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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 NTRS1997

STS-82 Flight Day 07 Highlights

The seventh day of the STS-82 mission begins with the crew, Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, and Mission Specialists Gregory J. Harbaugh, Steven L. Smith, Joseph R. Tanner, and Steven A. Hawley performing their third spacewalk of the mission by emerging from Discovery's airlock. Their first task is the replacement of a Solar Array Drive Electronics package which is used to control the positioning of Hubble's solar arrays. Harbaugh and Tanner next venture to the top of the telescope where they replaced covers over Hubble's magnetometers, which are used to sense the telescope's position in relation to the Earth through data acquired from the Earth's magnetic field. The spacewalking astronauts then place thermal blankets of multi-layer material over two areas of degraded insulation around the light shield portion of the telescope just below the top of the astronomical observatory.

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NASA NTRS1999

Space Adaptation of Active Mirror Segment Concepts

This report summarizes the results of a three year effort by Blue Line Engineering Co. to advance the state of segmented mirror systems in several separate but related areas. The initial set of tasks were designed to address the issues of system level architecture, digital processing system, cluster level support structures, and advanced mirror fabrication concepts. Later in the project new tasks were added to provide support to the existing segmented mirror testbed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the form of upgrades to the 36 subaperture wavefront sensor. Still later, tasks were added to build and install a new system processor based on the results of the new system architecture. The project was successful in achieving a number of important results. These include the following most notable accomplishments: 1) The creation of a new modular digital processing system that is extremely capable and may be applied to a wide range of segmented mirror systems as well as many classes of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) control systems such as active structures or industrial automation. 2) A new graphical user interface was created for operation of segmented mirror systems. 3) The development of a high bit rate serial data loop that permits bi-directional flow of data to and from as many as 39 segments daisy-chained to form a single cluster of segments. 4) Upgrade of the 36 subaperture Hartmann type Wave Front Sensor (WFS) of the Phased Array Mirror, Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) testbed at MSFC resulting in a 40 to 5OX improvement in SNR which in turn enabled NASA personnel to achieve many significant strides in improved closed-loop system operation in 1998. 5) A new system level processor was built and delivered to MSFC for use with the PAMELA testbed. This new system featured a new graphical user interface to replace the obsolete and non-supported menu system originally delivered with the PAMELA system. The hardware featured Blue Line's new stackable processing system which included fiber optic data links, a WFS digital interface, and a very compact and reliable electronics package. The project also resulted in substantial advances in the evolution of concepts for integrated structures to be used to support clusters of segments while also serving as the means to distribute power, timing, and data communications resources. A prototype cluster base was built and delivered that would support a small array of 7 cm mirror segments. Another conceptual design effort led to substantial progress in the area of laminated silicon mirror segments. While finished mirrors were never successfully produced in this exploratory effort, the basic feasibility of the concept was established through a significant amount of experimental development in microelectronics processing laboratories at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Ultimately lightweighted aluminum mirrors with replicated front surfaces were produced and delivered as part of a separate contract to develop integrated segmented mirror assemblies. Overall the project was very successful in advancing segmented mirror system architectures on several fronts. In fact, the results of this work have already served as the basic foundation for the system architectures of several projects proposed by Blue Line for different missions and customers. These include the NMSD and AMSD procurements for NASA's Next Generation Space Telescope, the HET figure maintenance system, and the 1 meter FAST telescope project.

Ames, Gregory H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Sports Training

Practitioners of martial arts have long seen a need for a precise method of measuring the power of a karate kick or a boxer's punch in training and competition. Impax sensor is a piezoelectric film less than one thousandth of an inch thick, yet extremely durable. They give out a voltage impulse when struck, the greater the force of impact, the higher the voltage. The impulse is transmitted to a compact electronics package where voltage is translated into a force-pounds reading shown on a digital display. Impax, manufactured by Impulse Technology, Inc. is used by martial arts instructors, practitioners, U.S. Olympic Committee Training Center, football blocking sleds, and boxers as well as police defensive tactics, providing a means of evaluating the performance of recruits.

