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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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NASA NTRS2015

NEOShield: Design of a Gravity Tractor Demonstration Mission

The Mission Design Division at NASA Ames Research Center has begun a program to develop mission designs for planetary defense. Here we present a mission design for a gravity tractor demonstration mission completed in collaboration with the European NEOShield consortium.We conducted a trade study to identify suitable target NEOs to demonstrate GT deflection, and identified 5 known asteroids with diameters between 100m and 500m that have been well studied in the past: 2000 FJ10, 2001 QC34, 2002 DU3, 2001 JV1 and 1998 VO. We selected 2000 FJ10 as the most suitable target to meet the requirements of a GT demonstration mission.Our GT demonstration spacecraft is based on an ESPA ring main structure and solar electric propulsion (SEP, see Figure 1). The power budget is 4 kW and the spacecraft has an initial wet mass of 1,150 kg. The spacecraft would launch in the 3rd quarter of 2026 aboard a Falcon 9, arriving at 2000 FJ10 in early 2029 after an unpowered Mars gravity assist in 2027. The spacecraft mass at asteroid arrival would be 1,100 kg.

Faber, N. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Clementine, Deep Space Program Science Experiment

Clementine, also called the Deep Space Program Science Experiment, is a joint Department of Defense (DoD)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission with the dual goal of testing small spacecraft, subsystems, and sensors in the deep space environment and also providing a nominal science return. The Clementine mission will provide technical demonstrations of innovative lightweight spacecraft components and sensors, will be launced on a spacecraft developed within 2 years of program start, and will point a way for new planetary mission options under consideration by NASA. This booklet gives the background of the Clementine mission (including the agencies involved), the mission objectives, the mission scenario, the instruments that the mission will carry, and how the data will be analyzed and made accessible.

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NASA NTRS1994

The Space Communications Protocol Standards Program

In the fall of 1992 NASA and the Department of Defense chartered a technical team to explore the possibility of developing a common set of space data communications standards for potential dual-use across the U.S. national space mission support infrastructure. The team focused on the data communications needs of those activities associated with on-lined control of civil and military aircraft. A two-pronged approach was adopted: a top-down survey of representative civil and military space data communications requirements was conducted; and a bottom-up analysis of available standard data communications protocols was performed. A striking intersection of civil and military space mission requirements emerged, and an equally striking consensus on the approach towards joint civil and military space protocol development was reached. The team concluded that wide segments of the U.S. civil and military space communities have common needs for: (1) an efficient file transfer protocol; (2) various flavors of underlying data transport service; (3) an optional data protection mechanism to assure end-to-end security of message exchange; and (4) an efficient internetworking protocol. These recommendations led to initiating a program to develop a suite of protocols based on these findings. This paper describes the current status of this program.

Jeffries, Alan↗
NASA NTRS1992

Microencapsulated PCM slurries for heat transfer and energy storage in spacecraft systems

The technical feasibility for providing significantly enhanced heat transport and storage as well as improved thermal control has been investigated during several Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) programs for NASA, the United States Air Force (USAF), and the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) using microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) in both aqueous and nonaqueous two-component slurries. In the program for SDIO, novel two-component coolant fluids were prepared and successfully tested at both low (300 K) and intermediate temperatures (460 to 700 K). The two-component fluid slurries of microencapsulated PCMs included organic particles in aqueous and nonaqueous liquids, as well as microencapsulated metals that potentially could be carried by liquid metals or used as powdered heat sinks. Simulation and experimental studies showed that such active cooling systems could be designed and operated with enhancements of heat capacity that exceeded 10 times or 1000 percent that for the base fluid along with significant enhancement in the fluid's heat capacity. Furthermore, this enhancement provided essentially isothermal conditions throughout the pumped primary coolant fluid loop. The results suggest that together with much higher fluid thermal capacity, greater uniformity of temperature is achievable with such fluids, and that significant reductions in pumping power, system size, and system mass are also possible.

Colvin, David P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Prototype Lithium-Ion Battery Developed for Mars 2001 Lander

In fiscal year 1997, NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the U.S. Air Force established a joint program to competitively develop high-power, rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology for aerospace applications. The goal was to address Department of Defense and NASA requirements not met by commercial battery developments. Under this program, contracts have been awarded to Yardney Technical Products, Eagle- Picher Technologies, LLC, BlueStar Advanced Technology Corporation, and SAFT America, Inc., to develop cylindrical and prismatic cell and battery systems for a variety of NASA and U.S. Air Force applications. The battery systems being developed range from low-capacity (7 to 20 A-hr) and low-voltage (14 to 28 V) systems for planetary landers and rovers to systems for aircraft that require up to 270 V and for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that require capacities up to 200 A-hr. Low-Earth-orbit and geosynchronousorbit spacecraft pose additional challenges to system operation with long cycle life (>30,000 cycles) and long calendar life (>10 years), respectively.

