Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Engineering - Other instrumentation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2022

COCPIT: Collaborative Activity Planning Software for Mars Perseverance Rover

Since landing on the Martian surface, the Perseverance rover has relied on a distributed team to generate commands for exploring its new environment each sol (Martian day). The team uses a complex suite of software tools to accomplish this challenging task in time for the next window of opportunity to send commands to the rover. A key piece of this software ecosystem is COCPIT (Component-based Campaign Planning, Implementation, and Tactical). COCPIT is part of the next generation of planning and scheduling software tools developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center. COCPIT is a web-based application that allows users to collaboratively view and update the Perseverance rover's activity plans, continuously verify that the plan satisfies constraints, assign targets for directing scientific instruments, document science intent, and model power and data resources. Mars Surface Operations requires diverse expertise from team members within the Engineering, Science, Robotic, and Instrument Operations groups, distributed across North America and Europe. In order to improve efficiency and reduce risk, all teams are able to review and edit their activities simultaneously and see the effects on the plan in its entirety. As part of the Ground Data System (GDS) tool suite, COCPIT is responsible for the activity plan. It provides specialized views that allow operators to understand where there may be room for additional observations, see whether any planning constraints are being violated, and confirm that energy usage and data generation are within the defined limits. It contains details such as which filters a camera will use for a given observation, what the resolution of the images should be, where to store the data onboard, and how long the observation is expected to take. It predicts when specific data will be downlinked from the rover to a passing orbiter, so that the team knows when to expect that data on Earth for evaluation in future planning. Ultimately the information from the COCPIT plan is translated to sequences that will be bundled and radiated to Perseverance for execution. The COCPIT tool is used throughout all planning phases.

Kanefsky, Bob↗
NASA NTRS2006

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2005

What an amazing host of new sights 2005 brought us. With impeccable choreography, one spacecraft sent an impactor slamming into a comet, reversing the traditional view of these space wayfarers by revealing it to be buried in deep drifts of a fine talcum-like powder. Another spacecraft delivered a probe from our European partners to the surface of Saturn's haze-shrouded moon Titan, disclosing a landscape eerily like Earth's, if we had methane rivers cascading down hillsides of ice. An orbiting observatory for the first time showed us the light from planets circling other stars, which astronomers previously knew to exist only from indirect clues. Throughout the year we also amassed continually expanding views of Earth as well as Mars, by far the most-explored planet after our own. In all, 18 spacecraft and five instruments were stationed across the solar system, studying our own world, other planets, comets and the deeper universe. These missions were enabled by the efforts of everyone at JPL. The Deep Space Network of communications complexes across three continents continued to experience a period of remarkable activity. Others were at work creating technologies both for NASA missions and other uses. JPL's contingent of scientific researchers was equally busy coordinating the science activities of our missions or pursuing independent investigations. None of this would be possible without the support of world-class business and administrative teams. All of our missions in one way or another support our nations Vision for Space Exploration, which envisages a gradually widening robotic and human presence across the solar system in the years ahead. The year was not without its challenges. NASA set forth to implement the Vision for Space Exploration, which resulted in some flight projects and technology efforts being terminated. To adjust to this new direction, it was necessary for us to reduce the JPL workforce by about five percent. Taking steps like this is painful, but we tried to make the process as orderly as possible. In the end, the adjustments made have left JPL on a healthy footing for the years ahead.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS2024

X-57 Cruise Motor GVT Using Fixed-Base Correction Technique

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) completed a modal survey of the X-57 Maxwell aircraft cruise motor system to help inform cruise motor redesign efforts. X-57 Maxwell was an electric propulsion demonstrator aircraft developed by NASA to inform airworthiness standards for electrified-aircraft. The cruise motor system modal survey was completed in spring of 2023 utilizing the fixed-base correction (FBC) ground vibration test (GVT) technique developed by ATA Engineering, to decouple the motor modes from the aircraft modes. Previously during the full aircraft GVT, a detailed modal assessment of the cruise motors was not performed. Owing to the X-57 project’s phase in the aircraft development cycle when the motor redesign effort occurred, the cruise motor GVT could only be performed with the cruise motor system installed on the aircraft, with most of its installation hardware (wiring, baffling, sensors, etc.) attached. An impact hammer was used to provide excitation input at various locations within the tight confines of the cruise motor installation. To better support motor redesign efforts, the FBC methodology was utilized to fix, separate and de-couple the cruise motor modes from aircraft modal response. During the GVT, this required additional impact tap tests on candidate fixed-boundary points for each degree of freedom (DOF) to be fixed. Additional triaxial accelerometers installed at the candidate points were used to compute frequency response functions (FRFs) in X, Y, and Z directions to enable those DOFs to be numerically fixed. Test data was acquired using Hottinger Brüel & Kjær’s LAN-XI data acquisition hardware and BK Connect software. FBC post-test processing was performed using the Structural Modification Using Frequency Response Functions (SMURF) technique with ATA Engineering’s Interface between MATLAB, Analysis, Test (IMAT) software. Utilizing the FBC technique relieved test engineers from having to instrument the entire aircraft to identify and separate aircraft response from cruise motor modes of interest. The FBC technique also permitted structural analysis engineers to omit secondary components from their finite element model (FEM) of the cruise motor system. This FBC modal survey was successful, and the first time NASA AFRC utilized the FBC method on an aircraft rather than a test fixture, and also using an impact hammer rather than multiple shakers allowing significant project schedule and cost savings

