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Inflatable Softgoods Testing Capability Development for Habitation

The Habitation Systems Development Office (HP40) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center supports systems engineering, integration, and project management for next generation space habitats. The office is responsible for formulation activities for Lunar Surface Habitat and Mars Transit Habitat. HP40 also manages commercial partnerships for exploration habitat development. The Lunar Surface Habitat is intended to initially support a minimum of two crew on the lunar surface for an approximately 30-day mission, with the ability to accommodate four crew for short durations. The Mars Transit Habitat will transport four crew to and from Mars orbit on a potentially 1,200 day mission. Both concepts are envisioned to leverage inflatable softgoods as the primary structural material for the habitation portion of the architecture. Inflatable softgoods are a complex, multi-material system consisting of multiple layers which perform specific functions. A bladder layer (polymer) contains the habitat’s atmosphere. The bladder is indexed to a woven restraint layer, usually Kevlar or Vectran, which serves as the structural layer. The remaining outer layers are for micro-meteoroid orbital debris (MMOD) shielding, protection from atomic Oxygen (if the material system is to be deployed in low earth orbit), and thermal insulation. The primary advantage of inflatable softgoods is that they can offer a larger volume per unit mass relative to a rigid metal structure. Inflatable softgoods have a strong development heritage within NASA, beginning with work in the 1960s in partnership with Goodyear Aerospace and continuing with Johnson Space Center’s TransHab project in the 1990s . Some development efforts subsequently transitioned into the private sector to mature the material technology for flight applications, including human habitation. In August 2022, NASA published its guidelines for certification of crewed inflatable softgoods structures (JSC-67721). This document outlines a series of tests which will be needed to certify inflatable softgoods material systems for use in crewed mission applications. It includes burst testing at the subscale and full-scale to determine the ultimate burst pressure of the softgoods architecture. Creep (long term deformation of the material under stress) is a key failure mode which must be characterized. Creep testing at the component and module levels is also recommended to generate time to failure curves and verify that the inflatable system has a predicted operational life which exceeds mission parameters. ET (Test Engineering) at MSFC and HP40 have worked together to establish softgoods testing capabilities for the center. This includes the ability to conduct module level burst tests and creep tests. The poster will highlight these capabilities and provide examples of testing which has been performed to date by ET. NASA MSFC anticipates that these test capabilities will continue to offer critical support for companies pursuing inflatable softgoods for exploration applications (lunar surface habitation, Mars transit) as well as commercial low earth orbit platforms.

habitation↗
NASA NTRS1990

Elevated temperature crack growth in advanced powder metallurgy aluminum alloys

Rapidly solidified Al-Fe-V-Si powder metallurgy alloy FVS0812 is among the most promising of the elevated temperature aluminum alloys developed in recent years. The ultra fine grain size and high volume fraction of thermally stable dispersoids enable the alloy to maintain tensile properties at elevated temperatures. In contrast, this alloy displays complex and potentially deleterious damage tolerant and time dependent fracture behavior that varies with temperature. J-Integral fracture mechanics were used to determine fracture toughness (K sub IC) and crack growth resistance (tearing modulus, T) of extruded FVS0812 as a function of temperature. The alloy exhibits high fracture properties at room temperature when tested in the LT orientation, due to extensive delamination of prior ribbon particle boundaries perpendicular to the crack front. Delamination results in a loss of through thickness constraint along the crack front, raising the critical stress intensity necessary for precrack initiation. The fracture toughness and tensile ductility of this alloy decrease with increasing temperature, with minima observed at 200 C. This behavior results from minima in the intrinsic toughness of the material, due to dynamic strain aging, and in the extent of prior particle boundary delaminations. At 200 C FVS0812 fails at K levels that are insufficient to cause through thickness delamination. As temperature increases beyond the minimum, strain aging is reduced and delamination returns. For the TL orientation, K (sub IC) decreased and T increased slightly with increasing temperature from 25 to 316 C. Fracture in the TL orientation is governed by prior particle boundary toughness; increased strain localization at these boundaries may result in lower toughness with increasing temperature. Preliminary results demonstrate a complex effect of loading rate on K (sub IC) and T at 175 C, and indicate that the combined effects of time dependent deformation, environment, and strain aging may play a role. Fractography showed that microvoid coalescence was the microscopic mode of fracture in FVS0812 under all testing conditions. However, the nature of the microvoids varied with test temperature and loading rate, and is complex for the fine grain and dipersoid sizes of FVS0812.

Porr, William C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Evaluation of ovostatin and ovostatin assay

Ovostatin is a 780,000 MW protein, originally isolated from chicken egg white, which is active as a protease inhibitor. Structural studies indicate that the protein is a tetramer of identical subunits of 165,000 MW which can be separated upon reduction with beta- mercaptoethanol. Chicken ovostatin is an inhibitor of metalloproteases such as collagenase and thermolysin, and of acid proteases such as pepsin and rennin. Ovostatin isolated from duck eggs and from crocodile eggs appears to be similar to chicken egg ovostatin, but with significant differences in structure and function. Duck ovostatin contains a reactive thiol ester which is not found in the chicken protein, and duck and crocodile ovostatin inhibit serine protease such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, while chicken ovostatin does not. Electron microscopy of ovostatin indicates that two subunits associated near the middle of each polypeptide to form a dimer with four arms. Two of these dimers then associate to produce a tetramer with eight arms, with the protease binding site near the center of the molecule. Upon binding of the protease, a conformational change causes all eight arms to curl toward the center of the molecule, effectively trapping the protease and sterically hindering access of the substrates to its active site. The structural organization and mechanism of action proposed for ovostatin are nearly identical to that proposed for alpha(sub 2)- macroglobulin, a serum protease inhibitor which may play an important role in regulation of proteases in animal tissues. Although the general arrangement of subunits appears to be the same for all ovostatins studied, some differences have been observed, with chicken ovostatin more closely resembling reptilian ovostatin than the duck protein. This is a surprising result, given the evolutionary relatedness of chickens and ducks. It is possible that the differences in structures may be due to deformed subunit arrangements which occur during the processing and fixing necessary for electron microscopy. Examination of the native structure of these proteins using X-ray crystallography would help clarify these discrepancies.

