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NASA NTRS2008

Overview of Multi-kilowatt Free-Piston Stirling Power Conversion Research at GRC

As a step towards development of Stirling power conversion for potential use in Fission Surface Power (FSP) systems, a pair of commercially available 1 kW class free-piston Stirling convertors and a pair of commercially available pressure wave generators (which will be plumbed together to create a high power Stirling linear alternator test rig) have been procured for in-house testing at Glenn Research Center. Delivery of both the Stirling convertors and the linear alternator test rig is expected by October, 2007. The 1 kW class free-piston Stirling convertors will be tested at GRC to map and verify performance. The convertors will later be modified to operate with a NaK liquid metal pumped loop for thermal energy input. The high power linear alternator test rig will be used to map and verify high power Stirling linear alternator performance and to develop power management and distribution (PMAD) methods and techniques. This paper provides an overview of the multi-kilowatt free-piston Stirling power conversion work being performed at GRC.

Geng, Steven M.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Overview of Multi-Kilowatt Free-Piston Stirling Power Conversion Research at Glenn Research Center

As a step towards development of Stirling power conversion for potential use in Fission Surface Power (FSP) systems, a pair of commercially available 1 kW class free-piston Stirling convertors and a pair of commercially available pressure wave generators (which will be plumbed together to create a high power Stirling linear alternator test rig) have been procured for in-house testing at Glenn Research Center (GRC). Delivery of both the Stirling convertors and the linear alternator test rig is expected by October 2007. The 1 kW class free-piston Stirling convertors will be tested at GRC to map and verify performance. The convertors will later be modified to operate with a NaK liquid metal pumped loop for thermal energy input. The high power linear alternator test rig will be used to map and verify high power Stirling linear alternator performance and to develop power management and distribution (PMAD) methods and techniques. This paper provides an overview of the multi-kilowatt free-piston Stirling power conversion work being performed at GRC.

Geng, Steven M.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Modular, Reconfigurable, High-Energy Technology Development

The Modular, Reconfigurable High-Energy (MRHE) Technology Demonstrator project was to have been a series of ground-based demonstrations to mature critical technologies needed for in-space assembly of a highpower high-voltage modular spacecraft in low Earth orbit, enabling the development of future modular solar-powered exploration cargo-transport vehicles and infrastructure. MRHE was a project in the High Energy Space Systems (HESS) Program, within NASA's Exploration Systems Research and Technology (ESR&T) Program. NASA participants included Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Glenn Research Center (GRC). Contractor participants were the Boeing Phantom Works in Huntsville, AL, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, CA, ENTECH, Inc. in Keller, TX, and the University of AL Huntsville (UAH). MRHE's technical objectives were to mature: (a) lightweight, efficient, high-voltage, radiation-resistant solar power generation (SPG) technologies; (b) innovative, lightweight, efficient thermal management systems; (c) efficient, 100kW-class, high-voltage power delivery systems from an SPG to an electric thruster system; (d) autonomous rendezvous and docking technology for in-space assembly of modular, reconfigurable spacecraft; (e) robotic assembly of modular space systems; and (f) modular, reconfigurable distributed avionics technologies. Maturation of these technologies was to be implemented through a series of increasingly-inclusive laboratory demonstrations that would have integrated and demonstrated two systems-of-systems: (a) the autonomous rendezvous and docking of modular spacecraft with deployable structures, robotic assembly, reconfiguration both during assembly and (b) the development and integration of an advanced thermal heat pipe and a high-voltage power delivery system with a representative lightweight high-voltage SPG array. In addition, an integrated simulation testbed would have been developed containing software models representing the technologies being matured in the laboratory demos. The testbed would have also included models for non-MRHE developed subsystems such as electric propulsion, so that end-to-end performance could have been assessed. This paper presents an overview of the MRHE Phase I activities at MSFC and its contractor partners. One of the major Phase I accomplishments is the assembly demonstration in the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (LMATC) Robot-Satellite facility, in which three robot-satellites successfully demonstrated rendezvous & docking, self-assembly, reconfiguration, adaptable GN&C, deployment, and interfaces between modules. Phase I technology maturation results from ENTECH include material recommendations for radiation hardened Stretched Lens Array (SLA) concentrator lenses, and a design concept and test results for a hi-voltage PV receiver. UAH's accomplishments include Supertube heatpipe test results, which support estimates of thermal conductivities at 30,000 times that of an equivalent silver rod. MSFC performed systems trades and developed a preliminary concept design for a 100kW-class modular reconfigurable solar electric propulsion transport vehicle, and Boeing Phantom Works in Huntsville performed assembly and rendezvous and docking trades. A concept animation video was produced by SAIC, wllich showed rendezvous and docking and SLA-square-rigger deployment in LEO.

