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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Structures for remotely deployable precision antennas

There is a need for completely deployable large antenna reflectors capable of efficiently handling millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation. The structural concepts and technologies that are appropriate to fully automated deployment of dish-type antennas with solid reflector surfaces were studied. First, the structural requirements are discussed. Then, existing concepts for fully deployable antennas are described and assessed relative to the requirements. Finally, several analyses are presented that evaluate the effects of beam steering and segmented reflector design on the accuracy of the antenna.

Hedgepeth, John M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Large space structures - Fantasies and facts

A review of large space structures activities from 1973 to 1979 is presented. Long-range studies of space colonies, gigantic solar power stations and projected earth applications revived interest in space activities. Studies suggest opportunities for advanced antenna and platform applications. Matching low-thrust propulsion to large flexible vehicles will be a key technology. Current structures technology investigations include deployable and erectable structures and assembly techniques. Based on orbited structures experience, deployment reliability is a critical issue for deployable structures. For erectable structures, concepts for earth-fabricated and space-fabricated memb

Card, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Deployable Primary Mirror for Space Telescopes

NASA Langley Research Center, Composite Optics, Inc., and Nyma/ADF have developed jointly a deployable primary mirror for space telescopes that combines over five years of research on deployment of optical-precision structures and over ten years of development of fabrication techniques for optical-precision composite mirror panels and structures. The deployable mirror is directly applicable to a broad class of non-imaging "lidar" (light direction a nd ranging) telescopes whose figure-error requirements are in the range of one to ten microns RMS. Furthermore, the mirror design can be readily modified to accommodate imaging-quality reflector panels and active panel-alignment control mechanisms for application to imaging telescopes. The present paper: 1) describes the deployable mirror concept; 2) explains the status of the mirror development; and 3) provides some technical specifications for a 2.55- m-diameter, proof-of-concept mirror. Keywords: precision deployment, hinge joint, latch joint, deployable structures, fabrication, space telescopes, optical instruments, microdynamics.

Lake, Mark S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structural Characterization of Deployed Thermoplastic and Thermoset Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory worked with Verdant Power to manufacture, and characterize, novel thermoplastic composite blades on their Gen5d 5 m diameter turbines at the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) site in the East River in N.Y. to demonstrate a low-cost manufacturing process for marine energy structures. Verdant had designed, manufactured, and deployed epoxy thermoset composite blades on three Gen5d turbines in October 2020. At a maintenance cycle in May 2021, a Gen5d turbine equipped with the NREL thermoplastic blades was deployed and retrieved in October 2021. Modal, static and fatigue structural characterization was performed on both blade types before and after the deployment. The static and modal test results showed that the thermoplastic blades were slightly stiffer than the epoxy blades both dry and after the deployment. The epoxy blades had about 8% increase in strain at the applied load after the deployment, whereas the thermoplastic blade strains were not changed significantly. Ultimately the thermoplastic blade failed during fatigue testing due to a crack which is thought to have initiated between the internal foam and the laminate at the location of the internal instrumentation. The Verdant Power Gen5d epoxy blades did not have this internal instrumentation and did not have this failure, performing adequately through the operational period. A lack of design information and fatigue data for both the thermoplastic laminates and the adhesive used means that further work is needed to fully understand his failure and the root cause analysis is ongoing. This paper provides details on the thermoplastic blade manufacturing, materials, test methodology and results.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1980

Recent advances in structural technology for large deployable and erectable spacecraft

Ultra-low mass deployable and erectable truss structure designs for spacecraft are identified using computerized structural sizing techniques. Extremely slender strut proportions are shown to characterize minimum mass spacecraft which are designed for shuttle transport to orbit. Discrete element effects using a recently developed buckling theory for periodic lattice type structures are presented. An analysis of fabrication imperfection effects on the surface accuracy of four different antenna reflector structures is summarized. The tetrahedral truss has the greatest potential of the structures examined for application to accurate or large reflectors. A deployable module which can be efficiently transported is identified and shown to have significant potential for application to future antenna requirements. Investigations of erectable structure assembly are reviewed.