Modal Survey↗
NASA NTRS2016

Application of High Speed Digital Image Correlation in Rocket Engine Hot Fire Testing

Hot fire testing of rocket engine components and rocket engine systems is a critical aspect of the development process to understand performance, reliability and system interactions. Ground testing provides the opportunity for highly instrumented development testing to validate analytical model predictions and determine necessary design changes and process improvements. To properly obtain discrete measurements for model validation, instrumentation must survive in the highly dynamic and extreme temperature application of hot fire testing. Digital Image Correlation has been investigated and being evaluated as a technique to augment traditional instrumentation during component and engine testing providing further data for additional performance improvements and cost savings. The feasibility of digital image correlation techniques were demonstrated in subscale and full scale hotfire testing. This incorporated a pair of high speed cameras to measure three-dimensional, real-time displacements and strains installed and operated under the extreme environments present on the test stand. The development process, setup and calibrations, data collection, hotfire test data collection and post-test analysis and results are presented in this paper.

Gradl, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

NASA Glenn Research Center, Propulsion Systems Laboratory: Plan to Measure Engine Core Flow Water Vapor Content

This presentation will be made at the 92nd AIAA Turbine Engine Testing Working Group (TETWoG), a semi-annual technical meeting of turbine engine testing professionals. The objective is to describe an effort by NASA to measure the water vapor content on the core airflow in a full scale turbine engine ice crystal icing test and to open a discussion with colleagues how to accurately conduct the measurement based on any previous collective experience with the procedure, instruments and nature of engine icing testing within the group. The presentation lays out the schematics of the location in the flow path from which the sample will be drawn, the plumbing to get it from the engine flow path to the sensor and several different water vapor measurement technologies that will be used: Tunable diode laser and infrared spectroscopy.

core flow humidity measurement↗
NASA NTRS1962

Saturn: A Giant Thrust into Space

The film provides an introduction and overview of the Saturn launch vehicle. It is designed with stages to drop off as fuel is spent. There may be two, three, or four stages, depending on the payload. The Saturn rocket will be used to send Apollo missions to the Moon and back. Guidance systems and booster engine rockets are based on proven mechanisms. Scale models are used to test the engines. Hardware, airframes, guidance systems, instrumentation, and the rockets are produced at sites throughout the country. The engines go to Marshall Space Flight Center for further tests. After partial assembly, the vehicle is shipped to Cape Canaveral in large pieces where it is assembled using specially built equipment and structures. Further trials are performed to assure successful launches.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

Fluid Flow Technology that Measures Up

From 1994 to 1996, NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center conducted a Center Director's Discretionary Fund research effort to apply artificial intelligence technologies to the health management of plant equipment and space propulsion systems. Through this effort, NASA established a business relationship with Quality Monitoring and Control (QMC), of Kingwood, Texas, to provide hardware modeling and artificial intelligence tools. Very detailed and accurate Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) analysis and algorithms were jointly created, which identified several missing, critical instrumentation needs for adequately evaluating the engine health status. One of the missing instruments was a liquid oxygen (LOX) flow measurement. This instrument was missing since the original SSME included a LOX turbine flow meter that failed during a ground test, resulting in considerable damage for NASA. New balanced flow meter technology addresses this need with robust, safe, and accurate flow metering hardware.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measurement uncertainty for the Uniform Engine Testing Program conducted at NASA Lewis Research Center

