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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Computer-aided analysis at NASA Langley Research Center - Looking toward the 1990's

Aerospace research is inextricably intertwined with the programmable digital computer. Engineers and scientists at NASA Langley Research Center are requiring ever-increasing computing resources to carry out basic and applied research on problems and complex systems that would have been unthinkable Just ten years ago. The rapid changes in computer technology make planning for the future especially difficult, even five years in advance. In this paper, the evolution of computer resources and usage in research at Langley are briefly considered over the past thirty years, followed by a snapshot of the present. Finally, an extrapolation to the 1990's computer environment is made, with some thoughts on the tasks that engineers might face, and the background they will probably need.

Petersen, Richard H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

PSC implementation and integration

Hardware and software design of the performance seeking control (PSC) for the NASA F-15 research aircraft are described. The hardware architecture, vehicle management system computer (VMSC), pilot interface, and PSC mode selection are discussed. The PSC software is distributed among the VMSC, central computer, digital electronic engine controls (DEEC's), and electronic air inlet controllers (EAIC's). The major PSC modules, VMSC logic, VMSC channel C memory requirements, VMSC channel C timing, and navigation control indicator (NCI) variables and where they are located are presented.

Nobbs, Steven↗
NASA NTRS2004

High-End Computing Challenges in Aerospace Design and Engineering

High-End Computing (HEC) has had significant impact on aerospace design and engineering and is poised to make even more in the future. In this paper we describe four aerospace design and engineering challenges: Digital Flight, Launch Simulation, Rocket Fuel System and Digital Astronaut. The paper discusses modeling capabilities needed for each challenge and presents projections of future near and far-term HEC computing requirements. NASA's HEC Project Columbia is described and programming strategies presented that are necessary to achieve high real performance.

Bailey, F. Ronald↗
NASA NTRS2022

NASA Enterprise Digital Transformation Initiative Strategic Framework & Implementation Approach

Since 1958, NASA has delivered its enduring bold purpose, characterized in the 2022 NASA Strategic Plan as a mission to discover, explore, innovate, and advance solutions to the problems of flight, within and outside the Earth’s atmosphere, for the benefit of humankind. The NASA Strategic Plan also recognizes that this mission will be delivered differently as it looks to a future marked by radical global change, which is in part being driven by digital advances. For this reason, in late 2020 NASA established an Enterprise Digital Transformation (DT) agency-level strategic initiative to accelerate and coordinate leveraging digital advances to transform the way the Agency works, the experience of its workforce and the agility of its workplace. This paper documents NASA’s DT strategic framework and associated implementation approach, with the DT strategic initiative serving to ignite, connect, integrate, and facilitate DT progress across a federated organizational operating model.

digital transformation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling Spacecraft Power Systems Using the SPACE Code

The NASA Glenn Research Center’s Power Architecture and Analysis Branch performs spacecraft electrical power system (EPS) performance analysis using the System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation (SPACE) model. Accurately predicting EPS performance requires a wide range of inputs, including the spacecraft’s position, attitude, solar array temperature, load demand, and data on the EPS itself. By operating as a combined analysis tool with integrated orbit mechanics, attitude, shadowing, thermal, solar array, battery, and electrical component models, SPACE provides flexibility for the analyst to examine various scenarios without a time-consuming iterative process involving separate analysis tools and groups. SPACE also achieves short run times by tailoring the complexity of the included models, providing enough fidelity to ensure accurate EPS performance predictions without being bogged down by unnecessary detail. These advantages that SPACE has over similar power system models has contributed to its successful use on a variety of human spaceflight programs for over three decades, and makes it applicable across the development cycle from early conceptual design up through on-orbit operations.

