SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Control Architecture”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2020

Framework for Large-scale Implementation of Wholesale-Retail Transactive Control Mechanism

Transactive energy is a control technique that uses market mechanisms to achieve desired control objectives. Several simulation studies and field demonstrations were carried out in recent years, but all focused on small scale systems and purpose-built simplified models which are not always capable of pointing out all the advantages and shortcomings of transac- tive energy methods. This work describes a co-simulation framework built on a hierarchical control architecture that allows for conducting studies of the impacts of a very large-scale deployment of transactive energy. The hierarchical transactive control architecture adopted in this work helps with alleviating computation and communication burden to facilitate a more effective large scale real-time market operation among device level resources and the system level operators. The co-simulation framework is evaluated an integrated power sys- tem model of unprecedented scale composed of the Western Electricity Coordination Council (WECC) transmission system with tens of thousands of distribution systems deployed with flexible device-level distributed energy resources (DERs) using off-the-shelf simulators.

Transactive energy, market-based controls, DER int↗

NASA NTRS1990

BB-CLIPS: Blackboard extensions to CLIPS

This paper describes a set of extensions made to CLIPS version 4.3 that provide capabilities similar to the blackboard control architecture described by Hayes-Roth. There are three types of additions made to the CLIPS shell. The first extends the syntax to allow the specification of blackboard locations for CLIPS facts. The second implements changes in CLIPS rules and the agenda manager that provide some of the powerful features of the blackboard control architecture. These additions provide dynamic prioritization of rules on the agenda allowing control strategies to be implemented that respond to the changing goals of the system. The final category of changes support the needs of continuous systems, including the ability for CLIPS to continue execution with an empty agenda.

Orchard, Robert A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Power/Propulsion System Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Results

Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) technology offers a promising path forward for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental effects from the commercial aviation sector. EAP systems can reduce fuel burn and improve performance over state-of the-art designs, however the increased complexity and highly coupled nature of these systems present challenges that require new control approaches. The SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan is a concept aircraft developed by NASA as a reference design for a commercial transport aircraft with a highly integrated hybrid-electric powertrain. This paper summarizes the results of a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test of a control architecture developed for the SUSAN power/propulsion system (PPS). The test was performed in the Hybrid Propulsion Emulation Rig (HyPER) facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and involved a real-time reference model of the SUSAN PPS and control system running with a sub-scale electro-mechanical system replacing one of the PPS subsystems. A side-by-side comparison of the simulated and real systems in the HIL test results shows that the control architecture functions well in both the simulation and the real-time HIL environment. In both cases the controller is able to simultaneously deliver the required thrust response and balance power levels between the electrical and turbomachinery subsystems.

Jonah J Sachs-Wetstone↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Power/Propulsion System Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Results

EAP↗

DOE OSTI2025

A Secondary Control Framework for Microgrid Interoperability With Vendor-Agnostic Grid-Forming Units: Design, Implementation, and Demonstration via Large-Scale Hardware Setup

The reliable operation of islanded microgrids increasingly depends on secondary controls that restore voltage and frequency to nominal values and ensure accurate active and reactive power sharing. Centralized secondary control architectures achieve high accuracy through global coordination at the cost of single-point failures and limited scalability compared with decentralized/distributed approaches. But a critical gap remains in addressing the interoperability and vendor-agnostic operation of secondary controls in real-world microgrids where heterogeneous diesel generator(s) and grid-forming (GFM) inverter(s) from multiple manufacturers always coexist. Practical and vendor-agnostic interoperability guidelines for the secondary control architecture of microgrids with multiple GFM units have not yet been developed; therefore, this paper proposes an interoperable and vendor-agnostic secondary control framework that operates seamlessly across GFM units from different vendors without relying on proprietary controls and protocols, hardware, or lock-ins. The framework leverages existing communication infrastructures (e.g., Modbus TCP/IP) to enable cost-effective deployment while addressing practical challenges, such as packet loss and quantization errors. Mitigation strategies-including data averaging, situational event-triggered control, and finite-iteration execution-are introduced to enhance reliability under real-world conditions. A generalized modeling and design framework is also presented, supported by robustness analysis to demonstrate independence from vendor-specific implementations. The proposed framework is validated through a large-scale hardware demonstration using a 3-$\phi$, 480-V, 60-Hz, 713-kVA laboratory hardware microgrid involving a heterogeneous diesel generator and multiple GFM inverters, showcasing its effectiveness in achieving stable voltage and frequency restoration and accurate power sharing under practical constraints. The results highlight the framework's potential as a scalable and practical solution for next-generation microgrids requiring openness, standard framework, and interoperability.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2020

