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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
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing Biomass Productivity by Forecast‐Informed Pond Operations

ABSTRACT Microalgal cultivation for biofuels and proteins holds significant promise but faces challenges in achieving economically viable biomass productivity under variable environmental conditions. This study introduces a forecast‐informed pond operation (FIPO) system that uses numerical weather prediction (NWP) ensemble forecasts and the biomass assessment tool (BAT) to optimize daily dilution rates for enhanced biomass production. In contrast to the current practice, where fixed dilution rates are based on operator experience, the FIPO system determines the optimal dilution rate based on future weather forecasts and biomass growth conditions. Our experiments validate the effectiveness of FIPO in both short‐ and long‐term growth scenarios. In short‐term experiments, FIPO increased biomass production by 21.3% compared to batch growth and 7.4% over fixed dilution (60% every 3 days) operations. The NWP forecast‐informed operations achieved biomass production nearly identical to that using perfect weather forecasts, highlighting the accuracy of current NWP forecasts for guiding pond operations. In long‐term experiments, FIPO resulted in biomass production increases of 13.3% and 17.8% compared to two fixed dilution rates (60% every 3 days and 20% daily). These findings underscore the viability of using NWP forecasts to optimize microalgal cultivation systems. By adjusting daily dilution rates in response to forecasted weather, operators can achieve higher biomass yields and mitigate risks associated with environmental variability. This study provides a foundation for future research and practical applications in commercial‐scale microalgal production.

Yan, Hongxiang [Energy and Environment Directorate↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Virtual Project Management Challenge

Technical knowledge is essential to the work done by NASA practitioners. So it may be surprising to learn that the most ingenious and elegant solutions to project challenges often arise not from a specific technical discipline perspective, but from a systems-focused mindset. While technical discipline expertise is a critical component of project success, sometimes the simplest resolution to a problem involves a systems-wide solution. Because of this, encouraging a systems mentality among project team members can be a powerful tool in mitigating risk and eliminating threats. Join us for an exploration of the critical ways in which a systems engineering and integration perspective can enhance project management efforts. Presenter Bo Bejmuk is the former Space Shuttle Orbiter Program Director and manager of Sea Launch Program operations and development for Boeing. He recently served as Chairman of the Standing Review Board for the NASA Constellation Program. Moderator Ramien Pierre is from NASA's Academy for Program/Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL).

Bo Bejmuk↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lesson Learned

ASA will begin naming "a few hundred" engineers soon who will constitute the Independent. Technical Authority (ITA) recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to pro- vide an effective check and balance on space programs for safety. Within the next month, the directors of Johnson and Kennedy space centers will name "a couple of dozen at each place" to backstop human spaceflight engineers, according to Theron M. Bradley, Jr., NASA chief engineer. By the time the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, the ITA should be fully staffed across the agency, with a system of "warrants" delineating who is an expert in what. Overseeing the whole organization

Morring, Frank, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

User's operating procedures. Volume 3: Projects directorate information programs

A review of the user's operating procedures for the scout project automatic data system, called SPADS is presented. SPADS is the results of the past seven years of software development on a prime mini-computer. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross-reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. This volume, three of three, provides the instructions to operate the projects directorate information programs in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers.

Haris, C. G.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Center Planning and Development Student Engineer

This fall I was the Student Trainee (Engineering) Pathways Intern (co-op) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in the Center Planning Development (CPD) Directorate. CPD works with commercial companies who are interested using KSCs unique capabilities in spaceflight, spacecraft processing, ground systems and Research Development (RD) projects that fall in line with NASAs mission and goals. CPD is divided into four (4) groups: (1) AD-A, which works on the Master Planning for center, (2) AD-B (where I am), which works on project management and integration, (3) AD-C, which works on partnership development, and (4) AD-T, which works on the RD aspects of partnerships. CPDs main goal is to one day make KSC the worlds largest spaceport and maintain the center as a leader in space exploration. CPD is a very diverse group with employees having a wide knowledge of not only the Space Shuttle, but also that of the Apollo era. Our director of CPD, Scott Colloredo, is on the advisory board for Commercial Space Operations (CSO) and has a degree at ERAU. I worked on a number of different tasks for AD-B, as well as CPD, that includes, but not limited to: reviewing and reissuing engineering drawings from the Apollo and Shuttle eras, to supporting NASA rocket launches (MAVEN), and working on actual agreementsproposals that will be used in the partnership process with multiple partners. Most of the work I have done is sensitive information and cannot be disclosed.