Electrical Power System↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Unreal Engine Testbed for Computer Vision of Tall Lunar Tower Assembly

The Tall Lunar Tower project at the NASA Langley Research Center is focused on the design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of a supervised autonomously assembly engineering development unit for tall lunar towers. The lunar south pole environment poses many challenges for robotic assembly of the tall tower, particularly to computer vision camera systems due to a high-contrast lighting environment. This paper will present an Unreal Engine 5 video game engine Lunar South Pole Lighting Testbed to simulate realistic lunar lighting conditions for synthetic image generation. The fidelity of the simulation environment is investigated by comparing the accuracy of computer vision models trained using synthetic image data and trained from real image data collected in a lunar analog environment.

Unreal Engine↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Unreal Engine Testbed for Computer Vision of Tall Lunar Tower Assembly

The Tall Lunar Tower project at the NASA Langley Research Center is focused on the design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of a supervised autonomously assembled engineering development unit for tall lunar towers. The lunar south pole environment poses many challenges for robotic assembly of the tall tower, particularly to computer vision camera systems due to a high-contrast lighting environment. This paper will present an Unreal Engine 5 video game engine Lunar South Pole Lighting Testbed to simulate realistic lunar lighting conditions for synthetic image generation. The fidelity of the simulation environment is investigated by comparing the accuracy of computer vision models trained using synthetic image data and trained from real image data collected in a lunar analog environment.

Unreal Engine↗
NASA NTRS2023

Unreal Engine Testbed for Computer Vision of Tall Lunar Tower Assembly

The Tall Lunar Tower project at the NASA Langley Research Center is focused on the design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of a supervised autonomously assembly engineering development unit for tall lunar towers. The lunar south pole environment poses many challenges for robotic assembly of the tall tower, particularly to computer vision camera systems due to a high-contrast lighting environment. This paper will present an Unreal Engine 5 video game engine Lunar South Pole Lighting Testbed to simulate realistic lunar lighting conditions for synthetic image generation. The fidelity of the simulation environment is investigated by comparing the accuracy of computer vision models trained using synthetic image data and trained from real image data collected in a lunar analog environment.

Unreal Engine↗
DOE OSTI2026

WM26 Paper Multi-Robot Collaboration for Hazardous Environments

Hazardous nuclear and industrial facilities are rarely designed for robots. Work in these domains demand precise manipulation and robust mobility in cluttered, constrained spaces where off-the-shelf platforms struggle and “one-size-fits-all” machines become costly and complex. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing an autonomous, multi-robot inspection system that coordinates task-specific platforms rather than relying on a single omni-tool robot. An electric truck serves as a power and compute hub for a custom manipulator co-developed with Florida International University (FIU), a commercial mini crawler, a pan–tilt–zoom camera, and a Nexxis Argus LiDAR mapping system. Working in concert, these robots generate spatial, radiation, and temperature maps of the pit environments at the Hanford Waste Tank Farms. These systems will capture visual records and environmental telemetry to allow for analysis post inspection. The system architecture uses Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) for publish/subscribe integration, NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Unity for simulation and visualization, and algorithms such as NVBlox to fuse data into unified 3D overlays. This robot-agnostic approach reduces operator burden by enabling autonomy across heterogeneous platforms and lets each robot be used where it is strongest. Having autonomous functions means operators don’t have to fully control multiple different components. The ease of use could allow for more widespread adoption of advanced robotics at waste management sites that see continued use. By coordinating simpler, purpose-built mechanisms, the approach lowers design and manufacturing complexity, reduces capital risk in contaminated settings, and improves controllability for complex inspection and manipulation tasks. We present the architecture, early results, and lessons learned from building and deploying this coordinated multi-robot system, with the goal of accelerating safe, cost-effective adoption of advanced robotics at waste-management sites.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2014

Recipe for Success: Digital Viewables

The Engineering Services Contract (ESC) and Information Management Communication Support contract (IMCS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) provide services to NASA in respect to flight and ground systems design and development. These groups provides the necessary tools, aid, and best practice methodologies required for efficient, optimized design and process development. The team is responsible for configuring and implementing systems, software, along with training, documentation, and administering standards. The team supports over 200 engineers and design specialists with the use of Windchill, Creo Parametric, NX, AutoCAD, and a variety of other design and analysis tools.