Innovations in Sensors and Controls for Building Energy Management: Research and Development Opportunities Report for Emerging Technologies

Sensors, actuators, and controllers, which collectively serve as the backbone of cyberphysical systems for building energy management, are one of the core technical areas of investment for achieving the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office's (BTO's) goals for energy affordability in the national building stock - both commercial and residential. In fact, an aggregated annual energy savings of 29% is estimated in the commercial sector alone through the implementation of efficiency measures using current state-of-the-art sensors and controls to retune buildings by optimizing programmable settings based on occupant schedules and comfort requirements, as well as detecting and diagnosing equipment operation and installation problems (Fernandez et al. 2017). Monitoring and control of building conditions and operations has advanced significantly, from the invention of the modern thermostat just before the start of the 20th century to the midcentury incorporation of direct digital control into devices, the introduction of open protocols and network communications at the end of the century, and finally the invention of cloud-based computing and additional advancements that have enabled remote operation and a proliferation of connected and intelligent devices in building automation. Despite this potential, however, two main challenges hinder widespread adoption of sensors and controls in building operations that can ensure savings for high-efficiency components and equipment (e.g., heat pumps, windows, and lighting devices), as well as additional savings from more sophisticated control architectures and algorithms. energy savings of 29% is estimated in the commercial sector alone through the implementation of efficiency measures using current state-of-the-art sensors and controls to retune buildings by optimizing programmable settings based on occupant schedules and comfort requirements, as well as detecting and diagnosing equipment operation and installation problems (Fernandez et al. 2017). Monitoring and control of building conditions and operations has advanced significantly, from the invention of the modern thermostat just before the start of the 20th century to the midcentury incorporation of direct digital control into devices, the introduction of open protocols and network communications at the end of the century, and finally the invention of cloud-based computing and additional advancements that have enabled remote operation and a proliferation of connected and intelligent devices in building automation. Despite this potential, however, two main challenges hinder widespread adoption of sensors and controls in building operations that can ensure savings for high-efficiency components and equipment (e.g., heat pumps, windows, and lighting devices), as well as additional savings from more sophisticated control architectures and algorithms.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS2021

Collision Free Dynamic Stability of Formations Using Projection Based Estimators

Transient instability is a phenomenon where inter- agent collisions can occur in dynamically stable formations of autonomous agents. Therefore, the necessity to manage and mitigate transient instabilities is essential for successfully deploying formation structures. This paper develops a novel control architecture that augments the baseline formation maintenance controller to mitigate transient instabilities. At its heart, the proposed architecture consists of a projection operator based estimator disguised as a reference model that generates collision-free trajectories for the agents to follow. This paper’s main theoretical result shows that the proposed control architecture can simultaneously mitigate transient instabilities and guarantee asymptotic convergence of the formation dynamics. Also, an illustrative example demonstrates the theoretical developments presented in this paper.

