Structural health management technologies for inflatable/deployable structures: Integrating sensing and self-healing

Inflatable/deployable structures are under consideration as habitats for future Lunar surface science operations. The use of non-traditional structural materials combined with the need to maintain a safe working environment for extended periods in a harsh environment has led to the consideration of an integrated structural health management system for future habitats, to ensure their integrity. This article describes recent efforts to develop prototype sensing technologies and new self-healing materials that address the unique requirements of habitats comprised mainly of soft goods. A new approach to detecting impact damage is discussed, using addressable flexible capacitive sensing elements and thin film electronics in a matrixed array. Also, the use of passive wireless sensor tags for distributed sensing is discussed, wherein the need for on-board power through batteries or hardwired interconnects is eliminated. Finally, the development of a novel, microencapuslated self-healing elastomer with applications for inflatable/deployable habitats is reviewed.     

Man and space – The Isle of Man, the IISC and the new space economy

With the arrival of private entrepreneurs and the appearance of such things as prizes to stimulate space initiatives, the space economy is changing rapidly from its initial government-driven character. A number of countries and territories, such as the Isle of Man, have understood the growing role of this new space economy and are preparing the appropriate boundary conditions to support its further development. This article shows why the Isle of Man may be uniquely placed to take advantage of recent developments in the space economy, thanks to its business-friendly tax and regulatory regime, and discusses the island’s strategy to attract space businesses. The establishment of the International Institute of Space Commerce, a recently formed think-tank, is an integral part of this strategy.     

健康监控系统:为飞机做心电图

在旋翼机上安装健康监控系统(HUMS)的主要目的虽说是提高安全性,但也能降低直升机的运营成本并延长零部件和系统的使用寿命,同时也能预测灾难性故障,从而及时更换失效的部件。     

Testing for Year 2000 readiness: technical and management issues

The approach of the Year 2000 (Y2K) has called into question the condition of readiness of computer systems upon which organizations depend. Will these systems operate reliably after midnight, January 1, 2000, or will problems associated with date calculations cause failures that adversely affect users? This question has caused organizations to identify their critical systems, test these systems for Y2K problems, and take corrective action where necessary to ensure Y2K readiness. This paper examines various technical and management issues that Southwest Research Institute has dealt with in solving these problems     

赴美国、加拿大考察报告

介绍了赴美国国家标准与技术研究院。加拿大国家研究院等单位对化学计量进行考察的情况，浅谈了几点体会。     

Antideuterons as an indirect dark matter signature: Si(Li) detector development and a GAPS balloon mission

The General AntiParticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a novel approach for indirect dark matter searches that exploits cosmic antideuterons. GAPS complements existing and planned direct dark matter searches as well as other indirect techniques, probing a different and unique region of parameter space in a variety of proposed dark matter models. The GAPS method involves capturing antiparticles into a target material with the subsequent formation of an excited exotic atom. The exotic atom decays with the emission of atomic X-rays and pions from the nuclear annihilation, which uniquely identifies the captured antiparticle. This technique has been verified through the accelerator testing at KEK in 2004 and 2005. The prototype flight is scheduled from Hokkaido, Japan in 2011, preparatory for a long duration balloon flight from the Antarctic in 2014.     

Optimized Fuzzy Clustering Method for Health Monitoring of Shield Tunnels

Since health monitoring of shield tunnels generally employs multiple sensors belonging to different types,a fine analysis on massive monitoring data,as well as further quantitative health grading,is really challenging.An optimized fuzzy clustering analysis method based on the fuzzy equivalence relation is proposed for health monitoring of shield tunnels.Clustering results are auto-generated by using fuzzy similarity-valued map.The results follow the idea of unsupervised classification.Moreover,a convenient new health index HI is proposed for a fast tunnel-health grading.A case study on Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel is presented to validate this method.Three types of indicators,namely soil pressure,pore water pressure and steel strain,are used to develop the clustering model.The clustering results are verified by analyzing the engineering geological conditions;the validity and the efficacy of the proposed method are also demonstrated.Further,the fuzzy clustering analysis also represents a potential for identifying abnormal monitoring data.This investigation indicates the fuzzy clustering analysis method is capable of characterizing the fuzziness of tunnel health,and beneficial to clarify the tunnel health evaluation uncertainties.     

The Education and Public Outreach Program for NASA��s Dawn Mission

The Dawn mission??s Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program takes advantage of the length of the mission, an effort to maintain level funding, and the exceptional support of the science and engineering teams to create formal and informal educational materials that bring STEM content and modes of thinking to students of all ages. With materials that are based on researched pedagogical principles and aligned with science education standards, Dawn weaves together many aspects of the mission to engage students, teachers, and the general public. E/PO tells the story of the discovery of the asteroid belt, uncovers principles of physics behind the ion propulsion that powers the spacecraft, and explains what we can learn from the instrumentation and how the mission??s results will expand our understanding of the origins of the solar system. In this way, we not only educate and inform, we build anticipation and expectation in the general public for the spacecraft??s arrival at Vesta in 2011 and three years later at Ceres. This chapter discusses the organization, strategies, formative assessment and dissemination of these materials and activities, and includes a section on lessons learned.