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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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349 records · Page 4

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program Update

The objectives of NASA's Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is to: develop, maintain and provide tools for the validation and assessment of aerospace battery technologies; accelerate the readiness of technology advances and provide infusion paths for emerging technologies; provide NASA projects with the required database and validation guidelines for technology selection of hardware and processes relating to aerospace batteries; disseminate validation and assessment tools, quality assurance, reliability, and availability information to the NASA and aerospace battery communities; and ensure that safe, reliable batteries are available for NASA's future missions.

Manzo, Michelle

Microgravity Science and Applications Program Tasks, 1984 Revision

This report is a compilation of the active research tasks as of the end of the fiscal year 1984 of the Microgravity Science and Applications Program, NASA-Office of Space Science and Applications, involving several NASA centers and other organizations. The purpose of the document is to provide an overview of the program scope for managers and scientists in industry, university, and government communities. The report is structured to include an introductory description of the program, strategy and overall goal; identification of the organizational structures and people involved; and a description of each research task, together with a list of recent publications. The tasks are grouped into six categories: (1) electronic materials; (2) solidification of metals, alloys, and composites; (3) fluid dynamics and transports; (4) biotechnology; (5) glasses and ceramics; and (6) combustion.

Elizabeth Pentecost

NASA aerospace battery systems program update

An overview of a battery systems program designed to enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of NASA's aerospace primary and secondary batteries as well as battery power systems is presented. The status of research in all three areas is reviewed. The approach to achieving the program objectives involves increasing the fundamental understanding of primary and secondary cells; providing for improved nickel-cadmium manufacturing process control; providing for the establishment of a NASA standard nickel-hydrogen cell design; establishing specifications, design and operational guidelines for both primary and secondary cells and batteries; providing training relating to the above areas; and opening and maintaining communication lines within NASA and the aerospace battery community.

Manzo, Michelle A.

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 2 - Volume I: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements of the program's operations.

Jung, David S.

Classical-Quantum Algorithm for Solving Stochastic Programs

Stochastic programming provides a rigorous mathematical framework for making decisions under uncertainty in a risk-aware manner. Two-stage stochastic programming is, perhaps, the simplest form of this framework. Here the first-stage variables represent decisions that must be made "here and now" in the face of uncertainty, while the second-stage variables are decisions made after uncertain events. However, the broad adoption of stochastic programming has been hindered by computational challenges caused by the two-stage stochastic programming formulation which requires solving an ensemble of optimization problems. Using quantum amplitude estimation (QAE), quantum computers have shown the theoretic ability to compute expectations with Monte-Carlo methods with quadratically fewer samples than classical methods. In this work, we present a quantum algorithm for computing the expectation term using QAE for given first-stage decisions. Further, we detail methods of computing gradient information from the quantum calculation enabling the application of classical gradient-based optimization techniques. The result is a classical-quantum hybrid method of solving two-stage stochastic programs. These techniques are demonstrated with computational experiments based an engineering optimization problem.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING

NASA Planetary Rover Program

The NASA Planetary Rover Project was initiated in 1989. The emphasis of the work to date has been on development of autonomous navigation technology within the context of a high mobility wheeled vehicle at the JPL and an innovative legged locomotion concept at Carnegie Mellon University. The status and accomplishments of these two efforts are discussed. First, however, background information is given on the three rover types required for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) whose objective is a manned mission to Mars.

David Lavery

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 2 - Volume II Appendix A to Part 2 - Volume I.

Jung, David S.

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program: An Update

The major objective of the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is to provide NASA with the policy and posture to increase and ensure the safety, performance, and reliability of batteries for space power systems. The program was initiated in 1985 to address battery problems experienced by NASA and other space battery users over the previous ten years. The original program plan was approved in May 1986 and modified in 1990 to reflect changes in the agency's approach to battery related problems that are affecting flight programs. The NASA Battery Workshop is supported by the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program. The main objective of the discussions is to aid in defining the direction which the agency should head with respect to aerospace battery issues. Presently, primary attention in the Battery Program is being devoted to issues revolving around the future availability of nickel-cadmium batteries as a result of the proposed OSHA standards with respect to allowable cadmium levels in the workplace. The decision of whether or not to pursue the development of an advanced nickel-cadmium cell design and the qualification of vendors to produce cells for flight programs hinges on the impact of the OSHA ruling. As part of a unified Battery Program, the evaluation of a nickel-hydrogen cell design options and primary cell issues are also being pursued to provide high performance NASA Standards and space qualified state-of-the-art cells. The resolution of issues is being addressed with the full participation of the aerospace battery community.

Manzo, Michelle A.

Galileo Li/SO sub 2 battery modules program update

In order to meet the power needs of NASA's Galileo Probe, the Li/SO2 high rate D cells used in the battery modules have undergone some design changes, as upgrading of hardware quality requirements, and significant testing. A description of the design changes and the cell test data that are of a general nature is presented here. This data includes capacities, open circuit voltages, and internal resistance comparisons. A significant data base was built up over the years and continues to grow.

Smith, R. A.

Bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery development - A program review

An overview of spacecraft power system design trends, focusing on higher power bus voltages and improved energy storage systems, is followed by a discussion of bipolar Ni/H2 battery development efforts. Several 10-cell batteries and one 50-cell battery are described, and performance results are presented. A comparison of individual-pressure-vessel and bipolar Ni/H2 technologies is used to suggest a new direction for bipolar Ni/H2 battery development efforts, toward a large number of passively cooled cells in parallel.

Manzo, Michelle

Lunar and Planetary X-Ray Diffraction Program: Progress Report of Research and Instrument Development, July 1964 to March 1965

The Lunar and Planetary X-Ray Diffraction Program consists of three concurrent efforts aimed at rapid development of a first-generation flight-instrument system, evaluation of potential advances in diffractometer components for a possible second-generation instrument, and full investigation of the capabilities and limitations of rock analysis by X-ray diffraction. More complete descriptions of each of these studies are given below; the papers which follow are grouped according to these subjects in Sections II through V.

PETROLOGY

The NERVA Engine Program

The objective of the NERVA engine program is the development of a nuclear rocket engine for use in space missions. The letters N E R V A mean Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application. NERVA is a long-range program that had its beginning in about 1955 when the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory began preliminary studies on the feasibility of thermal reactors for rocket application. At about the same time, the Livermore Laboratory began parallel studies, but this dual effort was discontinued about a year later. In 1961 an industrial contractor team, the Aerojet-General Corporation and the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was selected to carry out the development of the NERVA engine, and their activity began in mid-1961. Aerojet was made the prime contractor with responsibility for the complete engine development program, and Westinghouse was made a principal subcontractor with responsibility for the development of the reactor. A government field office, the Cleveland Extension of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office, was set up to manage this development program. This office is located in Cleveland because of the availability of technical backup at the Lewis Research Center.

Lester C Corrington

NASA's Advanced Control Law Program for the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire Aircraft

This paper briefly describes the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire (DFBW) program and Langley Research Center's role in investigating and promoting advanced control laws for possible flight experimentation. The primary purpose of the paper is to provide background material for papers describing some of the F-8 DFBW adaptive control law studies. The paper provides a brief description of the Phase II DFBW F-8 aircraft and its control system, discusses some of the advanced control law study objectives and guidelines, and provides some mathematical models which are useful in the control analysis problem.

Optimal Control

Mercury Corrosion Loop Testing Program

The Mercury Corrosion Loop Testing Program continued through the second quarter. Materials to be tested in the 10 forced-convection test loops were selected; the materials are: Haynes 25, 9 Cr-1Mo alloy clad with Type 316 stainless steel, AM 350 stainless steel, and columbium (niobium) clad with Type 316 stainless steel. The eight-test-cell facility was completed and all utilities were installed. Pneumatic and electronic instrumentation for all test cells was installed and calibrated. Fabrication was initiated on the first four Haynes 25 loops. The first loop was 85% assembled at the end of the quarter. A centrifugal pump made from Type 316 stainless steel was tested; bearing modifications were made to improve operation.

Corrosion

Estimating Return on Investment for Energy Technical Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of State and Community Energy Programs engaged the National Laboratory of the Rockies to assess the return on investment (ROI) of technical assistance (TA) programs that support state, local, and Tribal energy planning. Although TA delivers value through capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge transfer, these benefits are often intangible and challenging to monetize. This study reviews existing ROI frameworks and synthesizes the most relevant elements into a hybrid approach tailored to energy TA programs. The proposed framework integrates monetary and non-monetary outcomes through early logic model development, baseline data collection, and the use of proxies for intangible benefits. As a case study, this paper applies this approach to the Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP), demonstrating how ROI can inform program design, data strategy, and performance assessment. Findings underscore that ROI should be applied selectively and planned from the outset to ensure data alignment and attribution accuracy. The framework offers TA practitioners a structured approach that can be leveraged for future programs to evaluate and communicate the multifaceted value of TA investments.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY

"Long Life" Dc Brush Motor for Use on the Mars Surveyor Program

DC brush motors have several qualities which make them very attractive for space flight applications. Their mechanical commutation is simple and lightweight, requiring no external sensing and control in order to function properly. They are extremely efficient in converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. Efficiencies over 80% are not uncommon, resulting in high power throughput to weight ratios. However, the inherent unreliability and short life of sliding electrical contacts, especially in vacuum, have driven previous programs to utilize complex brushless DC or the less efficient stepper motors. The Mars Surveyor Program (MSP'98) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) have developed a reliable "long life" brush type DC motor for operation in low temperature, low pressure CO2 and N2, utilizing silver-graphite brushes. The original intent was to utilize this same motor for SRTM's space operation, but the results thus far have been unsatisfactory in vacuum. This paper describes the design, test, and results of this development.

David Braun

Resources for E-Mobility Program Implementation [Slides]

The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Successful Energy Project Implementation" will explore common challenges in implementing energy projects and learn strategies to turn project plans into reality. Each participant will focus on a local energy project or priority as a cornerstone for their learning throughout the series.This presentation overviews the basics of developing electric mobility projects with emphasis on leveraging the right tools to advance technical scoping and program design.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY