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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 sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Opportunity for early science return by the Artemis Program

The purpose of the Artemis Program is to gather vital scientific and engineering data by conducting robotic exploration missions on the lunar surface both prior to and concurrent with human missions. The Artemis Program includes rapid, near-term development of a variety of small experimental and operational payloads, a low-cost capacity to deliver these payloads to any location on the lunar surface, and the analysis of the data returned. The Artemis Program will provide opportunities to improve the understanding of lunar geosciences, to demonstrate the Moon's unique capacity as an astronomical platform to study the universe, to conduct scientific and technology development experiments, and to prepare for and complement human missions.

Meyer, Charles↗
NASA NTRS1994

A new material for removing heavy metals from water

The NASA Lewis Research Center developed and is patenting a new high capacity ion exchange material (IEM) that removes toxic metals from contaminated water in laboratory tests. The IEM can be made into many forms, such as thin films, coatings, pellets, and fibers. As a result, it can be adapted to many applications to purify contaminated water wherever it is found, be it in waste water treatment systems, lakes, ponds, industrial plants, or in homes. Laboratory tests have been conducted on aqueous solutions containing only one of the following metal cations: lead, copper, mercury, cadmium, silver, chromium (III), nickel, zinc, and yttrium. Tests were also conducted with: (1) calcium present to determine its effects on the uptake of cadmium and copper, and (2) uranium and lanthanides which are stand-ins for other radioactive elements, (3) drinking water for the removal of copper and lead, and (3) others compositions. The results revealed that the IEM removes all these cations, even in the presence of the calcium. Of particular interest are the results of the tests with the drinking water: the lead concentration was reduced from 142 ppb down to 2.8 ppb (well below the accepted EPA standard).

Philipp, Warren H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Perceptual Image Compression in Telemedicine

The next era of space exploration, especially the "Mission to Planet Earth" will generate immense quantities of image data. For example, the Earth Observing System (EOS) is expected to generate in excess of one terabyte/day. NASA confronts a major technical challenge in managing this great flow of imagery: in collection, pre-processing, transmission to earth, archiving, and distribution to scientists at remote locations. Expected requirements in most of these areas clearly exceed current technology. Part of the solution to this problem lies in efficient image compression techniques. For much of this imagery, the ultimate consumer is the human eye. In this case image compression should be designed to match the visual capacities of the human observer. We have developed three techniques for optimizing image compression for the human viewer. The first consists of a formula, developed jointly with IBM and based on psychophysical measurements, that computes a DCT quantization matrix for any specified combination of viewing distance, display resolution, and display brightness. This DCT quantization matrix is used in most recent standards for digital image compression (JPEG, MPEG, CCITT H.261). The second technique optimizes the DCT quantization matrix for each individual image, based on the contents of the image. This is accomplished by means of a model of visual sensitivity to compression artifacts. The third technique extends the first two techniques to the realm of wavelet compression. Together these two techniques will allow systematic perceptual optimization of image compression in NASA imaging systems. Many of the image management challenges faced by NASA are mirrored in the field of telemedicine. Here too there are severe demands for transmission and archiving of large image databases, and the imagery is ultimately used primarily by human observers, such as radiologists. In this presentation I will describe some of our preliminary explorations of the applications of our technology to the special problems of telemedicine.

Watson, Andrew B.↗
NASA NTRS2019

2018 NISAR Applications Workshop: Agriculture and Soil Moisture

Agricultural lands cover the globe and play an essential role in not only sustaining a growing global population, but can have significant implications on the Earth system through land use change (e.g., deforestation, grazing, etc.). As such, countries around the world have dedicated programs for managing these lands. Accurate and timely information concerning the status of agricultural crops (soil moisture, crop health, crop type, etc.) is essential to those nations’ anthropogenic and ecological health as well as economy. The joint NASA/US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) workshop focused on advancing agriculture and soil moisture applications by using remote sensing data from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission (expected launch 2022). Participants included representatives from the international agriculture community that are key players in facilitating integration of Earth Observations into decision support workflows including US Federal Agencies, nonprofits, and private sector. They included scientists, technicians, and program managers with a responsibility for data acquisition and exploitation such as product development, delivery, and use, as well as capacity building. Discussions were held over two and a half days to convey the broader agriculture and soil moisture community information needs, the mission and procedures for various representative participants and programs involved in the delivery of geospatial products, and the capabilities and status of the NISAR mission. Case studies were presented to demonstrate the current state of practice in the use of SAR remote sensing for applications of direct importance for the agriculture and soil moisture communities. Eleven organizations presented their information requirements in response to a set of questions provided by the NASA team, then the NASA team responded by describing the degree to which NISAR could meet these requirements. Discussion ensued about needed data product specifications to increase utility (e.g., projection, latency, etc.), tools and capacity building.

