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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Advanced Curation: Solving Current and Future Sample Return Problems

Advanced Curation is a wide-ranging and comprehensive research and development effort at NASA Johnson Space Center that identifies and remediates sample related issues. For current collections, Advanced Curation investigates new cleaning, verification, and analytical techniques to assess their suitability for improving curation processes. Specific needs are also assessed for future sample return missions. For each need, a written plan is drawn up to achieve the requirement. The plan draws while upon current Curation practices, input from Curators, the analytical expertise of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) team, and suitable standards maintained by ISO, IEST, NIST and other institutions. Additionally, new technologies are adopted on the bases of need and availability. Implementation plans are tested using customized trial programs with statistically robust courses of measurement, and are iterated if necessary until an implementable protocol is established. Upcoming and potential NASA missions such as OSIRIS-REx, the Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM), sample return missions in the New Frontiers program, and Mars sample return (MSR) all feature new difficulties and specialized sample handling requirements. The Mars 2020 mission in particular poses a suite of challenges since the mission will cache martian samples for possible return to Earth. In anticipation of future MSR, the following problems are among those under investigation: What is the most efficient means to achieve the less than 1.0 ng/sq cm total organic carbon (TOC) cleanliness required for all sample handling hardware? How do we maintain and verify cleanliness at this level? The Mars 2020 Organic Contamination Panel (OCP) predicts that organic carbon, if present, will be present at the "one to tens" of ppb level in martian near-surface samples. The same samples will likely contain wt% perchlorate salts, or approximately 1,000,000x as much perchlorate oxidizer as organic carbon. The chemical kinetics of this reaction are poorly understood at present under the conditions of cached or curated martian samples. Among other parameters, what is the maximum temperature allowed during storage in order to preserve native martian organic compounds for analysis? What is the best means to collect headspace gases from cached martian (and other) samples? This gas will contain not only martian atmosphere but also off-gassed volatiles from the cached solids.

Fries, M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Safe Removal of Frozen Air from the Annulus of an LH2 Storage Tank

Large Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks are vital infrastructure for NASA. Eventually, air may leak into the evacuated and perlite filled annular region of these tanks. Although the vacuum level is monitored in this region, the extremely cold temperature causes all but the helium and neon constituents of air to freeze. A small, often unnoticeable pressure rise is the result. As the leak persists, the quantity of frozen air increases, as does the thermal conductivity of the insulation system. Consequently, a notable increase in commodity boil-off is often the first indicator of an air leak. Severe damage can result from normal draining of the tank. The warming air will sublimate which will cause a pressure rise in the annulus. When the pressure increases above the triple point, the frozen air will begin to melt and migrate downward. Collection of liquid air on the carbon steel outer shell may chill it below its ductility range, resulting in fracture. In order to avoid a structural failure, as described above, a method for the safe removal of frozen air is needed. A thermal model of the storage tank has been created using SINDA/FLUINT modeling software. Experimental work is progressing in an attempt to characterize the thermal conductivity of a perlite/frozen nitrogen mixture. A statistical mechanics model is being developed in parallel for comparison to experimental work. The thermal model will be updated using the experimental/statistical mechanical data, and used to simulate potential removal scenarios. This paper will address methodologies and analysis techniques for evaluation of two proposed air removal methods.

cryogenic insulation↗
NASA NTRS1990

Performance of (CoPC)n catalyst in active lithium-thionyl chloride cells

An experimental study was conducted with anode limited D size cells to characterize the performance of an active lithium-thionyl chloride (Li/SOCl2) system using the polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine, (CoPC)n, catalyst in carbon cathodes. The author describes the results of this experiment with respect to initial voltage delays, operating voltages, and capacities. The effectiveness of the preconditioning methods evolved to alleviate passivation effects on storage are also discussed. The results clearly demonstrated the superior high rate capability of cells with the catalyst. The catalyst did not adversely impact the performance of cells after active storage for up to 6 months, while retaining its beneficial influences.

Shah, Pinakin M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an Adaptive Droop Control Method for Interconnected Lunar DC Microgrids Using Power Hardware-in-the-Loop

NASA’s Artemis Program outlines the need for a habitat capable of sustaining human life as well as mining and producing raw materials on the lunar surface. This mission is viewed as a means towards deeper space exploration, with plans for reaching Mars and beyond. Human presence on the moon is not possible without the ability to generate and distribute energy, namely electricity, through a network of energy sources, loads, and power converters called a microgrid. Multiple microgrids can be deployed on the moon based on location and need. Separate microgrids will require interconnection to increase resiliency and reliability given the mission’s high criticality. A method for adaptive control over power converters connecting two dc microgrids is proposed. A simulation is modeled after the lunar power system with two approaches to power converter droop control, allowing for a more flexible and adaptive microgrid architecture. Further experiments are conducted using the control methods in a power hardware-in-the-loop test environment to study the performance of hardware converter control used in this application.

