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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Physics Based Modeling and Prognostics of Electrolytic Capacitors

This paper proposes first principles based modeling and prognostics approach for electrolytic capacitors. Electrolytic capacitors have become critical components in electronics systems in aeronautics and other domains. Degradations and faults in DC-DC converter unit propagates to the GPS and navigation subsystems and affects the overall solution. Capacitors and MOSFETs are the two major components, which cause degradations and failures in DC-DC converters. This type of capacitors are known for its low reliability and frequent breakdown on critical systems like power supplies of avionics equipment and electrical drivers of electromechanical actuators of control surfaces. Some of the more prevalent fault effects, such as a ripple voltage surge at the power supply output can cause glitches in the GPS position and velocity output, and this, in turn, if not corrected will propagate and distort the navigation solution. In this work, we study the effects of accelerated aging due to thermal stress on different sets of capacitors under different conditions. Our focus is on deriving first principles degradation models for thermal stress conditions. Data collected from simultaneous experiments are used to validate the desired models. Our overall goal is to derive accurate models of capacitor degradation, and use them to predict performance changes in DC-DC converters.

Kulkarni, Chetan↗
NASA NTRS2007

On the Magnitude of the Electric Field Near Thunderstorm-Associated Clouds

Electric field measurements made in and near clouds during two airborne field mill programs are presented. Aircraft equipped with multiple electric field mills and cloud physics sensors were flown near active convection and into thunderstorm anvil and debris clouds. The magnitude of the electric field was measured as a function of position with respect to the cloud edge in order to provide an observational basis for modifications to the lightning launch commit criteria (LLCC) used by the U.S. space program. These LLCC are used to reduce the risk that an ascending launch vehicle will trigger a lightning strike that could cause the loss of the mission or vehicle. The results suggest that even with fields of tens of kV/m inside electrically active convective clouds, the fields external to these clouds decay to less than 3 kV/m within fifteen kilometers of cloud edge. Fields exceeding 3 kV/m were not found external to anvil and debris clouds.

Merceret, Francis J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

NEO Test Stand Analysis

A project within SwampWorks is building a test stand to hold regolith to study how dust is ejected when exposed to the hot exhaust plume of a rocket engine. The test stand needs to be analyzed, finalized, and fabrication drawings generated to move forward. Modifications of the test stand assembly were made with Creo 2 modeling software. Structural analysis calculations were developed by hand to confirm if the structure will hold the expected loads while optimizing support positions. These calculations when iterated through MatLab demonstrated the optimized position of the vertical support to be 98'' from the far end of the stand. All remaining deflections were shown to be under the 0.6'' requirement and internal stresses to meet NASA Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Safety Standards. Though at the time of writing, fabrication drawings have yet to be generated, but are expected shortly after.

Internship↗
NASA NTRS1973

Cosmic dust or other similar outer-space particles location detector

Cosmic dust may be serious radiation hazard to man and electronic equipment caught in its path. Dust detector uses two operational amplifiers and offers narrower areas for collection of cosmic dust. Detector provides excellent resolution as result of which recording of particle velocities as well as positions of their impact are more accurately determined.

Aver, S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Latches For Equipment Drawers

Mechanism makes rack hardware interchangeable, regardless of drawer height. Provides quick connection and disconnection of equipment drawer. Pivoting lever is heart of mechanism. At insertion, lever rotated slightly counterclockwise so bottom hook slips over pin; then rotated clockwise to engage pin and lever lock. Rotation of lever to full counterclockwise position disengages panel from rack.

Martin, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Transonic Wind-Tunnel Tests of an Error-Compensated Static-Pressure Probe

An investigation of the pressure-sensing characteristics of an error-compensated static-pressure probe mounted on the nose section of a missile body has been conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. The probe was free to rotate about its roll axis and was equipped with a vane so that the crossflow velocity component due to angles of attack or sideslip was always alined with the probe's vertical plane of symmetry. The probe was tested in five axial positions with respect to the missile nose at Mach numbers from 0.30 to 1.08 and at angles of attack from -2.7 to 15.3 deg. The test Reynolds number per foot varied from 1.79 x 10(exp 6) to 4.05 x 10(exp 6). Results showed that at a Mach number of 1.00 the static-pressure error decreased from 3.5 percent to 0.8 percent of the free-stream static pressure, as a result of a change in orifice location from 0.15 maximum missile diameter to 0.20 maximum missile diameter forward of the missile nose. Although compensation for pressure-sensing errors due to angles of attack up to 15.3 was maintained at Mach numbers from M = 0.30 to M = 0.50, there was an increase in error with an increase in angle of attack for Mach numbers between M 0.50 and M = 1.08.

