SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Inverse molecular design”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

1,137 records · Page 18

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1973

Mariner Mars 1971 battery design, test, and flight performance

The design, integration, fabrication, test results, and flight performance of the battery system for the Mariner Mars spacecraft launched in May 1971 are presented. The battery consists of 26 20-Ah hermetically sealed nickel-cadmium cells housed in a machined magnesium chassis. The battery package weighs 29.5 kg and is unique in that the chassis also serves as part of the spacecraft structure. Active thermal control is accomplished by louvers mounted to the battery baseplate. Battery charge is accomplished by C/10 and C/30 constant current chargers. The switch from the high-rate to low-rate charge is automatic, based on terminal voltage. Additional control is possible by ground command or onboard computer. The performance data from the flight battery is compared to the data from various battery tests in the laboratory. Flight battery data was predictable based on ground test data.

Bogner, R. S.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing the Oxygen Generation Assembly Design to Increase Reliability and Reduce Costs for a Future Long Duration Mission

The state-of-the-art Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) has been reliably producing breathing oxygen for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over eight years. Lessons learned from operating the ISS OGA have led to proposing incremental improvements to advance the baseline design for use in a future long duration mission. These improvements are intended to reduce system weight, crew maintenance time and resupply mass from Earth while increasing reliability. The proposed improvements include replacing the cell stack membrane material, deleting the nitrogen purge equipment, replacing the hydrogen sensors, deleting the wastewater interface, replacing the hydrogen dome and redesigning the cell stack power supply. The development work to date will be discussed and forward work will be outlined. Additionally, a redesigned system architecture will be proposed.

Kevin C Takada↗

NASA NTRS1962

Mechanical Design of Spacecraft

In the spring of 1962, engineers from the Engineering Mechanics Division of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a series of lectures on spacecraft design at the Engineering Design seminars conducted at the California Institute of Technology. Several of these lectures were subsequently given at Stanford University as part of the Space Technology seminar series sponsored by the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Presented here are notes taken from these lectures. The lectures were conceived with the intent of providing the audience with a glimpse of the activities of a few mechanical engineers who are involved in designing, building, and testing spacecraft. Engineering courses generally consist of heavily idealized problems in order to allow the more efficient teaching of mathematical technique. Students, therefore, receive a somewhat limited exposure to actual engineering problems, which are typified by more unknowns than equations. For this reason it was considered valuable to demonstrate some of the problems faced by spacecraft designers, the processes used to arrive at solutions, and the interactions between the engineer and the remainder of the organization in which he is constrained to operate. These lecture notes are not so much a compilation of sophisticated techniques of analysis as they are a collection of examples of spacecraft hardware and associated problems. They will be of interest not so much to the experienced spacecraft designer as to those who wonder what part the mechanical engineer plays in an effort such as the exploration of space.

MARINER SPACE PROBE↗

NASA NTRS1993

A SIMULINK Environment for Flight Dynamics and Control Analysis - Application to the DHC-2 'Beaver', Part 1. Implementation of a Model Library in SIMULINK

The design of advanced Automatic Aircraft Control Systems (AACS's) can be improved upon considerably if the designer can access all models and tools required for control system design and analysis through a graphical user-interface, from within one software environment. This MSc-thesis presents the first step in the development of such an environment, which is currently being done at the Section for Stability and Control of Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The environment is implemented within the commercially available software package MATLAB/SIMULINK. The report consists of two parts. Part I gives a detailed description of the AACS design environment. The heart of this environment is formed by the SIMULINK implementation of a nonlinear aircraft model in block-diagram format. The model has been worked out for the old laboratory aircraft of the Faculty, the De Havilland DHC-2 'Beaver', but due to its modular structure, it can easily be adapted for other aircraft. Part I also describes MATLAB programs which can be applied for finding steady-state trimmed-flight conditions and for linearization of the aircraft model, and it shows how the built-in simulation routines of SIMULINK have been used for open-loop analysis of the aircraft dynamics. Apart from the implementation of the models and tools, a thorough treatment of the theoretical backgrounds is presented. Part II of this report presents a part of an autopilot design process for the 'Beaver' aircraft, which clearly demonstrates the power and flexibility of the AACS design environment from part I. Evaluations of all longitudinal and lateral control laws by means of nonlinear simulations are treated in detail. The AACS design environment from part I proved to be a very useful tool for designing the control laws of the 'Beaver' autopilot within a very tight time-schedule. The autopilot design process itself will be used as a guideline for future AACS research at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. Flight tests of the 'Beaver' autopilot, done after evaluating the control laws in the SIMULINK package, proved to be quite successful. In the future, the AACS design package will evolve into a standardized, integrated design environment which can be applied to virtually any type of aircraft. The AACS design cycle will be shortened further by developing tools for automatically porting control laws from the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment to a piloted real-time flight simulator and the Flight Control Computers of the aircraft.

