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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

High-Density-Tape Casting System

Centrifuge packs solids from slurry into uniform, dense layer. New system produces tapes of nearly theoretical packing density. Centrifugal system used to cast thin tapes for capacitors, fuel cells, and filters. Cylindrical rotary casting chamber mounted on high-speed bearings and connected to motor. Liquid for vapor-pressure control and casting slurry introduced from syringes through rotary seal. During drying step, liquid and vapor vented through feed tubes or other openings. Laminated tapes produced by adding more syringes to cast additional layers of different materials.

Collins, Earl R., Jr.↗

Effect of a wing-tip mounted pusher turboprop on the aerodynamic characteristics of a semi-span wing

An exploratory investigation has been conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center to determine the installed performance of a wing tip-mounted pusher turboprop. Tests were conducted using a semispan model having an unswept, untapered wing with a air-driven motor located on the tip of the wing, with an SR-2 design high speed propeller installed on the rear shaft of the motor. All tests were conducted at a Mach number of 0.70, at angles of attack of approximately -2 to +4 deg, and at a Reynolds number of 3.82 million based on the wing chord of 13 inches. The data indicate that, as a result of locating the propeller behind the wing trailing edge, at the wingtip, in the cross flow of the tip vortex, it is possible to recover part of the vortex energy as an increase in propeller thrust and, therefore, a reduction in the lift-induced drag as well.

Patterson, J. C., Jr.↗

Transport Control for High-Density Digital Recorder

Tape capstan drive motor speed controlled by phase-locked loop to keep data rate off of tape compatible with demand clock rate preventing deskewbuffer overflow or underflow. Immunity to speed perturbations caused by data dropouts is obtained by switching to different data-channel reference signal whenever dropout is detected by frame synchronizer in channel currently in use. Desired tape speed is selected by changing frequency of demand rate clock and changing divisor N in programable divider.

Matlin, M. D.↗

High Speed Bearing Wear Rate Measurements for Spacecraft Active Thermal Control Fluid Pumps with a Novel Pin on Disk Apparatus

A novel pin on disc tribometer was designed and constructed to generate a high-speed, wear coefficient database for hydrodynamic bearings that are typically used in canned motors found in the active thermal control circuits of robotic and inhabited spacecraft. The primary motivation for this work was the premature failure of the active external thermal control pump on the International Space Station in 2010. During the failure investigation of this incident, the root cause was postulated to be high speed wear of the bearings. Although a detailed forensic analysis gave credibility to this theory, the lack of wear coefficient data at relevant conditions prevented validation of this finding. The database generated from the new Extreme Environment Tribometer (EET) enabled a closure calculation within 5% of the observed wear from inspections of the failed hardware. Testing in anhydrous ammonia and surrogate fluid was performed to provide a means for simplified testing in the future and to populate a preliminary database for the design of future active thermal control systems on spacecraft. The EET and test techniques developed for the measurement of high-speed wear coefficients are available to future system designers.

thermal control↗

The Implementation of a Motor Simulator for the Development of the Europa Lander Motor Controller

JPL is developing a motor controller capable of controlling the motors required for landed missions on icy worlds such as Europa and Enceladus. To support this effort, JPL, together with Tech180, is developing a motor simulator capable of simulating various types of motors required for these missions and their operation in the ambient environment. This system is being designed to support three 3-phase brushless DC motors with the ability to expanded to 24 motors. The simulator is able to simulate motors with current draw up to 10 amps, and sensors that range from resolvers, hall sensors, and encoders. The motor simulator design utilizes NI components and LabVIEW software, along with high-speed FPGA hardware. This paper will present an overview of our motor controller, the requirements for the motor simulator, and details of its design along with the test results to date.

Walker, Roy↗

Simulated Single Tooth Bending of High Temperature Alloys

Future unmanned space missions will require mechanisms to operate at extreme conditions in order to be successful. In some of these mechanisms, very high gear reductions will be needed to permit very small motors to drive other components at low rotational speed with high output torque. Therefore gearing components are required that can meet the mission requirements. In mechanisms such as this, bending fatigue strength capacity of the gears is very important. The bending fatigue capacity of a high temperature, nickel-based alloy, typically used for turbine disks in gas turbine engines and two tool steel materials with high vanadium content, were compared to that of a typical aerospace alloy-AISI 9310. Test specimens were fabricated by electro-discharge machining without post machining processing. Tests were run at 24 and at 490 C. As test temperature increased from 24 to 490 C the bending fatigue strength was reduced by a factor of five.

Handschuh, Robert, F.↗

Electronic Control Of Slow Rotations

Digital/analog circuit controls both angular position and speed of rotation of motor shaft with high precision. Locks angular position of motor to phase of rotation-command clock signal at binary submultiple of master clock signal. Circuit or modified version used to control precisely position and velocity of robotic manipulator, to control translation mechanism of crystal-growing furnace, to position hands of mechanical clock, or to control angular position and rate of rotation in any of large variety of rotating mechanisms.

