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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Simulation Framework for Rapid Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Analysis: Appendices - Volume 2

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) was requested to establish the Simulation Framework for Rapid Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Analysis assessment, which involved development of an enhanced simulation architecture using the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2) simulation tool. The assessment was requested to enhance the capability of the Agency to provide rapid evaluation of EDL characteristics in systems analysis studies, preliminary design, mission development and execution, and time-critical assessments. Many of the new simulation framework capabilities were developed to support the Agency EDL Systems Analysis (EDL-SA) team, that is conducting studies of the technologies and architectures that are required to enable higher mass robotic and human mission to Mars. The appendices to the original report are contained in this document.

Murri, Daniel G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Control System Upgrade for Battery State-of-Charge Indications

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Complex at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) relies on Battery Backed Power (BBP) systems and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) to ensure continuous power supply to critical components. This project aims to enhance the reliability and functionality of the battery monitoring and control systems by updating the State-of-Charge (SOC) system, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for the nuclear safety-related battery banks. The current system, while functional, has areas for improvement, particularly in recharging calculations and alarm functions. The project objectives include developing flow charts, programming the new PLC and HMI, conducting bench tests, and updating design documentation. Additionally, the project ensures compliance with safety standards, develops training materials, creates comprehensive documentation, and integrates seamlessly with existing ATR infrastructure. The new SOC system is designed to be scalable for future upgrades, improve efficiency, enhance data accuracy, implement redundancy features, and achieve project goals within budget constraints while considering environmental impact. The methodology involved familiarizing with BBP and UPS systems, collecting current readings, rescaling signals, learning ladder logic, and updating the HMI. The transition from SLC 5/03 PLC using RS Logix 500 to CompactLogix 5380 using Studio 5000 was a key step. Despite challenges in transferring outdated PLC ladder logic and HMI code, starting from scratch led to a more accurate and efficient monitoring system, contributing to improved safety and operational efficiency. The project is currently awaiting approval of the Engineering Calculation and Analysis Report (ECAR) before implementation.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

MatLib-1.2.2: Nuclear Material Properties Library

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) uses the computer code Fuel Analysis under Steady-state and Transients (FAST) to model steady-state and transient fuel behavior to support regulatory decisions. FAST relies on a material properties library (MatLib) that contains the thermal and mechanical properties of the nuclear materials and coolants of interest to support the U.S. commercial nuclear industry. MatLib contains properties for a variety of nuclear fuels, cladding and other structural materials, gases, and coolants. In this document, material property correlations for the materials contained within MatLib are presented and discussed. When available, comparisons are made between the material property correlations and available data. Additionally, uncertainties are quantified on the material properties, which is then used by the NRC to support uncertainty quantification for best-estimate plus uncertainty safety evaluation reviews. This document describes MatLib-1.2.2, updated from MatLib-1.2.1 to include additional properties for metallic fuel. It is one of a series of documents on FAST; the other documents detail the models used by FAST as well as its integral assessment to experiments and commercial data.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1989

RSRM nozzle fixed housing cooldown test

Flight 5 aft segments with nozzles were exposed to -17 F temperatures while awaiting shipment to KSC in February, 1989. No records were found which show that any previous nozzles were exposed to air temperatures as low as those seen by the Flight 5 nozzles. Thermal analysis shows that the temperature of the fixed housing, and forward and aft exit cone components dropped as low as -10 F. Structural analysis of the nozzles at these low temperatures show the forward and aft exit cone adhesive bonds to have a positive margin of safety, based on a 2.0 safety factor. These analyses show the normal and shear stresses in the fixed housing bond as low values. However, the hoop and meridinal stresses were predicted to be in the 4000 psi range; the failure stress allowable of EA913NA adhesive at -7 F. If the bonds did break in directions perpendicular to the surfaces, called bond crazing, no normal bond strength would be lost. Testing was conducted in two phases, showing that no degradation to the adhesive bonds occurred while the Flight 5 nozzles were subjected to subzero temperatures. The results of these tests are documented. Phase 1 testing cooled a full-scale RSRM insulated fixed housing to -13 F, with extensive bondline inspections. Phase 2 testing cooled the witness panel adhesive tensile buttions to -13 F, with failure strengths recorded before, during, and after the cooldown.