Bush, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Recent advances in structural technology for large deployable and erectable spacecraft

Ultra-low mass deployable and erectable truss structure designs for spacecraft are identified using computerized structural sizing techniques. Extremely slender strut proportions are shown to characterize minimum mass spacecraft which are designed for Shuttle transport to orbit. Analytical results are presented which demonstrate discrete element effects using a recently developed buckling theory for periodic lattice type structures. An analysis of fabrication imperfection effects on the surface accuracy of four different antenna reflector structures is summarized. This study shows the tetrahedral truss to have the greatest potential of the structures examined for application to accurate or large reflectors. A deployable module which can be efficiently transported is identified and shown to have significant potential for application to future antenna requirements. Recent investigations of erectable structure assembly are reviewed. Initial experiments simulating astronaut assembly by extra-vehicular activity (EVA) show that a pair of astronauts can achieve assembly times of 2-5 min/strut. Studies indicate that an automated assembler can achieve times of less than 1 min/strut on an around-the-clock basis.

Bush, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Structures for remotely deployable precision antennas

Future space missions such as the Earth Science Geostationary Platform (ESGP) will require highly accurate antennas with apertures that cannot be launched fully formed. The operational orbits are often inaccessible to manned flight and will involve expendable launch vehicles such as the Delta or Titan. There is therefore a need for completely deployable antenna reflectors of large size capable of efficiently handling millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation. The parameters for the type of mission are illustrated. The logarithmic plot of frequency versus aperture diameter shows the regions of interest for a large variety of space antenna applications, ranging from a 1500-meter-diameter radio telescope for low frequencies to a 20-meter-diameter infrared telescope. For the ESGP, a major application is the microwave radiometry at high frequencies for atmospheric sounding. Almost all existing large antenna reflectors for space employ a mesh-type reflecting surface. Examples are shown and discussed which deal with the various structural concepts for mesh antennas. Fortunately, those concepts are appropriate for creating the very large apertures required at the lower frequencies for good resolution. The emphasis is on the structural concepts and technologies that are appropriate to fully automated deployment of dish-type antennas with solid reflector surfaces. First the structural requirements are discussed. Existing concepts for fully deployable antennas are then described and assessed relative to the requirements. Finally, several analyses are presented that evaluate the effects of beam steering and segmented reflector design on the accuracy of the antenna.

Hedgepeth, J. M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Setup for Mechanically Testing Subscale Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible Deployable Composite Booms

High-strain composite deployable space structures are used for space infrastructure and science applications such as solar array supports, antennae, camera masts, and lightweight structures supporting solar sailing propulsion elements. Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible (TRAC) deployable composite booms are one example of a high-strain composite deployable structure and were studied using novel experimental test and characterization methods developed under the Gravity Offloading and Analysis of Long Imperfection-sensitive Elements (GOALIE) project. In the present work, a subscale 7-m-long TRAC boom was suspended vertically to orient gravity along the length of the boom. By orienting vertically, highly nonlinear and unstable behavior often encountered during horizontally oriented gravity offload testing of similar structures was reduced. Pretest analytical predictions of TRAC booms indicated three unique failure modes, loads, and locations for three unique loading cases of in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, and axial compression. To investigate the predicted behavior, an experimental test was set up to impart mechanical loads to a subscale TRAC boom. The experimental setup, loading cases, and instrumentation used to characterize the mechanical response of a subscale TRAC boom are described in this paper.

