propeller design. At a break point, the twist provided across the propeller blade from the break point to the tip of the blade decreases so that the attack angle at the tip of the propeller blade is less than that of a classic propeller blade design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Albion H Bowers
  • Patent number: 10396709
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus that includes an oscillator, a ramp generator, and an inverter. The apparatus includes an oscillator, an inverter, and a ramp generator. The oscillator is configured to generate a waveform comprising a low time and a high time. The inverter is configured to receive the waveform generated by the oscillator, and invert the waveform. The ramp generator configured to increase a gate control voltage of a transistor connected to a solar cell, and rapidly decrease the gate control voltage of the transistor. During the low time of the waveform, a measurement of a current and a voltage of the solar cell is performed as the current and voltage of the solar cell are transmitted through a first channel and to a second channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael J. Krasowski, Norman F. Prokop
  • Patent number: 10378521
    Abstract: A microthruster system may include a substrate and a source film. The substrate may include a plurality of emitter tips, and a source film deposited on the substrate. The source film may include silver. The microthruster system may also include a solid electrolyte film, which may include chalcogenide film, deposited over the source film. The solid electrolyte film may cause ions of the source film to move to the plurality of emitter tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: William C West
  • Patent number: 10381455
    Abstract: A diffusion barrier system may prevent migration of gold, oxygen, or both on a plurality of ohmic contacts. The diffusion barrier system may include a first barrier system or a second barrier system. Each barrier system may include a first metallization layer, a second metallization layer, and a third metallization layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Robert Okojie
  • Patent number: 10378986
    Abstract: Pressure sensors are disclosed that may perform health monitoring in-situ in harsh operating environments. The pressure sensors may be based on a Clapp-type oscillator that includes one or more resistors, one or more inductors, capacitors, a sensor, and a transistor. Such pressure sensors may be particularly well-suited various applications, such as gas turbine engines, oil and gas extraction, vehicle engines, and exhaust monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Maximilian C. Scardelletti
  • Patent number: 10371579
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a blackbody calibration target having a textured silicon substrate comprising a base comprising a plurality of needle like structures extending away from the base and having a total emissivity of greater than 99.5% from an electromagnetic radiation source having a wavelength greater than or equal to about 400 nanometers and less than or equal to about 1 mm. The disclosure is further directed to a blackbody calibration target system, and instrument which includes the blackbody calibration target, and a method of calibrating an instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William R. Johnson, Karl Y. Yee, Simon J. Hook
  • Patent number: 10364483
    Abstract: One or more substitutional elements may be used to reduce the solution treatment temperature and required quench rates for hardening of 60-NITINOL. The advantages of modified NITINOL include that less energy is consumed during the heat treatment process, the material is subjected to less thermal distortion, and less machining is required. Modified NITINOL may have adequate hardness for bearing applications and may display highly elastic behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Malcolm K. Stanford, Ronald D. Noebe, Christopher DellaCorte, Glen Bigelow, Fransua Thomas
  • Patent number: 10358539
    Abstract: An aerogel and process of making the aerogel is provided. The aerogel is a polyimide aerogel having polyamide cross-links formed using a triacid chloride cross-linker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Mary Ann B. Meador
  • Patent number: 10343131
    Abstract: Aerogels, aerogel composites and methods of making the same are discussed. One example method can include the act of creating a Boehmite colloid and adding a hydrolyzed silicon precursor to form a sol. A reinforcement can be infused with the sol, gelled to form a gel, then dried to form an aerogel composite. Such a method can also include the acts of performing one or more solvent exchanges and subjecting the gel composite to supercritical drying. Additionally, such a method can include the act of heat treating the aerogel composite. The aerogel composite can be used in high temperature, flexible seals capable of withstanding temperatures, pressures, and compression levels associated with aerodynamic heating generated during flight and in aerospace applications. The aeorogel composite also can be used in thermal protection systems designed for fire protection for structures or in personnel fire protective equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Frances I. Hurwitz, Haiquan Guo
  • Patent number: 10339114
    Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable storage devices for providing an interface for an analytic service for Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) datasets. An example system for providing the service includes a data analytics platform of an assemblage of compute and storage nodes that provide a compute-storage fabric upon which high-performance parallel operations are performed over a collection of climate data stored in a distributed file system, a sequencer that transforms the climate data, a desequencer that transforms serialized block compressed sequence files between data formats. The system includes a services library of applications that dynamically create data objects from the data as reduced final results, and a utilities library of software applications that process flat serialized block compressed sequence files. The system also includes a service interface through which a client device can access the climate data via the data analytics platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: John L. Schnase, Daniel Q. Duffy, Glenn S. Tamkin, Mark McInerney, Denis Nadeau, John H. Thompson, Scott Sinno, Savannah L. Strong