NMSU RID Projects
Analysis and Design of a Novel Unmanned Air Vehicle with Possible Conversion to Five Micro Air Vehicles for Planetary Exploration
Principal Investigator: Dr. Abdessattar Abdelkefi, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: David Berger, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, University Affairs Officer/Aerospace Research Engineer
Description: The main objective of this study is to design, fabricate and experimentally test an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) which can convert to five or more micro air vehicles (MAVs) that are simultaneously separated from a mother MAV. Each of the separated MAVs will act as an individual drone.
Nonlinear Analysis of Impact-Contact Dynamics for Robot Hand Grasping a Boulder
Principal Investigator: Dr. Abdessattar Abdelkefi, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborators: Aaron Parness, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Extreme Environment Robotics Group) and Brian Muirhead, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description: Develop an innovative model order reduction (MOR) technique that can effectively model both linear and nonlinear contributions of the impact-contact problem of a robot hand grasping a boulder.
Thermo-fluid Investigations on Wing Color of Mars Drone Performance
Principal Investigator: Dr. Samah Ben Ayed
Affiliation/Dept.: New Mexico State University, Department of Engineering Technology and Surveying Engineering
NASA Collaborator: David Berger, Ph.D., NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Description: Over the past few decades, various government and private programs have been developed for space
exploration. Among the high interest exploration targets is the planet Mars. To design a drone suitable for Mars exploration, it is important to understand the Martian atmosphere and other properties for flight. Compared to Earth, the atmosphere of Mars is much thinner, and the temperature is also colder. Design methods enhance the performance and efficiency of drones which will extend their endurance and improve their utility in complex environments. Reduction of drag and potential power generation can be considered some of the main factors during the design process to conserve energy for the mission. A preliminary study done by the PI and her collaborators has investigated the thermal effects of wing color for Mars drones in different seasons. It is found that there is a considerable temperature difference if two extreme colors are considered at the top and the bottom of the wing. This temperature difference has to be adequately found through a comprehensive CFD procedure and the total drag would be rigorously computed. The found temperature difference could be of significant usefulness for thermal power generation using thermoelectric capabilities. The maximum temperature differences between the top and bottom surfaces will be found for different seasons. The drag reduction and the power generation via thermoelectric generators both contribute to enhancing the endurance of drones. Future drone designs will benefit from the increased endurance through optimizing the wing color configuration.
Gaskinetic Studies on Rarefied Plum and Impingement Flow Problems
Principal Investigator: Dr. Chunpei Cai, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborators: Randy Hedgeland, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Phil Metzger, NASA Kennedy Center; Jonathan Burt, NASA Glenn Center; Jeremy Bruggemann, NASA White Sands Test Facility
Description: Study the problems of rarefied jet and impingement flows, along with their many applications of NASA’s interest, e.g., plume flows from chemical or electric propulsion devices; materials processing inside vacuum chambers; plume and surface interactions; contaminations, and molecular beams.
Hydrogen Storage in Metal-Doped Ordered Mesoporous Carbons for Fuel Cell Applications
Principal Investigator: Dr. Shuguang Deng, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Dr. Beeson of NASA, Johnson Space Center, White Sands Test Facility
Description: This research focuses on the development of a novel adsorbent for hydrogen storage. Researchers will apply the ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) for removing organic sulfurs from hydrocarbon fuels by selective sulfur adsorption. This adsorbent has the advantage of extremely large specific surface area (~6000 m2/g), high accessible pore volume (0.87 cm3/g) and uniform pore size distribution with average pore diameter of 6 nm and very fast kinetics if hydrogen adsorption. If this material is doped with palladium and platinum with a suitable technique, it could give rise to very high hydrogen uptake even at ambient conditions. Researchers will synthesize the ordered mesoporous carbon adsorbents, dope it with palladium and platinum, make all possible materials characterization of SEM/TEM imaging and XRD pattern, evaluate adsorption equilibrium and kinetics, generate heat of adsorption curve and provide five adsorbent samples for NASA White Sands Test Facility to validate the adsorbent developed in this project. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a cost-effective and safe on-board hydrogen storing process using physiosorption.
