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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Industry tests of NASA ceramic thermal barrier coating

Ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) system was tested by industrial and governmental organizations for a variety of aeronautical, marine, and ground-based gas turbine engine applications. This TBC is a two-layer system with a bond coating of nickel-chromium-aluminum-yttrium (Ni-16Cr-6Al-0.6Y, in wt. percent) and a ceramic coating of yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2-12Y2O3, in wt. percent). Seven tests evaluated the system's thermal protection and durability. Five other tests determined thermal conductivity, vibratory fatigue characteristics, and corrosion resistance of the system. The information presented includes test results and photographs of the coated parts. Recommendations are made for improving the coating procedures.

Liebert, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Suited Ground Vacuum Chamber Testing Decompression Sickness Tiger Team Report

Suited vacuum chamber testing is critical to flight crew training, sustaining engineering, and development engineering. Most suited vacuum chamber testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) involves crewmembers or human test subjects working at a hypobaric pressure of 4.3 psia, which requires that an oxygen prebreathe be performed prior to decompression to reduce the risk of decompression sickness (DCS). Since 1986, NASA’s policy has been to require a 4-hour resting prebreathe for hypobaric chamber exposures of 4.2 psia lasting greater than 30 minutes. There have been no reports of Type II (i.e., serious, potentially life-threatening) DCS at NASA while using this prebreathe protocol. Several chamber runs, believed to be approximately 5% of all runs, are believed to have been terminated due to Type I DCS symptoms that were performance impairing; however, detailed records of DCS symptoms during suited vacuum chamber runs are not available. The adequacy of the 4-hour prebreathe protocol, as well as the processes by which prebreathe protocols and policies are established, became the subject of significant discussion in April 2018 when medical planning was initiated for chamber runs that were scheduled to occur later in 2018 that would last 8 hours or more with high metabolic rates.

Abercromby, Andrew F. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Real-time pilot guidance system for improved flight-test maneuvers

The real-time pilot display uplink development at the Dryden Flight Research Facility is described, with a focus on recent F-104 studies. A nose boom gathers data on the Mach number, pressure altitude, and angle of attack. The system provides the pilot with guidance to improve maneuver accuracy and fly more complex trajectories. The uplink presents the pilot with computed differences between a reference flight path and actual flight state conditions, using a downlink to the ground where engineering computations are performed, feedback is transmitted, and corrections are applied. Details of the flight test trajectories and data from test results are provided for level turns, constant thrust turns, dynamic pressure trajectories, constant radar altitude accelerations and decelerations, and a Reynolds number trajectory. The system has proved capable of reducing pilot workload and saving fuel by decreasing the flight time necessary to obtain specific data.

Schneider, E. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Demonstration of Fabry-Perot interferometric spectrometry technology

As rocket engine components experience wear or failure, anomalous materials may be entrained in the plume. Historically, visible plume anomalies have preceded many rocket engine failures, some of which have been catastrophic. Development of a small, rugged, high-speed, high resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based spectrometer capable of detecting the spectral signatures of eroding engine components during rocket engine test and/or flight operations is described. An operational plume spectrometer fabricated with miniaturized optics has been successfully tested. An extensive test series was conducted to define the limits of the spectrometer with respect to time-response and resolution. The data collected during testing were correlated with measurements obtained using sensitive ground equipment in order to benchmark the spectrometer's performance against a known device. The FPI demonstrated the reliability required for a flight instrument by functioning satisfactorily at or near the rocket engine test stand environment. Several of the optical components are interchangeable, allowing collection of a greater variety of plume signals. Also, the FPI's high resolution capabilities suggest it is suitable for application to both absorption and emission spectroscopy.