Aircraft Modelling↗

DOE OSTI2022

Lithium-Ion Battery Design for Grid-Scale Energy Storage App

A software that delivers parameters from energy storage system (ESS) to container, rack, module and single cell design, as well as data analysis on arbitrage energy and frequency regulation of ESS in different regions, has been developed. The Lithium-ion Battery Design for Grid-scale Energy Storage App V1.0 has the capability to output the system, module and cell design with the energy, power, capacity, group method, cost of single cell, and single cell test protocol which break down from input energy storage system data in different regions. The default chemistry of the battery is LiFePO4 and graphite. The energy density of the graphite/LiFePO 4 pouch cell ranges from 100 Wh/kg to 200 Wh/Kg in the software. Graphite/LiFePO 4 pouch cell (up to 1Ah in lab) manufacturing line is also built and can be used to evaluate the test protocol, moreover, for electrolyte evaluation in other ESMI seedling projects. The software enables rapid prototyping to accelerate energy storage research, development, and manufacturing.

Liu, Dianying [Pacific Northwest National Laborato↗

DOE OSTI2026

PIP-II LLRF Master Oscillator and Precision Reference Line - Station Level Design and Testing

The PIP-II superconducting linac at Fermilab requires a highly stable RF Reference Line to maintain phase syn- chronization throughout the accelerator. Temperature- induced changes in the electrical length of long coaxial cables can introduce phase drift and measurement errors. The reference-line architecture mitigates these effects by phase averaging the forward and reflected RF signals, while a phase-locked loop anchors the system to the mas- ter oscillator. This work focuses on the characterization, validation, and mechanical integration of station-level RF assemblies using CAD modeling, vector network analyzer measurements, and spectrum analyzer testing. PID-controlled thermal plates will stabilize critical RF components and further reduce temperature-dependent phase and amplitude variations. These methods sup- port repeatable, standardized designs that can be reliably integrated across the different reference-line stations.

Mosher, Alexander [U. Illinois, Chicago]↗

NASA NTRS1966

Low temperature battery First quarterly report, 14 Dec. 1965 - 13 Mar. 1966

Low temperature battery - development of pasted plate cathode construction to extend cell life

STRUCTURAL DESIGN↗

NASA NTRS2026

Fuel Heating System Design and Thermal Modeling for Aviation Combustion Research

Aviation fuels offer substantial heat-sink capability that can be applied to aircraft thermal-management strategies and advanced propulsion-system concepts. Accurate control of fuel temperature is critical for understanding combustion behavior and supporting high temperature fuel experimental studies. This work describes the modeling and experimental validation of a portable, high temperature fuel-conditioning system designed for multiple NASA Glenn Research Center’s combustion facilities. The system utilizes a circulating-oil heating unit and modular tube-in-tube heat exchangers capable of conditioning Jet-A to temperatures approaching 600 K. A Thermal Desktop model was created to analyze heat exchanger configurations and predict performance across a range of operating conditions. Model predictions were compared with measurements collected in the CE-13C test facility, showing good agreement across the tested flow range except at low fuel flow rate around 2 kg/hr. Results provide guidance for sizing future fuel heating system for combustion research applications.

