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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Strategies for Determining Safety of Fermented Foods Produced in Space

The BioNutrients experiments examine the feasibility of using microbially produced foods – yogurt, kefir, fermented food products– to supplement the current prepackaged food system to provide freshly synthesized nutrients and genetically engineered protein therapeutics to support crew health for sustainable and long duration crewed exploration. Safety of the products must be established as direct consumption of such products is a risk due to potential contamination with pathogenic organisms. Identifying pathogen contamination is particularly challenging as the fermenting cultures can mask the presence of contaminating organisms. Here we consider current methods of detecting coliforms, aerobic colonies, non-lactic acid bacteria, molds (yeasts), and specific pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus and salmonella. We also consider alternate and additional testing including sequencing and quantitative PCR. We investigate the use of the E-Nose developed by NASA Ames Research Center. This portable device senses volatile organic compounds in real time and can be trained to recognize “good” uncontaminated products from contaminated ones as a means of predicting food safety. Finally, we consider methods of in-flight pasteurization to increase safety and decrease overall microbial load of these products. This presentation will summarize testing status and outline the strategy that will be employed in the BioNutrients-3 ISS fermented foods experiment.

Natalie Ball↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Strategies for Determining Safety of Fermented Foods Produced in Space

The BioNutrients experiments examine the feasibility of using microbially produced foods – yogurt, kefir, fermented food products– to supplement the current prepackaged food system to provide freshly synthesized nutrients and genetically engineered protein therapeutics to support crew health for sustainable and long duration crewed exploration. Safety of the products must be established as direct consumption of such products is a risk due to potential contamination with pathogenic organisms. Identifying pathogen contamination is particularly challenging as the fermenting cultures can mask the presence of contaminating organisms. Here we consider current methods of detecting coliforms, aerobic colonies, non-lactic acid bacteria, molds (yeasts), and specific pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus and salmonella. We also consider alternate and additional testing including sequencing and quantitative PCR. We investigate the use of the E-Nose developed by NASA Ames Research Center. This portable device senses volatile organic compounds in real time and can be trained to recognize “good” uncontaminated products from contaminated ones as a means of predicting food safety. Finally, we consider methods of in-flight pasteurization to increase safety and decrease overall microbial load of these products. This presentation will summarize testing status and outline the strategy that will be employed in the BioNutrients-3 ISS fermented foods experiment.

Food↗
NASA NTRS2012

Plug-in Plan Tool v3.0.3.1

The role of PLUTO (Plug-in Port UTilization Officer) and the growth of the International Space Station (ISS) have exceeded the capabilities of the current tool PiP (Plug-in Plan). Its users (crew and flight controllers) have expressed an interest in a new, easy-to-use tool with a higher level of interactivity and functionality that is not bound by the limitations of Excel. The PiP Tool assists crewmembers and ground controllers in making real-time decisions concerning the safety and compatibility of hardware plugged into the UOPs (Utility Outlet Panels) onboard the ISS. The PiP Tool also provides a reference to the current configuration of the hardware plugged in to the UOPs, and enables the PLUTO and crew to test Plug-in locations for constraint violations (such as cable connector mismatches or amp limit violations), to see the amps and volts for an end item, to see whether or not the end item uses 1553 data, and the cable length between the outlet and the end item. As new equipment is flown or returned, the database can be updated appropriately as needed. The current tool is a macroheavy Excel spreadsheet with its own database and reporting functionality. The new tool captures the capabilities of the original tool, ports them to new software, defines a new dataset, and compensates for ever-growing unique constraints associated with the Plug-in Plan. New constraints were designed into the tool, and updates to existing constraints were added to provide more flexibility and customizability. In addition, there is an option to associate a "Flag" with each device that will let the user know there is a unique constraint associated with it when they use it. This helps improve the safety and efficiency of real-time calls by limiting the amount of "corporate knowledge" overhead that has to be trained and learned through use. The tool helps save time by automating previous manual processes, such as calculating connector types and deciding which cables are required and in what order.

