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July 2021 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 45 No. 7
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July 2021 3D Printing:
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July 2021 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 45 No. 7
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Yumeng Yang, Spin InfoTech Lab, ShanghaiTech University
Faster and
more reliable
We congratulate the Spin InfoTech Lab led by
Prof. Yumeng Yang at ShanghaiTech University for
realizing fast and energy-efficient magnetization
switching. Through charge-spin conversion based
on the anomalous Hall effect in ferromagnetic
materials, this result can be used in a magnetic
random access memory (MRAM) bit to improve
reliability, memory density, and speed. This work
will greatly benefit the commercialization
of next-generation MRAM technology, which is
one of the most promising candidates for
high-performance neuromorphic computing.
We are excited to continue our collaboration and

look forward to further spectacular results.
Zurich
Instruments
July 2021 • Vol. 45 No. 7
Contents
Features
8 Products of Tomorrow
12
12 What Does Resolution Mean in 3D Printing?
17 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Getting Specific About Where
3D Printing Hits the Mark
51 Facility Focus
56 NASA Spinoff: Taking Out the Trash, NASA-Style
Tech Briefs
20 Aeronautics 49
20 Method Detects Onset of Destructive Oscillations in Aircraft
Turbines
20 Insect-Sized Agile Drones
22 Drones Use Machine Learning to Detect Landmines
23 GPS-Enhanced Onboard Navigation System (GEONS)
24 High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Monitoring
Meteorological Parameters
25 Winglet with Injected Flow
26 Materials & Coatings
51
26 Copolyimide Surface-Modifying Coating
26 Alkaline Hydrogel Advances Skin Wound Care
27 Liquid Metal Lattice
28 High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Material
28 Generation of Polystyrene Latex Spheres with Incorporated
Fluorescent Dyes
29 Designing Soft Materials That Mimic Biological Functions
30 Nature-Inspired, Manufactured, Non-Cuttable Material
31 Manufacturing & Prototyping
31 Overhang Support Designs for Powder-Based Electron Beam
Departments
Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) 6 UpFront
31 Eco-Friendly Technique Upcycles Metal Waste into 10 5 Ws
Multipurpose Aerogels
11 Q&A
32 System for In-Situ Defect Detection in Composites During Cure 55 Advertisers Index
33 Light-Based “Tractor Beam” Assembles Materials at the
Nanoscale
34 Green Method for Producing Hydrogen Peroxide New for Design Engineers
35 Ultra-Thin, Energy-Efficient Photodetector Integrated with 49 New on the Market
Gorilla Glass
36 Robotics & Automation
36 Servo Motion Improves Robot Operations
37 In-Line, Automated CT Scan Data Inspection of Electronic
Connectors
(Robotics & Automation continued on page 4)
2 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, July 2021

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Contents
38 Robot Detects and Shares Changes in 3D in Real Time

Product of the Month
39 System Provides Robots with Context Awareness
Stratasys (Eden Prairie, MN) introduced three new 3D
40 Algorithm Gives Robots a Faster Grasp printers for additive manufacturing of end-use parts.
41 Power & Energy
41 Flywheel Energy Storage Continues to Advance Green Initiatives
42 Pyroelectric Sandwich Thermal Energy Harvester
42 Carbon Fiber Structural Battery for “Mass-Less” Energy Storage
in Vehicles
49
43 Photovoltaic Solar Cell Works at Night
44 Electrolyte Boost Improves Performance of Aqueous Dual-Ion
On the cover
Batteries Flashover occurs in burning buildings when flammable
materials ignite almost simultaneously. To help fire-
45 Health & Biotech fighters, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (Gaithersburg, MD) developed an artificial
45 Early Warning System for COVID-19 and Flu Using Wearables
intelligence tool called the Prediction Model for
45 Magnet-Controlled Bioelectronic Implant for Relieving Pain Flashover (P-Flash) that can predict how much time will
pass before a room is engulfed in flames. The tool far
46 Smartphone App Hears Ear Infections in Children exceeds the accuracy of heat detectors. Learn more in
UpFront on page 6.
47 Electronic Tattoo Enables Uninterrupted Heart Monitoring
(Image: SanchaiRat/Shutterstock)
for Extended Periods
47 Antibacterial Gel Bandage Using Yeast
48 International Space Station Advanced Resistive Exercise
Device (ARED)
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4 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79415-727 Tech Briefs, July 2021

UP
FRONT Linda Bell
Editorial Director
NASA Student Process Converts

Waste Plastics to Jet
Challenge Offers Fuel in an Hour
Hands-On Tech Washington State Universi-
ty researchers developed a
NASA’s TechRise Student Challenge way to convert plastics to in-
will begin accepting entries in August. It gredients for jet fuel and
provides student teams a chance to other valuable products, mak-
design, build, and launch experiments ing it easier and more cost-
on suborbital rockets and high-altitude effective to reuse plastics. The
balloon flights. Teams of students in researchers were able to con-
grades 6 to 12 can submit ideas for cli- vert 90% of plastic to jet fuel
mate or remote sensing experiments to and other valuable hydrocar-
fly on a high-altitude balloon and space bon products within an hour at a temperature of 220 C (428 F), which is more effi-
exploration experiments to fly aboard a cient and lower than the temperatures typically used.
suborbital rocket. The winning teams Visit https://news.wsu.edu/
each will receive $1,500 to build their
payloads as well as an assigned spot on Zone AI Could Alert
Firefighters of
Temp
a NASA-sponsored commercial subor-

˚C
832
bital flight. 751

Imminent Danger
Learn more at 670 Building fires can turn
www.futureengineers.org/nasatechrise 589 from bad to deadly in an
507 instant and the warning
signs are frequently diffi-
What’s New on Techbriefs.com
426
345 cult to discern. To help fire-

Artificial intelligence 264 fighters, the National Insti-
has entered the operat- 182 tute of Standards and Tech-
ing room, automating Time: 870.0
101 nology (NIST) has devel-
tasks like suturing and 20.0 oped the Prediction Model
incision-making. In a Researchers simulated more than 5,000 fires in a digital three-bed- for Flashover (P-Flash). The
brand-new episode of room house, with crucial details such as the fire origin varying artificial-intelligence-pow-
among each. P-Flash correctly predicted whether a flashover
our podcast series Here’s occurred 86% of the time, based on simulated temperature data. ered tool predicts and
an Idea, we talk to three researchers who (Credit: NIST) warns of a deadly phenom-
are on the cutting edge of robotic sur- enon in burning buildings
gery. Learn about their new autonomous known as flashover — when flammable materials in a room ignite almost simultane-
technologies and the role for humans ously, producing a blaze only limited in size by available oxygen.
alongside them. Go to techbriefs.com/ Flashovers are so dangerous in part because it’s challenging to see them coming.
podcast to download the episode. Send There are indicators to watch such as increasingly intense heat or flames rolling
your comments and suggestions to me at across the ceiling. These signs can be easy to miss in many situations such as when a
bhurley@techbriefs.com. firefighter is searching for trapped victims with heavy equipment in tow and smoke
obscuring the view. And from the outside, as firefighters approach a scene, the con-
Next Month in Tech Briefs ditions inside are even less clear.
Heat detectors operate only at temperatures up to 302 F, far below the 1100 F at
The August issue will highlight the use which a flashover typically begins to occur. P-Flash’s predictions are based on temper-
of the Internet of Things as a communi- ature data from a building’s heat detectors and, remarkably, it operates even after
cations interface that enables the reliable heat detectors begin to fail, making do with the remaining devices. The algorithms
and timely exchange of information uncover patterns in large datasets and build models based on their findings. These
among controllers, actuators, and sen- models can predict certain outcomes such as how much time will pass before a room
sors in electronically controlled systems. is engulfed in flames.
Visit www.nist.gov
Connect with Tech Briefs
facebook.com/TechBriefsMagazine linkedin.com/company/tech-briefs-media twitter.com/TechBriefsMag

SIMULATION CASE STUDY
Design better
devices — faster.
Engineers from Fraunhofer IAPT used topology optimization
and additive manufacturing to design a heat sink, a common
component in many electronic devices. The topology-
optimized design was then transformed into a simulation
application to automate and customize certain design
tasks. Now, engineers, designers, and manufacturers
companywide are able to efficiently optimize intricate heat
sink geometries and prepare them for 3D printing.
learn more comsol.blog/3D-printing-optimization
The COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used for simulating designs, devices,

and processes in all fields of engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research.
Products of
This column presents technologies that have
applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the
products of tomorrow. To learn more about each
Tomorrow
technology, see the contact information provided for
that innovation.
► System Identifies Battery Materials for Recycling

The growing demand for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is also generating a huge num-
ber of spent Li-ion batteries, requiring cost-effective and environmentally sustainable recy-
cling technologies to manage end-of-life batteries. Oak Ridge National Laboratory devised
the Battery Identity Global Passport to identify the unique chemical makeup of every
Li-ion battery around the world — information that could accelerate recycling, recover
critical materials, and resolve a growing waste stream. The Passport could be accessible as
a scannable QR code or a computer chip and could help recyclers more efficiently locate
in-demand materials and accommodate the wide variety of designs used to manufacture Li-ion batteries.
Contact: Stephanie G. Seay

Phone: 865-576-9894
E-mail: seaysg@ornl.gov
► Pre-
Treatment
Water
Recovery
► Wireless
Solution
Wearable
The Pre-Treatment Solution for Water Recovery Transmitter
technology was developed by NASA Johnson Space Wearable wireless
Center to increase the amount of potable water sensors can collect a
recovered from the International Space Station’s wide variety of med-
urine processor assembly system. The solution con- ical data. But without a similar flexible transmitting
tains a biocide to prevent the growth of bacteria, device, these sensors would require wired connec-
thereby increasing storage time and the amount of tions to transmit health data. Penn State has devel-
water recovered. Although developed for the ISS, oped a flexible, wearable transmitter that can send
the solution can be used on Earth to pre-treat con- wireless data at a range of nearly 300 feet and can
taminated water, improving water recovery in appli- easily integrate a number of computer chips or sen-
cations such as desalination plants, brackish water sors. The wearable antenna bends, stretches, and
treatment, mining water treatment, and in the compresses without compromising function. With
transport or storage of waste or other water further research, it could have applications in
sources. health monitoring and clinical treatments as well as
energy generation and storage. It could also lead to
Contact: NASA’s Licensing Concierge networks of sensors and transmitters worn on the
Phone: 202-358-7432 body, all communicating with each other and exter-
E-mail: Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov nal devices.
https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-TOPS-68
Contact: Megan Lakatos
Phone: 814-865-5544
E-mail: mkl5024@psu.edu

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5 Who
Ws of
Compostable Plastic
Less than 9% of plastic gets recycled in the U.S. — most ends up in landfill or the environment. Truly compostable
plastic would eliminate the microplastics that end up in the bodies of animals — and humans.
What
Most biodegradable plas-
tics today are made of poly-
lactic acid (PLA), a veg-
etable-based plastic materi-
al blended with cornstarch,
or polycaprolactone (PCL),
a biodegradable polyester.
The new enzyme-activated
compostable plastic could
diminish microplastics pol-
lution and holds great prom-
ise for plastics upcycling.
The material can be bro-
ken down to its building (Left): A film of PLA (polylactic acid) plastic immediately after being placed in compost and (right)
blocks — small individual after one week in the compost. (UC Berkeley photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)
molecules called mono-
mers — and then reformed into a new compostable plastic product. The new approach involves “nanoconfining”
enzymes into plastics. Because enzymes are part of living systems, a safe place had to be carved into the plastic for
enzymes to lie dormant until they’re called to action. The researchers embedded trace amounts of the commercial
enzymes Burkholderia cepacian lipase (BC-lipase) and proteinase K within PLA and PCL plastic materials. They also
added an enzyme protectant called four-monomer random heteropolymer (RHP) to help disperse the enzymes a few
nanometers apart. Ordinary household tap water or standard soil composts converted the enzyme-embedded plastic
material into its monomers and eliminated microplastics in just a few days or weeks.
Where
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley
Why
If not sorted properly, biodegradable plastic bags and containers can contaminate otherwise recyclable #1 and #2
plastics. Also, most biodegradable plastics take months to break down and they aren’t as strong as regular plastic.
When
The truly compostable plastic could be on the shelves soon. The researchers filed a patent application and a UC
Berkeley startup — Intropic Materials — will further develop the new technology. The technology is available for
licensing and collaboration.
Contact: Berkeley Lab Intellectual Property Office at ipo@lbl.gov; 510-486-4306.

Q&A
Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles
Dr. Burak Ozpineci, watt system for about a mile. They didn’t
Section Head, Vehicle have any gaps — they covered the road- digiVIT
and Mobility Systems way from the beginning to the end with Measure displacement or
at Oak Ridge National coils. We’re thinking that if we multiply
Laboratory, is develop- the power by 10, we only need 10% of position, monitor vibration,
ing a dynamic wireless the road covered. So, that’s why we’re sort parts and much more with
charging system that designing for about 200 kilowatts cover- the most advanced digital non-
charges electric vehi- ing about 10% of the road. We think it contact eddy current sensing
cles while driving. The same technology would be easier to have a single drop
can be installed in your garage, so you with high power, rather than long
system available today. The
never have to remember to plug it in. stretches of 20-kW power distribution. digiVIT offers quick, user-
friendly setup with several
Tech Briefs: Did you develop the Tech Briefs: What voltage do you calibration and output options.
three-phase rotating field design as deliver to the vehicle?
part of your wireless vehicle
Contact Kaman today!
charging project? Dr. Ozpineci: For today’s passenger
vehicles, if you want to achieve ex-
Dr. Burak Ozpineci: Electric traction tremely fast charging at 350 kilowatts,
motors are three-phase systems in which it’s going to be around 800 volts. For
you generate a rotating magnetic field to electrified trucks, it looks like battery
impart motion to the rotor. We decided voltages could be between 1000 and
we could use the same technology in 1500 volts. We will go to higher voltages
wireless charging — we can get higher- for newer vehicles.
power, greater power-density, lower-
weight coils that way. We demonstrated a Tech Briefs: What power range are
120-kW, 85-kHz system for which the you aiming for now?
coils weighed about 110 pounds. When
OEMs are already trying to save weight, Dr. Ozpineci: For passenger vehicles,
you cannot convince them to put a 110- we’re aiming at around 300 or 350 kW
ThreadChecker™
pound coil in the vehicle — it’s like for stationary applications. For trucks, Automate your metal parts
adding another passenger. That’s when we want to go to higher power levels. inspection process with Kaman’s
we came up with the idea of using a teachable ThreadChecker™.
three-phase system. We take the three- Tech Briefs: For people to install the Use with conductive materials
phase power from the utility and convert charger system in a home garage, to detect thread presence, or
it to DC. would they have to install a new check various conditions such as
power line?
Tech Briefs: Where would the power
plating presence, heat treatment,
conversion cabinet be installed for Dr. Ozpineci: No, not necessarily. The material sorting, and more.
on-the-road charging? maximum at home is typically 11 kW but Switched or voltage outputs
normally it’s about 7 kilowatts. I have an with alarm capability makes the
Dr. Ozpineci: It would be on the side electric vehicle and I plug it in when I ThreadChecker™ an essential
of the road. We would have power lines arrive but I’d rather not have to bother component of your automated
going under the pavement to the coil. with that. I’d rather just park my car and inspection system!
Eventually, we want to connect the cabi- have it charge automatically without me
net directly to the medium-voltage knowing it — that’s the vision I have for
power lines. the future. If we can have in-motion For more information
charging, if we can have charging in our about our full line of
Tech Briefs: The system could be garage, if we are charging while we’re at
installed on interstate roads? work, we would never have to worry
products, contact us today!
800-552-6267
about the range of our vehicle.
Dr. Ozpineci: Yes – we’re designing
for interstate speeds. A demonstration Read the full transcript of this Q&A at
that was done before ours used a 20-kilo- www.techbriefs.com. kamansensors.com
Tech Briefs, July 2021 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79415-731

What Does Resolution Mean in
L
ooking for a high-resolution 3D Cellphones, tablets, and anything with a
printer? Resolution is an often screen will have its resolution as the lead
discussed but seldom under- on the spec sheet, provided that it’s
stood value in the world of 3D something to boast about. But this is
printing and additive manufac- nothing new. Resolution wars have been
turing. How do XY and Z resolution influ- waged since digital technology became
ence the quality of your 3D prints? What’s popular — and the printing industry was
minimum feature size and what layer one of the first battlegrounds.
thickness should you choose? If you were around in the 1980s and
In this article, you’ll learn how 3D 1990s, you remember Canon, Brother,
printer resolution affects your 3D prints HP, Epson, and Lexmark (among oth-
and how it differs among stereolithogra- ers) battling it out for print speed and
phy (SLA), fused deposition modeling resolution. What started at 100 × 100
(FDM), and digital light processing dots per inch (DPI) quickly escalated to
(DLP) printers. 300 × 300, then 600 × 600, and finally
the current industry standard of 1200 ×
Resolution vs. Minimum 1200 DPI. Back then, the meaning of
Feature Size these values was clearly understandable;
Technology has been in a resolution even the units made perfect sense.
Formlabs high-resolution SLA 3D printers have war for decades. Televisions recently Unfortunately, things get more compli-
high Z-axis resolution and a low minimum fea-
ture size on the XY plane, allowing them to quadrupled pixel counts from HD to 4K cated when you add another dimension
produce fine details. and are poised to do it again soon to 8K. to printing.

