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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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24 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Cascaded resonant bridge converters

A converter for converting a low voltage direct current power source to a higher voltage, high frequency alternating current output for use in an electrical system where it is desired to use low weight cables and other circuit elements. The converter has a first stage series resonant (Schwarz) converter which converts the direct current power source to an alternating current by means of switching elements that are operated by a variable frequency voltage regulator, a transformer to step up the voltage of the alternating current, and a rectifier bridge to convert the alternating current to a direct current first stage output. The converter further has a second stage series resonant (Schwarz) converter which is connected in series to the first stage converter to receive its direct current output and convert it to a second stage high frequency alternating current output by means of switching elements that are operated by a fixed frequency oscillator. The voltage of the second stage output is controlled at a relatively constant value by controlling the first stage output voltage, which is accomplished by controlling the frequency of the first stage variable frequency voltage controller in response to second stage voltage. Fault tolerance in the event of a load short circuit is provided by making the operation of the first stage variable frequency voltage controller responsive to first and second stage current limiting devices. The second stage output is connected to a rectifier bridge whose output is connected to the input of the second stage to provide good regulation of output voltage wave form at low system loads.

Stuart, Thomas A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-power converters for space applications

Phase 1 was a concept definition effort to extend space-type dc/dc converter technology to the megawatt level with a weight of less than 0.1 kg/kW (220 lb./MW). Two system designs were evaluated in Phase 1. Each design operates from a 5 kV stacked fuel cell source and provides a voltage step-up to 100 kV at 10 A for charging capacitors (100 pps at a duty cycle of 17 min on, 17 min off). Both designs use an MCT-based, full-bridge inverter, gaseous hydrogen cooling, and crowbar fault protection. The GE-CRD system uses an advanced high-voltage transformer/rectifier filter is series with a resonant tank circuit, driven by an inverter operating at 20 to 50 kHz. Output voltage is controlled through frequency and phase shift control. Fast transient response and stability is ensured via optimal control. Super-resonant operation employing MCTs provides the advantages of lossless snubbing, no turn-on switching loss, use of medium-speed diodes, and intrinsic current limiting under load-fault conditions. Estimated weight of the GE-CRD system is 88 kg (1.5 cu ft.). Efficiency of 94.4 percent and total system loss is 55.711 kW operating at 1 MW load power. The Maxwell system is based on a resonance transformer approach using a cascade of five LC resonant sections at 100 kHz. The 5 kV bus is converted to a square wave, stepped-up to a 100 kV sine wave by the LC sections, rectified, and filtered. Output voltage is controlled with a special series regulator circuit. Estimated weight of the Maxwell system is 83.8 kg (4.0 cu ft.). Efficiency is 87.2 percent and total system loss is 146.411 kW operating at 1 MW load power.

Park, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Progress Toward a Compact 0.05 K Magnet Refrigerator Operating from 10 K

Much of the most interesting information regarding our universe is hidden in the sub-millimeter, infrared, and x-rays bands of the spectrum, to which our atmosphere is largely opaque. Thus, missions exploring these bands are a very important part of NASA s Space Science program. Coincidentally, the most sensitive detectors in these spectral regions operate at extremely low temperatures, typically 0.05 - 0.10 K. Generally these temperatures will be achieved using magnetic refrigerators, also know as Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators, or ADRs. Current ADRs, such as the one used in the XRS-II instrument on the Astro-E2 satellite, use a single-stage to cool detectors from 1.3 K to 0.06 K. The ADR is designed so that it can absorb the heat on the detector stage for at least 24 hours before it must stop, warm up to the helium bath temperature (1.3 K), and dump the accumulated heat. Future detector arrays will be much larger and will have higher heat dissipation. Furthermore, future missions will use mechanical cryocoolers to provide upper stage cooling, but they can only reach 4 - 10 K. Trying to scale heavy (-15 kg) single stage ADRs up to the higher heat loads and higher heat rejection temperatures required leads to unacceptably large systems. The GSFC Cryogenics Branch has developed the Continuous ADR (CADR) to solve this problem. The CADR consists of a series of ADR stages that sequentially pass heat from the load up to the high temperature heat sink. The stage connected to the load remains at a constant temperature. The continuous stage effectively decouples detector operation from ADR operation, allowing the ADR stages to be cycled much more rapidly. Rapid cycling leads to higher cooling power density. The cascading, multistage arrangement allows the magnetic refrigerant of each stage to be optimized for its own temperature swing. In the past year, we have made good progress toward a 0.05 to 10K system. A four-stage system that operates from 4.2 K was demonstrated. Magnetic shielding was added to eliminate inter-stage coupling. Improvements were made to superconducting and passive gas-gap heat switches. A second type of passive gas gap switch, one meant for use at higher temperature, was demonstrated. The presentation will focus primarily on these recent design improvements, and on the challenges that remain on the progress toward a system that will operate from 10 K or higher.

