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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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Flexible protective coatings formed from either of two polymers endure high temperatures for long periods. One polymer is a byproduct in hexaphenylcyclotrisilazane preparation, the other is obtained by heating bis/methylamino/diphenylsilane.
High endurance thermionic cathodes for Kaufman thrustors, discussing emissive coatings and emissive layer starvation
Damage occurs again and again in practice in the form of transmissions with surface hardened gears which break after a very long operating time (explained by seldom occurring jerky loads). Gear drives are frequently exposed to jerky stresses which are greater than their fatigue limit. These stresses are considered in gear calculations, first, by shock factors when the transmission is to be designed as high endurance with regard to overloads and, second, in the form of operating ratios when the design is to be time enduring with regard to overloads. The size of the operating ratio depends not only on torque characteristics, drive and processing machine, but also on the material and heat treatment.
Optical properties endure high temperatures. Coating has outer scattering layer and inner high emissivity layer. Absorptivity/emissivity ratio less than 0.4. Coating withstands repeated exposure to temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees F. Coating has industrial uses in solar-energy equipment, high temperature chemical processing systems, laboratory equipment and high temperature instrumentation.
Matrix-fiber composite materials developed for structural members occasionally exposed to hot, corrosive gases. Integral ceramic fabric surface layer essential for resistance to flames and chemicals. Endures high temperature, impedes flame from penetrating to interior, inhibits diffusion of oxygen to interior where it degrades matrix resin, resists attack by chemicals, helps resist erosion, and provides additional strength. In original intended application, composite members replace steel structural members of rocket-launching structures that deteriorate under combined influences of atmosphere, spilled propellants, and rocket exhaust. Composites also attractive for other applications in which corrosion- and fire-resistant structural members needed.
Glass-ceramic matrix reinforced fiber composite materials developed for use in low dielectric applications, such as radomes. Materials strong and tough, exhibit low dielectric properties, and endure high temperatures.
Ferroelectric random access semiconductor memories (FeRAMs) are an ideal nonvolatile solution for space applications. These memories have low power performance, high endurance and fast write times. By combining commercial ferroelectric memory technology with radiation hardened CMOS technology, nonvolatile semiconductor memories for space applications can be attained. Of the few radiation hardened semiconductor manufacturers, none have embraced the development of radiation hardened FeRAMs, due a limited commercial space market and funding limitations. Government funding may be necessary to assure the development of radiation hardened ferroelectric memories for space applications.
As one of the near-term goals of the President's Vision for Space Exploration, establishment of a multi-person lunar base will require high-endurance power systems which are independent of the sun, and can operate without replenishment for several years. These requirements may be obtained using nuclear power systems specifically designed for use on the lunar surface. While it is envisioned that such a system will generally be supervised by humans, some of the evolutions required maybe semi or fully autonomous. The entire base complement for near-term missions may be less than 10 individuals, most or all of which may not be qualified nuclear plant operators and may be off-base for extended periods thus, the need for power system autonomous operation. Startup, shutdown, and load following operations will require the application of advanced control and health management strategies with an emphasis on robust, supervisory, coordinated control of, for example, the nuclear heat source, energy conversion plant (e.g., Brayton Energy Conversion units), and power management system. Autonomous operation implies that, in addition to being capable of automatic response to disturbance input or load changes, the system is also capable of assessing the status of the integrated plant, determining the risk associated with the possible actions, and making a decision as to the action that optimizes system performance while minimizing risk to the mission. Adapting the control to deviations from design conditions and degradation due to component failures will be essential to ensure base inhabitant safety and mission success. Intelligent decisions will have to be made to choose the right set of sensors to provide the data needed to do condition monitoring and fault detection and isolation because of liftoff weight and space limitations, it will not be possible to have an extensive set of instruments as used for earth-based systems. Advanced instrumentation and control technologies will be needed to enable this critical functionality of autonomous operation. It will be imperative to consider instrumentation and control requirements in parallel to system configuration development so as to identify control-related, as well as integrated system-related, problem areas early to avoid potentially expensive work-arounds . This paper presents an overview of the enabling technologies necessary for the development of reliable, autonomous lunar base nuclear power systems with an emphasis on system architectures and off-the-shelf algorithms rather than hardware. Autonomy needs are presented in the context of a hypothetical lunar base nuclear power system. The scenarios and applications presented are hypothetical in nature, based on information from open-literature sources, and only intended to provoke thought and provide motivation for the use of autonomous, intelligent control and diagnostics.