dc microgrid↗
NASA NTRS1978

Evaluation of a spacecraft nitrogen generator

A research and development program was successfully completed towards the development of a method of generating nitrogen for cabin leakage makeup aboard space vehicles. The nitrogen generation concept used liquid hydrazine as the stored form of nitrogen. This reduced tankage and expendables weight associated with high pressure gaseous and cryogenic liquid nitrogen storage. The hydrazine was catalytically dissociated to yield a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen. The latter was separated to provide the makeup nitrogen. The hydrogen will be used in the reduction of metabolic carbon dioxide.

Marshall, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Remote sensing of biomass and annual net aerial primary productivity of a salt marsh

Net aerial primary productivity is the rate of storage of organic matter in above-ground plant issues exceeding the respiratory use by the plants during the period of measurement. It is pointed out that this plant tissue represents the fixed carbon available for transfer to and consumption by the heterotrophic organisms in a salt marsh or the estuary. One method of estimating annual net aerial primary productivity (NAPP) required multiple harvesting of the marsh vegetation. A rapid nondestructive remote sensing technique for estimating biomass and NAPP would, therefore, be a significant asset. The present investigation was designed to employ simple regression models, equating spectral radiance indices with Spartina alterniflora biomass to nondestructively estimate salt marsh biomass. The results of the study showed that the considered approach can be successfully used to estimate salt marsh biomass.

Hardisky, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

NASA advanced aeronautics design solar powered remotely piloted vehicle

Environmental problems such as the depletion of the ozone layer and air pollution demand a change in traditional means of propulsion that is sensitive to the ecology. Solar powered propulsion is a favorable alternative that is both ecologically harmless as well as cost effective. Integration of solar energy into designs ranging from futuristic vehicles to heating is beneficial to society. The design and construction of a Multi-Purpose Remotely Piloted Vehicle (MPRPV) seeks to verify the feasibility of utilizing solar propulsion as a primary fuel source. This task has been a year long effort by a group of ten students, divided into five teams, each dealing with different aspects of the design. The aircraft was designed to take-off, climb to the design altitude, fly in a sustained figure-eight flight path, and cruise for approximately one hour. This mission requires flight at Reynolds numbers between 150,000 and 200,000 and demands special considerations in the aerodynamic design in order to achieve flight in this regime. Optimal performance requires a light weight configuration with both structural integrity and maximum power availability. The structure design and choice of solar cells for the propulsion was governed by the weight, efficiency, and cost considerations. The final design is a MPRPV weighting 35 N which cruises 7 m/s at the design altitude of 50 m. The configuration includes a wing composed of balsa and foam NACA 6409 airfoil sections and carbon fiber spars, a tail of similar construction, and a truss structure fuselage. The propulsion system consists of 98 10 percent efficient solar cells donated by Mobil Solar, a NiCad battery for energy storage, and a folding propeller regulated by a lightweight and efficient control system. The airfoils and propeller chosen for the design were research and tested during the design process.

Elario, David S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Results from the testing and analysis of LDEF batteries

Batteries were used on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) to provide power to both the active experiments and the experiment support equipment such as the Experiment Initiative System, Experiment Power and Data System (data acquisition system), and the Environment Exposure Control Canisters. Three different types of batteries were used: lithium sulfur dioxide (LiSO2), lithium carbon monofluoride (LiCF), and nickel cadmium (NiCd). A total of 92 LiSO2, 10 LiCF, and 1 NiCd batteries were flown on the LDEF. In addition, approximately 20 LiSO2 batteries were kept in cold storage at NASA LaRC. The various investigations and post-flight analyses of the flight and control batteries are reviewed. The primary objectives of these studies was to identify degradation modes (if any) of the batteries and to provide information useful to future spacecraft missions. Systems SIG involvement in the post-flight evaluation of LDEF batteries was two-fold: (1) to fund SAFT (original manufacturer of the LiSO2 batteries) to perform characterization of 13 LiSO2 batteries (10 flight and 3 control batteries); and (2) to integrate investigator results.

Spear, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2016

Aerogel Hybrid Composite Materials: Designs and Testing for Multifunctional Applications

This webinar will introduce the broad spectrum of aerogel composites and their diverse performance properties such as reduced heat transfer to energy storage, and expands specifically on the aerogel/fiber laminate systems and testing methodologies. The multi-functional laminate composite system, AeroFiber, and its construction is designed by varying the type of fiber (e.g. polyester, carbon, Kevlar®, Spectra® or Innegral(TradeMark) and combinations thereof), the aerogel panel type and thickness, and overall layup configuration. The combination and design of materials may be customized and tailored to achieve a range of desired properties in the resulting laminate system. Multi-functional properties include structural strength, impact resistance, reduction in heat transfer, increased fire resistance, mechanical energy absorption, and acoustic energy dampening. Applications include aerospace, aircraft, automotive, boating, building and construction, lightweight portable structures, liquefied natural gas, cryogenics, transportation and energy, sporting equipment, and military protective gear industries.