Bayard, David S.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Virtual Cable Impedance based Load Sharing in a Microgrid for Parallel Connected Grid Forming Converters

This paper presents a novel approach to power sharing between direct connected grid-forming converters, utilizing virtual cable impedance and droop-based outer loop control. To enhance stability, resistive droop is implemented, while virtual cable impedance with non-zero resistive and inductive components ensures improved power sharing. The inner loop controller employs a Lyapunov energy function to achieve superior dynamic performance. The proposed control architecture is validated through comprehensive modeling and real-time processor-in-the-loop simulations, demonstrating its robustness and efficiency under various operating conditions. The results highlight the potential of this control strategy to improve the reliability and efficiency of renewable energy systems. Additionally, a comparative analysis with traditional methods underscores the advantages of the proposed approach in terms of stability and performance. The proposed control architecture offers a scalable and flexible solution for grid-forming converters, enabling seamless integration of renewable energy sources. Its robustness and adaptability make it an attractive solution for real-world applications. Furthermore, the approach can be extended to other power electronic systems, enhancing overall system performance and efficiency. By providing a reliable and efficient control strategy, this paper contributes to the advancement of renewable energy systems and their adoption in the energy sector. The proposed control strategy has far-reaching implications for the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, enabling a more sustainable and efficient energy future. The overall system is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS software domain.

grid forming converters (GFM)↗

DOE OSTI2022

Hierarchical Model-Free Transactive Control of Building Loads to Support Grid Services

Residential buildings consume 4.4 quads of electricity annually, approximately 37% of the total electricity consumption in the United States. This represents a vast resource that can be used for demand management and other ancillary services. This project aims to develop a robust, scalable hierarchical transactional control mechanism incorporating elements of model-free control (MFC) and game theory to harness buildings to provide ancillary services to the grid. This approach is being taken to address the challenges of incorporating traditional transactional control schemes into existing buildings. The challenges include small individual building sizes requiring aggregation of many buildings, unpredictable energy usage that makes model identification difficult, and satisfying the sensitive occupant comfort constraints. In the proposed approach, by separating the control mechanism into two layers above and below the load aggregator, MFC can be used below the aggregator to modulate flexible building loads in response to pricing signals with guaranteed performance. This allows the burden of identifying an accurate model of the system to be shifted to the above-aggregator layer, where fluctuations in individual building usage have less impact on predicted building system behavior. Game theory concepts can then be used to determine pricing curves and control signals among regional aggregators. Managing this control in a game-theoretic approach will allow us to build in financial incentives that increase customer engagement. Additionally, the usage of MFC necessitates less burdensome computational and communication requirements, thus, it is easily deployable on small, embedded devices. In a broader sense, developing a strategy capable of effectively incorporating residential and small commercial buildings will allow greater throughput of existing and emerging grid services in addition to future transactive energy grid management methods. Using MFC within a hierarchical control architecture will allow the shifting of existing forecasting challenges to an aggregate level, where dynamics are slower and more predictable. This will enable a smooth interface between the grid services requests of utilities and the reliable control required by participating buildings. MFC, which supports distributed control architecture, permits a scalable solution that can be deployed to neighborhood-size systems as well as individual buildings. This project focuses on three objectives: (1) developing the mathematical framework, algorithm toolkit, and software toolset of the two-layer transactive control testbed; (2) developing a scalable solution for application over many residential and small-size commercial buildings with sparse distributed communication; and (3) field testing and implementation on hardware of the control strategies developed in the previous two objectives. The research and development activities are focused and designed to be impactful within the relevant 2025 targets timeframe. An open-source control framework for exploiting variability and dispatchability of building loads will be delivered as the outcome of the project. This capability enables greater participation of loads in electricity markets and ancillary services that are both useful for the utility and financially beneficial for building owners.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Analysis of Transformer Magnetizing Reactance Using Describing Function in Direct Power Control of Back-to-Back Modular Multilevel Converter with Advanced Grid Support

