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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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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Fast Formal Analysis of Requirements via "Topoi Diagrams"

Early testing of requirements can decrease the cost of removing errors in software projects. However, unless done carefully, that testing process can significantly add to the cost of requirements analysis. We show here that requirements expressed as topoi diagrams can be built and tested cheaply using our SP2 algorithm, the formal temporal properties of a large class of topoi can be proven very quickly, in time nearly linear in the number of nodes and edges in the diagram. There are two limitations to our approach. Firstly, topoi diagrams cannot express certain complex concepts such as iteration and sub-routine calls. Hence, our approach is more useful for requirements engineering than for traditional model checking domains. Secondly, out approach is better for exploring the temporal occurrence of properties than the temporal ordering of properties. Within these restrictions, we can express a useful range of concepts currently seen in requirements engineering, and a wide range of interesting temporal properties.

Menzies, Tim↗
NASA NTRS2014

SUPERball: Exploring Tensegrities for Planetary Probes

The Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Lab (DTRL) at NASA Ames Research Center is developing a compliant and distributed tensegrity robotic platform for planetary exploration. Working in collaboration with Ghent University, the DTRL built an untethered prototype robot, the SUPERball. In this work, multiple issues with the current SUPERball design are addressed, when considering an example mission to Titan. Specifically, engineering requirements for the mission are empirically validated, and the current design is extended under these requirements to meet expanded goals.Survival of impact forces under entry, descent, and landing are verified with a physical experiment performed in collaboration with the University of Idaho. Then, concepts for a fully-actuated redesign of SUPERball are generated, compared, and validated against current engineering requirements. This exploratory work moves the SUPERball project toward an eventual flight-ready design.\

Tensegrity↗
NASA NTRS2006

Spacecraft charging requirements and engineering issues

An effort is currently underway to recast and combine two NASA guidelines for mitigating the effects of spacecraft charging and electrostatic discharge on spacecraft. The task has the goal of taking the existing NASA guidelines for preventing surface electrostatic charging, NASA-TP-2361 (Purvis et al., 1984), and internal electrostatic charging, NASAHDBK 4002 (Whittlesey, 1999), and bringing them up to date with recent laboratory and onorbit findings. This paper will describe the status of those on-going efforts to combine and update the two guidelines. Reasons for the upgrades will be presented, including new subject material for which there is now a greater understanding or a greater need which changes satellite design procedures, or both. There will be an emphasis on the proposed contents and on the differences and similarities between surface and internal charging mitigation techniques. In addition, the mitigation requirements that can be derived from the combined handbook will be discussed with emphasis on how they might affect the engineering design and testing of future spacecraft.

charging guidelines↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA Engineering and Technology Advancement Office: A proposal to the administrator

NASA has continually had problems with cost, schedule, performance, reliability, quality, and safety aspects in programs. Past solutions have not provided the answers needed, and a major change is needed in the way of doing business. A new approach is presented for consideration. These problems are all engineering matters, and therefore, require engineering solutions. Proper engineering tools are needed to fix engineering problems. Headquarters is responsible for providing the management structure to support programs with appropriate engineering tools. A guide to define those tools and an approach for putting them into place is provided. Recommendations include establishing a new Engineering and Technology Advancement Office, requesting a review of this proposal by the Administrator since this subject requires a top level decision. There has been a wide peer review conducted by technical staff at Headquarters, the Field Installations, and others in industry as discussed.

Schulze, Norman R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Reduction of NO formations by premixing

The effects of exhaust gases from supersonic transport aircraft on the equilibrium of the stratosphere are discussed. A method for reducing the amount of nitrogen oxides generated by the engines of supersonic transports is describes. The engine requirements for the turbojet engines of the supersonic transport aircraft are defined. The design of combustion chambers to provide premixed flames and the thermodynamic properties of premixed flames are analyzed. Charts are developed to show the isotherms of the ignited mixtures for various conditions and the mass fraction of nitrogen oxide along selected streamlines.