Manzo, Michelle A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Summary of DOD-Sponsored Research Performed at NASA Langley's Impact Dynamics Research Facility

The Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) is a 240-ft.-high gantry structure located at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The IDRF was originally built in the early 1960's for use as a Lunar Landing Research Facility. As such, the facility was configured to simulate the reduced gravitational environment of the Moon, allowing the Apollo astronauts to practice lunar landings under realistic conditions. In 1985, the IDRF was designated a National Historic Landmark based on its significant contributions to the Apollo Moon Landing Program. In the early 1970's the facility was converted into its current configuration as a full-scale crash test facility for light aircraft and rotorcraft. Since that time, the IDRF has been used to perform a wide variety of impact tests on full-scale aircraft, airframe components, and space vehicles in support of the General Aviation (GA) aircraft industry, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the rotorcraft industry, and the NASA Space program. The objectives of this paper are twofold: to describe the IDRF facility and its unique capabilities for conducting structural impact testing, and to summarize the impact tests performed at the IDRF in support of the DOD. These tests cover a time period of roughly 2 1/2 decades, beginning in 1975 with the full-scale crash test of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, and ending in 1999 with the external fuel system qualification test of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. NASA officially closed the IDRF in September 2003; consequently, it is important to document the past contributions made in improved human survivability and impact tolerance through DOD-sponsored research performed at the IDRF.

Jackson, Karen E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Summary of DOD-Sponsored Research Performed at NASA Langley's Impact Dynamics Research Facility

The Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) is a 240-ft.-high gantry structure located at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The IDRF was originally built in the early 1960's for use as a Lunar Landing Research Facility. As such, the facility was configured to simulate the reduced gravitational environment of the Moon, allowing the Apollo astronauts to practice lunar landings under realistic conditions. In 1985, the IDRF was designated a National Historic Landmark based on its significant contributions to the Apollo Moon Landing Program. In the early 1970's the facility was converted into its current configuration as a full-scale crash test facility for light aircraft and rotorcraft. Since that time, the IDRF has been used to perform a wide variety of impact tests on full-scale aircraft, airframe components, and space vehicles in support of the General Aviation (GA) aircraft industry, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the rotorcraft industry, and the NASA Space program. The objectives of this paper are twofold: to describe the IDRF facility and its unique capabilities for conducting structural impact testing, and to summarize the impact tests performed at the IDRF in support of the DOD. These tests cover a time period of roughly 2 1/2 decades, beginning in 1975 with the full-scale crash test of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, and ending in 1999 with the external fuel system qualification test of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. NASA officially closed the IDRF in September 2003; consequently, it is important to document the past contributions made in improved human survivability and impact tolerance through DOD-sponsored research performed at the IDRF.

Jackson, Karen E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Studying Turbulence Using Numerical Simulation Databases: Proceedings of the Summer Program - No. 7

The Seventh Summer Program of the Center for Turbulence Research took place in the four-week period, July 5 to July 31, 1998. This was the largest CTR Summer Program to date, involving thirty-six participants from the U. S. and nine other countries. Thirty-one Stanford and NASA-Ames staff members facilitated and contributed to most of the Summer projects. A new feature, and perhaps a preview of the future programs, was that many of the projects were executed on non-NASA computers. These included supercomputers located in Europe as well as those operated by the Departments of Defense and Energy in the United States. In addition, several simulation programs developed by the visiting participants at their home institutions were used. Another new feature was the prevalence of lap-top personal computers which were used by several participants to carry out some of the work that in the past were performed on desk-top workstations. We expect these trends to continue as computing power is enhanced and as more researchers (many of whom CTR alumni) use numerical simulations to study turbulent flows. CTR's main role continues to be in providing a forum for the study of turbulence for engineering analysis and in facilitating intellectual exchange among the leading researchers in the field. Once again the combustion group was the largest. Turbulent combustion has enjoyed remarkable progress in using simulations to address increasingly complex and practically more relevant questions. The combustion group's studies included such challenging topics as fuel evaporation, soot chemistry, and thermonuclear reactions. The latter study was one of three projects related to the Department of Energy's ASCI Program (www.llnl.gov/asci); the other two (rocket propulsion and fire safety) were carried out in the turbulence modeling group. The flow control and acoustics group demonstrated a successful application of the so-called evolution algorithms which actually led to a previously unknown forcing strategy for jets yielding increased spreading rate. A very efficient algorithm for flow in complex geometries with moving boundaries based on the immersed boundary forcing technique was tested with very encouraging results. Also a new strategy for the destruction of aircraft trailing vortices was introduced and tested. The Reynolds Averaged Modeling (RANS) group demonstrated that the elliptic relaxation concept for RANS calculations is also applicable to transonic flows with shocks; however, prediction of laminar/turbulent transition remains an important pacing item. A large fraction of the LES effort was devoted to the development and testing of a new algorithmic procedure (as opposed to phenomenological model) for subgrid scale modeling based on regularized de-filtering of the flow variables. This appears to be a very promising approach, and a significant effort is currently underway to assess its robustness in high Reynolds number flows and in conjunction with numerical methods for complex flows. As part of the Summer Program two review tutorials were given on Turbulent structures in hydrocarbon pool fires (Sheldon Tieszen), and Turbulent combustion modeling: from RANS to LES via DNS (Luc Vervisch); and two seminars entitled Assessment of turbulence models for engineering applications (Paul Durbin) and Subgrid-scale modeling for non-premixed, turbulent reacting flows (James Riley) were presented. A number of colleagues from universities, government agencies, and industry attended the final presentations of the participants on July 31 and participated in the discussions. There are twenty-six papers in this volume grouped in five areas. Each group is preceded with an overview by its coordinator.