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NASA NTRS2004

Transition from Pool to Flow Boiling: The Effect of Reduced Gravity

Applications of boiling heat transfer in space can be found in the areas of thermal management, fluid handling and control, power systems, on-orbit storage and supply systems for cryogenic propellants and life support fluids, and for cooling of electronic packages for power systems associated with various instrumentation and control systems. Recent interest in exploration of Mars and other planets, and the concepts of in-situ resource utiliLation on Mars highlights the need to understand the effect of gravity on boiling heat transfer at gravity levels varying from 1>= g/g(sub e) >=10(exp -6). The objective of the proposed work was to develop a mechanistic understanding of nucleate boiling and critical heat flux under low and micro-gravity conditions when the velocity of the imposed flow is small. For pool boiling, the effect of reduced gravity is to stretch both the length scale as well as the time scale for the boiling process. At high flow velocities, the inertia of the liquid determines the time and the length scales and as such the gravitational acceleration plays little role. However, at low velocities and at low gravity levels both liquid inertia and buoyancy are of equal importance. At present, we have little understanding of the interacting roles of gravity and liquid inertia on the nucleate boiling process. Little data that has been reported in the literature does not have much practical value in that it can not serve as a basis for design of heat exchange components to be used in space. Both experimental and complete numerical simulations of the low velocity, low-gravity nucleate boiling process were carried out. A building block type of approach was used in that first the growth and detachment process of a single bubble and flow and heat transfer associated with the sliding motion of the bubble over the heater surface after detachment was studied. Liquid subcooling and flow velocity were varied parametrically. The experiments were conducted at 1 g(sub e), while varying the orientation of surface with respect to the gravity vector. In the laboratory experiments, holographic interferometry was used to obtain data on velocity and temperature fields associated with a bubble prior to, and after detachment and during sliding motion. A test rig for conducting experiments in the KC-135 was developed, but experiments could not be conducted due to the unavailability of the aircraft prior to completion of the project. Numerical simulations modeling the micro and macro regions of the bubble were carried out in three dimensions. The results of the experiments were used to validate analytical/numerical models.

Dhir, Vijay K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

New Gear Transmission Error Measurement System Designed

The prime source of vibration and noise in a gear system is the transmission error between the meshing gears. Transmission error is caused by manufacturing inaccuracy, mounting errors, and elastic deflections under load. Gear designers often attempt to compensate for transmission error by modifying gear teeth. This is done traditionally by a rough "rule of thumb" or more recently under the guidance of an analytical code. In order for a designer to have confidence in a code, the code must be validated through experiment. NASA Glenn Research Center contracted with the Design Unit of the University of Newcastle in England for a system to measure the transmission error of spur and helical test gears in the NASA Gear Noise Rig. The new system measures transmission error optically by means of light beams directed by lenses and prisms through gratings mounted on the gear shafts. The amount of light that passes through both gratings is directly proportional to the transmission error of the gears. A photodetector circuit converts the light to an analog electrical signal. To increase accuracy and reduce "noise" due to transverse vibration, there are parallel light paths at the top and bottom of the gears. The two signals are subtracted via differential amplifiers in the electronics package. The output of the system is 40 mV/mm, giving a resolution in the time domain of better than 0.1 mm, and discrimination in the frequency domain of better than 0.01 mm. The new system will be used to validate gear analytical codes and to investigate mechanisms that produce vibration and noise in parallel axis gears.

Oswald, Fred B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Solder Creep-Fatigue Interactions with Flexible Leaded Part

In most electronic packaging applications it is not a single high stress event that breaks a component solder joint; rather it is repeated or prolonged load applications that result in fatigue or creep failure of the solder. The principal strain in solder joints is caused by differential expansion between the part and its mounting environment due to hanges in temperature (thermal cycles) and/or due to temperature gradients between the part and the board.

creep effects↗
NASA NTRS1999

Physically separating printed circuit boards with a resilient, conductive contact

A multi-board module provides high density electronic packaging in which multiple printed circuit boards are stacked. Electrical power, or signals, are conducted between the boards through a resilient contact. One end of the contact is located at a via in the lower circuit board and soldered to a pad near the via. The top surface of the contact rests against a via of the facing printed circuit board.

