Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Marit Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to Marit Meyer.

8 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2021

Research Questions and Challenges for Improved Spacecraft Fire Detection

This paper describes challenges and recommendations for research to improve spacecraft fire detection. Because crew safety is critical to every spaceflight mission, effective fire detectors must detect a wide variety of fires to ensure the success of future space exploration. Fire emissions are affected by fuel type, heating conditions, gravity and exploration atmosphere. Advances in sensing technology provide a promising basis for future detectors, which must selectively detect a broad variety of fires. Addressing these areas will secure the success of future lunar and deep space missions.

Claire Fortenberry↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Environmental Control and Life Support Technology Development for Exploration: 2020 to 2021 Overview

This paper provides an overview of NASA supported activities developing Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) technologies in the following capability areas: life support, environmental monitoring, fire safety, and logistics. NASA has been refining technology needs for deep space missions including Gateway, lunar surface, Mars transit, and Mars surface missions. Validating technologies in relevant environments, both in low earth orbit (LEO) and ground tests is critical in understanding technology performance and long duration performance. On-orbit and ground tests inform NASA’s technology decisions to fill exploration gaps. NASA has multiple technology projects across the technology readiness spectrum with potential to fill or partially fill exploration gaps. For each capability area, this paper will describe select capability gaps, NASA technology project maturation over the past year, and how key performance parameters (KPPs) are being used to measure the degree of capability gap closure. KPPs are evolving but they still provide a useful measure in communicating progress and identifying development needs to fill exploration gaps. The intent is to provide a very high-level overview describing the strategic approach to gap closure and provide references to additional technical details, progress, and KPPs.

Life Support↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fire Safety Implications of Preliminary Results from Saffire IV and V Experiments on Large Scale Spacecraft Fires

The spread and growth of flames over large solid fuel samples and their effect on the pressurized spacecraft were studied inside the Cygnus spacecraft while in orbit after departing the International Space Station. These experiments were developed by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The ignited materials consisted of poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), cotton fabric and a cotton/fiberglass fabric blend. The samples were all 40 cm wide and with various lengths ranging from 18 cm for the PMMA samples to 50 cm for the fabrics. The overall results from these tests and their impact on the spacecraft are presented with emphasis on the fire safety implications of the results. The experiments included, a post-fire cleanup system, vehicle internal volume measurements, and transport of acid gases (HCl and HF). Measurements included video images, flame spread rate, flame temperatures and radiant heat output; energy release through oxygen calorimetry; distributed measurements of CO2 concentration and temperature at six locations in the spacecraft; CO2, CO, O2, HF and HCl concentrations; vehicle pressurized volume; and aerosol concentrations. Details of the flame growth and spread are discussed in other papers as are details of the post-fire cleanup system performance. The fire events had a measurable impact on the vehicle pressure, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration. However, despite having heat release rates up to 10 kW, the average vehicle conditions did not rise to unacceptable levels. The combined results of the experiments provide significant new understanding of the impact of sample and flow duct height on flame spread and growth in addition to an improved perspective of the impact of a fire event on a spacecraft.

micorgravity↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Environmental Control and Life Support Technology Development for Exploration: 2020 to 2021 Overview

This paper provides an overview of NASA supported activities developing Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) technologies in the following capability areas: life support, environmental monitoring, fire safety, and logistics. NASA has been refining technology needs for deep space missions including Gateway, lunar surface, Mars transit, and Mars surface missions. Validating technologies in relevant environments, both in low earth orbit (LEO) and ground tests is critical in understanding technology performance and long duration performance. On-orbit and ground tests inform NASA’s technology decisions to fill exploration gaps. NASA has multiple technology projects across the technology readiness spectrum with potential to fill or partially fill exploration gaps. For each capability area, this paper will describe select capability gaps, NASA technology project maturation over the past year, and key performance parameters (KPPs). KPPs are evolving but they still provide a useful measure in communicating progress and identifying development needs to fill exploration gaps. The intent is to provide a very high-level overview describing the projects that are supporting gap closure and provide references to additional technical details, progress, and KPPs.

James Lee Broyan↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Environmental Control and Life Support Technology Development for Exploration: 2020 to 2021 Overview

This PowerPoint presentation supports the following paper submission's abstract (STRIVES 20210015025). This paper provides an overview of NASA supported activities developing Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) technologies in the following capability areas: life support, environmental monitoring, fire safety, and logistics. NASA has been refining technology needs for deep space missions including Gateway, lunar surface, Mars transit, and Mars surface missions. Validating technologies in relevant environments, both in low earth orbit (LEO) and ground tests is critical in understanding technology performance and long duration performance. On-orbit and ground tests inform NASA’s technology decisions to fill exploration gaps. NASA has multiple technology projects across the technology readiness spectrum with potential to fill or partially fill exploration gaps. For each capability area, this paper will describe select capability gaps, NASA technology project maturation over the past year, and key performance parameters (KPPs). KPPs are evolving but they still provide a useful measure in communicating progress and identifying development needs to fill exploration gaps. The intent is to provide a very high-level overview describing the projects that are supporting gap closure and provide references to additional technical details, progress, and KPPs.

Life Support↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fire Safety Implications of Preliminary Results from Saffire IV and V Experiments on Large Scale Spacecraft Fires

The spread and growth of flames over large solid fuel samples and their effect on the pressurized spacecraft were studied inside the Cygnus spacecraft while in orbit after departing the International Space Station. These experiments were developed by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The ignited materials consisted of poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), cotton fabric and a cotton/fiberglass fabric blend. The samples were all 40 cm wide and with various lengths ranging from 18 cm for the PMMA samples to 50 cm for the fabrics. The overall results from these tests and their impact on the spacecraft are presented with emphasis on the fire safety implications of the results. The experiments included, a post-fire cleanup system, vehicle internal volume measurements, and transport of acid gases (HCl and HF). Measurements included video images, flame spread rate, flame temperatures and radiant heat output; energy release through oxygen calorimetry; distributed measurements of CO2 concentration and temperature at six locations in the spacecraft; CO2, CO, O2, HF and HCl concentrations; vehicle pressurized volume; and aerosol concentrations. Details of the flame growth and spread are discussed in other papers as are details of the post-fire cleanup system performance. The fire events had a measurable impact on the vehicle pressure, temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration. However, despite having heat release rates up to 10 kW, the average vehicle conditions did not rise to unacceptable levels. The combined results of the experiments provide significant new understanding of the impact of sample and flow duct height on flame spread and growth in addition to an improved perspective of the impact of a fire event on a spacecraft.

microgravity fire safety↗