Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “trip analysis”

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

NAS Demand Predictions, Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) Compared with Other Forecasts

The current work incorporates the Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) to predict the future demand for airline travel. TSAM is a multi-mode, national model that predicts the demand for all long distance travel at a county level based upon population and demographics. The model conducts a mode choice analysis to compute the demand for commercial airline travel based upon the traveler s purpose of the trip, value of time, cost and time of the trip,. The county demand for airline travel is then aggregated (or distributed) to the airport level, and the enplanement demand at commercial airports is modeled. With the growth in flight demand, and utilizing current airline flight schedules, the Fratar algorithm is used to develop future flight schedules in the NAS. The projected flights can then be flown through air transportation simulators to quantify the ability of the NAS to meet future demand. A major strength of the TSAM analysis is that scenario planning can be conducted to quantify capacity requirements at individual airports, based upon different future scenarios. Different demographic scenarios can be analyzed to model the demand sensitivity to them. Also, it is fairly well know, but not well modeled at the airport level, that the demand for travel is highly dependent on the cost of travel, or the fare yield of the airline industry. The FAA projects the fare yield (in constant year dollars) to keep decreasing into the future. The magnitude and/or direction of these projections can be suspect in light of the general lack of airline profits and the large rises in airline fuel cost. Also, changes in travel time and convenience have an influence on the demand for air travel, especially for business travel. Future planners cannot easily conduct sensitivity studies of future demand with the FAA TAF data, nor with the Boeing or Airbus projections. In TSAM many factors can be parameterized and various demand sensitivities can be predicted for future travel. These resulting demand scenarios can be incorporated into future flight schedules, therefore providing a quantifiable demand for flights in the NAS for a range of futures. In addition, new future airline business scenarios are investigated that illustrate when direct flights can replace connecting flights and larger aircraft can be substituted, only when justified by demand.

Viken, Jeff↗

Utilizing Traveler Demand Modeling to Predict Future Commercial Flight Schedules in the NAS

The current work incorporates the Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) to predict the future demand for airline travel. TSAM is a multi-mode, national model that predicts the demand for all long distance travel at a county level based upon population and demographics. The model conducts a mode choice analysis to compute the demand for commercial airline travel based upon the traveler s purpose of the trip, value of time, cost and time of the trip,. The county demand for airline travel is then aggregated (or distributed) to the airport level, and the enplanement demand at commercial airports is modeled. With the growth in flight demand, and utilizing current airline flight schedules, the Fratar algorithm is used to develop future flight schedules in the NAS. The projected flights can then be flown through air transportation simulators to quantify the ability of the NAS to meet future demand. A major strength of the TSAM analysis is that scenario planning can be conducted to quantify capacity requirements at individual airports, based upon different future scenarios. Different demographic scenarios can be analyzed to model the demand sensitivity to them. Also, it is fairly well know, but not well modeled at the airport level, that the demand for travel is highly dependent on the cost of travel, or the fare yield of the airline industry. The FAA projects the fare yield (in constant year dollars) to keep decreasing into the future. The magnitude and/or direction of these projections can be suspect in light of the general lack of airline profits and the large rises in airline fuel cost. Also, changes in travel time and convenience have an influence on the demand for air travel, especially for business travel. Future planners cannot easily conduct sensitivity studies of future demand with the FAA TAF data, nor with the Boeing or Airbus projections. In TSAM many factors can be parameterized and various demand sensitivities can be predicted for future travel. These resulting demand scenarios can be incorporated into future flight schedules, therefore providing a quantifiable demand for flights in the NAS for a range of futures. In addition, new future airline business scenarios are investigated that illustrate when direct flights can replace connecting flights and larger aircraft can be substituted, only when justified by demand.

Viken, Jeff↗

NASA Electric Propulsion Program

The described NASA program is to provide the technology base to meet the U.S. future needs in the area of low thrust, high specific impulse propulsion. An electric propulsion system will be needed to augment the Shuttle-IUS Space Transportation System for space missions involving the exploration of the solar system. Plans exist in this connection for comet and asteroid rendezvous, a Saturn and a Mercury orbiter, and a Mars surface sample return. An analysis has shown that electric propulsion can be used to obtain larger payloads, shorter trip times, more mission flexibility, and less complicated trajectories. In addition, electric propulsion has also potential uses for earth orbital missions. Attention is given to the auxiliary propulsion technology program which is to develop a one millipound electron bombardment thrust system, a baseline program concerned with a 3 kilowatt thrust system, ion thruster research, magnetoplasmadynamic thruster research and evaluation, and the use of a mass driver as a reaction mass propulsion system.