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NASA NTRS1986

Overview of the 1986 free-piston Stirling activities at NASA Lewis Research Center

An overview of the NASA Lewis Research Center's free-piston Stirling engine research is presented, including efforts to improve and advance its design for use in specific space power applications. These efforts are a part of the SP-100 program being conducted to support the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA. Such efforts include: (1) the testing and improvement of 25 kWe Stirling Space Power Demonstrator Engine (SPDE); (2) the preliminary design of 25 kWe single-cylinder Experimental stirling Space Engine (ESSE); and, (3) a study to determine the feasibility of scaling a single-cylinder free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternator to 150 kWe. Other NASA Lewis free-piston Stirling engine activities will be described, directed toward the advancement of general free-piston Stirling engine technology and its application in specific terrestrial applications. One such effort, supported by DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DRNL), is the development of a free-piston Stirling engine which produces hydraulic power. Finally, a terrestrial solar application involving a conceptual design of a 25 kWe Solar Advanced Stirling Conversion System (ASCS) capable of delivering power to an electric utility grid will be discussed. The latter work is supported by DOE/Sandia National Laboratory (SNLA).

Alger, Donald L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An assessment of space shuttle flight software development processes

In early 1991, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Office of Space Flight commissioned the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) of the National Research Council (NRC) to investigate the adequacy of the current process by which NASA develops and verifies changes and updates to the Space Shuttle flight software. The Committee for Review of Oversight Mechanisms for Space Shuttle Flight Software Processes was convened in Jan. 1992 to accomplish the following tasks: (1) review the entire flight software development process from the initial requirements definition phase to final implementation, including object code build and final machine loading; (2) review and critique NASA's independent verification and validation process and mechanisms, including NASA's established software development and testing standards; (3) determine the acceptability and adequacy of the complete flight software development process, including the embedded validation and verification processes through comparison with (1) generally accepted industry practices, and (2) generally accepted Department of Defense and/or other government practices (comparing NASA's program with organizations and projects having similar volumes of software development, software maturity, complexity, criticality, lines of code, and national standards); (4) consider whether independent verification and validation should continue. An overview of the study, independent verification and validation of critical software, and the Space Shuttle flight software development process are addressed. Findings and recommendations are presented.

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NASA NTRS1999

Evaluation of Carburized and Ground Face Gears

Experimental durability tests were performed on carburized and ground AIS19310 steel face gears. The tests were in support of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Technology Reinvestment Program (TRP) to enhance face-gear technology. The tests were conducted in the NASA Glenn spiral-bevel-gear/face-gear test facility. Tests were run at 2300 rpm face gear speed and at loads of 64, 76, 88, 100, and 112-percent of the design torque of 377 N-m (3340 in-lb). The carburized and ground face gears demonstrated the required durability when run for ten-million cycles at each of the applied loads. Proper installation was critical for the successful operation of the spur pinions and face gears. A large amount of backlash produced tooth contact patterns that approached the inner-diameter edge of the face-gear tooth. Low backlash produced tooth contact patterns that approached the outer-diameter edge of the face-gear tooth. Measured backlashes in the range of 0.178 to 0.254 mm (0.007 to 0.010 in) produced acceptable tooth contact patterns.

Lewicki, David G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Interim Control Module Extraction Strut Assembly

The Interim Control Module is a propulsion and attitude control module for the International Space Station developed to serve as a replacement for the Russian Service Module in the event that Russia does not deliver the hardware as expected. The hardware was developed through a joint NASA/Naval Research Laboratory program and is based on a Department of Defense payload. This paper discusses the development and testing of the Extraction Strut hardware that will be used to assist in removing the Interim Control Module from the Shuttle's payload bay.