Experimental testing↗
DOE OSTI2022

Proteome-scale Deployment of Protein Structure Prediction Workflows on the Summit Supercomputer

Deep learning has contributed to major advances in the prediction of protein structure from sequence, a fundamental problem in structural bioinformatics. With predictions now approaching the accuracy of crystallographic experiments, and with accelerators like GPUs and TPUs making inference using large models rapid, genome-level structure prediction becomes an obvious aim. Leadership-class computing resources can be used to perform genome-scale protein structure prediction using state-of-the-art deep learning models, providing a wealth of new data for systems biology applications. Here we describe our efforts to efficiently deploy the AlphaFold v.2 program, for full-proteome structure prediction, at scale on the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility's resources, including the Summit supercomputer. We performed inference to produce the predicted structures for 40,526 protein sequences, corresponding to four prokaryotic proteomes and one plant proteome, using under 4,400 total Summit node hours, equivalent to using the majority of the supercomputer for a little over one hour. We also designed an optimized structure refinement that reduced the time for the relaxation stage of the AlphaFold pipeline by over 10X for longer sequences. We demonstrate the types of analyses that can be performed on proteome-scale collections of sequences, including a search for novel quaternary structures and implications for functional annotation.

Gao, Mu↗
NASA NTRS1991

Interaction dynamics of on-orbit construction

Deployment and assembly of large structures in orbit is a critical technology to the overall problem of orbital construction. The attendant large configuration changes of structures will cause significant changes in the dynamic characteristics of the entire system, and perturbation to the orbital dynamics of the spacecraft from which the structures are deployed and/or assembled. To better design structures for deployment and assembly, and to better design controlled deployment/assembly processes, accurate modeling techniques are absolutely essential. The problem of modeling the dynamics of deploying and retrieving beam-like structures from a rotating base was addressed. A methodology for discrete modeling, and a computational procedure were developed. These results give us the capability of understanding and predicting the effects on the overall satellite motion of deploying flexible appendages. This is an initial step towards a general capability of treating axially moving three-dimensional beams. The interaction dynamics of the orbiter, its flexible manipulator, and the structures to be assembled/deployed, as a prerequisite in order to simulate incremental in-space structural construction processes are investigated. Preliminary results so obtained indicate that, as the inertia properties of the flexible large space structure under construction change during the space assembly/construction process, the interaction dynamics undergo significant changes in their characteristics, thus revealing the need for a variety of control strategies throughout construction.

Park, K. C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Setup for Mechanically Testing Subscale Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible Deployable Composite Booms

High-strain composite deployable space structures are used for space infrastructure and science applications such as solar array supports, antennae, camera masts, and lightweight structures supporting solar sailing propulsion ele-ments. Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible (TRAC) deployable composite booms are one example of a high-strain composite deployable structure and were studied using novel experimental test and characterization methods developed under the Gravity Offloading and Analysis of Long Imperfection-sensitive Ele-ments (GOALIE) project. In the present work, a subscale 7-m-long TRAC boom was suspended vertically to orient gravity along the length of the boom. By ori-enting vertically, highly nonlinear and unstable behavior often encountered dur-ing horizontally oriented gravity offload testing of similar structures was reduced. Pretest analytical predictions of TRAC booms indicated three unique failure modes, loads, and locations for three unique loading cases of in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, and axial compression. To investigate the predicted behav-ior, an experimental test was set up to impart mechanical loads to a subscale TRAC boom. The experimental setup, loading cases, and instrumentation used to characterize the mechanical response of a subscale TRAC boom are described in this paper.

High-strain composites↗
NASA NTRS1982

Design, development and mechanization of a precision deployable truss with optimized structural efficiency for spaceborne applications

A deployable mast concept which meets the weight, size and stability requirements for a feed support structure for offset antennas up to 100 meters in diameter is discussed. A triangulated truss configuration, the use of tapered tubes which exhibit a high strength-to-weight ratio, and low CTE graphite-epoxy material are seen to provide an efficient, lightweight and stable truss suitable for an antenna feed support. A low stowage ratio of 30:1 is achieved through a unique preloaded hinge located at the center of each longeron and an autonomous deployment cage with a drive mechanism. Initial analysis and proof of concept hardware validated the basic mechanism and design assumptions and provided a basis for further investigation. The concept can readily accept variations in member size and thus lends itself to optimization for other potential uses where a stiff, lightweight deployable truss is needed.

