Abstract: Aspects relate to methods of building Z-graded radiation shielding and covers. In one aspect, the method includes: providing a substrate surface having about medium Z-grade; plasma spraying a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface; and infusing a polymer layer to form a laminate. In another aspect, the method includes electro/electroless plating a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface. In other aspects, the invention provides methods of improving an existing electronics enclosure to build a Z-graded radiation shield by applying a temperature controller to at least part of the enclosure and affixing at least one layer of a first metal having higher Z-grade than the enclosure.

Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft having a multi-functional flight control surface. The aircraft has at least one multi-functional flight control surface formed by a sequence of flaps. The shape of each multi-functional flight control surface may be configured by a flight control to simultaneously adjust a trajectory of the aircraft in two or more of a pitch direction, a roll direction, and a yaw direction. The flight control for operating said the multi-functional flight control surface responds to both pilot commands and machine-generated commands. The machine-generated commands configure the shape of the surface of each multi-functional flight control surface in real-time based, at least in part, upon a set of flight objectives comprising: (a) minimizing drag of the aircraft, (b) aeroelastic modal suppression for the aircraft, and (c) maneuver load alleviation in the aircraft.

Abstract: A metal junction thermoelectric device includes at least one thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element has first and second opposite sides, and a first conductor made from a first metal, and a second conductor made from a second metal. The first and second conductors are electrically interconnected in series, and the first and second conductors are arranged to conduct heat in parallel between the first and second sides. The first metal has a first occupancy state, and the second metal has a second occupancy state that is lower than the first occupancy state. A temperature difference between the first and second sides of the thermoelectric element causes a charge potential due to the difference in occupancy states of the first and second metals. The charge potential generates electrical power.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide methods in which a metal matrix composite (MMC) material is incorporated into a metallic structure during a one-step near-net-shape structural forming process. Various embodiments provide in-situ selective reinforcement processes in which the MMC may be pre-placed on a forming tool in locations that correspond to specific regions in the metallic structure. Various embodiment near-net-shape structural forming processes may then be executed and result in various embodiment metallic structural components with selectively-reinforced regions that provide enhanced mechanical properties in key locations.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the flight safety of fixed- and rotary-wing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operating in complex dynamic environments, including urban cityscapes. Sensors and computations are integrated to predict local winds and promote safe operations in dynamic urban regions where GNSS and other network communications may be unavailable. The system can be implemented onboard a UAS and does not require in-flight communication with external networks. Predictions of local winds (speed and direction) are created using inputs from sensors that scan the local environment. These predictions are then used by the UAS guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system to determine safe trajectories for operations in urban environments.

Abstract: A bi-directional damping system generates damping forces in two opposing directions. A shaft has a plurality of bi-directional damping modules fixedly coupled thereto. Each module includes a fluid-filled variable-volume first chamber including at least one port through which fluid can flow based on changes in volume of the first chamber, and a fluid-filled variable-volume second chamber including at least one port through which fluid can flow based on changes in volume of the second chamber. The first chamber and second chamber are fluidically isolated from one another. A fluid-filled spacer chamber is coupled to adjacent ones of the modules. The spacer chamber includes at least one venting port through which fluid can flow based on pressure in the spacer chamber.

Abstract: A radiation shielded vault structure includes a rigid outer structure comprising a plurality of rigid structural components that are interconnected at elongated joints to define an interior space. The structural components include a layer of lower atomic number (Z) material such as aluminum alloy and one or more layers of higher atomic number (Z) material titanium and/or tantalum. The vault structure may include radiation shield members extending along the elongated joints to provide radiation shielding at the elongated joints. The shield members comprise a higher atomic number (Z) material such as titanium or tantalum. The rigid structural components may comprise plate members that are interconnected along side edges thereof. End plates may be attached to the plate members to close off the interior space.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable a Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC) to capture gamma ray photons emitted during a fission process, such as a fission process of Uranium-235 (U-235), and to breed and use a new gamma ray source to increase an overall emission flux of gamma ray photons. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, thereby boosting the output flux of gamma ray photons for use by a NTAC in generating power. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, a NTAC generating avalanche cell power, and a thermoelectric generator generating thermoelectric power.

