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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 487 records · Page 27

Space Station Freedom as an engineering experiment station: An overview

In this presentation, the premise that Space Station Freedom has great utility as an engineering experiment station will be explored. There are several modes in which it can be used for this purpose. The most obvious are space qualification, process development, in space satellite repair, and materials engineering. The range of engineering experiments which can be done at Space Station Freedom run the gamut from small process oriented experiments to full exploratory development models. A sampling of typical engineering experiments are discussed in this session. First and foremost, Space Station Freedom is an elaborate experiment itself, which, if properly instrumented, will provide engineering guidelines for even larger structures which must surely be built if humankind is truly 'outward bound.' Secondly, there is the test, evaluation and space qualification of advanced electric thruster concepts, advanced power technology and protective coatings which must of necessity be tested in the vacuum of space. The current approach to testing these technologies is to do exhaustive laboratory simulation followed by shuttle or unmanned flights. Third, the advanced development models of life support systems intended for future space stations, manned mars missions, and lunar colonies can be tested for operation in a low gravity environment. Fourth, it will be necessary to develop new protective coatings, establish construction techniques, evaluate new materials to be used in the upgrading and repair of Space Station Freedom. Finally, the industrial sector, if it is ever to build facilities for the production of commercial products, must have all the engineering aspects of the process evaluated in space prior to a commitment to such a facility.

Rose, M. Frank↗

NASA EEE Parts and Advanced Interconnect Program (AIP)

none given From Program Objectives: I. Accelerate the readiness of new technologies through development of validation, assessment and test method/tools II. Provide NASA Projects infusion paths for emerging technologies III. Provide NASA Projects technology selection, application and validation guidelines for harware and processes IV. Disseminate quality assurance, reliability, validation, tools and availability information to the NASA community.

NASA EEE Parts Program Advanced Interconnect Progr↗

A Knowledge-Based Optimization Method for Aerodynamic Design

A new aerodynamic design method, CODISC, has been developed that combines a legacy knowledge-based design method, CDISC, with a simple optimization module known as SOUP. The primary goal of this new design system is to improve the performance gains obtained using CDISC without adding significant computational time. An additional objective of this approach is to reduce the need for a priori knowledge of good initial input variable values, as well as for subsequent manual revisions of those values as the design progresses. Several test cases illustrate the development of the process to date and some of the options available at transonic and supersonic speeds for turbulent flow designs. The test cases generally start from good baseline configurations and, in all cases, were able to improve the performance. Several new guidelines for good initial values for the design variables, as well as new design rules within CDISC itself, were developed from these cases.

SOUP↗

Development of a transfer function method for dynamic stability measurement

Flutter testing method based on transfer function measurements is developed. The error statistics of several dynamic stability measurement methods are reviewed. It is shown that the transfer function measurement controls the error level by averaging the data and correlating the input and output. The method also gives a direct estimate of the error in the response measurement. An algorithm is developed for obtaining the natural frequency and damping ratio of low damped modes of the system, using integrals of the transfer function in the vicinity of a resonant peak. Guidelines are given for selecting the parameters in the transfer function measurement. Finally, the dynamic stability measurement technique is applied to data from a wind tunnel test of a proprotor and wing model.

Johnson, W.↗

Overview of the Subscale RAVEN Flight Controls and Modeling Testbed

The Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling TechNologies (RAVEN) Subscale Wind-Tunnel and Flight Test (SWFT) model is a subscale aircraft built for flight dynamics and controls research demonstrated in wind-tunnel and flight-test experiments. The intent of this paper is to provide a summary of past, current, and future efforts being pursued by the RAVEN-SWFT project. Initially, vehicle development guidelines were crafted by a multidisciplinary team to ensure that the RAVEN-SWFT vehicle was well suited for research in multiple areas, including aero-propulsive modeling, flight controls, and autonomy, among others. The vehicle has been used to obtain extensive wind-tunnel data, enabling aero-propulsive model development across the transition flight envelope and validation of computational tools. The vehicle will be used to conduct flight testing in order to evaluate modeling strategies and flight control logic. The RAVEN-SWFT model also serves as a risk reduction activity for a conceptual, full-scale vehicle in the 1000-lb class. The next steps in the project are to successfully demonstrate free flight in hover, transition, forward flight, and the reverse thereof, utilizing custom control laws integrated onto the RAVEN-SWFT avionics hardware. The project intends to publicize all of the geometry, data, and methods in future reports.

