Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “flexible power generation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Past, present, and future activities in space power technology in the United States of America

Space power technology research in the U.S. is examined. The objectives for advanced power systems are long life, safety, flexibility, modularity, growth capability, and autonomy. Research in the areas of photovoltaic arrays, electrical energy storage, and the development of solar dynamic power systems and radio thermal generators is described. The applications of advances in power generation, energy storage, and power management and distribution to the Space Station are discussed.

Ambrus, Judith H.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Lightweight IMM PV Flexible Blanket Assembly

Deployable Space Systems (DSS) has developed an inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) photovoltaic (PV) integrated modular blanket assembly (IMBA) that can be rolled or z-folded. This IMM PV IMBA technology enables a revolutionary flexible PV blanket assembly that provides high specific power, exceptional stowed packaging efficiency, and high-voltage operation capability. DSS's technology also accommodates standard third-generation triple junction (ZTJ) PV device technologies to provide significantly improved performance over the current state of the art. This SBIR project demonstrated prototype, flight-like IMM PV IMBA panel assemblies specifically developed, designed, and optimized for NASA's high-voltage solar array missions.

Spence, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2005

Wide-Bandgap CIAS Thin-film Photovoltaics with Transparent Back Contacts for Next-Generation Single and Multijunction Devices

Future spacecraft and high-altitude airship (HAA) technologies will require high array specific power (W/kg), which can be met using thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on lightweight and flexible substrates. It has been calculated that the thin-film array technology, including the array support structure, begins to exceed the specific power of crystalline multi-junction arrays when the thin-film device efficiencies begin to exceed 12%. Thin-film PV devices have other advantages in that they are more easily integrated into HAA s, and are projected to be much less costly than their crystalline PV counterparts. Furthermore, it is likely that only thin-film array technology will be able to meet device specific power requirements exceeding 1 kW/kg (photovoltaic and integrated substrate/blanket mass only). Of the various thin-film technologies, single junction and radiation resistant CuInSe2 (CIS) and associated alloys with gallium, aluminum and sulfur have achieved the highest levels of thin-film device performance, with the best efficiency, reaching 19.2% under AM1.5 illumination conditions and on thick glass substrates.(3) Thus, it is anticipated that single- and tandem-junction devices with flexible substrates and based on CIS and related alloys could achieve the highest levels of thin-film space and HAA solar array performance.

Woods, Lawrence M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Post-flight investigation programmes of recently retrieved solar generators

In 1993 two ESA solar power generators were successfully retrieved from space: EURECA with its 10 panel rigid array in August, after 11 months in a 500 km orbit, and one of the two flexible Hubble Space Telescope (HST) arrays in December, after almost 4 years in a 600 km orbit. Both solar generators are undergoing separate post-flight investigation programs (PFIP). These programs cover investigations of all solar array (SA) components and mechanisms. Since both programs have much in common, most of the component and material investigations are the same. Extremely valuable information on numerous essential subjects, such as atomic oxygen, radiation, meteoroid and space debris environment resulting damage, low cycle fatigue, material degradation, etc. are expected to be obtained for both types of arrays. We will also be able to explain and understand the anomalies experienced on both solar arrays in orbit. The paper will outline both post-flight investigation programs and will concentrate on reporting the first results and findings.

Grelach, Lothar↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Status of Mars Retropropulsion Testing in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

Future Mars human landings will be enabled by a powered descent phase starting at supersonic conditions, something which has never been done before on a Mars mission. Significant aerosciences challenges exist due to jet interactions between the retrorocket engine plumes, freestream flow, and vehicle that will affect the aerodynamic behavior during powered descent. Historically, wind tunnel tests have been used to study the interactions with inert gas exhaust simulants in place of rocket engines. On the computational side, flowfield simulations have been completed at full-scale conditions, but the available ground and flight data are not appropriate for calibrating computational uncertainties for aerodynamic interference on proposed Mars descent vehicles, due to insufficient data, dissimilar vehicle geometries, and disparate operating conditions. A wind tunnel test has been designed to begin addressing powered descent aerodynamics risks for large-scale human Mars entry concepts and to identify gaps in computational predictive capabilities. The test will be conducted in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel and is designed with improvements in model design and data products over past tests. The test campaign will be run using sub-scale model geometries derived from NASA powered descent reference vehicles: a blunt low lift-to-drag vehicle and a more slender geometry that generates higher unpowered lift. Both models have been fabricated and are ready for testing. The blunt model is equipped with the flexibility to examine the effects of nozzle pointing direction, number, location, size, and area ratio. The main measurements are heatshield aerodynamic interference forces and moments with a custom flow-through balance, discrete and distributed heatshield pressure, and high-speed flowfield visualization. This paper covers the test objectives, facility, models and instrumentation, and planned test matrix.