Bolieau, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Recommended Screening Practices for Launch Collision Aviodance

The objective of this document is to assess the value of launch collision avoidance (COLA) practices and provide recommendations regarding its implementation for NASA robotic missions. The scope of this effort is limited to launch COLA screens against catalog objects that are either spacecraft or debris. No modifications to manned safety COLA practices are considered in this effort. An assessment of the value of launch COLA can be broken down into two fundamental questions: 1) Does collision during launch represent a significant risk to either the payload being launched or the space environment? 2) Can launch collision mitigation be performed in a manner that provides meaningful risk reduction at an acceptable level of operational impact? While it has been possible to piece together partial answers to these questions for some time, the first attempt to comprehensively address them is documented in reference (a), Launch COLA Operations: an Examination of Data Products, Procedures, and Thresholds, Revision A. This report is the product of an extensive study that addressed fundamental technical questions surrounding launch collision avoidance analysis and practice. The results provided in reference (a) will be cited throughout this document as these two questions are addressed. The premise of this assessment is that in order to conclude that launch COLA is a value-added activity, the answer to both of these questions must be affirmative. A "no" answer to either of these questions points toward the conclusion that launch COLA provides little or no risk mitigation benefit. The remainder of this assessment will focus on addressing these two questions.

recommended screening practicies luanch collision ↗
NASA NTRS2016

Elaborated Odor Test for Extended Exposure

Concerns were raised when incidental exposure to a proprietary bonding material revealed the material had an irritating odor. The NASA-STD-6001B document describes a supplemental test method option for programs to evaluate materials with odor concerns (Test 6, Odor Assessment). In addition to the supplemental standard odor assessment with less than 10 seconds of exposure, the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) Materials Flight Acceptance Testing section was requested to perform an odor test with an extended duration to evaluate effects of an extended exposure and to more closely simulate realistic exposure scenarios. With approval from the NASA Johnson Space Center Industrial Hygienist, WSTF developed a 15-minute odor test method. WSTF performed this extended-duration odor test to evaluate the odor and physical effects of the bonding material configured between two aluminum plates, after the safety of the gas was verified via toxicity analysis per NASA-STD-6001B Test 7, Determination of Offgassed Products. During extended-duration testing, odor panel members were arranged near the test material in a small room with the air handlers and doors closed to minimize dilution. The odor panel members wafted gas toward themselves and recorded their individual assessments of odor and physical effects at various intervals during the 15-minute exposure and posttest. A posttest interview was conducted to obtain further information. Testing was effective in providing data for comparison and selection of an optimal offgassing and odor containment configuration. The developed test method for extended exposure is proposed as a useful tool for further evaluating materials with identified odors of concern if continued use of the material is anticipated.

Buchanan, Vanessa D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Parametric Analysis of Holdup in HEPA Filters

This technical document (TECH) contains an analysis of several conditions deemed credible for plutonium oxide buildup in high-efficiency air particulate (HEPA) filters to determine the effect of holdup inside the filter on reactivity. This document is performed in accordance with NCS-AP-005, R3 [Ref. (1)].

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Risk Management Handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance for implementing the Risk Management (RM) requirements of NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) document NPR 8000.4A, Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements [1], with a specific focus on programs and projects, and applying to each level of the NASA organizational hierarchy as requirements flow down. This handbook supports RM application within the NASA systems engineering process, and is a complement to the guidance contained in NASA/SP-2007-6105, NASA Systems Engineering Handbook [2]. Specifically, this handbook provides guidance that is applicable to the common technical processes of Technical Risk Management and Decision Analysis established by NPR 7123.1A, NASA Systems Engineering Process and Requirements [3]. These processes are part of the \Systems Engineering Engine. (Figure 1) that is used to drive the development of the system and associated work products to satisfy stakeholder expectations in all mission execution domains, including safety, technical, cost, and schedule. Like NPR 7123.1A, NPR 8000.4A is a discipline-oriented NPR that intersects with product-oriented NPRs such as NPR 7120.5D, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements [4]; NPR 7120.7, NASA Information Technology and Institutional Infrastructure Program and Project Management Requirements [5]; and NPR 7120.8, NASA Research and Technology Program and Project Management Requirements [6]. In much the same way that the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook is intended to provide guidance on the implementation of NPR 7123.1A, this handbook is intended to provide guidance on the implementation of NPR 8000.4A. 1.2 Scope and Depth This handbook provides guidance for conducting RM in the context of NASA program and project life cycles, which produce derived requirements in accordance with existing systems engineering practices that flow down through the NASA organizational hierarchy. The guidance in this handbook is not meant to be prescriptive. Instead, it is meant to be general enough, and contain a sufficient diversity of examples, to enable the reader to adapt the methods as needed to the particular risk management issues that he or she faces. The handbook highlights major issues to consider when managing programs and projects in the presence of potentially significant uncertainty, so that the user is better able to recognize and avoid pitfalls that might otherwise be experienced.