Petersen, T. V.↗
NASA NTRS1981

MPD thruster application study

Developmental considerations for the magneto-plasma-dynamic (MPD) thruster are defined. General characteristics of an MPD engine are compared to those of chemical propulsion and ion bombardment engines and performance criteria which are mission specific are examined. Requirements for thruster ground testing facilities are discussed and the utilization of the space shuttle for an orbital flight test is addressed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1989

Control/structure interaction design methodology

The Control Structure Interaction Program is a technology development program for spacecraft that exhibit interactions between the control system and structural dynamics. The program objectives include development and verification of new design concepts (such as active structure) and new tools (such as a combined structure and control optimization algorithm) and their verification in ground and possibly flight test. The new CSI design methodology is centered around interdisciplinary engineers using new tools that closely integrate structures and controls. Verification is an important CSI theme and analysts will be closely integrated to the CSI Test Bed laboratory. Components, concepts, tools and algorithms will be developed and tested in the lab and in future Shuttle-based flight experiments. The design methodology is summarized in block diagrams depicting the evolution of a spacecraft design and descriptions of analytical capabilities used in the process. The multiyear JPL CSI implementation plan is described along with the essentials of several new tools. A distributed network of computation servers and workstations was designed that will provide a state-of-the-art development base for the CSI technologies.

Briggs, Hugh C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space Station Freedom ECLSS: A step toward autonomous regenerative life support systems

The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is a Freedom Station distributed system with inherent applicability to extensive automation primarily due to its comparatively long control system latencies. These allow longer contemplation times in which to form a more intelligent control strategy and to prevent and diagnose faults. The regenerative nature of the Space Station Freedom ECLSS will contribute closed loop complexities never before encountered in life support systems. A study to determine ECLSS automation approaches has been completed. The ECLSS baseline software and system processes could be augmented with more advanced fault management and regenerative control systems for a more autonomous evolutionary system, as well as serving as a firm foundation for future regenerative life support systems. Emerging advanced software technology and tools can be successfully applied to fault management, but a fully automated life support system will require research and development of regenerative control systems and models. The baseline Environmental Control and Life Support System utilizes ground tests in development of batch chemical and microbial control processes. Long duration regenerative life support systems will require more active chemical and microbial feedback control systems which, in turn, will require advancements in regenerative life support models and tools. These models can be verified using ground and on orbit life support test and operational data, and used in the engineering analysis of proposed intelligent instrumentation feedback and flexible process control technologies for future autonomous regenerative life support systems, including the evolutionary Space Station Freedom ECLSS.

Dewberry, Brandon S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Alternative-Fuel Effects on Contrails & Cruise Emissions (ACCESS-2) Flight Experiment

Although the emission performance of gas-turbine engines burning renewable aviation fuels have been thoroughly documented in recent ground-based studies, there is still great uncertainty regarding how the fuels effect aircraft exhaust composition and contrail formation at cruise altitudes. To fill this information gap, the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate sponsored the ACCESS flight series to make detailed measurements of trace gases, aerosols and ice particles in the near-field behind the NASA DC-8 aircraft as it burned either standard petroleum-based fuel of varying sulfur content or a 50:50 blend of standard fuel and a hydro-treated esters and fatty acid (HEFA) jet fuel produced from camelina plant oil. ACCESS 1, conducted in spring 2013 near Palmdale CA, focused on refining flight plans and sampling techniques and used the instrumented NASA Langley HU-25 aircraft to document DC-8 emissions and contrails on five separate flights of approx.2 hour duration. ACCESS 2, conducted from Palmdale in May 2014, engaged partners from the Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and National Research Council-Canada to provide additional scientific expertise and sampling aircraft (Falcon 20 and CT-133, respectively) with more extensive trace gas, particle, or air motion measurement capability. Eight, muliti-aircraft research flights of 2 to 4 hour duration were conducted to document the emissions and contrail properties of the DC-8 as it 1) burned low sulfur Jet A, high sulfur Jet A or low sulfur Jet A/HEFA blend, 2) flew at altitudes between 6 and 11 km, and 3) operated its engines at three different fuel flow rates. This presentation further describes the ACCESS flight experiments, examines fuel type and thrust setting impacts on engine emissions, and compares cruise-altitude observations with similar data acquired in ground tests.

