Innovative Solid State Lighting Replacements for Industrial and Test Facility Locations

The proposed effort will develop a solid-state LED replacement lamp for rocket engine test stand lighting and more general hazardous-location lighting. The LED lighting will produce a smoother lighting spectrum compared to the existing arc lamp sources which will improve the visual accuracy and quality of high-speed engine photography. The LED lighting will also last significantly longer than arc lamps which require frequent replacement in hazardous-gas environment. A specialized array of optical collectors will redirect the light more effectively to the needed test areas using principles on non-imaging optics. The result will be improved lighting for engine diagnostics, lower operating costs for the test stand, much longer lamp life and a safer environment by reducing or eliminating lighting maintenance operations in an explosive environment. The housing will also be shock, vibration and heat resistant to be able to withstand the proximate effects of live-fire rocket engine testing. The electronic controls for the lighting will be sited remotely from the lamp head to be consistent with the existing facility and for thermal and reliability considerations. Additionally, a hazardous-location LED lighting device for general illumination which is not for high-speed engine diagnostics will also be developed and tested.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.