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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
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NASA NTRS1991

Long-wave infrared (LWIR) detectors based on III-V materials

Future NASA missions for earth observation and planetary science require large photovoltaic detector arrays with high performance in the long wavelength region to 18 microns and at operating temperatures above 65 K where single-cycle long-life cryocoolers are being developed. Since these detector array requirements exceed the state of current HgCdTe technology, alternative detector materials are being investigated as a possible option for future missions. Advanced growth techniques (e.g., MBE and MOCVD) of column III-V semiconductors have opened opportunities for engineering new detector materials and device structures. The technical approaches under investigation at JPL (with university and industry participation) include: quantum well infrared photodetectors, heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) photodetectors, type-II strained layer superlattices, and nipi doping superlattices. Each of these options are briefly described with some of their pros and cons. A more detailed description is given for the HIP approach being pioneered at JPL.

Maserjian, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1994

Advanced Solar Cells for Satellite Power Systems

The multiple natures of today's space missions with regard to operational lifetime, orbital environment, cost and size of spacecraft, to name just a few, present such a broad range of performance requirements to be met by the solar array that no single design can suffice to meet them all. The result is a demand for development of specialized solar cell types that help to optimize overall satellite performance within a specified cost range for any given space mission. Historically, space solar array performance has been optimized for a given mission by tailoring the features of silicon solar cells to account for the orbital environment and average operating conditions expected during the mission. It has become necessary to turn to entirely new photovoltaic materials and device designs to meet the requirements of future missions, both in the near and far term. This paper will outline some of the mission drivers and resulting performance requirements that must be met by advanced solar cells, and provide an overview of some of the advanced cell technologies under development to meet them. The discussion will include high efficiency, radiation hard single junction cells; monolithic and mechanically stacked multiple bandgap cells; and thin film cells.

Flood, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Proceedings of the 13th Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology Conference (SPRAT 13)

The Thirteenth Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology (SPRAT) Conference included 38 technical papers, 6 program reviews and 5 workshop discussions. The effects of shrinking research and development budgets were evident in the focus and tone of this SPRAT. Most attendees appeared to be oriented toward near term, system oriented projects and fewer were involved in long term, high risk research. It was generally agreed that space power requirements would continue to move toward smaller (less than 2kW) power levels. Most future applications are believed to be in traditional orbits (LEO, GEO) although interesting opportunities may be found in high radiation, mid-altitude orbits useful for global communication networks. New solar cell devices and materials will be difficult to introduce unless they are mission enabling, or offer significant cost and/or performance benefits. Many factors influence the selection of type of array.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1994

Clover development during spaceflight: A model system

The development of legume root nodules was studied as a model system for the examination of gravitational effects on plant root development. In order to examine whether rhizobial association with clover roots can be achieved in microgravity, experiments were performed aboard the KC-135 parabolic aircraft and aboard the sounding rocket mission Consort 3. Binding of rhizobia to roots and the initial stages of root nodule development successfully occurred in microgravity. Seedling germination experiments were performed in the sliding block device, the Materials Dispersion Apparatus, aboard STS-37. When significant hydration of the seeds was achieved, normal rates of germination and seedling development were observed.

Guikema, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Surface Morphology of Undoped and Doped ZnSe Films

Rare-earth doped ions in polar II-VI semiconductors have recently played an important role in the optical properties of materials and devices. In this study, undoped ZnSe and erbium doped ZnSe films were grown by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used together with optical microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy to characterize the films. Doped samples were found to have higher surface roughness and quite different surface morphology compared to that of undoped samples. The grown films generally show a relatively smooth and uniform surface indicating that they are of overall good quality. The impact of plasma etching on ZnSe:Er film examined under AFM is also discussed.

George, T.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Development of Electronics for Low Temperature Space Missions

The operation of electronic systems at cryogenic temperatures is anticipated for many future NASA space missions such as deep space probes and planetary surface exploration. For example, an unheated interplanetary probe launched to explore the rings of Saturn would reach an average temperature near Saturn of about -183 C. In addition to surviving the deep space harsh environment, electronics capable of low temperature operation would contribute to improving circuit performance, increasing system efficiency, and reducing payload development and launch costs. Terrestrial applications where components and systems must operate in low temperature environments include cryogenic instrumentation, superconducting magnetic energy storage, magnetic levitation transportation system, and arctic exploration. An on-going research and development program on low temperature electronics at the NASA Glenn Research Center focuses on the development of efficient power systems capable of surviving and exploiting the advantages of low temperature environments. Inhouse efforts include the design, fabrication, and characterization of low temperature power systems and the development of supporting technologies for low temperature operations, such as dielectric and insulating materials, semiconductor devices, passive power components, opto-electronic devices, as well as packaging and integration of the developed components into prototype flight hardware.

