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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 NTRS2000

NASA Fastrac Engine Gas Generator Component Test Program and Results

Low cost access to space has been a long-time goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Fastrac engine program was begun at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to develop a 60,000-pound (60K) thrust, liquid oxygen/hydrocarbon (LOX/RP), gas generator-cycle booster engine for a fraction of the cost of similar engines in existence. To achieve this goal, off-the-shelf components and readily available materials and processes would have to be used. This paper will present the Fastrac gas generator (GG) design and the component level hot-fire test program and results. The Fastrac GG is a simple, 4-piece design that uses well-defined materials and processes for fabrication. Thirty-seven component level hot-fire tests were conducted at MSFC's component test stand #116 (TS116) during 1997 and 1998. The GG was operated at all expected operating ranges of the Fastrac engine. Some minor design changes were required to successfully complete the test program as development issues arose during the testing. The test program data results and conclusions determined that the Fastrac GG design was well on the way to meeting the requirements of NASA's X-34 Pathfinder Program that chose the Fastrac engine as its main propulsion system.

Dennis, Henry J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Integration mockup and process material management system

Work to define and develop a full scale Space Station Freedom (SSF) mockup with the flexibility to evolve into future designs, to validate techniques for maintenance and logistics and verify human task allocations and support trade studies is described. This work began in early 1985 and ended in August, 1991. The mockups are presently being used at MSFC in Building 4755 as a technology and design testbed, as well as for public display. Micro Craft also began work on the Process Material Management System (PMMS) under this contract. The PMMS simulator was a sealed enclosure for testing to identify liquids, gaseous, particulate samples, and specimen including, urine, waste water, condensate, hazardous gases, surrogate gasses, liquids, and solids. The SSF would require many trade studies to validate techniques for maintenance and logistics and verify system task allocations; it was necessary to develop a full scale mockup which would be representative of current SSF design with the ease of changing those designs as the SSF design evolved and changed. The tasks defined for Micro Craft were to provide the personnel, services, tools, and materials for the SSF mockup which would consist of four modules, nodes, interior components, and part task mockups of MSFC responsible engineering systems. This included the Engineering Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) testbed. For the initial study, the mockups were low fidelity, soft mockups of graphics art bottle, and other low cost materials, which evolved into higher fidelity mockups as the R&D design evolved, by modifying or rebuilding, an important cost saving factor in the design process. We designed, fabricated, and maintained the full size mockup shells and support stands. The shells consisted of cylinders, end cones, rings, longerons, docking ports, crew airlocks, and windows. The ECLSS required a heavier cylinder to support the ECLSS systems test program. Details of this activity will be covered. Support stands were designed and built for each module to sufficiently move and rotate each module. Secondary structures such as floors, ceilings, bulkheads, standoffs, racks, etc. were developed and built.

Verble, Adas James, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Short Duration Base Heating Test Improvements

Significant improvements have been made to a short duration space launch vehicle base heating test technique. This technique was first developed during the 1960's to investigate launch vehicle plume induced convective environments. Recent improvements include the use of coiled nitrogen buffer gas lines upstream of the hydrogen / oxygen propellant charge tubes, fast acting solenoid valves, stand alone gas delivery and data acquisition systems, and an integrated model design code. Technique improvements were successfully demonstrated during a 2.25% scale X-33 base heating test conducted in the NASA/MSFC Nozzle Test Facility in early 1999. Cost savings of approximately an order of magnitude over previous tests were realized due in large part to these improvements.

Bender, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A versatile silver oxide-zinc battery for synchronous orbit and planetary missions.

A new kind of silver-zinc cell has been developed and tested under NASA support which can withstand severe heat sterilization requirements. These cells could be used on planetary lander mission which require wet-stand periods of over a year, a modest number of cycles (400 to 500) and may require dry heat sterilization. The weight advantage of these cells over the traditional nickel-cadmium batteries also makes it an attractive alternative for synchronous orbit service where 400 to 500 cycles would be required over a 5 year period.

Schwartz, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Development of a microprocessor controller for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems

A controller for stand-alone photovoltaic systems has been developed using a low power CMOS microprocessor. It performs battery state of charge estimation, array control, load management, instrumentation, automatic testing, and communications functions. Array control options are sequential subarray switching and maximum power control. A calculator keypad and LCD display provides manual control, fault diagnosis and digital multimeter functions. An RS-232 port provides data logging or remote control capability. A prototype 5 kW unit has been built and tested successfully. The controller is expected to be useful in village photovoltaic power systems, large solar water pumping installations, and other battery management applications.