Anderson, Bruce E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of Two-phase Flow Modeling Techniques in Loci-Stream using Axial Jet Pressure Control and Autogenous Pressurization Experiment

Improvements to computational fluid dynamics modeling of cryogenic fluid management operations are presented with experimental validations. Modeling improvements includes utilizing improved delayed detaches eddy simulation to more effectively model turbulence compared to the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes modeling, modeling temperature dependent tank solid properties to capture large variation in thermodynamic properties at cryogenic conditions, modeling real gas equation of state for hydrogen instead of ideal gas behavior, and an on-going effort to improve interface turbulence transport for the volume of fluid method. Two flight-scale ground tests, five K-site tank axial jet pressure control experiments and an Engineering Design Unit tank autogenous pressurization experiment are validated and show the effectiveness of the improved modeling techniques. The successful validation establishes further trust in these models for flight project support and provides a pathway for maturation of in-development interface turbulence damping model for the volume of fluid method for more generalized applications.

CFD↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of Two-Phase Flow Modeling Techniques in Loci-Stream Using Axial Jet Pressure Control and Autogenous Pressurization Experiments

Improvements to computational fluid dynamics modeling of cryogenic fluid management operations are presented with experimental validations. Modeling improvements includes utilizing improved delayed detaches eddy simulation to more effectively model turbulence compared to the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes modeling, modeling temperature dependent tank solid properties to capture large variation in thermodynamic properties at cryogenic conditions, modeling real gas equation of state for hydrogen instead of ideal gas behavior, and an on-going effort to improve interface turbulence transport for the volume of fluid method. Two flight-scale ground tests, five K-site tank axial jet pressure control experiments and an Engineering Design Unit tank autogenous pressurization experiment are validated and show the effectiveness of the improved modeling techniques. The successful validation establishes further trust in these models for flight project support and provides a pathway for maturation of in-development interface turbulence damping model for the volume of fluid method for more generalized applications.

CFD↗
NASA NTRS2002

Outer planet spacecraft temperature testing and analysis

Unmanned spacecraft flown on missions to the outer planets of the solar system have included flybys, planetary orbiters, and atmospheric probes during the last three decades. The thermal design, test, and analysis approach applied to these spacecraft evolved from the passive thermal designs applied to the earlier lunar and interplanetary spacecraft. The inflight temperature data from representative sets of engineering subsystems and science instruments from a subset of these spacecraft are compared to those obtained during the ground test programs and from the prelaunch predictions. Several lessons are presented with specific recommendations for considerations for new projects to aid in the planning of cost effective temperature design, test, and analysis programs.

temperature testing planetary spacecraft Voyager G↗
NASA NTRS2013

Human Machine Interface Programming and Testing

Human Machine Interface (HMI) Programming and Testing is about creating graphical displays to mimic mission critical ground control systems in order to provide NASA engineers with the ability to monitor the health management of these systems in real time. The Health Management System (HMS) is an online interactive human machine interface system that monitors all Kennedy Ground Control Subsystem (KGCS) hardware in the field. The Health Management System is essential to NASA engineers because it allows remote control and monitoring of the health management systems of all the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and associated field devices. KGCS will have equipment installed at the launch pad, Vehicle Assembly Building, Mobile Launcher, as well as the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility. I am designing graphical displays to monitor and control new modules that will be integrated into the HMS. The design of the display screen will closely mimic the appearance and functionality of the actual modules. There are many different field devices used to monitor health management and each device has its own unique set of health management related data, therefore each display must also have its own unique way to display this data. Once the displays are created, the RSLogix5000 application is used to write software that maps all the required data read from the hardware to the graphical display. Once this data is mapped to its corresponding display item, the graphical display and hardware device will be connected through the same network in order to test all possible scenarios and types of data the graphical display was designed to receive. Test Procedures will be written to thoroughly test out the displays and ensure that they are working correctly before being deployed to the field. Additionally, the Kennedy Ground Controls Subsystem's user manual will be updated to explain to the NASA engineers how to use the new module displays.

