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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 343 records · Page 19

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1982

NASA research activities in aeropropulsion

NASA is responsible for advancing technologies related to air transportation. A sampling of the work at NASA's Lewis Research Center aimed at improved aircraft propulsion systems is described. Particularly stressed are efforts related to reduced noise and fuel consumption of subsonic transports. Generic work in specific disciplines are reviewed including computational analysis, materials, structures, controls, diagnostics, alternative fuels, and high-speed propellers. Prospects for variable cycle engines are also discussed.

Mccarthy, J. F., Jr.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simulations of Fuel-Air Mixing in a 7 Element Lean Direct Injection (LDI) Aviation Combustor: Preprint

The increased accessibility of commercial aviation to the general population has in-creased the conventional jet fuel consumption, thereby causing increased CO2emissions. One of the strategies to reduce the environmental impact is to use sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). SAFs are jet fuels obtained from renewable resources such as biomass and waste streams such as plastics/municipal solid wastes. Even though the use of SAFs has been gaining importance over the last two decades, only a few numerical studies on their usage have been reported so far. In this study, two SAFs namely, alcohol to jet (ATJ) and hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA), are chosen and their use in a simple, lead direct injection (LDI) combustor is studied. The focus of this study is limited to the thermo-chemical properties of the fuels and their impact on fuel distribution and evaporation. Hence, only non-reactive simulations are performed. A high accuracy, adaptive mesh refinement based low-Mach solver, PeleLMeX, is used for performing the simulations. The time-averaged flow results indicate faster evaporation of HEFA when compared to ATJ and Jet-A. The difference in fuel evaporation rates is attributed to the differences in fuel viscosity and surface tension properties and the concomitant variations in the fuel droplet size distributions.

adaptive mesh refinement↗

DOE OSTI2021

RouteE: A Vehicle Energy Consumption Prediction Engine

The emergence of connected and automated vehicles and smart cities technologies create the opportunity for new mobility modes and routing decision tools, among many others. To achieve maximum mobility and minimum energy consumption, it is critical to understand the energy cost of decisions and optimize accordingly. The Route Energy prediction model (RouteE) enables accurate estimation of energy consumption for a variety of vehicle types over trips or sub-trips where detailed drive cycle data are unavailable. Applications include vehicle route selection, energy accounting and optimization in transportation simulation, and corridor energy analyses, among others. The software is a Python package that includes a variety of pre-trained models from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). However, RouteE also enables users to train custom models using their own data sets, making it a robust and valuable tool for both fast calculations and rigorous, data-rich research efforts. The pre-trained RouteE models are established using NREL's Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator paired with approximately 1 million miles of drive cycle data from the Transportation Secure Data Center, resulting in energy consumption behavior estimates over a representative sample of driving conditions for the United States. Validations have been performed using on-road fuel consumption data for conventional and electrified vehicle powertrains. Transferring the results of the on-road validation to a larger set of real-world origin-destination pairs, it is estimated that implementing the present methodology in a green-routing application would accurately select the route that consumes the least fuel 90% of the time. The novel machine learning techniques used in RouteE make it a flexible and robust tool for a variety of transportation applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2026

Interactions Between Climate Policy and Technology-influenced Travel Behavior: Mitigating Induced Demand from CACC

Advances in vehicle technology have influenced the development of automated vehicle systems, where vehicles that do not require human intervention are already deployed in the roadway networks. While these advances are proved to increase roadway safety and highway capacity, more research is needed to understand the long-term and regional-level impacts on mobility, land use, energy consumption, and emissions. This study proposes a multi-model approach to analyze the effect of vehicle automation and deep decarbonization policies over a period from 2020 to 2040 in Austin, Texas. We use the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to develop internally the scenarios that are then passed to the SMART Mobility modeling workflow, a large-scale simulation framework combining the POLARIS activity-based travel demand model and mesoscopic traffic simulator with the Autonomie vehicle energy consumption model and the UrbanSim land use simulator. Results suggest that the introduction of vehicles with advanced automation could increase fuel consumption when no decarbonization policies are implemented. Also, advances in vehicle technology research and development could lead to a decline in energy use in the long-term. Energy pricing and vehicle electrification incentives could help reduce the impact of vehicle automation. Finally, our analysis indicates the relevance of introducing land use processes in longterm vehicle automation studies.

land use↗

NASA NTRS1978

CF6 performance improvement

Potential CF6 engine performance improvements directed at reduced fuel consumption were identified and screened relative to airline acceptability and are reviewed. The screening process developed to provide evaluations of fuel savings and economic factors including return on investment and direct operating cost is described. In addition, assessments of development risk and production potential are made. Several promising concepts selected for full-scale development based on a ranking involving these factors are discussed.