Patterson, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Development of Electronics for Low-Temperature Space Missions

Electronic systems that are capable of operating at cryogenic temperatures will be needed for many future NASA space missions, including deep space probes and spacecraft for planetary surface exploration. In addition to being able to survive the harsh deep space environment, low-temperature electronics would help improve circuit performance, increase system efficiency, and reduce payload development and launch costs. Terrestrial applications where components and systems must operate in low-temperature environments include cryogenic instrumentation, superconducting magnetic energy storage, magnetic levitation transportation systems, and arctic exploration. An ongoing research and development project for the design, fabrication, and characterization of low-temperature electronics and supporting technologies at NASA Glenn Research Center focuses on efficient power systems capable of surviving in and exploiting the advantages of low-temperature environments. Supporting technologies include dielectric and insulating materials, semiconductor devices, passive power components, optoelectronic devices, and packaging and integration of the developed components into prototype flight hardware. An overview of the project is presented, including a description of the test facilities, a discussion of selected data from component testing, and a presentation of ongoing research activities being performed in collaboration with various organizations.

Patterson, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Automatic Molecular Design using Evolutionary Techniques

Molecular nanotechnology is the precise, three-dimensional control of materials and devices at the atomic scale. An important part of nanotechnology is the design of molecules for specific purposes. This paper describes early results using genetic software techniques to automatically design molecules under the control of a fitness function. The fitness function must be capable of determining which of two arbitrary molecules is better for a specific task. The software begins by generating a population of random molecules. The population is then evolved towards greater fitness by randomly combining parts of the better individuals to create new molecules. These new molecules then replace some of the worst molecules in the population. The unique aspect of our approach is that we apply genetic crossover to molecules represented by graphs, i.e., sets of atoms and the bonds that connect them. We present evidence suggesting that crossover alone, operating on graphs, can evolve any possible molecule given an appropriate fitness function and a population containing both rings and chains. Prior work evolved strings or trees that were subsequently processed to generate molecular graphs. In principle, genetic graph software should be able to evolve other graph representable systems such as circuits, transportation networks, metabolic pathways, computer networks, etc.

Globus, Al↗
NASA NTRS2005

Strategies for Radiation Hardness Testing of Power Semiconductor Devices

Plans on the drawing board for future space missions call for much larger power systems than have been flown in the past. These systems would employ much higher voltages and currents to enable more powerful electric propulsion engines and other improvements on what will also be much larger spacecraft. Long term human outposts on the moon and planets would also require high voltage, high current and long life power sources. Only hundreds of watts are produced and controlled on a typical robotic exploration spacecraft today. Megawatt systems are required for tomorrow. Semiconductor devices used to control and convert electrical energy in large space power systems will be exposed to electromagnetic and particle radiation of many types, depending on the trajectory and duration of the mission and on the power source. It is necessary to understand the often very different effects of the radiations on the control and conversion systems. Power semiconductor test strategies that we have developed and employed will be presented, along with selected results. The early results that we have obtained in testing large power semiconductor devices give a good indication of the degradation in electrical performance that can be expected in response to a given dose. We are also able to highlight differences in radiation hardness that may be device or material specific.

Soltis, James V.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Design Optimization Tool for Synthetic Jet Actuators Using Lumped Element Modeling

The performance specifications of any actuator are quantified in terms of an exhaustive list of parameters such as bandwidth, output control authority, etc. Flow-control applications benefit from a known actuator frequency response function that relates the input voltage to the output property of interest (e.g., maximum velocity, volumetric flow rate, momentum flux, etc.). Clearly, the required performance metrics are application specific, and methods are needed to achieve the optimal design of these devices. Design and optimization studies have been conducted for piezoelectric cantilever-type flow control actuators, but the modeling issues are simpler compared to synthetic jets. Here, lumped element modeling (LEM) is combined with equivalent circuit representations to estimate the nonlinear dynamic response of a synthetic jet as a function of device dimensions, material properties, and external flow conditions. These models provide reasonable agreement between predicted and measured frequency response functions and thus are suitable for use as design tools. In this work, we have developed a Matlab-based design optimization tool for piezoelectric synthetic jet actuators based on the lumped element models mentioned above. Significant improvements were achieved by optimizing the piezoceramic diaphragm dimensions. Synthetic-jet actuators were fabricated and benchtop tested to fully document their behavior and validate a companion optimization effort. It is hoped that the tool developed from this investigation will assist in the design and deployment of these actuators.

