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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of advanced engines for parabolic dish solar thermal power plants

A paraboloidal dish solar thermal power plant produces electrical energy by a two-step conversion process. The collector subsystem is composed of a two-axis tracking paraboloidal concentrator and a cavity receiver. The concentrator focuses intercepted sunlight (direct, normal insolation) into a cavity receiver whose aperture encircles the focal point of the concentrator. At the internal wall of the receiver the electromagnetic radiation is converted to thermal energy. A heat engine/generator assembly then converts the thermal energy captured by the receiver to electricity. Developmental activity has been concentrated on small power modules which employ 11- to 12-meter diameter dishes to generate nominal power levels of approximately 20 kWe. A comparison of advanced heat engines for the dish power module is presented in terms of the performance potential of each engine with its requirements for advanced technology development. Three advanced engine possibilities are the Brayton (gas turbine), Brayton/Rankine combined cycle, and Stirling engines.

Fujita, T.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Prediction of longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of STOL configurations with externally blown high lift devices

A theoretical method has been developed to predict the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of engine-wing-flap combinations with externally blown flaps (EBF) and upper surface blowing (USB) high lift devices. Potential flow models of the lifting surfaces and the jet wake are combined to calculate the induced interference of the engine wakes on the lifting surfaces. The engine wakes may be circular, elliptic, or rectangular cross-sectional jets, and the lifting surfaces are comprised of a wing with multiple-slotted trailing-edge flaps or a deflected trailing-edge Coanda surface. Results are presented showing comparisons of measured and predicted forces, pitching moments, span-load distributions, and flow fields.

Mendenhall, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

THRSTER: A Three-Stream Ejector Ramjet Analysis and Design Tool

An engineering tool for analyzing ejectors in rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) engines has been developed. A key technology for multi-cycle RBCC propulsion systems is the ejector which functions as the compression stage of the ejector ramjet cycle. The THRee STream Ejector Ramjet analysis tool was developed to analyze the complex aerothermodynamic and combustion processes that occur in this device. The formulated model consists of three quasi-one-dimensional streams, one each for the ejector primary flow, the secondary flow, and the mixed region. The model space marches through the mixer, combustor, and nozzle to evaluate the solution along the engine. In its present form, the model is intended for an analysis mode in which the diffusion rates of the primary and secondary into the mixed stream are stipulated. The model offers the ability to analyze the highly two-dimensional ejector flowfield while still benefits from the simplicity and speed of an engineering tool. To validate the developed code, wall static pressure measurements from the Penn-State and NASA-ART RBCC experiments were used to compare with the results generated by the code. The calculated solutions were generally found to have satisfactory agreement with the pressure measurements along the engines, although further modeling effort may be required when a strong shock train is formed at the rocket exhaust. The range of parameters in which the code would generate valid results are presented and discussed.

Chue, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2000

THRSTER: A THRee-STream Ejector Ramjet Analysis and Design Tool

An engineering tool for analyzing ejectors in rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) engines has been developed. A key technology for multi-cycle RBCC propulsion systems is the ejector which functions as the compression stage of the ejector ramjet cycle. The THRee STream Ejector Ramjet analysis tool was developed to analyze the complex aerothermodynamic and combustion processes that occur in this device. The formulated model consists of three quasi-one-dimensional streams, one each for the ejector primary flow, the secondary flow, and the mixed region. The model space marches through the mixer, combustor, and nozzle to evaluate the solution along the engine. In its present form, the model is intended for an analysis mode in which the diffusion rates of the primary and secondary into the mixed stream are stipulated. The model offers the ability to analyze the highly two-dimensional ejector flowfield while still benefits from the simplicity and speed of an engineering tool. To validate the developed code, wall static pressure measurements from the Penn-State and NASA-ART RBCC experiments were used to compare with the results generated by the code. The calculated solutions were generally found to have satisfactory agreement with the pressure measurements along the engines, although further modeling effort may be required when a strong shock train is formed at the rocket exhaust. The range of parameters in which the code would generate valid results are presented and discussed.