Andrea-Liner, Kathleen E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

On-Command Force and Torque Impeding Devices (OC-FTID) Using ERF

Various machines have been developed to address the need for countermeasures of bone and muscle deterioration when humans operate over extended time in space. Even though these machines are in use, each of them has many limitations that need to be addressed in an effort to prepare for human missions to distant bodies in the solar system. An exercise exoskeleton was conceived that performs on-demand resistivity by inducing force and torque impedance via ElectroRheological Fluid (ERF). The resistive elements consist of pistons that are moving inside ERF-filled cylinders or a donut-shaped cavity, and the fluid flows through the piston when the piston is moved. Tests of the operation of ERF against load showed the feasibility of this approach. ERF properties of high yield stress, low current density, and fast response (less than one millisecond) offer essential characteristics for the construction of the exoskeleton. ERFs can apply very high electrically controlled resistive forces or torque while their size (weight and geometric parameters) can be very small. Their long life and ability to function in a wide temperature range (from -40 to 200 C) allows for their use in extreme environments. ERFs are also nonabrasive, non-toxic, and nonpolluting (meet health and safety regulations). The technology is applicable as a compact exercise machine for astronauts' countermeasure of microgravity, an exercise machine for sport, or as a device for rehabilitation of patients with limb issues.

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗
NASA NTRS1998

Continued Development and Application of Circulation Control Pneumatic Technology to Advanced Transport Aircraft

Personnel of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Aerospace and Transportation Lab have completed a four-year grant program to develop and evaluate the pneumatic aerodynamic technology known as Circulation Control (CC) or Circulation Control Wing (CCW) for advanced transport aircraft. This pneumatic technology, which employs low-level blowing from tangential slots over round or near-round trailing edges of airfoils, greatly augments the circulation around a lifting or control surface and thus enhances the aerodynamic forces and moments generated by that surface. Two-dimensional force augmentations as high as 80 times the input blowing momentum coefficient have been recorded experimentally for these blown devices, thus providing returns of 8000% on the jet momentum expended. A further benefit is the absence of moving parts such as mechanical flaps, slats, spoilers, ailerons, elevators and rudders from these pneumatic surfaces, or the use of only very small, simple, blown aerodynamic surfaces on synergistic designs which integrate the lift, drag and control surfaces. The application of these devices to advanced aircraft can offer significant benefits in their performance, efficiency, simplicity, reliability, economic cost of operation, noise reduction, and safety of flight. To further develop and evaluate this potential, this research effort was conducted by GTRI under grant for the NASA Langley Research Center, Applied Aerodynamics Division, Subsonic Aerodynamics Branch, between June 14, 1993 and May 31, 1997.

Englar, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Advanced Measurement Systems Available to PIWG Members

It was developed advanced measurement technologies to meet NASA goals: reduce design cycle time, reduce emission, reduce testing time, increase safety. The technology are saving money. This technology are available now for technology transfer: optical diagnostics, the film technology and MEMS devices.

Anderson, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2018

On-Board Battery Monitoring and Prognostics for Electric-Propulsion Aircraft

The reliability of the propulsion system of an aircraft is paramount for the aircraft safety and hence the aircraft health must be monitored continuously. In contrast to fuel- operated aircraft, electric battery-operated propulsion system poses specific problems, such as, the remaining battery power does not linearly decrease and cannot be measured directly. In this paper, we describe a combined monitoring and prognostics architecture that can continuously monitor all components of the electric propulsion system with respect to safety and performance properties as well as state of charge and rest of useful life for the battery. Our system combines a detailed electrochemical battery model for Li-ion batteries with a powerful prognostics engine based upon an Unscented Kalman Filter with the R2U2 monitoring device, which provides efficient observers for metric temporal logic and Bayesian reasoning. R2U2 is a real-time, realizable, responsive, unobtrusive unit, which continuously monitors sensor readings, outputs of the prognostics engine, as well as the ight software status for safety, performance, and security properties. We illustrate our architecture with two case studies, one reporting actual ight tests with an X8+ octocopter and the other a software-in-the-loop simulation with an unmanned Edge 540 electric aircraft model.

Kulkarni, Chetan↗
NASA NTRS1978

Lightweight helmet-mounted eye movement measurement system

The helmet-mounted eye movement measuring system, weighs 1,530 grams; the weight of the present aviators' helmet in standard form with the visor is 1,545 grams. The optical head is standard NAC Eye-Mark. This optical head was mounted on a magnesium yoke which in turn was attached to a slide cam mounted on the flight helmet. The slide cam allows one to adjust the eye-to-optics system distance quite easily and to secure it so that the system will remain in calibration. The design of the yoke and slide cam is such that the subject can, in an emergency, move the optical head forward and upward to the stowed and locked position atop the helmet. This feature was necessary for flight safety. The television camera that is used in the system is a solid state General Electric TN-2000 with a charged induced device imager used as the vidicon.

