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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

Waste Processing Research and Technology Development at NASA Ames Research Center

The current "store and return" approach for handling waste products generated during low Earth orbit missions will not meet the requirements for future human missions identified in NASA s new Exploration vision. The objective is to develop appropriate reliable waste management systems that minimize maintenance and crew time, while maintaining crew health and safety, as well as providing protection of planetary surfaces. Solid waste management requirements for these missions include waste volume reduction, stabilization and storage, water recovery, and ultimately recovery of carbon dioxide, nutrients and other resources from a fully regenerative food production life support system. This paper identifies the key drivers for waste management technology development within NASA, and provides a roadmap for the developmental sequence and progression of technologies. Recent results of research and technology development activities at NASA Ames Research Center on candidate waste management technologies with emphasis on compaction, lyophilization, and incineration are discussed.

Fisher, John↗

Dryden Flight Research Center: The World's Premiere Installation for Atmospheric Flight Research

This viewgraph presentation reviews NASA Dryden's capabilities, the work that Dryden has done for NASA, and its current research. Dryden's Mission is stated to advance technology and science through flight. The mission elements are: (1) Perform flight research and technology integration to revolutionize aviation and pioneer aerospace technology, (2) Validate space exploration concepts, (3) Conduct airborne remote sensing and science observations, (4) Support operations of the Space Shuttle and the ISS for NASA and the Nation.

Ratnayake, Nalin Asela↗

Human Research Program Requirements Document. Human Research Program Revision E

This document defines, documents, and allocates the Human Research Program (HRP) requirements to the HRP Program Elements. It also establishes the flow of requirements from the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) down to the various HRP Program Elements to ensure that human research and technology countermeasure investments support the delivery of countermeasures and technologies that satisfy HEOMD's and OCHMO's exploration mission requirements.

Vargas, Paul↗

Liquid Methane Conditioning Capabilities Developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center's Small Multi- Purpose Research Facility (SMiRF) for Accelerated Lunar Surface Storage Thermal Testing

Glenn Research Center s Creek Road Cryogenic Complex, Small Multi-Purpose Research Facility (SMiRF) recently completed validation / checkout testing of a new liquid methane delivery system and liquid methane (LCH4) conditioning system. Facility checkout validation was conducted in preparation for a series of passive thermal control technology tests planned at SMiRF in FY10 using a flight-like propellant tank at simulated thermal environments from 140 to 350K. These tests will validate models and provide high quality data to support consideration of LCH4/LO2 propellant combination option for a lunar or planetary ascent stage.An infrastructure has been put in place which will support testing of large amounts of liquid methane at SMiRF. Extensive modifications were made to the test facility s existing liquid hydrogen system for compatibility with liquid methane. Also, a new liquid methane fluid conditioning system will enable liquid methane to be quickly densified (sub-cooled below normal boiling point) and to be quickly reheated to saturation conditions between 92 and 140 K. Fluid temperatures can be quickly adjusted to compress the overall test duration. A detailed trade study was conducted to determine an appropriate technique to liquid conditioning with regard to the SMiRF facility s existing infrastructure. In addition, a completely new roadable dewar has been procured for transportation and temporary storage of liquid methane. A new spherical, flight-representative tank has also been fabricated for integration into the vacuum chamber at SMiRF. The addition of this system to SMiRF marks the first time a large-scale liquid methane propellant test capability has been realized at Glenn.This work supports the Cryogenic Fluid Management Project being conducted under the auspices of the Exploration Technology Development Program, providing focused cryogenic fluid management technology efforts to support NASA s future robotic or human exploration missions.

Bamberger, Helmut H.↗

Variable-Speed Power-Turbine Research at Glenn Research Center

The main rotors of the NASA Large Civil Tilt-Rotor (LCTR) notional vehicle operate over a wide speed-range, from 100 percent at takeoff to 54 percent at cruise. The variable-speed power turbine (VSPT) offers one approach by which to effect this speed variation. VSPT aerodynamics challenges include high work factors at cruise, wide (40 to 60 ) incidence-angle variations in blade and vane rows over the speed range, and operation at low Reynolds numbers. Rotordynamics challenges include potential responsiveness to shaft modes within the 50 percent VSPT speed-range. A research effort underway at NASA Glenn Research Center, intended to address these key aerodynamic and rotordynamic challenges, is described. Conceptual design and 3-D multistage RANS and URANS analyses, conducted internally and under contract, provide expected VSPT sizing, stage-count, performance and operability information, and maps for system studies. Initial steps toward experimental testing of incidence-tolerant blading in a transonic linear cascade are described, and progress toward development/improvement of a simulation capability for multistage turbines with low Reynolds number transitional flow is summarized. Preliminary rotordynamics analyses indicate that viable concept engines with 50 percent VSPT shaft-speed range. Assessments of potential paths toward VSPT component-level testing are summarized.

Welch, Gerard E.↗

NASA's Human Research Program at The Glenn Research Center: Progress and Opportunities

The NASA Human Research Program is aimed at correcting problems in critical areas that place NASA human spaceflight missions at risk due to shortfalls in astronaut health, safety and performance. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) and partners from Ohio are significant contributors to this effort. This presentation describes several areas of GRC emphasis, the first being NASA s path to creating exercise hardware requirements and protocols that mitigate the effects of long duration spaceflight. Computational simulations will be a second area that is discussed. This includes deterministic models that simulate the effects of spaceflight on the human body, as well as probabilistic models that bound and quantify the probability that adverse medical incidents will happen during an exploration mission. Medical technology development for exploration will be the final area to be discussed.

Nall, Marsha↗

Earth Radiation Budget Research at the NASA Langley Research Center

In the 1970s research studies concentrating on satellite measurements of Earth's radiation budget started at the NASA Langley Research Center. Since that beginning, considerable effort has been devoted to developing measurement techniques, data analysis methods, and time-space sampling strategies to meet the radiation budget science requirements for climate studies. Implementation and success of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) was due to the remarkable teamwork of many engineers, scientists, and data analysts. Data from ERBE have provided a new understanding of the effects of clouds, aerosols, and El Nino/La Nina oscillation on the Earth's radiation. CERES spacecraft instruments have extended the time coverage with high quality climate data records for over a decade. Using ERBE and CERES measurements these teams have created information about radiation at the top of the atmosphere, at the surface, and throughout the atmosphere for a better understanding of our climate. They have also generated surface radiation products for designers of solar power plants and buildings and numerous other applications

Smith, G. Louis↗

Directed Research in Bone Discipline: Refining Previous Research Observations for Space Medicine

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry bone mass density, as a sole index, is an insufficient surrogate for fracture; Clinical Practice Guidelines using bone mass density (both World Health Organization and FRAX) are not specific for complicated subjects such as young, healthy persons following prolonged exposure to skeletal unloading (i.e. an attribute of spaceflight); Research data suggest that spaceflight induces changes to astronaut bones that could be profound, possibly irreversible and unlike age-related bone loss on Earth.; There is a need to objectively assess factors across human physiology that are also influenced by spaceflight (e.g., muscle) that contribute to fracture risk. Some of these objective assessments may require innovative technologies, analyses and modeling.; Astronauts are also exposed to novel situations that may overload their bones highlighting a need integrate biomechanics of physical activities into risk assessments.; As we accumulate data, which reflects the biomechanical competence of bone under specific mechanically-loaded scenarios (even activities of daily living), BONE expects Bone Fracture Module to be more sensitive and/or have less uncertainty in its assessments of fracture probability.; Fracture probability drives the requirement for countermeasures. Level of evidence will unlikely be obtained; hence, the Bone Research and Clinical Advisory Panel (like a Data Safety Monitoring Board) will provide the recommendations.

Sibonga, Jean D.↗

Air Traffic Management Research at NASA Ames Research Center

Since the late 1980's, NASA Ames researchers have been investigating ways to improve the air transportation system through the development of decision support automation. These software advances, such as the Center-TRACON Automation System (eTAS) have been developed with teams of engineers, software developers, human factors experts, and air traffic controllers; some ASA Ames decision support tools are currently operational in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities and some are in use by the airlines. These tools have provided air traffic controllers and traffic managers the capabilities to help reduce overall delays and holding, and provide significant cost savings to the airlines as well as more manageable workload levels for air traffic service providers. NASA is continuing to collaborate with the FAA, as well as other government agencies, to plan and develop the next generation of decision support tools that will support anticipated changes in the air transportation system, including a projected increase to three times today's air-traffic levels by 2025. The presentation will review some of NASA Ames' recent achievements in air traffic management research, and discuss future tool developments and concepts currently under consideration.

Lee, Katharine↗

Recent Efforts in Communications Research and Technology at the Glenn Research Center in Support of NASA's Mission

As it has done in the past, NASA is currently engaged in furthering the frontiers of space and planetary exploration. The effectiveness in gathering the desired science data in the amount and quality required to perform this pioneering work relies heavily on the communications capabilities of the spacecraft and space platforms being considered to enable future missions. Accordingly, the continuous improvement and development of radiofrequency and optical communications systems are fundamental to prevent communications to become the limiting factor for space explorations. This presentation will discuss some of the research and technology development efforts currently underway at the NASA Glenn Research Center in the radio frequency (RF) and Optical Communications. Examples of work conducted in-house and also in collaboration with academia, industry, and other government agencies (OGA) in areas such as antenna technology, power amplifiers, radio frequency (RF) wave propagation through Earths atmosphere, ultra-sensitive receivers, thin films ferroelectric-based tunable components, among others, will be presented. In addition, the role of these and other related RF technologies in enabling the NASA next generation space communications architecture will be also discussed.