Carrington, Connie↗

NASA NTRS1993

Thermal conductivity measurements of particulate materials under Martian conditions

The mean particle diameter of surficial units on Mars has been approximated by applying thermal inertia determinations from the Mariner 9 Infrared Radiometer and the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper data together with thermal conductivity measurement. Several studies have used this approximation to characterize surficial units and infer their nature and possible origin. Such interpretations are possible because previous measurements of the thermal conductivity of particulate materials have shown that particle size significantly affects thermal conductivity under martian atmospheric pressures. The transfer of thermal energy due to collisions of gas molecules is the predominant mechanism of thermal conductivity in porous systems for gas pressures above about 0.01 torr. At martian atmospheric pressures the mean free path of the gas molecules becomes greater than the effective distance over which conduction takes place between the particles. Gas particles are then more likely to collide with the solid particles than they are with each other. The average heat transfer distance between particles, which is related to particle size, shape and packing, thus determines how fast heat will flow through a particulate material.The derived one-to-one correspondence of thermal inertia to mean particle diameter implies a certain homogeneity in the materials analyzed. Yet the samples used were often characterized by fairly wide ranges of particle sizes with little information about the possible distribution of sizes within those ranges. Interpretation of thermal inertia data is further limited by the lack of data on other effects on the interparticle spacing relative to particle size, such as particle shape, bimodal or polymodal mixtures of grain sizes and formation of salt cements between grains. To address these limitations and to provide a more comprehensive set of thermal conductivities vs. particle size a linear heat source apparatus, similar to that of Cremers, was assembled to provide a means of measuring the thermal conductivity of particulate samples. In order to concentrate on the dependence of the thermal conductivity on particle size, initial runs will use spherical glass beads that are precision sieved into relatively small size ranges and thoroughly washed.

Presley, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A scheme for parameterizing cirrus cloud ice water content in general circulation models

Clouds strongly influence th earth's energy budget. They control th amount of solar radiative energy absorbed by the climate system, partitioning the energy between the atmosphere and the earth's surface. They also control the loss of energy to space by their effect on thermal emission. Cirrus and altostratus are the most frequent cloud types, having an annual average global coverage of 35 and 40 percent, respectively. Cirrus is composed almost entirely of ice crystals and the same is frequently true of the upper portions of altostratus since they are often formed by the thickening of cirrostratus and by the spreading of the middle or upper portions of thunderstorms. Thus, since ice clouds cover such a large portion of the earth's surface, they almost certainly have an important effect on climate. With this recognition, researchers developing climate models are seeking largely unavailable methods for specifying the conditions for ice cloud formation, and quantifying the spatial distribution of ice water content, IWC, a necessary step in deriving their radiative characteristics since radiative properties are apparently related to IWC. A method is developed for specifying IWC in climate models, based on theory and measurements in cirrus during FIRE and other experiments.