design and process development↗
NASA NTRS1975

Digital implementation of the TF30-P-3 turbofan engine control

The standard hydromechanical control modes for TF30-P-3 engine were implemented on a digital process control computer. Programming methods are described, and a method is presented to solve stability problems associated with fast response dynamic loops contained within the exhaust nozzle control. A modification of the exhaust nozzle control to provide for either velocity or position servoactuation systems is discussed. Transient response of the digital control was evaluated by tests on a real time hybrid simulation of the TF30-P-3 engine. It is shown that the deadtime produced by the calculation time delay between sampling and final output is more significant to transient response than the effects associated with sampling rate alone. For the main fuel control, extended update and calculation times resulted in a lengthened transient response to throttle bursts from idle to intermediate with an increase in high pressure compressor stall margin. Extremely long update intervals of 250 msec could be achieved without instability. Update extension for the exhaust nozzle control resulted in a delayed response of the afterburner light-off detector and exhaust nozzle overshoot with resulting fan oversuppression. Long update times of 150 msec caused failure of the control due to a false indication by the blowout detector.

Cwynar, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The value of early flight evaluation of propulsion concepts using the NASA F-15 research airplane

The value of early flight evaluation of propulsion and propulsion control concepts was demonstrated on the NASA F-15 airplane in programs such as highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC), the F100 engine model derivative (EMD), and digital electronic engine control (DEEC). (In each case, the value of flight demonstration was conclusively demonstrated). This paper described these programs, and discusses the results that were not expected, based on ground test or analytical prediction. The role of flight demonstration in facilitating transfer of technology from the laboratory to operational airplanes is discussed.

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The value of early flight evaluation of propulsion concepts using the NASA F-15 research airplane

The value of early flight evaluation of propulsion and propulsion control concepts was demonstrated on the NASA F-15 airplane in programs such as highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC), the F100 engine model derivative (EMD), and digital electronic engine control (DEEC). (In each case, the value of flight demonstration was conclusively demonstrated.) This paper describes these programs, and discusses the results that were not expected, based on ground test or analytical prediction. The role of flight demonstration in facilitating transfer of technology from the laboratory to operational airplanes is discussed.

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integration of Decentralized Graph-Based Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Digital Twin for Traffic Signal Optimization

Machine learning (ML) methods, particularly Reinforcement Learning (RL), have gained widespread attention for optimizing traffic signal control in intelligent transportation systems. However, existing ML approaches often exhibit limitations in scalability and adaptability, particularly within large traffic networks. This paper introduces an innovative solution by integrating decentralized graph-based multi-agent reinforcement learning (DGMARL) with a Digital Twin to enhance traffic signal optimization, targeting the reduction of traffic congestion and network-wide fuel consumption associated with vehicle stops and stop delays. In this approach, DGMARL agents are employed to learn traffic state patterns and make informed decisions regarding traffic signal control. The integration with a Digital Twin module further facilitates this process by simulating and replicating the real-time asymmetric traffic behaviors of a complex traffic network. The evaluation of this proposed methodology utilized PTV-Vissim, a traffic simulation software, which also serves as the simulation engine for the Digital Twin. The study focused on the Martin Luther King (MLK) Smart Corridor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, by considering symmetric and asymmetric road layouts and traffic conditions. Comparative analysis against an actuated signal control baseline approach revealed significant improvements. Experiment results demonstrate a remarkable 55.38% reduction in Eco_PI, a developed performance measure capturing the cumulative impact of stops and penalized stop delays on fuel consumption, over a 24 h scenario. In a PM-peak-hour scenario, the average reduction in Eco_PI reached 38.94%, indicating the substantial improvement achieved in optimizing traffic flow and reducing fuel consumption during high-demand periods. These findings underscore the effectiveness of the integrated DGMARL and Digital Twin approach in optimizing traffic signals, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient traffic management system.

42 ENGINEERING↗