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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 NTRS1973

New horizons in chemical propulsion

After a review of the work of the late-Fifties on free radicals for propulsion, it is concluded that atomic hydrogen would provide a potentially large increase in specific impulse. Work conducted to find an approach for isolating atomic hydrogen is considered. Other possibilities for obtaining propellants of greatly increased capability might be connected with the technology for the generation of activated states of gases, metallic hydrogen, fuels obtained from other planets, and laser transfer of energy.

Cohen, W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Mass transfer across combustion gas thermal boundary layers - Power production and materials processing implications

The effects of Soret diffusion (for vapors) and thermophoresis (for particles) are illustrated using recent optical experiments and boundary layer computations. Mass transfer rate augmentations of up to a factor of 1000 were observed and predicted for submicron-particle capture by cooled solid surfaces, while mass transfer suppressions of more than 10 to the -10th-fold were predicted for 'overheated' surfaces. It is noted that the results obtained are of interest in connection with such technological applications as fly-ash capture in power generation equipment and glass droplet deposition in optical-waveguide manufacture.

Rosner, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Penalty-Based Finite Element Interface Technology for Analysis of Homogeneous and Composite Structures

An effective and robust interface element technology able to connect independently modeled finite element subdomains has been developed. This method is based on the use of penalty constraints and allows coupling of finite element models whose nodes do not coincide along their common interface. Additionally, the present formulation leads to a computational approach that is very efficient and completely compatible with existing commercial software. A significant effort has been directed toward identifying those model characteristics (element geometric properties, material properties, and loads) that most strongly affect the required penalty parameter, and subsequently to developing simple 'formulae' for automatically calculating the proper penalty parameter for each interface constraint. This task is especially critical in composite materials and structures, where adjacent sub-regions may be composed of significantly different materials or laminates. This approach has been validated by investigating a variety of two-dimensional problems, including composite laminates.

Averill, Ronald C.↗
NASA NTRS2007

The Challenges of Integrating NASA's Human, Budget, and Data Capital within the Constellation Program's Exploration Launch Projects Office

The U.S. Vision for Space Exploration directs NASA to retire the Space Shuttle in 2010 and replace it with safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation systems for crew and cargo travel to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Such emerging space transportation initiatives face massive organizational challenges, including building and nurturing an experienced, dedicated team with the right skills for the required tasks; allocating and tracking the fiscal capital invested in achieving technical progress against an integrated master schedule; and turning generated data into useful knowledge that equips the team to design and develop superior products for customers and stakeholders. It has been more than 30 years since the Space Shuttle was designed; therefore, the current aerospace workforce has limited experience with developing new designs for human-rated spaceflight hardware. To accomplish these activities, NASA is using a wide range of state-of-the-art information technology tools that connect its diverse, decentralized teams and provide timely, accurate information for decision makers. In addition, business professionals are assisting technical managers with planning, tracking, and forecasting resource use against an integrated master schedule that horizontally and vertically interlinks hardware elements and milestone events. Furthermore, NASA is employing a wide variety of strategies to ensure that it has the motivated and qualified staff it needs for the tasks ahead. This paper discusses how NASA's Exploration Launch Projects Office, which is responsible for delivering these new launch vehicles, integrates its resources to create an engineering business environment that promotes mission success, which is defined by replacing the Space Shuttle by 2014 and returning to the Moon by 2020.

Kidd, Luanne↗
NASA NTRS2010

Workmanship Standards Personnel Training and Certification Explained

This slide presentation reviews the standards that NASA requires for workmanship and discusses the rationale and the NASA-STD-8739.x standard series. The training and certification of inspectors and operators is to guarantee that workmanship is qualified for NASA applications. The NASA workmanship standard documents review the standards for: Polymeric Applications, Surface Mount Technology, Soldered Electrical Connections, Crimp, Cable and Harnesses, Fiber Optic Terminations, including ANSI and IPC standards for Electrostatic Discharge Safety, Space Applications Electronic Hardware and Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. It also reviews the certification requirements for appropriate personnel. It also reviews the various levels of trainers for the various requirements. There is also a review of calibration requirements for training equipment. Some variations on the curriculum are allowed. NASA requires operators and inspectors to be certified by their employer to ensure that oversight is being performed.