Supersonic Retropropulsion↗
NASA NTRS2014

Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) Upgrade Activities

Over the past year the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) has been undergoing a significant upgrade beyond its initial configuration. The NTREES facility is designed to perform realistic non-nuclear testing of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) fuel elements and fuel materials. Although the NTREES facility cannot mimic the neutron and gamma environment of an operating NTR, it can simulate the thermal hydraulic environment within an NTR fuel element to provide critical information on material performance and compatibility. The first phase of the upgrade activities which was completed in 2012 in part consisted of an extensive modification to the hydrogen system to permit computer controlled operations outside the building through the use of pneumatically operated variable position valves. This setup also allows the hydrogen flow rate to be increased to over 200 g/sec and reduced the operation complexity of the system. The second stage of modifications to NTREES which has just been completed expands the capabilities of the facility significantly. In particular, the previous 50 kW induction power supply has been replaced with a 1.2 MW unit which should allow more prototypical fuel element temperatures to be reached. The water cooling system was also upgraded to so as to be capable of removing 100% of the heat generated during. This new setup required that the NTREES vessel be raised onto a platform along with most of its associated gas and vent lines. In this arrangement, the induction heater and water systems are now located underneath the platform. In this new configuration, the 1.2 MW NTREES induction heater will be capable of testing fuel elements and fuel materials in flowing hydrogen at pressures up to 1000 psi at temperatures up to and beyond 3000 K and at near-prototypic reactor channel power densities. NTREES is also capable of testing potential fuel elements with a variety of propellants, including hydrogen with additives to inhibit corrosion of certain potential NTR fuel forms. Additional diagnostic upgrades included in the present NTREES set up include the addition of a gamma ray spectrometer located near the vent filter to detect uranium fuel particles exiting the fuel element in the propellant exhaust stream to provide additional information any material loss occurring during testing. Other aspects of the upgrade included reworking NTREES to reduce the operational complexity of the system despite the increased complexity of the induction heating system. To this end, many of the controls were consolidated on fewer panels. As part of this upgrade activity, the Safety Assessment (SA) and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for NTREES were extensively rewritten. The new 1.2 MW induction heater consists of three physical units consisting of a transformer, rectifier, and inverter. This multiunit arrangement facilitated increasing the flexibility of the induction heater by more easily allowing variable frequency operation. Frequency ranges between 20 and 60 kHz can be accommodated in the new induction heater allowing more representative power distributions to be generated within the test elements.

Emrich, William J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The FAA/NASA flight loads monitoring program - The prototype system and its benefits for the aviation community

The FAA established the flight load monitoring program to collect a data base of typical flight operational loads experienced by commercial transports. This system will provide a comprehensive monitoring of aircraft loading conditions with over 20 flight parameters being recorded simultaneously. NASA is designing and testing a prototype data collection and analysis system which will be implemented into an FAA operational program. This paper presents the program's objectives and the proposed development testing on a commercial Boeing 737-400. The prototype system, its data processing schemes, and reports are described. The searching criteria or flight attributes generated for each flight are listed. The data processing system will provide the aviation community with a powerful tool for the study of transport flight loading conditions and the system's flexibility will accommodate individual studies and specialized concerns.

Whitehead, Julia H.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Recent Electric Propulsion Development Activities for NASA Science Missions

