THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412120076
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES SCHULTZ, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
People-carrying cars won't be flying into space anytime soon. But a partnership between Ford Motor Co. and NASA Langley Research Center could create a car that has more in common with sophisticated rockets than it does with road-riding sedans.
Ford has selected eight key aerospace technologies and procedures developed in Langley's laboratories and plans to incorporate them into automobile manufacture. The company believes the collaboration will mean a better car for less money, with much faster turnaround times for new designs.
``Langley is really in the forefront of aerospace research. Their work is much more relevant than that of other federal labs,'' said David F. Hagen, general manager of Ford's Alpha Simultaneous Engineering Office in Dearborn, Mich. ``There are a number of technologies and (mathematical) models that Langley has that will make us much more productive. We want to be quick on our feet, responsive to the marketplace with new features for which we don't have to build models.''
Ford is particularly interested in NASA's highly computerized approach to aerospace design. Langley typically uses software to create virtual on-screen models that can be fine-tuned and evaluated. Only then is metal cut for prototypes which are studied in the facility's sprawling complex of wind tunnels.
Ford evaluated some 60 of Langley's procedures and technology applications before choosing 21 the company found especially interesting. The eight selected by Ford are part of what the partners are calling the project's first phase. Should the collaboration continue, the remaining 13 will be incorporated into one or more subsequent phases.
``The automotive industry has a lot in common with the aerospace industry,'' said Gaudy M. Bezos-O'Connor, a Langley aerospace technologist working closely with Ford on the joint venture. ``We have a lot of similar problems and challenges. We both travel in air. There are heating and structural considerations.''
Ford believes that Langley research will help the company improve emissions, fuel economy, vehicle electrical systems and wiring, aerodynamic shaping, paint quality, air flow within the passenger compartment and adhesive bonding between the car frame and various components.
The technology with the widest potential application is a carbon-carbon piston developed at the Hampton center. So named because of the composite material from which it is constructed, the piston is lightweight but tolerant of very high temperatures.
Such a piston could be machined at much tighter tolerances than are currently possible. Conventional metallic pistons expand and contract, so the gap between the piston and the sleeve in which it sits is relatively wide. A smaller gap could mean more efficient internal combustion, fewer pollutants emitted in car exhaust and less engine oil.
At $250 each, carbon-carbon pistons remain very expensive when compared with $5 for state-of-the-art aluminum versions. Langley engineers think they can devise new manufacturing techniques that would bring the price down, to a competitive range of between $10 and $20.
Ford also seems keen on Langley software that boosts the efficiency of antennas embedded in helicopters. Though Ford and Langley won't disclose specific plans for proprietary reasons, it appears that NASA research could lead to highly efficient antennas built into car frames.
The antenna would receive normal radio signals, precise navigational information from overhead satellites, and even act to warn drivers of collision.
``They have brought good stuff to the party,'' Hagen said. ``It's probably the most efficient relationship we have with anybody. It's moving fast. Nobody is dragging their feet.''
A year from now, the pair will evaluate the program and decide whether to extend the effort. So far, Hagen says, he doesn't see any downside.
``Based on our experience to date - which is not all that huge but which is delighting me - I expect we'll sign new letters of agreement,'' Hagen said. ``I see this as a relative long-term involvement, five years at a minimum. I'm upbeat on this being a fairly permanent relationship.''
The Ford collaboration is part of an aggressive NASA push to convince political leaders and the general public that its research has practical benefit.
Traditionally and routinely, Langley has transferred technology to airplane manufacturers. Now the center is courting other industrial partners, everyone from medical equipment makers to businesses that specialize in sports equipment.
In April, for the second year in a row, Langley will stage what it calls its Technology Opportunities Showcase. Researchers will tout the latest work coming out of the Hampton lab complex and how that work may end up on store shelves or in consumers' homes. ILLUSTRATION: Color graphic by John Earle
by CNB