Modeling of Microcracking in 3D Woven Composites During Processing
Principal Investigator: Dr. Borys Drach, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: John Vickers, Principal Technologist in the area of Advanced Manufacturing and Director of the Materials and Processes Laboratory at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Description: Identify the most important geometric parameters of 3D woven reinforcements contributing to microcracking during processing. The project will advance the state of the art in design and modeling of 3D woven composites, contribute to NASA research and educational objectives, and potentially improve NMSU capabilities by initiating a new research direction of interest.
Integrating LRO Data Products for Reliable Topographic Modelling and Analysis of the Lunar Surface
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ahmed F. Elaksher, Department of Engineering Technology and Survey Engineering Department, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborators: David Rowlands, Lead of Planetary Geodynamics Lab’s Space Geodetic Applications Group, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Emily Law, Project Manager, NASA’s Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP), NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Description: Create topographic products of the lunar surface by integrating data collected by both sensors. The project will contribute toward NASA’S goals of exploring the Moon and other planets by analyzing and chartering the surface and geodetic properties of the Moon.
Photogrammetric Processing of the Apollo Metric Camera Images
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ahmed F. Elaksher, Deparment of Engineering Technology and Survey Engineering Department, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Terry Fong, NASA Ames Research Center
Description: This project will contribute toward NASA’s goals of studying and characterizing planetary surges. This will allow NMSU to initiate institutional capacity in processing planetary data and start collaborative relationships with NASA centers.
Gel Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Electrochemical
Principal Investigator: Reza Foudazi, Ph.D.
Affiliation/Dept.: New Mexico State University, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
NASA Collaborator: William West, Ph.D., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description: NASA has developed two technologies, solid oxide electrolysis and Sabatier process, to convert Mars CO2 into oxygen and fuel, respectively. However, disadvantages of the current state of the art for CO2 reduction are high temperature and power usage. Therefore, the goal of current proposal is to produce membranes for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to oxygen at operational temperatures less than 100 °C. We will prepare gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) membranes with high ionic conductivity and mechanical strength for application in direct generation of O2 from the reduction of CO2 in electrochemical cells at low temperatures. The emerging challenge is how to design heterogeneous GPEs with different sizes and shapes of continuous nanochannels to maximize the decoupling of ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. We propose that this challenge can be addressed through the polymerization of mesophase templates of monomer, ionic liquid, and amphiphilic block copolymers. In the previous project, we produced GPEs through polymerization of mesophases containing ILs and provided a fundamental knowledge between morphological characteristics of such GPEs and their ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. In this follow-up proposal, we will extend the project to design a process to fabricate GPE
membranes, evaluate the performance of GPEs using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, and develop an ion exchange membrane electrolysis unit to test the performance of the produced GPE membranes for oxygen production at low temperature (<100 °C).
Room Temperature Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Oxygen Generation on Mars
Principal Investigator: Dr. Reza Foudazi, Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: William C. West/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description: The atmosphere of Mars contains 95.3% carbon dioxide (CO2) and can be mined to produce propellant and life support consumables, such as oxygen, fuel, and water for long-term human exploration of Mars. NASA has developed technologies to convert the CO2 of Mars atmosphere into oxygen. However, the current state of the art for O2 generation requires high temperature and power usage. In this project, a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) will be used instead of solid oxides to allow the CO2 electrolyzer to operate at room temperature (~25 ºC). One of the major challenges in using the SPEs is their low ionic conductivity on the order of 10-7 S/cm at ambient temperature that limits their practical applications. SPEs made through incorporation of ionic liquids (ILs) into the conducting domains of block copolymers have an enhanced ionic conductivity. Additionally, ILs have the potential to act as both CO2 absorbers and reduction catalysts, effectively decreasing the required energy to utilize CO2. However, ILs possess delocalized charges and are composed of ionic species that are generally large and asymmetric. These characteristics hinder the formation of well-ordered ionic domains from block copolymer/IL systems, which reduces their conductivity. We propose that this challenge can be addressed in SPEs produced through the polymerization of Lytropic liquid crystals of ternary mixtures of monomer, IL, and amphiphilic block copolymers. The proposed project will focus on designing SPEs with different sizes and shapes of ordered continuous nanochannels to maximize the decoupling of ionic conductivity and mechanical strength.
