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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Vehicle Integrated Performance Analysis, the VIPA Experience: Reconnecting with Technical Integration

Today's NASA is facing significant challenges and changes. The Exploration initiative indicates a large increase in projects with limited increase in budget. The Columbia report has criticized NASA for its lack of insight and technical integration impacting its ability to provide safety. The Aldridge report is advocating NASA find new ways of doing business. Very early in the Space Launch Initiative (SLI) program a small team of engineers at MSFC were asked to propose a process for performing a system level assessment of a launch vehicle. The request was aimed primarily at providing insight and making NASA a "smart buyer." Out of this effort the VIPA team was created. The difference between the VIPA effort and many integration attempts is that VIPA focuses on using experienced people from various disciplines and a process which focuses them on a technically integrated assessment. Most previous attempts have focused on developing an all encompassing software tool. In addition, VIPA anchored its process formulation in the experience of its members and in early developmental Space Shuttle experience. The primary reference for this is NASA-TP-2001-210092, "Launch Vehicle Design Process: Characterization, Technical Integration, and Lessons Learned," and discussions with its authors. The foundations of VIPA's process are described. The VIPA team also recognized the need to drive detailed analysis earlier in the design process. Analyses and techniques typically done in later design phases, are brought forward using improved computing technology. The intent is to allow the identification of significant sensitivities, trades, and design issues much earlier in the program. This process is driven by the T-model for Technical Integration described in the aforementioned reference. VIPA's approach to performing system level technical integration is discussed in detail. Proposed definitions are offered to clarify this discussion and the general systems integration dialog. VIPA's capabilities and process can now be used to significantly enhance the development and monitoring of realizable project requirements. This is done through the use of VIPA's V-model. Starting with a given concept, VIPA's assessment validates the concept's stated performance, identifies significant issues either with the concept or the requirements, and then re-integrates these issues to determine impacts. This process is discussed along with a description of how it may be integrated into a program's insight and review process. The VIPA process has been employed successfully on several projects including SLI, Orbital Space Plane (OSP), and several heavy lift concepts for Exploration. It has also been proposed for use on the Jupiter Icy Moon (JIMO) spacecraft. The VIPA process has gained favor with both engineering and project organizations for being responsive and insightful. Selected results from these assessments will be presented.

McGhee, David S.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Prospects for Interstellar Propulsion

In recognition of the increasing prospects for Earth-like exoplanet discoveries and its significance for spurring future interstellar voyages of discovery, the United States Congress recently directed NASA to undertake an interstellar mission technology assessment report. In response to this legislative charge to action, NASA has undertaken a series of extramural interstellar workshops aimed at identifying and evaluating technology concepts for enabling an interstellar scientific probe mission, associated technical challenges, technology readiness level assessments, risks, potential near-term milestones, and funding requirements. This paper summarizes these activities and discusses the scientific and technical rationale for a long-term program consisting of incremental, staged technical developments that are extensible for interstellar travel to a nearby star system over many decades.

Litchford, Ronald J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Device- and System-Level Thermal Packaging for Electric-Drive Technologies (Final Technical Report)

Final Technical ReportThis project aimed to research, develop, and test electric traction drive system technology for use in vehicle applications that are capable of meeting the targets set by the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office. The project is categorized into three major thrusts: Bonding interfaces for packaging, thermal management of electric vehicle (EV) power inverters, and electric motor thermal management. Device- and System-Level Thermal Packaging for Electric-Drive Technologies project aimed to develop, analyze, and validate transformative approaches in thermal management and packaging for power electronics and electric motor systems, with the ultimate goal of enhancing power density, efficiency, and reliability in electrified transportation platforms.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Guideline for Characterizing and Evaluating a Candidate Project Site for Solar Thermal Applications