Heymsfield, Andrew J.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Measurements of Infrared and Acoustic Source Distributions in Jet Plumes

The aim of this investigation was to use the linear phased array (LPA) microphones and infrared (IR) imaging to study the effects of advanced nozzle-mixing techniques on jet noise reduction. Several full-scale engine nozzles were tested at varying power cycles with the linear phased array setup parallel to the jet axis. The array consisted of 16 sparsely distributed microphones. The phased array microphone measurements were taken at a distance of 51.0 ft (15.5 m) from the jet axis, and the results were used to obtain relative overall sound pressure levels from one nozzle design to the other. The IR imaging system was used to acquire real-time dynamic thermal patterns of the exhaust jet from the nozzles tested. The IR camera measured the IR radiation from the nozzle exit to a distance of six fan diameters (X/D(sub FAN) = 6), along the jet plume axis. The images confirmed the expected jet plume mixing intensity, and the phased array results showed the differences in sound pressure level with respect to nozzle configurations. The results show the effects of changes in configurations to the exit nozzles on both the flows mixing patterns and radiant energy dissipation patterns. By comparing the results from these two measurements, a relationship between noise reduction and core/bypass flow mixing is demonstrated.

Agboola, Femi A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Nature of convection-stabilized dc arcs in dual-flow nozzle geometry. I - The cold flow field and dc arc characteristics. II - Optical diagnostics and theory

Steady-state low-current air arcs in a dual-flow nozzle system are studied experimentally. The cold flow field with no arc is investigated using a 12.7-mm diameter dual-flow nozzle in a steady-flow facility. Mach number and mass flux distributions are determined for various nozzle-pressure ratios and nozzle-gap spacing. It is found that the shock waves in the converging-diverging nozzles result in a decrease in overal resistance by about 15 percent. Also, Schlieren and differential interferometry techniques are used to visualize the density gradients within the arc plasma and thermal mantle. Both optical techniques reveal a laminar arc structure for a reservoir pressure of 1 atm at various current levels. Experimentally determined axial static pressure and cold-flow mass flux rate distributions and a channel-flow model with constant arc temperatre are used to solve the energy integral for the arc radius as a function of axial distance. The arc electric field strength, voltage, resistance, and power are determined with Ohm's law and the total heat transfer is related to arc power.

Serbetci, Ilter↗

NASA NTRS1993

Heliocentric zoning of the asteroid belt by aluminum-26 heating

Variations in petrology among meteorites attest to a strong heating event early in solar system history, but the heat source has remained unresolved. Aluminum-26 has been considered the most likely high-energy, short-lived radionuclide (half-life 0.72 million years) since the discovery of its decay product - excess Mg-26 - in Allende CAI's. Furthermore, observation of relict Mg-26 in an achondritic clast and in feldspars within ordinary chondrites (3,4) provided strong evidence for live Al-26 in meteorite parent bodies and not just in refractory nebular condensates. The inferred amount of Al-26 is consistent with constraints on the thermal evolution of both ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite parent objects up to a few hundred kilometers in diameter. Meteorites can constrain the early thermal evolution of their parent body locations, provided that a link can be established between asteroid spectrophotometric signature and meteorite class. Asteroid compositions are heliocentrically distributed: objects thought to have experienced high metamorphic or even melting temperatures are located closer to the sun, whereas apparently unaltered or mildly heated asteroids are located farther away. Heliocentric zoning could be the result of Al-26 heating if the initial amount of the radionuclide incorporated into planetesimals was controlled by accretion time, which in turn varies with semimajor axis. Analytic expressions for planetary accretion may be integrated to given the time, tau, required for a planetesimal to grow to a specified radius: tau varies as a(sup n), where n = 1.5 to 3 depending on the assumptions about variations in the surface density of the planetesimal swarm. Numerical simulations of planetesimal accretion at fixed semimajor axis demonstrate that variations in accretion time among small planetesimals can be strongly nonlinear depending on the initial conditions and model assumptions. The general relationship with semimajor axis remains valid because it depends only on the initial orbit properties and distribution of the planesimal swarm. In order to demonstrate the basic dependence of thermal evolution on semimajor axis, we parameterized accretion time across the asteroid belt according to tau varies as a(sup n) and calculated the subsequent thermal history. Objects at a specified semimajor axis were assumed to have the same accretion time, regardless of size. We set the initial Al-26/Al-27 ratio = 6 x 10(exp -5) and treated n and tau(sub 0) at a(sub 0) = 3 AU as adjustable parameters. The thermal model included temperature-dependent properties of ice and rock (CM chondrite analog) and the thermodynamic effects of phase transitions.