Moriarity, Debra M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Symbolic generation of elastic rotor blade equations using a FORTRAN processor and numerical study on dynamic inflow effects on the stability of helicopter rotors

The process of performing an automated stability analysis for an elastic-bladed helicopter rotor is discussed. A symbolic manipulation program, written in FORTRAN, is used to aid in the derivation of the governing equations of motion for the rotor. The blades undergo coupled bending and torsional deformations. Two-dimensional quasi-steady aerodynamics below stall are used. Although reversed flow effects are neglected, unsteady effects, modeled as dynamic inflow are included. Using a Lagrangian approach, the governing equations are derived in generalized coordinates using the symbolic program. The program generates the steady and perturbed equations and writes into subroutines to be called by numerical routines. The symbolic program can operate on both expressions and matrices. For the case of hovering flight, the blade and dynamic inflow equations are converted to equations in a multiblade coordinate system by rearranging the coefficients of the equations. For the case of forward flight, the multiblade equations are obtained through the symbolic program. The final multiblade equations are capable of accommodating any number of elastic blade modes. The computer implementation of this procedure consists of three stages: (1) the symbolic derivation of equations; (2) the coding of the equations into subroutines; and (3) the numerical study after identifying mass, damping, and stiffness coefficients. Damping results are presented in hover and in forward flight with and without dynamic inflow effects for various rotor blade models, including rigid blade lag-flap, elastic flap-lag, flap-lag-torsion, and quasi-static torsion. Results from dynamic inflow effects which are obtained from a lift deficiency function for a quasi-static inflow model in hover are also presented.

Reddy, T. S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Cyclic Axial-Torsional Deformation Behavior of a Cobalt-Base Superalloy

The cyclic, high-temperature deformation behavior of a wrought cobalt-base super-alloy, Haynes 188, is investigated under combined axial and torsional loads. This is accomplished through the examination of hysteresis loops generated from a biaxial fatigue test program. A high-temperature axial, torsional, and combined axial-torsional fatigue database has been generated on Haynes 188 at 760 C. Cyclic loading tests have been conducted on uniform gage section tubular specimens in a servohydraulic axial-torsional test rig. Test control and data acquisition were accomplished with a minicomputer. The fatigue behavior of Haynes 188 at 760 C under axial, torsional, and combined axial-torsional loads and the monotonic and cyclic deformation behaviors under axial and torsional loads have been previously reported. In this paper, the cyclic hardening characteristics and typical hysteresis loops in the axial stress versus axial strain, shear stress ,versus engineering shear strain, axial strain versus engineering shear strain. and axial stress versus shear stress spaces are presented for cyclic in-phase and out-of-phase axial-torsional tests. For in-phase tests, three different values of the proportionality constant lambda (the ratio of engineering shear strain amplitude to axial strain amplitude, are examined, viz. 0.86, 1.73, and 3.46. In the out-of-phase tests, three different values of the phase angle, phi (between the axial and engineering shear strain waveforms), are studied, viz., 30, 60, and 90 degrees with lambda equals 1.73. The cyclic hardening behaviors of all the tests conducted on Haynes 188 at 760 C are evaluated using the von Mises equivalent stress-strain and the maximum shear stress-maximum engineering shear strain (Tresca) curves. Comparisons are also made between the hardening behaviors of cyclic axial, torsional, and combined in-phase (lambda = 1.73 and phi = 0) and out-of-phase (lambda = 1.73 and phi = 90') axial-torsional fatigue tests. These comparisons are accomplished through simple Ramberg-Osgood type stress-strain functions for cyclic, axial stress-strain and shear stress-engineering shear strain curves.

Bonacuse, Peter J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Process Sensitivity, Performance, and Direct Verification Testing of Adhesive Locking Features

Phase I: The use of adhesive locking features or liquid locking compounds (LLCs) (e.g., Loctite) as a means of providing a secondary locking feature has been used on NASA programs since the Apollo program. In many cases Loctite was used as a last resort when (a) self-locking fasteners were no longer functioning per their respective drawing specification, (b) access was limited for removal & replacement, or (c) replacement could not be accomplished without severe impact to schedule. Long-term use of Loctite became inevitable in cases where removal and replacement of worn hardware was not cost effective and Loctite was assumed to be fully cured and working. The NASA Engineering & Safety Center (NESC) and United Space Alliance (USA) recognized the need for more extensive testing of Loctite grades to better understand their capabilities and limitations as a secondary locking feature. These tests, identified as Phase I, were designed to identify processing sensitivities, to determine proper cure time, the correct primer to use on aerospace nutplate, insert and bolt materials such as A286 and MP35N, and the minimum amount of Loctite that is required to achieve optimum breakaway torque values. The .1900-32 was the fastener size tested, due to wide usage in the aerospace industry. Three different grades of Loctite were tested. Results indicate that, with proper controls, adhesive locking features can be successfully used in the repair of locking features and should be considered for design. Phase II: Threaded fastening systems used in aerospace programs typically have a requirement for a redundant locking feature. The primary locking method is the fastener preload and the traditional redundant locking feature is a self-locking mechanical device that may include deformed threads, non-metallic inserts, split beam features, or other methods that impede movement between threaded members. The self-locking resistance of traditional locking features can be directly verified during assembly by measuring the dynamic prevailing torque. Adhesive locking features or LLCs are another method of providing redundant locking, but a direct verification method has not been used in aerospace applications to verify proper installation when using LLCs because of concern for damage to the adhesive bond. The reliability of LLCs has also been questioned due to failures observed during testing with coupons for process verification, although the coupon failures have often been attributed to a lack of proper procedures. It is highly desirable to have a direct method of verifying the LLC cure or bond integrity. The purpose of the Phase II test program was to determine if the torque applied during direct verification of an adhesive locking feature degrades that locking feature. This report documents the test program used to investigate the viability of such a direct verification method. Results of the Phase II testing were positive, and additional investigation of direct verification of adhesive locking features is merited.