This document presents a structured procedure for characterizing and evaluating candidate project sites for concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar heat for industrial processes (SHIP) applications. The objective is to provide project developers, researchers, and other stakeholders with a consistent, technology-agnostic framework for early-stage site assessment, enabling informed decision-making prior to significant investment in project development. Site selection is a critical factor in project success or failure for both CSP and SHIP projects. Key factors such as solar resource availability, land characteristics, environmental and regulatory constraints, infrastructure availability, and community context are determined by the choice of project site and can materially impact project performance, cost, schedule, and overall viability. This procedure is designed to systematically evaluate these factors, identify potential fatal flaws, and prioritize the most favorable candidate sites for further development. The process begins with rapid screening-level evaluation, using publicly available data to assess solar resource, land availability and suitability, zoning and land-use compatibility, and exclusion zones such as protected lands or sensitive habitats. Sites that meet the minimum screening criteria advance to a more detailed characterization. Subsequent sections of this report provide guidance for a next-level assessment of the most important technical and environmental parameters, including: 1) Solar resource quality, variability, and uncertainty using multiyear datasets and, where appropriate, on-site measurement campaigns; 2) Meteorological conditions such as wind, temperature, extreme weather events, and soiling impacts; 3) Land characteristics including slope, shading, and geotechnical conditions; and 4) Environmental and regulatory considerations, including permitting processes, endangered species, cultural resources, and visual impacts. The procedure also addresses infrastructure and integration considerations, including: 1) Grid interconnection requirements for CSP power generation projects; 2) Electrical and operational integration for SHIP facilities; 3) Water availability, quality, and permitting constraints, which are particularly critical for CSP in arid regions; and 4) Site access, construction logistics, and availability of workforce and supporting services. Recognizing the importance of social and economic context, the procedure includes evaluation of community engagement factors, such as stakeholder sentiment, proximity to sensitive visual receptors, workforce development opportunities, and local economic incentives. The outputs of these assessments are synthesized in a cost and risk evaluation, translating site characteristics into expected impacts on capital cost, operating cost, schedule, and technical risk. This is complemented by screening-level performance modeling, including 8760 simulations and long-term projections, to quantify expected energy or thermal output, assess variability thereof, and support comparison between candidate sites. Finally, the procedure provides high-level guidance on a structured go/no-go decision framework, categorizing sites based on identified risks and constraints, and outlining a clear path forward to feasibility studies and front-end engineering design for viable projects. By standardizing the site characterization process across both CSP and SHIP applications, this guideline aims to: 1) Improve consistency and transparency in early-stage project evaluation; 2) Reduce development risk and avoid investment in nonviable project sites; 3) Support collaboration between developers, researchers, and public agencies; and 4) Accelerate successful deployment of concentrating solar technologies for both power generation and industrial process heat.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2016

LUVOIR Tech Notes

We present nine "tech notes" prepared by the Large UV/Optical/Infrared (LUVOIR) Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT), Study Office, and Technology Working Group. These tech notes are intended to highlight technical challenges that represent boundaries in the trade space for developing the LUVOIR architecture that may impact the science objectives being developed by the STDT. These tech notes are intended to be high-level discussions of the technical challenges and will serve as starting points for more in-depth analysis as the LUVOIR study progresses.

large aperture↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ultra-narrow-linewidth hybrid-integrated self-injection locked laser at 780 nm

Narrow-linewidth lasers are essential across a wide range of applications, including classical and quantum sensing, trapped ion systems, position/navigation/timing systems, optical clocks, and microwave frequency synthesizers. In the visible and near-visible spectrum, low-noise lasers are particularly important for laser trapping and cooling techniques, which are vital for trapped ion quantum computing, sensing, and atomic clocks. In this context, our work showcases a hybrid-integrated narrow-linewidth laser that operates at 780 nm, achieving a self-heterodyne linewidth of 105 Hz. To validate the experimental results, we performed a numerical analysis that combines insights from a many-body theory applied to the gain region with a travelling-wave model to capture the laser dynamics. Our investigation further delves into how the linewidth of the self-injection locked lasers is influenced by the parameters of micro-ring resonators, aiming to assess the potential for achieving Hz-level integrated laser linewidths at 780 nm. This work not only demonstrates the technical feasibility of Hz-level narrow-linewidth lasers but also lays the groundwork for future explorations in the field.

