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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
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NASA NTRS1994

Amorphous silicon thin films: The ultimate lightweight space solar cell

Progress is reported with respect to the development of thin film amorphous (alpha-Si) terrestrial solar cells for space applications. Such devices promise to result in very lightweight, low cost, flexible arrays with superior end of life (EOL) performance. Each alpha-Si cell consists of a tandem arrangement of three very thin p-i-n junctions vapor deposited between film electrodes. The thickness of this entire stack is approximately 2.0 microns, resulting in a device of negligible weight, but one that must be mechanically supported for handling and fabrication into arrays. The stack is therefore presently deposited onto a large area (12 by 13 in), rigid, glass superstrate, 40 mil thick, and preliminary space qualification testing of modules so configured is underway. At the same time, a more advanced version is under development in which the thin film stack is transferred from the glass onto a thin (2.0 mil) polymer substrate to create large arrays that are truly flexible and significantly lighter than either the glassed alpha-Si version or present conventional crystalline technologies. In this paper the key processes for such effective transfer are described. In addition, both glassed (rigid) and unglassed (flexible) alpha-Si cells are studied when integrated with various advanced structures to form lightweight systems. EOL predictions are generated for the case of a 1000 W array in a standard, 10 year geosynchronous (GEO) orbit. Specific powers (W/kg), power densities (W/sq m) and total array costs ($/sq ft) are compared.

Vendura, G. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Cohesive Elements for Shells

A cohesive element for shell analysis is presented. The element can be used to simulate the initiation and growth of delaminations between stacked, non-coincident layers of shell elements. The procedure to construct the element accounts for the thickness offset by applying the kinematic relations of shell deformation to transform the stiffness and internal force of a zero-thickness cohesive element such that interfacial continuity between the layers is enforced. The procedure is demonstrated by simulating the response and failure of the Mixed Mode Bending test and a skin-stiffener debond specimen. In addition, it is shown that stacks of shell elements can be used to create effective models to predict the inplane and delamination failure modes of thick components. The results indicate that simple shell models can retain many of the necessary predictive attributes of much more complex 3D models while providing the computational efficiency that is necessary for design.

Davila, Carlos G.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Effective Simulation of Delamination in Aeronautical Structures Using Shells and Cohesive Elements

A cohesive element for shell analysis is presented. The element can be used to simulate the initiation and growth of delaminations between stacked, non-coincident layers of shell elements. The procedure to construct the element accounts for the thickness offset by applying the kinematic relations of shell deformation to transform the stiffness and internal force of a zero-thickness cohesive element such that interfacial continuity between the layers is enforced. The procedure is demonstrated by simulating the response and failure of the Mixed Mode Bending test and a skin-stiffener debond specimen. In addition, it is shown that stacks of shell elements can be used to create effective models to predict the inplane and delamination failure modes of thick components. The results indicate that simple shell models can retain many of the necessary predictive attributes of much more complex 3D models while providing the computational efficiency that is necessary for design.

Davila, Carlos G.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Ares I-X Flight Test - On the Fast Track to the Future

In less than two years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch the Ares I-X mission. This will be the first flight of the Ares I crew launch vehicle, which, together with the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, will send humans to the Moon and beyond. Personnel from the Ares I-X Mission Management Office (MMO) are finalizing designs and fabricating vehicle hardware for an April 2009 launch. Ares I-X will be a suborbital development flight test that will gather critical data about the flight dynamics of the integrated launch vehicle stack; understand how to control its roll during flight; better characterize the severe stage separation environments that the upper stage engine will experience during future flights; and demonstrate the first stage recovery system. NASA also will modify the launch infrastructure and ground and mission operations. The Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle (FTV) will incorporate flight and mockup hardware similar in mass and weight to the operational vehicle. It will be powered by a four-segment Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), which is currently in Shuttle inventory, and will include a fifth spacer segment and new forward structures to make the booster approximately the same size and weight as the five-segment SRB. The Ares I-X flight profile will closely approximate the flight conditions that the Ares I will experience through Mach 4.5, up to approximately130,OOO feet and through maximum dynamic pressure ("Max Q") of approximately 800 pounds per square foot. Data from the Ares I-X flight will support the Ares I Critical Design Review (CDR), scheduled for 2010. Work continues on Ares I-X design and hardware fabrication. All of the individual elements are undergoing CDRs, followed by an integrated vehicle CDR in March 2008. The various hardware elements are on schedule to begin deliveries to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in early September 2008.

