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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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NASA NTRS1992

Development of a versatile laser light scattering instrument

NASA Lewis Research Center is providing and coordinating the technology for placing a compact Laser Light Scattering (LLS) instrument in a microgravity environment. This will be accomplished by defining and assessing user requirements for microgravity experiments, coordinating needed technological developments, and filling technical gaps. This effort is striving to brassboard and evaluate a miniature multi-angle LLS instrument. The progress of the program is reported.

Meyer, William V.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Compact Low Power Avionics for the Europa Lander Concept and Other Missions to Ocean Worlds

This paper presents the results of NASA’s game-changing technology development entitled “Ultra Low Temperature Electronics” which represents a paradigm shift in spacecraft avionics development. The project has developed compact avionics technologies to address the Command & Data Handling (CDH), Power and Motor Control needs for mission concepts to ocean worlds such as a potential Europa Lander. We addressed this need by developing the key technologies necessary to develop a next generation compact avionics package. The key technologies that we developed significantly reduce the size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) of the avionics package. These technologies will also allow extreme-environment missions to last longer in their environment by reducing the power and energy requirement to keep the avionics warm.

Bolotin, Gary↗

NASA NTRS1983

Proceedings of a Symposium on Advanced Compact Reactor Systems

Reactor system technologies suitable for a variety of aerospace and terrestrial applications are considered. Technologies, safety and regulatory considerations, potential applications, and research and development opportunities are covered.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2018

Compact Mid-Wave Imaging System (CMIS) for Retrieval of Cloud Motion Vectors and Cloud Geometric Heights

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is developing a compact, light-weight, and low power midwave-infrared (MWIR) imager called the Compact Midwave Imaging Sensor (CMIS), under the support of the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Instrument Incubator Program. The goal of this CMIS instrument development and demonstration project is to increase the technical readiness of CMIS, a multi-spectral sensor capable of retrieving 3D winds and cloud heights 24/7, for a space mission. The CMIS instrument employs an advanced MWIR detector that requires less cooling than traditional technologies and thus permits a compact, low-power design, which enables accommodation on small spacecraft such as CubeSats. CMIS provides the critical midwave component of a multi-spectral sensor suite that includes a high-resolution Day-Night Band and a longwave infrared (LWIR) imager to provide global cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. In this presentation, an overview of the CMIS project, including the high-level sensor design, the concept of operations, and measurement capability will be presented. System performance for a variety of different scenes generated by a cloud resolving model (CRM) will also be discussed.

midwave↗

NASA NTRS2015

Exploring Our Solar System with CubeSats and NanoSats

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is NASA's lead center for robotic exploration of our solar system. We are known for our large, flagship missions, such as Voyager, which gave humanity its first close look at Jupiter and Saturn; and the Mars Rovers, which have excited millions worldwide with their daring landing exploits. Less familiar to those outside NASA may be our role in developing the Kepler mission, which has discovered more than 2000 planets around other stars; or the recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, one of many JPL Earth Science missions. A recent JPL initiative has emphasized low cost missions that use rapidly evolving technology developed for CubeSats and NanoSat s to explore our solar system. Costs are significantly lower (by one or two orders of magnitude) than for conventional JPL missions, and development time is also significantly shorter. At present 21 such CubeSat flight projects are under way at the laboratory with various partners : some in flight, some in development, some in advanced formulation. Four are planned as deep space missions. To succeed in exploring deep space CubeSat/NanoSat missions have to address several challenges: the more severe radiation environment, communications and navigation at a distance, propulsion, and packaging of instruments that can return valuable science into a compact volume/mass envelope. Instrument technologies, including cameras, magnetometers, spectrometers, radiometers, and even radars are undergoing miniaturization to fit on these smaller platforms. Other key technologies are being matured for smallsats and NanoSats in deep space, including micro -electric propulsion, compact radio (and optical) communications, and onboard data reduction. This paper will describe missions that utilize these developments including the first two deep space CubeSats (INSPIRE), planned for launch in 2017; the first pair of CubeSats to be sent to another planet (MARCO), manifested with the InSight Mars lander launch in March of 2016; a helicopter "drone" on Mars to extend the reach of future rovers; plans for a Lunar Flashlight mission to shine a light on the permanently shadowed craters of the Moon's poles; a Near Earth Asteroid CubeSat missio n; and a CubeSat constellation to demonstrate time series measurements of storm systems on Earth. From these beginnings, the potential for CubeSats and NanoSats to add to our knowledge of the solar system could easily grow exponentially. Imagine if every deep space mission carried one or more CubeSats that could operate independently (even for a brief period) on arrival at their target body. At only incremental additional cost, such spacecraft could go closer, probe deeper, and provide science measurements that we would not risk with the host spacecraft. This paper will describe examples including a NanoSat to probe the composition of Venus' atmosphere, impactors and close flybys of Europa, lunar probes, and soft landers for the moons of Mars. Low cost access to deep space also offers the potential for independent CubeSat/NanoSat missions - allowing us to characterize the population of near Earth asteroids for example, deploy a constellation around Venus, or take closer looks at the asteroid belt.

