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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigation into Interfacial Mixing Behavior of Blown Powder Deposited Inconel 625-Copper Alloy Bimetallic for Improvement of Bimetallic Joint Strength

Use of laser blown powder, directed energy deposition (DED) provides a method for fabrication of bimetallic functional materials for high heat flux applications. However, this relatively new process currently has a low technology readiness level (TRL). Key to increasing the TRL is a better understanding of the factors that control mixing of the bi-metallic materials at the interface. The resulting interfaces in specimens obtained from three vendors were characterized using optical and electron microscopy with electron dispersion spectroscopy in addition to mechanical testing. Based on the range of process parameters and resulting interfaces, a model is being developed to predict interfacial mixing for development of specifications for improved and repeatable microstructures.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Flametube Evaluation of a Lean-Lean Combustor Concept Developed for Supersonic Cruise Aircraft

Gaseous emissions were measured in single-cup flametube tests of an advanced low-NOx combustor concept at simulated supersonic cruise conditions. The combustor concept is a low technology readiness level (TRL), lean front-end design developed under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics/Supersonics project to minimize NOx emissions at supersonic cruise. The flametube conditions matched or approached combustor conditions at supersonic cruise, with combustor inlet temperatures up to 920 K, inlet pressures up to 19 bar, and combusted gas temperatures up to 2,120 K. Whether these conditions met or just approached supersonic cruise conditions depended on the type of engine the combustor would be installed in. Two types of engines were considered here: a “derivative” engine based on a current technology and an “advanced” engine with a higher operating pressure ratio and higher temperature limits. For the “derivative” engine, the combustor is expected to be at least close to meeting the NASA NOx emissions goal of 10 g-NOx/kg-fuel at supersonic cruise. However, with the higher combustor inlet and flame temperatures of the advanced engine, NOx emissions are expected to be well above the goal.

combustion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Photovoltaic Energy Research Plans and Programs

This presentation reports efforts at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in research and development of photovoltaics and solar arrays for unique mission needs. The work of the photovoltaic team spans low technology readiness levels (TRL) in areas of cell development to high TRL in support of flight experiments and space missions. This presentation will highlight the various solar power programs and characterization and test facilities at NASA GRC. The photovoltaic work at NASA GRC focuses on multiple areas from helping to meet NASA mission specific needs to overall improvements to space solar cell technology including increasing cell efficiency, reduced cost, reduced weight, and improved radiation tolerance. We support higher power systems like Solar Electric Propulsion for Gateway and power for Lunar and Mars Surface Missions (rovers, landers, power stations, etc.) including work to understand the impact of dust on these systems. The overarching goal of the GRC photovoltaic group is to serve as an independent source of verification and validation of solar technologies for other government agencies and industry, to provide expertise to flight missions, and to build on interactions and collaborations within the technical community.

Photovoltaics↗
NASA NTRS2022

Flametube Evaluation of a Lean-Lean Combustor Concept Developed for Supersonic Cruise Aircraft

Gaseous emissions were measured in single-cup flametube tests of an advanced low-NO x combustor concept at simulated supersonic cruise conditions. The combustor concept is a low technology readiness level (TRL), lean front-end design developed under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics/Supersonics project to minimize NO x emissions at supersonic cruise. The flametube conditions matched or approached combustor conditions at supersonic cruise, with combustor inlet temperatures up to 920 K, inlet pressures up to 19 bar, and combusted gas temperatures up to 2,120 K. Whether these conditions met or just approached supersonic cruise conditions depended on the type of engine the combustor would be installed in. Two types of engines were considered here: a "derivative" engine based on a current technology and an "advanced" engine with a higher operating pressure ratio and higher temperature limits. For the "derivative" engine, the combustor is expected to be at least close to meeting the NASA NO x emissions goal of 10 g-NO x /kg-fuel at supersonic cruise. However, with the higher combustor inlet and flame temperatures of the advanced engine, NO x emissions are expected to be well above the goal.

supersonic cruise↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Considerations For Waste-to-Base Future Research Paths