Canavan, Edgar↗
NASA NTRS1978

Modelling, analyses and design of switching converters

A state-space averaging method for modelling switching dc-to-dc converters for both continuous and discontinuous conduction mode is developed. In each case the starting point is the unified state-space representation, and the end result is a complete linear circuit model, for each conduction mode, which correctly represents all essential features, namely, the input, output, and transfer properties (static dc as well as dynamic ac small-signal). While the method is generally applicable to any switching converter, it is extensively illustrated for the three common power stages (buck, boost, and buck-boost). The results for these converters are then easily tabulated owing to the fixed equivalent circuit topology of their canonical circuit model. The insights that emerge from the general state-space modelling approach lead to the design of new converter topologies through the study of generic properties of the cascade connection of basic buck and boost converters.

Cuk, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Design of Timer Circuit for Dynamic Data System

The Branch That I work in is in the Aero Electronic Test Branch, which is part of the Research and Testing Division. The Aero Electronic Test Branch deals with electronic control and instrumentation systems. This branch supports the research and test study of wind tunnels such as the l0x10,9x15, and 8x6. Wind tunnels are used in research to test certain parts of a jet, plane, shuttle or any other flying object in certain test conditions. My assignment is to design a programmable trigger circuit on a 19 standard rack mount that will allow the circuit to latch and hold for a predefined amount of time entered by the user when receiving a signal. It should then re-arm itself within 0.25 seconds after the time is finished. The time should be able to be seen on a display showing the time entered. The time range has to be from 0-600 seconds in 0.01 second increments (600.00). From the information given, counters will be needed to design and build this circuit. A counter, in it s simplest form, is a group of flip flops that can temporarily store bits of information put into the circuit. They can be constructed in many different ways, such as in 4 flip flops (4-bit counter) or 8 flip flops and even higher. Counters are usually cascaded with other counters to reach higher bits, such as 16 or 24 bit counters. The application in which I will use the counters will be to count down from any programmable number that I input either by a keyboard or a thumbwheel. Also, I will use counters that will be used specifically as a frequency divider to divide the pulses that enter the circuit through an input signal from a crystal clock. The pulses will need to be divided so that it will function as a 100Hz clock putting out 100 pulses per second. A switch will be used to load my inputs in and more than likely a button also so that I can stop and hold the count at any point of time. I will use 5 BCD up/down programmable counters, and a certain amount (depending on what kind of "divide by N" counter I use) of frequency dividing counters for the assignment. After the design is carefully made, a task order will be written and then given to the manufacturer to create a rack mount circuit board that will match my specifications given. The applications in which this design will be used for is in the use of the six-component balance signal conditioner for measurement and electronic system control. It can be used as a timer system for the balance signal conditioner in which it does numerous tests for the Wind tunnel research, in which a preset time can be set for how long it performs its tests. Specifically, my design should be applied to the balance signal conditioner used for the 8x6 wind tunnel research. Hopefully this design should aid in more efficient research for the 8x6 wind tunnel.

Young, Nathaniel, III↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Search of Large Amplitude Waves in Slow Shock in the Distant Tail and an Examination of Wave Turbulence in the Plasma Sheet Boundary Layer

Two fluid simulations predict that switch-off slow shocks should have large amplitude left-hand wave trains downstream of the shock. Recent simulations show that this feature depends on specific plasma parameters, such as Much number and ratio of electron-to-ion temperature. In this study we carefully examine all distant tail crossings using ISEE-3 field and plasma data. We seek large amplitude rotational waves and compare to shock parameters. We also investigate right-hand waves associated with ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer. We examine the role of those back-streaming ions from slow shocks in wave generation. Wave mode cascade and parametric decay in these regions also will be studied.

Ho, C. M.↗