Stavros, Natasha↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Joinable Undercarriage to Maximize Payload (JUMP) Lunar Lander for Cargo Delivery to the Lunar Surface

Currently, NASA has engaged industry to develop a series of small to medium capacity landers with payload capacities of up to 5-9 tons by the mid to late 2020s. This contrasts with the former Constellation program, where the Altair lunar lander was targeting a payload capability of roughly 14-20 tons. Investment in smaller landers may present future challenges in delivering habitat modules larger than lunar lander cabins or small logistics modules to the lunar surface. Additionally, given a projected SLS flight rate of 1-2 launches per year, a lunar surface buildup from small elements seems problematic at best. While commercial launchers provide a supplement to SLS, many of the current and projected launch vehicles deliver less than 20 tons to a Trans-Lunar Injection – even fewer to the lunar surface. However, a possible solution could emerge if the lander itself could be launched in pieces with a buildup in Cislunar space. Thus, launchers with these capacities could contribute to a lunar lander capable of delivering 30 tons or more to the lunar surface. This paper introduces the notional concept of a Joinable Undercarriage to Maximized Payload (JUMP) lander. Key elements of a proposed JUMP lander concept will be discussed, followed by recommendations and forward work.

Human spaceflight↗
NASA NTRS2000

Titan amphibous aerover

A novel, robotics vehicle is presently under development at JPL that will have the capacity to fly, drive and float, as well as conduct submersible studies on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

Titan↗
NASA NTRS1978

Engineering Model 8-cm Thruster System

Development of an Engineering Model 8-cm Mercury Ion Thruster System for Satellite Control has been successfully completed. This system operates at a specific impulse in excess of 2600 sec, produces a thrust of 5 mN with a total input power of 165 W; it has a dry mass of 16.6 kg and a mercury-propellant-reservoir capacity of 8.75 kg. This paper summarizes the development work, the system characteristics and performance, and the testing undertaken to verify the design.

Herron, B. G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA DEVELOP’s Approach to Experiential Learning

The DEVELOP Program, part of NASA’s Applied Sciences’ Capacity Building Program, connects decision makers and early career individuals through rapid 10-week feasibility studies. These projects utilize Earth observation assets to address environmental issues and are conducted by small, interdisciplinary teams who work autonomously under the guidance of a cohort of science advisors. The teams tailor their research to create end products that support partner decision making processes. The connection to real-world decision making and direct communication with partner organizations drives meaningful experiences for DEVELOP participants that are directly applicable to future work in the geosciences. This poster will share DEVELOP’s model for offering meaningful experiences to its participants, address lessons learned over the past 20+ years, and highlight a variety of testimonials.

Capacity Building↗
NASA NTRS2009

Port-O-Sim Object Simulation Application

Port-O-Sim is a software application that supports engineering modeling and simulation of launch-range systems and subsystems, as well as the vehicles that operate on them. It is flexible, distributed, object-oriented, and realtime. A scripting language is used to configure an array of simulation objects and link them together. The script is contained in a text file, but executed and controlled using a graphical user interface. A set of modules is defined, each with input variables, output variables, and settings. These engineering models can be either linked to each other or run as standalone. The settings can be modified during execution. Since 2001, this application has been used for pre-mission failure mode training for many Range Safety Scenarios. It contains range asset link analysis, develops look-angle data, supports sky-screen site selection, drives GPS (Global Positioning System) and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) simulators, and can support conceptual design efforts for multiple flight programs with its capacity for rapid six-degrees-of-freedom model development. Due to the assembly of various object types into one application, the application is applicable across a wide variety of launch range problem domains.