Plante, Jeannette F.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Applicability of Digital Flight to the Operations of Self-Piloted Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) hold great promise for a new era of specialized missions, including personal air transportation, cargo flight operations, aerial surveys, inspections, firefighting and more. The anticipated market growth is significant. To unlock its scalability and incumbent benefits requires a human to oversee multiple flights simultaneously, focusing on multi-vehicle mission management and relinquishing to autonomous systems their active role in controlling the aircrafts’ flight paths. Key to the realization of these scalability benefits is minimally-encumbered access to the National Airspace System (NAS), which poses some unique challenges for self-piloted UAS aircraft operations. These include the requirement for compatibility with existing airspace structures and operations including Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), neither of which were developed to accommodate the unique needs and capabilities of UAS. This paper explores the applicability of Digital Flight to the operations of self-piloted UAS. As proposed by NASA, Digital Flight is a flight operations capability, enabled by a set of cooperative procedures and digital technologies, in which flight operators ensure flight-path safety through automated separation and flight path management in lieu of visual procedures and Air Traffic Control separation services. Flights operating under potentially-forthcoming rules of Digital Flight employ advanced automation technologies, information sharing, connectivity to operational data, and cooperative behaviors through distributed decision-making to maintain safety and achieve mission objectives. Designed for integration with VFR and IFR operations in shared NAS airspace, potentially as a third set of flight rules, Digital Flight may provide the mechanism for UAS operators – and all aircraft operators – to scale and diversify their operations beyond what is achievable under current regulations.

DFR↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fluor Solvent Evaluation and Testing New Scope: Techno-economic Assessment of EEMPA Solvent for CO 2 Separations from Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant

In this project, a techno-economic analysis (TEA) and sensitivity studies were conducted to assess the PNNL’s leading water-lean CO 2 capture solvent, EEMPA, for capture CO 2 from a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant at different levels of capture rate. Process models for the NGCC power plant, integrated with EEMPA carbon capture processes, were developed in Aspen Plus V14 using the most up-to-date property package for EEMPA-H 2 O-CO 2 system. The TEA evaluated EEMPA carbon capture process at normal capture rates (90%, 95% and 97%) against Case B32B (Cansolv) described in NETL Rev4a baseline report, and at higher capture rates aimed at achieving zero or negative emissions from the power plant (400 ppmv, 200 ppmv, and 100 ppmv CO 2 in exhaust gas), compared to typical Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies. A manuscript was drafted for peer-reviewed publication. The results suggested that the carbon capture cost reaches a minimum of $\$$53.7/tonne CO 2 at 90% capture rate. Compared to Cansolv, one of the industrial benchmarks, EEMPA demonstrates 2-4% cost savings at capture rates up to 95%, but minimal savings at higher capture rate. The water lean-solvent system proves economically attractive for achieving moderate negative emissions (about 200 ppmv CO 2 in exhaust gas, and equivalent to 50% CO 2 removal from air) for NGCC flue gas, with marginal capture costs comparable to direct air capture (DAC) technologies. A sensitivity analysis results reveal that its economic advantage, unaffected by EEMPA price due to low solvent loss and degradation rate. However, the marginal carbon capture cost exceeds $\$$1,000/tonne CO 2 when transitioning from moderate to extreme negative emissions (100 ppmv CO 2 in exhaust gas), suggesting that water-lean solvents may not be economically competitive with other DAC technologies for removing more than 75% CO 2 from air. In addition, initial connection was established with Technology Center Mongstad (TCM) for a potential pilot testing proposal. However, detailed modeling and proposal preparation was not conducted due to the delay of non-disclosure agreement.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Real World Connections Through Videoconferences

The Learning Technologies Project (LTP) is a partner in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) educational technology program unit, an electronic community center that fosters interaction, collaboration, and sharing among educators, learners, and scientists. The goal of the NASA Glenn Research Center's Learning Technologies Project is to increase students' interest and proficiency in mathematics, science, and technology through the use of computing and communications technology and by using NASA's mission in aerospace technology as a theme. The primary components are: (1) Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics, including interactive simulation packages and teacher-created online activities. (2) NASA Virtual Visits, videoconferences (with online pre-post-conference activities) connecting students and teachers to NASA scientists and researchers.