Baker, John D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Thermal microstructure measurement system

A thermal microstructure measurement system (TMMS) operates autonomously h its own internal power supply and telemeters data to a platform. A thermal array is mounted on a cross-braced frame designed to orient itself normal to existing currents with fixed sensor positioning bars protruding from the cross bars. A plurality of matched thermistors, conductivity probes and inclinometers are mounted on the frame. A compass and pressure transducer are contained in an electronics package suspended below the array. The array is deployed on a taut mooring below a subsurface float. Data are digitized, transmitted via cable to a surface buoy and then telemetered to the platform where the data is processed via a computer, recorded and/or displayed. The platform computer also sends commands to the array via telemetry.

Carver, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

The U.S. Rosetta Project: Mars Gravity Assist

Since launch on March 2, 2004, the International Rosetta Mission has flown by the Earth/Moon system one time and conducted several distant observations of comets, including support for the Deep Impact measurements of comet 9 P/Tempel 1. In 2007, Rosetta flew by Mars for a gravity assist, and conducted observations of the Martian upper atmosphere as well as extended observations, in support of the New Horizons Jupiter encounter, of the Jovian magnetotail and Io torus. In late 2007 Rosetta had its second encounter with the Earth/Moon system. NASA's contribution to the Rosetta mission consists of three hardware experiments, and the portion of the electronics package for a fourth, as well as the participation of an Interdisciplinary Scientist (IDS); backup tracking, telecommunications, and navigation assurance provided by the Deep Space Network (DSN); support for the scientific participation of U.S. investigators on non-U.S. PI-led experiments. Collectively these elements are known as the U.S. Rosetta Project. In this paper we will update the status of the instruments following the both the Mars and Earth/Moon gravity assists. In addition, we will present a summary of the science observations for both Mars and Jupiter. 12.

Rosetta↗
NASA NTRS2009

NASA 2009 Body of Knowledge (BoK) Through-Slicon Via Technology

Through-silicon via (TSV) is the latest in a progression of technologies for stacking silicon devices in three dimensions (3D). Driven by the need for improved performance, methods to use short vertical interconnects to replace the long interconnects found in 2D structures have been developed. The industry is moving past the feasibility (research and development [R and D]) phase for TSV technology into the commercialization phase where economic realities will determine which technologies are adopted. Low-cost fine via hole formation and highly reliable via filling technologies have been demonstrated; process equipment and materials are available. Even though design, thermal, and test issues remain, much progress has been made.

3D packaging↗
NASA NTRS2010

Observing Solar Radio Bursts from the Lunar Surface

Locating low frequency radio observatories on the lunar surface has a number of advantages. Here, we describe the Radio Observatory for Lunar Sortie Science (ROLSS), a concept for a low frequency, radio imaging interferometric array designed to study particle acceleration in the corona and inner heliosphere. ROLSS would be deployed during an early lunar sortie or by a robotic rover as part of an unmanned landing. The prime science mission is to image type II and type III solar radio bursts with the aim of determining the sites at and mechanisms by which the radiating particles are accelerated. Secondary science goals include constraining the density of the lunar ionosphere by searching for a low radio frequency cutoff of the solar radio emissions and constraining the low energy electron population in astrophysical sources. Furthermore, ROLSS serves a pathfinder function for larger lunar radio arrays. Key design requirements on ROLES include the operational frequency and angular resolution. The electron densities in the solar corona and inner heliosphere are such that the relevant emission occurs below 10 MHz, essentially unobservable from Earth's surface due to the terrestrial ionospheric cutoff. Resolving the potential sites of particle acceleration requires an instrument with an angular resolution of at least 2 deg, equivalent to a linear array size of approximately 500 meters. Operations would consist of data acquisition during the lunar day, with regular data downlinks. The major components of the ROLSS array are 3 antenna arms arranged in a Y shape, with a central electronics package (CEP). Each antenna arm is a linear strip of polyimide film (e.g., Kapton (TM)) on which 16 single polarization dipole antennas are located by depositing a conductor (e.g., silver). The arms also contain transmission lines for carrying the radio signals from the science antennas to the CEP.