High-Voltage Power Sources for Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paul Furth, Associate Professor, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University,
NASA Collaborator: Ariel V. Mactangay, Technology Development Scientist, Human Health and Performance Directorate
Description: This project will 1) Validate a high-voltage current source for ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) and differential ion-mobility spectrometry (DMS) instruments. 2) create a high-voltage, high-frequency, power source for DMS. 3) Create a high-voltage, very high-frequency power system for fragmenting gas ions in a tandem DMS/DMS system.
Development of Accurate and Efficient Large-Eddy Simulation Capability for Shockwave Boundary Layer Interaction Research
Principal Investigator: Andreas Gross, Ph.D.
Affiliation/Dept.: New Mexico State University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
NASA Collaborator: John W. Slater, Ph.D., NASA John H. Glenn Research Center
Description: High-speed air-breathing propulsion is a key enabler for future high Mach number flight. Straight and swept shockwave turbulent boundary layer interactions are common to inlet flows and can lead to boundary layer separation, total pressure losses, and unsteadiness. Total pressure losses reduce the overall propulsive efficiency while unsteadiness has negative consequences for both structure and combustion. An improved understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms would allow for new designs or control mechanisms that avoid or counter these
detrimental effects. Large-eddy simulations of a straight and a swept interaction at a supersonic Mach number will be carried out to demonstrate that the simulation and post-processing software for future successful inlet flow research are in place. Wall models that cut down on the computational expense of the simulations will be implemented and evaluated. Flow data obtained from simulations for an unswept interaction will be validated with experimental data from the literature. Data for both unswept and swept interactions will also be analyzed with
modern post-processing tools for developing an understanding of the dynamics and interaction of the coherent flow structures which are chiefly responsible for the flow unsteadiness. By comparing the two cases, the poorly understood effect of sweep on the flow physics will be revealed. The results will be presented at a relevant conference and published in a journal. The project will support one graduate student over the duration of one year.
Development of Research Environment for Solar-Assisted Autonomous Soaring
Principal Investigator: Dr. Andreas Gross, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Nelson Brown, Aerospace Engineer, Dynamics & Controls Branch/NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Description: By extracting energy from rising currents of hot air (thermal soaring) the flight time of unmanned aerial systems can be extended. Similarly, wing-mounted solar cells that convert solar radiation into electrical energy can sustain or prolong the flight. The combination of both approaches promises significant benefits such as longer on-course cruise times, heavier payloads, and a way to get around flight altitude restrictions that limit the autonomous soaring capability. The proposed research environment for solar-assisted autonomous soaring will lay the groundwork for successful and competitive research at NMSU in this area and in autonomous systems in general. Specific tasks that will be accomplished are the instrumentation of an existing solar-powered aircraft and the implementation of a point-mass model based simulation environment for the development and testing of autonomous soaring and path planning algorithms. The instrumentation will include an autopilot, sensors and telemetry. Possibilities for modifying the autopilot source code will be explored. The simulation environment will feature models for thermal updrafts, wind, and terrain.
Bio-inspired Shape-morphing Soft Robotic Mechanisms for Adaptive Locomotion in Space Exploration
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani
Affiliation/Dept.: New Mexico State University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
NASA Collaborator: Ali Agha, Ph.D., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description: The proposed project aims to investigate morphology of soft-bodied mechanisms for generating adaptive locomotion that facilitates the design of bio-inspired soft-robots for planetary surface exploration. Negotiate unknown and unstructured environments in space exploration is a challenge, which requires versatile robots that can generate complex motions while adapting to the environment. Soft-robotics, as emerging field inspired by versatile capabilities in soft animals like octopuses and caterpillars, has provided promising solutions to address this challenge. Inherited compliance and large deformation features of soft-bodied robots will be exploited to generate different modes of locomotion including crawling and rolling. The objectives of this project are: 1) study the kinematics and dynamics of bio-inspired shape-morphing mechanisms for adaptive and versatile locomotion of soft-robots; 2) determine the underlying principles of design for soft-robots with adaptive morphology to achieve higher speed while being energy efficient; and 3) validate these principles by prototyping and testing a group of soft mechanisms for adaptive mobility on different terrains. The project’s outcomes are the theoretical basis for kinematics and dynamics of shape-morphing mechanisms that can be used in the future work for developing adaptive and robust control algorithms, principles for the design of these mechanisms, physical testbeds, and published preliminary results for submitting follow up proposals. This project will be carried out in three phases; phase-I (1-4 month): study the kinematics and dynamics of bio-inspired shape-morphing mechanisms, phase-II (5-8 month): implementation of these theoretical studies in a simulation environment for testing and validation; and phase-III (9-12 month) prototype a group of shape-morphing soft-bodied locomotors to demonstrate their capabilities in adaption to the environment.
