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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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At least 217 records · Page 12

Space Chemical Propulsion Test Facilities at NASA Lewis Research Center

The NASA Lewis Research Center, located in Cleveland, Ohio, has a number of space chemical propulsion test facilities which constitute a significant national space testing resource. The purpose of this paper is to make more users aware of these test facilities and to encourage their use through cooperative agreements between the government, industry, and universities. Research which is of interest to the government is especially encouraged and often can be done in a cooperative manner that best uses the resources of all parties. An overview of the Lewis test facilities is presented.

Urasek, Donald C.↗

Test facility for 6000 hour life test of 30 cm mercury ion thruster

The environmental and instrumentation requirements for long term testing of electrical propulsion thrusters which impose severe and unusual requirements upon the simulation facility were studied. High speed ions ejected from a mercury thruster erode material from collecting surfaces, which is then scattered and redeposited upon other surfaces, with resultant damage to the chamber and test article. By collecting the thruster plume on a frozen mercury surface damage to the thruster and chamber by back-scattered erosion products was minimized. Provisions for unattended operation, remote data acquisition, personnel safety, and instrumentation for assessing thruster performance are also discussed.

Caldwell, J. J.↗

High power, high frequency component test facility

The NASA Lewis Research Center has available a high frequency, high power laboratory facility for testing various components of aerospace and/or terrestrial power systems. This facility is described here. All of its capabilities and potential applications are detailed.

Roth, Mary Ellen↗

Low thrust rocket test facility

A low thrust chemical rocket test facility has recently become operational at the NASA-Lewis. The new facility is used to conduct both long duration and performance tests at altitude over a thruster's operating envelope using hydrogen and oxygen gas for propellants. The facility provides experimental support for a broad range of objectives, including fundamental modeling of fluids and combustion phenomena, the evaluation of thruster components, and life testing of full rocket designs. The major mechanical and electrical systems are described along with aspects of the various optical diagnostics available in the test cell. The electrical and mechanical systems are designed for low down time between tests and low staffing requirements for test operations. Initial results are also presented which illustrate the various capabilities of the cell.

Arrington, Lynn A.↗

Low thrust rocket test facility

A low thrust chemical rocket test facility has recently become operational at the NASA-Lewis. The new facility is used to conduct both long duration and performance tests at altitude over a thruster's operating envelope using hydrogen and oxygen gas for propellants. The facility provides experimental support for a broad range of objectives, including fundamental modeling of fluids and combustion phenomena, the evaluation of thruster components, and life testing of full rocket designs. The major mechanical and electrical systems are described along with aspects of the various optical diagnostics available in the test cell. The electrical and mechanical systems are designed for low down time between tests and low staffing requirements for test operations. Initial results are also presented which illustrate the various capabilities of the cell.

Arrington, Lynn A.↗

Strategic avionics technology definition studies. Subtask 3-1A3: Electrical Actuation (ELA) Systems Test Facility

Future aerospace vehicles will require use of the Electrical Actuator systems for flight control elements. This report presents a proposed ELA Test Facility for dynamic evaluation of high power linear Electrical Actuators with primary emphasis on Thrust Vector Control actuators. Details of the mechanical design, power and control systems, and data acquisition capability of the test facility are presented. A test procedure for evaluating the performance of the ELA Test Facility is also included.

Rogers, J. P.↗

Utilisation of real-scale renewable energy test facility for validation of generic wind turbine and wind power plant controller models

