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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 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

A systematic approach to training: A training needs assessment

In an effort to determine the gap between the actual performance and the necessary performance of employees for the effective and efficient accomplishment of an organization's mission and goals, an organization-wide Training Needs Assessment must be conducted. The purpose of this work was to conduct a training needs analysis and prepare a NASA Langley Catalog of On-Site Training programs. The work included developing a Training Needs Assessment Survey, implementing the survey, analyzing and researching the training needs, identifying the courses to meet the needs, and preparing and designing an On-Site Training Catalog. This needs analysis attempted to identify performance weaknesses and deficits; seek out and provide opportunities for improved performance; anticipate and avoid future problems; enhance and create new strengths. The end product is a user-friendly catalog of on-site training available. The results include: top-down approach to needs assessment; improved communication with training coordinators; 98 percent return rate of the Training Needs Assessment survey; complete, newly designed, user-friendly catalog; 167 catalog descriptions advertised; 82 new courses advertised; training logo; and request for the training application form.

Manning, Margaret H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Drag-n-fly: a Proposal in Response to a Low Reynolds Number Station Keeping Mission

The Drag-n-Fly is a remotely piloted, low Reynolds number vehicle. It was designed to maintain level controlled flight and fly a closed course at flight speeds corresponding to Reynolds numbers of less than 2 x 10(exp 5) and as close to 1 x 10(exp 5) as possible. The success of the mission will be associated with achieving the lowest mean chord Reynolds number possible and maximizing loiter time on the course. The flight plan for the Drag-n-Fly calls for the vehicle to ascent to a cruise altitude of 25 ft. The airfoil selected for the Drag-n-Fly is a Spica chosen for its high lift coefficient at low Reynolds number. The propulsion system for the Drag-n-Fly consists of a 10 inch diameter propeller mounted on the front of the vehicle. Structural support for the Drag-n-Fly comes from four box beams running the length of the fuselage. The tail and horizontal stabilizers are located far aft of the lifting surface in order to assure proper static stability. The present design for the Drag-n-Fly will meet the criteria for the present mission.

Foohey, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1989

Apparent limitations of head-up-displays and thermal imaging systems

A simulated helicopter flight through a slalom course was presented on a Silicon Graphics IRIS 3130. The display represented the major visual characteristics of thermal images. Subjects were asked to maintain a designated altitude, while flying a slalom course between regularly spaced pylons. The presence of some of the high frequency details in the image improved subjects' ability to reach and maintain the correct altitude. A head-up-display helped in maintaining altitude, but impaired maneuvering around the poles. The results are interpreted in terms of the competition for visual resources between the HUD and the world view.

Brickner, Michael S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ca(+) emission in the sunlit ionosphere

In the course of a program of twilight airglow observations, the resonance fluorescence emissions from calcium ions were measured. In particular, twilight sequences were obtained during the period of December 19-22, 1987, which coincided with the Ursids meteorite shower. During this meteorite event the intensities of the Ca(+) emission lines at 3934A increased to the point that the surface brightness profiles could be inverted to volume emission rate profiles. These profiles show evidence for strong spatial redistribution of the Ca(+) over the course of three days. Observations of these emissions during meteor shower periods could provide a valuable tracer for the processes responsible for the transport of ions in the D, E, and F region, allowing the full altitude and latitude extent of the distribution to be determined.

Torr, Marsha R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Implementation of sensor and control designs for bioregenerative systems