Lanzi, Raymond J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Development of the Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor (MCTMA): Traffic Flow Management Research in a Multi-Facility Environment

The Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) is a decision-support tool for traffic managers and air traffic controllers that provides traffic flow visualization and other flow management tools. TMA creates an efficiently sequenced and safely spaced schedule for arrival traffic that meets but does not exceed specified airspace system constraints. TMA is being deployed at selected facilities throughout the National Airspace System in the US as part of the FAA's Free Flight Phase 1 program. TMA development and testing, and its current deployment, focuses on managing the arrival capacity for single major airports within single terminal areas and single en route centers. The next phase of development for this technology is the expansion of the TMA capability to complex facilities in which a terminal area or airport is fed by multiple en route centers, thus creating a multicenter TMA functionality. The focus of the multi-center TMA (McTMA) development is on the busy facilities in the Northeast comdor of the US. This paper describes the planning and development of McTMA and the challenges associated with adapting a successful traffic flow management tool for a very complex airspace.

Lee, Katharine K.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Information Systems for NASA's Aeronautics and Space Enterprises

The aerospace industry is being challenged to reduce costs and development time as well as utilize new technologies to improve product performance. Information technology (IT) is the key to providing revolutionary solutions to the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of NASA's aeronautics and space missions and the sophisticated nature of the systems that enable them. The NASA Ames vision is to develop technologies enabling the information age, expanding the frontiers of knowledge for aeronautics and space, improving America's competitive position, and inspiring future generations. Ames' missions to accomplish that vision include: 1) performing research to support the American aviation community through the unique integration of computation, experimentation, simulation and flight testing, 2) studying the health of our planet, understanding living systems in space and the origins of the universe, developing technologies for space flight, and 3) to research, develop and deliver information technologies and applications. Information technology may be defined as the use of advance computing systems to generate data, analyze data, transform data into knowledge and to use as an aid in the decision-making process. The knowledge from transformed data can be displayed in visual, virtual and multimedia environments. The decision-making process can be fully autonomous or aided by a cognitive processes, i.e., computational aids designed to leverage human capacities. IT Systems can learn as they go, developing the capability to make decisions or aid the decision making process on the basis of experiences gained using limited data inputs. In the future, information systems will be used to aid space mission synthesis, virtual aerospace system design, aid damaged aircraft during landing, perform robotic surgery, and monitor the health and status of spacecraft and planetary probes. NASA Ames through the Center of Excellence for Information Technology Office is leading the effort in pursuit of revolutionary, IT-based approaches to satisfying NASA's aeronautics and space requirements. The objective of the effort is to incorporate information technologies within each of the Agency's four Enterprises, i.e., Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology, Earth, Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space and Space Sciences. The end results of these efforts for Enterprise programs and projects should be reduced cost, enhanced mission capability and expedited mission completion.

Kutler, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1998

Research and Technology 1997

NASA Lewis Research Center is responsible for developing and transferring critical technologies that address national priorities in aeropropulsion and space applications in partnership with U.S. industries, universities, and Government institutions. As NASA s designated Lead Center for Aeropropulsion, our role is to develop, verify, and transfer aeropropulsion technologies to U.S. industry. As NASA s designated Center of Excellence in Turbomachinery, our role is to develop new and innovative turbomachinery technology to improve the reliability, performance, efficiency and affordability, capacity, and environmental compatibility of future aerospace vehicles. We also maintain a science and technology development role in aeropropulsion, communications, space power and onboard propulsion, and microgravity fluid physics and combustion. We are committed to enabling non-aerospace U.S. industries to benefit directly from the technologies developed through our programs to maximize the benefit to the Nation and the return on each taxpayer s investment. In addition, we are aggressively pursuing continuous improvement in our management and business practices and striving for diversity in our workforce as together we push the edge of technology in space and aeronautics. The Lewis Research Center is a unique facility located in an important geographical area, the southwest corner of Cleveland, Ohio. Situated on 350 acres of land adjacent to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Lewis comprises more than 140 buildings that include 24 major facilities and over 500 specialized research and test facilities. Additional facilities are located at Plum Brook Station, which is about 50 miles west of Cleveland. Over 3700 people staff Lewis, including civil service employees and support service contractors. Over half of them are scientists and engineers, who plan, conduct or oversee, and report on our research tasks and projects. They are assisted by technical specialists, skilled workers, and an administrative staff. Our end product is knowledge. This report is designed to help us make this knowledge fully available to potential users the aircraft engine industry, the energy industry, the automotive industry, the aerospace industry, and others. It is organized so that a broad cross section of the community can readily use it. Each article begins with a short introductory paragraph that should prove to be a valuable tool for the layperson. These articles summarize the progress made during the year in various technical areas and portray the technical and administrative support associated with Lewis technology programs. We hope that the information is useful to all. If additional information is desired, readers are encouraged to contact the researchers identified in the articles and to visit Lewis on the World Wide Web (http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/). This document is available on the World Wide Web (http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/RT).