engineering↗
NASA NTRS2015

Center Planning and Development Student Engineer at KSC

This summer I was the Student Trainee (Engineering) Pathways Intern (co-op) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in the Center Planning & Development (CPD) Directorate. CPD works with commercial companies who are interested in using KSC's unique capabilities for spaceflight, spacecraft processing, ground systems and Research & Development (R&D) projects that fall in line with NASA's Mission and Vision. CPD is divided into three (3) groups: (1) AD-A, which works on the Master Planning for the center, (2) AD-B (where I am), which works on project control, management and integration, and (3) AD-C, which works on partnership development. CPD's main goal is to make KSC the world's preeminent multi-user spaceport and maintain the center as a leader in space exploration. CPD is a very diverse group of employees having a wide knowledge of not only the Space Shuttle, but also Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV). The director of CPD, Scott Colloredo, is on the advisory board for Commercial Space Operations (CSO) and has a degree from ERAU. I worked on a number of different tasks for AD-B, as well as CPD, that includes, but not limited to: reviewing and reissuing engineering documents, weekly notes for CPD and senior management, engineering familiarizations with facilities at KSC, leading a tour for the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Career Services office, and working on actual agreements/proposals that will be used in the partnership process with multiple partners, along with other projects. Most of the work I have done is sensitive information and cannot be disclosed.

Engineer↗
NASA NTRS1977

Space Settlements: A Design Study

Nineteen professors of engineering, physical science, social science, and architecture, three volunteers, six students, a technical director, and two co-directors worked for ten weeks to construct a convincing picture of how people might permanently sustain life in space on a large scale, and to design a system for the colonization of space. Because the idea of colonizing space has awakened strong public interest, the document presented is written to be understood by the educated public and specialists in other fields. It also includes considerable background material. A table of units and conversion factors is included to aid the reader in interpreting the units of the metric system used in the report.

Richard D Johnson↗
NASA NTRS1997

Implementation of Insight Responsibilities in Process Engineering

This report describes an approach for evaluating flight readiness (COFR) and contractor performance evaluation (award fee) as part of the insight role of NASA Process Engineering at Kennedy Space Center. Several evaluation methods are presented, including systems engineering evaluations and use of systems performance data. The transition from an oversight function to the insight function is described. The types of analytical tools appropriate for achieving the flight readiness and contractor performance evaluation goals are described and examples are provided. Special emphasis is placed upon short and small run statistical quality control techniques. Training requirements for system engineers are delineated. The approach described herein would be equally appropriate in other directorates at Kennedy Space Center.

Osborne, Deborah M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Abort Flight Test Project Overview

A general overview of the Orion abort flight test is presented. The contents include: 1) Abort Flight Test Project Overview; 2) DFRC Exploration Mission Directorate; 3) Abort Flight Test; 4) Flight Test Configurations; 5) Flight Test Vehicle Engineering Office; 6) DFRC FTA Scope; 7) Flight Test Operations; 8) DFRC Ops Support; 9) Launch Facilities; and 10) Scope of Launch Abort Flight Test

Sitz, Joel↗
NASA NTRS2005

An Overview of the VHITAL Program: A Two-Stage Bismuth Fed Very High Specific Impulse Thruster with Anode Layer

The Very High Isp Thruster with Anode Layer (VHITAL) is a two stage Hall thruster program that is a part of NASA's Prometheus Program in NASA's New Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). It is a potentially viable low-cost alternative to ion engines for near-term NEP applications with the growth potential to support mid-term and far-term NEP missions... This paper will present an overview of the thruster fabrication, pre-existing TAL 160 demonstration, feed system development, lifetime assessment, contamination assessment, and mission study activities performed to date.

cathodes↗
NASA NTRS2015

Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) Independent Review

The Chief of the Space Science Project Office at Glenn Research Center (GRC) requested support from the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to satisfy a request from the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator and the Planetary Science Division Chief to obtain an independent review of the Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) and the operational controls in place for mitigating any hazard associated with its operation. This document contains the outcome of the NESC assessment.

Jankovsky, Robert S.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Assessment of Biocide Impacts on Life Support (LS) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Architectures

The Project Manager for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate’s Advanced Exploration Systems Life Support Systems (LSS) project, requested a NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) assessment to evaluate potable water system biocide options impacting Gateway, Human Lander Systems, Foundation Surface Habitat, and Exploration Command Module missions. The assessment focused on identifying feasible biocide options, evaluating the impacts of their implementation on crew health, extravehicular activity hardware, and LSS hardware, and conducting a trade on architecture options. This report contains the outcome of the NESC assessment.