Barnes, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

KC-135 materials handling robotics

Robot dynamics and control will become an important issue for implementing productive platforms in space. Robotic operations will become necessary for man-tended stations and for efficient performance of routine operations in a manned platform. The current constraints on the use of robotic devices in a microgravity environment appears to be due to an anticipated increase in acceleration levels due to manipulator motion and for safety concerns. The objective of this study will be to provide baseline data to meet that need. Most texts and papers dealing with the kinematics and dynamics of robots assume that the manipulator is composed of joints separated by rigid links. However, in recent years several groups have begun to study the dynamics of flexible manipulators, primarily for applying robots in space and for improving the efficiency and precision of robotic systems. Robotic systems which are being planned for implementation in space have a number of constraints to overcome. Additional concepts which have to be worked out in any robotic implementation for a space platform include teleoperation and degree of autonomous control. Some significant results in developing a robotic workcell for performing robotics research on the KC-135 aircraft in preperation for space-based robotics applications in the future were generated. In addition, it was shown that TREETOPS can be used to simulate the dynamics of robot manipulators for both space and ground-based applications.

Workman, Gary L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Non-standard analysis and embedded software

One model for computing in the future is ubiquitous, embedded computational devices analogous to embedded electrical motors. Many of these computers will control physical objects and processes. Such hidden computerized environments introduce new safety and correctness concerns whose treatment go beyond present Formal Methods. In particular, one has to begin to speak about Real Space software in analogy with Real Time software. By this we mean, computerized systems which have to meet requirements expressed in the real geometry of space. How to translate such requirements into ordinary software specifications and how to carry out proofs is a major challenge. In this talk we propose a research program based on the use of no-standard analysis. Much detail remains to be carried out. The purpose of the talk is to inform the Formal Methods community that Non-Standard Analysis provides a possible avenue to attack which we believe will be fruitful.

Platek, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2010

Epistemic Questions and Answers for Software System Safety

System safety is primarily concerned with epistemic questions, that is, questions concerning knowledge and the degree of confidence that can be placed in that knowledge. For systems with which human experience is long, such as roads, bridges, and mechanical devices, knowledge about what is required to make the systems safe is deep and detailed. High confidence can be placed in the validity of that knowledge. For other systems, however, with which human experience is comparatively short, such as those that rely in part or in whole on software, knowledge about what is required to ensure safety tends to be shallow and general. The confidence that can be placed in the validity of that knowledge is consequently low. In a previous paper, we enumerated a collection of foundational epistemic questions concerning software system safety. In this paper, we review and refine the questions, discuss some difficulties that attend to answering the questions today, and speculate on possible research to improve the situation.

Holloway, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Evaluation of Low Cost, User-Centered Alerting Devices for the Mitigation of Flight Crew Spatial Disorientation

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is conducting research into technologies which have the potential to reduce flight crew Spatial Disorientation (SD). While flight deck technology has advanced rapidly over the past fifty (50) years, the reported occurrences of flight crew SD have not decreased. The Cost-Effective Devices for Alerting Research (CEDAR) effort has focused on the identification and development of low cost, user-centered alerting solutions for the purpose of mitigating the occurrence of flight crew SD. This effort seeks to evaluate both existing technologies as well as new and emerging technologies which have a viable path to implementation in commercial aviation within the next five (5) years. This research is intended to develop a proof-of-concept for real-time SD mitigation which could eventually be utilized to improve safety in future air transport operations. NASA has partnered with the United States Naval Aeromedical Research Unit in Dayton, OH (NAMRU-D) to conduct flight crew SD research utilizing their Disorientation Research Device (DRD), dubbed “The Kraken”. This high-tech simulator features never-before-seen capabilities for side-by-side commercial aviation flight crew SD research, and is capable of re-creating the forces necessary to induce SD illusions in a safe and repeatable manner. Prototype SD mitigation solutions were incorporated into this simulator for scenario-based testing and evaluation using airline pilots within a contextually representative operational environment. SD mitigation technology prototypes designed to provide haptic feedback for both alerting and guidance, as well as innovative visual and aural alerting displays were evaluated. In December 2014, as a result of analyzing eighteen (18) loss-of-control events, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) recommended research into flight deck technologies that have potential to mitigate the problems and contributing factors that lead to flight crew loss of airplane state awareness (ASA) and conditions likely to produce SD. The aviation community (government, industry and academia) have been charged with conducting research into cost-effective, user-centered flight deck alerting systems to alert flight crews; especially for the two conditions that produced SD (sub-threshold rolls and the somatogravic illusion). Somatogravic illusions are defined as illusions in which “there is a false perception of attitude on exposure to a force vector that differs in direction and/or magnitude from the normal gravitational force”. The sub-threshold roll illusion (aka the “leans” illusion) is a false sensation of roll attitude. A prolonged roll of less than two degrees becomes physiologically imperceptible to the pilot, and can lead to an incorrect perception of aircraft orientation. The sub-threshold roll illusion forms the entry point for the “graveyard spiral”, a maneuver in which the pilot’s corrective action (based on their false perception of aircraft orientation) causes the aircraft to spiral down into the ground. In both of these SD illusions, it is when the pilot attempts to correct the aircraft’s attitude (based on a false perception of its state) that problems arise, sometimes with lethal consequences.

