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NASA NTRS2002

Maximally Expressive Modeling of Operations Tasks

Jaap, John↗

NASA NTRS2024

Alaska Ecological Conservation: Using NASA Earth Observations to Identify Recent Changes in River Ice Phenology and Its Impacts on Caribou Migration

Each fall, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in the Western Arctic Herd migrate hundreds of kilometers across northwestern Alaska to acquire seasonal resources and reach wintering grounds. Various rivers intersect migration paths, and caribou can only cross over open water or high-ice extents but are unable to cross rivers in stages of partial freezing. Recent temperature increases in Alaska can alter the timing and duration of ice formation periods, impeding migratory patterns. The Massachusetts NASA DEVELOP team partnered with the National Park Service in Alaska to detect river ice onset dates and formation periods using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager-2, Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar and Sentinel-2A/B MultiSpectral Instrument imagery in Google Earth Engine. This feasibility analysis measured ice coverage using the Normalized Difference Infrared Index, Relative Difference River Ice, and Vertical-Vertical/Vertical-Horizontal backscatter values based on the spectral and surface characteristics of rivers. The team produced annual freezing timelines, time series plots, and maps at three river stretches to analyze river ice phenology changes. Radar imagery assessed ice coverage more accurately, while optical imagery better identified ice onset dates. Meanwhile indices were unable to robustly establish ice formation thresholds across the study period. These study results can help the National Park Service to better evaluate spatiotemporal migratory shifts and contextualize recent regional caribou declines.

river phenology↗

NASA NTRS2002

Maximally Expressive Task Modeling

Planning and scheduling systems organize "tasks" into a timeline or schedule. The tasks are defined within the scheduling system in logical containers called models. The dictionary might define a model of this type as "a system of things and relations satisfying a set of rules that, when applied to the things and relations, produce certainty about the tasks that are being modeled." One challenging domain for a planning and scheduling system is the operation of on-board experiment activities for the Space Station. The equipment used in these experiments is some of the most complex hardware ever developed by mankind, the information sought by these experiments is at the cutting edge of scientific endeavor, and the procedures for executing the experiments are intricate and exacting. Scheduling is made more difficult by a scarcity of space station resources. The models to be fed into the scheduler must describe both the complexity of the experiments and procedures (to ensure a valid schedule) and the flexibilities of the procedures and the equipment (to effectively utilize available resources). Clearly, scheduling space station experiment operations calls for a "maximally expressive" modeling schema. Modeling even the simplest of activities cannot be automated; no sensor can be attached to a piece of equipment that can discern how to use that piece of equipment; no camera can quantify how to operate a piece of equipment. Modeling is a human enterprise-both an art and a science. The modeling schema should allow the models to flow from the keyboard of the user as easily as works of literature flowed from the pen of Shakespeare. The Ground Systems Department at the Marshall Space Flight Center has embarked on an effort to develop a new scheduling engine that is highlighted by a maximally expressive modeling schema. This schema, presented in this paper, is a synergy of technological advances and domain-specific innovations.

Japp, John↗

NASA NTRS2012

FASTSAT a Mini-Satellite Mission...A Way Ahead

The Fast Affordable Science and Technology Spacecraft (FASTSAT) is a mini-satellite weighing less than 150 kg. FASTSAT was developed as government-industry collaborative research and development flight project targeting rapid access to space to provide an alternative, low cost platform for a variety of scientific, research, and technology payloads. The initial spacecraft was designed to carry six instruments and launch as a secondary rideshare payload. This design approach greatly reduced overall mission costs while maximizing the on-board payload accommodations. FASTSAT was designed from the ground up to meet a challenging short schedule using modular components with a flexible, configurable layout to enable a broad range of payloads at a lower cost and shorter timeline than scaling down a more complex spacecraft. The integrated spacecraft along with its payloads were readied for launch 15 months from authority to proceed. As an ESPA-class spacecraft, FASTSAT is compatible with many different launch vehicles, including Minotaur I, Minotaur IV, Delta IV, Atlas V, Pegasus, Falcon 1/1e, and Falcon 9. These vehicles offer an array of options for launch sites and provide for a variety of rideshare possibilities.