Davis, Stephan R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Ares I-X Flight Test--The Future Begins Here

In less than one year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch the Ares I-X mission. This will be the first flight of the Ares I crew launch vehicle, which, together with the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, will send humans to the Moon and beyond. Personnel from the Ares I-X Mission Management Office (MMO) are finalizing designs and fabricating vehicle hardware for a 2009 launch. Ares I-X will be a suborbital development flight test that will gather critical data about the flight dynamics of the integrated launch vehicle stack; understand how to control its roll during flight; better characterize the severe stage separation environments that the upper stage engine will experience during future flights; and demonstrate the first stage recovery system. NASA also will modify the launch infrastructure and ground and mission operations. The Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle (FTV) will incorporate flight and mockup hardware similar in mass and weight to the operational vehicle. It will be powered by a four-segment Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), which is currently in Shuttle inventory, and will include a fifth spacer segment and new forward structures to make the booster approximately the same size and weight as the five-segment SRB. The Ares I-X flight profile will closely approximate the flight conditions that the Ares I will experience through Mach 4.5, up to approximately 130,000 feet (39,600 meters (m)) and through maximum dynamic pressure ('Max Q') of approximately 800 pounds per square foot (38.3 kilopascals (kPa)). Data from the Ares I-X flight will support the Ares I Critical Design Review (CDR), scheduled for 2010. Work continues on Ares I-X design and hardware fabrication. All of the individual elements are undergoing CDRs, followed by a two-part integrated vehicle CDR in March and July 2008. The various hardware elements are on schedule to begin deliveries to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in early September 2008. Ares I-X is the first step in the long journey to the Moon and farther destinations. This suborbital test will be NASA's first flight of a new human-rated launch vehicle in more than a generation. This promises to be an exciting time for NASA and the nation, as we reach for new goals in space exploration. A visual presentation is included.

Davis, Stephan R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The influence of lay-up and thickness on composite impact damage and compression strength

The effects of composite stacking sequence, thickness, and percentage of zero-degree plies on the size, shape, and distribution of delamination through the laminate thickness and on residual compression strength following impact were studied. Graphite/epoxy laminates were impacted with an 0.5 inch diameter aluminum sphere at a specific low or high velocity. Impact damage was measured nondestructively by ultrasonic C-scans and X-radiography and destructively by the deply technique, and compression strength tests were performed. It was found that differences in compression failure strain due to stacking sequence were small, while laminates with very low percentages of zero-degree plies had similar failure loads but higher failure strains than laminates with higher percentages of zero-degree plies. Failure strain did not correlate with planar impact damage area, and delaminations in impact regions were associated with matrix cracking.

Guynn, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Fracture behavior of hybrid composite laminates

The tensile fracture behavior of 15 center-notched hybrid laminates was studied. Three basic laminate groups were tested: (1) a baseline group with graphite/epoxy plies, (2) a group with the same stacking sequence but where the zero-deg plies were one or two plies of S-glass or Kevlar, and (3) a group with graphite plies but where the zero-deg plies were sandwiched between layers of perforated Mylar. Specimens were loaded linearly with time; load, far field strain, and crack opening displacement (COD) were monitored. The loading was stopped periodically and the notched region was radiographed to reveal the extent and type of damage (failure progression). Results of the tests showed that the hybrid laminates had higher fracture toughnesses than comparable all-graphite laminates. The higher fracture toughness was due primarily to the larger damage region at the ends of the slit; delamination and splitting lowered the stress concentration in the primary load-carrying plies. A linear elastic fracture analysis, which ignored delamination and splitting, underestimated the fracture toughness. For almost all of the laminates, the tests showed that the fracture toughness increased with crack length. The size of the damage region at the ends of the slit and COD measurements also increased with crack length.

Kennedy, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Using Diffusion Bonding in Making Piezoelectric Actuators

A technique for the fabrication of piezoelectric actuators that generate acceptably large forces and deflections at relatively low applied voltages involves the stacking and diffusion bonding of multiple thin piezoelectric layers coated with film electrodes. The present technique stands in contrast to an older technique in which the layers are bonded chemically, by use of urethane or epoxy agents. The older chemical-bonding technique entails several disadvantages, including the following: It is difficult to apply the bonding agents to the piezoelectric layers. It is difficult to position the layers accurately and without making mistakes. There is a problem of disposal of hazardous urethane and epoxy wastes. The urethane and epoxy agents are nonpiezoelectric materials. As such, they contribute to the thickness of a piezoelectric laminate without contributing to its performance; conversely, for a given total thickness, the performance of the laminate is below that of a unitary piezoelectric plate of the same thickness. The figure depicts some aspects of the fabrication of a laminated piezoelectric actuator by the present diffusion- bonding technique. First, stock sheets of the piezoelectric material are inspected and tested. Next, the hole pattern shown in the figure is punched into the sheets. Alternatively, if the piezoelectric material is not a polymer, then the holes are punched in thermoplastic films. Then both faces of each punched piezoelectric sheet or thermoplastic film are coated with a silver-ink electrode material by use of a silkscreen printer. The electrode and hole patterns are designed for minimal complexity and minimal waste of material. After a final electrical test, all the coated piezoelectric layers (or piezoelectric layers and coated thermoplastic films) are stacked in an alignment jig, which, in turn, is placed in a curved press for the diffusion-bonding process. In this process, the stack is pressed and heated at a specified curing temperature and pressure for a specified curing time. The pressure, temperature, and time depend on the piezoelectric material selected. At the end of the diffusion-bonding process, the resulting laminated piezoelectric actuator is tested to verify the adequacy of the mechanical output as a function of an applied DC voltage.

