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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA) Electrical Power Systems Test Operations: User Test Planning Guide

Test process, milestones and inputs are unknowns to first-time users of the ESTA Electrical Power Systems Test Laboratory. The User Test Planning Guide aids in establishing expectations for both NASA and non-NASA facility customers. The potential audience for this guide includes both internal and commercial spaceflight hardware/software developers. It is intended to assist their test engineering personnel in test planning and execution. Material covered includes a roadmap of the test process, roles and responsibilities of facility and user, major milestones, facility capabilities, and inputs required by the facility. Samples of deliverables, test article interfaces, and inputs necessary to define test scope, cost, and schedule are included as an appendix to the guide.

Salinas, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Strategies for Radiation Hardness Testing of Power Semiconductor Devices

Plans on the drawing board for future space missions call for much larger power systems than have been flown in the past. These systems would employ much higher voltages and currents to enable more powerful electric propulsion engines and other improvements on what will also be much larger spacecraft. Long term human outposts on the moon and planets would also require high voltage, high current and long life power sources. Only hundreds of watts are produced and controlled on a typical robotic exploration spacecraft today. Megawatt systems are required for tomorrow. Semiconductor devices used to control and convert electrical energy in large space power systems will be exposed to electromagnetic and particle radiation of many types, depending on the trajectory and duration of the mission and on the power source. It is necessary to understand the often very different effects of the radiations on the control and conversion systems. Power semiconductor test strategies that we have developed and employed will be presented, along with selected results. The early results that we have obtained in testing large power semiconductor devices give a good indication of the degradation in electrical performance that can be expected in response to a given dose. We are also able to highlight differences in radiation hardness that may be device or material specific.

Soltis, James V.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Capabilities and Testing of the Fission Surface Power Primary Test Circuit (FSP-PTC)

An actively pumped alkali metal flow circuit, designed and fabricated at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, is currently undergoing testing in the Early Flight Fission Test Facility (EFF-TF). Sodium potassium (NaK), which was used in the SNAP-10A fission reactor, was selected as the primary coolant. Basic circuit components include: simulated reactor core, NaK to gas heat exchanger, electromagnetic (EM) liquid metal pump, liquid metal flowmeter, load/drain reservoir, expansion reservoir, test section, and instrumentation. Operation of the circuit is based around a 37-pin partial-array core (pin and flow path dimensions are the same as those in a full core), designed to operate at 33 kWt. NaK flow rates of greater than 1 kg/sec may be achieved, depending upon the power applied to the EM pump. The heat exchanger provides for the removal of thermal energy from the circuit, simulating the presence of an energy conversion system. The presence of the test section increases the versatility of the circuit. A second liquid metal pump, an energy conversion system, and highly instrumented thermal simulators are all being considered for inclusion within the test section. This paper summarizes the capabilities and ongoing testing of the Fission Surface Power Primary Test Circuit (FSP-PTC).

Garber, Anne E.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Throttling Impacts on Hall Thruster Performance, Erosion, and Qualification for NASA Science Missions

With the SMART-1, Department of Defense, and commercial industry successes in Hall thruster technologies, NASA has started considering Hall thrusters for science missions. The recent Discovery proposals included a Hall thruster science mission and the In-Space Propulsion Project is investing in Hall thruster technologies. As the confidence in Hall thrusters improve, ambitious multi-thruster missions are being considered. Science missions often require large throttling ranges due to the 1/r(sup 2) power drop-off from the sun. Deep throttling of Hall thrusters will impact the overall system performance. Also, Hall thrusters can be throttled with both current and voltage, impacting erosion rates and performance. Last, electric propulsion thruster lifetime qualification has previously been conducted with long duration full power tests. Full power tests may not be appropriate for NASA science missions, and a combination of lifetime testing at various power levels with sufficient analysis is recommended. Analyses of various science missions and throttling schemes using the Aerojet BPT-4000 and NASA 103M HiVHAC thruster are presented.

Dankanich, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Variable load automatically tests dc power supplies

Continuously variable load automatically tests dc power supplies over an extended current range. External meters monitor current and voltage, and multipliers at the outputs facilitate plotting the power curve of the unit.

Burke, H. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Continued Investigation of Leakage and Power Loss Test Results for Competing Turbine Engine Seals

Seal leakage decreases with increasing surface speed due to reduced clearances from disk centrifugal growth. Annular and labyrinth seal leakage are 2-3 times greater than brush and finger seal leakage. Seal leakage rates increase with increasing temperature because of seal clearance growth due to different coefficients of thermal expansion between the seal and test disk. Seal power loss is not strongly affected by inlet temperature. Seal power loss increases with increasing surface speed, seal pressure differential, mass flow rate or flow factor, and radial clearance. The brush and finger seals had nearly the same power loss. Annular and labyrinth seal power loss were higher than finger or brush seal power loss. The brush seal power loss was the lowest and 15-30% lower than annular and labyrinth seal power loss.