Boudreaux, Mark↗

DOE OSTI2018

Managing Environmental Effects to Facilitate Marine Renewable Energy Development

The marine renewable energy (MRE) industry is in the early stages of commercial development. In addition to the challenges of deploying and maintaining devices under harsh ocean conditions and transporting electricity to shore, concerns around potential environmental effects continue to slow permitting (consenting) processes. Regulators and stakeholders perceive a wide array of potential environmental interactions as risky and highly uncertain, and request that considerable baseline assessments and post-installation monitoring be carried out in order to permit or license a project. The MRE industry is struggling with the high cost of baseline assessments and post-installation monitoring, as well as extended timelines for obtaining permits, leading to uncertainty and risk for financing projects. As a means to mitigate this uncertainty and risk, regulators in the US have been engaged to ensure that they understand the underlying science that drives these challenges and to explore the feasibility of transferring learning and information from early MRE projects and analogous industry interactions to inform potential environmental effects and permitting for new MRE projects. The ability to use data and information from one project or location to another can aid the industry by reducing the high costs of environmental monitoring and accelerating permitting processes for future projects. This paper presents findings of a regulator survey and other engagements with regulators, provides insight into the process of data transferability, suggests a framework for data transferability and collection consistency, and details efforts to engage the research community in furthering this process.

Marine renewable energy, environmental effects, da↗

DOE OSTI2017

Enhancing the resiliency of small hydropower projects: environmental function, modularity, and stakeholder elicitation as design priorities

Small hydropower plants supply reliable renewable energy to the grid, though few new plants have been developed in the Unites States over the past few decades due to complex environmental challenges and poor project economics. This paper describes the current landscape of small hydropower development, and introduces a new approach to facility design that co-optimizes the extraction of hydroelectric power from a stream with other important environmental functions such as fish, sediment, and recreational passage. The approach considers hydropower facilities as an integrated system of standardized interlocking modules, designed to sustain stream functions, generate power, and interface with the streambed. It is hypothesized that this modular eco-design approach, when guided by input from the broader small hydropower stakeholder community, can lead to cost savings across the facility, reduced licensing and approval timelines, and ultimately, to enhanced resiliency through improved environmental performance over the lifetime of the project.

Witt, Adam M↗

DOE OSTI2024

In‐operando thermal transport characterization of moving particle bed heat exchanger

The project aimed to develop modulated photothermal radiometry (MPR) for conducting in-operando measurements of thermal transport in moving particle bed heat exchangers (MPBE) located at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). The plan was to initially conduct lab-scale measurements on a 1-meter-long particle channel at UCSD, followed by in- operando measurements at SNL on a 20 kWth MPBE prototype built for this project, and if time permitting, potential final deployment on SNL’s 1 MWth G3P3 MPBE. The first two goals were successfully achieved but due to changes with commissioning timeline of the G3P3 MPBE, in-operando measurements on the G3P3 MPBE could not be conducted. The measurement campaigns have resulted in some promising results and the MPR tool has been handed over to trained SNL personnel for future use. MPR measurements on UCSD’s 1-meter-long particle channel showed a peculiar length dependence of the particle bed thermal conductivity and near-wall thermal resistance. The bed thermal conductivity increased, and the near-wall thermal resistance decreased, with increasing distance from the channel inlet, both eventually reaching a plateau. This was found to be due to hydrostatic pressure screening by the channel walls, known as the “Janssen effect”, and is the first experimental study on its role in granular heat transfer. A 20 kWth small-scale MPBE prototype, the first of its kind with 3 mm particle channels and 2 mm sCO2 plates, was designed and manufactured by Vacuum Process Engineering (VPE) for this project. This MPBE prototype was installed in SNL’s HEX test stand and the MPR tool was integrated into the test stand for in-operando measurements. Several modifications have been made to the MPR setup for facile installation and easy operation at SNL. Measurements with Carbo HSP40/70 particles were conducted with various particle and sCO2 temperatures and flow rates. Further, apart from regular MPBE operation, fault scenarios such as plate warping, particle stagnation, and choking were also detected and MPR showed excellent sensitivity to the detection of such conditions. Through the course of this project, MPR has evolved from a sensitive laboratory technique to a rugged industrial tool with various applications in high temperature measurements and diagnostics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Ceramic Composite Experimental Testing Status