This paper presents a Port Controlled Hamiltonian based direct power control architecture for a back-to-back modular multilevel converter system connecting two ac sources at different frequencies. The system features advanced grid support functionalities based on IEEE 1547-2018, implemented on the inverter side. The rectifier side controller ensures reference following for active and/or reactive powers and maintains the commanded dc bus voltage. The inverter side controller ensures power command following for active and reactive powers.The proposed control architecture is designed to suppress second harmonic oscillations in powers during unbalanced grid voltage sags by dynamically adjusting the currents on each ac side. This also ensures effective elimination of any second harmonic oscillations in the equivalent dc bus voltage. Validation is performed on an OPAL-RT real-time platform with case studies on unbalanced and balanced sags, demonstrating the controller's effectiveness during real time implementation. A reduced-scale laboratory prototype further verifies these case studies, with experimental results for balanced sags due to grid simulator limitations. The results confirm the robustness and efficiency of the proposed control strategy in ensuring stable and reliable operation under various grid conditions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS2014

The Use of Software Agents for Autonomous Control of a DC Space Power System

In order to enable manned deep-space missions, the spacecraft must be controlled autonomously using on-board algorithms. A control architecture is proposed to enable this autonomous operation for an spacecraft electric power system and then implemented using a highly distributed network of software agents. These agents collaborate and compete with each other in order to implement each of the control functions. A subset of this control architecture is tested against a steadystate power system simulation and found to be able to solve a constrained optimization problem with competing objectives using only local information.

autonomous control↗

NASA NTRS2013

Optimal Propellant Maneuver Flight Demonstrations on ISS

In this paper, first ever flight demonstrations of Optimal Propellant Maneuver (OPM), a method of propulsive rotational state transition for spacecraft controlled using thrusters, is presented for the International Space Station (ISS). On August 1, 2012, two ISS reorientations of about 180deg each were performed using OPMs. These maneuvers were in preparation for the same-day launch and rendezvous of a Progress vehicle, also a first for ISS visiting vehicles. The first maneuver used 9.7 kg of propellant, whereas the second used 10.2 kg. Identical maneuvers performed without using OPMs would have used approximately 151.1kg and 150.9kg respectively. The OPM method is to use a pre-planned attitude command trajectory to accomplish a rotational state transition. The trajectory is designed to take advantage of the complete nonlinear system dynamics. The trajectory choice directly influences the cost of the maneuver, in this case, propellant. For example, while an eigenaxis maneuver is kinematically the shortest path between two orientations, following that path requires overcoming the nonlinear system dynamics, thereby increasing the cost of the maneuver. The eigenaxis path is used for ISS maneuvers using thrusters. By considering a longer angular path, the path dependence of the system dynamics can be exploited to reduce the cost. The benefits of OPM for the ISS include not only reduced lifetime propellant use, but also reduced loads, erosion, and contamination from thrusters due to fewer firings. Another advantage of the OPM is that it does not require ISS flight software modifications since it is a set of commands tailored to the specific attitude control architecture. The OPM takes advantage of the existing ISS control system architecture for propulsive rotation called USTO control mode1. USTO was originally developed to provide ISS Orbiter stack attitude control capability for a contingency tile-repair scenario, where the Orbiter is maneuvered using its robotic manipulator relative to the ISS. Since 2005 USTO has been used for nominal ISS operations.

Bhatt, Sagar↗

NASA NTRS2018

Project Link!: Dynamics and Control of In-Flight Wing Tip Docking

Project Link! is a NASA-led effort to study the feasibility of multi-aircraft aerial docking systems. In these systems, a group of vehicles physically link to each other during flight to form a larger ensemble vehicle with increased aerodynamic performance and mission utility. This paper presents a dynamic model and control architecture for a system of fixed-wing vehicles with this capability. The dynamic model consists of the 6 degree-of-freedom fixed-wing aircraft equations of motion, a spring-damper-magnet system to represent the linkage force between constituent vehicles, and the NASA-Burnham-Hallock wingtip vortex model to represent the close-proximity aerodynamic interactions between constituents before the linking occurs. The control architecture consists of a guidance algorithm to autonomously drive the constituents towards their linking partners and an inner-loop angular rate controller. A simulation was constructed from the model, and the flight dynamic modes of the linked system were compared to the individual vehicles. Simulation results for both before and after linking are presented.