Deep Space↗

NASA NTRS1973

An update of input instructions to TEMOD

The theory and operation of a FORTRAN 4 computer code, designated as TEMOD, used to calcuate tubular thermoelectric generator performance is described in WANL-TME-1906. The original version of TEMOD was developed in 1969. A description is given of additions to the mathematical model and an update of the input instructions to the code. Although the basic mathematical model described in WANL-TME-1906 has remained unchanged, a substantial number of input/output options were added to allow completion of module performance parametrics as required in support of the compact thermoelectric converter system technology program.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1995

Development of 3-Phase CCD Timing Generator

Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs) are used in a wide range of commercial, scientific, and defense applications. They are primarily utilized for imaging and spectroscopic functions. Compact, cost-effective technology to miniaturize the auxiliary electronics required to operate the CCD is highly desirable. Because of the importance of reducing size and weight in defense and space applications, emphasis must be placed on the reduction in size. The purpose of this project is to minimize the CCD timing generator electronics for 3-phase CCDs by replacing conventional ICs with a single programmable IC. This timing generator will give the user the ability to vary the number of horizontal and vertical pixels and to choose between integration and readout modes. This, in turn, will reduce the size and weight of CCD focal plane assemblies as a whole.

Bennett, Kory L.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Nanostructure Engineered Chemical Sensors for Hazardous Gas and Vapor Detection

A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and metal oxides nanowires or nanobelts, on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a silicon based microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to hazardous gases and vapors, such as acetone, benzene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing in our sensor platform can be understood by electron modulation between the nanostructure engineered device and gas molecules. As a result of the electron modulation, the conductance of nanodevice will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost.

Li, Jing↗

NASA NTRS2004

Waste Processing Research and Technology Development at NASA Ames Research Center

The current "store and return" approach for handling waste products generated during low Earth orbit missions will not meet the requirements for future human missions identified in NASA s new Exploration vision. The objective is to develop appropriate reliable waste management systems that minimize maintenance and crew time, while maintaining crew health and safety, as well as providing protection of planetary surfaces. Solid waste management requirements for these missions include waste volume reduction, stabilization and storage, water recovery, and ultimately recovery of carbon dioxide, nutrients and other resources from a fully regenerative food production life support system. This paper identifies the key drivers for waste management technology development within NASA, and provides a roadmap for the developmental sequence and progression of technologies. Recent results of research and technology development activities at NASA Ames Research Center on candidate waste management technologies with emphasis on compaction, lyophilization, and incineration are discussed.

Fisher, John↗

NASA NTRS2006

A Survey of Plasmas and Their Applications

Plasmas are everywhere and relevant to everyone. We bath in a sea of photons, quanta of electromagnetic radiation, whose sources (natural and artificial) are dominantly plasma-based (stars, fluorescent lights, arc lamps.. .). Plasma surface modification and materials processing contribute increasingly to a wide array of modern artifacts; e.g., tiny plasma discharge elements constitute the pixel arrays of plasma televisions and plasma processing provides roughly one-third of the steps to produce semiconductors, essential elements of our networking and computing infrastructure. Finally, plasmas are central to many cutting edge technologies with high potential (compact high-energy particle accelerators; plasma-enhanced waste processors; high tolerance surface preparation and multifuel preprocessors for transportation systems; fusion for energy production).