Golden, Johnny L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Constitutive Relation in Transitional Granular Flows

To study the constitutive behavior of granular materials, the presence of gravity is detrimental. Although empirical relations have been obtained for engineering designs to control granular flows on Earth, it is not known how well these Earthbound relations can be used in another gravity field. Fundamental understanding must be derived to reliably design for granular flows in space exploration. There are two extremes of granular flows of which significant amount of knowledge is available. One deals with a dense and quasi-static situation where the deformation rate nearly vanishes. The other deals with dilute and rapidly fluctuating grain velocities where particle inertia dominates. This project, funded by the NASA Microgravity Fluid Physics Program, aims to study this transitional regime via physical experiments and computer simulations. A conceptual model has been established as described below. There are two natural time scales in a granular flow. One is the travel time between two consecutive collisions and the other is the duration of a collision contact. At a very low shear-rate, the shear-induced particle velocity is low. Hence the travel time between collisions is longer than the contact time between colliding particles. Binary collisions prevail. As the shear-rate increases, the traveling time between collisions reduces and the probability of multiple collisions goes up. These particle groups disperse shortly after and new groups form. When shear-rate is further increased, clusters grow in size due to an increasing chance for free particles to join before groups have the time to disperse. The maximum cluster size may depend on the global concentration and material properties. As the solid concentration approaches zero, the cluster size goes to one particle diameter. The maximum possible cluster size under any condition is the container size, provided that the shear flow is inside a container. The critical shear-rates that dictate the initiation of the multiple contacts, and the size and lifetime of the collision clusters, are functions of the concentration also. A 'regime' theory has been proposed by Babic et al. This theory suggested that both the solid concentration, C, and the non-dimensional shear-rate, B, are important in determining the regimes of the granular constitutive law. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Shen, Hayley H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Integral Twist Actuation of Helicopter Rotor Blades for Vibration Reduction

Active integral twist control for vibration reduction of helicopter rotors during forward flight is investigated. The twist deformation is obtained using embedded anisotropic piezocomposite actuators. An analytical framework is developed to examine integrally-twisted blades and their aeroelastic response during different flight conditions: frequency domain analysis for hover, and time domain analysis for forward flight. Both stem from the same three-dimensional electroelastic beam formulation with geometrical-exactness, and axe coupled with a finite-state dynamic inflow aerodynamics model. A prototype Active Twist Rotor blade was designed with this framework using Active Fiber Composites as the actuator. The ATR prototype blade was successfully tested under non-rotating conditions. Hover testing was conducted to evaluate structural integrity and dynamic response. In both conditions, a very good correlation was obtained against the analysis. Finally, a four-bladed ATR system is built and tested to demonstrate its concept in forward flight. This experiment was conducted at NASA Langley T~ansonic Dynamics Tunnel and represents the first-of-a-kind Mach-scaled fully-active-twist rotor system to undergo forward flight test. In parallel, the impact upon the fixed- and rotating-system loads is estimated by the analysis. While discrepancies are found in the amplitude of the loads under actuation, the predicted trend of load variation with respect to its control phase correlates well. It was also shown, both experimentally and numerically, that the ATR blade design has the potential for hub vibratory load reduction of up to 90% using individual blade control actuation. Using the numerical framework, system identification is performed to estimate the harmonic transfer functions. The linear time-periodic system can be represented by a linear time-invariant system under the three modes of blade actuation: collective, longitudinal cyclic, and lateral cyclic. A vibration minimizing controller is designed based on this result, which implements classical disturbance rejection algorithm with some modifications. The controller is simulated numerically, and more than 90% of the 4P hub vibratory load is eliminated. By accomplishing the experimental and analytical steps described in this thesis, the present concept is found to be a viable candidate for future generation low-vibration helicopters. Also, the analytical framework is shown to be very appropriate for exploring active blade designs, aeroelastic behavior prediction, and as simulation tool for closed-loop controllers.