Developing innovative technologies to reprocess low value waste into high value base products will enable a new “Waste-to-Base” (WtB) capability leading to innovative approaches to space mission design. Systems engineers and mission architects will work together under a new paradigm in logistics planning. Equipment, components, packaging, storage, and structures will be understood not only by functional requirements, but also in terms of useful lifetimes and materials of construction. The advent of a new technical discipline - reprocess engineering - will grow from the intersection between chemical, mechanical, and systems engineering, mission design, and logistics planning. A crowdsourcing approach was employed to gather low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) concepts into workable solutions for issues in trash management, CO 2 processing, foam reprocessing, and fecal processing. The results of the crowdsourcing activities are summarized along with a discussion for future technology development work.

Logistics reduction↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Considerations For Waste-to-Base Future Research Paths

Developing innovative technologies to reprocess low value waste into high value base products will enable a new “Waste-to-Base” (WtB) capability leading to innovative approaches to space mission design. Systems engineers and mission architects will work together under a new paradigm in logistics planning. Equipment, components, packaging, storage, and structures will be understood not only by functional requirements, but also in terms of useful lifetimes and materials of construction. The advent of a new technical discipline - reprocess engineering - will grow from the intersection between chemical, mechanical, and systems engineering, mission design, and logistics planning. A crowdsourcing approach was employed to gather low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) concepts into workable solutions for issues in trash management, CO2 processing, foam reprocessing, and fecal processing. The results of the crowdsourcing activities are summarized along with a discussion for future technology development work.

Logistics reduction↗
NASA NTRS1987

NASA's technology plans - Will technology be ready when we are

Recent low NASA science and technology budgets impacted unfavorably on trade balances of aerospace products and lags in several technological areas impinged on other areas already in application which could not be exploited or did not achieve desired performance levels. NASA has formed a Civil Space Technology Initiative, for 1988 start, to foster research on safe and efficient access to space, earth orbiting operations, and science support technologies. R&D programs for fully reusable launch systems, aerobraking concepts, and a multi-arm, highly autonomous capability for space-based remote assembly, repair and servicing of space vehicles are described. Regarding science, emphasis will be placed on large flexible structures and the associated control programs, sensors and data handling and analysis equipment and programs. Finally, technologies common to human activities in regions beyond the Space Station are to be explored in the second phase of the NASA initiative, Pathfinder.

Colladay, Raymond S.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Impact of the CIF Program on NASA’s Autonomy Capability: the NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS)

The CIF (Center Innovation Fund) Program provided support to advance the autonomous operation technology that was at a low TRL (Technological Readiness Level) scale to push the technology to a higher TRL where then other programs could sponsor further advances and infusion of the capability into other projects. This is the case with NPAS (NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems). Autonomy capability encompasses technologies that enable a system to function independent from operators, except for times of low frequency high level interactions. With this degree of autonomy, the system has to be able to determine its condition (Integrated System Health Management - ISHM), and apply autonomy strategies that permit progression towards achieving a mission, in spite of anomalies or external unforeseen disturbances.

Armstrong, Curtis D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Comments on the MIT Assessment of the Mars One Plan

The MIT assessment of the Mars One mission plan reveals design assumptions that would cause significant difficulties. Growing crops in the crew chamber produces excessive oxygen levels. The assumed in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) equipment has too low a Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The required spare parts cause a large and increasing launch mass logistics burden. The assumed International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) technologies were developed for microgravity and therefore are not suitable for Mars gravity. Growing food requires more mass than sending food from Earth. The large number of spares is due to the relatively low reliability of ECLS and the low TRL of ISRU. The Mars One habitat design is similar to past concepts but does not incorporate current knowledge. The MIT architecture analysis tool for long-term settlements on the Martian surface includes an ECLS system simulation, an ISRU sizing model, and an analysis of required spares. The MIT tool showed the need for separate crop and crew chambers, the large spare parts logistics, that crops require more mass than Earth food, and that more spares are needed if reliability is lower. That ISRU has low TRL and ISS ECLS was designed for microgravity are well known. Interestingly, the results produced by the architecture analysis tool - separate crop chamber, large spares mass, large crop chamber mass, and low reliability requiring more spares - were also well known. A common approach to ECLS architecture analysis is to build a complex model that is intended to be all-inclusive and is hoped will help solve all design problems. Such models can struggle to replicate obvious and well-known results and are often unable to answer unanticipated new questions. A better approach would be to survey the literature for background knowledge and then directly analyze the important problems.