Microwave Subsurface Imaging for Health Monitoring of Structures
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jun Won Kang, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Craig Newtson, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Stanley Starr, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Description: This research develops a microwave-based subsurface imaging for health monitoring of aerospace structures using an electromagnetic full-waveform inversion method. This method utilizes microwaves to investigate inner structure and/or material composition of aerospace structures to detect flaws or damage such as cracks, voids, and delamination. Of particular interest is utilization of information embedded in the complete electromagnetic waveforms, typically recorded directly in the time-domain at transducers placed outside the probed structure. The objectives of the research are two-fold. First, a transient microwave scattering problem is to be solved in two- and three-dimensions using the finite element method to determine electric and magnetic fields. Secondly, a full-waveform inversion is to be performed using a PDE-constrained optimization framework to reconstruct the spatial variation of permittivity, permeability, and conductivity parameters inside a structure under investigation. Researchers are investigating the robustness of the developed inversion algorithm and studying the effects various inversion parameters have on the performance of the electromagnetic subsurface imaging.
High Energy Density Metal Hybride Hydrogen Storage System for Space and Planetary Applications
Principal Investigator: Dr. Sarada Kuravi, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Ratnakumar Bugga, Principal Member Technical Staff, Electrochemical Technologies Group/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description: Hydrogen (H2) storage technologies can impact several space and planetary applications such as fuel cells, hydrogen balloons, in-situ resource utilization on Mars, sorption cryocoolers etc. Enabling high hydrogen storage density in a storage system is crucial for these applications to enable longer duration. Metal hydrides (MH) can enable storing of H2 at much lowers pressures compared to compressed hydrogen, however, efficient heat transfer is the key for these systems as the absorption and release of hydrogen is highly sensitive to system pressure and temperature. Primary issues in current heat transfer technologies used are added weight and reduced permeability effecting the storage density of the system.
Utilizing an external magnetic field to compress the MH powder and increase the contact/heat transfer area is proposed here to realize significant heat transfer with increased bed permeability. Preliminary calculations showed that the amount of hydrogen stored can be 37% higher compared to storage system with MH alone and 19% higher compared to storage system with MH and a heat transfer enhancement technique. Experiments are planned to test the porosity of the bed under varying magnetic fields. Results will be used to perform high fidelity numerical simulations and study the mass and heat diffusion characteristics in two MH storage systems. The outcomes of the project will help in designing high storage density H2 systems, which will help in substantial weight reduction of space systems. Four tasks covering the above work are planned for seven-month duration of the project. Key personnel include PI and two students.
Concept Study of Using a Passive Mechanism to Simulate Walking on the Moon
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ou Ma, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborators: Toby Martin and Leslie Quiocho, Group Leader and Manager of the Simulations and Robotics at NASA Johnson Space Center
Description: The goal of this project is to conduct a preliminary study of an innovative technology of using a passive mechanism to compensate the gravity force for training astronauts walking on the Moon or another reduced-gravity environment. The technology is based on static balancing of gravity forces using spring enforced parallel mechanisms. In the project, a simplified prototype mechanism will be designed, built, and tested. The test will help: 1) better understand the theory and explore potential issues unforeseeable from the theory; 2) investigate several known influential issues such as spring design, dynamic loading, and joint friction; and 3) improve the design concept to make it practically feasible. The new technology will provide a low-cost, very reliable, and easy-to-use alternative means to meet the increasing need of EVA training for NASA’s future manned planetary exploration missions.