The microflora of the cryosphere of planet Earth provides the best analogs for life forms that might be found in the permafrost or polar ice caps of Mars, near the surface of the cometary nuclei, or in the liquid water beneath the ice crusts of icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. For astrobiology the focus on the study alkaliphilic microorganisms was enhanced by the findings of abundant carbonates and carbonate globules rimmed with possibly biogenic magnetites in association with the putative microfossils in the ALH84001 meteorite. Although the ALH84001 "nanofossils" were to small and simple to be unambiguously recognized as biogenic, they stimulated Astrobiology research and studies of microbial extremophiles and biomarkers in ancient rocks and meteorites. Recent studies of CI and CM carbonaceous meteorites have resulted in the detection of the well-preserved mineralized remains of coccoidal and" filamentous microorganisms in cyanobacterial mats. Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis has shown anomalous biogenic element ratios clearly indicating they are not recent biological contaminants. This paper reviews microbial extremophiles in context of their significance to Astrobiology and the evolution of life. Extremophilic microorganisms on Earth are models for life that might endure high radiation environments in the ice near the surface of comets or on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn and in the seafloor deep beneath the icy crusts of Europa and Enceladus.
Ceramic strain gauges in which the strain-sensitive electrically conductive strips made from nanocomposites of noble metal and indium tin oxide (ITO) are being developed for use in gas turbine engines and other power-generation systems in which gas temperatures can exceed 1,500 F (about 816 C). In general, strain gauges exhibit spurious thermally induced components of response denoted apparent strain. When temperature varies, a strain-gauge material that has a nonzero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) exhibits an undesired change in electrical resistance that can be mistaken for the change in resistance caused by a change in strain. It would be desirable to formulate straingauge materials having TCRs as small as possible so as to minimize apparent strain. Most metals exhibit positive TCRs, while most semiconductors, including ITO, exhibit negative TCRs. The present development is based on the idea of using the negative TCR of ITO to counter the positive TCRs of noble metals and of obtaining the benefit of the ability of both ITO and noble metals to endure high temperatures. The noble metal used in this development thus far has been platinum. Combinatorial libraries of many ceramic strain gauges containing nanocomposites of various proportions of ITO and platinum were fabricated by reactive co-sputtering from ITO and platinum targets onto alumina- and zirconia-based substrates mounted at various positions between the targets.
The objective of this study was to develop a variety of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) conceptual designs for two operationally useful missions (hurricane science and communications relay) and compare their performance and cost characteristics. Sixteen potential HALE UAV configurations were initially developed, including heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) concepts with both consumable fuel and solar regenerative (SR) propulsion systems. Through an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) down select process, the two leading consumable fuel configurations (one each from the HTA and LTA alternatives) and an HTA SR configuration were selected for further analysis. Cost effectiveness analysis of the consumable fuel configurations revealed that simply maximizing vehicle endurance can lead to a sub-optimum system solution. An LTA concept with a hybrid propulsion system (solar arrays and a hydrogen-air proton exchange membrane fuel cell) was found to have the best mission performance; however, an HTA diesel-fueled wing-body-tail configuration emerged as the preferred consumable fuel concept because of the large size and technical risk of the LTA concept. The baseline missions could not be performed by even the best HTA SR concept. Mission and SR technology trade studies were conducted to enhance understanding of the potential capabilities of such a vehicle. With near-term technology SR-powered HTA vehicles are limited to operation in favorable solar conditions, such as the long days and short nights of summer at higher latitudes. Energy storage system specific energy and solar cell efficiency were found to be the key technology areas for enhancing HTA SR performance.
In the search to bridge current gaps in surveillance and communication technologies, a new type of, aircraft is currently undergoing design. The idea of a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft is already a few decades old, but has only recently become realizable. A relay and collector of information at altitudes of 65,000 feet and higher could greatly improve standards of data exchange, homeland security, and research of the air, land and sea. NASA, as a major force in propulsion research, is exploring methods of powering an autonomous aircraft for days, weeks, or even months without refueling. Such a task requires not only high energy density, but also the ability to make use of renewable energy sources to regenerate power. Hydrogen is one of the most energy dense fuels available. Fuel cells make use of hydrogen by harnessing the energy released as it combines with oxygen to produce electricity and water. Fuel cells are envisioned to occupy future propulsion systems in cooperation with solar cells where the photovoltaic arrays harness sunlight into power which can electrolize the water byproduct into reusable hydrogen and oxygen. Modeling this type of system requires adequate assumptions of support hardware and daily transients in operation. The performance of a regenerative fuel cell propulsion system lies in the flight characteristics (altitude, density, temperature, latitude, etc.). Each subsystem is defined by many parameters which can be varied across wide ranges. Statistical and probabilistic analyses bring forward a wealth of information that can be utilized in the design process. This is necessary since the required technologies are relatively young and barely, if yet, capable. Once the modeling is complete, a design space exploration of this highly constrained scenario can be utilized to find the optimal design. The model will become an interactive environment with which experiments and tests can be run. When linked
An Analysis of Alternatives and a Technology Requirements Study were conducted for two mission areas utilizing various types of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). A hurricane science mission and a communications relay mission provided air vehicle requirements which were used to derive sixteen potential HALE UAV configurations, including heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) concepts with both consumable fuel and solar regenerative propulsion systems. A HTA diesel-fueled wing-body-tail configuration emerged as the preferred concept given near-term technology constraints. The cost effectiveness analysis showed that simply maximizing vehicle endurance can be a sub-optimum system solution. In addition, the HTA solar regenerative configuration was utilized to perform both a mission requirements study and a technology development study. Given near-term technology constraints, the solar regenerative powered vehicle was limited to operations during the long days and short nights at higher latitudes during the summer months. Technology improvements are required in energy storage system specific energy and solar cell efficiency, along with airframe drag and mass reductions to enable the solar regenerative vehicle to meet the full mission requirements.