Hudson, W. R.↗

Nuclear powered Mars cargo transport mission utilizing advanced ion propulsion

Nuclear-powered ion propulsion technology was combined with detailed trajectory analysis to determine propulsion system and trajectory options for an unmanned cargo mission to Mars in support of manned Mars missions. A total of 96 mission scenarios were identified by combining two power levels, two propellants, four values of specific impulse per propellant, three starting altitudes, and two starting velocities. Sixty of these scenarios were selected for a detailed trajectory analysis; a complete propulsion system study was then conducted for 20 of these trajectories. Trip times ranged from 344 days for a xenon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from lunar orbit with escape velocity, to 770 days for an argon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from nuclear start orbit with circular velocity. Trip times for the 3 MW cases studied ranged from 356 to 413 days. Payload masses ranged from 5700 to 12,300 kg for the 300 kW power level, and from 72,200 to 81,500 kg for the 3 MW power level.

Galecki, Diane L.↗

Nuclear powered Mars cargo transport mission utilizing advanced ion propulsion

Nuclear-powered ion propulsion technology was combined with detailed trajectory analysis to determine propulsion system and trajectory options for an unmanned cargo mission to Mars in support of manned Mars missions. A total of 96 mission scenarios were identified by combining two power levels, two propellants, four values of specific impulse per propellant, three starting altitudes, and two starting velocities. Sixty of these scenarios were selected for a detailed trajectory analysis; a complete propulsion system study was then conducted for 20 of these trajectories. Trip times ranged from 344 days for a xenon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from lunar orbit with escape velocity, to 770 days for an argon propulsion system operating at 300 kW total power and starting from nuclear start orbit with circualr velocity. Trip times for the 3 MW cases studied ranged from 356 kW to 413 days. Payload masses ranged from 5700 to 12,300 kg for the 300 kW power level, and from 72,200 to 81, 500 kg for the 3 MW power level.

Galecki, Diane L.↗

Aerocapture Benefits to Future Science Missions

NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Program is investing in technologies to revolutionize the robotic exploration of deep space. One of these technologies is Aerocapture, the most promising of the "aeroassist" techniques used to maneuver a space vehicle within an atmosphere, using aerodynamic forces in lieu of propellant. (Other aeroassist techniques include aeroentry and aerobraking.) Aerocapture relies on drag atmospheric drag to decelerate an incoming spacecraft and capture it into orbit. This technique is very attractive since it permits spacecraft to be launched from Earth at higher velocities, providing shorter trip times and saving mass and overall cost on future missions. Recent aerocapture systems analysis studies quantify the benefits of aerocapture to future exploration. The 2002 Titan aerocapture study showed that using aerocapture at Titan instead of conventional propulsive capture results in over twice as much payload delivered to Titan. Aerocapture at Venus results in almost twice the payload delivered to Venus as with aerobraking, and over six times more mass delivered into orbit than all-propulsive capture. Aerocapture at Mars shows significant benefits as the payload sizes increase and as missions become more complex. Recent Neptune aerocapture studies show that aerocapture opens up entirely new classes of missions at Neptune. Current aerocapture technology development is advancing the maturity of each subsystem technology needed for successful implementation of aerocapture on future missions. Recent development has focused on both rigid aeroshell and inflatable aerocapture systems. Rigid aeroshell systems development includes new ablative and non-ablative thermal protection systems, advanced aeroshell performance sensors, lightweight structures and higher temperature adhesives. Inflatable systems such as trailing tethered and clamped "ballutes" and inflatable aeroshells are also under development. Computational tools required to support future aerocapture missions are an integral part of aerocapture development. Tools include engineering reference atmosphere models, guidance and navigation algorithms, aerothermodynamic modeling, and flight simulation.