(The primary source of electric propulsion development throughout NASA is managed by the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project at the NASA Glenn Research Center for the Science Mission Directorate. The objective of the Electric Propulsion project area is to develop near-term electric propulsion technology to enhance or enable science missions while minimizing risk and cost to the end user. Major hardware tasks include developing NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), developing a long-life High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HIVHAC), developing an advanced feed system, and developing cross-platform components. The objective of the NEXT task is to advance next generation ion propulsion technology readiness. The baseline NEXT system consists of a high-performance, 7-kW ion thruster; a high-efficiency, 7-kW power processor unit (PPU); a highly flexible advanced xenon propellant management system (PMS); a lightweight engine gimbal; and key elements of a digital control interface unit (DCIU) including software algorithms. This design approach was selected to provide future NASA science missions with the greatest value in mission performance benefit at a low total development cost. The objective of the HIVHAC task is to advance the Hall thruster technology readiness for science mission applications. The task seeks to increase specific impulse, throttle-ability and lifetime to make Hall propulsion systems applicable to deep space science missions. The primary application focus for the resulting Hall propulsion system would be cost-capped missions, such as competitively selected, Discovery-class missions. The objective of the advanced xenon feed system task is to demonstrate novel manufacturing techniques that will significantly reduce mass, volume, and footprint size of xenon feed systems over conventional feed systems. This task has focused on the development of a flow control module, which consists of a three-channel flow system based on a piezo-electrically actuated valve concept, as well as a pressure control module, which will regulate pressure from the propellant tank. Cross-platform component standardization and simplification are being investigated through the Standard Architecture task to reduce first user costs for implementing electric propulsion systems. Progress on current hardware development, recent test activities and future plans are discussed.

Pencil, Eric J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Multi-Mission Power Analysis Tool (MMPAT) Version 3

The Multi-Mission Power Analysis Tool (MMPAT) simulates a spacecraft power subsystem including the power source (solar array and/or radioisotope thermoelectric generator), bus-voltage control, secondary battery (lithium-ion or nickel-hydrogen), thermostatic heaters, and power-consuming equipment. It handles multiple mission types including heliocentric orbiters, planetary orbiters, and surface operations. Being parametrically driven along with its user-programmable features can reduce or even eliminate any need for software modifications when configuring it for a particular spacecraft. It provides multiple levels of fidelity, thereby fulfilling the vast majority of a project s power simulation needs throughout the lifecycle. It can operate in a stand-alone mode with a graphical user interface, in batch mode, or as a library linked with other tools. This software can simulate all major aspects of a spacecraft power subsystem. It is parametrically driven to reduce or eliminate the need for a programmer. Added flexibility is provided through user-designed state models and table-driven parameters. MMPAT is designed to be used by a variety of users, such as power subsystem engineers for sizing power subsystem components; mission planners for adjusting mission scenarios using power profiles generated by the model; system engineers for performing system- level trade studies using the results of the model during the early design phases of a spacecraft; and operations personnel for high-fidelity modeling of the essential power aspect of the planning picture.

Wood, Eric G.↗
NASA NTRS2009

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2009

Tech Briefs are short announcements of innovations originating from research and development activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They emphasize information considered likely to be transferable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application. Topics covered include: The Radio Frequency Health Node Wireless Sensor System; Effects of Temperature on Polymer/Carbon Chemical Sensors; Small CO2 Sensors Operate at Lower Temperature; Tele-Supervised Adaptive Ocean Sensor Fleet; Synthesis of Submillimeter Radiation for Spectroscopy; 100-GHz Phase Switch/Mixer Containing a Slot-Line Transition; Generating Ka-Band Signals Using an X-Band Vector Modulator; SiC Optically Modulated Field-Effect Transistor; Submillimeter-Wave Amplifier Module with Integrated Waveguide Transitions; Metrology System for a Large, Somewhat Flexible Telescope; Economical Implementation of a Filter Engine in an FPGA; Improved Joining of Metal Components to Composite Structures; Machined Titanium Heat-Pipe Wick Structure; Gadolinia-Doped Ceria Cathodes for Electrolysis of CO2; Utilizing Ocean Thermal Energy in a Submarine Robot; Fuel-Cell Power Systems Incorporating Mg-Based H2 Generators; Alternative OTEC Scheme for a Submarine Robot; Sensitive, Rapid Detection of Bacterial Spores; Adenosine Monophosphate-Based Detection of Bacterial Spores; Silicon Microleaks for Inlets of Mass Spectrometers; CGH Figure Testing of Aspherical Mirrors in Cold Vacuums; Series-Coupled Pairs of Silica Microresonators; Precise Stabilization of the Optical Frequency of WGMRs; Formation Flying of Components of a Large Space Telescope; Laser Metrology Heterodyne Phase-Locked Loop; Spatial Modulation Improves Performance in CTIS; High-Performance Algorithm for Solving the Diagnosis Problem; Truncation Depth Rule-of-Thumb for Convolutional Codes; Efficient Method for Optimizing Placement of Sensors.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1984