Ferri, A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Implications of multiplane-multispeed balancing for future turbine engine design and cost

This paper describes several alternative approaches, provided by multiplane-multispeed balancing, to traditional gas turbine engine manufacture and assembly procedures. These alternatives, which range from addition of trim-balancing at the end of the traditional assembly process to modular design of the rotating system for assembly and balancing external to the engine, require attention by the engine designer as an integral part of the design process. Since multiplane-multispeed balancing may be incorporated at one or more of several points during manufacture-assembly, its deliberate use is expected to provide significant cost and performance (reduced vibration) benefits. Moreover, its availability provides the designer with a firm base from which he may advance, with reasonable assurance of success, into the flexible rotor dynamic regime.

Badgley, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

X-33/RLV Program Aerospike Engines

Substantial progress was made during the past year in support of the X-33/RLV program. X-33 activity was directed towards completing the remaining design work and building hardware to support test activities. RLV work focused on the nozzle ramp and powerpack technology tasks and on supporting vehicle configuration studies. On X-33, the design activity was completed to the detail level and the remainder of the drawings were released. Component fabrication and engine assembly activity was initiated, and the first two powerpacks and the GSE and STE needed to support powerpack testing were completed. Components fabrication is on track to support the first engine assembly schedule. Testing activity included powerpack testing and component development tests consisting of thrust cell single cell testing, CWI system spider testing, and EMA valve flow and vibration testing. Work performed for RLV was divided between engine system and technology development tasks. Engine system activity focused on developing the engine system configuration and supporting vehicle configuration studies. Also, engine requirements were developed, and engine performance analyses were conducted. In addition, processes were developed for implementing reliability, mass properties, and cost controls during design. Technology development efforts were divided between powerpack and nozzle ramp technology tasks. Powerpack technology activities were directed towards the development of a prototype powerpack and a ceramic turbine technology demonstrator (CTTD) test article which will allow testing of ceramic turbines and a close-coupled gas generator design. Nozzle technology efforts were focused on the selection of a composite nozzle supplier and on the fabrication and test of composite nozzle coupons.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

Requirements and Design Reference Mission for the WFIRST-AFTA Coronagraph Instrument

The WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph instrument take s advantage of AFTA s 2.4 -meter aperture to provide novel exoplanet imaging science at approximately the same instrument cost as an Explorer mission. The AFTA coronagraph also matures direct imaging technologies to high TRL for an Exo-Earth Imager in the next decade. The coronagraph Design Reference Mission (DRM) optical design is based on the highly successful High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT), with modifications to accommodate the AFTA telescope design, service-ability, volume constraints, and the addition of an Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS). In order to optimally satisfy the three science objectives of planet imaging, planet spectral characterization and dust debris imaging, the coronagraph is designed to operate in two different modes : Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph or Shaped Pupil Coronagraph. Active mechanisms change pupil masks, focal plane masks, yot masks, and bandpass filters to shift between modes. A single optical beam train can thus operate alternatively as two different coronagraph architecture s. Structural Thermal Optical Performance (STOP) analysis predict s the instrument contrast with the Low Order Wave Front Control loop closed. The STOP analysis was also used to verify that the optical/structural/thermal design provides the extreme stability required for planet characterization in the presence of thermal disturbances expected in a typical observing scenario. This paper describes the instrument design and the flow down from science requirements to high level engineering requirements.

contrast↗
NASA NTRS1992

An advanced intelligent control system framework

A reusable rocket-engine intelligent control system (RREICS) framework was developed to a define a control framework for rocket-engine systems that reduces the required engine maintenance, extends the useful operating life, and maximizes the probability of mission success. The RREICS framework defines a controller that handles a rocket engine cluster as a single system rather than as a collection of individual engines. This enables the controller to alter individual engine operations in response to engine performance or integrity degradations while maintaining the propulsion subsystem external parameters at the levels required for mission success. A simplified model of a three engine cluster and the associated propulsion subsystem controller is also described.