Mars mission↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Accelerating the Deployment of Space-Based Quantum Sensors

Quantum sensors rely on quantum mechanical properties, such as wave-particle duality, atomic energy levels, or entanglement, to measure physical, optical, or electromagnetic information from a target. Examples include Rydberg sensors, nitrogen-vacancy magnetometers, HOM (Hong-Ou-Mandel) interferometers, and SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices). In general, as quantum sensors rely on interrogation at the atomic and photonic level rather than on classical mechanical measurements, these technologies promise advantages over their traditional counterparts in sensitivity, accuracy, and SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power). Conceptually, the use of quantum sensors unlocks the new phenomenology of sensor entanglement. While an ultra-low TRL (Technology Readiness Level) prospect for most sensor types, multi-sensor entanglement is a high risk, high reward strategy with a potential for exquisite sensitivity and SWaP improvements entirely inaccessible to classical sensors.

Grace Caroline Wusk↗
NASA NTRS1981

Development of advanced Czochralski Growth Process to produce low cost 150 KG silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness

The goals in this program for advanced czochralski growth process to produce low cost 150 kg silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness are outlined. To provide a modified CG2000 crystal power capable of pulling a minimum of five crystals, each of approximately 30 kg in weight, 150 mm diameter from a single crucible with periodic melt replenishment. Crystals to have: resistivity of 1 to 3 ohm cm, p-type; dislocation density below 1- to the 6th power per cm; orientation (100); after growth yield of greater than 90%. Growth throughput of greater than 2.5 kg per hour of machine operation using a radiation shield. Prototype equipment suitable for use as a production facility. The overall cost goal is $.70 per peak watt by 1986. To accomplish these goals, the modified CG2000 grower and development program includes: (1) increased automation with a microprocessor based control system; (2) sensors development which will increase the capability of the automatic controls system, and provide technology transfer of the developed systems.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Next Generation X-ray Optics for Astrophysics: High Resolution, Light Weight, and Low Cost

Ready a technology with the following features, compared to Chandra’s. Much better angular resolution: - On-axis: Comparable(~0.5”HPD) by 2026, 5Xbetter by ~2030 - Off-axis: 10Xbetter at 10-arcmin off-axis Much lighter weight per unit area–at least 10Xlighter Much lower cost per unit area–at least 10X lower in real year dollars

Silicon X-ray mirrors↗
NASA NTRS2002

Integrated NASA Lidar System Strategy for Space-Based Remote Sensing

Recent peer reviews of' NASA's space-based lidar missions and of the technology readiness of lasers appropriate for space-based lidars indicated a critical need for an integrated research and development strategy to move laser transmitter technology from low technical readiness levels to the higher levels required for space missions. This paper presents a multi-Center efforts leading to formulation of an integrated NASA strategy to provide the technology and maturity of systems necessary to make Lidar/Laser systems viable for space-based study and monitoring of the earth's atmosphere.

Singh, Upendra N.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Two Micron Laser Technology Advancements at NASA Langley Research Center

An Independent Laser Review Panel set up to examine NASA s space-based lidar missions and the technology readiness of lasers appropriate for space-based lidars indicated a critical need for an integrated research and development strategy to move laser transmitter technology from low technical readiness levels to the higher levels required for space missions. Based on the review, a multiyear Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) was initiated by NASA in 2002 to develop technologies that ensure the successful development of the broad range of lidar missions envisioned by NASA. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of pulsed 2-micron solid-state laser technologies at NASA Langley Research Center for enabling space-based measurement of wind and carbon dioxide.