Eastman, Timothy E.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Bias Selective Operation of Sb-Based Two-Color Photodetectors

Multicolor detectors have a strong potential to replace conventional single-color detectors in application dealing with the simultaneous detection of more than one wavelength. This will lead to the reduction of heavy and complex optical components now required for spectral discrimination for multi-wavelengths applications. This multicolor technology is simpler, lighter, compact and cheaper with respect to the single-color ones. In this paper, Sb-based two-color detectors fabrication and characterization are presented. The color separation is achieved by fabricating dual band pn junction on a GaSb substrate. The first band consists of an InGaAsSb pn junction for long wavelength detection, while the second band consists of a GaSb pn junction for shorter wavelength detection. Three metal contacts were deposited to access the individual junctions. Surface morphology of multi-layer thin films and also device characteristics of quasi-dual band photodetector were characterized using standard optical microscope and electro-optic techniques respectively. Dark current measurements illustrated the diode behavior of both lattice-matched detector bands. Spectral response measurements indicated either independent operation of both detectors simultaneously, or selective operation of one detector, by the polarity of the bias voltage, while serially accessing both devices.

Abedin, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Carbon Nanotube Based Chemical Sensors for Space and Terrestrial Applications

A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a silicon-based microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using photolithography and thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to nitrogen dioxide, acetone, benzene, nitrotoluene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing of carbon nanotubes in our sensor platform can be understood by intra- and inter-tube electron modulation in terms of charge transfer mechanisms. As a result of the charge transfer, the conductance of p-type or hole-richer SWNTs in air will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost. Additionally, a wireless capability of such a sensor chip can be used for networked mobile and fixed-site detection and warning systems for military bases, facilities and battlefield areas.

Li, Jing↗

NASA NTRS2010

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): Observations for Lunar Exploration and Science

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was implemented to facilitate scientific and engineering-driven mapping of the lunar surface at new spatial scales and with new remote sensing methods, identify safe landing sites, search for in situ resources, and measure the space radiation environment. After its successful launch on June 18,2009, the LRO spacecraft and instruments were activated and calibrated in an eccentric polar lunar orbit until September 15, when LRO was moved to a circular polar orbit with a mean altitude of 50 km. LRO will operate for at least one year to support the goals of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD), and for at least two years of extended operations for additional lunar science measurements supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). LRO carries six instruments with associated science and exploration investigations, and a telecommunications/radar technology demonstration. The LRO instruments are: Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE), Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). The technology demonstration is a compact, dual-frequency, hybrid polarity synthetic aperture radar instrument (Mini-RF). LRO observations also support the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), the lunar impact mission that was co-manifested with LRO on the Atlas V (401) launch vehicle. This paper describes the LRO objectives and measurements that support exploration of the Moon and that address the science objectives outlined by the National Academy of Science's report on the Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (SCEM). We also describe data accessibility by the science and exploration community.

Vondrak, Richard↗

NASA NTRS2013

X1: A Robotic Exoskeleton for In-Space Countermeasures and Dynamometry

Bone density loss and muscle atrophy are among the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) highest concerns for crew health in space. Countless hours are spent maintaining an exercise regimen aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to counteract the effect of zero-gravity. Looking toward the future, NASA researchers are developing new compact and innovative exercise technologies to maintain crew health as missions increase in length and take humans further out into the solar system. The X1 Exoskeleton, initially designed for assisted mobility on Earth, was quickly theorized to have far-reaching potential as both an in-space countermeasures device and a dynamometry device to measure muscle strength. This lower-extremity device has the ability to assist or resist human movement through the use of actuators positioned at the hips and knees. Multiple points of adjustment allow for a wide range of users, all the while maintaining correct joint alignment. This paper discusses how the X1 Exoskeleton may fit NASA's onorbit countermeasures needs.