Nemeth, ED↗
NASA NTRS1979

Computer-assisted high-speed balancing of T53 and T55 power turbines

Standard overhaul procedures for U.S. Army helicopter engines require operational vibration acceptance testing after rebuild. Engines frequently experience vibrations which exceed allowable overhaul work requirement limits. The rework/retest cycle for these engines constitute a significant cost penalty to the overhaul center. This paper reviews both analytical and test data which indicate bending critical speeds within the operating speed range of the low-speed power turbine rotor as the cause of most test cell rejections. High-speed balancing techniques are applicable and are capable of significantly reducing this reject rate. A complete prototype computer-assisted high-speed balancing system for assembled T53 and T55 power turbine rotors is described.

Pojeta, T. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mars Sample Receiving Facility Research and Development to Enable Preservation, Safe Containment, and Scientific Research of Martian Samples on Earth

NASA and ESA are working together to plan a joint campaign to potentially bring back the first Martian samples to Earth in the early 2030s. On the surface of Mars, the Mars 2020Perseverance Rover is selecting and packaging samples that could be returned to Earth for careful examination by an international team of scientists. In preparation for this historic sample return, advance planning is underway to design and build a Mars Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) in the mid-2020s. In 2022, a Mars Sample Receiving Facility Assessment Study(MSAS) will be conducted to further define construction modality and capability options for a facility in the conterminous United States. Since Mars Sample Return (MSR) is currently categorized as a planetary protection restricted Earth return, this new facility would feature biosafety level 4 (BSL-4)-like high containment to protect Earth’s biosphere from any potential hazard. In addition, the facility also requires integration of cleanroom technologies to mitigate against terrestrial contamination and preserve sample integrity for science investigations. The integration of both clean handling and high containment requires significant technology research and development (R&D) by the mid-2020s to support the definition and planning of a SRF before commencing the site specific design phase. The SRF project will need to solidify the inorganic, organic, and biological contamination control (CC) requirements for the facility. This could entail a translation of Mars 2020 mission CC requirements for geologic material to engineering requirements for surfaces and airborne molecular contamination inside isolators and cleanrooms. In tandem, the project will need to determine precision cleaning and sterilization approaches for cleanrooms, isolators, equipment, and tools. Initial material selections for the facility construction materials, cleanrooms, isolators, and BSL-4 suits/garments are an important activity. The recent construction of the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 curation cleanroom laboratories greatly benefited from early materials testing, before the design phase, to reduced organic outgassing and particulate shedding inside the laboratory. While the early biohazard investigations in the SRF may deem the samples safe to release to laboratories throughout the world, sterilization methods need to be defined to safely release Martian samples. One key aspect of enabling simultaneous sample containment and cleanliness is the concept of a Double-Walled Isolator (DWI) that ESA has been pursuing. Further R&D is needed about DWIs, sample handling, and instrumentation interfaces before beginning the SRF site specific design phase. A working isolator/DWI engineering model should be developed and fabricated. Isolator sizes, connections, pass-through antechambers, and configurations and basic interfaces with instruments and tools as well as the use of robotic, mechanical, and/or human manipulation need to be considered. Inert high purity gas supply (one-pass or recirculation) and other isolator utilities must be determined. Special accommodations for large instruments (e.g., XCT,SEM, etc.) need to be developed. Techniques for opening the sample tubes packaged by M2020and extracting the headspace gas while keeping samples pristine will be challenging, requiring additional R&D, and engagement of the M2020 project. In addition, careful micromanipulation for subdivision and packaging of samples will also need to be included. These combined R&D activities are important before commencing the SRF design phase to ensure safe biohazard containment, sample preservation, and science integrity for the samples that would be studied in the SRF and in laboratories around the world.

mars sample return↗
NASA NTRS2008

Technical Excellence: A Requirement for Good Engineering

Technical excellence is a requirement for good engineering. Technical excellence has many different ways of expressing itself within engineering. NASA has initiatives that address the enhancement of the Agency's technical excellence and thrust to maintain the associated high level of performance by the Agency on current programs/projects and as it moves into the Constellation Program and the return to the Moon with plans to visit Mars. This paper addresses some of the key initiatives associated with NASA's technical excellence thrust. Examples are provided to illustrate some results being achieved and plans to enhance these initiatives.