Hybrid↗
NASA NTRS1991

Solar powered multipurpose remotely powered aircraft

Environmental problems such as the depletion of the ozone layer and air pollution demand a change in traditional means of propulsion that is sensitive to the ecology. Solar-powered propulsion is a favorable alternative that is both ecologically harmless as well as cost effective. Integration of solar energy into designs ranging from futuristic vehicles to heating is, therefore, beneficial to society. The design and construction of a Multipurpose Remotely Piloted Vehicle (MPRPV) seeks to verify the feasibility of using solar propulsion as a primary fuel source. This task has been a year-long effort by a group of eight students, divided into four teams, each dealing with different aspects of the design. The aircraft was designed to take off, climb to the design altitude, fly in a sustained figure-eight flight path, and cruise for approximately one hour. This mission requires flight at Reynolds numbers between 150,000 and 200,000 and demands special considerations in the aerodynamic design to achieve flight in this regime. Optimal performance requires a lightweight configuration with both structural integrity and maximum power availability. The structural design and choice of solar cells for the propulsion were governed by weight, efficiency, and cost considerations. The final design is an MPRPV weighing 35 N that cruises at 7 m/s at the design altitude of 50 m. The configuration includes a wing composed of balsa and foam NACA 6409 airfoil sections and carbon fiber spars, a tail of similar construction, and a truss structure fuselage. The propulsion system consists of 98 12.5 percent-efficient solar cells donated by Mobil Solar, a NiCad battery for energy storage, and a folding propeller regulated by a lightweight and efficient control system. The airfoils and propeller chosen for the design were researched and tested during the design process.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Nanostructured Materials Development for Space Power

There have been many recent advances in the use of nanostructured materials for space power applications. In particular, the use of high purity single wall nanotubes holds promise for a variety of generation and storage devices including: thin film lithium ion batteries, microelectronic proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, polymeric thin film solar cells, and thermionic power supplies is presented. Semiconducting quantum dots alone and in conjunction with carbon nanotubes are also being investigated for possible use in high efficiency photovoltaic solar cells. This paper will review some of the work being done at RIT in conjunction with the NASA Glenn Research Center to utilize nanomaterials in space power devices.

Raffaelle, Ryne P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Time-Temperature Dependent Response of Filament Wound Composites for Flywheel Rotors

Flywheel energy storage offers an attractive alternative to battery systems used in space applications such as the International Space Station. Rotor designs capable of high specific energies benefit from the load carrying capacity of hoop wound carbon fibers but their long-term durability may be limited by time-temperature dependent radial deformations. This was investigated for the carbon/epoxy rotor material, IM7/8552. Coupon specimens were sectioned from filament wound panels. These were tested in compression and tension at room temperature (RT), 95 and 135 C for strain rates from 5x10(exp -6) per second to 5x10(exp -3) per second. Time, temperature and load sign dependent effects were significant transverse to the fiber. At -0.5 percent strain for 72 hr, compressive stresses relaxed 16.4 percent at 135 C and 13 percent at 95 C. Tensile stresses relaxed only 7 percent in 72 hr at 135 C for 0.5 percent strain. Using linear hereditary material response and Boltzmann s principle of superposition to describe this behavior is problematic if not intractable. Micromechanics analysis including the effects of processing residual stresses is needed to resolve the paradoxes. Uniaxial compressive stress relaxation data may be used to bound the loss of radial pre-load stresses in flywheel rotors.

Thesken, John C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

US Clean Energy Sector and the Opportunity for Modeling and Simulation

The following paper sets forth the current understanding of the US clean energy demand and opportunity. As clean energy systems come online and technology is developed, modeling and simulation of these complex energy programs provides an untapped business opportunity. The US Department of Defense provides a great venue for developing new technology in the energy sector because it is demanding lower fuel costs, more energy efficiencies in its buildings and bases, and overall improvements in its carbon footprint. These issues coupled with the security issues faced by foreign dependence on oil will soon bring more clean energy innovations to the forefront (lighter batteries for soldiers, alternative fuel for jets, energy storage systems for ships, etc).