Foster, Thomas Garrison↗
NASA NTRS2014

Mars Sample Return and Flight Test of a Small Bimodal Nuclear Rocket and ISRU Plant

A combined Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) flight test and Mars Sample Return mission (MSR) is explored as a means of "jump-starting" NTR development. Development of a small-scale engine with relevant fuel and performance could more affordably and quickly "pathfind" the way to larger scale engines. A flight test with subsequent inflight postirradiation evaluation may also be more affordable and expedient compared to ground testing and associated facilities and approvals. Mission trades and a reference scenario based upon a single expendable launch vehicle (ELV) are discussed. A novel "single stack" spacecraft/lander/ascent vehicle concept is described configured around a "top-mounted" downward firing NTR, reusable common tank, and "bottom-mount" bus, payload and landing gear. Requirements for a hypothetical NTR engine are described that would be capable of direct thermal propulsion with either hydrogen or methane propellant, and modest electrical power generation during cruise and Mars surface insitu resource utilization (ISRU) propellant production.

George, Jeffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Hazard of Volcanic Ash Ingestion

A research team of U.S. Government agencies and engine manufacturers conducted an experiment to test volcanic-ash ingestion by a NASA owned engine in the same family as the PW 2000 that was donated by the U.S. Air Force. The experiment, called Vehicle Integrated Propulsions Research (VIPR) test, was conducted under the auspices of NASAs Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) Program and took place in summer of 2015 at Edwards AFB in California as an on-ground, on-wing test. The primary objectives of the volcanic ash test were to determine the effect on the engine of several hours of exposure to low to moderate ash concentrations and to evaluate the capability of engine health management technologies for detecting these effects. The target concentrations of volcanic ash tested were at 1 and 10 mgm3. A natural volcanic ash was used that is representative of distal ash clouds many 100s to 1000 km from a volcanic source. The glassy ash particles were expected to soften and become less viscous when exposed to the high temperatures of the combustion chamber, then stick to the nozzle guide vanes of the high-pressure turbine and this was observed. Numerous observations and measurements of the engines performance and degradation were made during the course of the experiment, including borescope inspections after each test run. The engine has been disassembled so that detailed inspections of the engine effects have been made. A summary of the test methodology and execution will be made along with results from the test. While not intended to be sufficient for rigorous certification of engine performance when ash is ingested, the experiment should provide useful information to aircraft manufacturers, airline operators, and military and civil regulators in their efforts to evaluate the range of risks that ash hazards pose to aviation.

Lekki, John↗
NASA NTRS2018

Command and Control Software Development

The future of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) depends on its innovation and efficiency in the coming years. With ambitious goals to reach Mars and explore the vast universe, correct steps must be taken to ensure our space program reaches its destination safely. The interns in the Exploration Systems and Operations Division at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have been tasked with building command line tools to ease the process of managing and testing the data being produced by the ground control systems while its recording system is not in use. While working alongside full-time engineers, we were able to create multiple programs that reduce the cost and time it takes to test the subsystems that launch rockets to outer space.

Wallace, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1978

Study of hypersonic propulsion/airframe integration technology

An assessment is done of current and potential ground facilities, and analysis and flight test techniques for establishing a hypersonic propulsion/airframe integration technology base. A mach 6 cruise prototype aircraft incorporating integrated Scramjet engines was considered the baseline configuration, and the assessment focused on the aerodynamic and configuration aspects of the integration technology. The study describes the key technology milestones that must be met to permit a decision on development of a prototype vehicle, and defines risk levels for these milestones. Capabilities and limitations of analysis techniques, current and potential ground test facilities, and flight test techniques are described in terms of the milestones and risk levels.

Hartill, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Comparison of ground and flight test results using a modified F106B aircraft

A F106 aircraft was modified by installing two additional underwing nacelles housing afterburning J85 engines to study exhaust nozzles in flight at Mach numbers up to 1.3. Installation effects were determined for several nozzles by comparing flight and wind-tunnel data. The effect is to decrease boattail drag and delay its drag rise Mach number to about 0.98. A study of Reynolds number effects, carried out at subsonic speeds with afterburning turbofan engines showed boattail drag to be sensitive to Reynolds number. In flight, drag was highest at the lowest Reynolds number, and decreased as the Re number was increased. Static and flyover noise measurements showed that, except for special cases, noise levels at takeoff (M = 0.4) were higher than predicted from static data.

Wilcox, F. A.↗