Gill, Paul S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Rapid Development of Instrument Thermal Models: Perspectives and Guidelines from NASA Goddard’s Instrument Design Laboratory

The Instrument Design Laboratory (IDL), part of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Integrated Design Center (IDC), is a concurrent and collaborative environment which allows for rapid development of science instrumentation concepts within the span of less than two weeks. Science goals set by a Principal Investigator from government, industry or academia are translated into engineering requirements, from which a team of engineers spanning multiple disciplines use an established study process and a suite of analysis tools to work towards an instrument point design. As part of this process, a staff thermal engineer is tasked with designing a thermal control system which meets all incoming thermal requirements, while iterating real-time with other subsystems to ensure compatibility and functionality as a completed system. Thermal engineers on spaceflight projects typically have weeks or months to develop thermal models. However, the severe time limitation in this conceptual study setting makes thermal design particularly difficult, as rapid thermal modeling solely over the span of a few days is required to develop the instrument thermal design and understand the performance over its intended mission, especially if the instrument concept contains multiple thermal challenges such as dynamic environments or high heat dissipating components. In this paper, the authors provide a condensed guide for the most efficient ways to develop thermal models and conduct thermal analysis within the span of one-to-two weeks, as informed by decades of design experience and best practices in the IDL. The authors also focus on quick methods for determining worst-case thermal environments, deciding which modeling details are essential at this early phase, and quantifying the engineering resources necessary for thermal control. This paper concludes with specific thermal design tips for different instrument types across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Kan Yang↗
NASA NTRS1991

Automated payload experiment tool feasibility study

To achieve an environment less dependent on the flow of paper, automated techniques of data storage and retrieval must be utilized. The prototype under development seeks to demonstrate the ability of a knowledge-based, hypertext computer system. This prototype is concerned with the logical links between two primary NASA support documents, the Science Requirements Document (SRD) and the Engineering Requirements Document (ERD). Once developed, the final system should have the ability to guide a principal investigator through the documentation process in a more timely and efficient manner, while supplying more accurate information to the NASA payload developer.

Maddux, Gary A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Laser High-Cycle Thermal Fatigue of Pulse Detonation Engine Combustor Materials Tested

Pulse detonation engines (PDE's) have received increasing attention for future aerospace propulsion applications. Because the PDE is designed for a high-frequency, intermittent detonation combustion process, extremely high gas temperatures and pressures can be realized under the nearly constant-volume combustion environment. The PDE's can potentially achieve higher thermodynamic cycle efficiency and thrust density in comparison to traditional constant-pressure combustion gas turbine engines (ref. 1). However, the development of these engines requires robust design of the engine components that must endure harsh detonation environments. In particular, the detonation combustor chamber, which is designed to sustain and confine the detonation combustion process, will experience high pressure and temperature pulses with very short durations (refs. 2 and 3). Therefore, it is of great importance to evaluate PDE combustor materials and components under simulated engine temperatures and stress conditions in the laboratory. In this study, a high-cycle thermal fatigue test rig was established at the NASA Glenn Research Center using a 1.5-kW CO2 laser. The high-power laser, operating in the pulsed mode, can be controlled at various pulse energy levels and waveform distributions. The enhanced laser pulses can be used to mimic the time-dependent temperature and pressure waves encountered in a pulsed detonation engine. Under the enhanced laser pulse condition, a maximum 7.5-kW peak power with a duration of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 msec (a spike) can be achieved, followed by a plateau region that has about one-fifth of the maximum power level with several milliseconds duration. The laser thermal fatigue rig has also been developed to adopt flat and rotating tubular specimen configurations for the simulated engine tests. More sophisticated laser optic systems can be used to simulate the spatial distributions of the temperature and shock waves in the engine. Pulse laser high-cycle thermal fatigue behavior has been investigated on a flat Haynes 188 alloy specimen, under the test condition of 30-Hz cycle frequency (33-msec pulse period and 10-msec pulse width including a 0.2-msec pulse spike; ref. 4). Temperature distributions were calculated with one-dimensional finite difference models. The calculations show that that the 0.2-msec pulse spike can cause an additional 40 C temperature fluctuation with an interaction depth of 0.08 mm near the specimen surface region. This temperature swing will be superimposed onto the temperature swing of 80 C that is induced by the 10-msec laser pulse near the 0.53-mm-deep surface interaction region.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗
NASA NTRS2005

