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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 55 records · Page 3

Modeling and Control of Solar PVs for Large Grid Disturbances and Weak Grids

The purpose of this project is to understand dynamic phenomena by designing dynamic models of utility-sale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants and their interactions with grids; and construct effective coordination strategies for stability enhancement for solar PVs to respond to rapidly changing grid conditions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Solar flares controlled by helicity conservation

The energy release in a class of solar flares is studied on the assumption that during burst events in highly conducting plasma the magnetic helicity of plasma is approximately conserved. The available energy release under a solar flare controlled by the helicity conservation is shown to be defined by the magnetic structure of the associated prominence. The approach throws light on some solar flare enigmas: the role of the associated prominence. The approach throws light on some solar flare enigmas: the role of the associated prominences; the discontinuation of the reconnection of magnetic lines long before the complete reconnection of participated fields occurs; the existence of quiet prominences which, in spite of their usual optical appearance, do not initiate any flare events; the small energy release under a solar flare in comparison with the stockpile of magnetic energy in surrounding fields. The predicted scale of the energy release is in a fair agreement with observations.

Gliner, Erast B.↗

Solar Sail Control Actuator Concepts

The thrust produced by a solar sail is a direct function of its attitude. Thus, solar sail thrust vector control is a key technology that must be developed for sailcraft to become a viable form of deep-space transportation. The solar sail community has been studying various sail Attitude Control System (ACS) actuator designs for near Earth orbit as well as deep space missions. These actuators include vanes, spreader bars, two-axis gimbals, floating/locking gimbals with wheels, and translating masses. This paper documents the various concepts and performs an assessment at the highest level. This paper will only compare the various ACS actuator concepts as they stand at the publication time. This is not an endorsement of any particular concept. As concepts mature, the assessments will change.

David Mangus↗

Solar System Controller

In designing a control for Bethany College's solar heating and cooling system, Apollo Energy Control, Inc. used Marshall Space Flight Center's doe solar and heating and cooling technology. The technology helped the company design a highly reliable, simply operated system with substantial savings in engineering time.

Source record↗

Attitude Dynamics and Control of Solar Sails with Articulated Vanes

In this paper we develop a robust nonlinear algorithm for the attitude control of a solar sailcraft with M single degree-of-freedom articulated control vanes. A general attitude controller that tracks an admissible trajectory while rejecting disturbances such as torques due to center-of-mass to center-of-pressure offsets is applied to this problem. We then describe a methodology based on nonlinear programming to allocate the required control torques among the control vanes. A simplified allocation strategy is then applied to a solar sail with four articulated control vanes, and simulation results are given. The performance of the control algorithm and possible limitations of vane-only control are then discussed.

solar sails↗

Solar wind control of auroral zone geomagnetic activity

Solar wind magnetosphere energy coupling functions are analyzed using linear prediction filtering with 2.5 minute data. The relationship of auroral zone geomagnetic activity to solar wind power input functions are examined, and a least squares prediction filter, or impulse response function is designed from the data. Computed impulse response functions are observed to have characteristics of a low pass filter with time delay. The AL index is found well related to solar wind energy functions, although the AU index shows a poor relationship. High frequency variations of auroral indices and substorm expansions are not predictable with solar wind information alone, suggesting influence by internal magnetospheric processes. Finally, the epsilon parameter shows a poorer relationship with auroral geomagnetic activity than a power parameter, having a VBs solar wind dependency.

Clauer, C. R.↗

The solar wind control of Jupiter's broad-band kilometric radio emission

Observations of the solar wind close to Jupiter are compared with the broad-band kilometric radio emission (bKOM), using data recorded by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 during 1979. The lower bKOM frequencies, less than about 300 kHz, are found to correlate with the solar wind density and pressure and with the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude during periods when there is a well-defined magnetic sector structure. The results suggest that lower frequency bKOM events are most likely to occur after a sector boundary has passed Jupiter during the period when the solar wind density and the IMF magnitude are increasing towards the sector center. The average bKOM energy per Jovian rotation tends to have lower values soon after the sector center has passed. Higher-frequency/higher-energy bKOM emission may be contaminated by hectometric emission (HOM) and differently correlated with solar activity. The solar wind control may also be obscured by some stronger control. It is suggested that electron density fluctuations in the Io torus, where the source is believed to be located, may be responsible for variations in the beaming and hence variations in the observed emission.

