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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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Several battery models are under development at JPL based on first principles. The recent models are based on NiH2 and NiMH chemistries. Performance results and computation requirements are discussed.
The International Space Station (ISS) Electric Power System (EPS) currently uses Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) batteries to store electrical energy. The batteries are charged during insolation and discharged during eclipse. The Ni-H2 batteries are designed to operate at a 35 depth of discharge (DOD) maximum during normal operation in a Low Earth Orbit. Since the oldest of the 48 Ni-H2 battery Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) has been cycling since September 2006, these batteries are now approaching their end of useful life. In 2010, the ISS Program began the development of Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries to replace the Ni-H2 batteries and concurrently funded a Li-ion cell life testing project. This paper will include an overview of the ISS Li-Ion battery system architecture and the progress of the Li-ion battery design and development.
NASA seeks to demonstrate a path for achieving safe, high power, and high performing Li-ion battery designs for the purpose of establishing design guidelines for our aeronautic and spacecraft applications. Safe means passively resistant to thermal runaway propagation of any single cell catastrophic thermal runaway. High power means capable of 3C continuous discharge without overheating. High performing means achieving > 160 Wh/kg, 200 Wh/L. The biggest challenge has been balancing a high flux light weight path for cell heat dissipation during the high rate discharge that minimizes thermal gradients between cells and also protects adjacent cells from the heat load of thermal runaway cell. Our solution includes an oscillating heat pipe spine that contacts every 18650 cell in the pack and careful cell design selection to maximize the range of initial temperatures conditions where the battery can safely complete the 3C discharge.
The Conference Proceedings contains 31 papers presented at the Propulsion and Energetics Panel Symposium on Erosion, Corrosion and Foreign Object Damage Effects in Gas Turbines which was held from 25-28th April 1994, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The Technical Evaluation Report and the Keynote Address are included at the beginning and discussions follow most papers. The Symposium was arranged in the following Sessions: Operational Experience and Requirements (7); Deposition and Erosion (7); Foreign Object Damage (5); Coatings, Repairs and Materials Aspects - 1 (4); Coatings, Repairs and Materials Aspects - 2 (7); and Testing and Certification Procedures (1).
This paper will delineate the criteria required for the selection of batteries as a power source for space experiments. Four basic types of batteries will be explored, lead acid, silver zinc, alkaline manganese and nickel cadmium. A detailed description of the lead acid and silver zinc cells while a brief exploration of the alkaline manganese and nickel cadmium will be given. The factors involved in battery selection such as packaging, energy density, discharge voltage regulation, and cost will be thoroughly examined. The pros and cons of each battery type will be explored. Actual laboratory test data acquired for the lead acid and silver zinc cell will be discussed. This data will include discharging under various temperature conditions, after three months of storage and with different types of loads. A description of the required maintenance for each type of battery will be investigated. The lifetime and number of charge/discharge cycles will be discussed.
Barometric pressure, gas composition, toxicity, and thermal exchange of spacecraft cabin atmospheres are discussed. Effects of gravitation, acceleration, weightlessness, noise, and vibration on human behavior and performance during space flight are also described.
A design program for the development of a nickel hydrogen battery is described. The design and design advantages of the battery are discussed. The general characteristics of the battery such as the strain gage cell pressure monitoring and the automatic low temperature heater control are reported along with the performance characteristics.
The uniformity performance characteristic in remote sensing data products is a metric that helps evaluate how an image accurately represents radiometric responses to geophysical variability at the Earth’s surface or within the atmosphere. These uniformity attributes are used in Earth remote sensing science applications such as investigating water quality, land-cover/land-use classifications, and crop health assessments. To ensure these applications perform effectively, it is crucial to maintain and regularly assess the uniformity of calibrated remote sensing data products. In the Landsat missions, data from the onboard radiometric reference Solar diffuser device are used as the standard approach to derive the calibration parameters, ensuring the maintenance of both absolute radiance and radiometric uniformity through quarterly updates. This publication presents an alternative approach that leverages Earth scene data to assess the on-orbit uniformity performance of the Landsat 9 (L9) mission. The analysis characterizes uniformity at a specific set of spatial positions (the focal-plane boundary zones) that are intrinsic to the Operational Land Imager (OLI) focal plane design. By employing these Earth data statistics, the article further explores the temporal trends in the radiometric uniformity results. The results shown in this article demonstrate that for pushbroom imaging design systems with staggered sensor chip focal plane architectures, the co-registered pixels, i.e., overlapping measurements of the same ground target viewed by different detectors, offer a self-contained mechanism for assessing product uniformity. Remarkably, this alternative approach achieves a level of radiometric quality comparable to that delivered by a stable, well-characterized onboard Solar diffuser calibration device. The findings demonstrate the potential and capability of such Earth scene statistics in maintaining radiometric uniformity in calibrated data products to better than 1% (1-sigma) throughout the mission’s operational lifetime.
