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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Summary results of the Industry Conference on the Commercial Use of Space

The future intentions of the Federal Republic of Germany in the area of the commercialization of space are presented. It is shown that significant advances in microgravity research, particulary in the areas of materials science, composite materials, physical chemistry, crystal growth, biology, and process engineering will have an effect on future plans for establishing sponsoring organizations to guide commercial interests in German space research. An organizational and functional outline of a proposed sponsoring organization to promote space commercialization under German supervision, including the objectives, the target group to be served, and the administrative structure, is presented. The role of the DFVLR (German Aerospace Research Establishment) and the BMFT (German Ministry for Research and Technology) as sponsoring organizations representing the interests of the German government is shown.

REUSE↗
NASA NTRS1987

Planning the Voyager spacecraft's mission to Uranus

The application of the systems engineering process to the planning of the Voyager spacecraft mission is described. The Mission Planning Office prepared guidelines that controlled the use of the project and multimission resources and spacecraft consumables in order to obtain valuable scientific data at an acceptable risk level. Examples of mission planning which are concerned with the design of the Deep Space Network antenna, the uplink window for transmitting computer command subsystem loads, and the contingency and risk assessment functions are presented.

Plagemann, Stephen H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A systems engineering approach to automated failure cause diagnosis in space power systems

Automatic failure-cause diagnosis is a key element in autonomous operation of space power systems such as Space Station's. A rule-based diagnostic system has been developed for determining the cause of degraded performance. The knowledge required for such diagnosis is elicited from the system engineering process by using traditional failure analysis techniques. Symptoms, failures, causes, and detector information are represented with structured data; and diagnostic procedural knowledge is represented with rules. Detected symptoms instantiate failure modes and possible causes consistent with currently held beliefs about the likelihood of the cause. A diagnosis concludes with an explanation of the observed symptoms in terms of a chain of possible causes and subcauses.

Dolce, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Space station functional relationships analysis

A systems engineering process is developed to assist Space Station designers to understand the underlying operational system of the facility so that it can be physically arranged and configured to support crew productivity. The study analyzes the operational system proposed for the Space Station in terms of mission functions, crew activities, and functional relationships in order to develop a quantitative model for evaluation of interior layouts, configuration, and traffic analysis for any Station configuration. Development of the model involved identification of crew functions, required support equipment, criteria of assessing functional relationships, and tools for analyzing functional relationship matrices, as well as analyses of crew transition frequency, sequential dependencies, support equipment requirements, potential for noise interference, need for privacy, and overall compatability of functions. The model can be used for analyzing crew functions for the Initial Operating Capability of the Station and for detecting relationships among these functions. Note: This process (FRA) was used during Phase B design studies to test optional layouts of the Space Station habitat module. The process is now being automated as a computer model for use in layout testing of the Space Station laboratory modules during Phase C.

Tullis, Thomas S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Integrating automated support for a software management cycle into the TAME system

Software managers are interested in the quantitative management of software quality, cost and progress. An integrated software management methodology, which can be applied throughout the software life cycle for any number purposes, is required. The TAME (Tailoring A Measurement Environment) methodology is based on the improvement paradigm and the goal/question/metric (GQM) paradigm. This methodology helps generate a software engineering process and measurement environment based on the project characteristics. The SQMAR (software quality measurement and assurance technology) is a software quality metric system and methodology applied to the development processes. It is based on the feed forward control principle. Quality target setting is carried out before the plan-do-check-action activities are performed. These methodologies are integrated to realize goal oriented measurement, process control and visual management. A metric setting procedure based on the GQM paradigm, a management system called the software management cycle (SMC), and its application to a case study based on NASA/SEL data are discussed. The expected effects of SMC are quality improvement, managerial cost reduction, accumulation and reuse of experience, and a highly visual management reporting system.

Sunazuka, Toshihiko↗
NASA NTRS1990

Integrated model of G189A and Aspen-plus for the transient modeling of extravehicular activity atmospheric control systems

A computerized modeling tool, under development for the transient modeling of an extravehicular activity atmospheric control subsystem is described. This subsystem includes the astronaut, temperature control, moisture control, CO2 removal, and oxygen make-up components. Trade studies evaluating competing components and subsystems to guide the selection and development of hardware for lunar and Martian missions will use this modeling tool. The integrated modeling tool uses the Advanced System for Process Engineering (ASPEN) to accomplish pseudosteady-state simulations, and the general environmental thermal control and life support program (G189A) to manage overall control of the run and transient input output, as well as transient modeling computations and database functions. Flow charts and flow diagrams are included.

Kolodney, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS1991

Resources of Near-Earth Space: Abstracts

The objectives are by theory, experiment, and bench-level testing of small systems, to develop scientifically-sound engineering processes and facility specifications for producing propellants and fuels, construction and shielding materials, and life support substances from the lithospheres and atmospheres of lunar, planetary, and asteroidal bodies. Current emphasis is on the production of oxygen, other usefull gases, metallic, ceramic/composite, and related byproducts from lunar regolith, carbonaceous chrondritic asteroids, and the carbon dioxide rich Martian atmosphere.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space Station logistics policy - Risk management from the top down

Considerations are presented in the area of risk management specifically relating to logistics and system supportability. These considerations form a basis for confident application of concurrent engineering principles to a development program, aiming at simultaneous consideration of support and logistics requirements within the engineering process as the system concept and designs develop. It is shown that, by applying such a process, the chances of minimizing program logistics and supportability risk in the long term can be improved. The problem of analyzing and minimizing integrated logistics risk for the Space Station Freedom Program is discussed.