3D Printing?
SLA 3D printers offer higher res-

olution and can produce signifi-
cantly smoother and more de-
tailed prints (right) than FDM
3D printers (left).
3D Printing Resolution lution (layer thickness or layer height). and surface finish. The more important
In 3D printing and additive manufac- The Z-axis resolution is easily determined XY resolution (minimum feature size) is
turing, there are three dimensions to con- and therefore widely reported even measured via microscopic imaging and is
sider: the two planar 2D dimensions (X though it is less related to print quality therefore not always found in spec sheets.
and Y) and the Z dimension that makes it
3D printing. Since the planar and Z Laser SLA DLP Low Force Stereolithography (LFS)
dimensions are generally controlled via Minimum laser spot size Minimum pixel size Minimum laser spot size
very different mechanisms, their resolu-

tions are going to be different and need
to be treated separately. As a result, there
is a lot of confusion about what the term
“3D printing resolution” means and what
level of print quality to expect. SLA uses a UV laser to draw
rounded lines
DLP uses a projector screen to
project layers of squared voxels
LFS uses a laser and constant line
scanning in small increments
Compare Different 3D Printing

Processes
What makes a 3D printer high-resolu-
tion? There’s not a one-number answer.
Since 3D printers produce parts in three
DLP 3D printers have a fixed matrix of pixels relative to the build area, while laser-based SLA and
dimensions, you will have to consider at LFS 3D printers can focus the laser beam on any XY coordinate. This means that laser-based
least two numbers: the minimum feature machines, given high-quality optics, can more accurately reproduce the surface of a part even if
size of the XY plane and the Z-axis reso- the laser spot size is larger than the DLP pixel size.
Tech Briefs, July 2021 www.techbriefs.com 13

3D Printing Resolution
laser spot size is larger than the DLP pixel

size. Whichever resin 3D printing process
you choose, however, professional resin
3D printers should be able to capture the
finest details of your creations.
In SLA and LFS 3D printing, layer
lines are close to invisible. As a result,
surface roughness is reduced, which ulti-
mately leads to smooth surfaces and
more translucent parts for clear materi-
als. DLP 3D printers render images
using rectangular voxels, which causes
To test the Form 2’s minimum feature size on the XY plane, a model (left) was designed with lines an effect of vertical voxel lines.
ranging from 10 to 200 microns and printed in Clear Resin (right).
Understanding XY Resolution
Practically, it means that you should While the math is complicated (and out- In the world of 3D printing, no factor
pick a 3D printer that performs well in side the scope of this article), it shakes influences print quality more than XY
both categories (in all three dimensions). out to this: features on SLA prints can be resolution. Often discussed but seldom
approximately as small as the diameter understood, the definition of XY resolu-
SLA vs FDM 3D Printing of their laser spots. And laser spots can tion (also called horizontal resolution)
A lot has changed since the first desk- be very small, especially compared to the varies by 3D printing technology:
top 3D printers became available to the nozzle size of FDM printers’ extruders. • SLA and LFS 3D printers: a combina-
public. Now, SLA 3D printers are com- tion of the laser’s spot size and the
peting for the same desktop spots as Laser SLA vs DLP 3D Printers increments by which the laser beam
FDM 3D printers. One of the main Resin 3D printers — like SLA, low-force can be controlled
advantages that resin-based SLA 3D stereolithography (LFS), and DLP tech- • DLP 3D printers: the pixel size, the
printers hold over their plastic-melting nologies — offer the highest resolutions of smallest feature the projector can
cousins is print quality: SLA 3D printers all 3D printing processes available on the reproduce within a single layer
produce significantly smoother and desktop. The basic units of these processes • FDM 3D printers: the smallest move-
more detailed prints. While SLA printers are different shapes, making it difficult to ment the extruder can make within a
can usually also achieve significantly compare the different machines by single layer
smaller layer thicknesses, the reason for numerical specifications alone. As a rule of thumb, the lower the num-
the improved print quality lies in their DLP 3D printers have a fixed matrix of ber, the better the details. Yet this num-
much higher XY resolution. pixels relative to the build area, while laser- ber is not always included in spec sheets
Unlike on FDM 3D printers, mini- based SLA and LFS 3D printers can focus and when it is, the published value is not
mum feature size in the XY plane on the laser beam on any XY coordinate. This always accurate. To truly know a printer’s
SLA 3D printers is not limited by molten means that laser-based machines, given XY resolution, it’s important to under-
plastic flow dynamics but rather optics high-quality optics, can more accurately stand the science behind the number.
and radical polymerization kinetics. reproduce the surface of a part even if the Practically, how does XY resolution
affect your 3D prints? To find out, we
Intended Size vs. Measured Size decided to test the Form 2 SLA 3D print-
210 er. The Form 2 has a laser spot size of
Measured Ideal 140 microns (FWHM), which should
allow it to print fine details on the XY
190
plane. We put it to the test to see if this
ideal resolution holds true.
Measured Size (microns)
170 First, we designed and printed a

model to test the minimum feature size
on the XY plane. The model is a rectan-
150 gular block with lines of varying widths
in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal
130 directions to avoid directional bias. The
line widths range from 10 to 200 mi-
crons in 10-micron steps and are 200
110 microns tall, which equates to two layers
when printed at 100-micron Z resolu-
90 tion. The model was printed in Clear
90 110 130 150 170 190 210 Resin, washed twice in an IPA bath, and
Intended Size (microns) post-cured for 30 minutes.
The results indicate that the Form 2 has the same ideal and actual XY resolution for features that After post-curing, we put the model
are 150 microns and larger. under a microscope and took high-reso-

3D Printing Resolution
50 microns 100 microns 160 microns

Grey Resin Grey Resin Grey Resin
6 hours 10 min 3 hours 53 min 2 hours 15 min
In Formlabs PreForm software, users have the choice of different layer thicknesses. Parts in Grey Resin can now be printed in the following layer heights: 160,
100, 50, and 25 microns. For engineers, printing in 160 microns will accelerate the iteration process, going from design to printed part in even less time.
lution photos for analysis. Using ImageJ more than any other: Z resolution. Also When Thinner Layers Don’t Help
— the National Institutes of Health’s known as layer thickness or layer Thinner layers are typically associated
(NIH) free image analysis software — we height, the vertical resolution was the with smoother transitions on diagonals,
first scaled the pixels of the images and first major numerical differentiation which leads many users to generalize
then measured the actual widths of the among early 3D printers. Early ma- and push Z resolution to the limits. But
lines printed. We collected more than 50 chines struggled to break the 1-mm bar- what if the model consists mostly of ver-
data points per line width to eliminate rier but now layer thicknesses on FDM tical and horizontal edges, with 90-
measuring errors and variability. In total, 3D printers can be sub-0.1-mm thin, degree angles and few diagonals? In
we printed and analyzed three models while LFS and SLA 3D printers are even those cases, additional layers don’t im-
on two different printers. more precise. prove the quality of the model.
As the print’s line width decreases Formlabs 3D printers support layer The issue is compounded if the XY res-
from 200 to 150 microns, the ideal val- thicknesses between 25 to 300 microns, olution of the printer in question is not
ues are within the 95% confidence inter- depending on the material. This selec- perfect and “colors outside the lines”
val of the measured value. As the intend- tion of layer heights gives you the ideal when drawing the outside edges. More
ed line widths get smaller than 150 balance of speed and resolution. The layers mean more mismatched ridges on
microns, the measured interval starts to main question is: what is the best layer the surface. While the Z resolution is
deviate significantly from the ideal. This thickness for your print? higher, the model will look like it is of sig-
means that the printer can reliably pro- nificantly lower quality in this case.
duce XY features as small as 150 Are Smaller Layer Thicknesses
microns, about the size of a human hair. Always Better? When to Choose Higher Z
The Form 2’s minimum feature size High-resolution 3D printing comes Resolution
on the XY plane is about 150 microns — with a tradeoff. Thinner layers mean There are times when you want higher
only 10 microns larger than its 140- more repetitions, which in turn means resolution. Given a printer with good XY
micron laser. The minimum feature size longer times; printing at 25 microns vs resolution and a model with intricate fea-
can never be smaller than the laser spot 100 usually increases the print time tures and many diagonal edges, dialing
size and there are many factors that four-fold. More repetitions also mean down the thickness of the layers will yield
affect this value: laser refraction, micro- more opportunities for something to a much better model. In addition, if that
scopic contaminants, resin chemistry, go wrong. For example, even at a model is short (200 or fewer layers),
and much more. Considering the print- 99.99% success rate per layer, quadru- upping the Z-axis resolution can really
er’s entire ecosystem, a 10-micron differ- pling the resolution lowers the chance improve the quality. Certain designs ben-
ence is nominal. Not every 3D printer’s of print success from 90% to 67% if one efit from a higher Z resolution: organic
published resolution holds true, so it’s a assumes that a failed layer causes total forms, rounded arches, small emboss-
good idea to do plenty of research print failure. ings, and intricate engravings.
before choosing the one that’s right for Does higher resolution (thinner lay- As a general guideline, err on the side
your project. If your work calls for prints ers) result in better prints? Not always. It of thicker layers and only bump up the Z
with intricate details, look for a printer depends on the model to be printed and resolution when completely necessary.
with an XY resolution that’s backed by the 3D printer’s XY resolution. In gener- With the right printer and a certain type
measurable data, not just a number. al, thinner layers equal more time, arti- of model, higher Z resolution will cap-
facts, and errors. In some cases, printing ture the intricate details of your design.
Understanding Z Resolution models at lower resolutions (i.e., thicker This article was contributed by Formlabs,
When you read 3D printer spec layers) can actually result in higher-qual- Somerville, MA. For more information, visit
sheets, you’ll see one value show up ity prints. http://info.hotims.com/79415-121.

Reduce,
Reuse,
Recycle:
Recycle
Getting Specific About

Where 3D Printing Hits the Mark
R
educe, reuse, recycle. The three Rs of green als, it means things such as turning off the lights in
were first coined sometime in the 1970s. We’ve unused rooms, taking a shorter shower, or setting the
all heard the terms but they all deliver differ- heater to 66 ˚F.
ent types and levels of benefits in general and In manufacturing, this could mean using less material
especially in 3D printing or additive manufac- to deliver a given geometry, using less energy to create a
turing (AM). And now that AM is making the transition part, or using less labor for the full execution of a man-
into mass production applications, it’s a good time to ufacturing process. Shortening the distance from sup-
review how it delivers on these benefits and important plier to producer or producer to customer with local-
changes coming from standards-issuing bodies and ized or decentralized manufacturing strategies also
other organizations, such as the Additive Manufacturer counts.
Green Trade Association (AMGTA), to clarify and quan- With modern engineering tools and computer-aided
tify these benefits. manufacturing, product development cycles can con-
sume less time and money than physical prototyping.
Reduce with AM and Binder Jet We can use more digital twins, digital analysis, and digi-
When we use fewer resources from the beginning, we tal simulation. We can consume fewer real resources
also reduce the need to recycle and reuse. For individu- and more virtual ones.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Binder Jet 3D Printing

Liquid binder is selectively applied to a thin layer of powder, layer by layer, to form high-value parts and tooling
1 2 3 4 5 6
Powder is deposited. Inkjet applies binder. Each layer is printed fast. Powder is recoated. The process repeats. 3D printing is complete.
In binder jet 3D printing, liquid binder is selectively applied to a thin layer of powder to form parts and tooling.
One of the most meaningful meth- nologies, allowing more meaningful in recycling. If reduced or reused in the
ods of reducing with additive is to con- benefits across more parts. first place, we could greatly reduce this
solidate several parts into one, reduc- consumption as well.
ing manufacturing and assembly steps Reuse or Recycle? Consider the normal, everyday scrap
or lightweighting a part with radically When it comes to reuse or recycling, generated in a CNC manufacturing
optimized topology that enables a new we haven’t been as good at distinguish- shop. It’s tempting to think that all
geometry that delivers the same or ing between the two. But these are two those chips are sent right back to the
improved functional benefits with less very different Rs in sustainability. In- refiner and returned as new steel or alu-
weight. What’s more, you can take a tra- deed, even the icons for the two Rs are minum to cut. It’s far from being that
ditional stainless steel part, optimize very similar, with reuse showing an simple. The chips are fouled with cut-
the design, and print it in a new materi- effortless circle of arrows and recycling ting fluids and tramp oils and they need
al, such as aluminum, that amplifies the showing a triangle of arrows to demon- to be cleaned and dried. Chips of differ-
benefits even more. strate a bit of extra effort. At the end of ent metals need to stay sorted and ware-
When it comes to the sustainability the day, recycling is also sort of a conso- housed between pickups. And while
benefits that come from this “reduce” lation approach: if we can’t stop being good plant hygiene can alleviate some
category, almost all forms of additive more wasteful to begin with, let’s at of these difficulties, it takes ongoing in-
manufacturing have you covered. But least recycle. vestments and international, federal,
some specific AM processes offer en- But the truth is that recycling is very and local regulations may vary greatly.
hanced benefits; for example, binder resource-intensive to begin with, con- It’s a complicated subject and more
jet technology can print higher vol- suming a lot of energy and time. It’s swarf makes it into landfills than you
umes of parts with ease compared to spent sorting, cleaning, transporting, might expect.
laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) tech- refining, and reforming all sort of items
The High Efficiency of Reuse
What if we could reuse more material
without recycling? What if we could
reuse material directly in a manufactur-
ing process many, many times before
it’s recycled?
A 2020 research paper in The
Minerals, Metals & Material Society,
“Metal Powder Recyclability in Binder Jet
Additive Manufacturing” concluded one
could recycle powder up to 16 times in
the binder jetting process — delivering
an overall efficiency of material consump-
tion of up to 96%. If you dig into the arti-
cle a bit deeper, you’ll find it’s really more
about reusing material directly in the
process rather than recycling.
This brings me to an interesting con-
versation that recently happened in the
SAE International workgroup writing
standards for metal AM. There’s a com-
mittee writing the standard AMS 7031 —
Process Requirements for Recovery and
Binder jetting is an additive manufacturing process in which a liquid binding agent is selectively Recycling of Metal Powder Feedstock for Use
deposited to join powder particles. in Additive Manufacturing of Aerospace

Parts. And they’re changing the title to nology. ExOne is designing systems with instead of creating chips by subtracting
replace Recycling with Reuse. provisions for maintaining consistent material. In binder jet 3D printing, the
It’s true some processes generate spat- levels of humidity, blending of virgin printer uses a digital file to quickly inkjet
ter that can’t be reused; even in binder and recovered powder, and establishing a binder into a thin layer of powder par-
jetting, some stray satellites can form a consistent and stable flow of powdered ticles, creating a solid part one layer at a
agglomerates that get sieved out. But in materials into printers. It’s been found time and reducing material waste to less
many powder-based AM processes, that’s in binder jetting that this mixture results than 5%. Metal, sand, or ceramics are all
not what happens to the bulk of any given in a more consistent process. But what processed.
powder batch. For almost every powder we really need to do in all of additive is a After finished prints are removed
in every process, powder can be circulat- comprehensive value stream map and from the powder bed, the unbound
ed through the system several times that’s the type of scholarly work being material is processed in-house by the
before it must be recycled, as demonstrat- started now by AMGTA. customer for reuse in subsequent builds
ed in the research paper cited above. All of this is a long way to say that to avoid resource-intensive recycling as
That’s where the conversation gets binder jetting’s sustainability benefits much as possible.
interesting at SAE. The committee came have great potential, save energy by con- New part geometries are possible with-
to a consensus that we need to change the solidating many assembled parts and out the manufacturability limitations of
way we write these standards moving for- processes into one, and can deliver end- traditional technologies. Components
ward. We don’t recycle powder, we reuse it, use designs that are 30 to 40% lighter for redesigned for binder jet 3D printing
and that will be the term. That’s a big dif- more efficient cars, planes, military that take advantage of Design for Ad-
ference for such a small word. It’s another equipment, and other applications. Bind- ditive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles
compelling reason to switch to AM and er jetting technology prints complex commonly reduce their weight 30 to
how the true green benefits might be designs by selectively applying binder to 50%. These benefits lead to more inno-
more than you think at first blush — espe- foundry-grade sand, layer by layer, to vative, lightweight, and sustainable prod-
cially if you’re picturing “True Recycling” build up a geometry, as shown in the fig- ucts that require less material.
every time you hear about de-powdering ure on the opposite page. This article was written by Dan Brunermer,
and reconditioning your powder. Additive manufacturing lets you use Technical Fellow, ExOne, North Huntingdon,
Powder reuse is an activity that hap- less material to start with by only using PA. For more information, visit http://info.
pens onsite as a natural part of the tech- powder to build the desired shape hotims.com/79415-124.
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ENGINE SYSTEMS
ECU (Engine Control Unit) NAVIGATION and FLIGHT CONTROL
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Tech Briefs, July 2021 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79415-733 19

Aeronautics
Method Detects Onset of Destructive Oscillations in
Aircraft Turbines
Early flutter detection will help in the development of safer and more eco-friendly
aircraft turbines.
Tokyo University of Science, Japan
F lutter is a complex oscillatory phe-

nomenon that can destroy aircraft
turbine blades and has historically been
and that flutter is ultimately the result of
the progressive synchronization of more
and more blades as a result of increased
between individual network nodes and
the network’s synchronization parame-
ter. The former is valid for specifying the
the cause of several plane accidents. In airflow going through the turbine. dominant blades for the onset of cas-
aerospace research, flutter generally Through experiments on a turbine cade flutter. In contrast, the latter, which
refers to undesired and self-sustained vi- test rig, the team found that before the ranges from 0 to 1, is more suitable for
brations in turbine blades that can read- onset of flutter, one particular blade determining a threshold for this onset.
ily grow out of control, destroying them begins to act as a “central hub” in the The combined findings shed light on
along with the engine and even the air- network and adjacent blades start to the complex phenomenon of flutter and
craft’s wings. oscillate in sync with it. This “local” syn- contribute to the academic systemiza-
Researchers have developed an ap- chronization quickly expands and leads tion of nonlinear problems in the field
proach that can be used for early detec- to the collective synchronization of all of aeronautical engineering and related
tion of the onset of flutter, solving one of blades, resulting in potentially cata- nonlinear science. They could represent
the main problems that has been hold- strophic flutter. promising techniques for the early
ing back the design of lighter and more In this context, the network represen- detection of flutter onset in the design
efficient turbines. The main idea behind tation of the system demonstrated the state of blades.
the approach is that the turbine fan can applicability of two local and global For more information, contact the Science
be mathematically modeled as a com- measures as potential detectors of cas- Public Relations Office at mediaoffice@
plex network of interrelated oscillators cade flutter: the connecting strength admin.tus.ac.jp.
Insect-Sized Agile Drones