Cooper, John R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A modular software system for distributed telerobotics

The authors describe a control architecture for telerobotics research. The architecture was object-oriented and data-driven, and can be distributed over many processors on a wide-area network (WAN). The basic capabilities of this testbed have already been demonstrated in tests distributed over four cities. The data distribution techniques of this control architecture are described, as well as details of the current implementation and experimental results.

Graves, Sean↗

DOE OSTI2026

EVs-at-RISC: A Secure and Resilient Interoperable SCM Control System Architecture for Electric Vehicle’s-at-Scale (Final Technical Report)

The EVs-at-RISC project was a five-year research, development, and demonstration initiative to create foundational tools for utility-scale fleet aggregation and Smart Charge Management (SCM) of Electric Vehicles (EV), Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI), and related Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Rather than seeking to develop and demonstrate highly perfected SCM algorithms and control strategies, this project instead focused on creating foundational software solutions that enable unprecedented digital interoperability across the communications technologies and vendor platforms used to manage EV , EVCI, and DER, as well as existing energy management infrastructure operated by utilities, grid operators, and aggregators. This project then extends these novel interoperability capabilities to develop and deploy powerful middleware abstractions across grid edge networks and EVCI/DER fleet aggregations incorporating modern software tools and best practices, such as CI/CD, to bring the immense capabilities of infrastructure-as-code and policy-as-code to modern grid edge network environments. This addresses the foremost systemic issues preventing realization of any net operational benefits from scaled deployment of behind-the-meter EV, EVCI, and DER assets in electric power grids and markets today. The results of this approach and project unlock massive potential for new SCM capabilities to be easily prototyped, evaluated, and deployed at-scale within the existing grid edge network infrastructure and EVCI/DER technology ecosystem. The EVs-at-RISC project achieves this by extending Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB), a conceptual model for digital interoperability and distributed intelligence in traditional front-of-meter utility SCADA networks, validating our hypothesis that OpenFMB could be similarly used to solve systemic digital interoperability issues in behind-the-meter environments and unlock real-world utility-scale SCM capabilities without requiring any new proprietary vendor solutions or significant infrastructure reconfiguration.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS1992

Ground-remote control for space station telerobotics with time delay

The study proposes a ground-remote telerobot control architecture which could be used for control of Space Station Freedom manipulators. The architecture provides two local-site operator control stations representing potential earth-based and remote Space Station-based operator control stations. A unified control system at the remote site provides autonomous, shared, and teleoperation control for single-and dual-arm task execution. An operational laboratory system which demonstrates the feasibility of various technologies in the proposed architecture, including teleoperation, shared control, and supervised autonomy, is described. Enhancements to the system currently under development, including remote site implementation in Ada, integration and control of a redundant 7-DOF manipulator, and local site advanced operator aids, are also described.

Backes, Paul G.↗

NASA NTRS1996

An Architecture to Promote the Commercialization of Space Mission Command and Control

This paper describes a command and control architecture that encompasses space mission operations centers, ground terminals, and spacecraft. This architecture is intended to promote the growth of a lucrative space mission operations command and control market through a set of open standards used by both gevernment and profit-making space mission operators.

cost efficient operations standardisation money ca↗

NASA NTRS1990

Evaluation of non-Fourier heat waves influenced by nonlinear/linear boundary effects employing an explicit architecture and controlled stabilization

The present paper is concerned with the problem of heat waves in solids, where, the heat transport due to conduction occurs as propagating thermal disturbances which are transmitted at finite but high speeds. Starting from the general heat flux model of the Jeffrey's-type, and subsequent formulations leading to the Cattaneo-type heat flux model, an evaluation of the heat transport behavior is described for models influenced by non-Fourier effects and subjected to general nonlinear/linear boundary conditions. An explicit time-integration architecture is employed which effectively provides not only accurate representations of the relaxation effects and general boundary conditions but also seeks to provide an understanding of the representative thermal behavior and heat transport mechanisms for a variety of physical situations.

Tamma, Kumar K.↗