Prokoshin, Artem (ORCID:0009000699760238)↗
NASA NTRS2013

Vehicle Integrated Prognostic Reasoner (VIPR) Final Report

A systems view is necessary to detect, diagnose, predict, and mitigate adverse events during the flight of an aircraft. While most aircraft subsystems look for simple threshold exceedances and report them to a central maintenance computer, the vehicle integrated prognostic reasoner (VIPR) proactively generates evidence and takes an active role in aircraft-level health assessment. Establishing the technical feasibility and a design trade-space for this next-generation vehicle-level reasoning system (VLRS) is the focus of our work.

Bharadwaj, Raj↗
NASA NTRS2010

Multi-Evaporator Miniature Loop Heat Pipe for Small Spacecraft Thermal Control: New Technologies and Validation Approach - Part 1

Under NASA s New Millennium Program Space Technology 8 (ST 8) Project, four experiments Thermal Loop, Dependable Microprocessor, SAILMAST, and UltraFlex - were conducted to advance the maturity of individual technologies from proof of concept to prototype demonstration in a relevant environment , i.e. from a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 to a level of 6. This paper presents the new technologies and validation approach of the Thermal Loop experiment. The Thermal Loop is an advanced thermal control system consisting of a miniature loop heat pipe (MLHP) with multiple evaporators and multiple condensers designed for future small system applications requiring low mass, low power, and compactness. The MLHP retains all features of state-of-the-art loop heat pipes (LHPs) and offers additional advantages to enhance the functionality, performance, versatility, and reliability of the system. Details of the thermal loop concept, technical advances, benefits, objectives, level 1 requirements, and performance characteristics are described. Also included in the paper are descriptions of the test articles and mathematical modeling used for the technology validation. An MLHP breadboard was built and tested in the laboratory and thermal vacuum environments for TRL 4 and TRL 5 validations, and an MLHP proto-flight unit was built and tested in a thermal vacuum chamber for the TRL 6 validation. In addition, an analytical model was developed to simulate the steady state and transient behaviors of the MLHP during various validation tests. Capabilities and limitations of the analytical model are also addressed.

Ku, Jentung↗
NASA NTRS2006

Simulation Assisted Risk Assessment: Blast Overpressure Modeling

A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) approach has been developed and applied to the risk analysis of capsule abort during ascent. The PRA is used to assist in the identification of modeling and simulation applications that can significantly impact the understanding of crew risk during this potentially dangerous maneuver. The PRA approach is also being used to identify the appropriate level of fidelity for the modeling of those critical failure modes. The Apollo launch escape system (LES) was chosen as a test problem for application of this approach. Failure modes that have been modeled and/or simulated to date include explosive overpressure-based failure, explosive fragment-based failure, land landing failures (range limits exceeded either near launch or Mode III trajectories ending on the African continent), capsule-booster re-contact during separation, and failure due to plume-induced instability. These failure modes have been investigated using analysis tools in a variety of technical disciplines at various levels of fidelity. The current paper focuses on the development and application of a blast overpressure model for the prediction of structural failure due to overpressure, including the application of high-fidelity analysis to predict near-field and headwinds effects.