Dezfuli, Homayoon↗
NASA NTRS2023

Technical Basis Related to the Posture of NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance for the Launch of Radioactive Material Other than Space Nuclear Systems: Volume 1–Overview of Analysis and Results

NASA has launched and reentered payloads containing radioactive material for over 50 years. The isotopes, their quantity, and their form have varied significantly. The handling of this material prior to its integration into the spacecraft at the launch Center (and after its return to Earth after flight, if applicable) falls under the purview of the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer, while after the radioactive material is integrated into the spacecraft at the launch Center, it falls under the purview of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance’s (OSMA) Nuclear Flight Safety Program. Historically, OSMA concurrence was required for any launch or reentry involving radioactive material. However, OSMA recently revisited this posture due to changes in the Federal policy in this area, and the significant accrued experience. The current report represents the more quantitative study envisioned in the recent change in posture. More specifically, this document addresses the potential risks and other considerations associated with launching small quantities of radioactive material (below the level requiring the Federally-mandated process in National Security Presidential Memorandum- (NSPM-) 20, “Presidential Memorandum on Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems” (USG, 2019) to provide the technical basis for when such activities require OSMA concurrence versus notification, as it relates to nuclear flight safety.

Don Helton↗
NASA NTRS1993

Development of a software safety process and a case study of its use

The goal of this research is to continue the development of a comprehensive approach to software safety and to evaluate the approach with a case study. The case study is a major part of the project, and it involves the analysis of a specific safety-critical system from the medical equipment domain. The particular application being used was selected because of the availability of a suitable candidate system. We consider the results to be generally applicable and in no way particularly limited by the domain. The research is concentrating on issues raised by the specification and verification phases of the software lifecycle since they are central to our previously-developed rigorous definitions of software safety. The theoretical research is based on our framework of definitions for software safety. In the area of specification, the main topics being investigated are the development of techniques for building system fault trees that correctly incorporate software issues and the development of rigorous techniques for the preparation of software safety specifications. The research results are documented. Another area of theoretical investigation is the development of verification methods tailored to the characteristics of safety requirements. Verification of the correct implementation of the safety specification is central to the goal of establishing safe software. The empirical component of this research is focusing on a case study in order to provide detailed characterizations of the issues as they appear in practice, and to provide a testbed for the evaluation of various existing and new theoretical results, tools, and techniques. The Magnetic Stereotaxis System is summarized.

Knight, John C.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Airborne Weather Radar Observations & Analysis Results from the 2014/2015 HAIC Flight Campaigns

This document presents a summary of the airborne weather radar observations made during joint EU/US flight campaigns to study High Altitude Ice Crystal (HAIC) atmospheric conditions. These flight campaigns were conducted near Darwin, Australia and Cayenne, French Guiana in 2014 and 2015, respectively. A variety of analyses were conducted resulting in statistical descriptions of the radar reflectivities of HAIC encountered during storm penetrations. These results are presented along with a set of visualization tools that aided flight operations and post-flight assessments. A summary of HAIC radar reflectivities observed during these flight campaigns corroborates reports by commercial pilots during HAIC encounters.

Radar↗
DOE OSTI2025

Demonstration of Optimal Benchmark Selection Website and Validation of the q c Coverage Metric Using HEU-SOL-THERM-013-003 Experiment

In the work documented in this interim report, the experiment selection toolkit web site was demonstrated and q C coverage metric methodology was validated for IEU-MET-FAST-002-001, MIX-COMP-THERM 004-004, and HEU-SOL-THERM-013-003 experiments. 𝑞 𝐶 is an information-theoretic measure based on mutual information that quantifies the ability of candidate benchmark experiments to reduce the bias and uncertainty of a target criticality safety application. The metric and an accompanying open-source Python toolkit with a web-based interface were tested against a benchmark set of 425 experiments drawn from the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project Handbook. The interface is hosted at https://edim.covdef.com. It accepts sensitivity data files produced by the TSUNAMI-IP module of the SCALE code system and supports both (i) deterministic analysis using the ENDF/B-VII.0 covariance library and (ii) stochastic analysis based on user-supplied keff samples. Demonstrations on representative applications across a range of material composition, spectrum, and form show that q C -guided benchmark selection achieves greater uncertainty reduction with fewer experiments and yields more stable posterior bias and uncertainty estimates than traditional similarity coefficient ( c k )–based selection, while also capturing valuable low-ck experiments that one-to-one metrics overlook.