Shin, SangJoon↗
NASA NTRS1992

Cyclic axial-torsional deformation behavior of a cobalt-base superalloy

Multiaxial loading, especially at elevated temperature, can cause the inelastic response of a material to differ significantly from that predicted by simple flow rules, i.e., von Mises or Tresca. To quantify some of these differences, the cyclic high-temperature, deformation behavior of a wrought cobalt-based superalloy, Haynes 188, is investigated under combined axial and torsional loads. Haynes 188 is currently used in many aerospace gas turbine and rocket engine applications, e.g., the combustor liner for the T800 turboshaft engine for the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter and the liquid oxygen posts in the main injector of the space shuttle main engine. The deformation behavior of this material is assessed through the examination of hysteresis loops generated from a biaxial fatigue test program. A high-temperature axial, torsional, and combined axial-torsional fatigue data base has been generated on Haynes 188 at 760 C. Cyclic loading tests have been conducted on uniform gauge section tubular specimens in a servohydraulic axial-torsional test rig. Test control and data acquisition were accomplished with a minicomputer. In this paper, the cyclic hardening characteristics and typical hysteresis loops in the axial stress versus axial strain, shear stress versus engineering shear strain, axial strain versus engineering shear strain, and axial stress versus shear stress spaces are presented for cyclic, in-phase and out-of-phase, axial torsional tests. For in-phase tests three different values of the proportionality constant, lambda (ratio of engineering shear strain amplitude to axial strain amplitude), are examined, viz., 0.86, 1.73, and 3.46. In the out-of-phase tests, three different values of the phase angle, phi (between the axial and engineering shear strain waveforms), are studied, viz., 30, 60, and 90 deg with lambda = 1.73. The cyclic hardening behaviors of all the tests conducted on Haynes 188 at 760 C are evaluated using the von Mises equivalent stress-strain and the maximum shear stress-maximum engineering shear strain (Tresca) curves. Comparisons are also made between the hardening behaviors of cyclic axial, torsional, and combined in-phase and out-of-phase axial-torsional fatigue tests. These comparisons are accomplished through simple Ramberg-Osgood type stress-strain functions for cyclic, axial stress-strain and shear stress-engineering shear strain curves.

Bonacuse, Peter J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Kinetically Tunable, Active Auxetic, and Variable Recruitment Active Textiles from Hierarchical Assemblies

Multifunctional textiles with programmable, multi-axial, distributed, and scalable actuation are highly desirable and presently unrealized. 1D torque-unbalanced active yarns within 2D textile structures are exploited to produce soft and scalable active textiles that exhibit tunable displacements, forces, stiffnesses, and kinematic deformations. Through a textile hierarchy spanning active material composition, yarn construction, textile geometry, and system architecture, these active textiles accomplish kinetic tunability, variable recruitment behaviors, and auxetic effects without mechanical contact, called active auxetic effects. New modes of pre-programmed multi-axial performance are enabled by geometrically manipulating—specifically pre-stressing and constraining—active filaments in torsion and leveraging their structural elastic instability within a textile geometry. The new kinematic motion afforded by torque-unbalanced active yarns enhances the performance of active textiles, which accomplish tensile strokes over 40%, generated blocked forces up to 308 N m−1, and specific work over 0.4. kJ kg−1. Advances in active textiles are demonstrated through multifunctional 3D applications, including a variable constriction pump that exhibits sequential actuation, a wearable that conforms multi-axially around the body, and a soft exoskeleton that performs assistive motions and on-body anchoring simultaneously. By harnessing the capabilities of active materials within a textile hierarchy, advances in the potentiality of multifunctional textiles are presented.

Active auxetic effects↗
NASA NTRS1999

Simulating the Formation of Lunar Floor-Fracture Craters Using Elastoviscoplastic Relaxation