Delgado, Irebert R.↗
NASA NTRS2018

GT SUITE Fuel Cell Model Validation with Power Module Test Data

The AES Modular Power Systems (AMPS) Fuel Cell team at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has created a Microsoft Excel model of a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for potential lunar and Martian applications. Due to some limitations of this model, including the ability to predict transient effects in the thermal and fluidic performance of the system, a system-level transient thermal/fluids model was desired. GT-SUITE is a transient multi-physics simulation tool that is popular in the automotive industry and has a built in template for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. However, terrestrial fuel cells used in the automotive industry vary significantly from aerospace fuel cells. A validation effort was undertaken to compare GT SUITE model results to actual data collected during the 2015 AMPS Power Module Demonstration in which the AMPS team used a PEM fuel cell system to power a 478 kg rover assembly at the Dunes test site located at GRC. The purpose of the model was to evaluate the efficacy of using GT SUITE to model a non-flow through PEM fuel cell system. The validation effort examined electrochemical performance including fuel cell stack voltage and power supplied, the thermal performance of the stack namely stack temperature and heat rejection rates, and the fluidic performance of the system including pressures, reactant consumption, and water production rates.

Gilligan, Ryan↗
NASA NTRS2018

Fuel Cell Model Validation with Power Module Test Data

The AES Modular Power Systems (AMPS) Fuel Cell team at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has created a Microsoft Excel model of a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for potential lunar and Martian applications. Due to some limitations of this model, including the ability to predict transient effects in the thermal and fluidic performance of the system, a system-level transient thermal/fluids model was desired. GT-SUITE is a transient multi-physics simulation tool that is popular in the automotive industry and has a built-in template for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. However, terrestrial fuel cells used in the automotive industry vary significantly from aerospace fuel cells. A validation effort was undertaken to compare GT SUITE model results to actual data collected during the 2015 AMPS (Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Modular Power Systems) Power Module Demonstration in which the AMPS team used a PEM fuel cell system to power a 478 kilogram rover assembly at the Dunes test site located at GRC. The purpose of the model was to evaluate the efficacy of using GT SUITE to model a non-flow through PEM fuel cell system. The validation effort examined electrochemical performance including fuel cell stack voltage and power supplied, the thermal performance of the stack namely stack temperature and heat rejection rates, and the fluidic performance of the system including pressures, reactant consumption, and water production rates.

Model Validation↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space station experiment definition: Advanced power system test bed

A conceptual design for an advanced photovoltaic power system test bed was provided and the requirements for advanced photovoltaic power system experiments better defined. Results of this study will be used in the design efforts conducted in phase B and phase C/D of the space station program so that the test bed capabilities will be responsive to user needs. Critical PV and energy storage technologies were identified and inputs were received from the idustry (government and commercial, U.S. and international) which identified experimental requirements. These inputs were used to develop a number of different conceptual designs. Pros and cons of each were discussed and a strawman candidate identified. A preliminary evolutionary plan, which included necessary precursor activities, was established and cost estimates presented which would allow for a successful implementation to the space station in the 1994 time frame.

Pollard, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Lewis Research Center space station electric power system test facilities

NASA Lewis Research Center facilities were developed to support testing of the Space Station Electric Power System. The capabilities and plans for these facilities are described. The three facilities which are required in the Phase C/D testing, the Power Systems Facility, the Space Power Facility, and the EPS Simulation Lab, are described in detail. The responsibilities of NASA Lewis and outside groups in conducting tests are also discussed.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Shadowgraph techniques in transonic tests with powered nacelles

Shadowgraph photography techniques in transonic wind tunnel tests are described. The system was used in tests with powered nacelle rings to visualize the shock wave pattern in the exhaust flow. The technique is also used for installed nacelle tests on a floor mounted half model with a turbine powered fan engine simulator.

Hutton, P. G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA AREAL Testbed and UE Power Quality Testing

A large number of electrified aircraft propulsion systems currently in development consist of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power systems and utilization equipment (UE). There is a need for industry consensus standards and guidelines in order to support the development and verification of these rapidly maturing systems, user equipment, and associated technologies. To support the aforementioned need, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project is performing ongoing power quality testing on HVDC power systems and associated UE. The testing described in this paper describes the UE testing completed to date in the NASA Advanced Reconfigurable Electrified Aircraft Lab (AREAL).

electrified aircraft↗
NASA NTRS2010

Test Results from a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This presentation describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Test Results From a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This report describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS2008

HEMT Amplifiers and Equipment for their On-Wafer Testing

Power amplifiers comprising InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in coplanar-waveguide (CPW) circuits designed for operation at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz, and a test set for onwafer measurement of their power levels have been developed. These amplifiers utilize an advanced 35-nm HEMT monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) technology and have potential utility as local-oscillator drivers and power sources in future submillimeter-wavelength heterodyne receivers and imaging systems. The test set can reduce development time by enabling rapid output power characterization, not only of these and similar amplifiers, but also of other coplanar-waveguide power circuits, without the necessity of packaging the circuits.

Fung, King man↗