Millner, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Carbon Fiber Reinforced/Silicon Carbide Turbine Blisk Testing in the SIMPLEX Turbopump

A program designed to implement a ceramic matrix composite integrally bladed disk (blisk) into rocket engine style turbomachinery has successfully completed testing. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) program, utilizing the MSFC turbomachinery design, analysis, and testing capabilities along with materials development capabilities from both Glenn Research Center (GRC) and MSFC, has tested two carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide blisks in the Simplex Turbopump at MSFC's Test Stand 500. One blisk contained a polar woven fiber preform, while the second blisk tested utilized a quasi-isotropic preform. Vhile earlier papers have chronicled the program's design, material testing, and torque testing efforts, this paper focuses on the testing of the blisks in the Simplex turbopump. Emphasis will be placed on the actual condition of the blisks before and after the testing test program design methodology, and conclusions that can be drawn from the test data and blisk final conditions. The program performed three separate test series. The first series was needed to validate that the Simplex turbopump was correctly re-built following a major incident to the turbopump. The turbopump had two major differences from the original design. The most obvious difference was the sleeve required throughout the bore of the main housing. The second major difference was modifications to the pump diffuser to improve performance. Several areas were burnt during the incident and were either repaired by weld repair (pump inlet housing) or simply smoothed out (turbine nozzle discharge). The test series was designed to weed out any turbopump design and manufacturing flaws or fatigue issues prior to putting the C/SiC blisks into it. The second and third series were the C/SiC blisk test series. The primary goal of these series was to expose the blisks to as much fatigue causing dynamic stress as possible to examine the material's capability. Initially, the test plan was to put equal time on the two blisks, however, as the test series progressed, the funding allowed additional testing to occur. The additional test time was placed on the polar weave blisk. The total test time accrued on the polar blisk was 2550 seconds with 860 seconds near the turbopump design speed of 25,000 rpm. This testing included 6 tests / 775 seconds pumping liquid nitrogen and 7 tests / 1775 seconds pumping liquid oxygen. The drive gas for all of the tests was gaseous nitrogen due to the lack of hot gas source for the Simplex turbopump. The quasi-isotropic blisk was tested for XX total tests and XXXX seconds with X tests/XXXX seconds pumping liquid nitrogen and X tests/XXXX seconds pumping liquid \oxygen.During the test series, the blisks were inspected following each test. Inspections initially were viewed from the downstream side of the blisks only. Midway through the testing, a method of borescoping the leading edges of the blades was devised, and subsequently, both sides of the blades were inspected following each test. The leading and trailing edges of the polar blisk held up better than the quasi-isotropic blisk. This was a known possibility due to the varying fiber direction in the blades as the rectangular preform weave is cut in a circular pattern. The surprising fact about the testing was that there was no measurable performance loss due to the inaccuracies in the blade manufacturing in the C/SiC blisks, the surface roughness C/SiC of the blades, or the loss of the material in the polar blisk. A performance shift was seen in the quasi-isotropic blisk as portions of the leading and trailing edges were lost. After the testing was completed, detailed inspections of the blisks were performed. The largest surprise was the polar blisk had a obvious crack in a single blade that was located nearly midspan which was not detected in test. The crack ran completely through the blade circumferenciary and through the radial length of the blade. However, the crack does not appear to extend into the blisk hub. Although the cause of the crack is still under investigation, the material appears to be tolerant of this crack, and other hairline cracks discovered under higher magnification. This bodies well for eventual use of this material in actual flight turbopumps where monolithic fracture toughness issues limit its use.

Genge, Gary G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Rehabilitation of the Rocket Vehicle Integration Test Stand at Edwards Air Force Base

Since initial use in 1958 for the X-15 rocket-powered research airplane, the Rocket Engine Test Facility has proven essential for testing and servicing rocket-powered vehicles at Edwards Air Force Base. For almost two decades, several successful flight-test programs utilized the capability of this facility. The Department of Defense has recently demonstrated a renewed interest in propulsion technology development with the establishment of the National Aerospace Initiative. More recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is undergoing a transformation to realign the organization, focusing on the Vision for Space Exploration. These initiatives provide a clear indication that a very capable ground-test stand at Edwards Air Force Base will be beneficial to support the testing of future access-to-space vehicles. To meet the demand of full integration testing of rocket-powered vehicles, the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, the Air Force Flight Test Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory have combined their resources in an effort to restore and upgrade the original X-15 Rocket Engine Test Facility to become the new Rocket Vehicle Integration Test Stand. This report describes the history of the X-15 Rocket Engine Test Facility, discusses the current status of the facility, and summarizes recent efforts to rehabilitate the facility to support potential access-to-space flight-test programs. A summary of the capabilities of the facility is presented and other important issues are discussed.