Abstract: Adaptive wind estimation, trajectory generation, and flight control for aerial systems using motion data is provided. The adaptive wind estimation approach may be implemented using onboard computing power, may rapidly converge to true values, may be computationally inexpensive, and may not require any specific hardware or specific vehicle maneuvers for the convergence. There may be no prior knowledge of the wind field, using the motion of the aircraft itself rather than wind sensors. The algorithm may include three blocks. An identification/estimation block may identify aerodynamic drag coefficients in still-air flight and estimate the wind components in moving and variable air flight. A navigation block may generate feasible trajectories, taking into account the estimated wind field. A control block may generate motor/engine thrust commands necessary to track the generated trajectories while compensating for the wind disturbance.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the real time inspection of additive manufacturing deposits using infrared thermography. Various embodiments may enable the measurement of material properties and the detection of defects during the additive manufacturing process. Various embodiments may enable the characterization of deposition quality, as well as the detection of deposition defects, such as voids, cracks, disbonds, etc., as a structure is manufactured layer by layer in an additive manufacturing process. Various embodiments may enable quantitative inspection images to be archived and associated with the manufactured structure to document the manufactured structure's structural integrity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of reading images using redundant copies and recovery mechanisms to produce valid images, including: reading an OS boot table from a default location in at least one flash memory to at least one DDR SDRAM of a printed circuit board, using at least one processor connected to at least one FPGA; wherein the boot table describes where to find an OS image and a RAM filesystem image in the flash memory; reading a RAM filesystem image from the flash memory into the DDR SDRAM; and validating the boot table and the RAM filesystem image by checking them for corruption using header information and cyclic redundancy check methods; wherein when at least one of the OS image or the RAM filesystem image is corrupt, a valid image can be compiled using valid sections of each of the OS image or the RAM filesystem image.

Abstract: A single-board computer system radiation hardened for space flight includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a top side and bottom side; a reconfigurable field programmable gate array (FPGA) processor device a connector disposed on the top side; a plurality of peripheral components mounted on the bottom side, wherein AC coupling capacitors are configured to select routing between the first FPGA and the second FPGA. An expansion card plug attaches to a connector on the bottom of the PCB and a frame is mounted to the PCB.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate to vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that have the capability of hovering in both a “nose forward” and a “nose up” orientation, and any orientation between those two. The disclosed aircraft can also transition into wing born (non-hovering) flight from any of the hovering orientations. In addition, certain of the disclosed embodiments can, if desired, use only vectored thrust control to maintain stable flight in both hover and forward flight. No control surfaces (e.g. ailerons, elevators, rudders, flaps) are required to maintain a stable vehicle attitude. However, the disclosure contemplates aircraft both with and without such control surfaces.

Abstract: A star scanner is provided that uses miniaturized high-speed electronics and an ultra-compact freeform optical design. The star scanner reduces instrument volume, reduces power consumption, and reduces costs, relative to existing star scanners. The optics can be used with a credit card-like footprint, electronics sensor board with optimally packed electronics.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system and method for performing time of flight estimation of a laser pulse using a LiDAR signal processing. A plurality of digital waveforms are correlated to a transmitted pulse for time of flight estimation. Each of the plurality of digital waveforms can be correlated independently by a corresponding correlator in a plurality of correlators working in parallel. Each of the correlators can include signal processing modules for time of flight estimation including an interpolating filters and peak detect modules.

Abstract: Processes for fabricating structured, relatively large area, ultra-thin polymer films are disclosed. For instance, such a process may include spinning a thermoplastic polymer film onto an etched wafer that serves as a mold for the thermoplastic polymer film, baking the thermoplastic polymer film on a hotplate at a curing temperature, delaminating the thermoplastic polymer film in water, and peeling the thermoplastic polymer film from the etched wafer, producing a structured thermoplastic polymer film that has structures corresponding to areas where the wafer has been etched.

Abstract: Wing structure that includes slat-cove fillers configured to reduce leading-edge slat noise on aircraft, such as transport aircraft.

Abstract: A class of robots specifically adapted to climb periodic lattices. These “relative robots” are designed for a specific lattice structure and use the regularity of the structure to simplify path planning, align with minimal feedback, and reduce the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) required to locomote. These robots can perform vital inspection and repair tasks within the structure that larger truss construction robots cannot perform without modifying the structure. A particular embodiment is a robot designed to traverse a cubooctahedral (CubOct) cellular solids lattice using only two motions: climbing and turning.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may provide a portable power system for powering small devices that may be small, may be compact, may provide continuous power, and may be lightweight enough for an astronaut to carry. Various embodiments may provide a compact, thermionic-based cell that provides increased energy density and that more efficiently uses a heat source, such as a Pu-238 heat source. Nanometer scale emitters, spaced tightly together, in various embodiments convert a larger amount of heat into usable electricity than in current thermoelectric technology. The emitters of the various embodiments may be formed from various materials, such as copper (Cu), silicon (Si), silicon-germanium (SiGe), and lanthanides. Various embodiments may be added to regenerative thermionic cells with multiple layers to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of the regenerative thermionic cells.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a puncture healing polymer blend comprising a self-healing first polymer material having sufficient melt elasticity to snap back and close a hole formed by a projectile passing through the material at a velocity sufficient to produce a local melt state in the first polymer material. The puncture healing polymer blend further includes a non-self-healing second material that is blended with the first polymer material. The blend of self-healing first polymer material and second material is capable of self-healing, and may have improved material properties relative to known self-healing polymers.