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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 NTRSDate not supplied

Status of Dynamic Radioisotope Power System Development for NASA Missions

Under the Radioisotope Power Systems Program, NASA and the Department of Energy have been advancing a novel Radioisotope Power System (RPS) based on dynamic energy conversion. This approach will manifest a dynamic RPS (DRPS) option with a conversion efficiency at least three times greater than thermoelectric based RPS. Significant progress has recently been made towards this end. A one-year system design phase has been completed by industry partner Aerojet Rocketdyne which resulted in a 300-We DRPS with convertor-level redundancy. In-house technology development at NASA Glenn Research Center has demonstrated the conversion devices in relevant environments and shown all requirements can be met. Progress has also been made on the control electronics necessary for dynamic energy conversion. Flight-like controllers were recently upgraded and achieved an 11-percentage-point increase in efficiency. Control architectures have been developed to handle the multi-convertor arrangements in the latest DRPS design. A system-level DRPS Testbed is being assembled now that will experimentally demonstrate the DRPS concept being pursued.

Stirling↗
NASA NTRS1993

Solar dynamic power system development for Space Station Freedom

The development of a solar dynamic electric power generation system as part of the Space Station Freedom Program is documented. The solar dynamic power system includes a solar concentrator, which collects sunlight; a receiver, which accepts and stores the concentrated solar energy and transfers this energy to a gas; a Brayton turbine, alternator, and compressor unit, which generates electric power; and a radiator, which rejects waste heat. Solar dynamic systems have greater efficiency and lower maintenance costs than photovoltaic systems and are being considered for future growth of Space Station Freedom. Solar dynamic development managed by the NASA Lewis Research Center from 1986 to Feb. 1991 is covered. It summarizes technology and hardware development, describes 'lessons learned', and, through an extensive bibliography, serves as a source list of documents that provide details of the design and analytic results achieved. It was prepared by the staff of the Solar Dynamic Power System Branch at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The report includes results from the prime contractor as well as from in-house efforts, university grants, and other contracts. Also included are the writers' opinions on the best way to proceed technically and programmatically with solar dynamic efforts in the future, on the basis of their experiences in this program.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Solar Power Satellite Development: Advances in Modularity and Mechanical Systems

Space solar power satellites require innovative concepts in order to achieve economically and technically feasible designs. The mass and volume constraints of current and planned launch vehicles necessitate highly efficient structural systems be developed. In addition, modularity and in-space deployment will be enabling design attributes. This paper reviews the current challenges of launching and building very large space systems. A building block approach is proposed in order to achieve near-term solar power satellite risk reduction while promoting the necessary long-term technology advances. Promising mechanical systems technologies anticipated in the coming decades including modularity, material systems, structural concepts, and in-space operations are described

Belvin, W. Keith↗
NASA NTRS2022

Nuclear Power Concepts and Development Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion Missions to Mars

Under the Mars Transportation Assessment Study (MTAS), NASA and the Department of Energy are performing analyses and generating concepts for crewed nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) missions to Mars. This report presents the results of trade studies and concept development for the nuclear electric power system, consisting of the fission reactor, radiation shielding, power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution (PMAD). The nuclear power team completed trade studies to evaluate different reactor and power conversion technologies and developed preliminary concepts for the crew shielding, waste heat radiators, and PMAD. The initial results suggest that a modified terrestrial microreactor combined with supercritical CO2 Brayton conversion could be used to perform the crew and cargo missions with satisfactory performance and modest risk. The report includes preliminary development strategies that could bring the NEP technology to fruition for Mars missions in the late 2030s or early 2040s.

Lee S. Mason↗
NASA NTRS2016

Intelligent (Autonomous) Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

As NASAs Evolvable Mars Campaign and other exploration initiatives continue to mature they have identified the need for more autonomous operations of the power system. For current human space operations such as the International Space Station, the paradigm is to perform the planning, operation and fault diagnosis from the ground. However, the dual problems of communication lag as well as limited communication bandwidth beyond GEO synchronous orbit, underscore the need to change the operation methodology for human operation in deep space. To address this need, for the past several years the Glenn Research Center has had an effort to develop an autonomous power controller for human deep space vehicles. This presentation discusses the present roadmap for deep space exploration along with a description of conceptual power system architecture for exploration modules. It then contrasts the present ground centric control and management architecture with limited autonomy on-board the spacecraft with an advanced autonomous power control system that features ground based monitoring with a spacecraft mission manager with autonomous control of all core systems, including power. It then presents a functional breakdown of the autonomous power control system and examines its operation in both normal and fault modes. Finally, it discusses progress made in the development of a real-time power system model and how it is being used to evaluate the performance of the controller and well as using it for verification of the overall operation.