eVTOL↗

High angle of attack flying qualities criteria for longitudinal rate command systems

This study was designed to investigate flying qualities requirements of alternate pitch command systems for fighter aircraft at high angle of attack. Flying qualities design guidelines have already been developed for angle of attack command systems at 30, 45, and 60 degrees angle of attack, so this research fills a similar need for rate command systems. Flying qualities tasks that require post-stall maneuvering were tested during piloted simulations in the McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Manned Air Combat Simulation facility. A generic fighter aircraft model was used to test angle of attack rate and pitch rate command systems for longitudinal gross acquisition and tracking tasks at high angle of attack. A wide range of longitudinal dynamic variations were tested at 30, 45, and 60 degrees angle of attack. Pilot comments, Cooper-Harper ratings, and pilot induced oscillation ratings were taken from five pilots from NASA, USN, CAF, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace. This data was used to form longitudinal design guidelines for rate command systems at high angle of attack. These criteria provide control law design guidance for fighter aircraft at high angle of attack, low speed flight conditions. Additional time history analyses were conducted using the longitudinal gross acquisition data to look at potential agility measures of merit and correlate agility usage to flying qualities boundaries. This paper presents an overview of this research.

Wilson, David J.↗

Emergency Locator Transmitter System Performance During Three Full-Scale General Aviation Crash Tests

Full-scale crash tests were conducted on three Cessna 172 aircraft at NASA Langley Research Center's Landing and Impact Research facility during the summer of 2015. The purpose of the three tests was to evaluate the performance of commercially available Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) systems and support development of enhanced installation guidance. ELTs are used to provide location information to Search and Rescue (SAR) organizations in the event of an aviation distress situation, such as a crash. The crash tests simulated three differing severe but survivable crash conditions, in which it is expected that the onboard occupants have a reasonable chance of surviving the accident and would require assistance from SAR personnel. The first simulated an emergency landing onto a rigid surface, while the second and third simulated controlled flight into terrain. Multiple ELT systems were installed on each airplane according to federal regulations. The majority of the ELT systems performed nominally. In the systems which did not activate, post-test disassembly and inspection offered guidance for non-activation cause in some cases, while in others, no specific cause could be found. In a subset of installations purposely disregarding best practice guidelines, failure of the ELT-to-antenna cabling connections were found. Recommendations for enhanced installation guidance of ELT systems will be made to the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) Special Committee 229 for consideration for adoption in a future release of ELT minimum operational performance specifications. These recommendations will be based on the data gathered during this test series as well as a larger series of crash simulations using computer models that will be calibrated based on these data

Littell, Justin D.↗

Validation of highly reliable, real-time knowledge-based systems

Knowledge-based systems have the potential to greatly increase the capabilities of future aircraft and spacecraft and to significantly reduce support manpower needed for the space station and other space missions. However, a credible validation methodology must be developed before knowledge-based systems can be used for life- or mission-critical applications. Experience with conventional software has shown that the use of good software engineering techniques and static analysis tools can greatly reduce the time needed for testing and simulation of a system. Since exhaustive testing is infeasible, reliability must be built into the software during the design and implementation phases. Unfortunately, many of the software engineering techniques and tools used for conventional software are of little use in the development of knowledge-based systems. Therefore, research at Langley is focused on developing a set of guidelines, methods, and prototype validation tools for building highly reliable, knowledge-based systems. The use of a comprehensive methodology for building highly reliable, knowledge-based systems should significantly decrease the time needed for testing and simulation. A proven record of delivering reliable systems at the beginning of the highly visible testing and simulation phases is crucial to the acceptance of knowledge-based systems in critical applications.

Johnson, Sally C.↗

Analysis of structural dynamic data from Skylab. Volume 1: Technical discussion

A compendium of Skylab structural dynamics analytical and test programs is presented. These programs are assessed to identify lessons learned from the structural dynamic prediction effort and to provide guidelines for future analysts and program managers of complex spacecraft systems. It is a synopsis of the structural dynamic effort performed under the Skylab Integration contract and specifically covers the development, utilization, and correlation of Skylab Dynamic Orbital Models.

Demchak, L.↗

Software production methodology tested project

The history and results of a 3 1/2-year study in software development methodology are reported. The findings of this study have become the basis for DSN software development guidelines and standard practices. The article discusses accomplishments, discoveries, problems, recommendations and future directions.