Chue, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Visible-Infrared Hyperspectral Image Projector

The VisIR HIP generates spatially-spectrally complex scenes. The generated scenes simulate real-world targets viewed by various remote sensing instruments. The VisIR HIP consists of two subsystems: a spectral engine and a spatial engine. The spectral engine generates spectrally complex uniform illumination that spans the wavelength range between 380 nm and 1,600 nm. The spatial engine generates two-dimensional gray-scale scenes. When combined, the two engines are capable of producing two-dimensional scenes with a unique spectrum at each pixel. The VisIR HIP can be used to calibrate any spectrally sensitive remote-sensing instrument. Tests were conducted on the Wide-field Imaging Interferometer Testbed at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center. The device is a variation of the calibrated hyperspectral image projector developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD. It uses Gooch & Housego Visible and Infrared OL490 Agile Light Sources to generate arbitrary spectra. The two light sources are coupled to a digital light processing (DLP(TradeMark)) digital mirror device (DMD) that serves as the spatial engine. Scenes are displayed on the DMD synchronously with desired spectrum. Scene/spectrum combinations are displayed in rapid succession, over time intervals that are short compared to the integration time of the system under test.

Bolcar, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS1991

Knowledge-based decision support for Space Station assembly sequence planning

A complete Personal Analysis Assistant (PAA) for Space Station Freedom (SSF) assembly sequence planning consists of three software components: the system infrastructure, intra-flight value added, and inter-flight value added. The system infrastructure is the substrate on which software elements providing inter-flight and intra-flight value-added functionality are built. It provides the capability for building representations of assembly sequence plans and specification of constraints and analysis options. Intra-flight value-added provides functionality that will, given the manifest for each flight, define cargo elements, place them in the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) cargo bay, compute performance measure values, and identify violated constraints. Inter-flight value-added provides functionality that will, given major milestone dates and capability requirements, determine the number and dates of required flights and develop a manifest for each flight. The current project is Phase 1 of a projected two phase program and delivers the system infrastructure. Intra- and inter-flight value-added were to be developed in Phase 2, which has not been funded. Based on experience derived from hundreds of projects conducted over the past seven years, ISX developed an Intelligent Systems Engineering (ISE) methodology that combines the methods of systems engineering and knowledge engineering to meet the special systems development requirements posed by intelligent systems, systems that blend artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies with more conventional computing technologies. The ISE methodology defines a phased program process that begins with an application assessment designed to provide a preliminary determination of the relative technical risks and payoffs associated with a potential application, and then moves through requirements analysis, system design, and development.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2020

Making coal relevant for small scale applications: Modular gasification for syngas/engine CHP applications in challenging environments

Small-scale coal gasification technology, coupled to a reciprocating engine generator, has the potential for making coal a cost competitive resource for meeting the flexible energy needs and resiliency requirements of utilities across the United States. To maintain grid stability and reliability, electrical generation must be regulated to match the load at the proper voltage and frequency. With the expansion of intermittent sources into the grid, such as wind and solar, frequency and voltage regulation become increasingly important and challenging. This work presents the results of a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) effort to detail the engineering and preliminary economics of a small-scale, air blown, fixed-bed gasification process, operating at near-atmospheric pressure, with gas cleanup to provide syngas and pyrolysis liquid fuels for use in reciprocating engine generators for combined heat and power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. A very detailed assessment of capital and operating costs allows the evaluation of a levelized cost of electricity of 208.06 $/MWh, which can be reduced through the selling of by-products (steam for heating purposes and pyrolysis liquids to be used for power generation in an existing diesel engine). Here, a combined sensitivity analysis, based on the Monte Carlo approach, has been carried out to evaluate the effects of the uncertainties (capital and operating costs and plant annual availability) on the LCOE.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2020

Engineering transformation pathways in an Al 0.3 CoFeNi complex concentrated alloy leads to excellent strength–ductility combination

Guided by thermodynamic modeling, engineering phase transformation pathways via thermo-mechanical processing, in a complex concentrated alloy/high entropy alloy (HEA) of composition Al 0.3 CoFeNi, lead to a novel multi-scale microstructure consisting of fine-scale FCC + L1 2 grains mixed with B2 + BCC grains. The two-step pathway comprises initial decomposition of the parent single-phase FCC to form a fine-grained FCC + B2 microstructure, which further decomposes in the second step into the complex four-phase mixture, exhibiting an excellent combination of tensile yield stress of ~1490 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of ~1663 MPa, with a good ductility of ~12% at room temperature. This paper reports a novel multi-phase microstructure in a HEA/CCA similar to the microstructure observed in dual-phase stainless steel. This report exemplifies the novelty of HEA/CCA compositional space.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Engineering Computational Practices (Rev. 1)