Over recent years, ceramic matrix materials such as SiC–SiC and C–C have been gaining interest for use in fusion reactors, light water reactors (LWRs), and high-temperature reactors (HTRs). These materials are good candidates to operate in very high temperature and moderate to high radiation environments. The evaluation of composite materials, in general, is challenging because of variations in precursor materials, variations in the fabrication process across fabricators, and the wide range of potential fiber architectures, to name a few. However, the need to evaluate neutron-irradiated properties adds another layer of complexity, which includes cost, timeline, and specimen size limitations (often associated with irradiation testing). A qualification methodology for the use of ceramic composites is provided in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III-5-HHB. The methodology is supported by ASTM International (ASTM) guides, which provide a pathway to accomplish this effort. Part of the qualification strategy is for the designer to collect material property data on environmental conditions representative of its design envelope. These data include irradiation effects. This report presents an experimental study and test campaign developed to partially address this gap by providing initial mechanical and physical property data required for design. A variety of different materials using different manufacturing techniques are considered as part of this campaign. The test plan suggests performing a screening or partial irradiation study to assist the designer during the material selection process. The designer can then perform a more comprehensive qualification study if the material performance is promising. This work focuses on the status of the specimen preparations (machining of samples), the current test methods and failure analysis as well as the preparation of irradiation vehicles for the irradiation campaign. The irradiation will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Optimizing Fleet Operations in Automated Mobility Districts: Serving On-Demand Mobility with Automated Electric Shuttles

On-demand transportation services have seen a dramatic rise in the past decade, thanks to technology. Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology holds potential for a major transformation in the on-demand mobility services landscape.The timeline for fully automated vehicles (AVs) to reach the critical market share is still uncertain. In the short term, many cities in the United States and abroad are testing low-speed automated electric shuttles (AES) as a shared on-demand mobility service in geo-fenced regions. An automated mobility district (AMD) is a campus-sized implementation of connected/automated vehicle technology to realize the full benefits of a fully electric automated mobility service within a confined region or district. Building on this concept, an AMD toolkit is under development at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to inform a campus-or district-sized implementation in which automated electric shuttles (AES). This research extends the functionality of the AMD toolkit by developing a mathematical program to optimize the operations of an AES fleet in an on-demand service configuration.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2019

Pansophy data as used to develop metrics and evaluate trends across SRF projects and facilities to further quality improvement initiatives

Pansophy, a JLAB SRF engineering data management system (EDMS), is composed of a collection of technolo-gies that together provide for the collection, management and analysis of data for the production and testing of cavities and cryomodules. From its inception in 2000, when data collection was a priority for such projects as SNS, CEBAF 12GeV upgrade, LCLS-II, and in the future the SNS-PPU, the focus has turned to data analysis and reporting on quality metrics and key performance indica-tors (KPIs). Reporting enhancements include monthly quality metrics, project specific KPIs, and trending across projects. With the use of Pareto Charts to help analyze vendor quality and non-conformance, timelines of pro-ject and facility metrics, project managers and subject matter experts (SME) are able to look for trends and pre-pare further quality improvement initiatives for their projects.

McDonald, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot-Storage, Acquisition and Transfer (COLD-SAT) Experiment Conceptual Design and Feasibility Study

The cryogenic fluid management technologies required for the exploration of the solar system can only be fully developed via space-based experiments. A dedicated spacecraft is the most efficient way to perform these experiments. This report documents the extended conceptual design of the COLD-SAT spacecraft, capable of meeting these experimental requirements. All elements, including the spacecraft, ground segment, launch site modifications and launch vehicle operations, and flight operations are included. Greatly expanded coverage is provided for those areas unique to this cryogenic spacecraft, such as the experiment system, attitude control system, and spacecraft operations. Supporting analyses are included as are testing requirements, facilities surveys, and proposed project timelines.