Power Systems↗
NASA NTRS1984

Advanced on-site power plant development technology program

A 30-cell, full area short stack containing advanced cell features was tested for 2900 hours. A stack acid addition approach was selected and will be evaluated on the stack at 5000 hours test time. A brassboard inverter was designed and fabrication was initiated. Evaluation of this brassboard inverter will take place in 1984. A Teflon coated commercial heat exchanger was selected as the preferred approach for the acid condenser. A reformer catalyst with significantly less pressure drop and equivalent performance relative to the 40-K baseline catalyst was selected for the development reformer. The early 40-kW field power plant history was reviewed and adjustments were made to the On-Site Technology Development Program to address critical component issues.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2009

Fission Surface Power Technology Development Status

With the potential future deployment of a lunar outpost there is expected to be a clear need for a high-power, lunar surface power source to support lunar surface operations independent of the day-night cycle, and Fission Surface Power (FSP) is a very effective solution for power levels above a couple 10 s of kWe. FSP is similarly enabling for the poorly illuminated surface of Mars. The power levels/requirements for a lunar outpost option are currently being studied, but it is known that cost is clearly a predominant concern to decision makers. This paper describes the plans of NASA and the DOE to execute an affordable fission surface power system technology development project to demonstrate sufficient technology readiness of an affordable FSP system so viable and cost-effective FSP system options will be available when high power lunar surface system choices are expected to be made in the early 2010s.

Palac, Donald T.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Simulation and Control Lab Development for Power and Energy Management for NASA Manned Deep Space Missions

The development of distributed hierarchical and agent-based control systems will allow for reliable autonomous energy management and power distribution for on-orbit missions. Power is one of the most critical systems on board a space vehicle, requiring quick response time when a fault or emergency is identified. As NASAs missions with human presence extend beyond low earth orbit autonomous control of vehicle power systems will be necessary and will need to reliably function for long periods of time. In the design of autonomous electrical power control systems there is a need to dynamically simulate and verify the EPS controller functionality prior to use on-orbit. This paper presents the work at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio where the development of a controls laboratory is being completed that will be utilized to demonstrate advanced prototype EPS controllers for space, aeronautical and terrestrial applications. The control laboratory hardware, software and application of an autonomous controller for demonstration with the ISS electrical power system is the subject of this paper.

Space Flight↗
NASA NTRS2005

Advanced Power Regulator Developed for Spacecraft

The majority of new satellites generate electrical power using photovoltaic solar arrays and store energy in batteries for use during eclipse periods. Careful regulation of battery charging during insolation can greatly increase the expected lifetime of the satellite. The battery charge regulator is usually custom designed for each satellite and its specific mission. Economic competition in the small satellite market requires battery charge regulators that are lightweight, efficient, inexpensive, and modular enough to be used in a wide variety of satellites. A new battery charge regulator topology has been developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center to address these needs. The new regulator topology uses industry-standard dc-dc converters and a unique interconnection to provide size, weight, efficiency, fault tolerance, and modularity benefits over existing systems. A transformer-isolated buck converter is connected such that the high input line is connected in series with the output. This "bypass connection" biases the converter's output onto the solar array voltage. Because of this biasing, the converter only processes the fraction of power necessary to charge the battery above the solar array voltage. Likewise, the same converter hookup can be used to regulate the battery output to the spacecraft power bus with similar fractional power processing. The advantages of this scheme are: 1) Because only a fraction of the power is processed through the dc-dc converter, the single- stage conversion efficiency is 94 to 98 percent; 2) Costly, high-efficiency dc-dc converters are not necessary for high end-to-end system efficiency; 3) The system is highly fault tolerant because the bypass connection will still deliver power if the dc-dc converter fails; and 4) The converters can easily be connected in parallel, allowing higher power systems to be built from a common building block. This new technology will be spaceflight tested in the Photovoltaic Regulator Kit Experiment (PRKE) on TRW's Small Spacecraft Technology Initiative (SSTI) satellite scheduled for launch in 1996. This experiment uses commercial dc-dc converters (28 to 15 Vdc) and additional control circuitry to regulate current to a battery load. The 60-W, 87- percent efficiency converters can control 180 W of power at an efficiency of 94 percent in the new configuration. The power density of the Photovoltaic Regulator Kit Experiment is about 200 W/kg.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1996