These tiny aerial robots can operate in cramped spaces and withstand collisions.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
I nsects can be remarkably acrobatic

and resilient in flight. Those traits
help them navigate the aerial world,
with wind gusts, obstacles, and general
uncertainty. Researchers have devel-
oped insect-sized drones with similar
dexterity and resilience. The aerial
robots are powered by a new class of
soft actuator that allows them to with-
stand the physical travails of real-world
flight. The robots could one day aid
humans by pollinating crops or per-
forming machinery inspections in
cramped spaces.
Typically, drones require wide open
spaces because they’re neither nimble
enough to navigate confined spaces nor
robust enough to withstand collisions in
a crowd. Very small drones require a fun-
damentally different construction than
Insects’ remarkable acrobatic traits help them navigate the aerial world, with all of its wind gusts,
larger ones. Large drones are usually obstacles, and general uncertainty. Such traits are hard to build into flying robots; however, the
powered by motors, which lose efficien- new drone system approaches insects’ agility. (Image: Courtesy of Kevin Yufeng Chen)

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Aeronautics
cy as they shrink in size. For insect-sized inder. Repeated elongation and con- for any number of real-world applica-
drones, the alternative has been to traction cause the drone’s wings to beat tions. A key step toward those applica-
employ a small, rigid actuator built nearly 500 times per second, giving the tions will be untethering the robots
from piezoelectric ceramic materials. drone insect-like resilience. The drones from a wired power source, which is
While piezoelectric ceramics allowed can be hit when they are flying and currently required by the actuators’
the first generation of tiny robots to recover and can also perform aggres- high operating voltage.
take flight, they’re quite fragile. And sive maneuvers like somersaults in the The mini drones could navigate
that’s a problem when you’re building a air. The drones weigh 0.6 grams or ap- complex machinery to ensure safety
robot to mimic an insect — foraging proximately the mass of a large bumble- and functionality; for example, when in-
bumblebees endure a collision about bee. The drone looks a bit like a tiny specting a turbine engine. The drone
once every second. cassette tape with wings, though the needs to move around an enclosed
The team designed a more resilient team is working on a new prototype space with a small camera to check for
tiny drone using soft actuators instead shaped like a dragonfly. cracks on the turbine plates. Other
of hard, fragile ones. The soft actuators Because of the soft actuators’ inher- potential applications include artificial
are made of thin rubber cylinders coat- ent compliance, the robot can safely pollination of crops or completing
ed in carbon nanotubes. When voltage run into obstacles without greatly search-and-rescue missions following a
is applied to the carbon nanotubes, inhibiting flight. This feature is well- disaster.
they produce an electrostatic force that suited for flight in cluttered, dynamic For more information, contact Abby
squeezes and elongates the rubber cyl- environments and could be very useful Abazorius at abbya@mit.edu; 617-253-2709.
Drones Use Machine Learning to Detect Landmines

Dangerous “butterfly” landmines can be detected using low-cost drones and infrared cameras.
Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
U sing advanced machine learning,

drones could be used to detect dan-
gerous “butterfly” landmines in remote PFM-1 Landmine
regions of post-conflict countries. Re-
searchers had previously developed a
method that allowed for highly accurate Explosive Capsule
detection of butterfly landmines using
low-cost commercial drones equipped
with infrared cameras. New research Fuze Well
focuses on automated detection of land-
mines using convolutional neural net-
works, the standard machine learning
method for object detection and classifi-
cation in the field of remote sensing.
The previous work relied on human-
eye scanning of the dataset. Rapid drone-
assisted mapping and automated detec-
tion of scatterable mine fields would
assist in addressing the deadly legacy of
widespread use of small scatterable land-
mines in recent armed conflicts and
allow development of a functional frame-
work to effectively address their possible
future use.
It is estimated that there are at least
100 million military munitions and
Plastic “butterfly” wing
explosive devices in the world of various
size, shape, and composition. Millions of
these are surface plastic landmines with An inert PFM-1 plastic anti-personal landmine with a small coin for scale.
low-pressure triggers, such as the mass-
produced butterfly landmine. Nick- nificantly, a design that mostly excluded notoriety as the “toy mine” due to a high
named for their small size and butterfly- metal components, making these de- casualty rate among small children who
like shape, these mines are extremely vices virtually invisible to metal detec- find these devices while playing.
difficult to locate and clear due to their tors. The design of the mine, combined The researchers believe that these
small size, low trigger mass, and most sig- with a low triggering weight, earned it detection and mapping techniques are

generalizable and transferable to other mate the detection and mapping of jective human-error-prone ocular detec-
munitions and explosives of concern; landmines is important for several rea- tion. And third, CNN-based methods are
for example, they could be adapted to sons. First, it is much faster than manu- easily generalizable to detect and map
detect and map disturbed soil for ally counting landmines from an ortho- any objects with distinct sizes and shapes
improvised explosive devices (IEDs). image (i.e. an aerial image that has been from any remotely sensed raster images.
The use of Convolutional Neural Net- geometrically corrected). Second, it is For more information, contact John Brhel
work (CNN)-based approaches to auto- quantitative and reproducible, unlike sub- at jbrhel@binghamton.edu.
GPS-Enhanced Onboard Navigation System (GEONS)

The open-architecture flight software package provides solutions for onboard
orbit determination.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
W hile real-time positioning computed

by standard GPS service is adequate
for some onboard applications, inherent
The GEONS software processes data
from standard GPS receivers, onboard
communication equipment, and/or atti-
GEONS provides high-quality solu-
tions with fewer than four visible GPS
space vehicles by employing an extend-
position discontinuities are not acceptable tude sensors, producing accurate ab- ed Kalman filter (EKF) augmented with
for high-precision instrument applications, solute and relative navigation solutions physically representative models for
such as view-period prediction and maneu- in real time. Other functions, including gravity, atmospheric drag, solar radia-
ver planning, both of which are computa- onboard maneuver control and relative tion pressure, clock bias, and drift to
tions that require a continuous prediction navigation for keeping formations, are provide accurate state estimation and a
of the spacecraft state. Real-time position- also supported by GEONS. All informa- realistic state error covariance. GEONS
ing also requires simultaneous measure- tion is quickly available to scientists incorporates the information from all
ments from four GPS satellites, a mission- when it is included in the downlinked past measurements, carefully balanced
limiting factor that must be considered. telemetry stream. with GEONS data of the physical models

Aeronautics
governing these measurements, to pro- operation within the very limited re- rated into the GEONS software, produc-
duce an optimal estimate of the space- sources of an onboard computer. Au- ing a navigation system capable of han-
craft’s orbit. GEONS high-fidelity state tonomous initialization and enhanced dling multiple orbit regimes and naviga-
dynamics model reduces sensitivity to fault detection capabilities are imple- tion subsystems while requiring no addi-
measurement errors and provides high- mented using instantaneous geometric tional hardware. Fusion of these data
accuracy velocity estimates, permitting GPS solutions. types increases system stability and relia-
accurate state prediction during signal By incorporating information from bility and enables graceful degradation
outages or degraded coverage. past measurements, GEONS provides if a component fails during orbit.
Autonomous navigation reduces total highly accurate orbit estimates even with NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
mission cost by eliminating the need for one visible GPS space vehicle and even mercialize this technology. Please contact
routine, ground-based orbit determina- during signal outages or degraded cover- NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-Patent-
tion and special tracking services and is age. Additionally, GEONS processes Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us at 202-
required for advanced mission concepts Doppler measurement data from on- 358-7432 to initiate licensing discussions.
such as satellite formation flying. board attitude sensors. These different Follow this link for more information: https://
GEONS was designed for autonomous types of measurements are all incorpo- technology.nasa.gov/patent/TOP5-709.
High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for

Monitoring Meteorological Parameters
The system uses infrasonic acoustics for weather monitoring and for drone or UAV activity.
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
A coustical studies of atmospheric

events like convective storms, torna-
does, shear-induced turbulence, micro-
Radial Core Vibrations Infrasound
bursts, acoustic gravity waves, and hurri-

canes over the past 50 years have estab-
lished that these events are strong emit- Core Bursting
ters of infrasound. Current methods to Infrasound/Audio
forecast near-term weather phenome-
non is electromagnetic (EM)-based ra-
dar and data from radiosondes.
Shear Instabilities Audio
Radar is an active remote sensor with
limited range and there is the possibility
that radar beams will overshoot the
mesocyclonic circulation. There is also a Speed
possibility that mesocyclonic circulation
cannot be detected because of the conal
Boundary Layer
region immediately above the radar set.
Radiosondes are launched twice a day Instabilities Audio
from different locations of the world Infrasound
and meteorological data is collected to radius
plot the STUV diagram and determine
CAPE (Cumulative Average Potential
Energy) values. Radiosondes are not re-
usable and used only at pre-determined Infrasonic sound generation.
locations around the globe. Moreover, a
radiosonde can drift up to 125 miles used in towns and cities to track drones miles from the source and the shape of
from its release point. About 75,000 radio- and UAVs in the area. the acoustic power spectrum can be
sondes are used every year. The airborne vehicle (UAV or drone) used to identify the type of turbulence in
Given this unmet need, NASA devel- should be able to track seismic waves, the atmosphere.
oped an advanced airborne meteorolog- magnetic storms, magneto-hydrodynam- NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
ical system that can provide meteorolog- ic waves, tornadoes, meteors, lightning, mercialize this technology. Please contact
ical parameters at any location at any etc. This technology can be used to meas- NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
desired time. In addition to routinely ure environmental turbulence including Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
used meteorological sensors, an infra- wind shear, vortices, and large and small at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
sonic sensor is also included to deter- eddies — an important factor in fore- sions. Follow this link for more information:
mine wind shear at local and regional casting local and regional weather. It can https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-
levels. The airborne system may also be also detect infrasound at ranges of many TOPS-281.

Winglet with Injected Flow
Injection of air at the trailing edge of a winglet further
reduces drag.
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
F uel efficiency is a key driver in aircraft

design, allowing some combination of
lower fuel costs and/or higher payloads.
made porous (e.g., holes machined, fab-
ricated using mesh, etc.) to ingest air,
and ducting placed within the wing car-
Wing-tip devices such as winglets — ries that air to the trailing edge where it
attachments to the tip of aircraft wings — is injected. In the active design, air lines
are commonly used to minimize wing-tip already within the wing are tapped to
vortices, reducing aircraft drag by two to obtain flow from an existing air source,
three drag counts (e.g., allowing for 400- such as the bleed air from the engines,
600 pounds of additional payload at the and the air flows out through trailing-
same fuel cost). While lowering drag edge openings in the winglet to facilitate
overall, some additional drag is induced trailing-edge air injection.
at the root of a winglet. A passive wing-tip blown effect would
NASA Ames has developed a novel reduce vortex drag and possibly provide
patent-pending technology that employs additional lift. In addition, it could also
the injection of air at the trailing edge of have an influence on reducing pressure-
a winglet to further reduce drag, result- induced drag and friction drag. Re- MOST
ing in fuel savings in the operation of the duction in vortex drag would result in fuel 3 nm
aircraft. This technology can be applied savings in the operation of the aircraft. PRECISE
MOST OPTICAL
3 nm
to aircraft (large or small) that currently
use winglets and more particularly, to
NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
mercialize this technology. Please contact
MEASUREMENT
PRECISE OPTICAL 70 kHz
wing-tip devices with the addition of NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-Patent- MEASUREMENT 70 kHz
Confocal technology with micron spot size
pores for reducing vortex drag. Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us at 202- Nanometer resolution on diffuse
This can be done through either pas- 358-7432 to initiate licensing discussions. Confocal technology with micron spot size
& specular target
sive or active designs. In the passive Follow this link for more information: https:// Nanometer resolution on diffuse
One sided thickness of transparent material
design, the leading edge of the winglet is technology.nasa.gov/patent/TOP2-289. & specular target
High speed up to 70 kHz
One sided thickness of transparent material
Winglet Intelligent
In
Inte igent controller
tellllig
High speed up to 70 kHz
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Air inlets along Winglet
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LASER DISPLACEMENT
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AUTOMATION
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blown tip effect Ideal for high resolution & dynamic
Advanced Surface Compensation for high
measurements
speed measurements on changing surfaces
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Materials & Coatings
Copolyimide Surface-Modifying Coating

The coating repels insects on aircraft wing surfaces and motor vehicles and reduces surface
imperfections on other low-friction or non-stick surfaces.
N ASA Langley developed a coating

material made of a novel copoly-
imide containing surface-modifying
the potential to significantly disrupt lam-
inar airflow over the wings and eliminat-
ing them can reduce air resistance and
of copolyimide coatings incorporating
fluorine and silicon SMAs in a novel
chemical formulation. The coating min-
agents (SMAs) that is designed to pre- improve fuel economy. imizes adhesion while at the same time
vent the accumulation of insect residue Accumulation of undesirable species maintaining the bulk properties of the
on aircraft wings. These residues have such as insect residue is mitigated by use polyimide coating. The specific SMAs
used here are designed to be thermody-
namically drawn to the coating surface.
Further, the SMAs react chemically with
the polymer backbone and are thus
chemically bonded, so the SMAs will not
evaporate or migrate out of the coating
material. The coating adheres well to a
range of relevant materials including alu-
minum, composites, and plastics.
NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
sions. Follow this link for more information:
The coating is designed to prevent the accumulation of insect residue on surfaces. (Image credit: https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-
NASA Langley) TOPS-233.
Alkaline Hydrogel Advances Skin Wound Care

A novel method was developed to produce an alkaline hydrogel that could improve
wound healing.
Tokyo University of Science, Japan
W ith an increase in the elderly and

aging population and also in the
number of invasive surgeries, wound
minutes, allowing its easy implementa-
tion in any medical practice for superior
wound healing.
tinuously provide moisture into the
wound, creating a highly suitable envi-
ronment for the wound to heal.
healing has become a critical focus area It is important to create an optimal One such natural polymer used in
in medicine. The complex bodily pro- physiological environment around a hydrogels for wound dressing is alginate,
cesses involved in wound healing make wound to promote the growth of new a carbohydrate derived from seaweed
it challenging as well as rewarding to cells. Recent research has revealed that and therefore abundantly available.
identify newer methods and materials hydrogels are exceptionally useful for Alginate gels are very easy to prepare but
for effective wound healing. achieving such conditions given its gelation occurs quickly, making it diffi-
Effective wound care requires the molecular structure. Hydrogels are cult to control the gelation time.
maintenance of optimal conditions for three-dimensionally cross-linked net- Although methods to achieve this con-
skin and tissue regeneration. Hydrogels works of polymers that can absorb more trol have previously been reported,
provide many of these conditions but than 95% of their volume in water. ensuring short gelation time while main-
not an alkaline environment. Scientists Hydrogels with natural polymers have taining transparency results in hydro-
have developed a new method that excellent compatibility with the biologi- gels with a slightly acidic (4-6) or neu-
requires no specialized equipment and cal conditions of skin and tissues tral pH. Slightly acidic conditions were,
can be performed at room temperature (referred to as biocompatibility), can until recently, believed to be beneficial
to produce an alkaline hydrogel in five absorb fluids from the wound, and con- for wound healing but newer research

Novel method prepares alkaline alginate hydrogel
ed water to this mixture and letting the
Novel Alkaline Hydrogel gelation (gel formation) process take
Could Promote Skin Calcium carbonate +
Carbonated water place. In this method, the pH of the gel
Wound Healing Potassium alginate
8.38–8.57 shifts to alkaline because the carbon

Organic hydrogels promote wound healing
by helping skin cells regrow
Slightly alkaline
hydrogel with
Acidic pH Alkaline dioxide volatilizes after gelation. This
Alginate hydrogel extremely high
water content Water content 99% also ensures transparency of the gel,
Provides Absorbs wound
which in turn allows the visual assess-
moisture exudates
ment of wounds and helps in easily
5 minutes preparation time No specialized equipment Allows visual assessment ascertaining the progress of healing.
Also, regardless of the amounts of
After a week in saline solution:
Keratinocytes Showed ability to ingredients used, the resultant hydro-
absorb exudates
Fibroblasts gels have extremely high water content
Retained shape — up to 99%.
Alkaline environment is suitable for skin
cell survival and proliferation
When the team placed the hydrogel
But developing alkaline hydrogels
This novel alkaline hydrogel shows immense potential for
application in the care of difficult wounds such as surgical wounds,
in physiological saline solution, it
has been challenging burn injuries, and skin wounds in the elderly passed the test for another critical req-
Preparation and evaluation of physicochemical properties of novel
alkaline calcium alginate hydrogels with carbonated water
uisite for a wound dressing: the poten-
Teshima et al. (2020) Polymers for Advanced Technologies DOI:10.1002/pat.5027 tial to absorb exudates from the wound.
Preparation and evaluation of physiochemical properties of novel alkaline calcium alginate hydro- And while the hydrogel did become
gels with carbonated water. (Image: Teshima et al.) structurally weak and could not be lift-
ed with tweezers after a week of immer-
has found that a slightly alkaline pH (8- ment and can be carried out at room sion, it retained its shape. In the future,
8.5) is better for promoting the growth temperature. This, in addition to the if it is possible to control the sustained
of skin-healing cells such as fibroblasts fact that the hydrogel forms in five min- release of an effective drug held inside
and keratinocytes. utes, makes it ideal for potential use in it, the hydrogel can be used as a drug
The scientists prepared a novel alka- any medical practice for superior carrier as well.
line alginate hydrogel (pH 8.38-8.57) wound healing. The method involves For more information, contact the Tokyo
suitable for wound healing via a mixing calcium carbonate and potassi- University of Science Public Relations
method that requires no special equip- um alginate and then adding carbonat- Division at mediaoffice@admin.tus.ac.jp.
Liquid Metal Lattice

The new metal lattice material can be used to create models that regain shape after
being crushed.
Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
R esearchers have created a liquid

metal lattice made from Field’s alloy,
a mix of bismuth, indium, and tin. The
metal is in a solid state, it is very safe and
strong; it absorbs a lot of energy when
crushed. Then, after some heating and
alloy becomes liquid at the relatively low cooling, it returns to its original shape
melting point of 62 °C (144 °F). and can be reused.
Field’s alloy is currently used as a liquid- Satellite designers could pack an an-
metal coolant in nuclear engineering, tenna into a small package and then un-
among other applications. The re- fold it when in orbit. A spacecraft, for
searchers combined the metal lattice example, may crash if it lands on the
material with a rubber shell through a Moon or Mars with some kind of impact.
hybrid manufacturing process that inte- Normally, aluminum or steel are used to
grates 3D printing, vacuum casting, and produce the cushion structures but after
conformal coating (used on electronic cir- landing on the Moon, the metal absorbs
cuitry to protect against moisture, dust, the energy and deforms so it can only be
chemicals and temperature extremes). used once. Using Field’s alloy, it can be
The shell skeleton controls the overall crashed into like other metals but then
shape and integrity, so the liquid metal heated up later to recover its shape,
itself can be confined in the channels. enabling multiple uses.
The team made a series of prototypes The team is exploring how to build on
that regain their shapes after being this metal lattice research including dif-
heated to the melting point including ferent structure types and improved
mesh antennas, honeycombs, soccer coating materials. A new liquid metal lattice material was used to
create prototypes that return to their shapes
balls, and a hand that slowly opens as For more information, contact Ryan Yarosh when crushed including a hand that moved
the metal lattice melts. When the liquid at ryarosh@binghamton.edu; 607-777-2180. when heated up.