MacDowall, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Reliability of Sn/Pb and Lead-Free (SnAgCu) Solders of Surface Mounted Miniaturized Passive Components for Extreme Temperature (-185 C to +125 C) Space Missions

Surface mount electronic package test boards have been assembled using tin/lead (Sn/Pb) and lead-free (Pb-free or SnAgCu or SAC305) solders. The soldered surface mount packages include ball grid arrays (BGA), flat packs, various sizes of passive chip components, etc. They have been optically inspected after assembly and subsequently subjected to extreme temperature thermal cycling to assess their reliability or future deep space, long-term, extreme temperature environmental missions. In this study, the employed temperature range (-185oC to +125oC) covers military specifications (-55oC to +100oC), extreme old Martian (-120oC to +115oC), asteroid Nereus (-180oC to +25oC) and JUNO (-150oC to +120oC) environments. The boards were inspected at room temperature and at various intervals as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and bake duration. Electrical resistance measurements made at room temperature are reported and the tests to date have shown some change in resistance as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and some showed increase in resistance. However, the change in interconnect resistance becomes more noticeable with increasing number of thermal cycles. Further research work will be carried out to understand the reliability of packages under extreme temperature applications (-185oC to +125oC) via continuously monitoring the daisy chain resistance for BGA, Flat-packs, lead less chip packages, etc. This paper will describe the experimental reliability results of miniaturized passive components (01005, 0201, 0402, 0603, 0805, and 1206) assembled using surface mounting processes with tin-lead and lead-free solder alloys under extreme temperature environments.

extreme temperatures,↗
NASA NTRS2012

High Angular Resolution Imaging of Solar Radio Bursts from the Lunar Surface

Locating low frequency radio observatories on the lunar surface has a number of advantages, including positional stability and a very low ionospheric radio cutoff. Here, we describe the Radio Observatory on the lunar Surface for Solar studies (ROLSS), a concept for a low frequency, radio imaging interferometric array designed to study particle acceleration in the corona and inner heliosphere. ROLSS would be deployed during an early lunar sortie or by a robotic rover as part of an unmanned landing. The preferred site is on the lunar near side to simplify the data downlink to Earth. The prime science mission is to image type II and type III solar radio bursts with the aim of determining the sites at and mechanisms by which the radiating particles are accelerated. Secondary science goals include constraining the density of the lunar ionosphere by measuring the low radio frequency cutoff of the solar radio emissions or background galactic radio emission, measuring the flux, particle mass, and arrival direction of interplanetary and interstellar dust, and constraining the low energy electron population in astrophysical sources. Furthermore, ROLSS serves a pathfinder function for larger lunar radio arrays. Key design requirements on ROLSS include the operational frequency and angular resolution. The electron densities in the solar corona and inner heliosphere are such that the relevant emission occurs below 10 M Hz, essentially unobservable from Earth's surface due to the terrestrial ionospheric cutoff. Resolving the potential sites of particle acceleration requires an instrument with an angular resolution of at least 2 deg at 10 MHz, equivalent to a linear array size of approximately one kilometer. The major components of the ROLSS array are 3 antenna arms, each of 500 m length, arranged in a Y formation, with a central electronics package (CEP) at their intersection. Each antenna arm is a linear strip of polyimide film (e.g., Kapton(TradeMark)) on which 16 single polarization dipole antennas are located by depositing a conductor (e.g., silver). The arms also contain transmission lines for carrying the radio signals from the science antennas to the CEP. Operations would consist of data acquisition during the lunar day, with data downlinks to Earth one or more times every 24 hours.

MacDowall, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Qualification of Engineering Camera for Long-Duration Deep Space Missions

Qualification and verification of advanced electronic packaging and interconnect technologies, and various other types of hardware elements for the Mars Exploration Rover s Spirit and Opportunity (MER)/Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) flight projects, has been performed to enhance the mission assurance. The qualification of hardware (engineering camera) under extreme cold temperatures has been performed with reference to various Mars-related project requirements. The flight-like packages, sensors, and subassemblies have been selected for the study to survive three times the total number of expected diurnal temperature cycles resulting from all environmental and operational exposures occurring over the life of the flight hardware, including all relevant manufacturing, ground operations, and mission phases. Qualification has been performed by subjecting above flight-like hardware to the environmental temperature extremes, and assessing any structural failures or degradation in electrical performance due to either overstress or thermal cycle fatigue. Engineering camera packaging designs, charge-coupled devices (CCDs), and temperature sensors were successfully qualified for MER and MSL per JPL design principles. Package failures were observed during qualification processes and the package redesigns were then made to enhance the reliability and subsequent mission assurance. These results show the technology certainly is promising for MSL, and especially for longterm extreme temperature missions to the extreme temperature conditions. The engineering camera has been completely qualified for the MSL project, with the proven ability to survive on Mars for 2010 sols, or 670 sols times three. Finally, the camera continued to be functional, even after 2010 thermal cycles.