Jet fuel heating system↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design, Development, and Test of the Advanced Apollo Orbital Assembly System

As spaceflight moves toward commercial solutions for Crew Vehicles and Space Stations, opportunity exists to lower costs with novel designs. Probe and cone docking systems provide a lightweight, low cost, and high-performance docking solution. This work revisits the Apollo probe and cone design and modifies it for the requirements of today’s computer-controlled spacecraft. This new system is called the Advanced Apollo Orbital Assembly (APOA) system, and is intended to support satellite, cargo, and space station assembly missions. A simulation of the APOA was programmed, components were sized, and a design was created by scaling the probe to the size of an EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) tunnel. Prototype test hardware was 3D printed using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) methods with Polylactic Acid (PLA) material. Testing of the APOA-ESPA was conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) Flat Floor, and a test-correlated simulation is used to evaluate a Monte-Carlo of Initial Contact Conditions (ICC’s) to establish baseline performance. The successful development, test, and correlation of the APOA-ESPA proves the design validity and increases Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 2 to 4. This work opens the door to construction of an APOA-ESPA from flight like materials, and to develop a larger scale prototype APOA. When the full scale APOA is incorporated with the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM), becomes the Hybrid Berthing System (HBS), which allows for berthing without a robotic arm.

Berthing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Extending mARC II Arc-Jet Test Duration via Design and Implementation of Model System Cooling Sleeve

The mARC II is a 30 kW arc-jet facility at NASA Ames Research Center used to generate high-enthalpy flows for low-cost thermal protection system (TPS) technology development. Sustained operation of downstream instrumentation and material samples is constrained by thermal loading transmitted through the arc-jet test environment, limiting achievable run times and experimental throughput. This work presents the design, integration, and validation of a cooling sleeve implemented on the sweep arm drive motor feedthrough to mitigate thermal accumulation during testing. The addition of the cooling sleeve is a simple, robust upgrade that translates directly into enhanced facility capability by supporting longer run durations, reduced turnaround time, and higher throughput.

numerical simulations↗

DOE OSTI2026

Design of a Cryogenic Assembly for Comparing Qubit Infrared Packaging Inefficiencies

It is well known that everything emits infrared (IR) light in the form of thermal radiation. IR radiation on superconducting qubits carries enough energy to cause decoherence and so-called “quasiparticle poisoning.” Therefore, proper IR shielding is needed to keep the qubit in a high coherence state. However, trying to extract IR-specific information from a qubit is difficult, so a microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) can be used instead. We show that the IR shielding inefficiencies of MKID packages can only be compared with other packaging inefficiencies. We create a cryogenic assembly CAD design, consisting of magnetic shield cans, a copper mounting plate and mounts, and an MKID enclosure, which thermalizes the assembly to dilution refrigerator temperatures. Phase 1 of this design involves using a narrowband IR laser source to test the IR shielding of packaging at the laser’s wavelength. When the best IR shielding packaging is determined, the superconducting qubit can replace the MKID, allowing the qubit to avoid decoherence due to IR radiation and boost its performance and coherence lifetime.

Mailliard, Robert J. [Fermilab] (ORCID:00090000277↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Extending mARC II Arc-Jet Test Duration via Design and Implementation of Model System Cooling Sleeve

sting arm↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Stationary Testing of a Pulse Tube Cryocooler Designed to Rotate at 6800 RPM with the Superconducting Rotor of an Electric Machine

Electrified aircraft are being developed to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of operating subsonic transport aircraft. Achieving a substantial impact necessitates focusing on single- and twin-aisle aircraft which use propulsion systems with >20 MW ratings. For these aircraft, multi-MW superconducting electric machines are being developed due to their high specific power and high efficiency. Most of these electric machines employ superconductors on their rotor, thereby requiring cryogenic cooling of the rotating system. An attractive solution is to conductively cool the rotor using a cryocooler that rotates with the rotor. NASA has been developing a 50 K pulse tube cryocooler for its High Efficiency Megawatt Motor (HEMM) that can operate while rotating at 6,800 rpm. The design of this cryocooler and testing of its linear motor have been discussed in prior work. This presentation presents the first measurements of the complete HEMM cryocooler. The design and results of a stationary (non-rotating) test of the cryocooler are described.