Singh, Upendra N.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Airport Noise Tech Challenge Overview

The Supersonics Project, operating under NASA Aeronautics Mission Directorate#s Fundamental Aero Program, has been organized around the Technical Challenges that have historically precluded commercial supersonic flight. One of these Challenges is making aircraft that are capable of such high aerodynamic performance quiet enough around airports that they will not be objectionable. It is recognized that a successful civilian supersonic aircraft will be a system where many new technologies will come together, and for this to happen not only will new low noise propulsion concepts be required, but new engineering tools that predict the noise of the aircraft as these technologies are combined and compromised with the rest of the aircraft design. These are the two main objectives of the Airport Noise Tech Challenge. " ! As a Project in the Fundamental Aero Program, we work at a relatively low level of technology readiness. However, we have high level milestones which force us to integrate our efforts to impact systems-level activities. To keep the low-level work tied to delivering engineering tools and low-noise concepts, we have structured our milestones around development of the concepts and organized our activities around developing and applying our engineering tools to these concepts. The final deliverables in these milestones are noise prediction modules validated against the best embodiment of each concept. These will then be used in cross-disciplinary exercises to demonstrate the viability of aircraft designs to meet all the Technical Challenges. Some of the concepts being developed are shown: Fan Flow Diverters, Multi-jet Shielding, High-Aspect Ratio Embedded Nozzles, Plasma Actuated Instability Manipulation, Highly Variable Cycle Mixer- Ejectors, and Inverted Velocity Profiles. These concepts are being developed for reduced jet noise along with the design tools which describe how they perform when used in various aircraft configurations. Several key upcoming events are highlighted, including tests of the Highly Variable Cycle Mixer-Ejectors, and Inverted Velocity Profiles. Other key events are milestones to be delivered within the next calendar year.

Bridges, James↗
NASA NTRS2002

Airframe Research and Technology for Hypersonic Airbreathing Vehicles

The Hypersonics Investment Area (HIA) within NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP) has the responsibility to develop hypersonic airbreathing vehicles for access to space. The Airframe Research and Technology (AR and T) Project, as one of six projects in the HIA, will push the state-of-the-art in airframe and vehicle systems for low-cost, reliable, and safe space transportation. The individual technologies within the project are focused on advanced, breakthrough technologies in airframe and vehicle systems and cross-cutting activities that are the basis for improvements in these disciplines. Both low and medium technology readiness level (TRL) activities are being pursued. The key technical areas that will be addressed by the project include analysis and design tools, integrated vehicle health management (IVHM), composite (polymer, metal, and ceramic matrix) materials development, thermal/structural wall concepts, thermal protection systems, seals, leading edges, aerothermodynamics, and airframe/propulsion flowpath technology. Each of the technical areas or sub-projects within the Airframe R and T Project is described in this paper.

Glass, David E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Airframe Technology Development for Next Generation Launch Vehicles

The Airframe subproject within NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) program has the responsibility to develop airframe technology for both rocket and airbreathing vehicles for access to space. The Airframe sub-project pushes the state-of-the-art in airframe technology for low-cost, reliable, and safe space transportation. Both low and medium technology readiness level (TRL) activities are being pursued. The key technical areas being addressed include design and integration, hot and integrated structures, cryogenic tanks, and thermal protection systems. Each of the technologies in these areas are discussed in this paper.

Glass, David E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Experimentation for the Maturation of Deep Space Cryogenic Refueling Technologies

This report describes the results of the "Experimentation for the Maturation of Deep Space Cryogenic Refueling Technology" study. This study identifies cryogenic fluid management technologies that require low-gravity flight experiments bring technology readiness levels to 5 to 6; examines many possible flight experiment options; and develops near-term low-cost flight experiment concepts to mature the core technologies. A total of 25 white papers were prepared by members of the project team in the course of this study. The full text of each white paper is included and 89 relevant references are cited. The team reviewed the white papers that provided information on new or active concepts of experiments to pursue and assessed them on the basis of technical need, cost, return on investment, and flight platform. Based on on this assessment the "Centaur Test Bed for Cryogenic Fluid Management" was rated the highest. "Computational Opportunities for Cryogenics for Cryogenic and Low-g Fluid Systems" was ranked second, based on its high scores in state of the art and return on investment, even though scores in cost and time were second to last. "Flight Development Test Objective Approach for In-space Propulsion Elements" was ranked third.

Chato, David J.↗