Ordered Electronic Phase on Capacitor Plates for Electromagnetic Shielding and Inductance Applications
Principal Investigator: Dr. Thomas Manz, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Manohar Deshpande, Senior RF Engineers, Microwave Instrument and Technology Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: This research will develop a device for shielding electronic circuits from electromagnetic noise of ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and microwave wavelengths. The project will explore electromagnetic shielding and inductance applications of interest to NASA.
Development of a Versatile Optical Technique for Far Range Strain Measurement
Principal Investigator: Dr. Eshan Niri, Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Cara Leckey, Senior Research Physicist, Non Destructive Evaluation Sciences Branch/NASA Langley Research Center
Description: This research proposes the development of a versatile technique for far range optical based strain measurement with applications in structural health monitoring and laboratory testing of aerospace and civil structures. To this end, inspired by rock and tectonic deformation measurement science, the research develops a geometric pattern whose mathematical parameters are directly associated with state of strain. Image processing of the photos taken before and after deformation from the surfaces on which patterns are depicted, provides the strain information at multiple locations. Of particular interest is the utilization of this idea with NASA’s panorama stitching technology for far range strain measurement at multiple locations with applications in structural health monitoring and laboratory testing in harsh environment.
Predictive Guidance and Control for Free-Flying Robots in a Microgravity Environment
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hyeongjun Park,Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Jose Benavides, SPHERES/Astrobee Facility Project Manager/NASA Ames Research Center
Description: Free-flying robots have been developed to aid the astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) and to provide a flexible platform for future research topics including motion control, advanced mobility hardware. robotic manipulation, and human-robot interaction. The robots float freely in the micro-gravity environment of the ISS. This scenario is a good example for human-robot interaction during long-term space exploration missions. Collision avoidance of the free-flying robots is an important and challenging task to avoid situations where the astronauts may get injured or the ISS structure gets damaged by the robots. Another challenge in motion control is to achieve fast, precise, and robust attitude control for robots with moving payloads such as robotic manipulators. Advanced control algorithms are beneficial to deal with both challenges. This project aims at developing and validating optimization-based guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) strategies that can achieve real-time collision avoidance maneuvers for the free-flying robots. The GN&C algorithms ‘ii-ill be based on nonlinear model predictive control considering moving obstacles such as other free-flying robots and astronauts. Equally important, additional mobility hardware and algorithms for the fast and precise attitude control of the robots will be investigated. As a representative problem for developing a mobility hardware, the handling of momentum exchange by a reaction-wheel-assembly with a robot that is equipped with a manipulator arm will be investigated.
Nanoscale Semiconductor Heterostructures for Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Principal Investigator: Dr. Young Ho Park, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and Dr. Igor Vasiliev, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Dr. McNatt, NASA Glenn Research Center
Description: The use of solar power has been instrumental in the human exploration and development of space. To meet the increasing demands for electric power in manned and unmanned space exploration programs, it is necessary to develop new types of solar power conversion systems that utilize innovative device design and employ novel photovoltaic materials. The objective of the research is a fundamental study aimed at significant performance improvement of photovoltaic devices based on nanoscale semiconductor heterostructures. To accomplish this goal, researchers combine the state-of-the-art density functional and time-dependent density functional methods with parallel computational algorithms implemented on Beowulf computer clusters. The success of the project will extend the knowledge of the electronic and optical characteristics of these structures and lead to development of nanomaterial for photovoltaic cells that offer the potential for significant advances in space power generating capability.
Simulating Reduced Gravity in Space Flight Training Using an Exoskeleton
Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Paz, Associate Professor, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Leslie Quiocho, Group Leader and Manager of the Simulations and Robotics at NASA Johnson Space Center
Description: The overall goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate one of the most critical enabling technologies required for developing space flight motion simulators. These next-generation, end-to-end (from launch to landing), 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) simulators will provide the realistic motion and visual cues for training space travelers. They will also support the future of personal space flight. The technology to be developed uses computer controlled exoskeletons to allow a human limb to move freely as if in a zero-gravity or reduced-gravity environment.
Bioinorganic Highly Efficient Flexible Thermoelectric for Producing Energetic Fabrics
Principal Investigator: Dr. David Rockstraw, Robert Davis Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Joseph Grady, NASA John Glenn Research Center
Description: Develop and test a bioinorganic (porphyrin-inorganic) flexible thermoelectric nanocomposite for highly efficient thermoelectric fabric applications. A highly efficient thermoelectric fabric could be one of the components of an astronaut’s space suite that could provide power to support life support sensors.