Abdel-khalik, Hany S. [Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR) Mission

The Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR) mission will acquire and return to Earth for laboratory analysis a minimum of 80 grams of surface material from the nucleus of comet 67P/Chur-yumov-Gerasimenko (67P). CAESAR will characterize the surface region sampled, preserve the collected sample in a pristine state, and return evolved volatiles by capturing them in a separate gas reservoir. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides project management, systems engineering, safety and mission assurance, contamination control, mission operations, and many other important functions. Northrop Grumman Space Systems will build the spacecraft, based on Dawn mission heritage, which like CAESAR, uses solar electric propulsion. CAESAR was selected by for Phase A study in the New Frontiers 4 Competition and will be proposed to New Frontiers 5.Collection of a sample from the surface of comet 67P is facilitated by a set of cameras that together provide images to support sample site selection, perform optical navigation, and document the sample before, during, and after col-lection. The sample is collected at the end of an arm during a 5-second touch-and-go (TAG) maneuver with the Sample Acquisition System (SAS)designed by Honeybee Robotics for the surface properties of comet 67P observed by the Rosetta mission. After sample collection, and while the sample is still cold (< -80°C), the TAG Arm inserts the sample container into the Sample Containment System (SCS) mounted inside the Sample Return Capsule (SRC). The SCS is sealed, preventing the sample from escaping into space. The sample is slowly warmed inside the SCS to enable sublimation of volatiles, which are collected in the Gas Containment System (GCS), a passively cooled gas reservoir. Separating the volatiles from the solid sample protects the solid sample from alteration. Once all sublimated H2O is transferred to the GCS, the GCS is sealed to capture the volatile sit contains, and the SCS is vented to space to maintain the solid sample under vacuum. The SCS vent is closed before Earth entry to prevent atmospheric contamination. Detailed laboratory analyses of the sample from 67P will trace the history of volatile reservoirs, delineate the chemical pathways that led from simple interstellar species to complex molecules, constrain the evolution of the comet, and evaluate the role of comets in delivering water and prebiotic organics to the early Earth. CAESAR will achieve these goals by carrying out coordinated sample analyses that will link macroscopic properties of the comet with microscale mineralogy, chemistry, and isotopic studies of volatiles and solids. Most of the sample (≥75%) will be set aside for analyses by generations of scientists using continually advancing tools and methods, yielding an enduring scientific treasure that only sample return can provide. This presentation will review development conducted during NF4 Phase A and discuss the NF5 mission concept.

A G Hayes↗
NASA NTRS2002

Best Practices for Crash Modeling and Simulation

Aviation safety can be greatly enhanced by the expeditious use of computer simulations of crash impact. Unlike automotive impact testing, which is now routine, experimental crash tests of even small aircraft are expensive and complex due to the high cost of the aircraft and the myriad of crash impact conditions that must be considered. Ultimately, the goal is to utilize full-scale crash simulations of aircraft for design evaluation and certification. The objective of this publication is to describe "best practices" for modeling aircraft impact using explicit nonlinear dynamic finite element codes such as LS-DYNA, DYNA3D, and MSC.Dytran. Although "best practices" is somewhat relative, it is hoped that the authors' experience will help others to avoid some of the common pitfalls in modeling that are not documented in one single publication. In addition, a discussion of experimental data analysis, digital filtering, and test-analysis correlation is provided. Finally, some examples of aircraft crash simulations are described in several appendices following the main report.

Fasanella, Edwin L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Analysis and Testing of a Composite Fuselage Shield for Open Rotor Engine Blade-Out Protection

The Federal Aviation Administration is working with the European Aviation Safety Agency to determine the certification base for proposed new engines that would not have a containment structure on large commercial aircraft. Equivalent safety to the current fleet is desired by the regulators, which means that loss of a single fan blade will not cause hazard to the Aircraft. The NASA Glenn Research Center and The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), China Lake, collaborated with the FAA Aircraft Catastrophic Failure Prevention Program to design and test lightweight composite shields for protection of the aircraft passengers and critical systems from a released blade that could impact the fuselage. In the test, two composite blades were pyrotechnically released from a running engine, each impacting a composite shield with a different thickness. The thinner shield was penetrated by the blade and the thicker shield prevented penetration. This was consistent with pre-test predictions. This paper documents the live fire test from the full scale rig at NAWC China Lake and describes the damage to the shields as well as instrumentation results.

