In Situ Wire Damage Detection and Rerouting System

The technology presents a fundamental change in the way electrical devices are designed, using an open circuit in conjunction with a floating electrode, or an electrically conductive object not connected to anything by wires, and powered through a wireless device. This system uses inductor-capacitor thin-film open circuit technology. It consists of a uniquely designed, electrically conductive geometric pattern that stores energy in both electric and magnetic fields, along with a floating electrode in proximity to the open circuit. When wirelessly pulsed from the handheld data acquisition system (U.S. Patent Number 7,159,774, Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System), the system becomes electrically active and develops a capacitance between the two circuit surfaces. The result is a device that acts as a parallel plate capacitor without electrical connections.

Dusty, dirty environments can be very tough on connectors. The abrasive nature of dust and dirt particles can rub and wear down connector surfaces through friction, and have a negative effect on coatings used on gaskets to seal equipment. Dust on umbilical connections can also make mating and de-mating electrical and fluid connections difficult, hazardous, and unreliable. NASA's Quick Disconnect (QD) design consists of columnar arrays of parallel filaments. All the pins of the electrical connector easily penetrate the barriers when the umbilicals are brought together. They are wiped clean of dust when they penetrate the barrier and mate cleanly and reliably. Likewise, the male end of a fluid connector penetrates the filament arrays of both connector ends. Since the filament arrays are oriented perpendicular to each other, the entire circumference of the connector is contacted by the filaments that stretch around, conform to, and sweep off dust from the mating surface ensuring a clean and secure connection.

The C-Gauge is made of a 3D-printed aluminum body with strain gauges attached to the inner and outer walls of the connecting beam. The legs of the gauge attach firmly to the cord. When the cord is stretched, the tension in the cord goes through the legs and into the beam, causing it to bend. This bending creates a tension and compression stress in the bottom and top surface of the beam, respectively. The strain gauges capture the tension and compression, which are then used to determine the tension in the cord. The use of multiple strain gauges mitigates any torsion loading of the gauge and provides a direct measurement of the axial tension load of the cord. The C-Gauge is a low-profile, non-invasive system that can be installed onto an existing cord in a system (e.g., the suspension, reefing, or riser lines in a parachute) without the need to remove or re-install the cord. It is small and lightweight and does not add stiffness or weight to the cord and thus does not affect the dynamics of the parachute or the structural response of the system. The C-Gauge can be scaled to larger and smaller sizes to measure larger and smaller load capabilities, dependent on the cord. The C-Gauge is at a TRL 4 (component and/or breadboard validation in a laboratory environment) and it is now available for your company to license and develop into a commercial product. Please note that NASA does not manufacture products itself for commercial sale.

Dusty, dirty environments can be very tough on connectors. The abrasive nature of dust and dirt particles can rub and wear down connector surfaces through friction, and have a negative effect on coatings used on gaskets to seal equipment. Dust on umbilical connections can also make mating and de-mating electrical and fluid connections difficult, hazardous, and unreliable. NASA's Quick Disconnect (QD) design uses the gas supplied by the umbilical to spray the connector surfaces prior to mating to remove dust and debris. The QD uses a novel dual-poppet design and springs that balance forces on umbilical components. This allows a controlled release of gas to clear away dust from the end of the connector before it it inserted in the supply umbilical. The connector assembly is capable of mating and de-mating under 3500 psi fluid/gas. One poppet seals the QD while de-mated and automatically cleans the front surface of the QD during mating. A second poppet seals the QD while de-mated and automatically cleans the cylindrical surface of the QD during mating. The internal cavity of the QD is specifically designed such that the pressure in the line is reduced from 3500 psi to 450 psi while surface cleaning occurs. Finally, all exterior connector surfaces are designed to minimize the entrapment of dust while in the de-mated position.

Space and ground launch support related hardware often operate under extreme pressure, temperature, and corrosive conditions. When dealing with this type of equipment, it is frequently necessary to run wiring, tubes, or fibers through a barrier separating one process from another with one or both operating in extreme environments. Feedthroughs used to route the wiring, tubes, or fibers through these barriers must meet stringent sealing and leak tightness requirements. This affordable NASA feedthrough meets or exceeds all sealing and leak requirements utilizing easy-to-assemble commercial-off-the-shelf hardware with no special tooling. The feedthrough is a fully reconfigurable design; however, it can also be produced as a permanent device. Thermal cycling and helium mass spectrometer leak testing under extreme conditions of full cryogenic temperatures and high vacuum have proven the sealing capability of this feedthrough with or without potting (epoxy fill) on the ends. Packing material disks used in the construction of the device can be replaced as needed for rebuilding a given feedthrough for another job or a different set of feeds if potting is not used for the original feedthrough build. (Potting on one or both sides of the sleeve provides double or triple leak sealing protection). Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) connectors were adapted for the pressure seal on the feedthrough; however, any commercial connector can be similarly adapted. The design can easily be scaled up to larger (2" diameter) and even very large (12" or more) sizes.