The EGM 4000/4001 Engineering Design class is an interdisciplinary design course that allows students to experience the design process. The projects involved the design of sensors and subsystems of a closed-loop life support system (CLLSS) with special emphasis on the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) currently being developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) by NASA. To understand the work performed by the students, one must understand the purpose and concept of a CLLSS system. In the years to come, NASA will be constructing Moon bases and sending astronauts to other worlds on extended space missions. In order to support the crews, unreasonably large quantities of supplies would have to be sent from Earth. These supplies would be difficult to transport and require large holds. To remedy this problem, NASA plans to incorporate crops into the spacecraft. These crops would supply food for the crews, as well as provide beneficial psychological side effects. In addition, the plants would recycle the air and human waste and provide oxygen and water for the humans. The students in the design class were to work on supporting this project. In order to do this successfully, the course was separated into two phases. The first semester involved studying the various aspects of a CLLSS to determine sensing needs and develop ideas. The second semester involved first determining which of the ideas were most promising. Specific sensors were then designed and tested under laboratory conditions with promising results. Finally, recommendations for further development were proposed. Atmosphere and temperature control, nutrient delivery, plant health and propagation, and resource recycling are discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

A manned maneuvering unit proximity operations planning and flight guidance display and control system

This task concerns the design, development, testing, and evaluation of a new proximity operations planning and flight guidance display and control system for manned space operations. A forecast, derivative manned maneuvering unit (MMU) was identified as a candidate for the application of a color, highway-in-the-sky display format for the presentation of flight guidance information. A silicon graphics 4D/20-based simulation is being developed to design and test display formats and operations concepts. The simulation includes the following: (1) real-time color graphics generation to provide realistic, dynamic flight guidance displays and control characteristics; (2) real-time graphics generation of spacecraft trajectories; (3) MMU flight dynamics and control characteristics; (4) control algorithms for rotational and translational hand controllers; (5) orbital mechanics effects for rendezvous and chase spacecraft; (6) inclusion of appropriate navigation aids; and (7) measurement of subject performance. The flight planning system under development provides for: (1) selection of appropriate operational modes, including minimum cost, optimum cost, minimum time, and specified ETA; (2) automatic calculation of rendezvous trajectories, en route times, and fuel requirements; (3) and provisions for manual override. Man/machine function allocations in planning and en route flight segments are being evaluated. Planning and en route data are presented on one screen composed of two windows: (1) a map display presenting a view perpendicular to the orbital plane, depicting flight planning trajectory and time data attitude display presenting attitude and course data for use en route; and (2) an attitude display presenting local vertical-local horizontal attitude data superimposed on a highway-in-the-sky or flight channel representation of the flight planned course. Both display formats are presented while the MMU is en route. In addition to these displays, several original display elements are being developed, including a 3DOF flight detector for attitude commanding, a different flight detector for translation commands, and a pictorial representation of velocity deviations.

Gershzohn, Gary R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-pressure promoted combustion chamber

In the preferred embodiment of the promoted combusiton chamber disclosed herein, a thick-walled tubular body that is capable of withstanding extreme pressures is arranged with removable upper and lower end closures to provide access to the chamber for dependently supporting a test sample of a material being evaluated in the chamber. To facilitate the real-time analysis of a test sample, several pressure-tight viewing ports capable of withstanding the simulated environmental conditions are arranged in the walls of the tubular body for observing the test sample during the course of the test. A replaceable heat-resistant tubular member and replaceable flame-resistant internal liners are arranged to be fitted inside of the chamber for protecting the interior wall surfaces of the combustion chamber during the evaluation tests. Inlet and outlet ports are provided for admitting high-pressure gases into the chamber as needed for performing dynamic analyses of the test sample during the course of an evaluation test.

Rucker, Michelle A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Cryogenic liquid hydrogen reorientation activated by constant reverse gravity acceleration of geyser initiation

A key objective for cryogenic fluid management in a spacecraft propulsion system is development of the technology necessary for acquisition or positioning of liquid outflow or vapor venting. Numerical simulation of positive liquid acquisition is attempted by introducing a reverse gravity acceleration from the propulsive thrust of auxiliary engines which exceeds critical value for the initiation of a geyser. Based on the computer simulation of flow fields during the course of fluid reorientation, six dimensionless parameters resulted. These parameters hold near-constant values through the entire range of liquid filled levels, from 30 to 80 percent, during the course of fluid reorientation.