Tausworthe, R. C.↗

The role of pilots

The need for detailed specifications is addressed. Candidates for standardization include hardware interfaces, communication protocols, and data exchange services. Atmosphere, Ocean, and Resource pilot programs, utilization of current techniques and technologies in the use and exchange of data and to facilitate access to data are discussed. Pilot objectives aim to: (1) demonstrate the use of advanced technologies, (2) provide a test bed environment for data handling technique evaluation, (3) evolve requirements and capabilities, and (4) document validated methodologies as standards and guidelines for data systems planning use. A user oriented catalog system, data set management, a network communication system, and a user interface are also discussed.

Gary, J. P.↗

Model-based software process improvement

The activities of a field test site for the Software Engineering Institute's software process definition project are discussed. Products tested included the improvement model itself, descriptive modeling techniques, the CMM level 2 framework document, and the use of process definition guidelines and templates. The software process improvement model represents a five stage cyclic approach for organizational process improvement. The cycles consist of the initiating, diagnosing, establishing, acting, and leveraging phases.

Zettervall, Brenda T.↗

An Overview of the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is an agency-wide effort aimed at ensuring the quality, safety, reliability and performance of flight battery systems for NASA applications. The program provides for the validation of primary and secondary cell and battery level technology advances to ensure their availability and readiness for use in NASA missions. It serves to bridge the gap between the development of technology advances and the realization and incorporation of these advances into mission applications. The program is led by the Glenn Research Center and involves funded task activities at each of the NASA mission centers and JPL. The overall products are safe, reliable, high quality batteries for mission applications. The products are defined along three product lines: 1. Battery Systems Technology - Elements of this task area cover the systems aspects of battery operation and generally apply across chemistries. This includes the development of guidelines documents, the establishment and maintenance of a central battery database that serves a central repository for battery characterization and verification test data from tests performed under the support of this program, the NASA Battery Workshop, and general test facility support. 2. Secondary Battery Technology - l h s task area focuses on the validation of battery technology for nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal-hydride and lithium-ion secondary battery systems. Standardized test regimes are used to validate the quality of a cell lot or cell design for flight applications. In this area, efforts are now concentrated on the validation and verification of lithium-ion battery technology for aerospace applications. 3. Primary Battery Technology - The safety and reliability aspects for primary lithium battery systems that are used in manned operations on the Shuttle and International Space Station are addressed in the primary battery technology task area. An overview of the task areas supported under this program will be presented.

Manzo, Michelle A.↗

NASA Manned Launch Vehicle Lightning Protection Development

Historically, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) relied heavily on lightning avoidance to protect launch vehicles and crew from lightning effects. As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle to the new Constellation family of launch vehicles and spacecraft, NASA engineers are imposing design and construction standards on the spacecraft and launch vehicles to withstand both the direct and indirect effects of lightning. A review of current Space Shuttle lightning constraints and protection methodology will be presented, as well as a historical review of Space Shuttle lightning requirements and design. The Space Shuttle lightning requirements document, NSTS 07636, Lightning Protection, Test and Analysis Requirements, (originally published as document number JSC 07636, Lightning Protection Criteria Document) was developed in response to the Apollo 12 lightning event and other experiences with NASA and the Department of Defense launch vehicles. This document defined the lightning environment, vehicle protection requirements, and design guidelines for meeting the requirements. The criteria developed in JSC 07636 were a precursor to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) lightning standards. These SAE standards, along with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) DO-160, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment, are the basis for the current Constellation lightning design requirements. The development and derivation of these requirements will be presented. As budget and schedule constraints hampered lightning protection design and verification efforts, the Space Shuttle elements waived the design requirements and relied on lightning avoidance in the form of launch commit criteria (LCC) constraints and a catenary wire system for lightning protection at the launch pads. A better understanding of the lightning environment has highlighted the vulnerability of the protection schemes and associated risk to the vehicle, which has resulted in lost launch opportunities and increased expenditures in manpower to assess Space Shuttle vehicle health and safety after lightning events at the launch pad. Because of high-percentage launch availability and long-term on-pad requirements, LCC constraints are no longer considered feasible. The Constellation vehicles must be designed to withstand direct and indirect effects of lightning. A review of the vehicle design and potential concerns will be presented as well as the new catenary lightning protection system for the launch pad. This system is required to protect the Constellation vehicles during launch processing when vehicle lightning effects protection might be compromised by such items as umbilical connections and open access hatches.