Jones, Daniel S.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Development and Field Testing of the FootFall Planning System for the ATHLETE Robots

The FootFall Planning System is a ground-based planning and decision support system designed to facilitate the control of walking activities for the ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) family of robots. ATHLETE was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and is a large six-legged robot designed to serve multiple roles during manned and unmanned missions to the Moon; its roles include transportation, construction and exploration. Over the four years from 2006 through 2010 the FootFall Planning System was developed and adapted to two generations of the ATHLETE robots and tested at two analog field sites (the Human Robotic Systems Project's Integrated Field Test at Moses Lake, Washington, June 2008, and the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS), held at Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona, September 2010). Having 42 degrees of kinematic freedom, standing to a maximum height of just over 4 meters, and having a payload capacity of 450 kg in Earth gravity, the current version of the ATHLETE robot is a uniquely complex system. A central challenge to this work was the compliance of the high-DOF (Degree Of Freedom) robot, especially the compliance of the wheels, which affected many aspects of statically-stable walking. This paper will review the history of the development of the FootFall system, sharing design decisions, field test experiences, and the lessons learned concerning compliance and self-awareness.

SunSpiral, Vytas↗
NASA NTRS1977

Design and development of a solar array drive

The design and development of a dry lubricated direct drive solar array pointing mechanism is discussed for use on the Orbital Test Satellite (OTS), MAROTS, European Communication Satellite (ECS), and others. Results of life testing the original prototype and the OTS mechanism are presented together with an appraisal of expected future development.

Rees, T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Design and development of a solar array drive

The design and development of a dry lubricated direct solar array pointing mechanism is discussed from its inception in 1970 to its present development into a flight mechanism for use on the Orbital Test Satellite (OTS), MAROTS, European Communication satellite and others. Results of life testing the original prototype and the OTS mechanism are presented together with an appraisal of expected future development.

Rees, T.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of Plume-Surface Interaction Data from Subscale Inert Gas Testing at NASA MSFC Test Stand 300 Vacuum Facilities

Maturation and validation of predictive modeling capabilities for plume-surface interactions and their effects requires relevant, highly characterized ground test data. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has developed a test bed for these behaviors under its Game Changing Developments Plume Surface Interactions project, and has undertaken testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center to address critical data needs. This manuscript provides a high-level overview of the testing and its associated data.

Chad J Eberhart↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental methods to test photoionized plasma models in emission

The expanding foil photoionized plasma platform was developed on the Z-machine at Sandia National Laboratories to produce terrestrial photoionized plasmas at some of the same conditions as those observed in astrophysical black hole accretion disks. The specific scientific goals of the platform are motivated by long-standing astrophysical puzzles related to accreting black hole systems. Ultimately, the experimental goal is to inform the supersolar Fe abundance problem by testing photoionized plasma models in emission with at-parameter laboratory data. High quality high resolution emission data with absolute intensity calibration from a laboratory photoionized plasma have never been collected prior to the experiments described here, providing broader motivation. A robust test of the model predictions requires the successful production of a laboratory photoionized plasma along with measurements of the supporting model inputs including the radiation drive spectrum used to create the photoionized plasma, the electron density, and the temperature. The measured absolute spectral radiance in emission collected from the independently diagnosed plasma can be compared against model calculations performed using the measured inputs. In this paper, we focus on the experimental platform and the model inputs, specifically detailing the methodology used to measure the plasma conditions. The moderate electron temperature of ∼41 eV ± 15 eV and electron density of ∼1e19 ± 1.6e18 e−/cm3 and the ∼3e12 W/cm2 x-ray irradiance at the sample confirm that photoionization dominates the plasma ionization and spectra.