Lawrence, Scott L.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Multi-Evaporator Miniature Loop Heat Pipe for Small Spacecraft Thermal Control

This paper presents the development of the Thermal Loop experiment under NASA's New Millennium Program Space Technology 8 (ST8) Project. The Thermal Loop experiment was originally planned for validating in space an advanced heat transport system consisting of a miniature loop heat pipe (MLHP) with multiple evaporators and multiple condensers. Details of the thermal loop concept, technical advances and benefits, Level 1 requirements and the technology validation approach are described. An MLHP breadboard has been built and tested in the laboratory and thermal vacuum environments, and has demonstrated excellent performance that met or exceeded the design requirements. The MLHP retains all features of state-of-the-art loop heat pipes and offers additional advantages to enhance the functionality, performance, versatility, and reliability of the system. In addition, an analytical model has been developed to simulate the steady state and transient operation of the MHLP, and the model predictions agreed very well with experimental results. A protoflight MLHP has been built and is being tested in a thermal vacuum chamber to validate its performance and technical readiness for a flight experiment.

Ku, Jentung↗
NASA NTRS2024

Survey of Methods for Assessing Safety Compliance of sUAS BVLOS Operations

To ensure the safety of small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations in the National Airspace System (NAS), the FAA offers a guideline on how sUAS operators can demonstrate compliance with FAA rules, including regulations, advisory circulars, policy statements, and acceptable means of compliance (AMOC), using a formal and top-down approach. According to FAA Advisory Circular 23.2010-1, the AMOC refers to “one method, but not the only method, to show compliance with a regulatory requirement.” It is common for regulations to include a performance and safety standard rather than a detailed design or operation requirement, which allows for flexibility in fulfilling the regulatory requirements while still achieving a predetermined level of safety. This technical report explores existing frameworks for sUAS BVLOS safety analysis. It begins by discussing how sUAS BVLOS operations can be strategically deconflicted and then discusses their hazards. The next step is to establish safety assessment methods commonly used by the aviation industry and the FAA, illustrate how these methods can be applied to several safety-critical air traffic systems, and list collision models that the FAA and industry use. This investigation documents the processes for assessing safety risks in sUAS BVLOS operations and will allow sUAS BVLOS operations to be assessed for safety compliance more efficiently.

sUAS BVLOS Operations↗
NASA NTRS2005

Health Management Applications for International Space Station

Traditional mission and vehicle management involves teams of highly trained specialists monitoring vehicle status and crew activities, responding rapidly to any anomalies encountered during operations. These teams work from the Mission Control Center and have access to engineering support teams with specialized expertise in International Space Station (ISS) subsystems. Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) applications can significantly augment these capabilities by providing enhanced monitoring, prognostic and diagnostic tools for critical decision support and mission management. The Intelligent Systems Division of NASA Ames Research Center is developing many prototype applications using model-based reasoning, data mining and simulation, working with Mission Control through the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes Project. This paper will briefly describe information technology that supports current mission management practice, and will extend this to a vision for future mission control workflow incorporating new ISHM applications. It will describe ISHM applications currently under development at NASA and will define technical approaches for implementing our vision of future human exploration mission management incorporating artificial intelligence and distributed web service architectures using specific examples. Several prototypes are under development, each highlighting a different computational approach. The ISStrider application allows in-depth analysis of Caution and Warning (C&W) events by correlating real-time telemetry with the logical fault trees used to define off-nominal events. The application uses live telemetry data and the Livingstone diagnostic inference engine to display the specific parameters and fault trees that generated the C&W event, allowing a flight controller to identify the root cause of the event from thousands of possibilities by simply navigating animated fault tree models on their workstation. SimStation models the functional power flow for the ISS Electrical Power System and can predict power balance for nominal and off-nominal conditions. SimStation uses realtime telemetry data to keep detailed computational physics models synchronized with actual ISS power system state. In the event of failure, the application can then rapidly diagnose root cause, predict future resource levels and even correlate technical documents relevant to the specific failure. These advanced computational models will allow better insight and more precise control of ISS subsystems, increasing safety margins by speeding up anomaly resolution and reducing,engineering team effort and cost. This technology will make operating ISS more efficient and is directly applicable to next-generation exploration missions and Crew Exploration Vehicles.