This article presents an example of application of a modern test facility conceived for experiments regarding the integration of renewable energy in the power system. The capabilities of the test facility are used to validate dynamic simulation models of wind power plants and their controllers. The models are based on standard and generic blocks. The successful validation of events related to the control of active power (control phenomena in <10 Hz range, including frequency control and power oscillation damping) is described, demonstrating the capabilities of the test facility and drawing the track for future work and improvements.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Status of the Top Plate and Anticryostat for High Field Cable Test Facility at Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) is currently constructing a new High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility (HFVMTF) designed for testing High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) cables under high magnetic fields. This facility is expected to offer capabilities similar to those of EDIPO at PSI and FRESCA2 at CERN. The background magnetic field of 15 T will be generated by a magnet supplied by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The primary function of HFVMTF will be to serve as a superconducting cable test facility, facilitating tests under high magnetic fields and a broad spectrum of cryogenic temperatures. Additionally, the facility will be utilized for testing high-field superconducting magnet models and demonstrators, including hybrid magnets, developed by the US Magnet Development Program (MDP). This paper provides a comprehensive description of the current status of two pivotal components of the facility: the Top/Lambda Plates Assembly and the Anticryostat for the Test Sample Holder. The latter will serve as a principal interface component connecting cable test samples with the facility's cryostat.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The design of components for an advanced Rankine cycle test facility.

The design of a facility for testing components of an advanced Rankine cycle power system is summarized. The facility is a three-loop system in which lithium, potassium and NaK-78 are the working fluids of the primary, secondary and heat-rejection loops, respectively. Design bases and performance predictions for the major loop components, including the lithium heater and the potassium boiler, condenser and preheater, are outlined.

Bond, J. A.↗

1998 Calibration of the Mach 4.7 and Mach 6 Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility Nozzles

A calibration of the Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility (AHSTF) Mach 4.7 and Mach 6 nozzles was performed in 1998. For each nozzle, three different typical facility operating test points were selected for calibration. Each survey consisted of measurements, at 340 separate locations across the 11 inch square nozzle exit plane, of pitot pressure, static pressure, and total temperature. Measurement density was higher (4/inch) in the boundary layer near the nozzle wall than in the core nozzle flow (1/inch). The results generated for each of these calibration surveys were contour plots at the nozzle exit plane of the measured and calculated flow properties which completely defined the thermodynamic state of the nozzle exit flow. An area integration of the mass flux at the nozzle exit for each survey was compared to the AHSTF mass flow meter results to provide an indication of the overall quality of the calibration performed. The percent difference between the integrated nozzle exit mass flow and the flow meter ranged from 0.0 to 1.3 percent for the six surveys. Finally, a comparison of this 1998 calibration was made with the 1986 calibration. Differences of less than 10 percent were found within the nozzle core flow while in the boundary layer differences on the order of 20 percent were quite common.

Witte, David W.↗

Inlet Acoustic Data from a High Bypass Ratio Turbofan Rotor in an Internal Flow Component Test Facility

In February 2017, aerodynamic and acoustic testing was completed on a scale-model high bypass ratio turbofan rotor, R4, in an internal flow component test facility. The objective of testing was to determine the aerodynamic and acoustic impact of fan casing treatments designed to reduce noise. The baseline configuration consisted of the R4 rotor with a hardwall fan case. Data are presented for a baseline acoustic run with fan exit instrumentation removed to give a clean acoustic configuration.

Turbofan↗

Instrumentation Plan for the OSU High Temperature Test Facility, Revision 4

This instrumentation plan describes the instrumentation requirements and design for the Oregon State University (OSU) High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF). This report outlines HTTF instrumentation design specifications, data acquisition and control system (DACS) design specifications as well as a brief description of the instrumentation to be used in the HTTF. The HTTF is an integral test facility, which has been designed to model the behavior of interest for a Very High Temperature Gas Reactor (VHTR) during the Depressurized Conduction Cooldown (DCC) event. It also has the potential to conduct limited explorations into the progression of the Pressurized Conduction Cooldown (PCC) event and phenomena during normal operations. The facility is scaled 1:4 by height and 1:64 by volume. The maximum core power for the facility is approximately 2.2MW. The core region is of a modular design to allow for both the prismatic block core and the pebble bed core designs to be tested. However, only the prismatic block design is discussed in this report. A correctly scaled integral facility modeling the VHTR that can be used to examine the thermal hydraulic system behavior of the design basis and beyond design basis transients is of significant value. The experimental results obtained in such a program could be used to validate analytical tools and methods being proposed for use with the VHTR. Therefore, it is of importance that the HTTF be instrumented in such a way that the required data is collected to meet its overall goals of phenomena examination and code validation. In addition to the instrumentation used to collect data to achieve the overall goals of the HTTF test program, there is instrumentation in the HTTF, which is primarily used to ensure the safe operation of the test facility. This type of instrumentation shall be termed “Control Instrumentation” and is discussed in this report. This report discusses the DACS, which is a personal computer controlled system that is used to control both the collection and storage of the test matrix and control system data as well as electrical and mechanical operation of the test facility.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Managing Spacecraft Risk with Space Environments Testing via Process Safety Management at the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility (GRC-ATF)

