NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
has developed and patented a novel method
of forming coated parts using functional,
gradient-coating techniques. The method
is being used by NASA to form liners for
rocket engine combustion chambers. It extends
the life of the liners by eliminating blistering
and separation of the coating that can occur
under high heat loads.
For example, NASA uses the technique to
combine two materials that together provide
the desired properties for a rocket engine
combustion chamber -- good thermal conductance
and resistance to thermal corrosion and
oxidation. In this application, a protective
nickel alloy coating protects a copper alloy
combustion chamber lining. Using the new
method, the part is formed by a transitional
layering process.
You
may be surprised to know that
every year a number of innovations
at Marshall are patented and
commercialized. Some of these
inventions have even been incorporated
into common items we use everyday.
These technologies bring value
to the country, prestige to
the Center, and monetary reward
to the inventors. Yes, monetary
rewards to inventors! Now with
eNTRe, (pronounced entrée)
an easy step-by-step electronic
process, there's no easier way
for NASA employees and contractors
to disclose their inventions
and new technologies to the
Technology Transfer Department.
eNTRe is also the easiest way
for contractors to report new
technologies as called out in
their contract under the New
Technology Reporting clause.
Doctors
diagnose and treat disease more
effectively; police find criminals
faster and NASCAR drivers are
cooler - all because of technology
developed in the U.S. space
program. The story of this technology
transfer - taking technologies
developed by NASA and turning
them into commercial products
- is now being told in a new
way.
Interactive
multimedia displays are being
installed at high-profile locations
around Alabama to share stories
of technologies, born in the
space program, that change life
on Earth.
Hidden
Identification on Parts: Magnetic Machine-Readable
Matrix Symbols
November
11, 2003
Have you ever seen a piece of space flight
hardware? When you do you will notice some
letters and numbers etched or inscribed
on it. All NASA parts have an identity,
usually expressed in terms of part number,
serial number, etc. In most cases this identity
is permanently marked directly on the part
for tracking throughout its lifecycle. The
recently approved NASA Technical Standard
6002A and Handbook 6003A (found at http://standards.nasa.gov)
added the matrix symbol to the identification
scheme as shown in Figure A. This put a
checkerboard bar code on the part so an
optical scanner could read it. The intent
was to make tracking parts as easy as checking
out at the grocery store. And the system
works great as long as the matrix symbol
is visible.