Extravehicular Activity; Life Support; NASA Engine↗
NASA NTRS2009

Human Factors Interface with Systems Engineering for NASA Human Spaceflights

This paper summarizes the past and present successes of the Habitability and Human Factors Branch (HHFB) at NASA Johnson Space Center s Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) in including the Human-As-A-System (HAAS) model in many NASA programs and what steps to be taken to integrate the Human-Centered Design Philosophy (HCDP) into NASA s Systems Engineering (SE) process. The HAAS model stresses systems are ultimately designed for the humans; the humans should therefore be considered as a system within the systems. Therefore, the model places strong emphasis on human factors engineering. Since 1987, the HHFB has been engaging with many major NASA programs with much success. The HHFB helped create the NASA Standard 3000 (a human factors engineering practice guide) and the Human Systems Integration Requirements document. These efforts resulted in the HAAS model being included in many NASA programs. As an example, the HAAS model has been successfully introduced into the programmatic and systems engineering structures of the International Space Station Program (ISSP). Success in the ISSP caused other NASA programs to recognize the importance of the HAAS concept. Also due to this success, the HHFB helped update NASA s Systems Engineering Handbook in December 2007 to include HAAS as a recommended practice. Nonetheless, the HAAS model has yet to become an integral part of the NASA SE process. Besides continuing in integrating HAAS into current and future NASA programs, the HHFB will investigate incorporating the Human-Centered Design Philosophy (HCDP) into the NASA SE Handbook. The HCDP goes further than the HAAS model by emphasizing a holistic and iterative human-centered systems design concept.

Wong, Douglas T.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Selective Recovery of Critical Minerals from Simulated Electronic Wastes Via Reaction‐Diffusion Coupling

Abstract Atom‐ and energy‐efficient chemical separations are urgently needed to meet the surging demand for critical materials that has strained supply chains and threatened environmental damage. In this study, we used reaction‐diffusion coupling to separate iron, neodymium, and dysprosium ions from model feedstocks of permanent magnets, which are typically found in electronic wastes. Feedstock solutions were placed in contact with a hydrogel loaded with potassium hydroxide and/or dibutyl phosphate, resulting in complex precipitation patterns as the various metal ions diffused into the reaction medium. Specifically, we observed the precipitation of up to 40 mM of iron from the feedstock, followed by the enrichment of 73 % dysprosium, and the extraction of >95 % neodymium product at a further distance from the solution‐gel interface. We designed a series of experiments and simulations to determine the relevant ion diffusivities, D Nd =5.4×10 −10 and D Dy =5.1×10 −10 m 2 /s, and precipitation rates, k Nd =1.0×10 −5 and k Dy =5.0×10 −3 m 9 mol −3 s −1 , which enabled a numerical model to be established for predicting the distribution of products in the reaction medium. Our proof‐of‐concept study validates reaction‐diffusion coupling as an effective and versatile approach for critical materials separations, without relying on ligands, membranes, resins, or other specialty chemicals.

Wang, Qingpu [Physical and Computational Sciences ↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space-based Science Operations Grid Prototype

Grid technology is the up and coming technology that is enabling widely disparate services to be offered to users that is very economical, easy to use and not available on a wide basis. Under the Grid concept disparate organizations generally defined as "virtual organizations" can share services i.e. sharing discipline specific computer applications, required to accomplish the specific scientific and engineering organizational goals and objectives. Grids are emerging as the new technology of the future. Grid technology has been enabled by the evolution of increasingly high speed networking. Without the evolution of high speed networking Grid technology would not have emerged. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Flight Projects Directorate, Ground Systems Department is developing a Space-based Science Operations Grid prototype to provide to scientists and engineers the tools necessary to operate space-based science payloads/experiments and for scientists to conduct public and educational outreach. In addition Grid technology can provide new services not currently available to users. These services include mission voice and video, application sharing, telemetry management and display, payload and experiment commanding, data mining, high order data processing, discipline specific application sharing and data storage, all from a single grid portal. The Prototype will provide most of these services in a first step demonstration of integrated Grid and space-based science operations technologies. It will initially be based on the International Space Station science operational services located at the Payload Operations Integration Center at MSFC, but can be applied to many NASA projects including free flying satellites and future projects. The Prototype will use the Internet2 Abilene Research and Education Network that is currently a 10 Gb backbone network to reach the University of Alabama at Huntsville and several other, as yet unidentified, Space Station based science experimenters. There is an international aspect to the Grid involving the America's Pathway (AMPath) network, the Chilean REUNA Research and Education Network and the University of Chile in Santiago that will further demonstrate how extensive these services can be used. From the user's perspective, the Prototype will provide a single interface and logon to these varied services without the complexity of knowing the where's and how's of each service. There is a separate and deliberate emphasis on security. Security will be addressed by specifically outlining the different approaches and tools used. Grid technology, unlike the Internet, is being designed with security in mind. In addition we will show the locations, configurations and network paths associated with each service and virtual organization. We will discuss the separate virtual organizations that we define for the varied user communities. These will include certain, as yet undetermined, space-based science functions and/or processes and will include specific virtual organizations required for public and educational outreach and science and engineering collaboration. We will also discuss the Grid Prototype performance and the potential for further Grid applications both space-based and ground based projects and processes. In this paper and presentation we will detail each service and how they are integrated using Grid