High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Material

The new material could provide efficient and reusable protection from shock, vibration,
and explosion.
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
P ressurized insertion of aqueous solu-

tions into water-repellent nano-
porous materials, such as zeolites and
Rubber is widely used for shock absorp-
tion but the new process creates a materi-
al that can absorb more mechanical ener-
The reusability of the material, stem-
ming from the spontaneous liquid extru-
sion, also makes the material suitable for
metal-organic frameworks, could help to gy per gram with very good reusability damping purposes, meaning that it
create high-performance, energy-ab- due to its unique nanoscale mechanism. could be used to create vehicles with
sorbing systems. Researchers experi- The material has significance for vehi- lower noise and vibration as well as bet-
mented with hy drothermally stable cle crash safety for both occupants and ter ride comfort. The material could also
zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) pedestrians, military armored vehicles be incorporated into machinery to re-
with a hydrophobic cage-like molecu- and infrastructures, and as human duce harmful vibrations and noise, re-
lar structure, finding that such systems body protection. Soldiers and police ducing maintenance costs. It could be
are remarkably effective energy ab - could benefit from better body armor used to reduce vulnerability to earth-
sorbers at realistic, high-rate loading and bomb suits and athletes could have quakes for bridges and buildings.
conditions and this phenomenon is more effective helmets, knee pads, and For more information, contact Tony Moran
associated with the water clustering shoe insoles since the material is liquid- at t.moran@bham.ac.uk; +44 (0)782 783
and mobility in nanocages. like and flexible to wear. 2312.
Generation of Polystyrene Latex Spheres with Incorpo-

rated Fluorescent Dyes
Microspheres are used in wind tunnel experiments to monitor airflow, to stain biological
samples, and in time-delayed drug release.
P olymeric particles are used extensively

for seeding airflows in wind tunnels,
and biological and histological staining,
due to the large level of background noise
arising from reflection of incident light off
the surface of the model being studied.
Although polystyrene microspheres
are often the seed material of choice for
subsonic airflow studies, these seed mate-
among other applications. For wind tun- Thus, the ability to seed the airflow with a rials do not provide any benefit for near-
nel applications, particle image velocime- material that can be used to accurately wall measurements compared to other
try is often used to determine the interac- portray the airflow properties (i.e., mini- state-of-the-art seed materials. Conse-
tion of various models and surfaces with mal particle lag) — while enabling near- quently, in this innovation, NASA scien-
surrounding airflows. Measurements near wall measurements with improved signal- tists developed a method of generating
the wall are particularly relevant and to-noise ratio — is of high interest to wind dye-doped polystyrene micro spheres
unfortunately, exceptionally challenging tunnel researchers. using novel synthetic approaches.
The novel features of this invention
are the utility of specific chemical func-
Laser Source tionalities, monomeric species, environ-
mental additives (buffers), and polyelec-
trolytes to promote incorporation of dye
molecules into developing polystyrene
Vortex Core microspheres while enabling control of
the spectral properties of the dye rela-
tive to pH dependence.
Flow Direction These particles will have great utility
Seed for wind tunnel measurements near the
wall where the state-of-the-art seed mate-
rials are not able to collect data. Addi-
tionally, the incorporation of these dyes
will offer other avenues of data collec-
tion including temperature and pres-
sure of the airflows and wind tunnel
regions. Likewise, the ability to selective-
Laser airflow shown with microspheres. (Image: NASA) ly filter the data collected from these

FREE FLOWING
dye-doped polystyrene microspheres can have further applica-
tions including the direct visualization of two or more fluid
flows mixing.
ENCAPSULANT
NASA is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this technology.
Please contact NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-Patent-
meets NASA Low
Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us at 202-358-7432 to initiate licens-
ing discussions. Follow this link for more information: https://
Outgassing Specifications
technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-TOPS-295.
Two Part Epoxy Supreme 121AO
Designing Soft Materials that Glass transition temperature | 200-210°C
Mimic Biological Functions Temperature resistance | Up to +550°F
The soft material demonstrates autonomous,
heartbeat-like oscillating properties. Tensile modulus
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 750,000-850,000 psi
Mixed viscosity, 75°F
A team has developed a theoretical model to design soft mate-
rials that demonstrate autonomous oscillating properties
that mimic biological functions. The work could advance the
10,000-25,000 cps
design of responsive materials used to deliver therapeutics as
well as for robot-like soft materials that operate autonomously.
The design and synthesis of materials with biological func-
tions require a delicate balance between structural form and
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physiological function. During embryonic development, for
instance, flat sheets of embryonic cells morph through a series www.masterbond.com
of folds into intricate three-dimensional structures such as
branches, tubes, and furrows. These, in turn, become dynamic,
three-dimensional building blocks for organs performing vital
functions like heartbeat, nutrient absorption, or information
processing by the nervous system. www.hunterproducts.com
Such shape-forming processes, however, are controlled by
chemical and mechanical signaling events, which are not fully
understood on the microscopic level. To bridge this gap,
researchers designed computational and experimental systems
that mimic these biological interactions. Hydrogels, a class of
hydrophilic polymer materials, have emerged as candidates
capable of reproducing shape changes upon chemical and
mechanical stimulation observed in nature.
The researchers developed a theoretical model for a hydrogel-
based shell that underwent autonomous morphological changes
when induced by chemical reactions. The chemicals modified the MICRO-METALLIZER PLATING PENS MIL & QQ
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Autonomous responsive polymer shells undergo morphological changes
when triggered by an initial deformation.

local gel microenvironment, allowing reaction that transfers electrons between enhance the rate of diffusion of compart-
swelling and de-swelling of materials via two chemical species — the shell generat- mentalized chemicals or release cargos at
chemo-mechanical stresses in an auton- ed microcompartments capable of ex- specific rates. The work could also inform
omous manner. This generated dynamic panding, contracting, or inducing buck- the future development of soft materials
morphological change including periodic ling-unbuckling behavior when mechan- with robot-like functionality that operate
oscillations reminiscent of heartbeats ical instability was introduced. autonomously. These soft robotics have
found in living systems. If the level of chemicals goes past a emerged as candidates to support chemi-
The team designed a chemical-re- certain threshold, water gets absorbed, cal production, tools for environmental
sponsive polymeric shell meant to mimic swelling the gel. When the gel swells, the technologies, or smart biomaterials for
living matter. They applied the water- chemical species gets diluted, triggering medicine. Yet the materials rely on exter-
based mechanical properties of the chemical processes that expel the gel’s nal stimuli, such as light, to function.
hydrogel shell to a chemical species — a water, therefore contracting the gel. The new soft material operates auton-
chemical substance that produces specif- The model could be used as the basis omously, so there is no external control
ic patterned behavior (in this case, wave- to develop other soft materials demon- involved.
like oscillations) — located within the strating diverse, dynamic morphological For more information, contact Julianne
shell. After conducting a series of reduc- changes. This could lead to new drug Hill at julianne.hill@northwestern.edu; 847-
tion-oxidation reactions — a chemical delivery strategies with materials that 467-1194.
Nature-Inspired, Manufactured, Non-Cuttable Material

The material could be used in security, health, industrial, and safety applications.
Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
E ngineers, inspired by nature, created

what is claimed to be the first manu-
factured non-cuttable material. The idea
The bio-inspired metallic cellular struc-
ture has only 15% steel density. The
architecture derives its extreme hardness
— after getting through the jelly and hit-
ting the nuggets, the material vibrates in
such a way that it destroys the cutting
for the new lightweight material came from the local resonance between the disc or drill bit. Water jets are also inef-
from the tough cellular skin of the embedded ceramics in a flexible cellular fective because the curved surfaces of
grapefruit and the fracture-resistant matrix and the attacking tool, which pro- the ceramic spheres widen the jet to sub-
shells of the abalone sea creature. duces high-frequency vibrations at the stantially reduce its speed and weaken its
Called Proteus, the material is made interface. When cut with an angle grinder cutting capacity.
from alumina ceramic spheres encased or drill, the interlocking vibrational con- Proteus could be used to make bike
in a cellular aluminum metallic foam nection created by the ceramic spheres locks, lightweight armor, and in protec-
structure and works by turning back the inside the casing blunts the cutting disc or tive equipment for people who work
force of a cutting tool on itself. In tests, drill bit. The ceramics also fragment into with cutting tools.
Proteus could not be cut by angle fine particles that fill the cellular structure Watch Proteus in action on Tech Briefs TV
grinders, drills, or high-pressure water of the material and harden as the speed of at www.techbriefs.com/tv/no-cut-material.
jets. The architected material is both the cutting tool is increased For more information, contact Dr. Stefan
highly deformable and ultra-resistant to Essentially, cutting the material is like Szyniszewski at stefan.t.szyniszewski@
dynamic point loads. cutting through jelly filled with nuggets durham.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 33 42479.
Metal powder +
foaming agent Mixing Pressing Extrusion Preparation Foaming Cooling
Manufacturing steps include mixing metal powder with a small amount of foaming agent, followed by pressing the mix and extrusion into preform
shapes. The compressed powder bars enable precise placement of ceramic segments in the orthogonal pattern and manufacturing of the end product
in an industrial furnace. (Photo courtesy of the researchers)

Manufacturing & Prototyping
Overhang Support Designs for Powder-Based Electron
Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)
The supports enable the production of higher-quality, less-expensive parts via additive
manufacturing.
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama
N ASA Marshall developed a contact-

free support structure used to fabri-
cate overhang-type geometries via EBAM.
are required. A key challenge in EBAM is
overcoming deformation of overhangs
that are the result of severe thermal gra-
tal surface of the support structure and a
lower surface of the overhang geometry.
The support structure acts as a heat sink
The support structure is used for 3D dients generated by the poor thermal to enhance heat transfer and reduce the
metal-printed components for the aero- conductivity of metallic powders used in temperature and thermal gradients. Be-
space, automotive, biomedical, and the fabrication process. Conventional cause the support structure is not con-
other industries. Current techniques use support structures address the deforma- nected to the part, the support structure
support structures to address deformation challenge; however, they are bonded can be removed freely without any post-
tion challenges inherent in 3D metal to the component and need to be re- processing step.
printing; however, these structures (over- moved in post-processing using a me- Future work will compare experimental
hangs) are bonded to the component chanical tool. This process is laborious, data with simulation results in order to
and need to be removed in post-process- time-consuming, and degrades the sur- validate process models as well as to study
ing using a mechanical tool. This new face quality of the product. process parameter effects on the thermal
technology improves the overhang sup- The invented support design fabri- characteristics of the EBAM process.
port structure design for components by cates a support underneath an overhang NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
eliminating associated geometric defects by building the support up from the mercialize this technology. Please contact
and post-processing requirements. build plate and placing a support sur- NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
EBAM technology is capable of making face underneath an overhang with a cer- Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
full-density, functional metallic compo- tain gap (no contact with overhang). at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
nents for numerous engineering applica- The technology deposits one or more sions. Follow this link for more information:
tions in industries where high-value, low- layers of unmelted metallic powder in an https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MFS-
volume, custom-designed productions elongate gap between an upper horizon- TOPS-41.
Eco-Friendly Technique Upcycles Metal Waste into

Multipurpose Aerogels
Potential applications include lightweight building materials and growing cells for
biomedical purposes.
National University of Singapore
C onventional approaches for recy-

cling metal waste are energy-inten-
sive and some also generate environ-
than conventional recycling methods for
metal waste. The metal-based aerogels
created using the fabrication technique
involved. On average, it takes about one
to three days to transform powdered
metal waste into aerogels, compared to
mentally harmful byproducts such as have high thermal and mechanical sta- three to seven days using conventional
ammonia and methane during alu- bility, making them candidates for heat methods of producing aerogels.
minum recycling. To address this chal- and sound insulation in harsh environ- Aerogels are highly absorbent, ex-
lenge, researchers demonstrated an eco- ments with high-temperature or high tremely light, and have excellent ther-
friendly technique to convert aluminum mechanical impact. mal and sound insulation capabilities.
and magnesium waste into high-value, The team developed a simple fabrica- The properties of aerogels can be
multifunctional aerogels. This upcycling tion process to create metal-based aero- altered by coating them with chemicals;
method could be applied to all types of gels. Metal waste is first ground into for example, they can become water-
metal waste such as metal chips and elec- powder and mixed with chemical cross- repellent or fire-resistant.
tronic waste. linkers. The mixture is heated in the Aluminum aerogel is 30 times lighter
The approach does not produce any oven, frozen, and then freeze-dried to and insulates heat 21 times better than
hazardous waste, consumes less energy, create the aerogel. The process may vary conventional concrete. When optical
and is more environmentally friendly slightly, depending on the metal waste fibers are added during the mixing

Manufacturing &
Prototyping
washed away when it comes into contact

with water. Metal-based aerogels are also
suitable as fire-retardant boards, thermal
insulation materials in buildings and
piping systems, for absorption of air-
borne contaminants for indoor environ-
ments, and oil spill cleaning.
Aluminum aerogels also could be
used as microcarriers for cell cultiva-
tion. Microcarriers are micro-sized
beads on which cells anchor and grow.
To be used as microcarriers, aluminum
aerogels are ground into powder and
added to the mixture of cells and
growth media (including nutrients,
antibiotics, and growth supplements).
The cells are cultivated at 37 °C in an
The metal-based aerogels have high thermal and mechanical stability and could potentially be used incubator for 12 days. The microcarri-
as lightweight building materials and for growing cells for biomedical purposes. ers are then removed and the cells are
harvested for various uses.
stage, translucent aluminum aerogels that light up at night to improve safety In the next phase of research, the
can be created that, as building materi- for pedestrians and road traffic. team is looking at developing metal-
als, can improve natural lighting, reduce When coated with a chemical called based aerogels for applications that
energy consumption for lighting, and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS), alu- require extremely high temperature tol-
illuminate dark or windowless areas. minum aerogels can repel water and be- erance such as for military applications.
Translucent concrete can also be used to come a self-cleaning construction mate- For more information, contact Carolyn
construct sidewalks and speed bumps rial that allows dirt or debris to be easily Fong at carolyn@nus.edu.sg; +65 6516 5399.
System for In-Situ Defect Detection in Composites

During Cure
This system enhances processing via real-time, non-destructive defect tracking.
T ypically, non-destructive evaluation

of composites — by ultrasound or
other means — is conducted either Transducer
before or after the cure process but Composite Panel

Glycerin Couplant
many defects vanish and form during (Not to scale) Tool Plate
Zyvax Coating
cure. NASA Langley Research Center,
in collaboration with Analytical Me-
chanics Associates, developed an auto-
mated ultrasonic scanning system for 4 Plies on Tool Side
in-situ cure monitoring and defect 24 Taper Plies
detection of composites in an auto- 4 Plies on Caul Side
clave or an oven.
The non-destructive system consists of
Sealant
an ultrasonic, portable, automated C- Tape
scan system with an attached ultrasonic
contact probe. The scanner is placed Release Film Bleeder Vacuum Bag Caul Plate Midpoint Ply-drop Start Ply-drop End Caul Plate Panel Edge
(0mm) (140mm) (279 mm) Edge (375 (381mm)
inside an insulated vessel that protects
mm)
the temperature-sensitive components
of the scanner. A liquid nitrogen cooling The system for in-situ defect detection in composites during cure. (Image: NASA)
system keeps the interior of the vessel
below 38 °C. A motorized X-Y raster The cooling container that houses the clave environment. The box and scanning
scanner is mounted inside an unsealed X-Y raster scanner is periodically cooled arm are located on a precision cast tool
cooling container made of porous insu- using a liquid nitrogen (LN2) delivery sys- plate. A thin layer of ultrasonic couplant is
lation boards with a cantilever scanning tem. Flexible bellows in the slot opening placed between the transducer and the
arm protruding out of the cooling con- of the box minimize heat transfer tool plate. The composite parts are vacu-
tainer through a slot. between the box and the external auto- um bagged on the other side of the tool

plate and inspected. The scanning system porosity (i.e., trapped during layup) as
SEAL
inside the vessel is connected to the con- well as processing-induced porosity (e.g.,
troller outside the autoclave. The system resulting from uneven pressure distribu-
can provide A-scan, B-scan, and C-scan tion on a part).
images of the composite panel at multiple The technology can be used as a non-
times during the cure process. destructive evaluation system when mak- and
DELIVER
The system provides real-time monitoring composite parts in an oven or an
ing of defect formation and movement autoclave including thermosets, thermo-
during cure. This not only offers a better plastics, composite laminates, high-tem-
understanding of defect sources and perature resins, and ceramics.
sinks but also the ability to more accurate- NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
ly validate process models for the predic- mercialize this technology. Please contact
tion of cure process defects. The system NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
also shows the through-thickness location Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
of any composite manufacturing defects at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
during cure with real-time localization sions. Follow this link for more information:
and tracking. This has been demonstrat- https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-
ed for both intentionally introduced TOPS-327.
Light-Based “Tractor Beam”