Rea, Rochelle↗

NASA NTRS2017

First Application of the Zeeman Technique to Remotely Measure Auroral Electrojet Intensity From Space

Using the O2 118 GHz spectral radiance measurements obtained by the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument on board the Aura spacecraft, we demonstrate that the Zeeman effect can be used to remotely measure the magnetic field perturbations produced by the auroral electrojet near the Hall current closure altitudes. Our derived current-induced magnetic field perturbations are found to be highly correlated with those coincidently obtained by ground magnetometers. These perturbations are also found to be linearly correlated with auroral electrojet strength. The statistically derived polar maps of our measured magnetic field perturbation reveal a spatial-temporal morphology consistent with that produced by the Hall current during substorms and storms. With today's technology, a constellation of compact, low-power, high spectral-resolution cubesats would have the capability to provide high precision and spatiotemporal magnetic field samplings needed for auroral electrojet measurements to gain insights into the spatiotemporal behavior of the auroral electrojet system.

spectral radiance measurements; Aur↗

NASA NTRS2018

Active Turbine Tip Clearance Control Trade Space Analysis of an Advanced Geared Turbofan Engine

Tip clearance within the high pressure turbine of a gas turbine engine is a significant factor in engine performance and efficiency. In the pursuit of higher efficiency, aero-engine designs are migrating toward compact gas turbine (CGT) technology that seeks to increase the bypass ratio of the gas turbine engine without increasing the size of the fan, which is constrained by its underwing location. The reduced size of CGTs invoke concern over increased sensitivity of engine performance due to turbine tip clearance gap that makes an argument for advanced tip clearance mitigation and control techniques to be employed. This paper evaluates the tip clearance trade space for a conceptual geared turbofan engine with a CGT core. This is accomplished through a modeling and simulation approach that includes a sensitivity analysis of engine performance in response to high pressure turbine tip clearance as well as an evaluation of the sensitivity of tip clearance to various design parameters, including material properties and component cooling characteristics. Also included is a parametric study of actuators that provides preliminary requirements for implementation of active turbine tip clearance control actuation systems. The results produced from these studies are meant to be informative, with special emphasis on the demonstration of a systematic approach. The modeling approach appears to capture expected trends. The studies suggest that the tip clearance gap will have a greater impact on the new CGT engines and that a relatively slow, actively controlled actuation system may be sufficient as long as it has control authority to both open and close the tip clearance gap.

tip clearance control↗

NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Electrical System Requirements for Implementing Turbine Electrified Energy Management

Turbine Electrified Energy Management (TEEM) is a concept concerned with the management of energy in an electrified propulsion system. The management of energy in the hybrid-electric architecture has potential to benefit the turbomachinery and the aircraft it powers. The concept is particularly useful for improving operability during transient operation and could be leveraged to design a better performing engine. The concept utilizes electric machines coupled to the engine shafts and an electric power distribution system that includes energy storage. A controller is used to decide when and how energy is moved around the electrified propulsion system, particularly when considering energy conversion between mechanical and electrical forms. Prior work has shown that the electric machines can be used to supply/or extract supplemental power to/from the engine shafts to improve their operability and achieve or enable propulsion efficiency and performance benefits. However, the previous studies did not consider the practical constraints of the electrical machines and energy storage devices that are required for implementing the TEEM system architecture concept. This paper presents an integrated engine and electrical system model that is used to evaluate the electrical system requirements. The model captures the physics of the conceptual, Advanced Geared Turbofan 30,000lbf (AGTF30) engine, which features advanced technologies such as a compact gas turbine and a variable area fan nozzle. For this work, the engine is augmented with electrical system components that allow for the implementation of the TEEM concept. The evaluation presented suggests the potential of the TEEM concept to provide performance benefits for a turbofan engine.

electrified↗

NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Electrical System Requirements for Implementing Turbine Electrified Energy Management

hybrid electric propulsion↗