Bradford, Robert N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A new systems engineering approach to streamlined science and mission operations for the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE)

The Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate (MO&DSD, Code 500), the Space Sciences Directorate (Code 600), and the Flight Projects Directorate (Code 400) have developed a new approach to combine the science and mission operations for the FUSE mission. FUSE, the last of the Delta-class Explorer missions, will obtain high resolution far ultraviolet spectra (910 - 1220 A) of stellar and extragalactic sources to study the evolution of galaxies and conditions in the early universe. FUSE will be launched in 2000 into a 24-hour highly eccentric orbit. Science operations will be conducted in real time for 16-18 hours per day, in a manner similar to the operations performed today for the International Ultraviolet Explorer. In a radical departure from previous missions, the operations concept combines spacecraft and science operations and data processing functions in a single facility to be housed in the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics (Code 680). A small missions operations team will provide the spacecraft control, telescope operations and data handling functions in a facility designated as the Science and Mission Operations Center (SMOC). This approach will utilize the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) architecture for both spacecraft and instrument commanding. Other concepts of integrated operations being developed by the Code 500 Renaissance Project will also be employed for the FUSE SMOC. The primary objective of this approach is to reduce development and mission operations costs. The operations concept, integration of mission and science operations, and extensive use of existing hardware and software tools will decrease both development and operations costs extensively. This paper describes the FUSE operations concept, discusses the systems engineering approach used for its development, and the software, hardware and management tools that will make its implementation feasible.

Butler, Madeline J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Reaching for the APEX at Ames

The multidimensional design of the APEX program is the result of an extensive research and development effort dating back nearly a decade. "In the late 1990s and early 2000, we were pretty successful at getting new research and technology projects here at the center," Johnson says, "and we had a lack of critical mass of project managers. We were taking people who were primarily researchers and putting them in the position of managing projects." Smith and Johnson held a series of workshops across the center during 2000 and 2001 to gather feedback about how to address this issue. When they briefed the center's senior management on their findings, one of the top recommendations was to establish a project manager development program at Ames. At that point, they cast a wide net for ideas and information. "We did centerwide needs assessment, we did focus groups, we did surveys," Smith says. "We came up with a proposal for what a program would look like, tying in what we knew about the Academy of Program1 Project Leadership (now the Academy for Program/Project and Engineering Leadership, or APPEL), what we've seen at other centers, what other centers have tried. We were always checking to make sure our program mapped to APPEL. We also looked at the PMI [Project Management Institute] model, INCOSE [International Council on Systems Engineering], CMMI [Capability Maturity Model Integration], you name it." "We had a lot of conversations with the Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard," Johnson adds. "We saw those centers as models for what Ames was aspiring to be in terms of a center for managing space flight missions." Their research confirmed what they already knew-that strong practitioner involvement would be critical to their program design process. 'XPEX is for the practitioner by the practitioner," Smith says. "They have to be a part of designing it. Otherwise there's no way we could design a program that meets their needs." At the same time that they worked at the grassroots level, they also solicited feedback from the center's senior management. "We recognized that in order for anything to succeed here, we needed to have a champion at the center management level," Johnson said. "You have to have champions, and you have to listen to what the senior managers are saying. They have their own ideas." In the case of APEX, one of those ideas fundamentally reshaped the program. "When we originally started, it was a project management development program," Johnson says, "but in our meeting with our center director, he said, 'Project management is important, but we also need to strengthen our systems engineering.' So we basically added that component to the program based on what he wanted."

Kohut, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS1975

Motion-base simulator study of control of an externally blown flap STOL transport aircraft after failure of an outboard engine during landing approach

A moving-base simulator investigation of the problems of recovery and landing of a STOL aircraft after failure of an outboard engine during final approach was made. The approaches were made at 75 knots along a 6 deg glide slope. The engine was failed at low altitude and the option to go around was not allowed. The aircraft was simulated with each of three control systems, and it had four high-bypass-ratio fan-jet engines exhausting against large triple-slotted wing flaps to produce additional lift. A virtual-image out-the-window television display of a simulated STOL airport was operating during part of the investigation. Also, a simple heads-up flight director display superimposed on the airport landing scene was used by the pilots to make some of the recoveries following an engine failure. The results of the study indicated that the variation in visual cues and/or motion cues had little effect on the outcome of a recovery, but they did have some effect on the pilot's response and control patterns.

Middleton, D. B.↗