Peterson, Ruth↗
DOE OSTI2025

Newberry SHR Demonstration Project – Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Enhanced Geothermal (EGS) Pilot Demonstration (Abstract)

This project will create an Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) comprising two or more wells drilled to a depth of 4.25 km into superhot rock (SHR) with a temperature of 425 °C at Newberry Volcano in Central Oregon. An EGS is a manufactured heat exchanger in which water is injected in a deep injection well, or injector, to extract heat from the hot rock at depth and steam is returned to the surface in a production well, or producer, to generate electricity. In this project, the SHR EGS will be made using new methods and technologies to stimulate and connect hydraulic and natural fractures to enable multiple flow pathways between wells, allowing for optimal heat mining from the reservoir rock. The new technologies are designed to operate at rock temperatures much higher than those encountered in traditional geothermal. Following EGS completion, water will be injected into the injector well and steam extracted from the producer well in a long-term connectivity flow test demonstrating SHR reservoir evolution with time and use. Success will be measured by demonstrating the efficacy of new technologies and by producing economic quantities of steam (>40 MWth).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2016

Making Connections: Where STEM Learning and Earth Science Data Services Meet

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) learning is most effective when students are encouraged to see the connections between science, technology and real world problems. Helping to make these connections has become an increasingly important aspect of Earth Science data research. The Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC), one of NASA's 12 EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data Information System) data centers, has developed a new type of documentation called the micro article to facilitate making connections between data and Earth science research problems.

Micro articles↗
NASA NTRS1994

Breast Biopsy System

Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) are high technology silicon chips that connect light directly into electronic or digital images, which can be manipulated or enhanced by computers. When Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) scientists realized that existing CCD technology could not meet scientific requirements for the Hubble Space Telescope Imagining Spectrograph, GSFC contracted with Scientific Imaging Technologies, Inc. (SITe) to develop an advanced CCD. SITe then applied many of the NASA-driven enhancements to the manufacture of CCDs for digital mammography. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently. The LORAD Stereo Guide Breast Biopsy system incorporates SITe's CCD as part of a digital camera system that is replacing surgical biopsy in many cases. Known as stereotactic needle biopsy, it is performed under local anesthesia with a needle and saves women time, pain, scarring, radiation exposure and money.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2013

Gigapixel Images Connect Sports Teams with Fans

Technology developed at Ames Research Center to take high-resolution imagery on Mars is now being used in baseball stadiums across the country. New York City-based Major League Baseball Advanced Media LP customized the platform to accommodate in-game shots that capture nearly the whole stadium. Fans navigate the photos online and tag themselves and their friends using social media tools.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2016

Biomolecule Sequencer: Next-Generation DNA Sequencing Technology for In-Flight Environmental Monitoring, Research, and Beyond

On the International Space Station (ISS), technologies capable of rapid microbial identification and disease diagnostics are not currently available. NASA still relies upon sample return for comprehensive, molecular-based sample characterization. Next-generation DNA sequencing is a powerful approach for identifying microorganisms in air, water, and surfaces onboard spacecraft. The Biomolecule Sequencer payload, manifested to SpaceX-9 and scheduled on the Increment 4748 research plan (June 2016), will assess the functionality of a commercially-available next-generation DNA sequencer in the microgravity environment of ISS. The MinION device from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK) measures picoamp changes in electrical current dependent on nucleotide sequences of the DNA strand migrating through nanopores in the system. The hardware is exceptionally small (9.5 x 3.2 x 1.6 cm), lightweight (120 grams), and powered only by a USB connection. For the ISS technology demonstration, the Biomolecule Sequencer will be powered by a Microsoft Surface Pro3. Ground-prepared samples containing lambda bacteriophage, Escherichia coli, and mouse genomic DNA, will be launched and stored frozen on the ISS until experiment initiation. Immediately prior to sequencing, a crew member will collect and thaw frozen DNA samples, connect the sequencer to the Surface Pro3, inject thawed samples into a MinION flow cell, and initiate sequencing. At the completion of the sequencing run, data will be downlinked for ground analysis. Identical, synchronous ground controls will be used for data comparisons to determine sequencer functionality, run-time sequence, current dynamics, and overall accuracy. We will present our latest results from the ISS flight experiment the first time DNA has ever been sequenced in space and discuss the many potential applications of the Biomolecule Sequencer for environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, higher fidelity and more adaptable Space Biology Human Research Program investigations, and even life detection experiments for astrobiology missions.