Lennard, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The Stirling Project

Stirling Engine's advanced technology engine offers multiple advantages, principal among them reduced fuel consumption and lower exhaust emissions than comparable internal combustion auto engines, plus multifuel capability. Stirling can use gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, jet fuel, alcohol, methanol, butane and that's not the whole list. Applications include irrigation pumping, heat pumps, and electricity generation for submarine, Earth and space systems.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simulations of Fuel-Air Mixing in a 7 Element Lean Direct Injection (LDI) Aviation Combustor

The increased accessibility of commercial aviation to the general population has in-creased the conventional jet fuel consumption, thereby causing increased CO2 emissions. One of the strategies to reduce the environmental impact is to use sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). SAFs are jet fuels obtained from renewable resources such as biomass and waste streams such as plastics/municipal solid wastes. Even though the use of SAFs has been gaining importance over the last two decades, only a few numerical studies on their usage have been reported so far. In this study, two SAFs namely, Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) and Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), are chosen and their use in a simple, Lead Direct Injection (LDI) combustor is studied. The focus of this study is limited to the thermo-chemical properties of the fuels and their impact on fuel distribution and evaporation. Hence, only non-reactive simulations are performed. A high accuracy, adaptive mesh refinement based low-Mach solver, PeleLMeX, is used for performing the simulations. The time-averaged flow results indicate faster evaporation of HEFA when compared to ATJ and Jet-A. The difference in fuel evaporation rates is attributed to the differences in fuel viscosity and surface tension properties and the concomitant variations in the fuel droplet size distributions.

adaptive mesh refinement↗

DOE OSTI2021

Integration of energy storage with diesel generation in remote communities

Highlights Battery energy storage may improve energy efficiency and reliability of hybrid energy systems composed by diesel and solar photovoltaic power generators serving isolated communities. In projects aiming update of power plants serving electrically isolated communities with redundant diesel generation, battery energy storage can improve overall economic performance of power supply system by reducing fuel usage, decreasing capital costs by replacing redundant diesel generation units, and increasing generator system life by shortening yearly runtime. Fast-acting battery energy storage systems with grid-forming inverters might have potential for improving drastically the reliability indices of isolated communities currently supplied by diesel generation. Abstract This paper will highlight unique challenges and opportunities with regard to energy storage utilization in remote, self-sustaining communities. The energy management of such areas has unique concerns. Diesel generation is often the go-to power source in these scenarios, but these systems are not devoid of issues. Without dedicated maintenance crews as in large, interconnected network areas, minor interruptions can be frequent and invasive not only for those who lose power, but also for those in the community that must then correct any faults. Although the immediate financial benefits are perhaps not readily apparent, energy storage could be used to address concerns related to reliability, automation, fuel supply concerns, generator degradation, solar utilization, and, yes, fuel costs to name a few. These ideas are shown through a case study of the Levelock Village of Alaska. Currently, the community is faced with high diesel prices and a difficult supply chain, which makes temporary loss of power very common and reductions in fuel consumption very impactful. This study will investigate the benefits that an energy storage system could bring to the overall system life, fuel costs, and reliability of the power supply. The variable efficiency of the generators, impact of startup/shutdown process, and low-load operation concerns are considered. The technological benefits of the combined system will be explored for various scenarios of future diesel prices and technology maintenance/replacement costs as well as for the avoidance of power interruptions that are so common in the community currently. Graphic abstract Discussion In several cases, energy storage can provide a means to promote energy equity by improving remote communities’ power supply reliability to levels closer to what the average urban consumer experiences at a reduced cost compared to transmission buildout. Furthermore, energy equity represents a hard-to-quantify benefit achieved by the integration of energy storage to isolated power systems of under-served communities, which suggests that the financial aspects of such projects should be questioned as the main performance criterion. To improve battery energy storage system valuation for diesel-based power systems, integration analysis must be holistic and go beyond fuel savings to capture every value stream possible.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Impact of Mixed Traffic on the Energy Savings of a Truck Platoon