Assembles Materials at the Nanoscale
The size and shape of the nanostructure can be controlled as
it is assembled piece by piece.
University of Washington, Seattle
Don’t Get Caught In a
R esearchers have developed a method
that could make reproducible man-
ufacturing at the nanoscale possible.
known as optical traps or optical tweez-
ers — to operate in a water-free liquid
environment of carbon-rich organic
Labyrinth of Bad Seals
The team adapted a light-based tech- solvents, thereby enabling new poten-
nology employed widely in biology — tial applications. Our Patented Centrifugal
Pressure Seals:
Keep lubricants in
& contaminants out
Reduce downtime
Support horizontal &
vertical applications
Prevent friction &
overheating with a
non-contact design
Create a dynamic
pressurized barrier
Support extremely
low-viscosity fluids
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Focused laser light generates an optical tractor beam that can manipulate and orient semiconductor centritecseals.com
nanorods (red) with metal tips (blue) in an organic solvent solution. The energy from the laser super-
heats the metallic tip of the trapped nanorod, allowing the aligned nanorods to be welded together 860-643-1531
end-to-end in a solution-based nanosoldering process. (Credit: Vincent Holmberg/Matthew Crane/
Elena Pandres/Peter Pauzauskie)

Manufacturing &
Prototyping
The optical tweezers act as a light- To demonstrate the approach, the cap at the end — solder them end-to-
based “tractor beam” that can assemble researchers used the optical tweezers to end. They could then repeat the process
nanoscale semiconductor materials pre- build a novel nanowire heterostructure until they had assembled a patterned
cisely into larger structures. There are — a nanowire consisting of distinct sec- nanowire heterostructure with repeating
no chamber surfaces involved in the tions comprised of different materials. semiconductor-metal junctions that was
manufacturing process, which mini- The starting materials for the nanowire five to ten times longer than the individ-
mizes the formation of strain or other heterostructure were shorter nanorods ual building blocks.
defects. All of the components are sus- of crystalline germanium, each just a few Nanowires that contain junctions
pended in solution and the size and hundred nanometers long and tens of between materials — such as the germa-
shape of the nanostructure can be con- nanometers in diameter. Each is capped nium-bismuth junctions — may eventu-
trolled as it is assembled piece by piece. with a metallic bismuth nanocrystal. ally be a route to creating topological
Using the technique in an organic The researchers then used the light- qubits for applications in quantum com-
solvent allows work with components based tractor beam to grab one of the puting. The nanosoldering approach
that would otherwise degrade or cor- germanium nanorods. Energy from the could enable additive manufacturing of
rode on contact with water or air. beam also superheats the nanorod, melt- nanoscale structures with different sets
Organic solvents also help to superheat ing the bismuth cap. They then guide a of materials for other applications.
the material, allowing control of materi- second nanorod into the tractor beam For more information, contact James
al transformations. and — thanks to the molten bismuth Urton at jurton@uw.edu; 206-543-2580.
Green Method for Producing Hydrogen Peroxide

This portable method could enable hospitals to make their own supply of the disinfectant
on demand and at lower cost.
University of California, San Diego
H ydrogen peroxide has made head-

lines as researchers and medical
centers around the country have been
testing its viability in decontaminating
N95 masks to deal with shortages amid
the COVID-19 pandemic. While results
so far are promising, some researchers
worry that the chemical’s poor shelf life
could make such decontamination ef-
forts costly.
The main problem is that hydrogen
peroxide is not stable; it starts breaking
down into water and oxygen even before
the bottle has been opened. It breaks
down even more rapidly once it is
exposed to air or light. And because it
decomposes so quickly, shipping and stor-
ing it become very expensive.
Researchers have developed a quick,
simple, and inexpensive method to gen-
erate hydrogen peroxide in-house using
just a small flask, air, an off-the-shelf elec-
trolyte, a catalyst, and electricity.
The goal was to create a portable setup
that can be simply plugged in so that hos- The H-cell setup for developing the hydrogen peroxide production method.
pitals and even households have a way to
generate hydrogen peroxide on demand. oxygen reduction reaction and it is user- been attached to the surface. The oxy-
Another advantage is that the method is friendly because it can produce dilute gen atoms are bound to tiny clusters of
less toxic than industrial processes. hydrogen peroxide with the desired con- three to four palladium atoms. These
The method is based on a chemical centration on demand. bonds between the palladium clusters
reaction in which one molecule of oxy- The key to making this reaction hap- and oxygen atoms are what enable the
gen combines with two electrons and two pen is a special catalyst that the team reaction to occur with a high selectivity
protons in an acidic electrolyte solution developed. It is made up of carbon and activity due to its optimal binding
to produce hydrogen peroxide. This type nanotubes that have been partially oxi- energy of the key intermediate during
of reaction is known as the two-electron dized, meaning that oxygen atoms have the reaction.

The team originally developed this vation of hydrocarbon molecules more can be done using a neutral electrolyte
method to make battery recycling efficient, which is a critical step in many (basically a salt solution) instead of an
processes greener. Hydrogen peroxide is industrial chemical processes. acidic one, which would be better for
one of the chemicals used to extract and Moving forward, the team will work on household and clinical applications.
recover metals like copper, nickel, cobalt, optimizing and scaling up the method for For more information, contact Katherine
and magnesium from used lithium-ion potential use in hospitals. Future studies Connor, Jacobs School of Engineering, at
batteries. Similarly, it also makes the acti- include modifying the method so that it khconnor@eng.ucsd.edu; 858-534-8374.
Ultra-Thin, Energy-Efficient Photodetector Integrated

with Gorilla Glass
This could lead to the commercial development of smart glass, with applications ranging
from imaging to advanced robotics.
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
P hotodetectors — also known as pho-

tosensors — contribute to the con-
venience of modern life. They convert
light energy into electrical signals to
complete tasks such as opening automat-
ic sliding doors and automatically adjust-
ing a cellphone’s screen brightness in
different lighting conditions. Research-
ers are advancing photodetectors’ use by
integrating the technology with durable
Gorilla glass, the material used for
smartphone screens that is manufac-
tured by Corning Incorporated.
Manufacturing and scaling photode-
tectors on glass must be done using rela-
tively low temperatures (the glass de-
grades at high temperatures) and must
ensure the photodetector can operate on
glass using minimal energy. To overcome
the first challenge, the researchers deter-
mined that the chemical compound
molybdenum disulfide was the best mate-
rial to use as a coating on the glass.
The team used a chemical reactor at
600 °C — a low enough temperature so
as not to degrade the Gorilla glass — to
fuse together the compound and glass.
The next step was to turn the glass and
coating into a photodetector by pattern-
ing it using a conventional electron
beam lithography tool. The team tested This graphic depicts molybdenum disulfide growth on Gorilla glass — the process that turns nor-
the glass using green LED lighting, mal glass into a photodetector. (Jennifer M. McMann/Penn State Materials Research Institute)
which mimics a more natural lighting
source, unlike laser lighting that is com- have access to sources of unrestricted security surveillance, environmental sens-
monly used in similar optoelectronics electricity. Therefore, they need to rely ing, optical communication, night vi-
research. on pre-storing their own energy in the sion, motion detection, and collision
The ultra-thin body of the molybde- form of wind or solar energy. avoidance systems for autonomous vehi-
num disulfide photodetectors allows for If developed commercially, smart glass cles and robots. Smart glass on car wind-
better electrostatic control and ensures could lead to technology advances in shields could adapt to oncoming high-
it can operate with low power — a criti- wide-ranging sectors of industry includ- beam headlights when driving at night
cal need for the smart glass technology ing manufacturing, civil infrastructure, by automatically shifting its opacity
of the future. The photodetectors need energy, healthcare, transportation, and using the technology.
to work in resource-constrained or inac- aerospace engineering. The technology For more information, contact Megan
cessible locations that by nature do not could be applied in biomedical imaging, Lakatos at mkl5024@psu.edu; 814-865-5544.

Robotics & Automation
Servo Motion Improves Robot Operations
Servo motion control delivers powerful, fast, and precise movement onboard robots and for
associated equipment.
Emerson, Charlottesville, Virginia
S ervos are the go-to technology for

robotics and servo systems play an
important role in operating the sup-
porting equipment around robots for
loading and unloading parts and prod-
ucts. The term “motion control” for
industrial automation equipment is
usually applied to the use of electrical
servo motors, drives, and controllers
for operating various axes of robot
motion. However, servo systems are also
fundamental for monitoring, comput-
ing, and controlling activities of convey-
ors, grippers, and other handling
equipment.
Servo motors convert electrical power
into precisely controlled motion. These
motors are operated by a drive that is
commanded by a controller. Each of Figure 1. Servo systems include motors, drives, and controllers.
these functions can be performed with an
individual device (Figure 1) or are some-
times combined. Designers must deter-
mine the application requirements for:
• Velocity and accel/decel
• Accuracy of positioning and speed
• Number of related axes
• Force
• Duty cycle
• Higher-level automation and integration
Users have a few choices for automa-
tion. They can use a dedicated servo
controller with built-in industrial proto-
cols like EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or
others. Another option is a programma-
ble logic controller (PLC) that supports
specific motion control instructions. For
applications with complex integration Figure 2. Emerson’s PACMotion family uses controllers installed in the PLC backplane to provide tight
requirements and/or many degrees of integration. It can reliably scale up to as many as 40 axes without performance degradation.
motion, using a motion-capable PLC can
provide the best communication and more conveyors and packaging equip- tion lines that handle different prod-
overall coordination. ment downstream of a robot. Each of uct sizes, some servo systems offer
Many users find that choosing servo these elements must be highly coordi- changeable camming profiles, allow-
hardware from a single vendor provides nated with the others to supply the ing the system to quickly perform
the lowest risk and highest performance. boxes and products to the robot at the changeovers for multiple product
This approach provides a scalable set of right speed so the cases can be filled and sizes. Some of these capabilities are
options to address any application (Fig- then discharged. only available in full-featured servo
ure 2). Designers can take advantage of product lines. Finally, the most capa-
A common application for servo advanced motion capabilities to per- ble servo systems provide enhanced
motion incorporates box-forming ma- form smooth product handling and to analytics and diagnostic information
chines, along with product container speed positioning while avoiding prod- to help users optimize operation and
infeed conveyors that supply a robot and uct tumbling or slipping. For produc- maximize uptime.

Servos are used onboard robotics for systems are reliable and efficient in serv- and interoperability capabilities of
their power, speed, and precision. For ice and they deliver the required high servo systems when selecting the plat-
the same reasons, servos are used exten- level of performance. form. Choosing servo motion control
sively to perform the equipment-related Due to the great degree of integra- technologies from a portfolio of indus-
motion control activities associated with tion commonly required with servo sys- trial products can reduce risk and
a robot. While it is true that servo tems and the growing need for opera- ensure best performance.
motion control adds a degree of com- tional and diagnostic data, designers For more information, visit http://
plexity and expense to any project, these should consider the communications info.hotims.com/79415-123.
In-Line, Automated CT Scan Data Inspection of

Electronic Connectors
A production-based X-ray solution performs product quality evaluation directly on the
manufacturing line.
Pinnacle X-Ray Solutions, Suwanee, Georgia
A utomation can produce large quan-

tities of product quickly, but ensur-
ing end-part quality is a critical chal-
Scene coordinate system
lenge. Visual, manual, or periodic sam- Deviation [mm]

pling methodologies can be imprecise, 0.10000
slow, or come in too late to trigger a
timely line stoppage once a manufactur- 0.08000
ing error has occurred, resulting in a
0.06000
high proportion of discarded parts.
An electronics-connector manufac- 0.04000
turer was looking for an automated
solution to effectively carry out inspec- 0.02000
tion on 100% of its products directly on 0.00000

the production line. The part in ques-
tion consisted of a small base plate on -0.02000
which a large number of metal pins
-0.04000
were mounted and then over-molded
with plastic. If the metal pins were in -0.06000
any way deformed or moved out of posi-
tion during manufacturing or the subse- -0.08000
quent molding process, the current pro- -0.10000

duction equipment could not detect
this before the part went into an auto- y
matic-insertion machine. The issue was
Example of CAD-to-CT comparison of deviations in just-manufactured electronic connector pins.
not the low-cost connector itself — it Green is golden mesh, blue is the CAD model, and magenta shows deviation outside of customer-
was the potential coupling of a defective specified tolerance that would cause the part to be rejected.
connector with another one or even a
jammed, high-speed machine and compart volume. This data is then trans- by the software and automatically gated
plete line shutdown. Such scenarios ferred (as an STL file) to a nearby com- off the assembly line.
could arise if even a single pin on one puter loaded with Volume Graphics Customizing the CT scanning process
part was out of alignment. VGinLINE analysis software. for an individual production line in this
The solution was an automated The software (pre-configured with way requires answers to questions such
inline computed tomography (CT) sys- the manufacturer’s macros and parame- as how quickly the line is moving and
tem, coupled with scan-data analysis ters) compares the geometry of each how fast the scan needs to be done.
software tailored to the exact speed connector against a “golden mesh” — What kind of information needs to be
and efficiency metrics of the connector an adaptation from the original CAD taken from the scan and what will be
manufacturer’s automated production design of the part that takes into done with the information afterwards?
process (which is less than 10 seconds account the realities of the pin-manu- What are the tolerances within the parts
per part). Located at the point where facturing process — and identifies any being produced and how much variance
the finished parts emerge on a convey- variances in connector-pin structure or is allowable?
or belt, the system rapidly CT-scans alignment. If a single pin is found to be The ability of CT scanning to non-
each part to provide both surface and outside the pre-determined tolerance destructively “see” deep inside objects
internal X-ray views of the complete limits, the entire connector is rejected allows this kind of system to be used for

quality control on manufacturing lines ing porosity, delamination, and a wide software can be used to perform a realis-
across many industries. The setup can variety of other types of defects anywhere tic micromechanics simulation or to gen-
evaluate parts made from almost any within the part. If it is required to evalu- erate a high-quality tetrahedral volume
material, no matter how complex in ate the extent to which variations in part mesh for further use in third-party FEM
shape. VGinLINE can be used for detect- geometry affect performance, related simulation software.
As the automation of factories contin-
ues to expand, the economics of imple-
menting reliable, repeatable quality con-
trol directly on the manufacturing line is
increasingly making sense to high-vol-
ume part-production companies. Indus-
trial CT systems and associated software
are being installed all over the world as
more manufacturers decide to make the
technical investment to integrate this
technology with existing production
lines. A significant driver for the adop-
tion of in-line scanning is the leap in data
processing speeds; in one instance, a sys-
tem is meeting a tact-time requirement
of 5 seconds per part (CT scan, analyze,
accept/reject).
This article was written by Peter Davis, CT
Automation Manager and Jake Rickter,
Automation Specialist at Pinnacle X-Ray
(Left) CT scan of electronic connector pins and (right) a visualization of a scan-data software analysis Solutions, Suwanee, GA. For more informa-
that clearly identifies geometries that are out of alignment. tion, visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-125.
Robot Detects and Shares Changes in 3D in Real Time

A robot could immediately alert a human of small changes in their surrounding environment.
Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland
E ven small changes in a soldier’s sur-

roundings could indicate danger.
Now, a robot can detect those changes
and a warning could immediately alert
the soldier through a display in her eye-
glasses. Researchers demonstrated in a
real-world environment the first human-
robot team in which the robot detects
physical changes in 3D and shares that
information with a human in real time
through augmented reality. The human
is then able to evaluate the information
received and decide follow-on action.
The work was done to provide contex-
tual awareness to autonomous robotic
ground platforms in maneuver and
mobility scenarios. Most academic re-
search in the use of mixed reality inter-
faces for human-robot teaming does not
enter real-world environments but rather The Army developed a robot that could detect physical changes in 3D and share that information
uses external instrumentation in a lab to with a human in real time. (U.S. Army)
manage the calculations necessary to
share information between a human and The new research paired a small mate wearing augmented reality glasses.
robot. Likewise, most engineering efforts autonomous mobile ground robot, As the robot patrolled the environment, it
to provide humans with mixed-reality equipped with laser ranging sensors compared its current and previous read-
interfaces do not examine teaming with known as LiDAR, to build a representation ings to detect changes in the environment.
autonomous mobile robots. of the environment with a human team- Those changes were then instantly dis-

played in the human’s eyewear to deter- tween humans and autonomous agents
NEW!
mine whether the human could interpret by allowing the human to interact with
the changes in the environment.
In studying communication between
the detected changes, which will pro-
vide more information to the robot 4 AXIS SERVO
the robot and human team, the re- about the context of the change; for from
searchers tested different resolution example, changes made by adversaries
LiDAR sensors on the robot to collect versus natural environmental changes
measurements of the environment and or false positives. This will improve the
detect changes. When those changes autonomous context understanding
were shared using augmented reality to and reasoning capabilities of the robot-
the human, the researchers found that ic platform such as by enabling the 2.25”
human teammates could interpret robot to learn and predict what types of
changes that even the lower-resolution changes constitute a threat. In turn,
LiDARs detected. This indicates that providing this understanding to auton-
depending on the size of the changes omy will help researchers learn how to
expected to encounter, lighter, smaller, improve teaming of soldiers with au-
and less expensive sensors could perform tonomous platforms.
just as well and run faster in the process. For more information, contact the U.S.
Future studies will continue to ex- Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory
plore how to strengthen the teaming be- Public Affairs at 703-693-6477.
System Provides Robots with