Capone, Francis J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Propulsion Component Test Capabilities at MSFC’s Test Stand 115

Marshall Space Flight Center’s Test Stand 115 (TS115) is a propulsion component test facility in operation since its original activation in 1964 for testing small to medium size liquid rocket engine components including injectors, channel-cooled chambers, nozzles, passively-cooled metallic and composite nozzle extensions, valves, turbomachinery, and igniters. TS115 is a "blowdown" type facility, using high pressure tankage and components to provide liquid, gaseous, and cryogenic fluid delivery at specified pressures and flowrates. The facility consists of an open steel test stand structure, a mechanical hardware preparation shop, an electrical support equipment building, a control room, and a centralized data system room. In general, the facility infrastructure is rated to 3,000 psig. TS115 can accommodate thrust levels up to 10,000 lbf in the horizontal position. The facility is actively used for various internal NASA test programs as well as test campaigns for external customers from other government agencies, commercial industry partners, and academia. The available fluid systems, electrical power and instrumentation capabilities, facility controls and data acquisition systems, test program support capabilities, and available test rig configurations for external customer use are discussed in this paper.

Tal Wammen↗
NASA NTRS1958

Microlock- a minimum weight radio instrumentation system for a satellite

The design, construction and laboratory testing of a satellite tracking system are described. The tracking mechanism employs a low power, lightweight flight transmitter in conjunction with a receiving system of advanced design. The flight transmitter will radiate 3 mw for three months and will provide two narrow hand telemetering channels in a unit having a total weight of 2 lb. The ground receiving equipment is capable of acquiring and tracking the beacon signal at a line-of-sight distance of 3000 miles and at any azimuth and elevation angle. Interferometer antennas could he used to determine the angular position of the satellite with an accuracy of one milliradian, which is equivalent to approximately ±0.04 sec in the determination of the period.

Earth Satellites↗
NASA NTRS1990

Agile Walking Robot

Proposed agile walking robot operates over rocky, sandy, and sloping terrain. Offers stability and climbing ability superior to other conceptual mobile robots. Equipped with six articulated legs like those of insect, continually feels ground under leg before applying weight to it. If leg sensed unexpected object or failed to make contact with ground at expected point, seeks alternative position within radius of 20 cm. Failing that, robot halts, examines area around foot in detail with laser ranging imager, and replans entire cycle of steps for all legs before proceeding.

Larimer, Stanley J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Preliminary results on noncollocated torque control of space robot actuators

In the Space Station era, more operations will be performed robotically in space in the areas of servicing, assembly, and experiment tending among others. These robots may have various sets of requirements for accuracy, speed, and force generation, but there will be design constraints such as size, mass, and power dissipation limits. For actuation, a leading motor candidate is a dc brushless type, and there are numerous potential drive trains each with its own advantages and disadvantages. This experiment uses a harmonic drive and addresses some inherent limitations, namely its backdriveability and low frequency structural resonances. These effects are controlled and diminished by instrumenting the actuator system with a torque transducer on the output shaft. This noncollocated loop is closed to ensure that the commanded torque is accurately delivered to the manipulator link. The actuator system is modelled and its essential parameters identified. The nonlinear model for simulations will include inertias, gearing, stiction, flexibility, and the effects of output load variations. A linear model is extracted and used for designing the noncollocated torque and position feedback loops. These loops are simulated with the structural frequency encountered in the testbed system. Simulation results are given for various commands in position. The use of torque feedback is demonstrated to yield superior performance in settling time and positioning accuracy. An experimental setup being finished consists of a bench mounted motor and harmonic drive actuator system. A torque transducer and two position encoders, each with sufficient resolution and bandwidth, will provide sensory information. Parameters of the physical system are being identified and matched to analytical predictions. Initial feedback control laws will be incorporated in the bench test equipment and various experiments run to validate the designs. The status of these experiments is given.

Tilley, Scott W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Advanced life support equipment for nitrogen tetroxide environments

Design constraints considered in an effort to improve the self-contained atmospheric protection ensemble (SCAPE) are discussed. Emphasis is placed on overcoming the hazards of personnel engaged in orbiter crash/rescue operations. Specific topics covered include: suit material permeability; sealing of all suit penetration; and maintaining a positive pressure within the suit.