electrified aircraft propulsion↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design of an AI Trash Sorting Machine for Use on the Moon and Mars

As NASA prepares for Mars colonization, resource conservation will be critical for survival. Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered waste sorting technologies, already emerging on Earth, offer promising solutions for recycling and material recovery. These systems use advanced sensors and machine learning algorithms to identify and separate materials with remarkable accuracy. On Mars, where every item has significant value, efficient recycling will be essential to reduce resupply needs and support closed-loop life support systems. This paper explores how terrestrial AI-based trash sorting technologies can be adapted for Martian conditions, focusing on challenges such as the harsh surface environment, minimizing system mass, power, volume, and estimating waste composition. Addressing these issues will be key to enabling sustainable operations on the Red Planet.

Sorting↗

DOE OSTI2026

A stable high-humidity bubbler design to supply steam for solid oxide electrolysis cells

A stable steam supply is required for the operation of solid oxide electrolysis cells. Heated water bubblers are the most common method due to the simplicity and inherent safety of the method, however, several design challenges hinder effective implementation. Here, a stable and validated bubbler design is presented, capable of achieving very high steam concentrations, relatively high flow rates, and continuous operation. A piping and instrumentation diagram and bill of materials are provided to enable easy duplication. Critical design parameters are discussed, including safety considerations and materials requirements, which are applicable to any bubbler design. The practical implementation of bubblers is also presented, including methods to prevent condensation instability and reduce backpressure to achieve a stable steam supply. The 3″ x 6″ (7.6 cm × 15.2 cm) bubbler achieves up to 98% steam balance hydrogen at 200 sccm and up to 1 slpm at 96% steam.

08 - HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS2026

A Missed Thrust Framework for Low-Thrust Spiral Trajectories to the NRHO

A framework is developed by which end-to-end optimization of many-revolution low-thrust spiral trajectories can be completed in the presence of missed thrust events. This framework is applied to the Lunar Transit trajectory by which the initial capability of NASA’s Gateway lunar space station will be delivered to a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit. This low-thrust mission consists of three subphases, each designed according to the specific objectives and dynamical regimes encountered as the mission progresses from a medium Earth insertion orbit to cislunar space. The presented framework accounts for the unique considerations demanded by each mission phase and incorporates appropriate capabilities into a novel mission analysis tool. This methodology enables large scale and reliable analyses of missed thrust events across the end-to-end Lunar Transit to verify the robustness of flight trajectories across the full range of considered launch dates.

missed thrust↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design of an AI Trash Sorting Machine for Use on the Moon and Mars

AI↗

DOE OSTI2025

Design Strategies Based on Electronic Interactions for Effective Catalysts in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Abstract Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered promising next‐generation batteries due to their high energy density (>500 W h kg −1 ). However, LSBs exhibit an unsatisfactory energy density (<400 W h kg −1 ) and cycle life (<300 cycles) because of the shuttle effect caused by soluble lithium polysulfide (LiPS) intermediates and the sluggish conversion reaction kinetics caused by insulating sulfur (S 8 ) and lithium sulfide (Li 2 S). Although various types of catalysts, including metal‐based compounds to single‐atom catalysts, have been reported to address these issues, most catalysts exhibited limited catalytic activity under practical lean electrolyte conditions (<5 µL mg −1 ). A comprehensive understanding of the synthetic strategy and catalytic mechanism of catalysts is essential for their design, but understanding the electronic effects of the catalysts and LiPS is more important. Furthermore, the electronic design of these catalysts is not well understood. In this review, we introduce the catalytic mechanisms in LSBs and discuss catalyst design strategies in terms of electronic effects on the interactions between reactants and catalysts, with a primary focus on heterogeneous catalytic systems. We additionally consider how the electronic property of homogeneous systems, particularly redox mediators, affects catalytic behavior under lean electrolyte conditions and propose future research directions for catalyst development in LSBs.

Chemistry↗