Context Awareness
The system enables robots to predict what their human
coworker will do next.
- brushed or bldc motors
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- 5 amps per axis
W orking safely is not only about
processes but context — under-
standing the work environment and cir-
of context awareness, so they can work
side-by-side with humans on assembly
lines more efficiently and without un-
- 16 analog inputs
- 16 on/off drivers
cumstances and being able to predict necessary interruptions. - home and limit in
what other people will do next. A new Instead of being able to only judge dis-
system empowers robots with this level tance between itself and its human co-
- live tech support
- made in the USA
See the
EZQUAD SERVO
in action!
WWW.ALLMOTION.COM
(510) 471-4000
30097 Ahern Avenue
Union City, CA 94587
Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t
(408) 460-1345
The context-aware system is tested by a researcher placing his hand in the robot’s path. (Image:
Hongyi Liu)

workers, the human-robot collaboration learning called transfer learning, which adjust its speed by cruising toward the
system can identify each worker as well as reuses knowledge developed through intersection, thereby sparing wear on
the worker’s skeleton model, which is an training before being adapted into an the brakes and transmission.
abstract of the worker’s body volume. operational model. Experiments showed that with con-
Using this information, the context-aware With a current collaborative robot, text, a robot can operate safer and more
robot system can recognize the worker’s when a human approaches it, the robot efficiently without slowing down produc-
pose and even predict the next pose. slows down and if the worker comes tion. In one test, a robot arm’s path was
These abilities provide the robot with a close enough, the robot will stop. If the blocked unexpectedly by someone’s
context to be aware of while interacting. person moves away, it resumes. The con- hand. But rather than stop, the robot
The system operates with artificial in- text-aware robot system can be com- adjusted — it predicted the future tra-
telligence that requires less computa- pared to a self-driving car that recog- jectory of the hand and the robot moved
tional power and smaller datasets than nizes how long a stoplight has been red its arm around the hand.
traditional machine learning methods. and anticipates moving again. Instead of For more information, contact David
It relies instead on a form of machine braking or downshifting, it begins to Callahan at press@kth.se; +46 8 790 69 76.
Algorithm Gives Robots a Faster Grasp

The algorithm speeds up the planning process robots use to adjust their grip on objects for
picking and sorting or tool use.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
A new algorithm significantly speeds

up the planning process required for
a robot to adjust its grasp on an object by
pushing that object against a stationary
surface. Whereas traditional algorithms
would require tens of minutes for plan-
ning out a sequence of motions, the new
approach shaves this preplanning process
down to less than a second. This faster
planning process will enable robots, par-
ticularly in industrial settings, to quickly
figure out how to push against, slide
along, or otherwise use features in their
environments to reposition objects in
their grasp. Such nimble manipulation is
useful for any tasks that involve picking
and sorting, and even intricate tool use.
Existing algorithms typically take
hours to preplan a sequence of motions
for a robotic gripper, mainly because for
every motion that it considers, the algo-
rithm must first calculate whether that The algorithm speeds up the planning process for robotic grippers to manipulate objects using the
motion would satisfy a number of physi- surrounding environment. (Image courtesy of the researchers)
cal laws such as Newton’s laws of motion
and Coulomb’s law describing frictional robot’s grasp. The algorithm calculates a from a certain angle. For each starting
forces between objects. A compact way motion cone for different possible config- configuration, the algorithm instantly
to solve the physics of these manipula- urations among a robotic gripper, an generated the map of all the possible
tions in advance of deciding how the object that it is holding, and the environ- forces that the robot could apply and the
robot’s hand should move involves using ment against which it is pushing in order position of the block that would result.
“motion cones” that are essentially visu- to select and sequence different feasible The algorithm’s predictions reliably
al, cone-shaped maps of friction. pushes to reposition the object. matched the physical outcome in the lab,
The inside of the cone depicts all the The researchers tested the new algo- planning out sequences of motions —
pushing motions that could be applied to rithm on a physical setup with a three-way such as reorienting the block against the
an object in a specific location, while satis- interaction in which a simple robotic grip- bar before setting it down on a table in an
fying the fundamental laws of physics and per was holding a T-shaped block and upright position — in less than a second,
enabling the robot to keep hold of the pushing against a vertical bar. They used compared with traditional algorithms that
object. The space outside of the cone rep- multiple starting configurations, with the take more than 500 seconds to plan out.
resents all the pushes that would in some robot gripping the block at a particular For more information, contact Abby
way cause an object to slip out of the position and pushing it against the bar Abazorius at abbya@mit.edu; 617-253-2709.

Power & Energy
Flywheel Energy Storage Continues to Advance
Green Initiatives
Flywheels offer an environmentally and financially sound choice for protecting critical operations.
VYCON, Inc., Cerritos, California
E nsuring continuous electrical power

within mission-critical facilities is top
of mind for today’s facility managers, data Genset UPS System of Choice
center operators, hospital IT managers, AC
Static By-Pass
and electrical engineers. Thoughtful
planning, design, equipment selection,
Rectifier Inverter
and maintenance of an organization’s Automatic Transfer
AC/DC DC/AC Critical AC
power infrastructure is vital for continu- Switch
Output
ous operations. According to U.S. Energy
Information Administration findings, Utility
DC Bus
typical utility customers experienced AC
nearly six hours of power interruptions
in 2018 in the U.S., largely a result of DC
AC
severe weather or devastating wildfires.
With businesses losing upwards of $150
million as a result of blackouts (accord-
ing to the U.S. Department of Energy),
protecting against power outages and
disturbances is essential. Equally impor- VYCON VDC
tant is incorporating environmentally
friendly power solutions to advance Figure 1. Flywheel system interface.
organizations’ green initiatives.
Uninterruptable Power Systems (UPS) power to seamlessly bridge the critical
with valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) gap in power until the facility’s genera-
batteries have traditionally met needs tor comes online. A flywheel operates
for instantaneous backup power dur- like a dynamic battery that stores energy
ing a power event. Although lead-acid kinetically, spinning a mass around an
batteries are a known resource, they axis. Electrical input spins the flywheel
have high environmental and opera- rotor up to speed and a standby charge
tional costs. Maintenance, frequent keeps it going until called upon to re-
replacement, spill containment, and lease the stored energy.
environmentally responsible disposal are Flywheel systems connect to the UPS’s
also considerations. DC bus just like a battery bank, receiving
More recently, Lithium-ion batteries charging current from the UPS and pro-
serve as an energy storage option with viding DC to the UPS inverter during
UPS. Lithium batteries have higher discharge (Figure 1). Upon loss of utility
energy density and longer life than power, up to 450 kW of regulated DC
VRLA batteries; however, they have dis- power per flywheel is delivered instantly
advantages, including initial cost, and to the UPS. This provides the power
may require extra floor space for poten- needed to start and transition to the gen-
tial fire spread. erators during a prolonged outage.
The chemical nature of batteries Multiple flywheels can be paralleled for
means there is no commercially avail- longer run times or N+1 redundancy.
able “perfect” battery — yet. Every The highest-reliability flywheels offer a
chemical type has considerations. But 20-year operational life and feature a
mechanical-based energy storage solu- high-speed permanent magnet motor-
tions can offer a safer and environmen- generator, fast recharge, magnetic levita-
tally greener approach. tion, no bearing replacements, and an
During a power disturbance, a fly- intelligent monitoring system. For an
wheel system provides instant backup added layer of protection, flywheels can Figure 2. VYCON’s VDC XXT Flywheel System.

Power & Energy
be used in conjunction with batteries to an equivalent power-rated battery bank. benefits of flywheel energy storage.
reduce charge-discharge cycles, extend Also, flywheels do not require a temper- Flywheels offer an environmentally and
battery life, and add an extra layer of ature-controlled environment, as they financially sound choice in protecting
redundancy. comfortably operate from 0 to 40 C. critical operations.
In a typical facility, flywheel systems Microgrids and electric rail applications For more information, visit http://
require 50 to 75 percent less space than also demonstrate the reliability and cost info.hotims.com/79415-122.
Pyroelectric Sandwich Thermal Energy Harvester

The technology harvests electrical energy from waste heat sources.
N ASA Langley developed a technolo-

gy that harvests electrical energy uti-
lizing a pyroelectric device that generates
thermally conductive protective layers,
an electrical circuit designed to harvest
the voltage generated thermally, and an
works on the principle of converting
ambient waste heat to electrical energy
for operating electronics, it can also be
voltage when cyclically heated. The de- energy storage unit. used in terrestrial applications such as
vice consists of a pyroelectric material The technology was designed to pro- powering electronics in motor vehicles
sandwiched between two electrodes, vide a small, renewable, and portable and wireless sensor networks for Inter-
which in turn are contained within two power source for spacecraft. Since it net of Things (IOT) applications that
experience thermal cycles, among
other applications.
The technology will enable more effi-
cient utilization of solar and thermal
energy production through harvesting
energy that is currently lost as waste
heat. It has been demonstrated to pro-
duce electricity in the milliwatt range
and requires further development to
maximize power generation.
NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
sions. Follow this link for more information:
https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-
Samples of pyroelectric energy harvester devices. (Image credit: NASA/Jin Ho Kang) TOPS-221.
Carbon Fiber Structural Battery for “Mass-Less” Energy

Storage in Vehicles
The carbon fiber serves as the electrode, conductor, and load-bearing material.
Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
T he batteries in today’s electric cars

constitute a large part of the vehicles’
weight, without fulfilling any load-bear-
Researchers developed a structural
battery that uses carbon fiber as a nega-
tive electrode and a lithium iron phos-
terials are kept separated by a fiberglass
fabric in a structural electrolyte matrix.
The task of the electrolyte is to transport
ing function. A structural battery, on the phate-coated aluminum foil as the posi- the lithium ions between the two elec-
other hand, works as both a power tive electrode. The carbon fiber acts as a trodes of the battery but also to transfer
source and as part of the structure; for host for the lithium and thus stores the mechanical loads between carbon fibers
example, in a car body. This is termed energy. Since the carbon fiber also con- and other parts.
“mass-less” energy storage because the ducts electrons, the need for copper and The battery has an energy density of
battery’s weight vanishes when it be- silver conductors is avoided, reducing 24 Wh/kg, meaning approximately 20
comes part of the load-bearing structure. the weight even further. Both the carbon percent capacity compared to compa-
Calculations show that this type of multi- fiber and the aluminum foil contribute rable lithium-ion batteries currently
functional battery could greatly reduce to the mechanical properties of the available. But since the weight of the
the weight of an electric vehicle. structural battery. The two electrode ma- vehicles can be greatly reduced, less en -

e- e-
Li+
Li+ e-
Li+
Structural battery composites cannot store as much energy as lithium-ion batteries but have several characteristics that make them highly attractive
for use in vehicles and other applications. When the battery becomes part of the load-bearing structure, the mass of the battery essentially disappears.
(Illustration: Yen Strandqvist/Chalmers University of Technology)
ergy will be required to drive an elec- In further work, the performance of will be replaced with an ultra-thin vari-
tric car, for example, and lower energy the structural battery will be increased. ant that will give a much greater effect
density also results in increased safety. The aluminum foil will be replaced as well as faster charging cycles.
And with a stiffness of 25 GPa, the with carbon fiber as a load-bearing For more information, contact Leif Asp,
structural battery can compete with material in the positive electrode, pro- Professor, Department of Industrial and
other commonly used construction viding both increased stiffness and Materials Sciences, at leif.asp@chalmers.se;
materials. energy density. The fiberglass separator +46 31-772 15 43.
Photovoltaic Solar Cell Works at Night

This cell could potentially operate around the clock, balancing the power grid over the
day-night cycle.
University of California, Davis
A specially designed photovoltaic cell

was developed that could generate
up to 50 watts of power per square meter
The process is similar to the way a nor-
mal solar cell works, but in reverse. An
object that is hot compared to its sur-
is very cold, so if a warm object is pointed
at the sky, it will radiate heat toward it.
Another kind of device, called a ther-
under ideal conditions at night — about a roundings will radiate heat as infrared moradiative cell, generates power by radi-
quarter of what a conventional solar panel light. A conventional solar cell is cool com- ating heat to its surroundings. Re-
can generate in the daytime. pared to the Sun, so it absorbs light. Space searchers have explored using them to
capture waste heat from engines. This
thermoradiative cell pointed at the night
sky would emit infrared light because it is
warmer than outer space.
A regular solar cell generates power by
absorbing sunlight, which causes a voltage
to appear across the device and for cur-
rent to flow. In these new devices, light is
instead emitted and the current and volt-
age go in the opposite direction but
power is still generated. The device would
work during the day as well if steps were
taken to either block direct sunlight or
A conventional photovoltaic or solar cell (left) absorbs photons of light from the Sun and generates point it away from the Sun.
an electrical current. A thermoradiative cell (right) generates electrical current as it radiates infrared
light (heat) toward the extreme cold of deep space. Such cells could generate a significant amount For more information, contact Andy Fell
of energy and help balance the power grid over the day-night cycle. (Tristan Deppe/Jeremy Munday) at ahfell@ucdavis.edu; 530-752-4533.

Power & Energy
Electrolyte Boost Improves Performance of Aqueous

Dual-Ion Batteries
New cell chemistry utilizes less costly and more abundant materials than lithium-ion batteries.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
W idespread adoption of renewable

energy in the power grid requires
the right kind of battery — one that is
safe, sustainable, powerful, long-lasting,
and made from materials that are plenti-
ful and ethically sourced. Researchers
have formulated a new type of cell chem-
istry for dual-ion batteries (DIB) called
graphite||zinc metal aqueous dual-ion
battery, which uses a zinc anode and a
natural graphite cathode in an aqueous,
or water-in-bisalt, electrolyte.
The use of aqueous electrolytes is not
new, nor is the use of graphite. Lithium-
ion (Li-ion) batteries use graphite as the
anode component and non-aqueous DIBs
use graphite as both the anode and the
cathode. What’s new is combining the two
in a new chemistry. To do that, the team
gave the aqueous electrolyte an extra
boost by using a highly concentrated
water-in-bisalt solution. The solution
widens the electrochemical stability win-
dow of the electrolyte and enables graph-
ite as a cathode material in a practical
aqueous system. This helps stabilize the
In DIBs, both cations and anions are active and move in parallel from the electrolyte to the anode
electrolyte at high voltages, allowing the and cathode, respectively, in an accordion-like fashion. (Graphic by Cortland Johnson, adapted
graphite to electrochemically oxidize from images by Ismael Rodríguez Pérez/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
before the aqueous electrolyte.
The battery showed promising per- ite as a cathode has been limited by the anode and cathode, respectively, in an
formance during testing. At approximate- narrow electrochemical stability of wa- accordion-like fashion, allowing for po-
ly 2.3 to 2.5 volts, it achieved one of the ter, which caps out at 1.23 volts. The tentially high-power applications, like
highest operating potentials of any aque- electrochemical stability window is the supercapacitors, while still being able to
ous battery. But the new cell chemistry potential range between which the elec- use moderately high energy, like batteries.
doesn’t only improve battery performance trolyte is neither oxidized nor reduced Furthermore, this mechanism renders the
— it’s also better for the environment. (decomposed) and an important meas- ions in the electrolyte active, allowing for
Cathodes made of highly abundant car- uring stick for the efficiency of an elec- further optimization of the battery.
bon-based materials, like natural graph- trolyte in contact with an electrode. DIBs still perform at only about a
ite, are less costly and more sustainable Graphite would require a much wider third of the capacity of Li-ion batteries
than environmentally harmful, scarce, stability window. and Li-ion batteries still have one of the
and expensive metals, like nickel and Each battery cell has three main parts: highest energy densities of any compara-
cobalt, that are regularly used in Li-ion a positive electrode called a cathode, a ble system, meaning they can provide a
batteries. Using an aqueous electrolyte negative electrode called an anode, and significant amount of energy and still
also makes DIBs safer as they are non- an electrolyte. In Li-ion batteries, power stay small. This advantage is one of the
flammable compared to commercial Li- is generated when the Li-ions (positively main reasons they’re used in mobile
ion batteries, which use non-aqueous charged ions or cations) flow from the applications such as smartphones and
electrolytes exclusively. cathode to the anode and back again in electric cars.
In DIBs, both the positive cathode a rocking chair motion through the elec- If the researchers can achieve a high
and negative electrode can be made of trolyte. This balances the charge when enough voltage for the battery, even if
low-cost carbon-based materials like electrons flow through an external cir- performance is not on par with Li-ion
graphite. This makes DIBs a particularly cuit from the cathode to the anode, cre- batteries, DIBs can be made bigger and
promising solution to support the wide- ating electricity. a suitable candidate for grid energy stor-
spread adoption of renewable energy In DIBs, both cations and anions (neg- age applications.
sources like wind and solar for the atively charged ions) are active and move For more information, contact Elsie Puig
power grid. Until now, the use of graph- in parallel from the electrolyte to the Santana at elsie.puig@pnnl.gov.