Technology Challenges for Deep-Throttle Cryogenic Engines for Space Exploration

Historically, cryogenic rocket engines have not been used for in-space applications due to their additional complexity, the mission need for high reliability, and the challenges of propellant boil-off. While the mission and vehicle architectures are not yet defined for the lunar and Martian robotic and human exploration objectives, cryogenic rocket engines offer the potential for higher performance and greater architecture/mission flexibility. In-situ cryogenic propellant production could enable a more robust exploration program by significantly reducing the propellant mass delivered to low earth orbit, thus warranting the evaluation of cryogenic rocket engines versus the hypergolic bi-propellant engines used in the Apollo program. A multi-use engine. one which can provide the functionality that separate engines provided in the Apollo mission architecture, is desirable for lunar and Mars exploration missions because it increases overall architecture effectiveness through commonality and modularity. The engine requirement derivation process must address each unique mission application and each unique phase within each mission. The resulting requirements, such as thrust level, performance, packaging, bum duration, number of operations; required impulses for each trajectory phase; operation after extended space or surface exposure; availability for inspection and maintenance; throttle range for planetary descent, ascent, acceleration limits and many more must be addressed. Within engine system studies, the system and component technology, capability, and risks must be evaluated and a balance between the appropriate amount of technology-push and technology-pull must be addressed. This paper will summarize many of the key technology challenges associated with using high-performance cryogenic liquid propellant rocket engine systems and components in the exploration program architectures. The paper is divided into two areas. The first area describes how the mission requirements affect the engine system requirements and create system level technology challenges. An engine system architecture for multiple applications or a family of engines based upon a set of core technologies, design, and fabrication approaches may reduce overall programmatic cost and risk. The engine system discussion will also address the characterization of engine cycle figures of merit, configurations, and design approaches for some in-space vehicle alternatives under consideration. The second area evaluates the component-level technology challenges induced from the system requirements. Component technology issues are discussed addressing injector, thrust chamber, ignition system, turbopump assembly, and valve design for the challenging requirements of high reliability, robustness, fault tolerance, deep throttling, reasonable performance (with respect to weight and specific impulse).

Brown, Kendall K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Handling qualities of the High Speed Civil Transport

The low speed handling qualities of a High Speed Civil Transport class aircraft have been investigated by using data of the former Advanced Supersonic Transport (AST) 105. The operation of such vehicles in the airport terminal area is characterized by 'backside' performance. Main objectives of this research effort were: (Q) determination of the nature and magnitude of the speed instability associated with the backside of the thrust required curve; (2) confirmation of the validity of existing MIL-SPEC handling qualities criteria; (3) safety of operation of the vehicle in the event of autothrottle failure; and (4) correlation of required engine responsiveness with level of speed instability. Preliminary findings comprise the following: (1) The critical velocity for speed instability was determined to be 196 knots, well above the projected approach speed of 155 knots. This puts the vehicle far on the backside of its thrust required curve. While the aircraft can be configured to have static and dynamic stability at this trim point, a significant speed instability emerges, if a pilot or autopilot attempts flight path control with elevator and/or canard control surfaces only. This requires a properly configured autothrottle and/or variable aerodynamic drag devices which can provide speed stability; (2) An AST 105 type vehicle meets MIL-SPEC criteria only in part. While the damping criteria for phugoid and short period motion are met easily, the AST 105 falls short of the required minimum short period frequency, meaning that the HSCT is too sluggish in pitch to meet the military criteria. Obviously the military specification do not consider a vehicle with such high pitch inertia. With regard to speed stability and flight path stability criteria, the vehicle meets levels 2 and 3 of the military requirements, indicating that it would be landed safety with manual controls in case of an autothrottle failure, even though the pilot workload would be high; and (3) This requires quick thrust response to throttle adjustment, however. If the engine responsiveness is slow, the aircraft handling qualities are further deteriorated. Progress has been made in correlating required engine responses dyanmics with the given level of speed instability of the vehicle.

Solies, U. Peter↗