Advanced Power Regulator Developed for Spacecraft

The majority of new satellites generate electrical power using photovoltaic solar arrays and store energy in batteries for use during eclipse periods. Careful regulation of battery charging during insolation can greatly increase the expected lifetime of the satellite. The battery charge regulator is usually custom designed for each satellite and its specific mission. Economic competition in the small satellite market requires battery charge regulators that are lightweight, efficient, inexpensive, and modular enough to be used in a wide variety of satellites. A new battery charge regulator topology has been developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center to address these needs. The new regulator topology uses industry-standard dc-dc converters and a unique interconnection to provide size, weight, efficiency, fault tolerance, and modularity benefits over existing systems. A transformer-isolated buck converter is connected such that the high input line is connected in series with the output. This "bypass connection" biases the converter's output onto the solar array voltage. Because of this biasing, the converter only processes the fraction of power necessary to charge the battery above the solar array voltage. Likewise, the same converter hookup can be used to regulate the battery output to the spacecraft power bus with similar fractional power processing.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2005

X2000 power system electronics development

The X2000 Power System Electronics (PSE) is a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) task to develop a new generation of power system building blocks for potential use on future deep space missions. The effort includes the development of electronic components and modules that can be used as building blocks in the design of generic spacecraft power systems.

X2000↗
NASA NTRS1994

Power Electronics Development for the SPT-100 Thruster

Russian electric propulsion technologies have recently become available on the world market. Of significant interest is the Stationary Plasma Thruster (SPT) which has a significant flight heritage in the former Soviet space program. The SPT has performance levels of up to 1600 seconds of specific impulse at a thrust efficiency of 0.50. Studies have shown that this level of performance is well suited for stationkeeping applications, and the SPT-100, with a 1.35 kW input power level, is presently being evaluated for use on Western commercial satellites. Under a program sponsored by the Innovative Science and Technology Division of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, a team of U.S. electric propulsion specialists observed the operation of the SPT-100 in Russia. Under this same program, power electronics were developed to operate the SPT-100 to characterize thruster performance and operation in the U.S. The power electronics consisted of a discharge, cathode heater, and pulse igniter power supplies to operate the thruster with manual flow control. A Russian designed matching network was incorporated in the discharge supply to ensure proper operation with the thruster. The cathode heater power supply and igniter were derived from ongoing development projects. No attempts were made to augment thruster electromagnet current in this effort. The power electronics successfully started and operated the SPT-100 thruster in performance tests at NASA Lewis, with minimal oscillations in the discharge current. The efficiency of the main discharge supply was measured at 0.92, and straightforward modifications were identified which could increase the efficiency to 0.94.

Hamley, John A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Alexandrite lidar for the atmospheric water vapor detection and development of powerful tunable sources in IR

New tunable solid-state lasers, such as alexandrite and Ti-sapphire lasers, provide a powerful technique to detect various molecules in the atmosphere whose absorption bands are in the infrared region. The differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system to measure the tropospheric water vapor has been investigated by many authors, in an early stage, by dye and ruby lasers. Using the alpha band of water vapor, the longest detection range can be obtained with high accuracy, and the alexandrite laser is the most suitable laser for this purpose. In this paper, we describe the detection of water vapor in the atmosphere by an alexandrite lidar, and the development of powerful tunable sources based on Raman lasers in the infrared region.

Uchiumi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1966

High-power transmitter development

Klystron filament current and voltage remote- metering circuits for high power transmitter of deep space instrumentation facility

REMOTE CONTROL↗
NASA NTRS1979

Bi-directional four quadrant (BDQ4) power converter development

The feasibility for implementation of a concept for direct ac/dc multikilowatt power conversion with bidirectional transfer of energy was investigated. A 10 kHz current carrier was derived directly from a common 60 Hz three phase power system. This carrier was modulated to remove the 360 Hz ripple, inherent in the three phase power supply and then demodulated and processed by a high frequency filter. The resulting dc power was then supplied to a load. The process was implemented without the use of low frequency transformers and filters. This power conversion processes was reversible and can operate in the four quadrants as viewed from any of the two of the converter's ports. Areas of application include: power systems on air and spacecraft; terrestrial traction; integration of solar and wind powered systems with utility networks; HVDC; asynchronous coupling of polyphase networks; heat treatment; industrial machine drives; and power supplies for any use including instrumentation.

Schwarz, F. C.↗