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1989

Numerical and experimental analysis of a thin liquid film on a rotating disk related to development of a spacecraft absorption cooling system

The numerical and experimental analysis of a thin liquid film on a rotating and a stationary disk related to the development of an absorber unit for a high capacity spacecraft absorption cooling system, is described. The creation of artificial gravity by the use of a centrifugal field was focused upon in this report. Areas covered include: (1) One-dimensional computation of thin liquid film flows; (2) Experimental measurement of film height and visualization of flow; (3) Two-dimensional computation of the free surface flow of a thin liquid film using a pressure optimization method; (4) Computation of heat transfer in two-dimensional thin film flow; (5) Development of a new computational methodology for the free surface flows using a permeable wall; (6) Analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer in a thin film in the presence and absence of gravity; and (7) Comparison of theoretical prediction and experimental data. The basic phenomena related to fluid flow and heat transfer on rotating systems reported here can also be applied to other areas of space systems.

Faghri, Amir↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

System Engineering & Integration (SE&I) In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Modeling and Analysis (SIMA) Tool for Subsystem Integration into Full-Scale Architectures

In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the practice of producing mission consumables from local lunar/planetary resources, thereby minimizing system launch mass requirements, mainly through the production of propellant fuel components and life support resources. Modeling full ISRU technology architectures significantly impacts the design and optimization of individual unit processes and facilitates their introduction into service with the Science Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) logistical planning and operation space. The Mission Analysis and Integration Tool (MAIT) is a modeling framework that connects individual ISRU subsystem models for the purposes of technology down select, scaling & optimization, and end-to-end process planning. The development project team seeks to address specific STMD capability gaps by simulating ISRU systems in MAIT. The goal is to produce system architectures for the Moon and Mars that are linked to Key Performance Parameters (KPP) and environmental requirements. To that end, the framework is adaptive, flexible, and suitable for collaboration among government, private sector, and international entities. Our approach currently provides conventional outputs, such as mass, power, and volume, to analyze whole system trade spaces. However, the framework was designed to validate current breadboard subsystems, simulate future process design capacity, and allow flexibility to any external developer-driven subsystem model that is in a state of evolution.

SE&I↗
NASA NTRS2014

AztechSat-1, a First Collaborative CubeSat Between NASA and Mexico

An international collaboration program for capacity building in space technology is being established between NASA and the Mexican Space Agency (AEM). Its objective is to develop a series of CubeSats collaboratively in a way that benefits both agencies. For AEM, this experience will support the development of human capital required for its space program. This project provides an opportunity for NASA future missions to benefit from commercially available technologies demonstrated in space. AEM was recently created by the Mexican Government to use and develop space technology in Mexico. Current AEM plans call for having the capability of developing its own communication satellites by 2030, so the need for having a Mexican cadre of space experts is mandatory. The program will start with the development and launching of AztechSat-1, the first AEM CubeSat project to be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS). Several public Mexican universities will participate in this project to demonstrate GlobalStar, a satellite communications provider using a constellation of LEO satellites, as an option for small satellite missions. AztechSat-1 mission objectives are:(1) Develop a flight ready CubeSat for deployment from the ISS; (2) Demonstrate GlobalStar´s Network as a method to advance communications in CubeSat missions. AztechSat-1 is envisioned as a 1U CubeSat and will be designed and constructed by Mexican graduate students from two major universities in Mexico: UNAM and IPN. The students will be mentored and supervised by researchers from NASA Ames Research Center (NARC). Flight acceptance tests are going to be done both at Mexican university labs as well as at NARC. Funding for the project will be provided concurrently by AEM, the Mexican participating universities, and other Mexican entities. The development of AztechSat-1 will emphasize the transfer of knowledge in space mission analysis and design, flight acceptance testing and other areas of space technology which are not well developed in Mexico yet. Mexican students will benefit from their mentoring from NASA researchers and will provide a multiplier effect in the development of the next generation of Mexican aerospace engineers. AztechSat-1 will be developed in a period of twelve months and will be launched by late 2015. AztechSat´s success will define the future of collaboration between NASA and AEM in capacity building. A plan for developing a series of AztechSat’s in a one per year basis, with increasing capabilities and complexity is currently being negotiated between NASA an AEM.