Analytical Models

A system-level design and analysis model was developed. This model was conceived to have several key elements: a solar pond thermodynamic performance model, a power generation subsystem model, and an economic analysis element. The basic approach was to create these elements or modules and refine them on an individual basis yet retain the capability to easily couple them into a full system design model. This building block approach allows for maximum flexibility and substitution of refined descriptions as the technology develops. A general overview of interconnecting these subsystem models is presented. The primary program control element will perform the administrative functions of data input, data output, information storage and transfer, and sequential calling of the subsystem models. From the point of view of the requirements of a system design model, a power conversion subsystem model was developed. The goal of the effort was a preliminary subsystem model compatible with the solar pond subsystem model so that a first order system simulation analysis could be performed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

Initial Operation of the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator

The Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) facility is designed to perform realistic non-nuclear testing of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) fuel elements and fuel materials. Although the NTREES facility cannot mimic the neutron and gamma environment of an operating NTR, it can simulate the thermal hydraulic environment within an NTR fuel element to provide critical information on material performance and compatibility. The NTREES facility has recently been upgraded such that the power capabilities of the facility have been increased significantly. At its present 1.2 MW power level, more prototypical fuel element temperatures nay now be reached. The new 1.2 MW induction heater consists of three physical units consisting of a transformer, rectifier, and inverter. This multiunit arrangement facilitated increasing the flexibility of the induction heater by more easily allowing variable frequency operation. Frequency ranges between 20 and 60 kHz can accommodated in the new induction heater allowing more representative power distributions to be generated within the test elements. The water cooling system was also upgraded to so as to be capable of removing 100% of the heat generated during testing In this new higher power configuration, NTREES will be capable of testing fuel elements and fuel materials at near-prototypic power densities. As checkout testing progressed and as higher power levels were achieved, several design deficiencies were discovered and fixed. Most of these design deficiencies were related to stray RF energy causing various components to encounter unexpected heating. Copper shielding around these components largely eliminated these problems. Other problems encountered involved unexpected movement in the coil due to electromagnetic forces and electrical arcing between the coil and a dummy test article. The coil movement and arcing which were encountered during the checkout testing effectively destroyed the induction coil in use at the time and resulted in NTREES being out of commission for a couple of months while a new stronger coil was procured. The new coil includes several additional pieces of support structure to prevent coil movement in the future. In addition, new insulating test article support components have been fabricated to prevent unexpected arcing to the test articles. Additional activities are also now underway to address ways in which the radial temperature profiles across test articles may be controlled such that they are more prototypical of what they would encounter in an operating nuclear engine. The causes of the temperature distribution problem are twofold. First, the fuel element test article is isolated in NTREES as opposed to being in the midst of many other mostly identical fuel elements in a nuclear engine. As a result, the fuel element heat flux boundary conditions in NTREES are far from adiabatic as would normally be the case in a reactor. Second, induction heating skews the power distribution such that power is preferentially deposited near the outside of the fuel element. Nuclear heating, conversely, deposits its power much more uniformly throughout the fuel element. Current studies are now looking at various schemes to adjust the amount of thermal radiation emitted from the fuel element surface so as to essentially vary the thermal boundary conditions on the test article. It is hoped that by properly adjusting the thermal boundary conditions on the fuel element test article, it may be possible to substantially correct for the inappropriate radial power distributions resulting from the induction heating so as to yield a more nearly correct temperature distribution throughout the fuel element.

Emrich, William J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

NEMA wire and cable standards development programs

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the nation's largest trade association for manufacturers of electrical equipment. Its member companies produce components, end-use equipment and systems for the generation, transmission, distribution, control and use of electricity. The wire and cable division is presented in 6 sections: building wire and cable, fabricated conductors, flexible cords, high performance wire and cable, magnet wire, and power and control cable. Participating companies are listed.

Baird, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS2011

High Power Electric Propulsion for Deep Space Missions

Slide presentation reviews: (1) An Electric Propulsion Primer (2) The Flexible Path and the Electric Path (2a) A New Plan for Human Exploration (2b)The Role of Electric Propulsion (3) High Power Electric Thrusters (3a)Hall Thrusters (3b) Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters (4)Challenges for the Next Generation of Advanced Propulsion Technologist

human exploration↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space-Based Solar Power: An Enabler for Expanded Lunar Surface Exploration and Mobility Operations