A two-truck platoon based on a prototype cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) system was tested on a closed test track in a variety of realistic traffic and transient operating scenarios - conditions that truck platoons are likely to face on real highways. The fuel consumption for both trucks in the platoon was measured using the SAE J1321 gravimetric procedure as well as calibrated J1939 instantaneous fuel rate, serving as proxies to evaluate the impact of aerodynamic drag reduction under constant-speed conditions. These measurements demonstrate the effects of: the presence of a multiple-passenger-vehicle pattern ahead of and adjacent to the platoon, cut-in and cut-out manoeuvres by other vehicles, transient traffic, the use of mismatched platooned vehicles (van trailer mixed with flatbed trailer), and the platoon following another truck with adaptive cruise control (ACC). These scenarios are intended to address the possibility of “background aerodynamic platooning” impacting realized savings on public roads. Using calibrated J1939 fuel rate analysis, fuel savings for curved track sections versus straight track sections were also evaluated for these scenarios, highlighting differences in the implementation of the CACC control strategies compared to a stock ACC implementation. The use of different trailer types and the presence of passenger-vehicle traffic patterns showed a measurable impact on platoon performance in some conditions, but the basic fuel savings trends were retained.

adaptive cruise control↗

DOE OSTI2020

Impact of Mixed Traffic on the Energy Savings of a Truck Platoon: Preprint

adaptive cruise control↗

NASA NTRS2011

An Evaluation of Performance Metrics for High Efficiency Tube-and-Wing Aircraft Entering Service in 2030 to 2035

An analysis of basic vehicle characteristics required to meet the Fundamental Aeronautics Program s 70 percent energy consumption reduction goal for commercial airliners in the 2030 to 2035 timeframe was conducted. A total of 29 combinations of vehicle parasitic drag coefficient, vehicle induced drag coefficient, vehicle empty weight and engine Specific Fuel Consumption were used to create sized tube-and-wing vehicle models. The mission fuel burn for each of these sized vehicles was then compared to a baseline current technology vehicle. A response surface equation was generated of fuel burn reduction as a function of the four basic vehicle performance metrics, so that any values of the performance metrics up to a 50 percent reduction could be used to estimate fuel burn reduction of tube-and-wing aircraft for future studies.

Perkins, H. Douglas↗

NASA NTRS1946

Effect of Fuel Composition, Engine Operating Variables, and Spark-Plug Type and Condition on Preignition-Limited Performance of an R-2800 Cylinder

The preignition characteristics of the R-2800 cylinder, as effected by fuel consumption, engine operating variables, and spark plug type and condition, were evaluated. The effects on preignition-limited performance of various percentages of aromatics (benzene, toluene, cumene, xylene) in a base fuel of triptane were investigated. Two paraffins (triptane and S + 6.0 ml TEL/gal) and two refinery blends (28-R and 33-R) were preignition rated. The effect of changes in the following engine operating variables on preignition limit was determined: inlet-air temperature, rear spark plug gasket temperature, engine speed, spark advance, tappet clearance, and oil consumption. Preignition limits of the R-2800 cylinder using Champion C34S and C35S and AC-LS86, LS87, and LS88 spark plugs were established and the effect of spark plug deterioration was investigated. No definite trends in preignition-limited indicated mean effective pressure were indicated for aromatics as a class when increased percentages of different aromatics were added to a base fuel of triptane. Three types of fuel (aromatics, paraffins, and refinery blends) showed a preignition range for this cylinder from 65 to 104 percent when based on the performance of S plus 6.0 ml TEL per gallon as 100 percent. The R-2800 cylinder is therefore relatively insensitive to fuel composition when compared to a CFR F-4 engine, which had a pre-ignition range from 72 to 100 percent for the same fuels. Six engine operating variables were investigated with the following results: preignition-limited indicated mean effective pressure decreased, with increases in engine speed, rear spark plug gasket temperature, inlet-air temperature, and spark advance beyond 20 F B.T.C. and was unaffected by rate of oil consumption or by tappet clearance. Spark plugs were rated over a range of preignition-limited indicated mean effective pressure from 200 to 390 pounds per square inch at a fuel-air ratio of 0.07 in the following order of increased resistance to preignition: AC-LS97, AC-LS88, Champion C358, AC-LS86, and Champion C34S. Spark plug deterioration in the form of cracks in the porcelain had been broken away from the center electrode and were retained in the spark plug cavity, the preignition limit was decreased as much as 57 percent. When the broken pieces had been removed, the preignition limit increased from that of the undamaged porcelain as the weight of removed porcelain was increased.