Barrow, C. H.↗

Structural dynamic interaction with solar tracking control for evolutionary Space Station concepts

The sun tracking control system design of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and the interaction of the control system with the flexible structure of Space Station Freedom (SSF) evolutionary concepts are addressed. The significant components of the space station pertaining to the SARJ control are described and the tracking control system design is presented. Finite element models representing two evolutionary concepts, enhanced operations capability (EOC) and extended operations capability (XOC), are employed to evaluate the influence of low frequency flexible structure on the control system design and performance. The design variables of the control system are synthesized using a constrained optimization technique to meet design requirements, to provide a given level of control system stability margin, and to achieve the most responsive tracking performance. The resulting SARJ control system design and performance of the EOC and XOC configurations are presented and compared to those of the SSF configuration. Performance limitations caused by the low frequency of the dominant flexible mode are discussed.

Lim, Tae W.↗

Structural dynamic interaction with solar tracking control for evolutionary Space Station concepts

The paper addresses the sun tracking control system design of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and the interaction of the control system with the flexible structure of Space Station Freedom (SSF) evolutionary concepts. The significant components of the Space Station pertaining to the SARJ control are described, and the tracking control system design is presented. Finite element models representing two evolutionary concepts, Enhanced Operations Capability (EOC) and Extended Operations Capability (XOC), are employed to evaluate the influence of low frequency flexible structure on the control system design and performance. The design variables of the control system are synthesized using a constrained optimization technique to meet design requirements, to provide a given level of control system stability margin, and to achieve the most responsive tracking performance. The resulting SARJ control system design and performance of the EOC and XOC configurations are presented and compared to those of the SSF configuration.

Lim, Tae W.↗

Comment on 'Solar wind control of the magnetopause shape, location, and motion' by D. G. Sibeck, R. E. Lopez, and E. C. Roelof

The methodology employed in the paper 'Solar wind control of the magnetopause shape, location, and motion' by Sibeck et al. (1991), which quantifies the magnetospheric response to solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field variations, is commented on, with emphasis on how the shape and position of the magnetopause boundary can be specified, within some uncertainty, for particular simultaneous values of the solar wind pressure in the magnetic field. The reply of Sibeck et al. included a data set of 1821 magnetopause crossings, each associated with an hourly averaged solar wind dynamic pressure and/or north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field. A least squares fit to an ellipsoid of revolution to subsets of the data was performed.

Dunlop, M. W.↗

Multichannel temperature control for solar heating

Multiplexer/amplifier circuit monitors temperatures and temperature differences. Although primarily designed for cycle control in solar-heating systems, it can also measure temperatures in motors, ovens, electronic hardware, and other equipment.

Currie, J. R.↗

Solar wind control of the low-latitude asymmetric magnetic disturbance field

The extent to which the low latitude dawn-dusk magnetic asymmetry is controlled by the dawn-dusk solar wind motional electric field VBs and/or substorm processes measured by the westward auroral electrojet index AL is studied using the technique of empirical linear prediction filters. A new index, (ASYM), defined as the difference between dawn and dusk deviations in the X (geomagnetic Northward) magnetic field component, is used to measure the dawn-dusk asymmetry. Quantitative information which characterizes the coupling processes are provided by the empirically determined filters obtained from this analysis. Results indicate that some currents are directly driven by the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction and that their magnetic perturbations contribute to both the AL and ASYM indices. However, a portion of the AL index that is uncorrelated with VBs is correlated with ASYM which suggests that internal magnetospheric processes also contribute to AL and ASYM.

Clauer, C. R.↗

The Viking Mars Orbiter 1975 solar energy controller

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the Viking Orbiter System, which is part of the overall Viking Project managed by the Viking Project Office at Langley Research Center for NASA. The spacecraft will be launched on a Titan IIIE/-Centaur Launch Vehicle in August 1975. Solar energy for temperature control purposes is introduced into the propulsion module of the Orbiter. The energy enters by way of four individually commandable solar energy controllers (SECs). This paper summarizes the SEC thermal development, design and test results. Test results are presented for the prototype unit and for the flight units.

Stultz, J. W.↗