Hung, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 4:] Technical communications in aerospace: An analysis of the practices reported by US and European aerospace engineers and scientists

Results are reported from pilot surveys on the use of scientific and technical information (STI) by U.S. and NATO-nation aerospace scientists and engineers, undertaken as part of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. The survey procedures and the demographic characteristics of the 67 scientists and engineers who responded to the survey are summarized, and the results are presented in a series of tables and discussed in detail. Findings emphasized include: (1) both U.S. and NATO respondents spend around 60 percent of their work week producing or using STI products; (2) NATO respondents are more likely than their U.S. counterparts to use 'formal' STI products (like technical reports and papers) and the services of librarians and online data bases; (3) most of the respondents use computers and information technology in preparing STI products; and (4) respondents who had taken courses in technical communication agreed on the value and ideal subject matter of such courses.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Advanced transport design using multidisciplinary design optimization

This paper describes the results of the first implementation of multidisciplinary design optimisation (MDO) techniques by undergraduates ina design course. The objective of the work was to design a civilian transport aircraft of the Boeing 777 class. The first half of the two semester design course consisted of application of traditional sizing methods and techniques to form a baseline aircraft. MDO techniques were then applied to this baseline design. This paper describes the evolution of the design with special emphasis on the application of MDO techniques, and presents the results of four iterations through the design space. Minimization of take-off gross weight was the goal of the optimization process. The resultant aircraft derived from the MDO procedure weighed approximately 13,382 lbs (2.57 percent) less than the baseline aircraft.

Barnum, Jennifer↗
NASA NTRS1991

Design of biomass management systems and components for closed loop life support systems

The design of a biomass management system (BMS) for use in a closed loop support system is presented by University of Florida students as the culmination of two design courses. The report is divided into two appendixes, each presenting the results of one of the design courses. The first appendix discusses the preliminary design of the biomass management system and is subdivided into five subsystems: (1) planting and harvesting, (2) food management, (3) resource recovery, (4) refurbishing, and (5) transport. Each subsystem is investigated for possible solutions to problems, and recommendations and conclusions for an integrated BMS are discussed. The second appendix discusses the specific design of components for the BMS and is divided into three sections: (1) a sectored plant growth unit with support systems, (2) a container and receiving mechanism, and (3) an air curtain system for fugitive particle control. In this section components are designed, fabricated, and tested.

Nevill, Gale E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Taurus lightweight manned spacecraft Earth orbiting vehicle

The Taurus Lightweight Manned Spacecraft (LMS) was developed by students of the University of Maryland's Aerospace Engineering course in Space Vehicle Design. That course required students to design an Alternative Manned Spacecraft (AMS) to augment or replace the Space Transportation System and meet the following design requirements: (1) launch on the Taurus Booster being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation; (2) 99.9 percent assured crew survival rate; (3) technology cutoff data of 1 Jan. 1991; (4) compatibility with current space administration infrastructure; and (5) first flight by May 1995. The Taurus LMS design meets the above requirements and represents an initial step towards larger and more complex spacecraft. The Taurus LMS has a very limited application when compared to the Space Shuttle, but it demonstrates that the U.S. can have a safe, reliable, and low cost space system. The Taurus LMS is a short mission duration spacecraft designed to place one man into low earth orbit (LEO). The driving factor for this design was the low payload carrying capabilities of the Taurus Booster--1300 kg to a 300 km orbit. The Taurus LMS design is divided into six major design sections. The human factors system deals with the problems of life support and spacecraft cooling. The propulsion section contains the abort system, the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS), the Reaction Control System (RCS), and power generation. The thermal protection systems and spacecraft structure are contained in the structures section. The avionics section includes navigation, attitude determination, data processing, communication systems, and sensors. The mission analysis section was responsible for ground processing and spacecraft astrodynamics. The systems integration section pulled the above sections together into one spacecraft and addressed costing and reliability.