Inge, Carole Cameron↗
NASA NTRS2015

Mars Ascent Vehicle-Propellant Aging

This project is to develop and test a new propellant formulation specifically for the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) for the robotic Mars Sample Return mission. The project was initiated under the Planetary Sciences Division In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) program and is continuing under the Mars Exploration Program. The two-stage, solid motor-based MAV has been the leading MAV solution for more than a decade. Additional studies show promise for alternative technologies including hybrid and bipropellant options, but the solid motor design has significant propellant density advantages well suited for physical constraints imposed while using the SkyCrane descent stage. The solid motor concept has lower specific impulse (Isp) than alternatives, but if the first stage and payload remain sufficiently small, the two-stage solid MAV represents a potential low risk approach to meet the mission needs. As the need date for the MAV slips, opportunities exist to advance technology with high on-ramp potential. The baseline propellant for the MAV is currently the carboxyl terminated polybutadiene (CTPB) based formulation TP-H-3062 due to its advantageous low temperature mechanical properties and flight heritage. However, the flight heritage is limited and outside the environments, the MAV must endure. The ISPT program competed a propellant formulation project with industry and selected ATK to develop a new propellant formulation specifically for the MAV application. Working with ATK, a large number of propellant formulations were assessed to either increase performance of a CTPB propellant or improve the low temperature mechanical properties of a hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) propellant. Both propellants demonstrated potential to increase performance over heritage options, but an HTPB propellant formulation, TP-H-3544, was selected for production and testing. The test plan includes propellant aging first at high vacuum conditions, representative of the Mars transit, followed by an additional year at simulated Mars surface conditions. The actual Mars surface environment is based on the igloo design, actively maintains the propellant at or above -40 degC, 95% carbon dioxide at Mars surface pressure. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Mars environment test facility is shown in figure 1 and located in the East Test area of Redstone Arsenal due to storage of live propellants. The facility consists of a vacuum chamber placed inside a large freezer unit. The facility includes pressure and temperature monitoring equipment in addition to a vacuum quality monitoring system spectrometer to record any outgassing products.

Dankanich, John↗
NASA NTRS1976

Iron-doped lithium niobate as a read-write holographic storage medium

The response of iron-doped lithium niobate under conditions corresponding to hologram storage and retrieval is described, and the material characteristics are discussed. The optical sensitivity can be improved by heavy chemical reduction of lightly doped crystals such that most of the iron is in the divalent state, the remaining part being trivalent. The best reduction process found to be reproducible so far is the anneal of the doped crystal in the presence of a salt such as lithium carbonate. It is shown by analysis and simulation that a page-oriented read-write holographic memory with 1000 bits per page would have a cycle time of about 60 msec and a signal-to-noise ratio of 27 dB. This cycle time, although still too long for a practical memory, represents an improvement of two orders of magnitude over that of previous laboratory prototypes using a thermoplastic storage medium

Alphonse, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Read-write holographic memory with iron-doped lithium niobate

The response of iron doped lithium niobate under conditions corresponding to hologram storage and retrieval is described, and the material's characteristics are discussed. The optical sensitivity can be improved by heavy chemical reduction of lightly doped crystals such that most of the iron is in the divalent state, the remaining part being trivalent. The best reduction process found to be reproducible so far is the anneal of the doped crystal in the presence of a salt such as lithium carbonate. It is shown by analysis and simulation that a page-oriented read-write holographic memory with 1,000 bits per page would have a cycle time of about 60 ms and a signal-to-noise ratio of 27 db. This cycle time, although still too long for a practical system, represents an improvement of two orders of magnitude over that of previous laboratory prototypes using different storage media.

Alphonse, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Center for High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft (CHEETA)

The aeronautics industry has been challenged on many fronts to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and decrease dependency on carbon-based fuels. With subsonic transports serving as the dominant contributor to the fuel consumption and carbon footprint of global aviation, the need for environmentally-responsible transportation has been met with a boom of research in the field of aircraft propulsion electrification across industry, government, and academic organizations. However, adoption of electrified propulsion systems for large commercial aircraft today is unattainable, due to the lack of motors and power electronics appropriately sized for these vehicles, high weight requirements of conventional electrical energy storage systems, and new principles required to design these classes of aircraft. The mission of the Center for High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft (CHEETA) program is to develop, mature, and design disruptive technologies for electric commercial aviation. The associated technologies being researched include distributed aero-propulsion system integration, high-efficiency electrochemical power conversion, flight-weight electric machines and power electronics, materials and systems for superconducting high-efficiency power transmission, and methods for complex system integration and optimization. Additionally, the current program is investigating the use of unconventional energy storage and power generation architectures, such as liquid hydrogen fuel and high-efficiency fuel cell systems. The research program provides a direct line-of-sight to not only achieving, but potentially even exceeding the aviation community goals for transition to alternative propulsion and energy through convergence of various novel technologies. The end result of maturation and integration of these technologies is an aircraft system with a quiet, efficient propulsion system that produces zero carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter emissions at the vehicle level.

Koushik Datta↗