Sequencer↗
NASA NTRS1990

Guidance and control strategies for aerospace vehicles

The first part of the report concerns broadly the summary of the work done in the areas of singular perturbations and time scales (SPaTS), aerobraking technology, guidance and aerocruise. The synergistic plane change problem connected with orbital transfer employing aeroassist technology, is addressed. The mission involves transfer from high Earth orbit to low Earth orbit with plane change being performed within the atmosphere. The complete mission consists of a deorbit phase, atmospheric phase, and finally reorbit phase. The atmospheric maneuver is composed of an entry mode, a cruise mode, and finally an exit mode. During the cruise mode, constant altitude and velocity are maintained by means of bank angle control with constant thrust or thrust control with constant bank angle. Comparisons between these two control strategies bring out some interesting features.

Hibey, Joseph L.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Army's Use of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite

Tactical operations require military commanders to be mobile and have a high level of independence in their actions. Communications capabilities providing intelligence and command orders in these tactical situations have been limited to simple voice communications or low-rate narrow bandwidth communications because of the need for immediate reliable connectivity. The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) has brought an improved communications tool to the tactical commander giving the ability to gain access to a global communications system using high data rates and wide bandwidths. The Army has successfully tested this new capability of bandwidth-on-demand and high data rates for commanders in real-world conditions during Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti during the fall and winter of 1994. This paper examines ACTS use by field commanders and details the success of the ACTS system in support of a wide variety of field condition command functions.

Ilse, Kenneth↗
DOE OSTI2025

TASTI-GRID: Improving Electric Grid Resilience across the State of Tennessee

Residential, industrial, and large load data center facility expansion have exacerbated management backlogs. Additionally, as newer technologies emerge in larger utility providers, a chasm between urban and rural resilience grows – creating segmentation across the state. With new development, industries, and large load additions to the electric grid across the Volunteer state, utilities must contend with these new connections, management backlogs, and technology gaps – while addressing an increase in major outages with more frequent extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Helene in 2024. This issues, in turn, have given way to greater vulnerabilities in adjacent infrastructure – including transportation and emergency management services, among others.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1999

Lightweight Battery Charge Regulator Used to Track Solar Array Peak Power

A battery charge regulator based on the series-connected boost regulator (SCBR) technology has been developed for high-voltage spacecraft applications. The SCBR regulates the solar array power during insolation to prevent battery overcharge or undercharge conditions. It can also be used to provide regulated battery output voltage to spacecraft loads if necessary. This technology uses industry-standard dc-dc converters and a unique interconnection to provide size, weight, efficiency, fault tolerance, and modularity benefits over existing systems. The high-voltage SCBR shown in the photograph has demonstrated power densities of over 1000 watts per kilogram (W/kg). Using four 150-W dc-dc converter modules, it can process 2500 W of power at 120 Vdc with a minimum input voltage of 90 Vdc. Efficiency of the SCBR was 94 to 98 percent over the entire operational range. Internally, the unit is made of two separate SCBR s, each with its own analog control circuitry, to demonstrate the modularity of the technology. The analog controllers regulate the output current and incorporate the output voltage limit with active current sharing between the two units. They also include voltage and current telemetry, on/off control, and baseplate temperature sensors. For peak power tracking, the SCBR was connected to a LabView-based data acquisition system for telemetry and control. A digital control algorithm for tracking the peak power point of a solar array was developed using the principle of matching the source impedance with the load impedance for maximum energy transfer. The algorithm was successfully demonstrated in a simulated spacecraft electrical system at the Boeing PhantomWorks High Voltage Test Facility in Seattle, Washington. The system consists of a 42-string, high-voltage solar array simulator, a 77-cell, 80-ampere-hour (A-hr) nickel-hydrogen battery, and a constant power-load module. The SCBR and the LabView control algorithm successfully tracked the solar array peak power point through various load transients, including sunlight discharge transients when the total load exceeded the maximum solar array output power.

Soeder, James F.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Work With Us to Advance Cybersecurity for the Current and Future Grid

The energy sector is undergoing rapid change. Advanced technologies and controls, digitally connected devices, and a mix of generation sources offer increased energy reliability and security, reduced energy costs, and enhanced grid operations. But they can also carry physical and cybersecurity risks that are not yet fully understood. With deep expertise in advanced energy technologies, the National Laboratory of the Rockies is examining the cybersecurity implications of evolving systems and developing cutting-edge tools, novel approaches, and innovative research capabilities to address sector-wide challenges. Together with our partners, we are working to achieve a more secure, defensible, and reliable grid.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