Paules, Granville↗
NASA NTRS1991

Research into the development of a knowledge acquisition taxonomy

The focus of the research was on the development of a problem solving taxonomy that can support and direct the knowledge engineering process during the development of an intelligent tutoring system. The results of the research are necessarily general. Being only a small initial attempt at a fundamental problem in artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology, the process has had to be bootstrapped and the results can only provide pointers to further, more formal research designs.

Fink, Pamela K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A perspective on technical needs in computational structures technology

The wide spectrum of needs and applications are demonstrated of computational structural mechanics. The spectrum ranges from micro structural mechanics to the optimization of the performance of aerovehicles. Critical high leveraged technologies will require engineering process modernization and automation, affordable structures and materials, and advanced computational technology. Recent advances at Rockwell International in computational structural mechanics addressed these issues and improve the ability to achieve advanced aircraft objectives.

Abdi, Frank F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A generic trade study methodology for the system analysis of regenerative life support systems

The performance of engineering tradeoffs is a key technique in a rigorous system engineering process used to develop advanced regenerative life support technology by NASA Ames Research Center. The trade study methodology consists of several steps that include deriving relevant life support system functional requirements from a given space exploration mission scenario and synthesizing a set of design options to be analyzed during the study. Examples relevant to life support technology are used to describe the trade study methodology.

Bilardo, Vincent J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Requirements management and control

The systems engineering process for thermal nuclear propulsion requirements and configuration definition is described in outline and graphic form. Functional analysis and mission attributes for a Mars exploration mission are also addressed.

Robbins, Red↗
NASA NTRS1990

Robotics technology discipline

Viewgraphs on robotics technology discipline for Space Station Freedom are presented. Topics covered include: mechanisms; sensors; systems engineering processes for integrated robotics; man/machine cooperative control; 3D-real-time machine perception; multiple arm redundancy control; manipulator control from a movable base; multi-agent reasoning; and surfacing evolution technologies.

Montemerlo, Melvin D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Risk management for the Space Exploration Initiative

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) is a quantitative engineering process that provides the analytic structure and decision-making framework for total programmatic risk management. Ideally, it is initiated in the conceptual design phase and used throughout the program life cycle. Although PRA was developed for assessment of safety, reliability, and availability risk, it has far greater application. Throughout the design phase, PRA can guide trade-off studies among system performance, safety, reliability, cost, and schedule. These studies are based on the assessment of the risk of meeting each parameter goal, with full consideration of the uncertainties. Quantitative trade-off studies are essential, but without full identification, propagation, and display of uncertainties, poor decisions may result. PRA also can focus attention on risk drivers in situations where risk is too high. For example, if safety risk is unacceptable, the PRA prioritizes the risk contributors to guide the use of resources for risk mitigation. PRA is used in the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) Program. To meet the stringent requirements of the SEI mission, within strict budgetary constraints, the PRA structure supports informed and traceable decision-making. This paper briefly describes the SEI PRA process.

Buchbinder, Ben↗
NASA NTRS1991

Real time quantitative imaging for semiconductor crystal growth, control and characterization

A quantitative real time image processing system has been developed which can be software-reconfigured for semiconductor processing and characterization tasks. In thermal imager mode, 2D temperature distributions of semiconductor melt surfaces (900-1600 C) can be obtained with temperature and spatial resolutions better than 0.5 C and 0.5 mm, respectively, as demonstrated by analysis of melt surface thermal distributions. Temporal and spatial image processing techniques and multitasking computational capabilities convert such thermal imaging into a multimode sensor for crystal growth control. A second configuration of the image processing engine in conjunction with bright and dark field transmission optics is used to nonintrusively determine the microdistribution of free charge carriers and submicron sized crystalline defects in semiconductors. The IR absorption characteristics of wafers are determined with 10-micron spatial resolution and, after calibration, are converted into charge carrier density.

Wargo, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Designing for cost

Parametric cost analysis is presently defined as the generation and application of equations to cost analysis; equations defining cost as a function of system-design parameters, performance parameters, or engineering process parameters, constitute a valuable tool for design-to-cost efforts. Cost sensitivity is expressed through the partial derivatives of these functions, furnishing insight into the magnitude and direction of cost change for given parameter changes. The robust design method thus obtained is a systematic and efficient approach for determining the near-optimum set of design parameters for cost, which highlights important factors affecting operation and performance as well as cost.

Dean, Edwin B.↗
NASA NTRS1917

Thermodynamic efficiency of present types of internal combustion engines for aircraft

Report presents requirements of internal combustion engines suitable for aircraft. Topics include: (1) service requirements for aeronautic engines - power versus weight, reliability, and adaptability factors, (2) general characteristics of present aero engines, (3) aero engine processes and functions of parts versus power-weight ratio, reliability, and adaptability factors, and (4) general arrangement, form, proportions, and materials of aero parts - power-weight ratio, reliability, and adaptability.

Lucke, Charles E↗