Ronald J Daiker↗
NASA NTRS1991

Chemical spray pyrolysis of Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O high-T(sub c) superconductors for high-field bitter magnets

The deposition of Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O thick films by spray pyrolyzing a Ba-Ca-Cu-O precursor film and diffusing thallium into the film to form the superconducting phase is examined. This approach was taken to reduce exposure to thallium and its health and safety hazards. The Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O system was selected because it has very attractive features which make it appealing to device and manufacturing engineering. Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O will accommodate a number of superconducting phases. This attribute makes it very forgiving to stoichiometric fluctuations in the bulk and film. It has excellent thermal and chemical stability, and appears to be relatively insensitive to chemical impurities. Oxygen is tightly bound into the systems, consequently there is no orthorhombic (conductor) to tetragonal (insulator) transition which would affect a component's lifetime. More significantly, the thallium based superconductors appear to have harder magnetic properties than the other high-Tc oxide ceramics. Estimates using magnetoresistance measurements indicate that at 77 K Tl2Ba2CaCu2O10 will have an upper critical field, H(sub c2) fo 26 Tesla for applied fields parallel to the c-axis and approximately 1000 Tesla for fields oriented in the a-b plane. Results to date have shown that superconducting films can be reproducibly deposited on 100 oriented MgO substrates. One film had a zero resistance temperature of 111.5 K. Furthermore, x ray diffraction analysis of the films showed preferential c-axis orientation parallel to the plane of the substrate. These results have now made it possible to consider the manufacture of a superconducting tape wire which can be configured into a topology useful for high-field magnet designs. The research which leads to the preparation of these films and plans for further development are reviewed.

Derochemont, L. Pierre↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA pyrotechnically actuated systems program

The Office of Safety and Mission Quality initiated a Pyrotechnically Actuated Systems (PAS) Program in FY-92 to address problems experienced with pyrotechnically actuated systems and devices used both on the ground and in flight. The PAS Program will provide the technical basis for NASA's projects to incorporate new technological developments in operational systems. The program will accomplish that objective by developing/testing current and new hardware designs for flight applications and by providing a pyrotechnic data base. This marks the first applied pyrotechnic technology program funded by NASA to address pyrotechnic issues. The PAS Program has been structured to address the results of a survey of pyrotechnic device and system problems with the goal of alleviating or minimizing their risks. Major program initiatives include the development of a Laser Initiated Ordnance System, a pyrotechnic systems data base, NASA Standard Initiator model, a NASA Standard Linear Separation System and a NASA Standard Gas Generator. The PAS Program sponsors annual aerospace pyrotechnic systems workshops.

Schulze, Norman R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

NASA Microgravity Combustion Science Research Plans for the ISS

A peer-reviewed research program in Microgravity Combustion Science has been chartered by the Physical Sciences Research Division of the NASA Office of Biological and Physical Research. The scope of these investigations address both fundamental combustion phenomena and applied combustion research topics of interest to NASA. From this pool of research, flight investigations are selected which benefit from access to a microgravity environment. Fundamental research provides insights to develop accurate simulations of complex combustion processes and allows developers to improve the efficiency of combustion devices, to reduce the production of harmful emissions, and to reduce the incidence of accidental uncontrolled combustion (fires, explosions). Through its spacecraft fire safety program, applied research is conducted to decrease risks to humans living and working in space. The Microgravity Combustion Science program implements a structured flight research process utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) and two of its premier facilities- the Combustion Integrated Rack of the Fluids and Combustion Facility and the Microgravity Science Glovebox - to conduct space-based research investigations. This paper reviews the current plans for Microgravity Combustion Science research on the International Space Station from 2003 through 2012.