Health & Biotech
Early Warning System for COVID-19 and Flu Using Wearables
The smart ring shows it’s possible to detect fever before you feel it.
University of California, San Diego
T emperature data collected by wear-

able devices worn on the finger can
be reliably used to detect the onset of
Wearables such as the Oura ring can
collect temperature data continuously
throughout the day and night, allowing
porting symptoms and even to those
who never reported other symptoms. It
supports the hypothesis that some fever-
fevers, a leading symptom of both researchers to measure people’s true like events may go unreported or unno-
COVID-19 and the flu. temperature baselines and identify fever ticed without being truly asymptomatic.
A study was conducted of more than peaks more accurately. Temperature Wearables therefore may contribute to
65,000 people wearing a ring manufac- varies not only from person to person identifying rates of asymptomatic illness
tured by Finnish startup Oura that but also for the same person at different as opposed to unreported illness, which
records temperature, heart rate, respira- times of the day. is of special importance in the COVID-
tory rate, and levels of activity. The goal The study highlights the importance 19 pandemic.
of the study was to develop an algorithm of collecting data continuously over The data collected has the potential to
that can predict the onset of symptoms long periods of time. The lack of con- be linked with other datasets, making
such as fever, cough, and fatigue, which tinuous data is also why temperature individual and societal scale models com-
are characteristic of COVID-19. The al- spot checks are not effective for detect- binable to further understand the dis-
gorithms could allow public health offi- ing COVID-19. These spot checks are ease. In the future, researchers plan to
cials to act faster to contain the virus’ the equivalent of catching a syllable per expand their early detection methods to
spread. If wearables could detect CO- minute in a conversation, rather than other infectious diseases such as the flu.
VID-19 early, people could begin physi- whole sentences. For more information, contact Ioana
cal isolation practices and obtain testing The study showed that fever onset Patringenaru at ipatrin@ucsd.edu; 858-822-
to reduce the spread of the virus. often happened before subjects were re- 0899.
Magnet-Controlled Bioelectronic Implant for Relieving Pain

This could make possible embedded devices like a spinal cord-stimulating unit with a
battery-powered magnetic transmitter on a wearable belt.
Rice University, Houston, Texas
E ngineers have developed a neural im-

plant that can be both programmed
and charged remotely with a magnetic
field. The integrated microsystem —
MagNI (magnetoelectric neural im-
plant) — incorporates magnetoelectric
transducers that allow the chip to har-
vest power from an alternating magnetic
field outside the body.
MagNI targets applications that re-
quire programmable, electrical stimula-
tion of neurons; for instance, to help
patients with epilepsy or Parkinson’s dis-
ease. The device integrates magneto-
electric transducers with CMOS (com-
plementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
technologies to create a bioelectronic
platform for many applications.
Tissues do not absorb magnetic fields
as they do other types of signals and will
not heat tissues like electromagnetic and
optical radiation or inductive coupling. MagNI is the first neural implant that can be programmed and charged remotely with a magnetic
Ultrasound doesn’t have the heating field. (Credit: Secure and Intelligent Micro-Systems Lab/Rice University)

Health & Biotech
issue but the waves are reflected at inter- only three components: a 2 × 4-millime- In the current generation of chips,
faces between different mediums like ter magnetoelectric film that converts energy and information flow only one
hair and skin or bones and other muscle. the magnetic field to an electric field, a way but the team is working on two-way
Because the magnetic field also transmits CMOS chip, and a capacitor to tem- communication strategies to facilitate
control signals, MagNI is also calibration- porarily store energy. The team success- data collection from implants and en-
free, robust, and does not require any fully tested the chip’s long-term reliabil- able more applications.
internal voltage or timing reference. ity by soaking it in a solution and testing For more information, contact Mike
Components of the prototype device in air and jellylike agar, which emulates Williams at mikewilliams@rice.edu; 713-
sit on a flexible polyimide substrate with the environment of tissues. 348-6728.
Smartphone App Hears Ear Infections in Children

The app detects fluid behind the eardrum using a piece of paper and a smartphone’s
microphone and speaker.
University of Washington, Seattle
E ar infections occur when fluid builds

up in the middle ear behind the
eardrum and is infected. This buildup is
also common in another condition
called otitis media with effusion. Any
kind of fluid buildup can be painful and
make it hard for children to hear. A new
smartphone app can detect fluid behind
the eardrum by simply using a piece of
paper and a smartphone’s microphone
and speaker.
The smartphone makes a series of soft
audible chirps into the ear through a
small paper funnel and depending on
the way the chirps are reflected back to
the phone, the app determines the like-
lihood of fluid present with a probability
of detection of 85%. This is on par with
current methods used by specialists to
detect fluid in the middle ear that in-
volve specialized tools that use acoustics
or a puff of air. The system uses a regular piece of paper cut and folded into a funnel to guide sound waves in and
The app sends sounds into the ear out of the ear canal. (Dennis Wise/University of Washington)
and measures how those sound waves
change as they bounce off the eardrum.
The system involves a smartphone and a
regular piece of paper that the doctor
or parent can cut and fold into a funnel.
The funnel rests on the outer ear and
guides sound waves in and out of the ear
canal. When the phone plays a continu-
ous 150-millisecond sound — which
sounds like a bird chirping — through
the funnel, the sound waves bounce off
the eardrum, travel back through the
funnel, and are picked up by the smart-
phone’s microphone along with the
original chirps. Depending on whether
there’s fluid inside, the reflected sound
waves interfere with the original chirp
sound waves differently.
When there is no fluid behind the
eardrum, the eardrum vibrates and sends
a variety of sound waves back. These The app teaches parents how to use it. (Dennis Wise/University of Washington)

sound waves mildly interfere with the sound waves back. They interfere more ent types of paper to make the funnel.
original chirp, creating a broad, shallow strongly with the original chirp and cre- The results were consistent regardless of
dip in the overall signal. But when the ate a narrow, deep dip in the signal. phone or paper type.
eardrum has fluid behind it, it doesn’t Researchers tested the algorithm on a For more information, contact Sarah
vibrate as well and reflects the original variety of smartphones and used differ- McQuate at smcquate@uw.edu; 206-543-2580.
Electronic Tattoo Enables Uninterrupted Heart Monitoring

for Extended Periods
This wearable device is placed on the skin to measure a variety of body responses, from
electrical to biomechanical signals.
University of Texas, Austin
A wearable technology made

from stretchy, lightweight
material could make heart health
Although soft e-tattoos for ECG
sensing are not new, other sensors
such as the SCG sensor are still
monitoring easier and more made from non-stretchable mate-
accurate than existing electrocar- rials, making them bulky and
diograph machines — a technol- uncomfortable to wear. The e-tat-
ogy that has changed little in too is made of a piezoelectric
almost a century. polymer called polyvinylidene flu-
The electronic tattoo (e-tattoo) oride that is capable of generating
technology is graphene-based its own electric charge in response
and is placed on the skin to meas- to mechanical stress. The device
ure a variety of body responses, also includes 3D digital image cor-
from electrical to biomechanical relation technology that is used to
signals. The device is so light- map chest vibrations in order to
weight and stretchable that it can identify the best location on the
be placed over the heart for ex- The e-tattoo is made from stretchy, lightweight material that can chest to place the e-tattoo.
tended periods with little or no be placed over the heart for extended periods. Usually, an ECG measurement
discomfort. It also measures car- requires going to a doctor’s office
diac health in two ways, taking electro- and stretchable technology to measure where heart health can be monitored only
cardiograph (ECG) and seismocardio- both ECG and SCG. for a couple of minutes at a time. This
graph (SCG) readings simultaneously. ECG readings alone are not accurate device can be worn for days, providing
ECG records the rates of electrical activ- enough for determining heart health constant heart monitoring. A smartphone
ity produced each time the heart beats; but they provide additional informa- app stores the data safely and shows a
SCG is a measurement technique using tion when combined with SCG signal heart beating on the screen in real time.
chest vibrations associated with heart- recordings. Like a form of quality con- For more information, contact John
beats. Powered remotely by a smart- trol, the SCG indicates the accuracy of Holden at john.holden@utexas.edu; 512-
phone, the e-tattoo is the first ultrathin the ECG readings. 529-6013.
Antibacterial Gel Bandage Using Yeast

The gel works even at freezing temperatures and contains natural antimicrobial compounds
derived from durian husk.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
S cientists have made an antibacterial

gel bandage using the discarded
husks of durian, a tropical fruit. Durian
the biodiesel and soap industry — the
scientists created a soft gel, similar to sil-
icon sheets, that can be cut into band-
ally used to cover wounds from surgery
to minimize the formation of excessive
scar tissue, resulting in a softer and flat-
has a thick husk with spiky thorns that is ages of various shapes and sizes. They ter scar. The patch keeps the skin hydrat-
discarded, while the sweet flesh sur- then added the organic molecules pro- ed instead of drying up when conven-
rounding the seeds on the inside is con- duced from baker’s yeast known as natu- tional gauze bandages are used.
sidered a delicacy. ral yeast phenolics, making the bandage The conventional hydrogel patches
By extracting high-quality cellulose deadly to bacteria. are made from synthetic materials such
from the durian husks and combining it Conventional hydrogel patches are as polymers like polymethacrylate and
with glycerol — a waste byproduct from commonly available at pharmacies, usu- polyvinylpyrrolidine. Those with antimi-

Health & Biotech
crobial properties also use metallic com- incinerated, posing an environmental bandage is applied by simply laying it
pounds such as silver or copper ions. issue. Being non-toxic and biodegrad- across the wound, just as with existing
Such synthetic materials approved for able, the organic gel bandage is also commercially available silicone gel sheets
use in biomedical applications are more expected to have a smaller environmen- for wound dressing.
costly as compared to the new hydrogel tal footprint than conventional synthet- Organic hydrogels are also useful for
made from natural waste materials. ic bandages. wearable, flexible, and stretchable elec-
Waste products that are currently dis- The natural yeast phenolics embed- tronics. Wearable electronics can consist
carded in large quantities — durian ded in the new bandage will help to pre- of small sensors that detect heart rate
husks and glycerol — could be turned vent the growth of bacteria such as and physical activities, much like current
into a valuable biomedical resource Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-posi- smart bands. They could aid healthcare
that can enhance the speedy recovery tive S. aureus and the subsequent for- workers in monitoring the health of the
of wounds and reduce chances of infec- mation of biofilms (a layer of slime that elderly in remote communities.
tions. With the husk comprising 60% of can lead to antimicrobial resistance For more information, contact Lester Kok
the durian, it is usually discarded and within a bacteria colony). The hydrogel at lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg.
International Space Station Advanced Resistive Exercise

Device (ARED)
Terrestrial uses include physical therapy, clinical diagnosis, athletic training and performance,
and robust exercise equipment.
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
A person who is inactive for an ex-

tended period of time (such as
when they have a long illness) loses
strength as well as muscle and bone
mass. Astronauts on the International
Space Station (ISS) face similar risks
because bones and muscles begin to
atrophy in the absence of gravity. Re-
sistive exercise, where the musculoskele-
tal system bears weight, has been shown
to mitigate these effects. But just lifting
weights, as we do on Earth, does not
work without gravity.
Engineers at NASA Johnson devel-
oped a special resistive exercise device
for astronauts on the ISS to follow a per-
sonalized exercise plan in the micrograv-
ity environment of low-earth orbit. The
Advanced Resistive Exercise Device
(ARED) has the capability to exercise all
major muscle groups — focusing on
squats, dead lifts, and calf raises — and
helps the crew maintain their strength
and endurance. Using the ARED, astronauts on the International Space Station maintain their health in the absence
The ARED is a mechanically simple of gravity.
but robust device. It employs vacuum
cylinders to provide a constant resis- years, with a total life of more than 11.2 adjusted between 0 and 600+ pounds for
tance, while flywheel assemblies provide million cycles. The ARED accommo- bar-related exercises and up to 150
a variable resistance. The variable resis- dates a wide range of body types and pounds for cable-related exercises.
tance supplied by the flywheel assem- sizes. There is also a touchscreen that NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
blies is designed to mimic the inertial makes it easier for an astronaut to follow mercialize this technology. Please contact
forces generated when lifting free a personalized prescribed exercise plan. NASA’s Licensing Concierge at Agency-
weights on Earth. It is not dependent on A crewmember may select any exercise Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov or call us
gravity to operate but can operate in from their prescription or choose other at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discus-
Earth gravity as well as microgravity. available exercises. The crew performs sions. Follow this link for more information:
It was flown to the ISS in November their exercises using either a lift bar or a https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-
2008 and is designed to last at least 15 cable assembly. Resistive load can be TOPS-59.

New on the
MARKET
Product of the Month
Stratasys, Eden Prairie, MN, introduced three 3D printers for additive manufacturing of end-use parts. The
Stratasys Origin® One 3D printer uses proprietary P3™ technology and a software-first architecture to produce
parts at volume in a range of open, certified third-party materials. The Stratasys H350™ 3D printer, powered by
SAF™ technology, delivers production-level throughput for end-use parts. It can produce thousands of parts such
as covers, connectors, hinges, cable holders, electronics housings, and ducting. The Stratasys F770™ 3D printer
for large parts uses FDM technology and features a fully heated build chamber and build volume of more than
13 cubic feet (372 liters). It can prototype jigs and fixtures and tooling applications requiring standard thermo-
plastics. Soluble support material simplifies post-processing.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-120
Source Measure Units Epoxy Adhesives

Newark, an Avnet Company, Chicago, IL offers Panacol, Torrington, CT, released Structalit®
the Rohde & Schwarz R&S®NGU201 and 401 5511, 5521, and 5531 one-component epoxy resin-
source measure units. The NGU201 features two based adhesives that cure at 60 °C for electronics
quadrants that can function as both a source and applications. The 5511 and 5521 adhesives are
sink to simulate batteries and loads. It provides battery drain analysis for transparent after cure, possess the lowest viscosity of the three prod-
battery-powered devices up to 60W. The NGU401 functions as a bipolar ucts, and bond well to plastics. The 5531 adhesive contains a glass filler,
power supply or bipolar electronic load across four quadrants including providing mechanical stability for bonds subjected to vibration load
source or sink operation with arbitrary polarity. and drop testing. It bonds to dissimilar substrates including steel, alu-
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-100 minum, polycarbonate, and acrylic.
Humidity/Temperature Transmitters
Vaisala, Vantaa, Finland, introduced the HUM- Ionizer
ICAP© intrinsically safe HMT370EX humidity and KOGANEI International America, Fremont, CA, offers
temperature transmitter series for hazardous and the DTY-ELF14HC multifunction, self-cleaning ionizer for
explosive environments. The series consists of the static electricity removal. The AC (200 Hz) system pro-
transmitter and a selection of hand-detachable probes. The system out- vides ion balance of ±5V and automatic cleaning that
puts dewpoint temperature, wet-bulb temperature, absolute humidity, removes dirt on the discharge needle. Other features
mixing ratio, water concentration, water mass fraction, water vapor include airflow volume control, ozone production of less than 0.004 ppm,
pressure, and enthalpy. balance indicator for confirmation of positive/negative ions, and models
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-101 for steady flow, cross flow, wide area, and overhead configurations.
Voltage Measurement Board
Measurement Computing Corp., Norton, MA, Relay Switches
released the MCC 128 Voltage Measurement HAT Pasternack, an Infinite Electronics brand, Irvine,
(Hardware At the Top) board for Raspberry Pi that CA, offers micro-sized, surface mount, single-pole
features 16-bit resolution and multiple analog double-throw electromechanical relay switches.
input ranges. It includes eight single-ended or four differential-ended The SPDT switches feature latching actuators and
analog inputs with sample rates up to 100 kS/s. Up to eight boards can hot-switching capability. Model frequency bands cover DC to 8 GHz,
be stacked onto one Raspberry Pi, providing up to 64 channels of data. DC to 18 GHz, and DC to 26 GHz, with 12 VDC and 24 VDC operating
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-102 voltage options.
Robotic Tool Changer
The QC-7 Robotic Tool Changer from ATI In- Thermal Camera
dustrial Automation, Apex, NC, offers configura- FLIR Systems, Wilsonville, OR, announced the
tion options with ATI’s Pass-Through Utility Mod- FLIR T865 thermal camera that offers portable and
ules and Tool Stand systems. It features a low stack handheld fixed mount options for inside and outside
height and mounts directly to ISO 9409-1-31.5-4- work in harsh conditions and multiple lens options
M5 robot wrists. The pneumatically actuated sys- to inspect objects both near and far. Features include an available 6° tele-
tem features No-Touch locking technology and handles payloads up photo lens or 42° wide-angle lens. Other features include 640 × 480
to 35 pounds. It is compatible with a variety of industrial and collabo- detector resolution with 307,200 pixels or UltraMax™ 1280 × 960 resolu-
rative robot models. tion with up to 1,228,800 pixels.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-103 For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-106

P R O D U C T SPOTLIGHT
MULTIPHYSICS New on the Market
MODELING AND
SIMULATION
APPLICATIONS Draw-Wire Sensors
Micro-Epsilon, Raleigh, NC, introduced wireSENSOR WPS-K100 draw-
COMSOL Multiphysics® is a soft-
ware environment for creating wire sensors that measure displacement and distance. They offer meas-
physics-based models and simula- uring ranges of 1500 and 2500 mm and are protected from external
tion applications. Add-on products provide tools for
influences by a glass fiber-reinforced plastic housing with separate
electromagnetics, structural, acoustics, fluid flow, heat
transfer, and chemical simulations. Interfacing prod- drum and spring spaces. The sensors can be adapted to the respective measurement task in
ucts offer a unified workflow with all major technical terms of their measuring range, wire thickness, and different signal outputs.
computing and CAD tools. COMSOL Compiler™ and For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-105
COMSOL Server™ are used for deploying simulation
applications to colleagues and customers.
https://www.comsol.com/products Thermopile Sensors
COMSOL, Inc. Analog infrared thermopile sensors from TE Connectivity Corp., Berwyn,
PA, measure temperature by detecting an object’s emitted infrared energy
from distances a fraction of an inch to several feet away. The thermopile
sensing element, composed of small thermocouples on a silicon chip,
EPOXY
absorbs the energy and produces an output signal. They measure temperatures from -40 to +300
RESISTS °C and use reference nickel RTD- or NTC-based sensors.
CHEMICALS For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-108
AND HEAT
Master Bond EP35SP Thermal Vision System
two part epoxy for
bonding and sealing Marposs, Auburn Hills, MI, announced the Total Thermal Vision system
featuring enhanced resistance to harsh chemicals that uses infrared technology to monitor the surface temperatures of a die
and high temperatures. It features a high glass transi- during die casting of light alloys. It features an integrated cooling system, elec-
tion temperature of 215-220°C and a broad service
temperature range of -62°C to +288°C. https://www. tric shutters, compact connectors, and smart IR camera. Additionally, the use
masterbond.com/tds/ep35sp of a PLC is no longer required, providing more flexibility for customer con-
figuration. It comes equipped with a 21.5" touchscreen and has up to 4 IR camera connections.
Master Bond
Handheld Testers
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79415-742 Megger, Norristown, PA, offers the handheld MET1000 multifunction
tester, the TPT420 voltage meter, and the DPM1000 power clamp meter.
THICK & THIN FILM RESISTORS The MET1000 can measure AC/DC voltage to 1000 V and AC current up
to 200 A. The TPT420 provides both AC and DC voltage measurements
ranging from 12 to 1000 V AC and up to 1500 V DC. The DPM1000 combines the functionality
of a power meter, harmonics meter, and data logger. It can measure DC, AC, pulsed, and mixed
currents up to 1000 A and AC/DC voltage up to 1000 V.
For over 40 years, MSI has been delivering superior For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-110
quality products. Absolute tolerances starting at
0.01% and TCR’s at ±2 ppm/C. Applications include
medical implantables, military, aerospace, micro- Coolant Monitoring System
wave/RF, and telecommunications. Call (508) 695- The Liquidtool Manager from Liquidtool Systems, Hasle-Rüegsau,
0203, visit www.Mini-SystemsInc.com, or e-mail
Switzerland, monitors coolants using a cloud-based platform with automat-
Info@mini-systemsinc.com
ed measurement. The Liquidtool Sensor for metal cutting machines is com-
patible with coolants of all manufacturers and monitors them automatically.
Mini-Systems Inc. The data collected by the sensor is stored and analyzed in the cloud-based
Liquidtool Manager that provides access from smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Rackmount Server
Become an INSIDER Mercury Systems, Andover, MA, introduced the RES XR7 rugged rack-
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mount server featuring 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The
to Tech Briefs’ INSIDER
e-mail newsletter to keep configurable server features PCIe Gen4 processing, storage, and networking technologies and
pace with the latest tech- includes Intel software guard extensions technology to protect data and application code. The
nology advances and licens-
server is certified to multiple military and industrial standards.
ing opportunities in aero-
space, electronics, photon- For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79415-112
ics, manufacturing, and
other key fields. Embedded Computing
Galleon Embedded Computing, Katy, TX, announced XSR
embedded computers, storage units, data recorders, and servers
with 9th Generation Intel® Xeon® 2276ME Processor. The systems
feature 6-core processor support, memory up to 96 GB, and low-power options housed within a
www.techbriefs.com/insider thermally optimized package. The systems provide high-speed data acquisition, high-density
storage, and complex signal recording.
50 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/69509-xxx www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, July 2021