Pfender, John F.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Fuel-conservative engine technology

Aircraft fuel consumption is discussed in terms of its efficient use, and the conversion of energy from sources other than petroleum. Topics discussed include: fuel from coal and oil shale, hydrogen deficiency of alternate sources, alternate fuels evaluation program, and future engines.

Dugan, J. F., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Computerized systems analysis and optimization of aircraft engine performance, weight, and life cycle costs

The paper describes the computational techniques employed in determining the optimal propulsion systems for future aircraft applications and to identify system tradeoffs and technology requirements. The computer programs used to perform calculations for all the factors that enter into the selection process of determining the optimum combinations of airplanes and engines are examined. Attention is given to the description of the computer codes including NNEP, WATE, LIFCYC, INSTAL, and POD DRG. A process is illustrated by which turbine engines can be evaluated as to fuel consumption, engine weight, cost and installation effects. Examples are shown as to the benefits of variable geometry and of the tradeoff between fuel burned and engine weights. Future plans for further improvements in the analytical modeling of engine systems are also described.

Fishbach, L. H.↗

NASA NTRS2004

ADAPTIVE CLEARANCE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR TURBINE ENGINES

The Controls and Dynamics Technology Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center primarily deals in developing controls, dynamic models, and health management technologies for air and space propulsion systems. During the summer of 2004 I was granted the privilege of working alongside professionals who were developing an active clearance control system for commercial jet engines. Clearance, the gap between the turbine blade tip and the encompassing shroud, increases as a result of wear mechanisms and rubbing of the turbine blades on shroud. Increases in clearance cause larger specific fuel consumption (SFC) and loss of efficient air flow. This occurs because, as clearances increase, the engine must run hotter and bum more fuel to achieve the same thrust. In order to maintain efficiency, reduce fuel bum, and reduce exhaust gas temperature (EGT), the clearance must be accurately controlled to gap sizes no greater than a few hundredths of an inch. To address this problem, NASA Glenn researchers have developed a basic control system with actuators and sensors on each section of the shroud. Instead of having a large uniform metal casing, there would be sections of the shroud with individual sensors attached internally that would move slightly to reform and maintain clearance. The proposed method would ultimately save the airline industry millions of dollars.

Blackwell, Keith M.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Engine component improvement program - Performance improvement

The Engine Component Improvement (ECI) Program is NASA sponsored and is specifically directed at reducing the fuel consumption of commercial aircraft in the near-term. As part of the ECI program, a Performance Improvement (PI) effort aimed at developing fuel saving and retention components for new production and retrofit of JT9D, JT8D, and CF6 engines is underway. This paper reviews the manner in which the PI concepts were selected for development and summarizes the current status of each of the 16 NASA selected concepts.

Mcaulay, J. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Study of advanced fuel system concepts for commercial aircraft

An analytical study was performed in order to assess relative performance and economic factors involved with alternative advanced fuel systems for future commercial aircraft operating with broadened property fuels. The DC-10-30 wide-body tri-jet aircraft and the CF6-8OX engine were used as a baseline design for the study. Three advanced systems were considered and were specifically aimed at addressing freezing point, thermal stability and lubricity fuel properties. Actual DC-10-30 routes and flight profiles were simulated by computer modeling and resulted in prediction of aircraft and engine fuel system temperatures during a nominal flight and during statistical one-day-per-year cold and hot flights. Emergency conditions were also evaluated. Fuel consumption and weight and power extraction results were obtained. An economic analysis was performed for new aircraft and systems. Advanced system means for fuel tank heating included fuel recirculation loops using engine lube heat and generator heat. Environmental control system bleed air heat was used for tank heating in a water recirculation loop. The results showed that fundamentally all of the three advanced systems are feasible but vary in their degree of compatibility with broadened-property fuel.

Coffinberry, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Environmentally Responsible Aviation N plus 2 Advanced Vehicle Study

This is the Northrop Grumman final report for the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) N+2 Advanced Vehicle Study performed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Northrop Grumman developed advanced vehicle concepts and associated enabling technologies with a high potential for simultaneously achieving significant reductions in emissions, airport area noise, and fuel consumption for transport aircraft entering service in 2025. A Preferred System Concept (PSC) conceptual design has been completed showing a 42% reduction in fuel burn compared to 1998 technology, and noise 75dB below Stage 4 for a 224- passenger, 8,000 nm cruise transport aircraft. Roadmaps have been developed for the necessary technology maturation to support the PSC. A conceptual design for a 55%-scale demonstrator aircraft to reduce development risk for the PSC has been completed.

aeroacoustics↗