Martinez, Andres↗
NASA NTRS2012

Development of a Deep-Penetrating, Compact Geothermal Heat Flow System for Robotic Lunar Geophysical Missions

Geothermal heat flow measurements are a high priority for the future lunar geophysical network missions recommended by the latest Decadal Survey of the National Academy. Geothermal heat flow is obtained as a product of two separate measurements of geothermal gradient and thermal conductivity of the regolith/soil interval penetrated by the instrument. The Apollo 15 and 17 astronauts deployed their heat flow probes down to 1.4-m and 2.3-m depths, respectively, using a rotary-percussive drill. However, recent studies show that the heat flow instrument for a lunar mission should be capable of excavating a ~3-m deep hole to avoid the effect of potential long-term changes of the surface thermal environment. For a future robotic geophysical mission, a system that utilizes a rotary/percussive drill would far exceed the limited payload and power capacities of the lander/rover. Therefore, we are currently developing a more compact heat flow system that is capable of 3-m penetration. Because the grains of lunar regolith are cohesive and densely packed, the previously proposed lightweight, internal hammering systems (the so-called moles ) are not likely to achieve the desired deep penetration. The excavation system for our new heat flow instrumentation utilizes a stem which winds out of a pneumatically driven reel and pushes its conical tip into the regolith. Simultaneously, gas jets, emitted from the cone tip, loosen and blow away the soil. Lab tests have demonstrated that this proboscis system has much greater excavation capability than a mole-based heat flow system, while it weighs about the same. Thermal sensors are attached along the stem and at the tip of the penetrating cone. Thermal conductivity is measured at the cone tip with a short (1- to 1.5-cm long) needle sensor containing a resistance temperature detector (RTD) and a heater wire. When it is inserted into the soil, the heater is activated. Thermal conductivity of the soil is obtained from the rate of temperature increase during the heating. By stopping during the excavation, it is possible to measure thermal conductivities at different depths. The gas jets are turned off when the penetrating cone reaches the target depth. Then, the stem pushes the needle sensor into the undisturbed soil at the bottom of the hole and carries out a thermal conductivity measurement. When the measurement is complete, the system resumes excavation. RTDs, placed along the stem at short (approx 30 cm) intervals, will monitor long-term temperature stability of the subsurface. Temperature in the shallow subsurface would fluctuate with the diurnal, annual, and precession cycles of the Moon. These thermal waves penetrate to different depths into the regolith. Longterm monitoring of the subsurface temperature would allow us to accurately delineate these cyclic signals and separate them from the signal associated with the outward flow of the Moon s endogenic heat. Further, temperature toward bottom of the 3-m hole should be fairly stable after the heat generated during the excavation dissipates into the surrounding soil. The geothermal gradient may be determined reliably from temperature measurements at the RTDs near the bottom. In order to minimize the heat conduction along the stem from affecting the geothermal gradient measurements, we plan to use low-conductive materials for the stem and develop a mechanism to achieve close coupling between the RTDs and the wall of the excavated hole.

Nagihara, Seiichi↗
NASA NTRS2013

Improving Decision-Making Activities for Meningitis and Malaria

Public health professionals are increasingly concerned about the potential impact that climate variability and change can have on infectious disease. The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) is developing new products to increase the public health community's capacity to understand, use and demand the appropriate climate data and climate information to mitigate the public health impacts of climate on infectious disease, in particular meningitis and malaria. In this paper, we present the new and improved products that have been developed for: (i) estimating dust aerosol for forecasting risks of meningitis and (ii) for monitoring temperature and rainfall and integrating them into a vectorial capacity model for forecasting risks of malaria epidemics. We also present how the products have been integrated into a knowledge system (IRI Data Library Map Room, SERVIR) to support the use of climate and environmental information in climate-sensitive health decision-making.

parasitic diseases↗