Lunar floor-fracture craters formed during the height of mare basalt emplacement. Due to a general temporal and spatial relation with the maria, these craters, numbering some 200, may be diagnostic of the thermal structure of the crust during this time. As the name suggests, these craters exhibit brittle failure, generally limited to the central floor region. That, and a shallower depth than fresh lunar craters, has led to two main theories as to their formation: laccolith emplacement under the crater and viscous relaxation. The implications of each model for the state of the Moon's crust during this time are quite different, so the viability of each model must be checked. Laccolith emplacement has been treated elsewhere. However, previous attempts to study the relaxation of the craters have assumed only a uniform, Newtonian viscous response of the near surface to the topographic driving forces, and simply postulated that the fractures resulted from tensile stresses associated with floor uplift. Here, we use a more sophisticated rheological model that includes not only non-Newtonian viscous behavior (i.e., the viscosity is stress-dependent), but also incorporates elastic behavior and a plastic component to the rheology to directly simulate the formation of the floor fractures. The results of our simulations show that while elastoviscoplastic relaxation is potentially viable for larger floor-fracture craters, it is not viable for craters with diameters < or = 60 km, the size of the majority of floor-fracture craters. We employ the finite element method, a numerical technique well suited for boundary-value problems, via the commercially available MARC software package. To test the viability of topographic relaxation, our goal is to prepare the simulations as to maximize the amount of relaxation. We take advantage of the natural axisymmetry of craters, simulating one radial plane. Initial shapes are based on data for fresh craters from Pike. To simplify implementation, a fourth order polynomial is used for the basin, while a third order inverse function is used for the rim. This form closely approximates the long-wavelength behavior of complex craters, while ignoring higher-frequency topography, save the rim. This approximation is appropriate because crater relaxation is strongly controlled by long-wavelength topography. Loading is accomplished assuming a uniform gravity field (1.62 m/s-square) and a uniform density of 2900 kg/cubic m. The initial stress state is set to be hydrostatic, with an additional pressure term to account for any overlying topography. This additional pressure term is tapered exponentially with depth. While the simulations quickly settle on a preferred stress state, and while the final solution is fairly insensitive to the choice of the e-folding depth of the taper, selecting an e-folding depth close to the diameter of the crater sets the initial stress state near the preferred state. We assume a diuranally averaged surface temperature of -20 C, and allow temperature to increase with depth at a rate of 50 K//km. Assuming a thermal conductivity of 2 W/in/K, this gradient translates to a heat flow of 100mW/square m, an extremely high value for the Moon. Temperature, of course, will not increase without bound. To maximize relaxation, we allow our temperature profile to increase linearly until it reaches the solidus (assumed to be 1200C) at a depth of 24.4 km, at which point it is kept constant. The presence of melt will drop the bulk viscosity; however, we have no rheological control for partial melts. Therefore, we make no attempt to simulate this situation. Elastoviscoplastic rheological model. In general, geologic materials can behave in three main ways: elastically, viscously (via solid-state creep), and brittly (plasticity is a continuum approach to simulate this phenomenon). We combine these three deformation mechanisms in an extended Maxwell solid, where the total strain can be broken down into a simple summation of the elastic, creep, and plastic strains. In relaxation phenomena in general, the system takes advantage of any means possible to eliminate deviatoric stresses by relaxing away the topography. Previous analyses have only modeled the viscous response. Comparatively, the elastic response in our model can augment the relaxation, to a point. This effect decreases as the elastic response becomes stiffer; indeed, in the limit of infinite elastic Young's modulus (and with no plasticity), the solution converges on the purely viscous solution. Igneous rocks common to the lunar near-surface have Young's modulii in the range of 10-100 GPa. To maximize relaxation, we use a Young's modulus of 10 GPa. (There is negligible sensitivity to the other elastic modulus, the Poisson's ratio; we use 0.25.) For the viscous response, we use a flow law for steady-state creep in thoroughly dried Columbia diabase, because the high plagioclase (about 70 vol%) and orthopyroxene (about 17 vol%) content is similar to the composition of the lunar highland crust as described by remote sensing and sample studies: noritic anorthosite. This flow law is highly non-Newtonian, i.e., the viscosity is highly stress dependent. That, and the variability with temperature, stands in strong contrast to previous examinations of lunar floor-fracture crater relaxation. To model discrete, brittle faulting, we assume "Byerlee's rule," a standard geodynamical technique. We implement this "rule" with an-angle of internal friction of about 40 deg, and a higher-than-normal cohesion of about 3.2 MPa (to approximate the breaking of unfractured rock). The actual behavior of geologic materials is more complex than in our rheological model, so the uncertainties in the plasticity do not represent the state-of-the-art error. Additional information is contained in the original.

Dombard, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Overcoming Dynamic Disturbances in Imaging Systems

We develop and discuss a methodology with the potential to yield a significant reduction in complexity, cost, and risk of space-borne optical systems in the presence of dynamic disturbances. More robust systems almost certainly will be a result as well. Many future space-based and ground-based optical systems will employ optical control systems to enhance imaging performance. The goal of the optical control subsystem is to determine the wavefront aberrations and remove them. Ideally reducing an aberrated image of the object under investigation to a sufficiently clear (usually diffraction-limited) image. Control will likely be distributed over several elements. These elements may include telescope primary segments, telescope secondary, telescope tertiary, deformable mirror(s), fine steering mirror(s), etc. The last two elements, in particular, may have to provide dynamic control. These control subsystems may become elaborate indeed. But robust system performance will require evaluation of the image quality over a substantial range and in a dynamic environment. Candidate systems for improvement in the Earth Sciences Enterprise could include next generation Landsat systems or atmospheric sensors for dynamic imaging of individual, severe storms. The technology developed here could have a substantial impact on the development of new systems in the Space Science Enterprise; such as the Next Generation Space Telescope(NGST) and its follow-on the Next NGST. Large Interferometric Systems of non-zero field, such as Planet Finder and Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure, could benefit. These systems most likely will contain large, flexible optomechanical structures subject to dynamic disturbance. Furthermore, large systems for high resolution imaging of planets or the sun from space may also benefit. Tactical and Strategic Defense systems will need to image very small targets as well and could benefit from the technology developed here. We discuss a novel speckle imaging technique with the potential to separate dynamic aberrations from static aberrations. Post-processing of a set of image data, using an algorithm based on this technique, should work for all but the lowest light levels and highest frequency dynamic environments. This technique may serve to reduce the complexity of the control system and provide for robust, fault-tolerant, reduced risk operation. For a given object, a short exposure image is "frozen" on the focal plane in the presence of the environmental disturbance (turbulence, jitter, etc.). A key factor is that this imaging data exhibits frame-to-frame linear shift invariance. Therefore, although the Point Spread Function is varying from frame to frame, the source is fixed; and each short exposure contains object spectrum data out to the diffraction limit of the imaging system. This novel speckle imaging technique uses the Knox-Thompson method. The magnitude of the complex object spectrum is straightforward to determine by well-established approaches. The phase of the complex object spectrum is decomposed into two parts. One is a single-valued function determined by the divergence of the optical phase gradient. The other is a multi-valued function determined by the circulation of the optical phase gradient-"hidden phase." Finite difference equations are developed for the phase. The novelty of this approach is captured in the inclusion of this "hidden phase." This technique allows the diffraction-limited reconstruction of the object from the ensemble of short exposure frames while simultaneously estimating the phase as a function of time from a set of exposures.