safety↗
NASA NTRS2000

Hypergolic Propellant Safety Course

Under the sponsorship of the NASA Safety Training Center at the Johnson Space Center, a hypergolic propellant safety course has been developed. This is a 2-day course on guidelines for hypergolic propellant system design, materials selection, operations, storage, and transportation. Recognizing that numerous fuels and oxidizers can be hypergolic, this course is specific to the hydrazine family of fuels and nitrogen tetroxide and its variants. The objectives of the course are to enable the student to identify and evaluate the hazards of hypergolic propellants, and to understand the methods for controlling those hazards and responding to emergencies. The course covers properties and hazards of the hydrazines and oxidizers; design and operations in hypergolic facilities; materials selection for use in hypergol systems; storage vessels, piping, and component considerations; hypergol detection; fire fighting practices; operating and transportation principles and procedures; and emergency practices and considerations. A hazards analysis methodology is presented. Numerous references are provided and the applicability of certain regulatory documents is discussed. A brief overview of other propellants, including hydrogen peroxide, is given at the end of the course.

Rathgeber, Kurt A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Development of a Bayesian Belief Network Runway Incursion Model

In a previous paper, a statistical analysis of runway incursion (RI) events was conducted to ascertain their relevance to the top ten Technical Challenges (TC) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aviation Safety Program (AvSP). The study revealed connections to perhaps several of the AvSP top ten TC. That data also identified several primary causes and contributing factors for RI events that served as the basis for developing a system-level Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model for RI events. The system-level BBN model will allow NASA to generically model the causes of RI events and to assess the effectiveness of technology products being developed under NASA funding. These products are intended to reduce the frequency of RI events in particular, and to improve runway safety in general. The development, structure and assessment of that BBN for RI events by a Subject Matter Expert panel are documented in this paper.

Green, Lawrence L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Gandalf Staff: A Mobile Tool for Lunar Exploration (2nd year of development)

The Gandalf Staff is a mobile tool designed to be a flexible device supporting crewed and uncrewed operations on the lunar surface. The core of the device is a 24v battery with communications and data storage systems. Initial optional components supporting crewed Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) include a LiDAR and 360˚ camera. These provide 3D mapping of the traverse for documentation, and to aid future planning. The mapping also creates outreach opportunities for the public to “stand beside” the astronaut in Virtual Reality (VR). The staff provides external lighting for field site illumination in the south polar region low sun angle environment. Navigation instruments for crew position determination with Lunar Search and Rescue (LunaSAR) are also included. The staff itself can be used as a walking aid or as a splint for Incapacitated Crew Rescue (ICR). As a stand-alone device, the staff operates as a long duration untended science platform collecting environmental data and sending it to a lunar base station. The stand-alone mode requires connection to an auxiliary power source (e.g. solar array) and energy storage system (e.g. battery), so it could become an electrical recharging station. To make rapid progress in the 1st year, and also to demonstrate innovative project management techniques, NASA guided a private industry partner, T STAR, in leading Capstone Engineering student teams at Texas A&M University (TAMU) for proof-of-concept development and testing. These teams developed the power system and demonstrated successful integration of LiDAR, WiFi communications, and external lighting subsystems. Another industry team at Jacobs Technology prototyped a tripod to hold the staff upright. For the 2nd year (FY’22), NASA will again collaborate with partners to prototype enhanced power and lighting concepts. Year 2 will also add new capability for LunaSAR and geophysical science instrumentation using a heat probe. The heat probe is based upon Apollo heritage but modified to measure subsurface volatile ice regimes at the Artemis landing site. Components of the Gandalf Staff can be developed, tested, and deployed independently, or on the integrated staff, rovers, or utility trailers. The project supports crew safety, lunar sample curation, mission science, and public outreach goals of NASA. PLAIN TEST SUMMARY: Gandalf Staff is a 24v battery powered mobile tool for the lunar surface supporting crewed geologic field site exploration, or as a stand-alone science platform. As a tool assisting astronauts conducting field geology, the Gandalf Staff provides external lighting to illuminate shadowed regions on the surface. It also documents the process of collecting rocks and dust samples using a LiDAR (laser range instrument) and cameras. The staff provides a beacon for emergency location of astronauts and augments communications when the astronauts are blocked by large boulders. As a standalone science platform, the Gandalf Staff provides a power system for instruments and sensors to measure the lunar environment over long periods of time. The staff gathers data and sends the results to a lunar base station for analysis.

External Lighting↗