This manual will attempt to motivate the use of an automated build system for the purposes of computational science and engineering. As part of this motivation, the surrounding computational practices of version control, documen tation, compute environment management, and regression testing will also be addressed as applied to the practice of computational engineering. Specifically, this manual intends to motivate the adoption of these traditional software engineering practices for use in research and production engineering simulation projects. This manual is not the first such effort in the greater scientific computing community. In fact, the authors relied heavily on the lesson plans of the Software Carpentry, established to teach computing skills to researchers in 1998. As the intention for this manual is to lay out fundamental practices of engineering computing, it will not attempt to fully teach the underlying concepts and will instead reference the well designed lesson plans of the Software Carpentry. Where possible, this manual will explain to general computing practices and concepts and limit discussion of specific software implementations to examples or vehicles for practice in concrete application. The specific software taught by the Software Carpentry curriculum is an excellent starting point to learn the core concepts of computational engi neering. However, the authors have found that applications to engineering simulation and analysis require translation of these software development concepts into the language and workflows of computational engineers. Adopting these computational tools may require engineers to re-imagine their workflows in some combination of traditional engineer ing and software concepts. It has also been necessary to extend existing software build systems for engineering practices beyond the simple wrap ping of engineering software execution. Where necessary, examples of specific software and their method of extension to engineering simulations will be given, with reference to the User Manual for recommended practical use. Where this manual relies on specific implementation examples, it should be understood that the practicing engineer may find that different software is more amenable to their specific work. It is always the overall collection of computational practices is more important than any specific software implementation. The ability to recognize which concepts are implemented by a software package will make a practicing engineer agile to changing project needs, computing resources, numeric solvers, programming languages, and even available funding.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2002

Testing Facility Uncertainty Analyses for RBCC Systems Testing

The Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine is expected to evolve based upon past combined-cycle propulsion test experience/data and new extensive test data. Currently, it is envisioned that a portion of the component and system testing will be pursued at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC). To realize the greatest benefit of the test data, uncertainty analyses are being performed on the relevant RBCC components and systems to be tested at NASA SSC to ascertain the needed measurement requirements. These studies pertain to the existing E-Complex test stands as well as a new facility, E-4. This paper describes the approach used in the studies and gives examples to demonstrate the approach and the usefulness of the results. Future work will greatly increase the reliability of the test data while minimizing costs by focusing expenditures in the proper areas that are critical to program success and not allowing resources to be wasted in areas that are not significant relative to overall program goals.

Hudson, Susan T.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of the General Aviation Synthesis Program Using Python to Enable Optimization-Based Hybrid-Propulsion Aircraft Design

In support of Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstrator and Advanced Air Transport Technologies programs at NASA, engineers at NASA Ames and NASA Glenn Research Centers have developed a new tool for coupled engine and airframe optimization and analysis. The new tool combines the engineering-level analysis methods of the FORTRAN General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) with the OpenMDAO framework to handle highly coupled problems that legacy tools struggle to optimize. The tool has been verified to match GASP with good agreement on a 737 MAX8 baseline vehicle closure problem, and preliminary efforts have been made to integrate the pyCycle thermodynamic cycle analysis tool for electrified engine optimization in the context of a vehicle optimization problem.

Kenneth R. Lyons↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of the General Aviation Synthesis Program Using Python to Enable Optimization-Based Hybrid-Propulsion Aircraft Design

In support of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstrator and Advanced Air Transport Technologies projects at NASA, a new tool has been developed at NASA’s Ames and Glenn Research Centers to enable coupled engine and airframe optimization and analysis. The new tool combines the engineering-level analysis methods and empirical models of the FORTRAN General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) with the Python-based OpenMDAO framework to provide a modular framework for efficient gradient-based optimization with the aim of incorporating new subsystem models for unconventional configurations. The tool has been verified against GASP analyses of several aircraft models and mission formulations. Preliminary efforts have been made to integrate pyCycle, a thermodynamic cycle analysis tool, to enable simultaneous optimization of hybrid propulsion system and vehicle parameters while taking full mission performance and constraints into account. This will improve current capabilities to assess impacts of electrified powertrain technologies on future aircraft designs.

Kenneth R. Lyons↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of the General Aviation Synthesis Program Using Python to Enable Optimization-Based Hybrid-Propulsion Aircraft Design

In support of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstrator and Advanced Air Transport Technologies projects at NASA, a new tool has been developed at NASA's Ames and Glenn Research Centers to enable coupled engine and airframe optimization and analysis. The new tool combines the engineering-level analysis methods and empirical models of the FORTRAN General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) with the Python-based OpenMDAO framework to provide a modular framework for efficient gradient-based optimization with the aim of incorporating new subsystem models for unconventional configurations. The tool has been verified against GASP analyses of several aircraft models and mission formulations. Preliminary efforts have been made to integrate pyCycle, a thermodynamic cycle analysis tool, to enable simultaneous optimization of hybrid propulsion system and vehicle parameters while taking full mission performance and constraints into account. This will improve current capabilities to assess impacts of electrified powertrain technologies on future aircraft designs.

