Latest Stories

Technical Innovation

Energy

Kohler Doubles down on ICE Development

Kohler announced a new strategy at the Bauma 2022 expo – the company aims to transform itself from a power producer into an energy supplier. “Our business transformation is focused on providing...

Articles

Regulations/Standards

Keeping Combustion in the Conversation

The signals are everywhere that the days are numbered for internal-combustion engines (ICE) for passenger vehicles. Volkswagen CEO Ralph Brandsteatter told a German magazine in early 2021 that VW...

Application Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Additive Manufacturing

Marotta’s patented approach starts with a 3D CAD model of choice that can meet varying ranges of end application specifications.

Articles

Power

Solving the “Telehandler Problem”

A common challenge engineers face in the application of counterbalance or overcenter valves is machines with a high degree of load dynamics. Vehicles with slender booms, multiple booms, wear pads...

News

Manned Systems

BorgWarner’s Dual-Volute Turbocharger Enables First-Ever 4-Cylinder Power for GM Fullsize Pickups

The first four-cylinder gasoline engine ever offered in a full-sized pickup truck brings V6-beating power and torque, with fuel...

News

Power

Chevrolet Delivers a Bombshell with First-Ever 4-Cylinder for Fullsize Pickups

The latest act in the carefully-choreographed unveiling of the 2019 Chevy Silverado that goes on sale this fall is the first four-cylinder engine ever offered...

Briefs

Materials

Freeform Channel Close-Out for High-Performance Heat Exchangers

Large-scale liquid rocket engines with regeneratively cooled nozzles will enable reliable and reduced-cost access to space. The coolant that circulates through the internal...

Briefs

Materials

Erbium Doped GaN Lasers by Optical Pumping

The main objective of this research was to construct an optical pump system that would allow the study of Er:GaN materials under 980 nm resonant excitation to be carried out. The results obtained...

Product Briefs

Power

Compact Hydraulics Configuration Tool

CHoose, Bosch Rexroth’s (Charlotte, NC) compact hydraulics configuration tool, allows users to realize virtually any hydraulic circuit solution. By incorporating Bosch Rexroth’s cartridge and...

Briefs

Sensors/Data Acquisition

Automation System Manages Critical Gas Distribution Process

Part of the TDK group of companies, Headway Technologies (Milpitas, CA) is a semiconductor manufacturer of memory and drive head technologies, and designs and manufactures recording...

Applications

Medical

A Guide to Thermoforming Heavy-Gage, Complex Parts: From Material Selection to Custom Tooling

In many instances, thermoforming of heavy-gauge plastics (thicknesses of 1.5 mm/.060 in. or greater) is the technology of choice for manufacturers...

Briefs

Propulsion

An On-Demand Gas Generator for CubeSat or Low-Mass Propulsion Systems

There are difficulties related to storing enough gas to propel a CubeSat within an onboard tank. Currently, a CubeSat requiring a large volume of gas for extended...

Briefs

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Piezoelectric-Actuated Cryogenic Thermodynamic Vent Valve

Cryogenic fluid control valves require actuation that controls the geometric position of the orifice in a thermally stable manner. Traditional actuator devices may have various materials used in their construction that have varying CTEs (coefficients of thermal expansion) and therefore...

Briefs

Materials

Triple Orthogonal Disk Polymer Discrete Space for Cryogenic Feedline Insulation

NASA vehicles using cryogenic propellants and systems need improved cryogenic storage and transfer, including insulation for cryogenic transfer/feed lines....

Articles

Robotics, Automation & Control

Integrating Functional Pneumatic Safety Devices into Control Systems

Over the past several years, controls engineers have become adept at applying control systems to machine safety applications. The issue is that safety is a moving target....

Technology Leaders

Medical

Key Instrumentation Considerations in Medical Gas Delivery Systems

The provisioning of medical gases to hospitals, mobile health providers, and in-patient care environments requires absolute conformance to stringent industry standards. As a...

Briefs

Information Technology

Titan Lake and Shore Sampler

A lake and shore sampling and sample distribution system was developed for a Titan lake environment (93.7 K, in liquid hydrocarbons). The Titan Lake and Shore Sampler (TLASS) would enable the chemical analysis of...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Manufacturing Robotic Tools for Piping Inspection and Repair

Fleet piping systems are complex, space-constrained systems that are difficult to inspect using standard external inspection techniques. Pipe lagging, as well as limited space,...

Briefs

Physical Sciences

Ultrasonic Intake Airflow Meter for Testbeds

An ultrasonic intake airflow meter for engine testbed applications was developed. An automotive intake airflow meter must fulfill a series of requirements differentiating it from typical...

Features

Medical

Top Challenges for Today's Medical Device Designers: Winning the Space Race

The phrase, "May you live in interesting times" certainly applies to today's medical device design engineers, as they face unprecedented opportunities and challenges...

Briefs

Information Technology

Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Simulator

The Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Simulator (SAMSIM) is a numerical model dedicated to plan and validate operations of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the surface of Mars. The SAM instrument suite, currently operating on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), is an analytical...

Briefs

Information Technology

Semi-Supervised Eigenbasis Novelty Detection

Recent discoveries in high-time-resolution radio astronomy data have focused attention on a new class of events. Fast transients are rare pulses of radio frequency energy lasting from microseconds to seconds that might be produced by a variety of exotic astrophysical phenomena. For example, X-ray...

Briefs

Medical

Nanoscale Surface Plasmonics Sensor With Nanofluidic Control

Conventional quantitative protein assays of bodily fluids typically involve multiple steps to obtain desired measurements. Such methods are not well suited for fast and accurate assay measurements in austere environments such as spaceflight and in the aftermath of disasters....

Features

Medical

Fluid Handling in Medical Device Design

Among medical devices, there is a range of fluid management needs, each with its own unique needs and functions.

The field of fluidics may broadly be divided into macro- and micro-applications....

Briefs

Medical

Portable Intravenous Fluid Production Device for Ground Use

There are several medical conditions that require intravenous (IV) fluids. Limitations of mass, volume, storage space, shelf-life, transportation, and local resources can restrict the availability of such important fluids. These limitations are expected in long-duration space...

Application Briefs

Motion Control

Pressure Controllers Used in Sounding Rocket Payload Attitude Control Systems

Pressure controllers from Alicat Scientific have been selected for use in NASA sounding rockets to control payload attitude. The payload sections of some NASA...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Improvements in Cold-Plate Fabrication

Five improvements are reported in cold-plate fabrication. This cold plate is part of a thermal control system designed to serve on space missions.

Briefs

Physical Sciences

180-GHz Interferometric Imager

A 180-GHz interferometric imager uses compact receiver modules, combined high- and low-gain antennas, and ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) correlator technology, enabling continuous, all-weather observations of water vapor with 25-km resolution and 0.3-K noise in 15 minutes of observation for...

Briefs

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Compact, Two- Sided Structural Cold Plate Configuration

In two-sided structural cold plates, typically there is a structural member, such as a honeycomb panel, that provides the structural strength for the cold plates that cool equipment. The cold plates are located on either side of the structural member and thus need to have the cooling fluid...