Chase, Kevin A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 21: Technological innovation and technical communications: Their place in aerospace engineering curricula. A survey of European, Japanese, and US Aerospace Engineers and Scientists

Aerospace engineers and scientists from Western Europe, Japan, and the United States were surveyed as part of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Questionnaires were used to solicit their opinions regarding the following: (1) the importance of technical communications to their profession; (2) the use and production of technical communications; and (3) their views about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications. The ability to communicate technical information effectively was very important to the aerospace engineers and scientists who participated in the study. A considerable portion of their working week is devoted to using and producing technical information. The types of technical communications used and produced varied within and among the three groups. The type of technical communication product used and produced appears to be related to respondents' professional duties. Respondents from the three groups made similar recommendations regarding the principles, mechanics, and on-the-job communications to be included in an undergraduate technical communications course for aerospace majors.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Elementary metallography

Materials and Processes 1 (MET 141) is offered to freshmen by the Mechanical Engineering Department at Purdue University. The goal of MET 141 is to broaden the technical background of students who have not had any college science courses. Hence, applied physics, chemistry, and mathematics are included and quantitative problem solving is involved. In the elementary metallography experiment of this course, the objectives are: (1) introduce the vocabulary and establish outlook; (2) make qualitative observations and quantitative measurements; (3) demonstrate the proper use of equipment; and (4) review basic mathematics and science.

Kazem, Sayyed M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Trends in aeropropulsion research and their impact on engineering education

This presentation is concerned with the trends in aeropropulsion both in the U.S. and abroad and the impact of these trends on the educational process in our universities. In this paper, we shall outline the new directions for research which may be of interest to educators in the aeropropulsion field. Awareness of new emphases, such as emission reductions, noise control, maneuverability, speed, etc., will have a great impact on engineering educators responsible for restructuring courses in propulsion. The information presented herein will also provide some background material for possible consideration in the future development of propulsion courses. In describing aeropropulsion, we are concerned primarily with air-breathing propulsion; however many observations apply equally as well to rocket engine systems. Aeropropulsion research needs are primarily motivated by technologies required for advanced vehicle systems and frequently driven by external requirements such as economic competitiveness, environmental concern and national security. In this presentation, vehicle based research is first described, followed by a discussion of discipline and multidiscipline research necessary to implement the vehicle-focused programs. The importance of collaboration in research and the training of future researchers concludes this presentation.

Povinelli, Louis A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Constant reverse thrust activated reorientation of liquid hydrogen with Geyser initiation

A key objective of the cryogenic fluid management of the spacecraft propulsion system is to develop the technology necessary for acquisition or positioning of liquid outflow or vapor venting. Numerical simulation of positive liquid acquisition is attempted by introducing reverse gravity acceleration, resulting from the propulsive thrust of auxiliary engines, which exceeds critical value for the initiation of geyser. Based on the computer simulation of flowfields during the course of fluid reorientation, six dimensionless parameters resulted in this study. It shows that these parameters hold near-constant values through the entire ranges of liquid filled levels, from 30-80 percent, during the course of fluid reorientation.

Hung, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Space systems design at Utah State University - A total approach

An account is given of an Advanced Design Program, developed under the auspices of NASA/USRA, which uses a six quarter-hour multidisciplinary systems-design course to teach spacecraft design. The course integrates engineering skills with system-design principles, while emphasizing written and oral communications. The setting for such student efforts is patterned after existing high-tech spacecraft-design organizations. The classes address design tradeoff decisions, parametric studies, and design reviews, as well as project-continuations.

Redd, Frank J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Medium-frequency impulsive-thrust-excited slosh waves during propellant reorientation with a geyser

Slosh wave excitation induced by a resettling flowfield activated by 1.0-Hz impulsive thrust during the course of liquid reorientation with the initiation of geyser for liquid-fill levels of 30, 50, 65, 70, and 80 percent has been studied. Characteristics of slosh waves of various frequencies excited by the resettling flowfield are discussed. Slosh wave excitations shift the fluid mass distribution in the container which imposes time-dependent variations in spacecraft moment of inertia. This information is important for spacecraft control during the course of liquid reorientation.

Hung, R. J.↗