A microcomputer-based integration of aircraft design disciplines has been applied theoretically to sailplane, microwave-powered aircraft, and High Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) aircraft configurational definition efforts. Attention is presently given to the further development of such integrated-disciplines approaches through the incorporation of AI techniques; these are then applied to the aforementioned case of the HALE. The 'windFrame' language used, which is based on HyperTalk, will allow designers to write programs using a highly graphical, user interface-oriented environment.
A microcomputer-based integration of aircraft design disciplines has been applied theoretically to sailplane, microwave-powered aircraft, and High Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) aircraft configurational definition efforts. Attention is presently given to the further development of such integrated-discipline approaches through the incorporation of AI techniques; these are then applied to the aforementioned case of the HALE. The windFrame language used, which is based on HyperTalk, will allow designers to write programs using a highly graphical, user interface-oriented environment.
Most major global satellite surveyors of climate-relevant trace gases have relatively coarse spatial resolution or temporal sampling. While these data can be supplemented by fine-pointing satellites and aircraft, the spatial and temporal resolutions available from crewed aircraft is not sufficient to observe stochastic, ephemeral events that take place between observations. Emerging High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) can operate for months at a time and loiter over targets to provide continuous daylight geostationary-like observations, allowing these new platforms to be integrated with existing satellites as part of a New Observing Strategy (NOS).To aid in the planning of future NOS missions, NASA is developing the Intelligent Long Endurance Observing System (ILEOS), a science activity planning system. ILEOS will help scientists build plans to improve spatio-temporal resolution of climate-relevant gases by fusing coarse-grained sensor data from satellites and other sources(e.g., terrain, forecasts), and plan HALE UAS flights to obtain finer-grain (high spatio-temporal) data. ILEOS will also enable observations for longer periods and of environments not accessible through in-situ observations and crewed aircraft field campaigns.
This paper will address NASA activities to monitor and study Earth processes from long-duration unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). NASA is currently supporting both large and small UAS development and demonstration. In a follow-on to previous work, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center is hosting test flights of a large AeroVironment solar-powered aircraft, while NASA Ames Research Center is supporting the demonstration of a light-weight solar powered aircraft by Swift Engineering. Both are designed for long duration, multi-day flight. NASA Earth Science and Aeronautics researchers have been involved in the development and use of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAS since the 1990's. The NASA Environmental Research Aircraft Sensor and Technology Program (ERAST) demonstrated the promise of HALE aircraft for providing observations while also proving the importance of triple-redundant avionics to improve system reliability for large unmanned aircraft. Early efforts to develop an operational HALE capability for earth observations languished for nearly two decades owing to insufficient solar panel efficiency, battery power density, and light-weight, yet strong, materials. During this time NASA researchers focused on using the Global Hawk to demonstrate the utility of providing diurnal measurements over severe storms (i.e. HS3) and to track stratospheric water vapor transport (ATTREX). Recent significant commercial investments are now leading to the realization of a long-held goal of week- to month-long sustained observations and measurements from the stratosphere. In addition to a historical review of NASA use and interest in HALE aircraft, this paper will present current concepts for exploiting current and planned HALE aircraft capabilities including in situ characterization of atmospheric composition and dynamics as well as imagery collection and internet connectivity. NASA researchers anticipate HALE will also provide a useful means to test smallsat instruments and components. Observations from HALE-based instruments might also provide useful gap-filler observations to flagship satellite missions where the repeat time doesn't allow for measurements of quickly changing phenomenon. HALE will likely also provide measurements and communications relay to facilitate other aircraft in multi-aircraft campaigns. We will also report on progress towards a NASA-supported flight tests solar electric vehicles planned for 2019. One is the Swift Engineering UAS designed to carry 7kg (15lbs) for 30 days at 20km altitude. The other is the AeroVironment Hawk 30, also designed for multi-day flight.
A system level analysis, inclusive of mass, is carried out for a cryogenic hydrogen fueled hybrid solid oxide fuel cell and bottoming gas turbine (SOFC/GT) power system. The system is designed to provide primary or secondary electrical power for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over a high altitude, long endurance mission. The net power level and altitude are parametrically varied to examine their effect on total system mass. Some of the more important technology parameters, including turbomachinery efficiencies and the SOFC area specific resistance, are also studied for their effect on total system mass. Finally, two different solid oxide cell designs are compared to show the importance of the individual solid oxide cell design on the overall system. We show that for long mission durations of 10 days or more, the fuel mass savings resulting from the high efficiency of a SOFC/GT system more than offset the larger powerplant mass resulting from the low specific power of the SOFC/GT system. These missions therefore favor high efficiency, low power density systems, characteristics typical of fuel cell systems in general.