Young, Eric W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Overcoming Dynamic Disturbances in Imaging Systems

We develop and discuss a methodology with the potential to yield a significant reduction in complexity, cost, and risk of space-borne optical systems in the presence of dynamic disturbances. More robust systems almost certainly will be a result as well. Many future space-based and ground-based optical systems will employ optical control systems to enhance imaging performance. The goal of the optical control subsystem is to determine the wavefront aberrations and remove them. Ideally reducing an aberrated image of the object under investigation to a sufficiently clear (usually diffraction-limited) image. Control will likely be distributed over several elements. These elements may include telescope primary segments, telescope secondary, telescope tertiary, deformable mirror(s), fine steering mirror(s), etc. The last two elements, in particular, may have to provide dynamic control. These control subsystems may become elaborate indeed. But robust system performance will require evaluation of the image quality over a substantial range and in a dynamic environment. Candidate systems for improvement in the Earth Sciences Enterprise could include next generation Landsat systems or atmospheric sensors for dynamic imaging of individual, severe storms. The technology developed here could have a substantial impact on the development of new systems in the Space Science Enterprise; such as the Next Generation Space Telescope(NGST) and its follow-on the Next NGST. Large Interferometric Systems of non-zero field, such as Planet Finder and Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure, could benefit. These systems most likely will contain large, flexible optormechanical structures subject to dynamic disturbance. Furthermore, large systems for high resolution imaging of planets or the sun from space may also benefit. Tactical and Strategic Defense systems will need to image very small targets as well and could benefit from the technology developed here. We discuss a novel speckle imaging technique with the potential to separate dynamic aberrations from static aberrations. Post-processing of a set of image data, using an algorithm based on this technique, should work for all but the lowest light levels and highest frequency dynamic environments. This technique may serve to reduce the complexity of the control system and provide for robust, fault-tolerant, reduced risk operation. For a given object, a short exposure image is "frozen" on the focal plane in the presence of the environmental disturbance (turbulence, jitter, etc.). A key factor is that this imaging data exhibits frame-to-frame linear shift invariance. Therefore, although the Point Spread Function is varying from frame to frame, the source is fixed; and each short exposure contains object spectrum data out to the diffraction limit of the imaging system. This novel speckle imaging technique uses the Knox-Thompson method. The magnitude of the complex object spectrum is straightforward to determine by well-established approaches. The phase of the complex object spectrum is decomposed into two parts. One is a single-valued function determined by the divergence of the optical phase gradient. The other is a multi-valued function determined by, the circulation of the optical phase gradient-"hidden phase." Finite difference equations are developed for the phase. The novelty of this approach is captured in the inclusion of this "hidden phase." This technique allows the diffraction-limited reconstruction of the object from the ensemble of short exposure frames while simultaneously estimating the phase as a function of time from a set of exposures.

Young, Eric W.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Robonaut 2 - IVA Experiments On-Board ISS and Development Towards EVA Capability

Robonaut 2 (R2) has completed its fixed base activities on-board the ISS and is scheduled to receive its climbing legs in early 2014. In its continuing line of firsts, the R2 torso finished up its on-orbit activities on its stanchion with the manipulation of space blanket materials and performed multiple tasks under teleoperation control by IVA astronauts. The successful completion of these two IVA experiments is a key step in Robonaut's progression towards an EVA capability. Integration with the legs and climbing inside the ISS will provide another important part of the experience that R2 will need prior to performing tasks on the outside of ISS. In support of these on-orbit activities, R2 has been traversing across handrails in simulated zero-g environments and working with EVA tools and equipment on the ground to determine manipulation strategies for an EVA Robonaut. R2 made significant advances in robotic manipulation of deformable materials in space while working with its softgoods task panel. This panel features quarter turn latches that secure a space blanket to the task panel structure. The space blanket covers two cloth cubes that are attached with Velcro to the structure. R2 was able to open and close the latches, pull back the blanket, and remove the cube underneath. R2 simulated cleaning up an EVA worksite as well, by replacing the cube and reattaching the blanket. In order to interact with the softgoods panel, R2 has both autonomously and with a human in the loop identified and localized these deformable objects. Using stereo color cameras, R2 identified characteristic elements on the softgoods panel then extracted the location and orientation of the object in its field of view using stereo disparity and kinematic transforms. R2 used both vision processing and supervisory control to successfully accomplish this important task. Teleoperation is a key capability for Robonaut's effectiveness as an EVA system. To build proficiency, crewmembers have attempted increasingly difficult tasks using R2 inside the Station. After donning motion capture equipment and a virtual reality visor, Expedition 34/35 flight engineer Tom Marshburn began operations with simple hand movements. Having gained confidence, Marshburn guided R2's arms in a leader-follower exercise with crewmate Chris Cassidy. He was also able to use the hand to grab a tumbling roll of tape, a task only demonstrable in microgravity. Later efforts saw Cassidy handle softgoods through shared control with ground operators, mimicking an activity previously achieved using only autonomy. Robotic climbing through the ISS on handrails requires both precision motion and compliant grasps in order to both position grippers on handrails/seat track and prevent large internal forces. R2 climbs using actively controlled compliance and torque limiting to meet both the precision and softness requirements. During a step, the attached leg is controlled to be strong and stiff in order to maintain precision trajectory tracking. The swing leg is controlled to be stiff but weak to minimize unintentional impact forces while maintaining precision. During a simulated dual limb grasp (as shown in Figure 1), the R2 controller maintains one limb rigid and one limb soft to prevent large internal forces from building up. R2's grippers also use a form of force control to limit grip force while not fully closed on either a handrail or seat track thus limiting unintentional forces on cables/objects that may be present in R2's translational path. The on-board torso R2 safety system relies on a single end-effector velocity limit to prevent potential impact forces from exceeding Station maximum load requirements. R2's mobile configuration required modifications to the velocity limiting safety function due to its large, dynamic inertia. R2's legs maneuver the robot's mass creating configuration dependent, joint-relative inertias. A single all-encompassing velocity limit to cover worst case inertia is prohibitively low. The upgraded R2 control and safety systems solve this problem using momentum limiting, momentum control, and kinetic energy minimization. Momentum and kinetic energy take the robot mass into account relieving low velocity restrictions on low inertia end-effectors while ensuring that the overall mass of R2 is limited from hazardous velocities. The momentum of R2's five safety nodes (each of the four end-effectors and the body) is monitored and compared to a single momentum limit. If any of the five nodes exceeds the safety limit, the motor power is removed and the robot comes to a stop. Momentum control/limiting also provides a simple, reliable method to integrate hand held tools into the safety system by providing the tool mass to the control system thus automatically reducing the allowable velocity of the end-effector with the tool. Work on the ground continues to build the skill set for an EVA Robonaut. Recent experiments (Figure 2) demonstrate how a teleoperator can use R2 to manipulate a tether hook, an important safety precaution on spacewalks. Another task displayed Robonaut's ability to pull back a protective jacket over a hose and search for damage, as well as inspect a quick-disconnect fitting for debris. Demonstrations such as these are indicative of EVA work done on ISS, specifically seen during a series of spacewalks over 2012 and 2013 where astronauts searched for an ammonia leak in one of the external cooling loops. Through experiments both on ISS and on the ground, R2 is evolving and providing the information needed to plan out the upgrades that will make an EVA Robonaut an effective tool. With the addition of legs, R2 will start climbing inside the space station and supply invaluable information on how the climbing strategies and task stabilization techniques must be refined. Ground R2 systems will continue to work with additional EVA tools and equipment in preparation for onboard IVA testing and future EVA applications.