Gallas, Quentin↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Survey of the Rapidly Emerging Field of Nanotechnology: Potential Applications for Scientific Instruments and Technologies for Atmospheric Entry Probes

The field of Nanotechnology is well funded worldwide and innovations applicable to Solar System Exploration are emerging much more rapidly than thought possible just a few years ago. This presentation will survey recent innovations from nanotechnololgy with a focus on novel applications to atmospheric entry science and probe technology, in a fashion similar to that presented by Arnold and Venkatapathy at the previous workshop forum at Lisbon Portugal, October 6-9, 2003. Nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging field that builds systems, devices and materials from the bottom up, atom by atom, and in so doing provides them with novel and remarkable macro-scale performance. This technology has the potential to revolutionize space exploration by reducing mass and simultaneously increasing capability. Thermal, Radiation, Impact Protective Shields: Atmospheric probes and humans on long duration deep space missions involved in Solar System Exploration must safely endure 3 significant hazards: (i) atmospheric entry; (ii) radiation; and (iii) micrometeorite or debris impact. Nanostructured materials could be developed to address all three hazards with a single protective shield, which would involve much less mass than a traditional approach. The concept can be ready in time for incorporation into NASA s Crew Exploration Vehicle, and possible entry probes to fly on the Jupiter Icy Moons

Meyyappan, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Method and apparatus for instantaneous band ratioing in a reflectance radiometer

A hand-held instrument is provided to compare information from selected infrared and visible bands in the 0.4 to 2.5 micrometer range, to perform ratioing via a dividing circuit (17) and to directly read out, via a display system (18), ratio values in a continuous digital display. The dual-beam, ratioing radiometer contains two optical trains (10, 12), each having two repeater lenses (L1a, L1b and L2a, L2b) and a cooled lead sulfide detector (D1, D2). One of the trains (10) is pivotal to facilitate measurements at distances ranging from about 1 meter to infinity. The optical trains are intersected by a set of two coaxially-mounted filter wheels (F1, F2), each containing up to five interference filters and slits to pass radiation filtered by the other. Filters with band passes as narrow as 0.01 micrometer are used in the region 0.4 to 2.5 micrometers. The total time for a calibration and measurement is only a few seconds. It is known from previous field studies using prior art devices, that materials, e.g., clay minerals, and carbonate minerals such as limestone, have unique spectral properties in the 2.0 to 2.5 micrometer region. Using properly chosen spectral filters, and ratioing the signals to remove the effect of topography on the brightness measured, the instrument can be used for real-time analysis of reflecting materials in the field. Other materials in the broader range of 0.4 to 2.5 micrometers (and even beyond) could be similarly identified once the reflectance spectrum of the material is established by any means.

Goetz, Alexander F. H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Modular Architecture for the Measurement of Space Radiation

A modular architecture has been conceived for the design of radiation-monitoring instruments used aboard spacecraft and in planetary-exploration settings. This architecture reflects lessons learned from experience with prior radiation-monitoring instruments. A prototype instrument that embodies the architecture has been developed as part of the Mars Advanced Radiation Acquisition (MARA) project. The architecture is also applicable on Earth for radiation-monitoring instruments in research of energetic electrically charged particles and instruments monitoring radiation for purposes of safety, military defense, and detection of hidden nuclear devices and materials.

Delaune, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2007

Cathodoluminescent Source of Intense White Light

The device described exploits cathodoluminescence to generate intense light in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. In this device, the material to be excited to luminescence is a layer of quartz or alumina powder on an electrically conductive plate exposed to a low-pressure plasma discharge. The plate is electrically biased positively to collect electron current.

Foster, John E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

MISSE-X: An ISS External Platform for Space Environmental Studies in the Post-Shuttle Era

Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X) is a proposed International Space Station (ISS) external platform for space environmental studies designed to advance the technology readiness of materials and devices critical for future space exploration. The MISSE-X platform will expand ISS utilization by providing experimenters with unprecedented low-cost space access and return on investment (ROI). As a follow-on to the highly successful MISSE series of ISS experiments, MISSE-X will provide advances over the original MISSE configurations including incorporation of plug-and-play experiments that will minimize return mass requirements in the post-Shuttle era, improved active sensing and monitoring of the ISS external environment for better characterization of environmental effects, and expansion of the MISSE-X user community through incorporation of new, customer-desired capabilities. MISSE-X will also foster interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in primary and secondary schools through student collaboration and participation.1,2