The achievement of industrial and scientific goals set by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis missions within the Moon to Mars (M2M) architecture greatly relies on the breadth and efficacy of lunar surface exploration. The lunar surface environment presents various challenges and complexities to sustainable mission operations and activities. Power generation and distribution capabilities are vital for exploration on the lunar surface, which can enable activities such as subsurface sample collection, permanently shadowed region (PSR) prospecting, and lunar terrain mapping. Innovative power technologies that demonstrate flexibility, reliability, and high capacity are desirable to achieve sustainable operations and infrastructure on the lunar surface. Studies have proposed solar-powered spacecraft in cislunar orbit capable of beaming power to lunar surface assets as a solution to this problem. This study analyzes the benefit that space-based solar power (SBSP) assets could deliver to the M2M architecture by measuring its potential to augment lunar surface exploration opportunity. Qualitative measures of SBSP’s potential impact will include, but not be limited to, power available across surface elements, surface mobility range, and delivered landed mass. These measures are assessed for a notional surface architecture measured against its baseline configuration (no external power augmentation). Additionally, this presentation will provide an overview of the SBSP system design configuration trade space, subsystem parameter trade space, and results from preliminary spacecraft concept of operations (ConOps) and sizing.

Space-based solar power↗
NASA NTRS1972

Integrated engine-generator for aircraft secondary power.

The integrated engine-generator concept consists of an electric generator located inside a turbojet or turbofan engine and both concentric with and driven by one of the main engine shafts. The electric power-conversion equipment and generator controls are conveniently located in the aircraft. When properly rated, the generator serves as an engine starter as well as a source of electric power. The available generating capacity permits use of electrically driven engine accessories. This reduces or eliminates the need for an external gearbox on the engine, thereby simplifying the engine and nacelle assembly and increasing aircraft design flexibility. The nacelle diameter can then be decreased, resulting in less aerodynamic drag and reduced takeoff gross weight.

Secunde, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Situational Awareness from a Low-Cost Camera System

A method gathers scene information from a low-cost camera system. Existing surveillance systems using sufficient cameras for continuous coverage of a large field necessarily generate enormous amounts of raw data. Digitizing and channeling that data to a central computer and processing it in real time is difficult when using low-cost, commercially available components. A newly developed system is located on a combined power and data wire to form a string-of-lights camera system. Each camera is accessible through this network interface using standard TCP/IP networking protocols. The cameras more closely resemble cell-phone cameras than traditional security camera systems. Processing capabilities are built directly onto the camera backplane, which helps maintain a low cost. The low power requirements of each camera allow the creation of a single imaging system comprising over 100 cameras. Each camera has built-in processing capabilities to detect events and cooperatively share this information with neighboring cameras. The location of the event is reported to the host computer in Cartesian coordinates computed from data correlation across multiple cameras. In this way, events in the field of view can present low-bandwidth information to the host rather than high-bandwidth bitmap data constantly being generated by the cameras. This approach offers greater flexibility than conventional systems, without compromising performance through using many small, low-cost cameras with overlapping fields of view. This means significant increased viewing without ignoring surveillance areas, which can occur when pan, tilt, and zoom cameras look away. Additionally, due to the sharing of a single cable for power and data, the installation costs are lower. The technology is targeted toward 3D scene extraction and automatic target tracking for military and commercial applications. Security systems and environmental/ vehicular monitoring systems are also potential applications.

Freudinger, Lawrence C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Getting a Cohesive Answer from a Common Start: Scalable Multidisciplinary Analysis through Transformation of a Systems Model

One of the challenges of systems engineering is in working multidisciplinary problems in a cohesive manner. When planning analysis of these problems, system engineers must trade between time and cost for analysis quality and quantity. The quality often correlates with greater run time in multidisciplinary models and the quantity is associated with the number of alternatives that can be analyzed. The trade-off is due to the resource intensive process of creating a cohesive multidisciplinary systems model and analysis. Furthermore, reuse or extension of the models used in one stage of a product life cycle for another is a major challenge. Recent developments have enabled a much less resource-intensive and more rigorous approach than hand-written translation scripts between multi-disciplinary models and their analyses. The key is to work from a core systems model defined in a MOF-based language such as SysML and in leveraging the emerging tool ecosystem, such as Query/View/Transformation (QVT), from the OMG community. SysML was designed to model multidisciplinary systems. The QVT standard was designed to transform SysML models into other models, including those leveraged by engineering analyses. The Europa Habitability Mission (EHM) team has begun to exploit these capabilities. In one case, a Matlab/Simulink model is generated on the fly from a system description for power analysis written in SysML. In a more general case, symbolic analysis (supported by Wolfram Mathematica) is coordinated by data objects transformed from the systems model, enabling extremely flexible and powerful design exploration and analytical investigations of expected system performance.

Operational QVT↗