Diftler, Myron↗
NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 19

The topics include: 1) The abundances of Iron-60 in Pyroxene Chondrules from Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrites; 2) LL-Ordinary Chondrite Impact on the Moon: Results from the 3.9 Ga Impact Melt at the Landing Site of Appolo 17; 3) Evaluation of Chemical Methods for Projectile Identification in Terrestrial and Lunar Impactites; 4) Impact Cratering Experiments in Microgravity Environment; 5) New Achondrites with High-Calcium Pyroxene and Its implication for Igneous Differentiation of Asteroids; 6) Climate History of the Polar Regions of Mars Deduced form Geologic Mapping Results; 7) The crater Production Function for Mars: A-2 Cumulative Power-Law Slope for Pristine Craters Greater than 5 km in Diameter Based on Crater Distribution for Northern Plains Materials; 8) High Resolution Al-26 Chronology: Resolved Time Interval Between Rim and Interior of a Highly Fractionated Compact Type a CAI from Efremovka; 9) Assessing Aqueous Alteration on Mars Using Global Distributions of K and Th; 10) FeNi Metal Grains in LaPaz Mare Basalt Meteorites and Appolo 12 Basalts; 11) Unique Properties of Lunar Soil for In Situ Resource Utilization on the Moon; 12) U-Pb Systematics of Phosphates in Nakhlites; 13) Measurements of Sound Speed in Granular Materials Simulated Regolith; 14) The Effects of Oxygen, Sulphur and Silicon on the Dihedral Angles Between Fe-rich Liquid Metal and Olivine, Ringwoodite and Silicate Perovskite: Implications for Planetary Core Formation; 15) Seismic Shaking Removal of Craters 0.2-0.5 km in Diameter on Asteroid 433 Eros; 16) Focused Ion Beam Microscoopy of ALH84001 Carbonate Disks; 17) Simulating Micro-Gravity in the Laboratory; 18) Mars Atmospheric Sample Return Instrument Development; 19) Combined Remote LIBS and Raman Spectroscopy Measurements; 20) Unusual Radar Backscatter Properties Along the Northern Rim of Imbrium Basin; 21) The Mars Express/NASAS Project at JPL; 22) The Geology of the Viking 2 Lander Site Revisited; 23) An Impact Genesis for Loki Patera? 24) Mars Polar Cap Edges Tracked over 3 Full Mars Years; 25) Elemental Abundance in Presolar SiC: Comparing Grains Separated by Acid Residue and Gently Separation Procedures; 26) First Results from the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) Experiment on the Huygens Entry Probe of Titan; 27) Minor Element Behavior of Pallasite Olivine: Understanding Pallasite Thermal History and Chronology; 28) Canonical Anorthite in a Grosnaja Forsterite-bearing CAI; 29) Experimental Evidence for Condensation of 'Astrophysical' Carbonate; 30) Distribution and Classification of Multiple Coronae on Venus; 31) Recognition of Rayed Craters on Mars in THEMIS Thermal Infrared Imagery: Implications for Martian Meteorite Source Regions; 32) Geochemical Modeling of Evaporites on Mars: Insight from Meridiani Planum; 33) Hadean Crustal Processes Revealed from Oxygen Isotopes and U-Th-Pb Depth Profiling of Pre-4.0 Ga Detrital Zircons from Western Australia; 34) On Modeling the Seepage of Water into the Martian Subsurface; 35) Martial Gullies and Groundwater: A Series of Unfortunate Exceptions; 36) Olivine and Carbonate Globules in ALH84001: A Terrestrial Analog, and Implications for Water on Mars; 37) A Reevaluation of Mass Movements Within the Valles Marineris Region of Mars Using MOLA and MOC Data; 38) Evidence of Hydrated 109P/Swift-Tuttle Meteoroids from Meteor Spectroscopy; 39) Cr-54 Anomalies in the Solar System: Their Extent and Origin; 40) Reevaluation of the Mn-53-Cr-53 Systematic in the Basaltic Achondrites; 41) Effective Liquid Metal-Silicate Mixing Upon Shock by Power-Law Droplet Size Scaling in Richtmyer-Meshkov Like Perturbations; 42) Post-Impact Deformation of Impact Craters: Towards a Better Understanding Through the Study of Mjolnir Crater; 43) Cutting Silica Aerogel for Particle Extraction; 44) Liquid Hydrocarbons on Titan's Surface? How Cassini ISS Observations Fit into the Story (So Far); and 45) Mesoscale Simulations of Polar Circulations: Late Spring to Late Summe