Alena, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2026

Levelized Cost of Dispensed Hydrogen for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

In this short technical report, we explore the range of levelized costs of dispensed hydrogen (H2) from hydrogen refueling (or fueling) stations (HRS) for H2 heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) that are feasible in the 2030 timeframe. We explore different scenarios by varying hydrogen delivery distances, HRS sizes, HRS utilization rates, and economies of scale in the Hydrogen Delivery Scenario Analysis Model (HDSAM). Thus, we observe how the contribution to the levelized cost of each supply chain component changes.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
NASA NTRS1981

The development and utilization of solar photovoltaic cells: An assessment of the potential for a new energy technology

The Government set the goal of accelerating the adaptation of photovoltaics by reducing system costs to a competitive level and overcoming the technical, institutional, legal, environmental, and social barriers impeding the diffusion of photovoltaic technology. The technology of silicon solar arrays was examined and the status of development efforts are reviewed. The political, legal, economic, social, and environmental issues are discussed, and several methods for selecting development projects are described. A number of market forecasting techniques, including time trend, judgemental, and econometric methods, were reviewed, and the results of these models are presented.

Cyr, K. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Separation of airborne and structureborne noise radiated by plates constructed of conventional and composite materials with applications for prediction of interior noise paths in propeller driven aircraft

The anticipated application of advanced turboprop propulsion systems and use of composite materials in primary structure is expected to increase the interior noise of future aircraft to unacceptability high levels. The absence of technically and economically feasible noise source-path diagnostic tools has been a primer obstacle in the development of efficient noise control treatments for propeller driven aircraft. A new diagnostic method which permits the separation and prediction of the fully coherent airborne and structureborne components of the sound radiated by plates or thin shells has been developed. Analytical and experimental studies of the proposed method were performed on plates constructed of both conventional and composite materials. The results of the study indicate that the proposed method can be applied to a variety of aircraft materials, could be used in flight, and has fewer encumbrances than the other diagnostic tools currently available. The study has also revealed that the noise radiation of vibrating plates in the low frequency regime due to combined airborne and structureborne inputs possesses a strong synergistic nature. The large influence of the interaction between the airborne and structureborne terms has been hitherto ignored by researchers of aircraft interior noise problems.

Mcgary, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Satellite voice broadcast. Volume 1: Executive summary

An Executive Summary of the Satellite Voice Broadcast System Study designs are synthesized for direct sound broadcast satellite systems for HF-, VHF-, and Ku-bands. Methods are developed and used to predict satellite weight, volume, and RF performance for the various concepts considered. Cost and schedule risk assessments are performed to predict time and cost required to implement selected concepts. Technology assessments and tradeoffs are made to identify critical enabling technologies that require development to bring technical risk to acceptable levels for full scale development.

Bachtell, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Satellite voice broadcast. Volume 2: System study

The Technical Volume of the Satellite Broadcast System Study is presented. Designs are synthesized for direct sound broadcast satellite systems for HF-, VHF-, L-, and Ku-bands. Methods are developed and used to predict satellite weight, volume, and RF performance for the various concepts considered. Cost and schedule risk assessments are performed to predict time and cost required to implement selected concepts. Technology assessments and tradeoffs are made to identify critical enabling technologies that require development to bring technical risk to acceptable levels for full scale development.

Bachtell, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electronic data generation and display system

The Electronic Data Generation and Display System (EDGADS) is a field tested paperless technical manual system. The authoring provides subject matter experts the option of developing procedureware from digital or hardcopy inputs of technical information from text, graphics, pictures, and recorded media (video, audio, etc.). The display system provides multi-window presentations of graphics, pictures, animations, and action sequences with text and audio overlays on high resolution color CRT and monochrome portable displays. The database management system allows direct access via hierarchical menus, keyword name, ID number, voice command or touch of a screen pictoral of the item (ICON). It contains operations and maintenance technical information at three levels of intelligence for a total system.

Wetekamm, Jules↗