The NASA Glenn Research Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility (GRC-ATF) is home to several unique, world class aerospace test facilities, including the In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Facility. The ISP Facility is NASA’s largest chamber designed to store and transfer large quantities of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen; and is designed to support developmental testing of upper stage chemical propulsion systems as well as fully integrated stages. The facility is also capable of providing thermal-vacuum simulation services to support testing of aerospace hardware, Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) systems and other In-Space propulsion programs. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals Standard (29 CFR 1910.119) is an analytical tool focused on preventing the release of chemicals and other energy sources. In a short timeframe, GRC-ATF was required to restore a PSM Program at the Facility. Although the summarized work is specific to the ground testing of rockets and space vehicles, the ISP Facility is used to verify system level requirements, some of these are safety requirements, and thus key to managing risks in space.

Safety↗

Modeling of the High Temperature Test Facility Using RELAP-7

The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) at Oregon State University (OSU) is an electrically heated, helium cooled, experimental facility. The HTTF was modeled using RELAP-7 in both 1-D and 3-D for validation. Due to core symmetry, 1/6th of the HTTF core was modeled in 3-D using the coupled heat conduction and forced convection capabilities of RELAP-7. This served as a validation case for RELAP-7 and its capabilities to model advanced nuclear technologies such as high temperature gas-cooled reactors.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Operating characteristics of the Langley Mach 7 Scramjet Test Facility

Operating characteristics of the Langley Mach 7 Scramjet Test Facility are described. The facility is designed for testing airframe integrated scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engine models. Features include duplication of the flight Mach number total enthalpy, flight altitude simulation, and simulation of engine airframe integration effects such a bow shock wave precompression and boundary layer ingestion by the engine. Data obtained from facility calibration and from tests of a hydrogen burning, airframe integrated scramjet are discussed. An adverse interaction between the facility flow and the scramjet engine flow during combustion of the fuel is described.

Guy, R. W.↗

Spacecraft charging technology in the satellite X-ray test facility

A satellite X-ray test facility (SXTF) is planned for studying system generated electromagnetic pulse effects on full scale, operational spacecraft. The environment created by a distant, high altitude nuclear burst can be simulated using pulsed X-ray sources. The facility is to be installed in a thermal vacuum chamber with dimensions greater then 10 m diameter and 20 m height and equipped with solar simulators and equipment for simulating the charging environment of space. The spacecraft charging system consists of several low energy electron and hydrogen ion sources (5-25 keV), one or two medium energy electron accelerators (150-300 keV), an array of vacuum ultraviolet lamps, and geomagnetic field suppression coils. Military, scientific, and commercial spacecraft can be tested before launching into the radiation environment of space. construction of SXTF is scheduled to begin in 1982 and the facility should be available for general use in 1984. Potential users are encouraged to express their needs for specific testing environments in SXTF.

Sponaugle, T. J.↗

Magnetic and Mechanical Analysis of a Large Aperture 15 T Cable Test Facility Dipole Magnet

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC), is funding a large bore “Cable Test Facility Magnet” for testing advanced cables and inserts in high transverse field. This is a joint effort between the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). The background field magnet for this facility is being developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) while the cryostat and test facility will be located and operated by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). The Nb 3 Sn dipole magnet, which will provide the transverse background field, is designed to generate a field of 15 T in a 100 × 150 mm bore at 1.9 K. The conceptual design of a block-type dipole with flared ends and a structure based on key-and-bladder technology will be introduced. The results of the magnetic and mechanical analysis will be presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