Assessment of Strength Reduction Due to Accumulated Damage in Fatigued Materials Using Cross-Property Connections
Principal Investigator: Dr. Igor Sevostianov, Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Richard Ross, NASA Langley Research Center
Description: Aerospace structural systems experience a broad spectrum of environmental and operational loads. Severe and/or prolonged load exposures may trigger the damage accumulation process even in recently deployed structures. The accumulated damage leads to the deterioration in the elastic and conductive properties and to reduction in the material strength. This work aims to collect sufficient amount of experimental data to establish a solid link between strength reduction due to accumulated damage and maximum value of the electrical conductivity across the specimen. The project involves substantial experimental work: fatigue testing, electrical conductivity measurements and fracture toughness tests. The experimental measurements are followed by statistical analysis of the data.
Development of Composites with Zero Thermal Expansion
Principal Investigator: Dr. Igor Sevostianov, Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Ken Segal, Mechanical Engineering Branch, Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: This research will address NASA’s need for the development of materials that demonstrate prescribed thermal expansion and thermal pressure properties. Note, that while composites with zero thermal expansion in one direction have already been developed, the isotropic materials with zero thermal expansion in all directions represent substantial novelty of the proposed research.
Effect of Radiation-Damage on Mechanical and Electric Properties of Materials
Principal Investigator: Dr. Igor Sevostianov, Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Nathanael Greene, NASA Johnson Space Center, White Sands Test Facility
Description: Electrons and protons in space can cause permanent damage in crystalline materials that may be especially crucial for materials used in electronic and optoelectronic devices since such damage can lead to operational failure. Successful operation in space requires understanding of the mechanisms that cause property deterioration and degradation as well as properly validated micromechanical modeling in order to predict whether materials will withstand the harsh environments encountered in space systems. The proposed research focuses on the effect of radiation damage on the mechanical performance of materials and their electric properties. The researcher is developing a qualitative micromechanical model that predicts changes in elastic and fracture–related properties of materials as well as their thermal and electric conductivities in dependence on the extent of radiation damage – dislocations, clusters of vacancies, radiation-induced foreign particles. The micromechanical model will be verified on experimental data available in literature.
Elastic and Viscoelastic Properties of Cells
Principal Investigator: Dr. Igor Sevastianov, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Daniel Wentzel, Project Engineer/Manager, Materials and Components Laboratories Office/NASA Johnson Space Center – White Sands Test Facility
Description: The proposed work is focus on the following issues: (1) development of a methodology for evaluation of the elastic and viscoelastic properties of living and fixed cells; (2) development of a mathematical model allowing adequate description of the mechanical properties; and (3) establishing quantitative correlation between the mechanical properties of the cells and their microstructure. For this goal, we are planning to use methods of atomic force microscopy (to measure elastic and viscoelastic responses of the cells) and confocal microscopy (to observe the cell microstructure that is supposed to be linked to the mechanical properties) and mathematical interpretation of data using fraction-exponential operators.
Automated Image Analysis of Calorimeter Data for Determination of Particle Identity and Energy
Principal Investigator: Dr. Steve Stochaj, Professor and Associate Department Head, Dr. Laura E. Boucheron, Assistant Professor, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Dr. Tom Harrison, Observatory Scientist, Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Goddard Space Center
Description: This research applies newly developed automated image processing techniques to the analysis of imaging calorimeter data taken with instruments for high-energy, particle astrophysics. The nature of dark matter is the most fundamental question currently at the forefront of physics, astronomy and cosmology. The use of imaging calorimeters for particle astrophysics was pioneered at NMSU with a series of balloon flights starting in 1989. Over the past 20 years these instruments have been improved and are widely used on balloon and space based missions for astrophysics. However, developments in the analysis techniques have progressed more slowly. This project will focus on developing an improved methodology for determining the energy and identity of particle from their signals in imaging calorimeters. The state-of-the-art in particle identification produces a separation between electron events and proton events of 105. This means that 1 in every 105 is misidentified as an electron. This proposed work applies some of the newest image processing techniques from electrical engineering to the analysis of imaging calorimeter data with the goal of improving the separation of electron and proton events by an order of magnitude (106). If successful, the algorithms developed through this work could find widespread use throughout the worldwide astrophysics community. This work strengthens NMSU and will put NMSU in an excellent position to have a major role in NASA’s Orbiting Astrophysical Spectrometer in Space (OASIS) mission.