Howard, David E.↗

Apparatus and method to pulverize rock using a superconducting electromagnetic linear motor

A rock pulverizer device based on a superconducting linear motor. The superconducting electromagnetic rock pulverizer accelerates a projectile via a superconducting linear motor and directs the projectile at high speed toward a rock structure that is to be pulverized by collision of the speeding projectile with the rock structure. The rock pulverizer is comprised of a trapped field superconducting secondary magnet mounted on a movable car following a track, a wire wound series of primary magnets mounted on the track, and the complete magnet/track system mounted on a vehicle used for movement of the pulverizer through a mine as well as for momentum transfer during launch of the rock breaking projectile.

Ignatiev, Alex↗

Design and Performance Improvements of the Prototype Open Core Flywheel Energy Storage System

A prototype magnetically suspended composite flywheel energy storage (FES) system is operating at the University of Maryland. This system, designed for spacecraft applications, incorporates recent advances in the technologies of composite materials, magnetic suspension, and permanent magnet brushless motor/generator. The current system is referred to as an Open Core Composite Flywheel (OCCF) energy storage system. This paper will present design improvements for enhanced and robust performance. Initially, when the OCCF prototype was spun above its first critical frequency of 4,500 RPM, the rotor movement would exceed the space available in the magnetic suspension gap and touchdown on the backup mechanical bearings would occur. On some occasions it was observed that, after touchdown, the rotor was unable to re-suspend as the speed decreased. Additionally, it was observed that the rotor would exhibit unstable oscillations when the control system was initially turned on. Our analysis suggested that the following problems existed: (1) The linear operating range of the magnetic bearings was limited due to electrical and magnetic saturation; (2) The inductance of the magnetic bearings was affecting the transient response of the system; (3) The flywheel was confined to a small movement because mechanical components could not be held to a tight tolerance; and (4) The location of the touchdown bearing magnifies the motion at the pole faces of the magnetic bearings when the linear range is crucial. In order to correct these problems an improved design of the flywheel energy storage system was undertaken. The magnetic bearings were re-designed to achieve a large linear operating range and to withstand load disturbances of at least 1 g. The external position transducers were replaced by a unique design which were resistant to magnetic field noise and allowed cancellation of the radial growth of the flywheel at high speeds. A central rod was utilized to ensure the concentricity of the magnetic bearings, the motor/generator, and the mechanical touchdown bearings. In addition, the mechanical touchdown bearings were placed at two ends of the magnetic bearing stack to restrict the motion at pole faces. A composite flywheel was made using a multi-ring interference assembled design for a high specific energy density. To achieve a higher speed and better efficiency, a permanent magnet DC brushless motor was specially designed and fabricated. A vacuum enclosure was constructed to eliminate windage losses for testing at high speeds. With the new improvements the OCCF system was tested to 20,000 RPM with a total stored energy of 15.9 WH and an angular momentum of 54.8 N-m-s (40.4 lb-ft-s). Motor current limitation, caused by power loss in the magnetic bearings, was identified as causing the limit in upper operating speed.

Pang, D.↗

Integrated High-Speed Torque Control System for a Robotic Joint

A control system for achieving high-speed torque for a joint of a robot includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) having a collocated joint processor and high-speed communication bus. The PCBA may also include a power inverter module (PIM) and local sensor conditioning electronics (SCE) for processing sensor data from one or more motor position sensors. Torque control of a motor of the joint is provided via the PCBA as a high-speed torque loop. Each joint processor may be embedded within or collocated with the robotic joint being controlled. Collocation of the joint processor, PIM, and high-speed bus may increase noise immunity of the control system, and the localized processing of sensor data from the joint motor at the joint level may minimize bus cabling to and from each control node. The joint processor may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

Davis, Donald R.↗

Design of a Mode Conversion Ultrasonic Motor for Position Control

The many useful characteristics of ultrasonic motors, such as high holding torques, and high torque at low speeds, have made them the subject of increasing interest. In addition, several of their characteristics make them attractive for aerospace applications: they have a torque to weight ratio, and they require neither gearing mechanisms nor lubrication. Moreover, they create negligible magnetic fields, and conversely, they are not affected by external magnetic fields. Ultrasonic motors based on bolt-tightened structures offer simplicity and high stress capability. They use the inverse piezoelectric effect in the stator to produce vibrational energy, which is transferred to the rotor by friction. We designed a bolt-tightened ultrasonic motor using numerical modelling tools (finite element and electromechanical circuit analyses), creating an equivalent circuit model that takes into account the electromechanical energy conversion in the stator and the contact between the stator and the rotor. Analysis of the circuit gives insight into the behavior of the motor and allows its performance to be calculated. Two prototypes of the motor were built; their transient responses and other quantities, such as starting torque, were measured. In this paper, we discuss the numerical and the experimental results, and demonstrate the usefulness of numerical analysis in designing ultrasonic motors and estimating their performance.