Hansen, Chris↗
NASA NTRS2002

Development of Face Gear Technology for Industrial and Aerospace Power Transmission

Tests of a 250 horsepower proof-of-concept (POC) split torque face gear transmission were completed by The Boeing Company in Mesa, Arizona, while working under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Technology Reinvestment Program (TRP) This report provides a summary of these cooperative tests, which were jointly funded by Boeing and DARPA Design, manufacture and testing of the scaled-power TRP split torque gearbox followed preliminary evaluations of the concept performed early in the program The testing demonstrated the theory of operation for the concentric, tapered face gear assembly The results showed that the use of floating pinions in a concentric face gear arrangement produces a nearly even torque split The POC split torque tests determined that, with some improvements, face gears can be applied effectively in a split torque configuration which yields significant weight, cost and reliability improvements over conventional designs.

Heath, Gregory F.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Torque Splitting by a Concentric Face Gear Transmission

Tests of a 167 Kilowatt (224 Horsepower) split torque face gearbox were performed by the Boeing Company in Mesa, Arizona, while working under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Technology Reinvestment Program (TRP). This paper provides a summary of these cooperative tests, which were jointly funded by Boeing and DARPA. Design, manufacture and testing of the scaled-power TRP proof-of-concept (POC) split torque gearbox followed preliminary evaluations of the concept performed early in the program. The split torque tests were run using 200 N-m (1767 in-lbs) torque input to each side of the transmission. During tests, two input pinions were slow rolled while in mesh with the two face gears. Two idler gears were also used in the configuration to recombine torque near the output. Resistance was applied at the output face gear to create the required loading conditions in the gear teeth. A system of weights, pulleys and cables were used in the test rig to provide both the input and output loading. Strain gages applied in the tooth root fillets provided strain indication used to determine torque splitting conditions at the input pinions. The final two pinion-two idler tests indicated 52% to 48% average torque split capabilities for the two pinions. During the same tests, a 57% to 43% average distribution of the torque being recombined to the upper face gear from the lower face gear was measured between the two idlers. The POC split torque tests demonstrated that face gears can be applied effectively in split torque rotorcraft transmissions, yielding good potential for significant weight, cost and reliability improvements over existing equipment using spiral bevel gearing.

Filler, Robert R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Utilization of Internet Protocol-Based Voice Systems in Remote Payload Operations

Due to limited crew availability to support science and the large number of experiments to be operated simultaneously, telescience is key to a successful International Space Station (ISS) science program. Crew, operations personnel at NASA centers, and researchers at universities and companies around the world must work closely together to per orm scientific experiments on-board ISS. The deployment of reliable high-speed Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks promises to greatly enhance telescience capabilities. These networks are now being used to cost-effectively extend the reach of remote mission support systems. They reduce the need for dedicated leased lines and travel while improving distributed workgroup collaboration capabilities. NASA has initiated use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to supplement the existing mission voice communications system used by researchers at their remote sites. The Internet Voice Distribution System (IVoDS) connects remote researchers to mission support "loopsll or conferences via NASA networks and Internet 2. Researchers use NODS software on personal computers to talk with operations personnel at NASA centers. IVoDS also has the ;capability, if authorized, to allow researchers to communicate with the ISS crew during experiment operations. NODS was developed by Marshall Space Flight Center with contractors & Technology, First Virtual Communications, Lockheed-Martin, and VoIP Group. NODS is currently undergoing field-testing with full deployment for up to 50 simultaneous users expected in 2002. Research is being performed in parallel with IVoDS deployment for a next-generation system to qualitatively enhance communications among ISS operations personnel. In addition to the current voice capability, video and data/application-sharing capabilities are being investigated. IVoDS technology is also being considered for mission support systems for programs such as Space Launch Initiative and Homeland Defense.

Chamberlain, jim↗
NASA NTRS2006

Predicting the Effects of Test Media in Ground-Based Propulsion Testing

This paper discusses the progress of work which began in mid-2004 sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Test & Evaluation/Science & Technology (T&E/S&T) Program. The purpose of the work is to improve the state of the art of CFD capabilities for predicting the effects of the test media on the flameholding characteristics in scramjet engines. The program has several components including the development of advance algorithms and models for simulating engine flowpaths as well as a fundamental experimental and diagnostic development effort to support the formulation and validation of the mathematical models. The paper will provide details of current work involving the development of phenomenological models for Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes codes, large-eddy simulation techniques and reduced-kinetics models. Experiments that will provide data for the modeling efforts will also be described, along with with the associated nonintrusive diagnostics used to collect the data.

Drummond, J. Philip↗