Kramer, Edward↗

NASA NTRS2013

A Dynamic Earth: 50 Years of Observations from Space

Observations of the surface of the Earth began more than a half century ago with the earliest space missions. The global geopolitical environment at the beginning of the space age fueled advances in rocketry and human exploration, but also advances in remote sensing. At the same time that space-based Earth Observations were developing, global investments in infrastructure that were initiated after World War II accelerated large projects such as the construction of highways, the expansion of cities and suburbs, the damming of rivers, and the growth of big agriculture. These developments have transformed the Earth s surface at unprecedented rates. Today, we have a remarkable library of 50 years of observations of the Earth taken by satellite-based sensors and astronauts, and these images and observations provide insight into the workings of the Earth as a system. In addition, these observations record the footprints of human activities around the world, and illustrate how our activities contribute to the changing face of the Earth. Starting with the iconic "Blue Marble" image of the whole Earth taken by Apollo astronauts, we will review a timeline of observations of our planet as viewed from space.

Evans, Cynthia A.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Business Management System Support Analysis

The purpose of this research project was to develop a searchable database compiled with internal and external audit findings/observations. The data will correspond to the findings and observations from the date of Center-wide implementation of the ISO 9001-2000 standard to the present (2003-2008). It was derived and extracted from several sources and was in multiple formats. Once extracted, categorization of the findings/observations would be possible. The final data was mapped to the ISO 9001-2000 standard with the understanding that it will be displayed graphically. The data will be used to verify trends, associate risks, and establish timelines to identify strengths and weaknesses to determine areas of improvement in the Kennedy Space Center Business Management System Internal Audit Program.

Parikh, Jay↗

DOE OSTI2017

Adding Impacts and Mitigation Measures to OpenEI's RAPID Toolkit

The Open Energy Information platform hosts the Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit to provide renewable energy permitting information on federal and state regulatory processes. One of the RAPID Toolkit's functions is to help streamline the geothermal permitting processes outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This is particularly important in the geothermal energy sector since each development phase requires separate land analysis to acquire exploration, well field drilling, and power plant construction permits. Using the Environmental Assessment documents included in RAPID's NEPA Database, the RAPID team identified 37 resource categories that a geothermal project may impact. Examples include impacts to geology and minerals, nearby endangered species, or water quality standards. To provide federal regulators, project developers, consultants, and the public with typical impacts and mitigation measures for geothermal projects, the RAPID team has provided overview webpages of each of these 37 resource categories with a sidebar query to reference related NEPA documents in the NEPA Database. This project is an expansion of a previous project that analyzed the time to complete NEPA environmental review for various geothermal activities. The NEPA review not only focused on geothermal projects within the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service managed lands, but also projects funded by the Department of Energy. Timeline barriers found were: extensive public comments and involvement; content overlap in NEPA documents, and discovery of impacted resources such as endangered species or cultural sites.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2003

Satellite Servicing in Mission Design Studies at the NASA GSFC

Several NASA missions in various stages of development have undergone one-week studies in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC), mostly in preparation for proposals. The possible role of satellite servicing has been investigated for several of these missions, applying the lessons learned from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing, taking into account the current state of the art, projecting into the future, and implementing NASA long-range plans, and is presented here. The general benefits and costs of injecting satellite servicing are detailed, including components such as mission timeline, mass, fuel, spacecraft design, risk abatement, life extension, and improved performance. The approach taken in addressing satellite servicing during IMDC studies is presented.

Leete, Stephen J.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Opportunities for Simultaneous Efficiency Improvement and Refrigerant Transition in Air Conditioning

