Recognition: 2007 Awards

R&D 100 Awards

R&D 100 Awards recognize products as the most innovative ideas of the year. Winners in 2007 were:

High-Speed Electro-Mechanical Shutter for Imaging Spectrographs
Dr. Quang-Viet Nguyen of GRC’s Combustion Branch developed a high-speed electro-mechanical shutter for imaging spectrographs using electronically synchronized slotted wheels to gate pulses of light at durations as short as 10 millionths of a second. These computer simulations are critical tools used to design and build cleaner burning and more fuel-efficient aircraft engines.

Defect Clustering Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings for Si-Based Ceramic Turbine Engine Components
Drs. Dongming Zhu, Robert Miller, and Narottam Bansal of GRC’s Structures and Materials Division, developed multilayered, multifunctional coating systems that incorporate several revolutionary technologies that greatly extend the material temperature capability, environmental stability, and high heat-flux durability of lightweight Si-based engine components in combustion environments.

Antenna Near-Field Probe Station Scanner
Dr. Afroz Zaman, Dr. Richard Lee, Dr. Felix Miranda, and Phillip Barr (Purdue University) of the Antenna, Microwave and Optical Systems Branch; Dr. Kevin Lambert, Analex Corporation; and William Darby, R&D Labs Technical Branch developed this scanner that measures radiation patterns of miniature antennas fabricated on any dielectric substrate as well as semiconductor wafers. It can also test antennas embedded in circuits with active devices.

100 R&D 100 Awards 2007 marked the receipt of GRC’s 100th R&D 100 Award. Past and current winners of this prestigious honor—called the “Oscars of Innovation” by the Chicago Tribune—gathered to celebrate with Center management on Feb 4th, 2008. Congratulations were also offered by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher as well as by U.S. Senator George Voinovich and Congressman Dennis Kucinich.