Grimm, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Imaging Systems Provide Maps for U.S. Soldiers

Spanning nearly four decades, the remarkable Landsat program has continuously provided data about the Earth s surface, including detailed maps of vegetation, land use, forest extent and health, surface water, population distribution, as well as how these features have changed over time. Managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, Landsat s series of satellites obtain data through passive remote sensing, or the use of sensors to read the energy reflected or emitted from the Earth s surface. After the data from the sensors is processed and analyzed, it can be applied to create information-rich images of the planet. While the Landsat program has launched seven satellites since 1972, only Landsat 5 and 7 are currently operating. The next spacecraft in line to ensure continuity of data for years to come is the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). Planned for launch in 2012, LDCM will take measurements of the Earth in visible, nearinfrared, shortwave infrared, and thermal infrared bands. In addition to widespread use for land use planning and monitoring on local to regional scales, support for disaster response and evaluations, as well as water use monitoring, LDCM measurements will directly serve NASA s research in the areas of climate, the carbon cycle, ecosystems, the water cycle, biogeochemistry, and Earth s surface and interior.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1992

Navier-Stokes solutions with surface catalysis for Martian atmospheric entry

In this study numerical solutions have been obtained for two-dimensional axisymmetric hypersonic nonequilibrium CO2 flow over a high angle blunt cone with appropriate surface boundary conditions to account for energy and mass conservation at the body surface. The flowfield is described by the Navier-Stokes equations and multicomponent conservation laws which account for both translational and internal vibrational nonequilibrium effects. Complete forebody solutions have been obtained for the peak heating point of the Mars entry trajectory specified in the proposed NASA MESUR (Mars Environmental Survey) project. In these solutions, radiative equilibrium wall temperature and surface heating distributions are determined over the MESUR aeroshell forebody for entry velocity equal to 7 km/sec with varying degrees of surface catalysis. The effects of gas kinetics, surface catalysis, transport properties, and vibrational relaxation times on the surface heating are examined. The results identify some important issues in the prediction of surface heating for flows in thermochemical nonequilibrium and show that the Navier-Stokes code used herein is effective for thermal protection system design and materials selection.

Chen, Y.-K.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Electromagnetic heating of minor planets in the early solar system

Electromagnetic processes occurring in the primordial solar system are likely to have significantly affected planetary evolution. In particular, electrical coupling of the kinetic energy of a dense T-Tauri-like solar wind into the interior of the smaller planets could have been a major driver of thermal metamorphism. Accordingly a grid of asteroid models of various sizes and solar distances was constructed using dc transverse magnetic induction theory. Plausible parameterizations with no requirement for a high environmental temperature led to complete melting for Vesta with no melting for Pallas and Ceres. High temperatures were reached in the Pallas model, perhaps implying nonmelting thermal metamorphosis as a cause of its anomalous spectrum. A reversal of this temperature sequence seems implausible, suggesting that the Ceres-Pallas-Vesta dichotomy is a natural outcome of the induction mechanism. Highly localized heating is expected to arise due to an instability in the temperature-controlled current distribution. Localized metamorphosis resulting from this effect may be relevant to the production and evolution of pallasites, the large presumed metal component of S object spectra, and the formation of the lunar magma ocean.

Herbert, F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Current carriers for the field-aligned current system

The Dynamics Explorer satellites have returned a large body of data containing high resolution magnetometer measurements and distributions of charged particles of all but thermal electrons. From these data the relations of the field aligned currents to particle precipitation structures were investigated and the charge carriers were identified. Results include the following: (1) during very quiet periods, field aligned currents exist primarily as fine structure; (2) during onset of substorms, region 1 and region 2 become clearly evident but contain significant structure; (3) as magnetic activity subsides, current regions become less distinct, and structure becomes more dominant; (4) the distribution of the upward currents derived from magnetometer data and calculated from suprathermal electron data agree remarkably well in shape but not necessarily in magnitude; (5) at all local times, 5 eV electrons seldom carry most of the upward current; (6) except for the accelerated inverted-V electrons, the dominant upward current carriers which are measured are below 500 eV and are distributed in energy; (7) dusk upward currents (region 1) are associated with the boundary plasma sheet; and (8) suprathermal electron bursts are important current carrying structures.