Kenneth R Lyons↗
NASA NTRS1991

Near-term, 100-kW class ion engines

A design approach for large area, high power ion engines is presented. This approach conceptually divides a single engine into a combination of smaller discharge chambers (or segments) configured to operate as a single large area engine. This segmented ion thruster (SIT) approach is shown to enable the immediate development of 100-kW class argon ion engines for operation at a specific impulse of 10,000 s. A combination of six 30-cm diameter ion chambers operating as a single engine can process over 100 kW. Such a segmented ion engine could be built today and would operate from a single power processor unit. The segmented engine design approach may also enable the development of megawatt class ion engines. Potential benefits of the segmented ion thruster design include: mitigation of the span-to-gap problem central to the development of large area, high power ion engines; reduction in hollow cathode emission current requirements; improved fault tolerance; and reduced vacuum system pumping speed requirements for engine development testing.

Brophy, John R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Segmented ion thruster

Apparatus and methods for large-area, high-power ion engines comprise dividing a single engine into a combination of smaller discharge chambers (or segments) configured to operate as a single large-area engine. This segmented ion thruster (SIT) approach enables the development of 100-kW class argon ion engines for operation at a specific impulse of 10,000 s. A combination of six 30-cm diameter ion chambers operating as a single engine can process over 100 kW. Such a segmented ion engine can be operated from a single power processor unit.

Brophy, John R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A US History of Airbreathing/Rocket Combined-Cycle (RBCC) Propulsion for Powering Future Aerospace Transports, with a Look Ahead to the Year 2020

A technohistorical and forward-planning overview of U.S. developments in combined airbreathing/rocket propulsion for advanced aerospace vehicle applications is presented. Such system approaches fall into one of two categories: (1) Combination propulsion systems (separate, non-interacting engines installed), and (2) Combined-Cycle systems. The latter, and main subject, comprises a large family of closely integrated engine types, made up of both airbreathing and rocket derived subsystem hardware. A single vehicle-integrated, multimode engine results, one capable of operating efficiently over a very wide speed and altitude range, atmospherically and in space. While numerous combination propulsion systems have reached operational flight service, combined-cycle propulsion development, initiated ca. 1960, remains at the subscale ground-test engine level of development. However, going beyond combination systems, combined-cycle propulsion potentially offers a compelling set of new and unique capabilities. These capabilities are seen as enabling ones for the evolution of Spaceliner class aerospace transportation systems. The following combined-cycle hypersonic engine developments are reviewed: (1) RENE (rocket engine nozzle ejector), (2) Cryojet and LACE, (3) Ejector Ramjet and its derivatives, (4) the seminal NASA NAS7-377 study, (5) Air Force/Marquardt Hypersonic Ramjet, (6) Air Force/Lockheed-Marquardt Incremental Scramjet flight-test project, (7) NASA/Garrett Hypersonic Research Engine (HRE), (8) National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), (9) all past projects; and such current and planned efforts as (10) the NASA ASTP-ART RBCC project, (11) joint CIAM/NASA DNSCRAM flight test,(12) Hyper-X, (13) Trailblazer,( 14) W-Vehicle and (15) Spaceliner 100. Forward planning programmatic incentives, and the estimated timing for an operational Spaceliner powered by combined-cycle engines are discussed.

Escher, William J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Heat-transfer and surface-pressure measurements for the SSME fuel-side turbopump turbine

Detailed heat flux and surface pressure distribution on the first-stage vane and blade of the Space Shuttle Main Engine fuel side turbopump turbine are examined. The specific turbine being utilized for the study is a combination of actual engine hardware and reproduced hardware consistent with that being used at NASA-Marshall for the initial measurements in their newly constructed blow-down turbine test facility. The facility is of the short duration shock tunnel variety, which permits use of thin film thermometers which are used to measure the surface temperature histories at prescribed locations on the turbine component parts. Heat flux values are then inferred from the temperature histories using standard data reduction procedures. The measurement program is described in detail.

Dunn, Michael G.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study for a Carbon Capture Plant Retrofit to a Natural Gas-Fired Gas Turbine Combined Cycle Power Plant

A comprehensive front-end engineering design (FEED) study has been undertaken for a post-combustion capture (PCC) unit located at Panda’s Sherman natural gas–combined cycle (NGCC) power plant in Sherman, Texas. This is described in a full and unredacted FEED study report with all supporting documents, numbering over 150, also publicly available.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