Ionsopheric Neutron Content Analyzer (INCA) Satellite
Principal Investigator: Dr. Steve Stochaj, Professor and Associate Department Head, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator: Georgia A. de Nolfo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: The INCA satellite will measure the production of neutrons, which decay to produce the particles that populate the Earth’s Inner Radiation Belts. These complement the measurements made by NASA’s Radiation Belt Storm Probes satellite mission. The instrumentation developed for the INCA mission fall under Technology Area TA08 of NASA’s
Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and specifically focus on the area of In-Situ Instruments/Sensors Technology.
NM CubeSat Program
Principal Investigator: Dr. Steve Stochaj, Professor and Associate Department Head, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborators: Tupper Hyde, Chief Mission Engineering and Systems Analysis (MESA) Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and William Oegerle, Director Astrophysics Science Division, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: This program provides paid research positions to students to aid in paying for school while participating in enrichment activities such as research projects. Students funded will work on the Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer (INCA) Satellite CubeSat mission. This program will produce students that are well versed in the related STEM fields and have skills that are reinforced with hands-on work experience. Graduates will be highly qualified for employment with NASA, National Laboratories, or the commercial industry.
A Numerical and Experimental Approach to Safe Operation of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Challenging Environments with Unsteady Airwakes
Principal Investigator: Dr. Liang Sun, Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico State University,
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Corey Ippolito, NASA Safe Autonomous Flight Environment Project Lead/NASA Ames Research Center
Description: As small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are becoming game changers in a variety of military and civilian operations, NASA has been conducting in-house and collaborative research to establish infrastructure that enables the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system in low-altitude national airspace. The safe and autonomous operation of UASs in dynamic cluttered environments (e.g., an urban landscape where GPS signal receptions would be degraded) is extremely challenging because it demands advanced guidance and control algorithms with reliable, accurate, and fast sensor data processing. Another complication comes from unmeasured and unmodeled but vital environmental factors, such as the complex air flow in close vicinity of buildings and neighboring UASs. A potential solution to alleviation of traffic congestion in low-altitude aerospace is to designate aerospace corridors shared among UASs. An enabling function is the control systems for safe and stable formation flight of UAS. In this proposed research project, we aim at seeking a solution to safely operate collaborating UASs in the low-altitude airspace of an urban landscape. The primary environmental challenges of focus include airwakes from both neighboring UASs and buildings, and degraded GPS signals in an urban area. We propose to explore three questions in this research project: (1) how the airwake-vortex induced by a building and a neighboring sUAS can be modeled, estimated, and forecasted to guarantee a safe flight; (2) what is an optimal formation of the sUASs give the acquired airwake condition; (3) how a sUAS can maintain a desired formation in a GPS-degraded environment.
Theoretical Prediction of Novel Iso-coordinated Molecules of Potential Importance for the Atmospheric Chemistry
Principal Investigator: Dr. Marat Talipov, Chemistry & Biochemistry, New Mexico State University
NASA Collaborator/NASA Center: Qing Liang, Research Physical Scientist, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics LAboratory/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: Discovery and characterization of novel gas-phase molecular entities is of central importance for the chemistry of atmospheric processes. In this research proposal, we aim to test the hypothesis that a large number of such species are awaiting to be discovered because of the currently overlooked type of chemical bonding. We recently demonstrated on the case of HO—ON [J. Phys. Chem. A, 2013, 117, 679; Science, 2013, 342, 1354] that weak interactions between unpaired electrons on spatially distant atoms (such interactions could be called long-bonding, or through-lone-pair, or superexchange interactions) can provide sufficient stabilization for the formation of novel molecules. Accordingly, in this proposal we aim to target the following research objectives: (1) explore the chemical space to computationally predict the existence of novel molecules of potential importance for atmospheric and photochemical reactions, (2) compute the spectroscopic properties of such molecules to aid in their future experimental detection, (3) investigate the basic chemical properties of such molecules.