Hoffman, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Current carriers for the field-aligned current system

The Dynamics Explorer satellites have returned a large body of data containing high resolution magnetometer measurements and distributions of charged particles of all but thermal electrons. From these data the relations of the field aligned currents to particle precipitation structures were investigated and the charge carriers were identified. Results include the following: (1) during very quiet periods, field aligned currents exist primarily as fine structure; (2) during onset of substorms, region 1 and region 2 become clearly evident but contain significant structure; (3) as magnetic activity subsides, current regions become less distinct, and structure becomes more dominant; (4) the distribution of the upward currents derived from magnetometer data and calculated from suprathermal electron data agree remarkably well in shape but not necessarily in magnitude; (5) at all local times, 5 eV electrons seldom carry most of the upward current; (6) except for the accelerated inverted-V electrons, the dominant upward current carriers which are masured are below 500 eV and are distributed in energy; (7) dusk upward currents (region 1) are associated with the boundary plasma sheet; and (8) suprathermal electron bursts are important current carrying structures.

Hoffman, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Effects of FU Orionis Outbursts on Protoplanetary Disks

In the early stages of work under this grant, we developed simulations to match the light curves of the three best studied systems: FU Ori, V1515 Cyg, & V1057 Cyg (Bell et al. 1995). We compared the details of model results to observations to test the validity of the thermal ionization instability model for outburst. In this paper, we were able to answer several of the key objections to the accretion disk outburst model for the FU Orionis phenomenon (eg. Herbig 1989). The declines in line width and reddening observed in V1057 Cyg following peak light had been used as arguments against the disk instability model. We showed these effects to be natural consequences of the slow outward progression and limited radial excursion of the ionization front during outburst. By the end of the grant period, we had begun combining the inner and outer disk models to derive the radiation expected in the planet forming region of the disk. A crucial step in this was the development of a radiative transfer model of the complete inner and outer disk system (Turner, Bodenheimer, & Bell 1997). In this work, wavelength dependent opacities were used to synthesize images and spectral energy distributions of FU Ori objects. New detailed opacities provided by Alexander (1995) allowed the resolution of coarse features such as silicate emission lines. Data for the fits were taken from the time dependent simulations in Bell et al. (1995) to which was added the effect of disk to disk or "self"-reprocessing which accounts for the illumination of the outer disk by the inner disk (Bell 1998). Through the course of work on this grant we have made considerable progress in computing detailed models of both the active outburst region of the disk and the outer quiescent disk. We have begun an investigation into the effects of a cocooning envelope. Direct comparisons with observations lend confidence that the basic underlying assumptions of the outburst model are reasonable. We are now ready to build upon these results to investigate the effects of outbursts on the central star and on the accumulation of small particles in the planet-forming regions.

Bodenheimer, Peter↗

NASA NTRS2017

Radioisotope Heater Unit-Based Stirling Power Convertor Development at NASA Glenn Research Center

Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being developed as an option to provide power on future space science missions where robotic spacecraft will orbit, flyby, land or rove. A variety of mission concepts have been studied by NASA and the U. S. Department of Energy that would utilize RPS for landers, probes, and rovers and only require milliwatts to tens of watts of power. These missions would contain science measuring instruments that could be distributed across planetary surfaces or near objects of interest in space solar flux insufficient for using solar cells. A low power Stirling convertor is being developed to provide an RPS option for future low power applications. Initial concepts convert heat available from several Radioisotope Heater Units to electrical power for spacecraft instruments and communication. Initial development activity includes defining and evaluating a variety of Stirling configurations and selecting one for detailed design, research of advanced manufacturing methods that could simplify fabrication, evaluating thermal interfaces, characterizing components and subassemblies to validate design codes, and preparing for an upcoming demonstration of proof of concept in a laboratory environment.