RF and Optical communications↗

Crash Test of Three Cessna 172 Aircraft at NASA Langley Research Center's Landing and Impact Research Facility

During the summer of 2015, three Cessna 172 aircraft were crash tested at the Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The three tests simulated three different crash scenarios. The first simulated a flare-to-stall emergency or hard landing onto a rigid surface such as a road or runway, the second simulated a controlled flight into terrain with a nose down pitch on the aircraft, and the third simulated a controlled flight into terrain with an attempt to unsuccessfully recover the aircraft immediately prior to impact, resulting in a tail strike condition. An on-board data acquisition system captured 64 channels of airframe acceleration, along with acceleration and load in two onboard Hybrid II 50th percentile Anthropomorphic Test Devices, representing the pilot and co-pilot. Each test contained different airframe loading conditions and results show large differences in airframe performance. This paper presents test methods used to conduct the crash tests and will summarize the airframe results from the test series.

Littell, Justin D.↗

Funding and Strategic Alignment Guidance for Infusing Small Business Innovation Research Technology Into Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate Projects at Glenn Research Center for 2015

This report is intended to help NASA program and project managers incorporate Glenn Research Center Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR)/(STTR) technologies into NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) programs and projects. Other Government and commercial project managers can also find this useful. Introduction Incorporating Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)-developed technology into NASA projects is important, especially given the Agency's limited resources for technology development. The SBIR program's original intention was for technologies that had completed Phase II to be ready for integration into NASA programs, however, in many cases there is a gap between Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 5 and 6 that needs to be closed. After SBIR Phase II projects are completed, the technology is evaluated against various parameters and a TRL rating is assigned. Most programs tend to adopt more mature technologies-at least TRL 6 to reduce the risk to the mission rather than adopt TRLs between 3 and 5 because those technologies are perceived as too risky. The gap between TRLs 5 and 6 is often called the "Valley of Death" (Figure 1), and historically it has been difficult to close because of a lack of funding support from programs. Several papers have already suggested remedies on how to close the gap (Refs. 1 to 4).

infusion; space transportation;life support system↗

Overview of CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composite) Research at the NASA Glenn Research Center

In support of NASAs Aeronautics Research Mission, the Glenn Research Center has developed and assessed various constituents for a high temperature (2700F) SiCSiC CMC system for turbine engine applications. Combinations of highly creep-resistant SiC fibers, advanced 3D weaves, durable environmental barrier coatings (EBCs), and a 2700F-capable hybrid SiC matrix are being developed evaluated. The resulting improvements in CMC mechanical properties and durability will be summarized. The development and validation of models for predicting the effects of the environment on the durability of CMCs and EBCs and other operating-environment challenges including the effect of CMAS (calcium magnesium aluminosilicate) degradation of EBCs will be discussed. Progress toward the development of CMC joining technology for 2400F joint applications will also be reviewed.

Ceramic Matrix Composites↗

Research-Grade 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples: Novel Visualization of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Benefit Curation, Research, and Education

NASA's vast and growing collections of astromaterials are both scientifically and culturally significant, requiring unique preservation strategies that need to be recurrently updated to contemporary technological capabilities and increasing accessibility demands. New technologies have made it possible to advance documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. Our interdisciplinary team has developed a method to create 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples (VAS) of the existing collections of Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorites. Research-grade 3D VAS will virtually put these samples in the hands of researchers and educators worldwide, increasing accessibility and visibility of these significant collections. With new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop advanced curation standards for documentation and visualization methodologies.

Blumenfeld, E. H.↗

Funding and Strategic Alignment Guidance for Infusing Small Business Innovation Research Technology into Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Projects for 2016

This report is intended to help NASA program and project managers incorporate Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) technologies into NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) projects. Other Government and commercial project managers interested in ARMD funding opportunities through NASA's SBIR program will find this report useful as well.

Structural Efficiency; Aeroelasticity; Low Emissio↗

NASA Ames Research Center Air Traffic Management Research Overview

This is a presentation to the Owl Feather Society, a group of people who are retired from NASA Ames Research Center. I am providing a summary of the ATM research here at NASA Ames to this group as part of a lunch time talk series. The presentation will be at Michael's Restaurant in Mountain View, CA on July 18.

aviation systems division↗

An Overview of Lessons Learned from Sonic-boom Flight Research Projects Conducted by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Over the course of four years, a team of aerospace engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center completed four projects, each with the objective to research sonic-boom signatures from a ground-and building-level perspective. The relatively compressed timeline of these projects resulted in many lessons learned. With each successive project, these lessons have been more relied upon and referenced. This paper provides a high-level overview of the teams relevant lessons learned and the importance of these lessons for future projects.

lessons learned↗

Lessons Learned from Sonic Boom Flight Research Projects conducted by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Over the course of four years, a team of aerospace engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center completed four projects, each with the objective to research sonic boom signatures from a ground and building level perspective. The relatively compressed timeline of these projects resulted in the team amassing a large number of lessons learned. With each successive project, these lessons have been more relied upon and referenced. This report serves as a written record of the teams tribal knowledge capturing the relevant lessons learned and their importance for future projects.

Erin R Waggoner↗