An uncertainty analysis was conducted to determine the bias and precision errors and total uncertainty of measured turbojet engine performance parameters. The engine tests were conducted as part of the Uniform Engine Test Program which was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD). With the same engines, support hardware, and instrumentation, performance parameters were measured twice, once during tests conducted in test cell number 3 and again during tests conducted in test cell number 4 of the NASA Lewis Propulsion Systems Laboratory. The analysis covers 15 engine parameters, including engine inlet airflow, engine net thrust, and engine specific fuel consumption measured at high rotor speed of 8875 rpm. Measurements were taken at three flight conditions defined by the following engine inlet pressure, engine inlet total temperature, and engine ram ratio: (1) 82.7 kPa, 288 K, 1.0, (2) 82.7 kPa, 288 K, 1.3, and (3) 20.7 kPa, 288 K, 1.3. In terms of bias, precision, and uncertainty magnitudes, there were no differences between most measurements made in test cells number 3 and 4. The magnitude of the errors increased for both test cells as engine pressure level decreased. Also, the level of the bias error was two to three times larger than that of the precision error.

Abdelwahab, Mahmood↗
NASA NTRS2013

Development Status of the WetLab-2 Project: New Tools for On-orbit Real-time Quantitative Gene Expression.

The primary objective of NASA Ames Research Centers WetLab-2 Project is to place on the ISS a research platform to facilitate gene expression analysis via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) of biological specimens grown or cultured on orbit. The WetLab-2 equipment will be capable of processing multiple sample types ranging from microbial cultures to animal tissues dissected on-orbit. In addition to the logistical benefits of in-situ sample processing and analysis, conducting qRT-PCR on-orbit eliminates the confounding effects on gene expression of reentry stresses and shock acting on live cells and organisms. The system can also validate terrestrial analyses of samples returned from ISS by providing quantitative on-orbit gene expression benchmarking prior to sample return. The ability to get on orbit data will provide investigators with the opportunity to adjust experimental parameters for subsequent trials based on the real-time data analysis without need for sample return and re-flight. Finally, WetLab-2 can be used for analysis of air, surface, water, and clinical samples to monitor environmental contaminants and crew health. The verification flight of the instrument is scheduled to launch on SpaceX-5 in Aug. 2014.Progress to date: The WetLab-2 project completed a thorough study of commercially available qRT-PCR systems and performed a downselect based on both scientific and engineering requirements. The selected instrument, the Cepheid SmartCycler, has advantages including modular design (16 independent PCR modules), low power consumption, and rapid ramp times. The SmartCycler has multiplex capabilities, assaying up to four genes of interest in each of the 16 modules. The WetLab-2 team is currently working with Cepheid to modify the unit for housing within an EXPRESS rack locker on the ISS. This will enable the downlink of data to the ground and provide uplink capabilities for programming, commanding, monitoring, and instrument maintenance. The project is currently designing a module that will lyse the cells and extract RNA of sufficient quality for use in qRT-PCR reactions while using a housekeeping gene to normalize RNA concentration and integrity. Current testing focuses on two promising commercial products and chemistries that allow for RNA extraction with minimal complexity and crew time.

quantitative PCR↗
NASA NTRS2010

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2009

2009 was truly the year of astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While the world at large was celebrating the International Year of Astronomy, we were sending more telescopes into space than in any other year, ever. As these missions unfold, the astronomers are sure to change the way we see the universe. One of the newly lofted observatories is on a quest to find planets like our own Earth orbiting other stars. Another is a telescope that gathers infrared light to help discover objects ranging from near-Earth asteroids to galaxies in the deepest universe. We also contributed critical enabling technologies to yet two other telescopes sent into space by our partners in Europe. And astronauts returned to Earth with a JPL-built camera that had captured the Hubble Space Telescope's most memorable pictures over many years. And while it was an epic time for these missions, we were no less busy in our other research specialties. Earth's moon drew much attention from our scientists and engineers, with two JPL instruments riding on lunar orbiters; previously unseen views of shadowed craters were provided by radar imaging conducted with the giant dish antennas of the Deep Space Network, our worldwide communication portal to spacecraft around the solar system. At Mars, our rovers and orbiters were highly productive, as were missions targeting Saturn, comets and the asteroid belt. Here at our home planet, satellites and instruments continued to serve up important information on global climate change. But our main business is, of course, exploring. Many initiatives will keep us busy for years. In 2009, NASA gave approval to start planning a major flagship mission to Jupiter's moon Europa in search of conditions that could host life, working with our partners in Europe. In addition to our prospective Earth science projects, we have full slates of missions in Mars exploration, planetary exploration and space-based astronomy. This year's annual report continues our recent direction of recounting the Laboratory's accomplishments throughout the year month by month.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS1991

Fiber-optic applications for space-based engines

The use of fiber optic technology is discussed with respect to the instrumentation systems for space based rocket engines. Optical fiber technologies are reviewed with specific attention given to the reliability, light weight, small fiber diameter, and operating life of the components in the space environment. An optical system can facilitate the incorporation of an optical health monitoring system, increase the space available for necessary redundancy, and safe high bandwidth communications that are immune to the effects of electromagnetic radiation.