Ramesham, Rajeshuni↗
NASA NTRS2013

PhoneSat - The Smartphone Nanosatellite

PhoneSat 2.4, carried into space on November 19, 2013 aboard a Minotaur I rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is the first of the PhoneSat family to use a two-way S-band radio to allow engineers to command the satellite from Earth. This mission also serves as a technology demonstration for a novel attitude determination and control system (ADCS) that establishes and stabilizes the satellites attitude relative to Earth. Unlike the earlier PhoneSats that used a Nexus One, PhoneSat 2.4 uses the Nexus S smartphone, which runs Googles Android operating system, and is made by Samsung Electronics Co., Suwon, So. Korea. The smartphone provides many of the functions needed by the satellite such as a central computer, data memory, ready-made interfaces for communications, navigation and power all pre-assembled in a rugged electronics package.

PhoneSat↗
NASA NTRS2010

The U.S. Rosetta Project at Its First Science Target: Asteroid (2867) Steins, 2008

On September 5, 2008, the International Rosetta Mission encountered its first formal science target of the mission, asteroid (2867) Steins. We report preliminary results from the U.S. experiments. NASA's contribution to the Rosetta mission consists of an ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer, a microwave spectrometer, a plasma instrument, and a portion of the electronics package for a mass spectrometer. The UV spectrometer (Alice) was used to obtain the first far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of an asteroid. A ten-minute integration, surrounding the time of closest approach, averaging over a variety of geometries, showed very good signal from 850 Angstroms to 2000 Angstroms in the FUV. The microwave instrument (MIRO) obtained a high signal to noise measurement at both observing frequencies, enabling key thermal parameters to be derived. The plasma instrument (IES) obtained a brief measurement of the solar wind, and the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) of the ROSINA instrument obtained a signal just at closest approach. Laboratory work with analogue materials was begun.

Alexander, C.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Phase 1 Final Report: Titan Submarine

The conceptual design of a submarine for Saturn's moon Titan was a funded NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 for 2014. The proposal stated the desire to investigate what science a submarine for Titan's liquid hydrocarbon seas might accomplish and what that submarine might look like. Focusing on a flagship class science system (100 kg), it was found that a submersible platform can accomplish extensive science both above and below the surface of the Kraken Mare. Submerged science includes mapping using side-looking sonar, imaging and spectroscopy of the lake, as well as sampling of the lake's bottom and shallow shoreline. While surfaced, the submarine will not only sense weather conditions (including the interaction between the liquid and atmosphere) but also image the shoreline, as much as 2 km inland. This imaging requirement pushed the landing date to Titan's next summer period (2047) to allow for lighted conditions, as well as direct-to-Earth communication, avoiding the need for a separate relay orbiter spacecraft. Submerged and surfaced investigation are key to understanding both the hydrological cycle of Titan as well as gather hints to how life may have begun on Earth using liquid, sediment, and chemical interactions. An estimated 25 Mb of data per day would be generated by the various science packages. Most of the science packages (electronics at least) can be safely kept inside the submarine pressure vessel and warmed by the isotope power system.The baseline 90-day mission would be to sail submerged and surfaced around and through Kraken Mare investigating the shoreline and inlets to evaluate the sedimentary interaction both on the surface and then below. Depths of Kraken have yet to be sensed (Ligeia to the north is thought to be 200 m (656 ft) deep), but a maximum depth of 1,000 m (3,281 ft) for Kraken Mare was assumed for the design). The sub would spend 20 d at the interface between Kraken Mare and Ligeia Mare for clues to the drainage of liquid methane into the currently predicted predominantly ethane Kraken Mare. During an extended ninety-day mission, it would transit the throat of Kraken (now Seldon Fretum) and perform similar explorations in other areas of Kraken Mare. Once this half year of exploration is completed the submarine could be tasked to revisit points of interest and perhaps do a complete sonar mapping of the seas. All in all, the submarine could explore over 3,000 km (1,864 mi) in its primary mission at an average speed of 0.3 meters per second.

Titan↗