Wilson, Scott D.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Radioisotope Heater Unit-Based Stirling Power Convertor Development at NASA Glenn Research Center

Wilson, Scott D.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Clouds and Water Vapor in the Climate System: Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Satellites

The objective of this work was to attack unanswered questions that lie at the intersection of radiation, dynamics, chemistry and climate. Considerable emphasis was placed on scientific collaboration and the innovative development of instruments required to address these scientific issues. The specific questions addressed include: Water vapor distribution in the Tropical Troposphere: An understanding of the mechanisms that dictate the distribution of water vapor in the middle-upper troposphere; Atmospheric Radiation: In the spectral region between 200 and 600/cm that encompasses the water vapor rotational and continuum structure, where most of the radiative cooling of the upper troposphere occurs, there is a critical need to test radiative transfer calculations using accurate, spectrally resolved radiance observations of the cold atmosphere obtained simultaneously with in situ species concentrations; Thin Cirrus: Cirrus clouds play a central role in the energy and water budgets of the tropical tropopause region; Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange: Assessment of our ability to predict the behavior of the atmosphere to changes in the boundary conditions defined by thermal, chemical or biological variables; Correlative Science with Satellite Observations: Linking this research to the developing series of EOS observations is critical for scientific progress.

Anderson, James G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Initial Development of A Digital Twin Model for an Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Emulation Rig

In support of aviation fuel burn and emission reduction goals, NASA is pursing high-payoff research investments that promise to transform aviation. This includes investments in Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP), which relies on the generation, storage, transmission, and use of electrical power for producing thrust and optimizing propulsion system efficiency. Multiple technology challenges must be addressed to unlock the full potential of EAP. This includes advances in propulsion controls, which will be vital for ensuring coordinated efficient operation of the complex integrated subsystems that comprise EAP architectures. To support EAP controls research, the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed the Hybrid Propulsion Emulation Rig (HyPER). The HyPER laboratory hardware includes shaft-mounted electric machines, power converters, power supplies, power distribution cables, and an energy storage device that can be reconfigured to represent a variety of EAP architectures. It also includes an integrated real-time computer system that hosts developed EAP control software and turbomachinery simulations. This enables the electrical system and rotating shafts of EAP designs to be implemented in actual hardware and integrated with turbomachinery simulations and system-level EAP control logic implemented in software. In this form, the HyPER laboratory provides a partially simulated, partially hardware-in-the-loop test environment enabling the initial development and evaluation of EAP control technology. A prerequisite for the development of EAP control designs is the availability of a system model that accurately reflects the operation of the electrical system hardware. To support this need, a digital twin model of the HyPER electrical system hardware is under development. This model is being coded in the MATLAB Simulink environment and uses the NASA-developed Electrical Modeling and Thermal Analysis Toolbox (EMTAT) to construct a digital twin framework. EMTAT contains generic electrical component building blocks that are simulated at turbomachinery timescales. Associated inputs and outputs allow the blocks to be combined to model complete electrical systems. The EMTAT blocks also contain adjustable internal maps and parameters that can be set to reflect the operation of a specific electrical component. For the HyPER digital twin, the settings of these EMTAT block internal maps and parameters is determined through machine learning approaches applied to characterization run data collected from the laboratory. During characterization runs the laboratory electrical system hardware is subjected to a full range of torque, speed, and power settings. Acquired data is then used to estimate EMTAT block parameters using a variety of machine learning techniques. The resulting digital twin model is found to match the operation of actual HyPER hardware with an accuracy suitable for control development purposes. It also holds promise for other applications including modeling the performance of HyPER laboratory reconfigurations and model-based anomaly detection. Planned follow-on work to automate post-processing of acquired laboratory data to update the HyPER digital twin model will also be presented and discussed.

Electrified Aircraft Propulsion↗