Patent — available for licensing
Self-Adjusting Gap System for Charge Mitigation and Monitoring
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
NASA scientists working on the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission identified a critical risk to measurement devices: uncontrolled electrical discharges from surface charging during auroral charging events over polar ice regions. Rotating components on the satellite are especially vulnerable to charge build-up. The extreme sensitivity of PACE’s instrumentation eliminates traditional solutions, like slip rings, which degrade over time due to repeated discharges. These discharges not only risk damaging critical components but could also compromise the accuracy of mission data. To protect the sensitive instruments and ensure reliable operation, a novel method was needed to mitigate surface charging. Innovators at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a novel self-adjusting gap (SAG) system for mitigating and monitoring surface charge. The SAG system is a revolutionary approach to non-conductive bearings. Not only is the system capable of mitigating discharge related risks, but also acts a sensor to measure charging on isolated components. It is self-adjusting, passive, robust, and more precisely controllable than existing technologies.