Thibeault, Sheila A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Scanning Tunneling Optical Resonance Microscopy

Scanning tunneling optical resonance microscopy (STORM) is a method, now undergoing development, for measuring optoelectronic properties of materials and devices on the nanoscale by means of a combination of (1) traditional scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) with (2) tunable laser spectroscopy. In STORM, an STM tip probing a semiconductor is illuminated with modulated light at a wavelength in the visible-to-near-infrared range and the resulting photoenhancement of the tunneling current is measured as a function of the illuminating wavelength. The photoenhancement of tunneling current occurs when the laser photon energy is sufficient to excite charge carriers into the conduction band of the semiconductor. Figure 1 schematically depicts a proposed STORM apparatus. The light for illuminating the semiconductor specimen at the STM would be generated by a ring laser that would be tunable across the wavelength range of interest. The laser beam would be chopped by an achromatic liquid-crystal modulator. A polarization-maintaining optical fiber would couple the light to the tip/sample junction of a commercial STM. An STM can be operated in one of two modes: constant height or constant current. A STORM apparatus would be operated in the constant-current mode, in which the height of the tip relative to the specimen would be varied in order to keep the tunneling current constant. In this mode, a feedback control circuit adjusts the voltage applied to a piezoelectric actuator in the STM that adjusts the height of the STM tip to keep the tunneling current constant. The exponential relationship between the tunneling current and tip-to-sample distance makes it relatively easy to implement this mode of operation. The choice of method by which the photoenhanced portion of the tunneling current would be measured depends on choice of the frequency at which the input illumination would be modulated (chopped). If the frequency of modulation were low enough (typically < 10 Hz) that the feedback circuit could respond, then the voltage applied to the piezoelectric tip-height actuator could be measured by use of a lock-in amplifier locked to the modulation (chopping) signal. However, at a high modulation frequency (typically in the kilohertz range or higher), the feedback circuit would be unable to respond. In this case, the photoenhanced portion of the tunneling current could be measured directly. For this purpose, the tunneling current would be passed through a precise resistor and the voltage drop would be measured by use of the lock-in amplifier.

Bailey, Sheila↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Design of Large-Scale Complex Engineered Systems: Present Challenges and Future Promise

Model-Based Systems Engineering techniques are used in the SE community to address the need for managing the development of complex systems. A key feature of the MBSE approach is the use of a model to capture the requirements, architecture, behavior, operating environment and other key aspects of the system. The focus on the model differentiates MBSE from traditional SE techniques that may have a document centric approach. In an effort to assess the benefit of utilizing MBSE on its flight projects, NASA Langley has implemented a pilot program to apply MBSE techniques during the early phase of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X). MISSE-X is a Technology Demonstration Mission being developed by the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist i . Designed to be installed on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS), MISSE-X will host experiments that advance the technology readiness of materials and devices needed for future space exploration. As a follow-on to the highly successful series of previous MISSE experiments on ISS, MISSE-X benefits from a significant interest by the

Bloebaum, Christina L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Design and Testing of a Dynamically-Tuned Magnetostrictive Spring with Electrically-Controlled Stiffness

This paper details the development of an electrically-controlled, variable-stiffness spring based on magnetostrictive materials. The device, termed a magnetostrictive Varispring, can be applied as a semi-active vibration isolator or switched stiffness vibration controller for reducing transmitted vibrations. The Varispring is designed using 1D linear models that consider the coupled electrical response, mechanically-induced magnetic diffusion, and the effect of internal mass on dynamic stiffness. Modeling results illustrate that a Terfenol-D-based Varispring has a rise time almost an order of magnitude smaller and a magnetic diffusion cut-off frequency over two orders of magnitude greater than a Galfenol-based Varispring. The results motivate the use of laminated Terfenol-D rods for a greater stiffness tuning range and increased bandwidth. The behavior of a prototype Varispring is examined under vibratory excitation up to 6 MPa and 25 Hz using a dynamic load frame. For this prototype, stiffness is indirectly varied by controlling the excitation current. Preliminary measurements of continuous stiffness tuning via sinusoidal currents up to 1 kHz are presented. The measurements demonstrate that the Young's modulus of the Terfenol-D rod inside the Varispring can be continuously varied by up to 21.9 GPa. The observed stiffness tuning range is relatively constant up to 500 Hz, but significantly decreases thereafter. The stiffness tuning range can be greatly increased by improving the current and force control such that a more consistent current can be applied and the Varispring can be accurately tested at a more optimal bias stress.

Vibration control↗