Bowman, G. H., III↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dexterous end effector flight demonstration

The Dexterous End Effector Flight Experiment is a flight demonstration of newly developed equipment and methods which make for more dexterous manipulation of robotic arms. The following concepts are to be demonstrated: The Force Torque Sensor is a six axis load cell located at the end of the RMS which displays load data to the operator on the orbiter CCTV monitor. TRAC is a target system which provides six axis positional information to the operator. It has the characteristic of having high sensitivity to attitude misalignment while being flat. AUTO-TRAC is a variation of TRAC in which a computer analyzes a target, displays translational and attitude misalignment information, and provides cues to the operator for corrective inputs. The Magnetic End Effector is a fault tolerant end effector which grapples payloads using magnetic attraction. The Carrier Latch Assembly is a fault tolerant payload carrier, which uses mechanical latches and/or magnetic attraction to hold small payloads during launch/landing and to release payloads as desired. The flight experiment goals and objectives are explained. The experiment equipment is described, and the tasks to be performed during the demonstration are discussed.

Carter, Edward L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Free oscillations of a large drop in space

In preparation for forthcoming studies on materials processing in space, techniques and equipment are being developed for the deployment and control of large globules of liquid in a zero-g environment. This paper first presents a theoretical analysis of the intense sound field within an enclosure by which positioning forces, torques, and temporal perturbations may be applied to a sample. Procedures for digital analysis of photographic records of the sample motion are described. Results on the mean and oscillatory motion of a 2.5 cm diameter water drop during the flight of a SPAR rocket are given. In particular, spectral analysis shows that the drop oscillates at several frequencies. Identification with theoretically expected modes is made for some of the spectral lines.

Jacobi, N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Facility requirements for cockpit traffic display research

It is pointed out that much research is being conducted regarding the use of a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) for safe and efficient air traffic flow. A CDTI is a graphic display which shows the pilot the position of other aircraft relative to his or her aircraft. The present investigation is concerned with the facility requirements for the CDTI research. The facilities currently used for this research vary in fidelity from one CDTI-equipped simulator with computer-generated traffic, to four simulators with autopilot-like controls, all having a CDTI. Three groups of subjects were employed in the conducted study. Each of the groups included one controller, and three airline and four general aviation pilots.

Chappell, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Tests Of A Differential Global Positioning System

Paper describes validation tests of global positioning system (GPS) for low-flying helicopters. Configured as differential GPS, in which components in both aircraft and ground station compute position errors relative to known location using satellite navigational data. Corrections computed from differences between computed and measured ranges to four satellites being tracked by receiver in both aircraft and ground systems. Tests conducted to determine whether equipment and computer programs of system operated correctly and consistently.

Edwards, F. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Dental equipment test during zero-gravity flight

The overall objectives of this program were to establish performance criteria and develop prototype equipment for use in the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) in meeting the needs of dental emergencies during space missions. The primary efforts during this flight test were to test patient-operator relationships, patent (manikin) restraint and positioning, task lighting systems, use and operation of dental rotary instruments, suction and particle containment system, dental hand instrument delivery and control procedures, and the use of dental treatment materials. The initial efforts during the flight focused on verification of the efficiency of the particle containment system. An absorptive barrier was also tested in lieu of the suction collector. To test the instrument delivery system, teeth in the manikin were prepared with the dental drill to receive restorations, some with temporary filling materials and another with definitive filling material (composite resin). The best particle containment came from the combination use of the laminar-air/suction collector in concert with immediate area suction from a surgical high-volume suction tip. Lighting in the treatment area was provided by a flexible fiberoptic probe. This system is quite effective for small areas, but for general tasks ambient illumination is required. The instrument containment system (elastic cord network) was extremely effective and easy to use. The most serious problem with instrument delivey and actual treatment was lack of time during the microgravity sequences. The restorative materials handled and finished well.

Young, John↗
NASA NTRS1993

Multiple-Nozzle Spray Head Applies Foam Insulation

Spray head equipped with four-nozzle turret mixes two reactive components of polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foam insulating material and sprays reacting mixture onto surface to be insulated. If nozzle in use becomes clogged, fresh one automatically rotated into position, with minimal interruption of spraying process. Incorporates features recirculating and controlling pressures of reactive components to maintain quality of foam by ensuring proper blend at outset. Also used to spray protective coats on or in ships, aircraft, and pipelines. Sprays such reactive adhesives as epoxy/polyurethane mixtures. Components of spray contain solid-particle fillers for strength, fire retardance, toughness, resistance to abrasion, or radar absorption.

Walls, Joe T.↗