McCollum, Matthew B.↗

Continuous Integration, In-Code Documentation, and Automation for Nuclear Quality Assurance Conformance

The Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) is an open-source, finite element framework for solving highly coupled sets of nonlinear equations. The development of the framework and applications occurs concurrently using an agile, continuous-integration software package. Included in the framework is an in-code, extensible documentation system. Using these two tools in union with the repository management tools GitHub and GitLab, a software quality plan was created and followed such that MOOSE and a MOOSE-based application (BISON) have been shown to meet the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Nuclear Quality Assurance-1 standard. The approach relies heavily on automation for both testing and documentation. The resulting effort demonstrates that a rigorous software quality plan may be implemented that incurs a minimal impact on day-to-day development of the software, satisfying the stringent guidelines necessary to operate the software in a safety function within a nuclear facility.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Guidelines for SEU-Resistant Integrated Circuits

Paper presents recent results of continuing program for increasing resistance of integrated circuits to single-event upset (SEU). Results based on study of test data for heavy-ion SEU in more than 180 different types of devices. (Some devices perform identical functions but made by different processes.) Program also examines developments in mathematical models for SEU.

Nichols, D. K.↗

Effect of sintering temperature on feature resolution and flexural strength of ceramics fabricated through vat photopolymerization additive manufacturing

Although ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) could be used to fabricate complex, high-resolution parts for diverse, functional applications, one ongoing challenge is optimizing the post-process, particularly sintering, conditions to consistently produce geometrically accurate and mechanically robust parts. This study aims to investigate how sintering temperature affects feature resolution and flexural properties of silica-based parts formed by vat photopolymerization (VPP) AM. Test artifacts were designed to evaluate features of different sizes, shapes and orientations, and three-point bend specimens printed in multiple orientations were used to evaluate mechanical properties. Sintering temperatures were varied between 1000°C and 1300°C. Deviations from designed dimensions often increased with higher sintering temperatures and/or larger features. Higher sintering temperatures yielded parts with higher strength and lower strain at break. Many features exhibited defects, often dependent on geometry and sintering temperature, highlighting the need for further analysis of debinding and sintering parameters. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time test artifacts have been designed for ceramic VPP. This work also offers insights into the effect of sintering temperature and print orientation on flexural properties. These results provide design guidelines for a particular material, while the methodology outlined for assessing feature resolution and flexural strength is broadly applicable to other ceramics, enabling more predictable part performance when considering the future design and manufacture of complex ceramic parts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Sample Identifiers and Metadata Reporting Format for Environmental Systems Science

The ESS-DIVE sample identifiers and metadata reporting format primarily follows the System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR) Global Sample Number (IGSN) guide and template, with modifications to address Environmental Systems Science (ESS) sample needs and practicalities (IGSN-ESS). IGSNs are associated with standardized metadata to characterize a variety of different sample types (e.g. object type, material) and describe sample collection details (e.g. latitude, longitude, environmental context, date, collection method). Globally unique sample identifiers, particularly IGSNs, facilitate sample discovery, tracking, and reuse; they are especially useful when sample data is shared with collaborators, sent to different laboratories or user facilities for analyses, or distributed in different data files, datasets, and/or publications. To develop recommendations for multidisciplinary ecosystem and environmental sciences, we first conducted research on related sample standards and templates. We provide a comparison of existing sample reporting conventions, which includes mapping metadata elements across existing standards and Environment Ontology (ENVO) terms for sample object types and environmental materials. We worked with eight U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded projects, including those from Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Subsurface Biogeochemical Research Scientific Focus Areas. Project scientists tested the process of registering samples for IGSNs and associated metadata in workflows for multidisciplinary ecosystem sciences. We provide modified IGSN metadata guidelines to account for needs of a variety of related biological and environmental samples. While generally following the IGSN core descriptive metadata schema, we provide recommendations for extending sample type terms, and connecting to related templates geared towards biodiversity (Darwin Core) and genomic (Minimum Information about any Sequence, MIxS) samples and specimens. ESS-DIVE recommends registering samples for IGSNs through SESAR, and we include instructions for registration using the IGSN-ESS guidelines. Our resulting sample reporting guidelines, template (IGSN-ESS), and identifier approach can be used by any researcher with sample data for ecosystem sciences.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