FACILITY FOCUS
Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
D uke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan

Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The
School of Engineering was founded in 1939 and renamed the
Biomedical Imaging and Biophotonics: Duke researchers have
pushed the boundaries of innovation in optics and photonics,
ultrasound, MRI, X-ray, and nuclear medicine-based imaging
Pratt School of Engineering in 1999 in honor of 1947 graduate technologies, developing new diagnostic and treatment tools
Edmund T. Pratt Jr., a former chief executive of Pfizer. for ailments ranging from cancer to cardiovascular, neurologi-
Duke engineering faculty and alumni have contributed to a cal, and ophthalmic diseases.
number of important high-impact technologies including clin- Biosensors and Bioinstrumentation: Recent advances in bio-
ical ultrasound imaging, restoration of hearing by cochlear chemistry, electronics, omics, and physiology are used to
implant, megapixel photography, and metamaterials. develop novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and prosthetic devices.
The Pratt School of Engineering maintains these academic Biosensor researchers engineer macro- and nano-scale
departments: devices that utilize biological components, such as antibodies
• Biomedical Engineering or enzymes, to detect and quantify minute amounts of chem-
• Civil & Environmental Engineering icals or investigate biological processes in diverse systems and
• Electrical & Computer Engineering environments.
• Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Computational Modeling of Biological Systems: Researchers
Materials Science focus on the study and advancement of computational meth-
ods and data analysis techniques to understand biological
Biomedical Engineering phenomena. This quantitative research uses modeling and
The Biomedical Engineering (BME) division was founded in simulation, high-performance computing, and large-scale
1967. The department’s close proximity to Duke University data analysis to create testable hypotheses about mechanisms
Medical Center has fostered an interdisciplinary approach to driving complex biological function.
research, with engineers working closely with both biological Neural Engineering: Researchers develop novel neu-
scientists and physicians. ral technologies such as brain machine inter-
Biomaterials: Focus areas include the molecular design of faces, neural prostheses, and im-
soft materials, nanomaterials, immune-active materials, plantable devices for the treat-
scaffolds for tissue engineering, and complex ment of neurological disorders.
mechanisms by which materials engage Current activity includes
biology. Research in biomaterials has deep brain stimulation
led to the development of im- for the treatment of
plantable biomedical devices and con- motor disorders,
tinues to be central to the introduc- electrical stimula-
tion of new medical therapies tion for the restora-
ranging from engineered tis- tion of bladder func-
sues to delivery vehicles for tion, and electrical stimu-
genes and drugs, to im- lation for restoration of multi-
mune therapies. joint motor function.
Biomechanics and Bioelectric Engineering: This area
Mechanobiology: Research spans a range of length scales from
efforts range from appli- the ion-channel to the organ level. One
cations in orthopedics, injury of the main areas of focus is the develop-
mechanics, biomaterial, and tis- ment of realistic mathematical and comput-
sue engineering design to those er models of cardiac muscle.
aimed at affecting disease states. Technologies – Originally launched on April 2,
Biomedical and Health Data Sciences: The 2020, CovIdentify was designed to explore how data
increasing availability of electronic health collected by smartphones and smartwatches could
records data has enabled data-driven inquiry help determine whether or not device users have
into contemporary healthcare issues. Researchers COVID-19. The project explored how biometric informa-
are developing data science, machine learning, and tion like sleep schedules, oxygen levels, activity levels, and
digital health modeling approaches to transform multi- heart rate can help indicate early symptoms
A 3D rendering of the
scale biomedical data (e.g. imaging and wearable sensors) first fully recyclable of COVID-19. Recently, the team launched
into actionable health insights. printed transistor. an iOS application and sent devices to tar-

Facility Focus
capable of detecting the virus a full day earlier than the

gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Civil & Environmental Engineering

Duke Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) re-
search focuses on creating healthy, safe environments
and engineering complex Earth, water, and built systems.
Research addresses protecting the health of human pop-
ulations and predicting, monitoring, and managing
impacts on air, water, and other global cycles.
The Geomechanics and Geophysics for Energy and the
Environment (GGEE) group works to understand and
address issues related to underground engineering,
exploration, resource use, and environmental hazards.
The Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics group pursues some
of the most pressing open problems in environmental
fluid dynamics, hydrology, and water resources.
The Risk & Resilient Systems group focuses on finding
new and better ways to model, estimate, and quantify the
dynamics, uncertainty, and risks prevalent in diverse engi-
neered and natural systems with the ultimate goals of
reducing risk, informing decisions, and developing more
resilient systems.
Technologies – Researchers developed a method that
uses machine learning, satellite imagery, and weather
data to autonomously find hotspots of heavy air pollu-
CovIdentify uses biometric data from smartwatches and smartphones to identi- tion, city block by city block. The technique could be a
fy early signs of COVID-19 infection. boon for finding and mitigating sources of hazardous
aerosols, studying the effects of air pollution on human
get populations and underserved communities at high risk of health, and making better informed, socially just public poli-
contracting the coronavirus. cy decisions.
Researchers developed a biomaterial that significantly A method for estimating the air quality over a small patch of
reduces scar formation after wounding, leading to more land uses nothing but satellite imagery and weather condi-
effective skin healing. This new material, which quickly tions. Such information could help researchers identify hid-
degrades once the wound has closed, demonstrates that den hotspots of dangerous pollution, greatly improve studies
activating an adaptive immune response can trigger regen- of pollution on human health, or potentially tease out the
erative wound healing, leaving behind stronger and health- effects of unpredictable events on air quality such as the break-
ier healed skin. out of an airborne global pandemic.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists developed a highly
sensitive and rapid diagnostic test for Ebola virus (EBOV) Electrical & Computer Engineering
infection. The D4-assay proved to be 1,000 times more sensi- Duke’s Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) re-
tive than the currently approved rapid diagnostic test and search enables creative, applicable solutions to pressing chal-
A dual-mode device for climate control in buildings. (Left) The device in heating mode showing a square of material that absorbs solar energy and
conveys it to the building’s HVAC system. (Right) The device in cooling mode showing a square of material that reflects solar energy into outer
space and achieves sub-ambient cooling.

lenges in human health, security, and
automation and new strides in funda-
mental scientific exploration and dis-
covery. Research areas include AI/
machine learning, autonomous sys-
tems, intelligent computing systems,
neuromorphic computing, data mod-
eling, and computer vision.
ECE is home to world leaders in
metamaterials and metasurfaces. Fac-
ulty members demonstrated the
world’s first negative refractive index
metamaterial in 2000 and in 2006, a
Duke ECE engineer invented a meta-
material “invisibility cloak” that ren-
ders objects undetectable at micro-
wave frequencies.
Structuring materials and parti-
cles at the tiniest of scales can imbue
them with unique optical, electron-
ic, or mechanical properties. Engi-
neers in Duke ECE are making mate-
rials stimuli-responsive, antimicro-
bial, and superhydrophilic, for ex-
ample. They are also working to cre-
ate self-assembling electronic de-
vices and printed biosensors and are With the ability to sense changes in pH, temperature, and oil, the DraBot completely soft robot could
exploring the potential of electronic be the prototype for future environmental sentinels.
materials and films to enable next-
generation solar cells, infrared photodetectors, photo-elec- phase, coherence, and incidence angle. The new camera will
trochemical cells, and superconductors. also use edge computing and hardware acceleration technolo-
Technologies – Engineers developed the world’s first fully gies to process the vast amount of information it captures with-
recyclable printed electronics. The completely recyclable, fully in the device in real time.
functional transistor made of three carbon-based inks can be
easily printed onto paper or other flexible, environmentally Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical
friendly surfaces. Carbon nanotubes and graphene inks are Engineering & Materials Science
used for the semiconductors and conductors, respectively. Duke Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science (MEMS)
A versatile microfluidic lab-on-a-chip uses sound waves to is designing the future of mechanical systems and materials,
create tunnels in oil to touchlessly manipulate and transport focusing on clean and abundant energy, reliable autonomous
droplets. The technology could form the basis of a small-scale, technology, and biomechanical devices and biomaterials to
programmable, rewritable biomedical chip that is completely improve human health.
reusable to enable on-site diagnostics or laboratory research. Aerodynamics & Aeroelasticity: Working at the intersection of
Duke and Michigan State University engineers developed a fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, and dynamics, Duke
supercapacitor that remains fully functional even when MEMS faculty are investigating a range of aerospace problems.
stretched to eight times its original size. It does not exhibit any Using computational and experimental methods, researchers
wear and tear from being stretched repeatedly and loses only a are studying the physics involved to aid in the development of
few percentage points of energy performance after 10,000 improved airframes and turbomachinery that are safer and
cycles of charging and discharging. It could be part of a power- more efficient.
independent, stretchable, flexible electronic system for appli- Autonomous Systems: Duke MEMS researchers are at work on
cations such as wearable electronics or biomedical devices. new control, optimization, learning, and artificial intelligence
Electrical engineers devised a fully print-in-place technique (AI) methods for autonomous dynamic systems that can make
for electronics that is gentle enough to work on delicate sur- independent intelligent decisions and learn in uncertain,
faces including paper and human skin. The advance could unstructured, and unpredictable environments. Researchers
enable technologies such as high-adhesion, embedded elec- design autonomous systems that span robotics, cyber-physical
tronic tattoos and bandages with patient-specific biosensors. systems, the Internet of Things, and medicine.
The thin film sticks to skin much like a temporary tattoo and Biomechanics & Biomaterials: Duke MEMS faculty are explor-
early versions were made to contain heart and brain activity ing an array of biological phenomena to unlock discoveries
monitors and muscle stimulators. leading to new bio-inspired materials. Focus areas include
Engineers at Duke are leading a nationwide effort to devel- acoustofluidics and microfluidics, biomaterials and soft matter,
op a “super camera” that captures just about every type of biomechanical engineering, medical device development, and
information that light can carry such as polarization, depth, nanoscience and nanomedicine.

Facility Focus
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Tech Briefs, July 2021 55

Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring
successfully commercialized NASA technology. This
SPINOFF
commercialization has contributed to the development
of products and services in the fields of health and
medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety,
computer technology, and environmental resources.
Taking Out the Trash, NASA-Style

Plasma arc technology for testing heat shields transforms garbage into reusable chemicals.
A stronauts pack several

thousand pounds of
trash into expendable cargo
Replicating the condi-
tions of reentry on Earth
wasn’t possible with 1950s
resupply spacecraft. When technology when NASA be-
it is time to “take out” the gan testing heat shields.
trash, the filled cargo space- An oxy-acetylene torch was
craft undocks from the In- used early on but the torch
ternational Space Station could only reach a maxi-
and falls into Earth’s atmos- mum of around 6,290 F.
phere at about 17,500 mph; Arc heaters used in the
the spacecraft and its con- chemical industry were an
tents are vaporized. ideal alternative.
Objects entering the at- The plasma arc heaters
mosphere experience sig- NASA uses now consist of a
nificant friction created by tube about 3' in diameter
the drag of compressing and up to 16' long that con-
atmospheric gases. As the tains hundreds of 3/8"-
spacecraft plunges deeper thick copper discs, each
into the atmosphere where cooled with water. Two elec-
This cabin view of the space shuttle during reentry shows the color of atmospher-
the air is denser, a tremen- ic plasma. Due to the compression and friction of the air, the molecules generate trodes at either end of the
dous amount of energy is a very hot plasma that glows in the red-orange spectrum. (Credit: NASA) tube provide the points for
released as heat, forcing each end of the electrical
the gas molecules to dissociate. A space- possible to regulate the chemical activi- arc to attach. At the end of the tube is a
craft without a heat shield, like these ty that leads up to gasification. supersonic nozzle designed to generate
expendable cargo vehicles, experiences The molecules are separated and then supersonic speeds from Mach 3 to Mach
the same heating, vaporizing the solid converted into products that can be 5, creating the environment in the test
material. Replicating this high-tempera- used to create anything from jet fuel to chamber where the samples of heat
ture trash processing on Earth is pre- clothing. Any inorganic material that’s shield material are placed to simulate
cisely what InEnTec is doing, with some left over, called slag, is added to super- entry conditions.
help from NASA arc jet research and heated glass. The resulting nontoxic The design breakthrough was the use
technology. substance is safe for a number of indus- of the individual copper discs to control
NASA learned how to recreate the trial uses including building materials. the arc inside the tube, dramatically
extreme temperatures and speeds of The entire system generates no air pollu- increasing the temperature. Cooling the
atmospheric entry decades ago as a way tion or toxic waste. heater while in use prevents the compo-
to test heat shields. InEnTec (Richland, The key to this efficiency is the heat. nents from melting. In 1965, NASA
WA) looked to the power source modifi- The temperature is boosted with the same patented the segment-constricted arc
cations NASA used to generate high- kind of plasma that NASA created to test heater. InEnTec used the NASA informa-
temperature plasma and incorporated the first heat shields used on spacecraft. tion while developing its power supply,
them into its technology design to create designing its own patented plasma arc
its Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) that gasification technology.
transforms waste material into synthetic InEnTec’s gasification facility in Ore-
gas and other products. gon converts medical and other waste
Incinerators that rely on combustion into hydrogen for vehicles powered by
produce toxic pollutants but plasma- hydrogen fuel cells. In addition to dra-
enabled gasification does not. It heats matically reducing vehicle pollution —
the waste, called feedstock, to extreme- hydrogen cars emit only water vapor —
ly high temperatures. At 1,800 to 27,000 these systems could replace high-cost
F, carbonaceous material breaks down toxic waste disposal by incineration and
into basic molecules — carbon, hydro- The Arc Jet Complex at Ames Research Center specialized landfill.
tests thermal protection material with plasma
gen, and oxygen. By controlling the like that generated during atmospheric reentry to Visit https://spinoff.nasa.gov/plasma-
combination of heat and pressure, it’s make sure it will work effectively. (Credit: NASA) heating-recycles-waste.

Upcoming...
Webinars
Auto, Aero, and Defense Electrification:
Optimizing Induction Motor Design MAGNETIC TECHNOLOGIES
RAMCO ELECTRIC MOTORS, INC.
for Manufacturing
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
As the demand for electrification continues to grow globally, the automotive, aerospace, and defense markets face unprecedented
challenges. New technologies are placing greater demands on motors in terms of operating speeds, temperatures, and efficiencies.
For example, very large turbine generators are needed to power multiple-wing propellers used on hybrid and electric aircraft. This 60-
minute Webinar examines the importance of optimizing induction motor design for manufacturing. Also discussed are manufacturability
pros and cons within the stator and rotor, as well as all the materials and processes that go into making a highly efficient, quality
motor, along with a focus on die-cast induction machines.
Speaker:
Keagan Aukerman
Business Development
Manager,
Ramco Electric Motors
Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar177
Challenging Boundaries with

Electroacoustic Technology
Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 2:00 pm U.S. EDT
This 30-minute Webinar explores the universe of sound and examines electroacoustic technology that can be used in systems that
detect, unearth, sense, and encounter. Electroacoustic transducers are the heart of a sensor system, whether it’s advanced sonar
used by the Navy or ultrasonics used in industry. The Webinar also discusses the capabilities of the technology and how it can be opti-
mized and utilized in new ways such as with rockets, in space stations, under the ice, and in rovers on other planets. An audience Q&A
follows the technical presentation.
Speaker:
Dawn F. Massa Stancavish
COO, CINO, and Director,
Massa Products Corp.
Webinars on Demand!
Reducing Battery Thermal Runaway Risks
Through Testing and Simulation
This 60-minute Webinar provides an introduction to battery thermal runaway and discusses how to understand thermal runaway through
testing. It also examines considerations for simulating thermal runaway heat loads and finding the optimal design to reduce thermal
runaway through simulation. Two case studies (NASA Pack Model and RISE Test Comparison) are included. An audience Q&A follows
the technical presentations.
Speakers:
Jon Harrison Roeland Bisschop William Q. Walker, Ph.D.
Staff Engineer, Project Manager, NASA Johnson Space Center
Gamma Technologies RISE


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Drones Use Machine Learning to Detect Landmines

U sing advanced machine learning,

22 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, July 2021