In October of 2016, nearly 200 Parties agreed to amend the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, to phase-down consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2050. Growth in the use of HFCs, including those currently used as refrigerants in air-conditioning systems, is being driven by demand from emerging economies, hot climates, and rising incomes that are also undergoing rapid urbanization and electrification. Air conditioners (ACs), as an energy-intensive end-use technology, are also covered by a growing number of energy efficiency standards, labeling, procurement, incentive, and other supporting efficiency programs. Therefore, improving room AC energy efficiency and transitioning to low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants simultaneously presents significant opportunities to deploy energy efficient technology and reduce the energy and emissions impacts of room ACs, while keeping costs low for consumers. This report aims to provide an initial sense of the opportunities to improve efficiency and transition to low-GWP refrigerants by reviewing the HCFC and HFC regulatory framework and energy efficiency standards and labeling programs in 19 economies that account for roughly 65 percent of global room AC demand. Based on this analysis, we identified key opportunities for coordinated action on efficiency improvement and refrigerant transition for the domestic room AC sector (i.e., ductless mini-split ACs), such as: - implementing or revising standards and labeling programs to improve efficiency levels with the possibility of adding a low-GWP criterion. - combining fixed speed and inverter AC product categories to account for seasonal variations in climate and part-load operating conditions, and using seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) instead of energy efficiency ratio (EER) to better reflect performance of inverter ACs. - implementing market transformation programs, such as bulk procurement programs, to drive down the costs of efficient technology through economies of scale. - aligning timelines for implementing efficiency standards with timelines for refrigerant management plans to coordinate policy actions. - maximizing the energy efficiency improvements of Montreal Protocol investments by coordinating efforts to help keep costs low for consumers and manufacturers during equipment redesign and manufacturing line retooling for refrigerant transition. In order to realize the significant peak load, energy saving and climate benefits of these opportunities associated with improving energy efficiency in tandem with the refrigerant transition, some risks may need to be mitigated, principally safety concerns over risks of accidental ignition with refrigerants rated flammable. This can be mitigated by continuing and accelerating the development of safety standards currently being updated, for example, by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and improving training for production, installation and maintenance during the use of flammable refrigerants. While some low-GWP refrigerants may cost more than the current baseline refrigerants, the cost of refrigerants is only ~1% of lifecycle costs for an AC. Costs can also be reduced through manufacturing advances and efficiency improvements, particularly if they are supported by policies that encourage technological development through deployment of superefficient ACs at scale. Finally, during the transition, there is a risk of obsolete technology being deployed in markets that either have not updated their standards or have later compliance dates. This risk can be mitigated by updating standards and reviewing them periodically to ensure their effectiveness.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1989

LEO/GSO cyclic depot transfer

This paper investigates the development and use of semi-analytic methods for propellant depot orbit selection in cyclic, coplanar, Keplerian GSO missions. The cyclic depot transfer strategy which allows for non-optimum (e.g. non-Hohmann) transfer, is constrained by resonance requirements allowing for descent rendezvous/refueling with fuel depots positioned during the ascent phase of the mission. The mission benefit using this transfer technique allows an improvement in propulsion system efficiency which can lead to approximately 43 percent reduction in initial launch mass when compared to traditional methods, but with the trade-off of longer mission timelines. A family of potential transfers is identified with an 'optimum' selection not based on conventional delta V minimization. The results of this analysis include reduced transfer times and greater potential initial launch mass savings over previous work.

Coffey, Randall E.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Irreducible Tests for Space Mission Sequencing Software

As missions extend further into space, the modeling and simulation of their every action and instruction becomes critical. The greater the distance between Earth and the spacecraft, the smaller the window for communication becomes. Therefore, through modeling and simulating the planned operations, the most efficient sequence of commands can be sent to the spacecraft. The Space Mission Sequencing Software is being developed as the next generation of sequencing software to ensure the most efficient communication to interplanetary and deep space mission spacecraft. Aside from efficiency, the software also checks to make sure that communication during a specified time is even possible, meaning that there is not a planet or moon preventing reception of a signal from Earth or that two opposing commands are being given simultaneously. In this way, the software not only models the proposed instructions to the spacecraft, but also validates the commands as well.To ensure that all spacecraft communications are sequenced properly, a timeline is used to structure the data. The created timelines are immutable and once data is as-signed to a timeline, it shall never be deleted nor renamed. This is to prevent the need for storing and filing the timelines for use by other programs. Several types of timelines can be created to accommodate different types of communications (activities, measurements, commands, states, events). Each of these timeline types requires specific parameters and all have options for additional parameters if needed. With so many combinations of parameters available, the robustness and stability of the software is a necessity. Therefore a baseline must be established to ensure the full functionality of the software and it is here where the irreducible tests come into use.

sequencing test↗