Sutliff, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Safeguard: Progress and Test Results for a Reliable Independent On-Board Safety Net for UAS

As demands increase to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for a broad spectrum of commercial applications, regulatory authorities are examining how to safely integrate them without compromising safety or disrupting traditional airspace operations. For small UAS, several operational rules have been established; e.g., do not operate beyond visual line-of-sight, do not fly within five miles of a commercial airport, do not fly above 400 feet above ground level. Enforcing these rules is challenging for UAS, as evidenced by the number of incident reports received by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This paper reviews the development of an onboard system - Safeguard - designed to monitor and enforce conformance to a set of operational rules defined prior to flight (e.g., geospatial stay-out or stay-in regions, speed limits, and altitude constraints). Unlike typical geofencing or geo-limitation functions, Safeguard operates independently of the off-the-shelf UAS autopilot and is designed in a way that can be realized by a small set of verifiable functions to simplify compliance with existing standards for safety-critical systems (e.g. for spacecraft and manned commercial transportation aircraft systems). A framework is described that decouples the system from any other devices on the UAS as well as introduces complementary positioning source(s) for applications that require integrity and availability beyond what can be provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS). This paper summarizes the progress and test results for Safeguard research and development since presentation of the design concept at the 35th Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC '16). Significant accomplishments include completion of software verification and validation in accordance with NASA standards for spacecraft systems (to Class B), development of improved hardware prototypes, development of a simulation platform that allows for hardware-in-the-loop testing and fast-time Monte Carlo evaluations, and flight testing on multiple air vehicles. Integration testing with NASA's UAS Traffic Management (UTM) service-oriented architecture was also demonstrated.

Young, Steven D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Nickel-iron battery system safety

The generated flow rates of gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen from an electrical vehicle nickel-iron battery system were determined and used to evaluate the flame quenching capabilities of several candidate devices to prevent flame propagation within batteries having central watering/venting systems. The battery generated hydrogen and oxygen gases were measured for a complete charge and discharge cycle. The data correlates well with accepted theory during strong overcharge conditions indicating that the measurements are valid for other portions of the cycle. Tests confirm that the gas mixture in the cells is always flammable regardless of the battery status. The literature indicated that a conventional flame arrestor would not be effective over the broad spectrum of gassing conditions presented by a nickel-iron battery. Four different types of protective devices were evaluated. A foam-metal arrestor design was successful in quenching gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen flames, however; the application of this flame arrestor to individual cell or module protection in a battery is problematic. A possible rearrangement of the watering/venting system to accept the partial protection of simple one-way valves is presented which, in combination with the successful foam-metal arrestor as main vent protection, could result in a significant improvement in battery protection.

Saltat, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

High-Lift Systems on Commercial Subsonic Airliners

The early breed of slow commercial airliners did not require high-lift systems because their wing loadings were low and their speed ratios between cruise and low speed (takeoff and landing) were about 2:1. However, even in those days the benefit of high-lift devices was recognized. Simple trailing-edge flaps were in use, not so much to reduce landing speeds, but to provide better glide-slope control without sideslipping the airplane and to improve pilot vision over the nose by reducing attitude during low-speed flight. As commercial-airplane cruise speeds increased with the development of more powerful engines, wing loadings increased and a real need for high-lift devices emerged to keep takeoff and landing speeds within reasonable limits. The high-lift devices of that era were generally trailing-edge flaps. When jet engines matured sufficiently in military service and were introduced commercially, airplane speed capability had to be increased to best take advantage of jet engine characteristics. This speed increase was accomplished by introducing the wing sweep and by further increasing wing loading. Whereas increased wing loading called for higher lift coefficients at low speeds, wing sweep actually decreased wing lift at low speeds. Takeoff and landing speeds increased on early jet airplanes, and, as a consequence, runways worldwide had to be lengthened. There are economical limits to the length of runways; there are safety limits to takeoff and landing speeds; and there are speed limits for tires. So, in order to hold takeoff and landing speeds within reasonable limits, more powerful high-lift devices were required. Wing trailing-edge devices evolved from plain flaps to Fowler flaps with single, double, and even triple slots. Wing leading edges evolved from fixed leading edges to a simple Krueger flap, and from fixed, slotted leading edges to two- and three-position slats and variable-camber (VC) Krueger flaps. The complexity of high-lift systems probably peaked on the Boeing 747, which has a VC Krueger flap and triple-slotted, inboard and outboard trailing-edge flaps. Since then, the tendency in high-lift system development has been to achieve high levels of lift with simpler devices in order to reduce fleet acquisition and maintenance costs. The intent of this paper is to: (1) review available high-lift devices, their functions, and design criteria; (2) appraise high-lift systems presently in service on commercial air liners; (3) present personal study results on high-lift systems; (4) develop a weight and cost model for high-lift systems; and (5) discuss the development tendencies of future high-lift systems.

Rudolph, Peter K. C.↗