Insulating Foams Save
Money, Increase Safety
Polyimide Resins Resist
Extreme Temperatures
Polyimide foam insulation developed
by NASA for cryogenic propellant tanks
on the space shuttle has been improved
through partnership with private industry. The flame retardant, flexible foam—a
“NASA Commercial Invention of the
Year”—shows promise for use in watercraft, aircraft, and automobiles.
Designed as an environmentally-friendly
alternative to other resins capable of
combating the high temperatures of
aerospace applications, RP–46 is now used
for thermal skins on aircraft, aerospace
engines, and exhaust duct systems. Other
applications include the high-speed motor
sports industry.
Lithium Battery Power
Delivers Electric Vehicles to
Market
Aerodynamics Research
Revolutionizes Truck Design
NASA contributed engineering experience
to the development of an advanced battery
management system for electric cars and
tested a fleet of the zero-emission vehicles,
leading to a series of commercially
available, purpose-built, lithium electric
autos aimed at the urban and commuter
environments.
Fluid Prevents Ice Before It
Forms
An environmentally friendly anti-icing
fluid, invented by NASA, keeps hazardous
ice from building up on airplane wings,
improving safety while saving time and
money. The fluid is also available as a spray
for automobile windshields, providing
protection down to 20 °F.
Guidance System Provides
Pilots with Synthetic Vision
Starting in the 1970s, NASA conducted
tests to refine the shape of trucks to
reduce aerodynamic drag and improved
efficiency. This core research led to a
change in the design of the modern semi
truck, a softening of the leading edge that
greatly improves fuel efficiency.
Turbulence Detection Steers
Aircraft Clear of Choppy Air
NASA designed software for aircraft radar
that can provide flight crews advance
warning of turbulence, helping keep
themselves and their passengers out of
harm’s way, or, at a minimum, allowing
the crew to prepare the aircraft for a
bumpy ride.
Comprehensive Software
Eases Aircraft Traffic
Management
NASA and research partners created a
3-D display for pilots which provides clear
vision regardless of outside conditions.
The system—now flying in small aircraft
all over the world—creates a computergenerated view of the surroundings, as
well as flight plans and feedback about the
area outside of the aircraft.
To help air traffic control centers improve
the safety and the efficiency of the National
Airspace System, NASA developed the
Future Air Traffic Management Concepts
Evaluation Tool (FACET), which alerts
dispatchers to forecasted demand and
capacity imbalances, helping them
anticipate and act to relieve congested
airspace and delays at airports
Modeling Tool Advances
Rotorcraft Design
Winglets Improve Fuel
Efficiency
NASA-funded research developed
a comprehensive tool for the threedimensional modeling of the complete
aerodynamics of rotorcraft in general flight
conditions. The software performs analysis
on advanced aerodynamic designs and aids
research on new designs. It is currently
used by major rotorcraft manufacturers
and the U.S. military.
The winglet is an upturned wingtip, a
lifting surface designed to operate in the
wingtip “vortex,” a whirlpool of air at an
airplane’s wingtips. It takes advantage of
the turbulent vortex flow by producing
forward thrust. This reduces drag and
improves fuel efficiency.
For more information about NASA spinoffs, please visit spinoff.nasa.gov.
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