Cho, P. B. (ORCID:0000000291632905)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mitigating field emission in SSR2 cryomodules for PIP-II

The SSR2 cavities for PIP-II have consistently been affected by field emission since the first cold tests with the unity coupler. A comprehensive root cause analysis was conducted to investigate the origin of this issue and to identify the fabrication, processing, and handling factors that have the greatest impact on field emission onset. New techniques were developed and effectively implemented to achieve field emission-free SSR2 cavities. In addition, effort was dedicated both to relating the radiation level measured at the test stand with the expected levels in the LINAC tunnel and to understand the evolution of field emission through the assembly steps. The challenge of overcoming field emission also led to a reassessment of design choices, enhancing our understanding of their effects on cavity performance.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Concept of a programmable maintenance processor applicable to multiprocessing systems

A programmable maintenance processor concept applicable to multiprocessing systems has been developed at the NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility. This stand-alone-processor is intended to provide support for system and application software testing as well as hardware diagnostics. An initial machanization has been incorporated into the extended aircraft interrogation and display system (XAIDS) which is multiprocessing general-purpose ground support equipment. The XAIDS maintenance processor has independent terminal and printer interfaces and a dedicated magnetic bubble memory that stores system test sequences entered from the terminal. This report describes the hardware and software embodied in this processor and shows a typical application in the check-out of a new XAIDS.

Glover, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A General Overview of the Data Acquisition and Controls Systems (DACS) of the E-Complex at NASA's Stennis Space Center

The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) provides test operations services to a variety of customers, including NASA, DoD, and commercial enterprises for the development of current and next-generation rocket propulsion systems. Many of these testing services are provided in the E-Complex test facilities composed of three active test stands (E1, E2, & E3) and 7 total test positions. Each test position is outfitted with unique sets of data acquisition and controls hardware and software that record both facility and test article data and enable safe operation of the test facility. This paper addresses each system in more detail including efforts to upgrade hardware and software.

Hughes, Mark S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

A Goddard Multi-Scale Modeling System with Unified Physics

A multi-scale modeling system with unified physics has been developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The system consists of an MMF, the coupled NASA Goddard finite-volume GCM (fvGCM) and Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model (GCE, a CRM); the state-of-the-art Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the stand alone GCE. These models can share the same microphysical schemes, radiation (including explicitly calculated cloud optical properties), and surface models that have been developed, improved and tested for different environments. The following is presented in this report: (1) a brief review of the GCE model and its applications on the impact of aerosols on deep precipitation processes, (2) the Goddard MMF and the major difference between two existing MMFs (CSU MMF and Goddard MMF), and preliminary results (the comparison with traditional GCMs), and (3) a discussion on the Goddard WRF version (its developments and applications).

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Goddard Multi-Scale Modeling System with Unified Physics

A multi-scale modeling system with unified physics has been developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The system consists of an MMF, the coupled NASA Goddard finite-volume GCM (fvGCM) and Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model (GCE, a CRM); the state-of-the-art Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the stand alone GCE. These models can share the same microphysical schemes, radiation (including explicitly calculated cloud optical properties), and surface models that have been developed, improved and tested for different environments. In this talk, I will present: (1) A brief review on GCE model and its applications on the impact of the aerosol on deep precipitation processes, (2) The Goddard MMF and the major difference between two existing MMFs (CSU MMF and Goddard MMF), and preliminary results (the comparison with traditional GCMs), and (3) A discussion on the Goddard WRF version (its developments and applications). We are also performing the inline tracer calculation to comprehend the physical processes (i.e., boundary layer and each quadrant in the boundary layer) related to the development and structure of hurricanes and mesoscale convective systems. In addition, high - resolution (spatial. 2km, and temporal, I minute) visualization showing the model results will be presented.

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Goddard Multi-Scale Modeling System with Unified Physics

A multi-scale modeling system with unified physics has been developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The system consists of an MMF, the coupled NASA Goddard finite-volume GCM (fvGCM) and Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model (GCE, a CRM); the state-of-the-art Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the stand alone GCE. These models can share the same microphysical schemes, radiation (including explicitly calculated cloud optical properties), and surface models that have been developed, improved and tested for different environments. In this talk, I will present: (1) A brief review on GCE model and its applications on the impact of the aerosol on deep precipitation processes, (2) The Goddard MMF and the major difference between two existing MMFs (CSU MMF and Goddard MMF), and preliminary results (the comparison with traditional GCMs), and (3) A discussion on the Goddard WRF version (its developments and applications). We are also performing the inline tracer calculation to comprehend the ph ysical processes (i.e., boundary layer and each quadrant in the boundary layer) related to the development and structure of hurricanes and mesoscale convective systems.

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