Sovie, Amy L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A subscale facility for liquid rocket propulsion diagnostics at Stennis Space Center

The Diagnostics Testbed Facility (DTF) at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi was designed to provide a testbed for the development of rocket engine exhaust plume diagnostics instrumentation. A 1200-lb thrust liquid oxygen/gaseous hydrogen thruster is used as the plume source for experimentation and instrument development. Theoretical comparative studies have been performed with aerothermodynamic codes to ensure that the DTF thruster (DTFT) has been optimized to produce a plume with pressure and temperature conditions as much like the plume of the Space Shuttle Main Engine as possible. Operation of the DTFT is controlled by an icon-driven software program using a series of soft switches. Data acquisition is performed using the same software program. A number of plume diagnostics experiments have utilized the unique capabilities of the DTF.

Raines, N. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Systems engineering and the user: Incorporation of user requirements into the SE process

This paper is organized into four parts. In the Gestation Phase, I describe the process of starting a new mission and establishing its rough boundaries. Next I show how the scientific experiments are selected. Then we enter the Preliminary Design Phase, where we incorporate the scientist's instruments into the systems engineering process. Finally, I show how the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) assures NASA management and the scientists that the scientific requirements have been incorporated into the systems engineering process to everyone's satisfaction.

Naugle, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A flight instrumentation system for acquisition of atmospheric turbulence data

A flight instrumentation system for the acquisition of atmospheric turbulence data is described. Airflow direction transducers and an impact pressure transducer are the primary instruments for measuring vertical and lateral gust velocity, and a sensitive incremental pressure transducer is used to measure longitudinal gust velocity. Airplane motions, sensed by an inertial platform, are subtracted from the primary measurements during postflight data reduction to yield true gust velocity time histories. Salient engineering features of the instrumentation are discussed, and a complete description of the instrumentation is presented.

Meissner, C. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2002

The year 2002 brought advances on many fronts in our space exploration ventures. A new orbiter settled in at Mars and delivered tantalizing science results suggesting a vast store of water ice under the planet's surface, a discovery that may have profound consequences for exploring Mars. A long-lived spacecraft made its final fly-bys of Jupiter's moons, while another started its final approach toward Saturn and yet another flew by an asteroid on its way to a comet. A new ocean satellite began science observations, joined in Earth orbit by a pair of spacecraft measuring our home planets gravity field, as well as JPL instruments on NASA and Japanese satellites. A major new infrared observatory and a pair of Mars rovers were readied for launch. All told, JPL is now communicating with 14 spacecraft cast like gems across the velvet expanses of the solar system. It is a far cry from the early 1960's, when JPL engineers made prodigious efforts to get the first planetary explorers off the ground and into space - an achievement of which we were especially mindful this year, as 2002 marked the 40th anniversary of the first successful planetary mission, Mariner 2, which barely reached our closest planetary neighbor, Venus. Added to this anniversary were celebrations surrounding the 25th anniversaries of the launches of Voyagers 1 and 2, two remarkable spacecraft that are still flying and are actively probing the outer realms of the solar system. These events of the past and present provide an occasion for reflection on the remarkable era of exploration that we at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are privileged to be a part of. As 2002 neared its end, the Laboratory had yet another reason for celebration, as a new five-year management contract between NASA and the California Institute of Technology was signed that calls for a closer working relationship with NASA and other NASA centers as a member of the 'One NASA' team. There is a strong emphasis on cost control and management, areas in which we can improve, enabling us to become more competitive. This new agreement again confirms NASA's trust and faith in Caltech and JPL, in which we should all take great pride. If the history of JPL were a book, we are on the verge of turning the page to one that promises to be one of the most exciting and busiest chapters in JPL's history. In 2003 and 2004, we will launch 11 spacecraft or major payloads. We will land two rovers on Mars; put a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, deliver a probe to the surface of its largest moon, Titan, and map Titan's surface withimaging radar; send a spacecraft past a comet collecting samples from its tail, while another one is launched toward a comet impact; bring a capsule back to Earth with the first samples ever collected beyond the orbit of the Moon; map the skies in the ultraviolet as well as the infrared spectrum to unprecedented accuracy; and continue the mapping of ocean topography and winds on our home planet, Earth.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS↗