Sager, Frank E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The STEP/STACBEAM experiment technology development for very large solar array deployers

The Stacking Triangular Articulated Compact Beam (STACBEAM) is discussed with reference to structural testing experiments afforded by ground simulation and the Space Technology Experiments Platform (STEP). The STACBEAM lends itself to a deployment technique which offers a radical improvement in flexible blanket solar array technology. A system for deployment and support of a solar array blanket is described which consists of the blanket, its containment structure, the support structure and its deployer, the blanket stiffening battens, and the deployable boom standoffs. In operation, the blanket is pulled out and supported by the STACBEAM which packages next to the folded blanket. Since the STACBEAM does not rotate during extension, complete control of the blanket is maintained during extension. Deployment of this system occurs one bay at a time in a sequential manner. The deployer provides sufficient rigidity so that beam stiffness is not degraded during the deployment process.

Samuels, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Teardown analysis of a ten cell bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery

Design studies have identified bipolar nickel-hydrogen batteries as an attractive storage option for high power, high voltage applications. A pre-prototype Ni-H2 battery was designed, assembled and tested in the early phases of a concept verification program. The initial stack was built with available hardware and components from past programs. The stack performed well. After 2000 low-earth-orbit cycles the stack was dismantled in order to allow evaluation and analysis of the design and components. The results of the teardown analysis and recommended modifications are discussed.

Manzo, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Teardown analysis of a ten cell bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery

Design studies have identified bipolar nickel-hydrogen batteries as an attractive storage option for high power, high voltage applications. A pre-prototype Ni-H2 battery was designed, assembled and tested in the early phases of a concept verification program. The initial stack was built with available hardware and components from past programs. The stack performed well. After 2000 low-earth-orbit cycles the stack was dismantled in order to allow evaluation and analysis of the design and components. The results of the teardown analysis and recommended modifications are discussed.

Manzo, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Langley Symposium on Aerodynamics, volume 1

The purpose of this work was to present current work and results of the Langley Aeronautics Directorate covering the areas of computational fluid dynamics, viscous flows, airfoil aerodynamics, propulsion integration, test techniques, and low-speed, high-speed, and transonic aerodynamics. The following sessions are included in this volume: theoretical aerodynamics, test techniques, fluid physics, and viscous drag reduction.

Stack, Sharon H.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Multijunction Cell Workshop

Topics discussed include : (1) What needs to be done to fly GaInP/GaAs cells in the ENTECH linear concentrator for SCARLET 11; (2) wrap-through or wrap-around contacts - whether they available and useful, and the reasons why they are not used more; (3) directions to consider, including use of superlattices, 3 or 4 junctions, stacked cells, etc.; and (4) measurements - does every cell need to be tested under both red and blue illumination?

Kurtz, Sarah↗
NASA NTRS2015

Growing Food for Space and Earth: NASA's Contributions to Vertical Agriculture

Beginning in the 1980s with NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program and later the 1990s and early 2000s with the Advanced Life Support Project, NASA conducted extensive testing with crops in controlled environment conditions. One series of tests conducted at Kennedy Space Center used a large chamber with vertically stacked shelves to support hydroponic growing trays, with a bank of electric lamps above each shelf. This is essentially the same approach that has become popular for use in so-called vertical agriculture systems, which attempts to optimize plant production in a fixed volume. Some of the findings and commonalities of NASA's work during this period and how it overlaps with current interests in vertical agriculture will be presented in the talk.

Controlled Environment Agriculture↗
NASA NTRS2018

Oxygen Generation Assembly Design for Exploration Missions

Future Exploration missions will require an Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) to electrolyze water to supply oxygen for crew metabolic consumption. The system design will be based on the International Space Station (ISS) OGA but with added improvements based on lessons learned during ISS operations. These improvements will reduce system weight, crew maintenance time and resupply mass from Earth while increasing reliability. Currently, the design team is investigating the feasibility of the upgrades by performing ground tests and analyses. Upgrades being considered include: redesign of the electrolysis cell stack, deletion of the hydrogen dome, replacement of the hydrogen sensors, deletion of the wastewater interface, redesign of the recirculation loop deionizing bed and redesign of the cell stack Power Supply Module. The upgrades will be first demonstrated on the ISS OGA.

Takada, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS2016

Design and Experimental Evaluation of Flextensional-Cantilever Based Piezoelectric Transducers for Flow Energy Harvesting

Cantilever type piezoelectric harvesters, such as bimorphs, are typically used for vibration induced energy harvesting. However, a major drawback of a piezoelectric bimorph is its brittle nature in harsh environments, resulting in short life-times as well as output power degradation. The emphasis in this work is to design robust, highly efficient piezoelectric harvesters that are capable of generating electrical power in the milliwatt range. Various harvesters have been modeled, designed and prototyped, and the flextensional actuator based harvester, where the metal cantilever is mounted and coupled between two flextensional actuators, was found to be a viable alternative to the cantilever type piezoelectric harvesters. Preliminary tests showed that these devices equipped with 5x5x36 mm two piezoelectric PZT stacks can produce greater than 50 mW of power under air flow induced vibrations.

fluid structure interaction↗