Patents

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2004 by Corda, Stephen, Vachon, Michael Jake, Dewberry, Brandon Scott, Varnavas, Kosta A, Et al

Over the past three decades, NASA has granted more than 1000 patent licenses in virtually every area of technology. The agency has a portfolio of 3000 patents and pending applications available now for license by businesses and individuals, including these recently patented inventions:

Airfoil Shaped Flow Angle Probe

U.S. Patent No. 6,526,821

Stephen Corda and Michael Jake Vachon, Dryden Flight Research Center

The flow of air around an aircraft is of the utmost importance in designing an aircraft and predicting its performance. Flow angle probes were developed to measure the direction of airflow directly adjacent to the aircraft for locations such as the wing, tail, and fuselage. Conventional flow angle probes, however, can result in unsatisfactory data due to limitations such as bulk and high aspect ratio.

This flow angle probe is force-based - it measures a force on a fin and converts the force to a strain at the base of the probe. The magnitude of the strain can be correlated to a flow direction and velocity from static load calibrations. The probe is small and can be used in tight areas. It is comprised of a small, aerodynamically shaped, low aspect ratio fin with a symmetrical airfoil section and a wedge-shaped leading and trailing edge. Four strain gauges are mounted on the upper and lower surfaces of the neck between the fin and the mounting base, and are interconnected to form a full Wheatstone bridge.

Infrared Communication System

U.S. Patent No. 6,507,425

Brandon Scott Dewberry and Kosta A. Varnavas, Marshall Space Flight Center

Typically, infrared communication links are used to minimize disturbances along conventional interface wiring, to minimize the amount of physical bulk of conventional wiring, and to minimize electronics noise present with other communications such as RF.

This infrared communication system includes a reconfigurable RAM-based programmable logic device (PLD), an EPROM to provide configuration instructions to the PLD, and a clock supplying a clock signal to the PLD. A data input device and infrared transceiver are coupled to the PLD. The configured PLD uses the clock signal to synchronize data transfer between the data input device and the infrared transceiver.

Ultra-Sensitive Magnetoresistive Displacement Sensing Device

U.S. Patent No. 6,507,187

John D. Olivas, Bruce M. Lairson, and Rajeshuni Ramesham, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This invention includes both a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor and method for making the sensor that operates using a relative movement between a magnetoresistive element, a movable microstrticture such as a bridge or diaphragm, and a hard magnetic film. The ultra-sensitive displacement sensor is for use in accelerometers, pressure gauges, and temperature transducers.

The microstructure moves under the influence of an acceleration, a known displacement predicted by the configuration and materials selected. The resulting change in the electrical resistance of the MR sensor can be used to calculate the displacement. Using a micromachining approach, very thin silicon and silicon nitride membranes are fabricated in one preferred embodiment by means of anisotropic etching of silicon wafers.

For more information on the inventions described here, contact the appropriate NASA Field Center's Commercial Technology Office. See page 10 for a list of office contacts.