Craighead, N. D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Advanced Deployable Shell-Based Composite Booms for Small Satellite Structural Applications Including Solar Sails

State of the art deployable structures are mainly being designed for medium to large size satellites. The lack of reliable deployable structural systems for low cost, small volume, rideshare-class spacecraft severely constrains the potential for using small satellite platforms for affordable deep space science and exploration precursor missions that could be realized with solar sails. There is thus a need for reliable, lightweight, high packaging efficiency deployable booms that can serve as the supporting structure for a wide range of small satellite systems including solar sails for propulsion. The National Air and Space Administration (NASA) is currently investing in the development of a new class of advanced deployable shell-based composite booms to support future deep space small satellite missions using solar sails. The concepts are being designed to: meet the unique requirements of small satellites, maximize ground testability, permit the use of low-cost manufacturing processes that will benefit scalability, be scalable for use as elements of hierarchical structures (e.g. trusses), allow long duration storage, have high deployment reliability, and have controlled deployment behavior and predictable deployed dynamics. This paper will present the various rollable boom concepts that are being developed for 5-20 m class size deployable structures that include solar sails with the so-called High Strain Composites (HSC) materials. The deployable composite booms to be presented are being developed to expand the portfolio of available rollable booms for small satellites and maximize their length for a given packaged volume. Given that solar sails are a great example of volume and mass optimization, the booms were designed to comply with nominal solar sail system requirements for 6U CubeSats, which are a good compromise between those of smaller form factors (1U, 2U and 3U CubeSats) and larger ones (12 U and 27 U future CubeSats, and ESPA-class microsatellites). Solar sail missions for such composite boom systems are already under consideration and development at NASA, as well as mission studies that will benefit from planned scaled-up versions of the composite boom technologies to be introduced. The paper presents ongoing research and development of thin-shell rollable composite booms designed under the particular stringent and challenging system requirements of relatively large solar sails housed on small satellites. These requirements will be derived and listed. Several new boom concepts are proposed and other existing ones are improved upon using thin-ply composite materials to yield unprecedented compact deployable structures. Some of these booms are shown in Fig. 1. For every boom to be introduced the scalable fabrication process developed to keep the overall boom system cost down will be shown. Finally, the initial results of purposely designed boom structural characterization test methods with gravity off-loading will be presented to compare their structural performance under expected and general load cases.

Fernandez, Juan M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Sequential deployment of truss structures

The geometry investigated most intensively was the triangular tetrahedral truss. A square type truss having the same topology was also investigated. The tetrahedral truss is composed of surface struts and core members. In the deployable form, the entire truss is viewed as being made up of a number of parallel truss ribs connected to each other by interrib struts and members. The packaging efficiency of the truss was evaluated.

Hedgebeth, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Deployable and retractable telescoping tubular structure development

A new deployable and retractable telescoping boom capable of high deployed stiffness and strength is described. Deployment and retraction functions are controlled by simple, reliable, and fail-safe latches between the tubular segments. The latch and a BI-STEM (Storable Tubular Extendible Member) actuator work together to eliminate the need for the segments to overlap when deployed. This yields an unusually lightweight boom and compact launch configuration. An aluminum space-flight prototype with three joints displays zero structural deadband, low hysteresis, and high damping. The development approach and difficulties are discussed. Test results provide a joint model for sizing flight booms of any diameter and length.

Thomson, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Concept-Development of a Structure Supported Membrane for Deployable Space Applications - From Nature to Manufacture and Testing

Current space applications of membrane structures include large area solar power arrays, solar sails, antennas, and numerous other large aperture devices like the solar shades of the new James Webb Space Telescope. These expandable structural systems, deployed in-orbit to achieve the desired geometry, are used to collect, reflect and/or transmit electromagnetic radiation. This work, a feasibility study supporting a diploma thesis, describes the systematic process for developing a biologically inspired concept for a structure supported (integrated) membrane, that features a rip stop principle, makes self-deployment possible and is part of an ultra-light weight space application. Novel manufacturing of membrane prototypes and test results are presented for the rip-stop concepts. Test data showed that the new membrane concept has a higher tear resistance than neat film of equivalent mass.

Zander, Martin↗