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

Experimental Investigation of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement in Microgravity in the Presence of Electric Fields

In boiling high heat fluxes are possible driven by relatively small temperature differences, which make its use increasingly attractive in aerospace applications. The objective of the research is to develop ways to overcome specific problems associated with boiling in the low gravity environment by substituting the buoyancy force with the electric force to enhance bubble removal from the heated surface. Previous studies indicate that in terrestrial applications nucleate boiling heat transfer can be increased by a factor of 50, as compared to values obtained for the same system without electric fields. The goal of our research is to experimentally explore the mechanisms responsible for EHD heat transfer enhancement in boiling in low gravity conditions, by visualizing the temperature distributions in the vicinity of the heated surface and around the bubble during boiling using real-time holographic interferometry (HI) combined with high-speed cinematography. In the first phase of the project the influence of the electric field on a single bubble is investigated. Pool boiling is simulated by injecting a single bubble through a nozzle into the subcooled liquid or into the thermal boundary layer developed along the flat heater surface. Since the exact location of bubble formation is known, the optical equipment can be aligned and focused accurately, which is an essential requirement for precision measurements of bubble shape, size and deformation, as well as the visualization of temperature fields by HI. The size of the bubble and the frequency of bubble departure can be controlled by suitable selection of nozzle diameter and mass flow rate of vapor. In this approach effects due to the presence of the electric field can be separated from effects caused by the temperature gradients in the thermal boundary layer. The influence of the thermal boundary layer can be investigated after activating the heater at a later stage of the research. For the visualization experiments a test cell was developed. All four vertical walls of the test cell are transparent, and they allow transillumination with laser light for visualization experiments by HI. The bottom electrode is a copper cylinder, which is electrically grounded. The copper block is heated with a resistive heater and it is equipped with 6 thermocouples that provide reference temperatures for the measurements with HI. The top electrode is a mesh electrode. Bubbles are injected with a syringe into the test cell through the bottom electrode. The working fluids presently used in the interferometric visualization experiments, water and PF 5052, satisfy requirements regarding thermophysical, optical and electrical properties. A 30kV power supply equipped with a voltmeter allows to apply the electric field to the electrodes during the experiments. The magnitude of the applied voltage can be adjusted either manually or through the LabVIEW data acquisition and control system connected to a PC. Temperatures of the heated block are recorded using type-T thermocouples, whose output is read by a data acquisition system. Images of the bubbles are recorded with 35mm photographic and 16mm high-speed cameras, scanned and analyzed using various software packages. Visualized temperature fields HI allows the visualization of temperature fields in the vicinity of bubbles during boiling in the form of fringes. Typical visualized temperature distributions around the air bubbles injected into the thermal boundary layer in PF5052 are shown. The temperature of the heated surface is 35 C. The temperature difference for a pair of fringes is approximately 0.05 C. The heat flux applied to the bottom surface is moderate, and the fringe patterns are regular. In the image a bubble penetrating the thermal boundary layer is visible. Because of the axial symmetry of the problem, simplified reconstruction techniques can be applied to recover the temperature field. The thermal plume developing above the heated surface for more intensive heating is shown. The temperature distribution in the liquid is clearly 3D, and tomographic techniques have to be applied to recover the temperature distribution in such a physical situation. A sequence of interferometric images showing the temperature distribution around the rising bubble, recorded with a high-speed camera is shown. Again, the temperature distribution is 3D, and a more complex approach to the evaluation, the tomographic reconstruction has to be taken. Measurement of the temperature distribution from the fringe pattern temperature distributions that yield important information regarding heat transfer are determined. Two algorithms that allow the quantitative evaluation of interferometric fringe patterns and the reconstruction of temperature fields during boiling have been developed at the Heat Transfer Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University. In the first algorithm the bubble is assumed to be axially symmetrical, which significantly reduces the computational effort for quantifying the temperature distribution around the bubble. For this purpose the thermal boundary layer around the bubble is divided into equidistant concentric shells, and the refractive index is assumed to be constant in each of the shells. Since large temperature gradients are expected in the vicinity of the bubble during boiling, the deflection of the light beam cannot be neglected in boiling experiments. Since the exit angle of the light beam is known, this allows to account for the deflections and phase shifts outside the boundary layer (in the bulk fluid and in the windows of the test cell). Three dimensional temperature distributions in the vicinity of the bubble are reconstructed using tomographic techniques. In tomography, the measurement volume is sliced into 2D planes. In the present study these planes are parallel to the heated surface. The objective is to determine the values of the field parameter of interest in form of the field function in these 2D planes. The field parameter is the change of the refractive index of the liquid in the measurement volume caused by temperature changes. By superimposing data for many 2D planes recorded at the same time instant, the 3D temperature distribution in the measurement volume is recovered.

Herman, Cila↗