LeLetty, Ronan↗

Leveraging High-Level Synthesis to Migrate Motor Control Algorithms From Microcontroller to FPGA

As motor control algorithms become increasingly complex, traditional microcontroller-based implementations are reaching computational limits that prevent the controller from operating at the required speed. This paper presents a novel workflow leveraging High-Level Synthesis (HLS) to migrate motor control algorithms from a microcontroller implementation to a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation. The proposed approach utilizes the free Vitis HLS software to automatically convert Embedded Coder-generated C code from a Simulink model into Hardware Description Language (HDL) code suitable for FPGA deployment.

FPGA↗

Leveraging High-Level Synthesis to Migrate Motor Control Algorithms From Microcontroller to FPGA

As motor control algorithms become increasingly complex, traditional microcontroller-based implementations are reaching computational limits that prevent the controller from operating at the required speed. This paper presents a novel workflow leveraging High-Level Synthesis (HLS) to migrate motor control algorithms from a microcontroller implementation to a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation. The proposed approach utilizes the free Vitis HLS software to automatically convert Embedded Coder-generated C code from a Simulink model into Hardware Description Language (HDL) code suitable for FPGA deployment.

FPGA↗

Memory-Metal Stepping Motor

Compact stepping motor for applications requiring high torque at slow speeds made with helical spring clutch and electrically-heated memory-metal actuator.

Jamieson, R. S.↗

Three-Axis Attitude Control With a Single Wheel

Single-device attitude-control system provides stabilization along three axes. Flywheel connected to electronically controlled motor rotates on magnetic bearing. At high rotational speed, small angular displacements about x and y axes, in response to control signals enable storage of relatively large amounts of angular momentum. Angular momentum about z axis stored in changes in rotational speed.

Studer, P. A.↗

Evaluation of installed performance of a wing-tip-mounted pusher turboprop on a semispan wing

An exploratory investigation has been conducted at the Langley Research Center to determine the effect of a wing-tip-mounted pusher turboprop on the aerodynamic characteristics of a semispan wing. Tests were conducted on a semispan model with an upswept, untapered wing and an airdriven motor that powered an SR-2 high-speed propeller located on the tip of the wing as a pusher propeller. All tests were conducted at a Mach number of 0.70 over an angle-of-attack range from approximately -2 to 4 deg at a Reynolds number of 3.82 x 10 to the 6th based on the wing reference chord of 13 in. The data indicate that, as a result of locating the propeller behind the wing trailing edge at the wing tip in the crossflow of the wing-tip vortex, it is possible to improve propeller performance and simultaneously reduce the lift-induced drag.

Patterson, James C., Jr.↗

Research In Diagnosing Bearing Defects From Vibrations

Report describes research in bearing-defect signature analysis - use of vibration-signal analysis to diagnose defects in roller and ball bearings. Experiments performed on bearings in good condition and other bearings in which various parts scratched to provide known defects correlated with vibration signals. Experiments performed on highly instrumented motor-driven rotor assembly at speeds up to 10,050 r/min, using accelerometers, velocity probes, and proximity sensors mounted at various locations on assembly to measure vibrations.

Zoladz, T.↗

Sensorimotor aspects of high-speed artificial gravity: III. Sensorimotor adaptation

As a countermeasure to the debilitating physiological effects of weightlessness, astronauts could live continuously in an artificial gravity environment created by slow rotation of an entire spacecraft or be exposed to brief daily "doses" in a short radius centrifuge housed within a non-rotating spacecraft. A potential drawback to both approaches is that head movements made during rotation may be disorienting and nauseogenic. These side effects are more severe at higher rotation rates, especially upon first exposure. Head movements during rotation generate aberrant vestibular stimulation and Coriolis force perturbations of the head-neck motor system. This article reviews our progress toward distinguishing vestibular and motor factors in side effects of rotation, and presents new data concerning the rates of rotation up to which adaptation is possible. We have studied subjects pointing to targets during constant velocity rotation, because these movements generate Coriolis motor perturbations of the arm but do not involve unusual vestibular stimulation. Initially, reaching paths and endpoints are deviated in the direction of the transient lateral Coriolis forces generated. With practice, subjects soon move in straighter paths and land on target once more. If sight of the arm is permitted, adaptation is more rapid than in darkness. Initial arm movement trajectory and endpoint deviations are proportional to Coriolis force magnitude over a range of rotation speeds from 5 to 20 rpm, and there is rapid, complete motor adaptation at all speeds. These new results indicate that motor adaptation to high rotation rates is possible. Coriolis force perturbations of head movements also occur in a rotating environment but adaptation gradually develops over the course of many head movements.

Non-NASA Center↗