On April 1, NASA launched the Artemis II mission – the first crewed mission of the Artemis campaign. The nine-day lunar flyby launched on the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and had four astronauts test the Orion spacecraft in high Earth orbit and in deep space. Four 12U CubeSats also launched on the mission, housed within the SLS’s Orion stage adapter (OSA). The spacecraft were deployed approximately five-and-a-half hours into the flight, following Orion separation and departure from SLS, as the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) and the attached OSA were in a high Earth orbit on an atmospheric disposal trajectory. All four CubeSats were successfully deployed from the launch vehicle. Deployment statuses of the spacecraft, along with updates about the SLS rocket and Artemis missions, are reported in this paper. The paper will also discuss opportunities for CubeSat payloads on future Artemis missions.
A development program is being conducted at Advanced Thermal Batteries (ATB) to create a low discharge rate, long life, molten salt battery for a NASA Venus surface probe. Battery goals are 60 days continuous operation at +25V +0/-6 volts and -25V +6/-0 Volts under severe environments of 465°C, 92 atm pressure, and corrosive sulfur dioxide in a super critical carbon dioxide atmosphere. Conveniently, molten salt thermal battery electrochemistry starts to operate efficiently at 330°C. However, a major barrier to direct application of existing thermal battery technology is the high self-discharge rate, resulting in lifetimes in only minutes, not days. The best performance to date, which meets the required voltage regulation, has been a lithium silicon (LiSi) alloy anode discharging through all three voltage plateau versus an iron monosulfide (FeS) cathode. In order to perform reproducibly, additional engineering controls within the battery design are required to limit cell–to–cell parasitic discharge mechanisms. Results of these trials have improved the efficiency and manufacturability of the design.
Empirical formula represents performance of electrical storage batteries. Formula covers many battery types and includes numerous coefficients adjusted to fit peculiarities of each type. Battery and load parameters taken into account include power density in battery, discharge time, and electrolyte temperature. Applications include electric-vehicle "fuel" gages and powerline load leveling.
NASA is currently working to develop in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities for low Earth orbit and the lunar surface. One crucial technology for this effort is laser beam welding. Laser systems can perform joining, cleaning, cutting, and repair activities, which will enable the construction of large in-space structures that could not fit on a single launch vehicle, such as trusses for solar panels, radiators, or communications infrastructure. Multiple projects studying laser welding for space applications are currently underway at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. One of these, the DIsk-Shaped Configurable and Modular vAcuum uNit (DISCMAN), is a compact vacuum chamber designed to support parameter development for laser welding in microgravity. It contains a rotating platen with weld samples made from aluminum, steel, and titanium, a high-power infrared laser, and integrated pumps for pulling vacuum inside the sample cartridge. The DISCMAN payload is planned to launch to the International Space Station, where welds will be performed under sustained microgravity inside the Bishop Airlock. Another effort underway at Marshall is the Lunar Assembly and Servicing by Autonomous Robotics (LASAR) initiative. This project uses a space-rated robotic arm equipped with a laser weld head, wire feeder, and multiple cameras to perform welds in a thermal vacuum chamber simulating the lunar surface environment. Some of these welds are done on snowflake joints, which are specially designed to slot together to join segments of trussN structures, allowing for the construction of tall surface infrastructure. DISCMAN, LASAR, and other projects are being carried out to advance the technological maturity of in-space laser beam welding, collect data to inform computational models, and learn reliable processes for creating weld joints in space. This work supports NASA’s greater goals to expand humanity’s presence in low Earth orbit, establish a permanent moon base, and eventually send crewed missions to Mars and beyond.
Lithium-ion batteries are thermo-electrochemical devices, whereby nearly every facet of their functionality and performance are thermally driven. As a result, it is important to have thermal modeling techniques that effectively capture the intricacies of both the electrochemical nature of the battery and also the complex thermal network that typically results from the design of the battery thermal management system. Here we present a thermal modeling workflow and a set of general assumptions for how to construct a thermal model of a Li-ion battery pack. We use a 14-cell bank of 18650-format Li-ion cells, loosely based on a proposed alternative battery design for Orion, as the example. Although the workflow is performed with Thermal Desktop and related utilities, the focus of this presentation is less about software specific techniques, but rather is focused on the assumptions and conditions that should be used in a model (regardless of the tool used to build the model). Example cases and results will be presented for charge, discharge, and thermal runaway.
The Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium (AMS) provides a unique forum for those active in the design, production, and use of aerospace mechanisms. A major focus is the reporting of problems and solutions associated with the development and flight certification of new mechanisms. Organized by the Mechanisms Education Association, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) share the responsibility for hosting the AMS. Now in its 36th year, the AMS continues to be well attended, attracting participants from both the United States and abroad. The 36th AMS, hosted by the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, was held May 15, 16, and 17, 2002. During these three days, 32 papers were presented. Topics included deployment mechanisms, tribology, actuators, pointing and optical mechanisms, International Space Station mechanisms, release mechanisms, and test equipment. Hardware displays during the supplier exhibit gave attendees an opportunity to meet with developers of current and future mechanism components.
NASA is currently working to develop in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities for low Earth orbit and the lunar surface. One crucial technology for this effort is laser beam welding. Laser systems can perform joining, cleaning, cutting, and repair activities, which will enable the construction of large in-space structures that could not fit on a single launch vehicle, such as trusses for solar panels, radiators, or communications infrastructure. Multiple projects studying laser welding for space applications are currently underway at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. One of these, the DIsk-Shaped Configurable and Modular vAcuum uNit (DISCMAN), is a compact vacuum chamber designed to support parameter development for laser welding in microgravity. It contains a rotating platen with weld samples made from aluminum, steel, and titanium, a high-power infrared laser, and integrated pumps for pulling vacuum inside the sample cartridge. The DISCMAN payload is planned to launch to the International Space Station, where welds will be performed under sustained microgravity inside the Bishop Airlock. Another effort underway at Marshall is the Lunar Assembly and Servicing by Autonomous Robotics (LASAR) initiative. This project uses a space-rated robotic arm equipped with a laser weld head, wire feeder, and multiple cameras to perform welds in a thermal vacuum chamber simulating the lunar surface environment. Some of these welds are done on snowflake joints, which are specially designed to slot together to join segments of trussN structures, allowing for the construction of tall surface infrastructure. DISCMAN, LASAR, and other projects are being carried out to advance the technological maturity of in-space laser beam welding, collect data to inform computational models, and learn reliable processes for creating weld joints in space. This work supports NASA’s greater goals to expand humanity’s presence in low Earth orbit, establish a permanent moon base, and eventually send crewed missions to Mars and beyond.
The results of further spectroscopic studies on the plume from a 3 cm ion source operated on an argon propellant is reported on. In particular, it is shown that it should be possible to use the spectroscopic technique to measure the plasma density of the ion plume close to the grids, where it is difficult to use electrical probe measurements. How the technique, along with electrical probe measurements in the far downstream region of the plume, can be used to characterize the operation of a three-grid, 15 cm diameter thruster from NASA JPL is outlined. Pumping speed measurements on the Vacuum Research Facility have shown that this facility should be adequate for testing the JPL thruster at pressures in the low 10(exp -5) Torr range. Finally, we describe a simple analytical model which can be used to calculate the grid impingement current which results from charge-exchange collisions in the ion plume.
Reports from the conference session entitled Icy Worlds: Moving and Grooving, include:Mass Anomalies on Ganymede; Europan Chaos and Lenticulae: A Synthesis of Size, Spacing, and Areal Density Analyses; Thermal and Topographic Tests of Europa Chaos Formation Models; Flexure of Europa s Lithosphere Due to Ridge-Loading; Ridges on Europa: Origin by Incremental Ice-Wedging ; Convergent Boundaries on Europa: a Numerical Approach to Euler Pole Analysis and Its' Implications for Plate Reconstruction; Numerical Simulations of Subsolidus Convection in the Ice Shell of Europa: Implications for the Thermal Evolution and Present State; Effects of Plasticity on Convection in an Ice Shell: Implications for Europa; Non-Newtonian Convection and Compositional Buoyancy: Advances in Modeling Convection and Dome Formation on Europa; Convective Instability in Ice I: Application to Callisto and Ganymede; Crater Size Distributions on Callisto: A Galileo SSI Summary; Neutron Diffraction Studies of Planetary Ices; and H2O2 Synthesis Induced by Irradiation of H2O with Energetic H+ and Ar+ Ions at Various Temperatures.
On April 1, NASA launched the Artemis II mission – the first crewed mission of the Artemis campaign. The nine-day lunar flyby launched on the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and had four astronauts test the Orion spacecraft in high Earth orbit and in deep space. Four 12U CubeSats also launched on the mission, housed within the SLS’s Orion stage adapter (OSA). The spacecraft were deployed approximately five-and-a-half hours into the flight, following Orion separation and departure from SLS, as the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) and the attached OSA were in a high Earth orbit on an atmospheric disposal trajectory. All four CubeSats were successfully deployed from the launch vehicle. Deployment statuses of the spacecraft, along with updates about the SLS rocket and Artemis missions, are reported in this paper. The paper will also discuss opportunities for CubeSat payloads on future Artemis missions.