Engineering news
The proposals, from 19 American small businesses, include a diverse range of mechanical and digital technologies aimed at developing capabilities in space and life on Earth.
Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana will work with local firm PC Krause and Associates to develop an ‘autonomous power controller for mission-critical microgrids’. The controller, which is designed for the International Space Station and the upcoming Moon- and Mars-accessing Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway, would be capable of optimal power generation and load scheduling from sources such as solar energy, tackling abnormal conditions or failures and system restoration.
The ‘distributed electric propulsion aircraft comprehensive analysis and design tool’ from Continuum Dynamics and Pennsylvania State University will help NASA test the next generation of electric propulsion aircraft, including distributed systems – where multiple small engines line a wing or surface, as in the agency’s X-57 Maxwell plane – and vertical-lift aircraft.
In New Jersey, Princeton Satellite Systems and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will develop superconducting coils for small nuclear fusion engines, which could propel vehicles to Pluto and far beyond – they could be suitable for the 550 AU solar gravitational lens, 550 times further from the Sun than Earth.
A transcontinental collaboration between CrossTrac Engineering in California and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will develop optical intersatellite communication for CubeSat swarms, aiming to create 100Mbps data links using less than 20W laser beams over 1,000km between the 10cm3 devices. Another proposal will develop Discus, a guidance, navigation and control system for swarms of small satellites.
Other innovative projects include a floating microgravity ‘pond’ for growing edible aquatic plants and a next-generation wastewater recovery system for the International Space Station.
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programme “supports NASA's future missions into deep space and benefits the US economy,” said the agency.
"Our STTR programme focuses both entrepreneurs and leading research institutions on NASA’s long-term goals, bringing the latest in aerospace research to our programmes," said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA. “We are excited to see the results of these latest awardees.”
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.