Artis, Gwen↗

Experimental studies of trailing-edge conditions on an oscillating airfoil at frequency parameters of up to one

This paper describes an investigation to find the range of reduced frequencies over which the classical Kutta-Joukowsky condition is valid and the nature of deviations beyond this range. An NACA 64A010 airfoil with a 15-cm chord is supported between the side walls of a 25-cm x 35-cm low-speed wind tunnel and oscillated over reduced frequencies ranging from 0.05 to 1.2. The experimentally determined loading near the trailing edge is measured and compared with unsteady incompressible small-disturbance theory. Experimental data are obtained both with and without a boundary-layer trip. It is observed that application of the Kutta-Joukowsky condition in the theoretical analysis is valid below a reduced frequency of about 0.6 in predicting the loading in the trailing-edge region. At reduced frequencies beyond 0.8, the predicted results underestimate the measured loading near the trailing edge, and the deviations increase further with reduced frequency. Similarly, the experimental phase angle of the loading in the trailing-edge region agrees reasonably with the linear theory up to k = 0.8 but lags the predicted value beyond k = 0.8.

Satyanarayana, B.↗

Launch window analysis in a new perspective with examples of departures from Earth to Mars

Earth-departure windows are investigated for two round trip stopover missions to Mars. These are the 1981 inbound Venus swingby mission and the 1986 direct minimum-energy mission. The secular effects of planetary oblateness are used to predict the motion of the parking orbit. A procedure is developed for matching the motion of the parking orbit and the escape asymptote. Earth-departure velocity penalties, caused by orbital plane misalinement, are reduced by synchronizing the motion of the parking orbit and the escape trajectory.

Thibodeau, J. R., III↗

Analysis of a 100-W Regenerative Fuel Cell Demonstration

A 100-W regenerative fuel cell (RFC) demonstration was successfully completed at the NASA Glenn Research Center on December 11, 2014. This effort was funded by Advanced Space Power Systems milestone and represented the first demonstration of passive laboratory-scale stacks arranged as an RFC, consisting of a non-flow-through fuel cell and a static-feed electrolyzer. Once developed, these stacks present the potential to minimize system mass, volume, and parasitic power in comparison to existing terrestrial electrochemical systems and nonnuclear power generation options. Testing involved the fuel cell powering a simulated load then recycling fuel cell product water by subsequently electrolyzing it to regenerate hydrogen and oxygen gases for fuel cell operations. A total of five cycles were completed over a 2-week period, yielding cell voltage data for stack performance and quality measures for regenerated reactants. Overall, round-trip efficiency was calculated to be 47.4 percent. Gas crossover was observed in electrolyzer gas products, as residual gas analysis showed 1.1 percent hydrogen in oxygen and 0.4 percent oxygen in hydrogen. Fuel cell product water was determined to be more acidic and conductive and have a higher fluoride content when compared to deionized water.

fuel cell↗

Heat transfer in rotating serpentine passages with trips normal to the flow

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of buoyancy and Coriolis forces on heat transfer in turbine blade internal coolant passages. The experiments were conducted with a large scale, multipass, heat transfer model with both radially inward and outward flow. Trip strips on the leading and trailing surfaces of the radial coolant passages were used to produce the rough walls. An analysis of the governing flow equations showed that four parameters influence the heat transfer in rotating passages: coolant-to-wall temperature ratio, Rossby number, Reynolds number, and radius-to-passage hydraulic diameter ratio. The first three of these four parameters were varied over ranges which are typical of advanced gas turbine engine operating conditions. Results were correlated and compared to previous results from stationary and rotating similar models with trip strips. The heat transfer coefficients on surfaces, where the heat increased with rotation and buoyancy, varied by as much as a factor of four. Maximum values of the heat transfer coefficients with high rotation were only slightly above the highest levels obtained with the smooth wall model. The heat transfer coefficients on surfaces, where the heat transfer decreased with rotation, varied by as much as a factor of three due to rotation and buoyancy. It was concluded that both Coriolis and buoyancy effects must be considered in turbine blade cooling designs with trip strips and that the effects of rotation were markedly different depending upon the flow direction.

Wagner, J. H.↗

Heat transfer in rotating serpentine passages with trips normal to the flow

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of buoyancy and Coriolis forces on heat transfer in turbine blade internal coolant passages. The experiments were conducted with a large scale, multipass, heat transfer model with both radially inward and outward flow. Trip strips on the leading and trailing surfaces of the radial coolant passages were used to produce the rough walls. An analysis of the governing flow equations showed that four parameters influence the heat transfer in rotating passages: coolant-to-wall temperature ratio, Rossby number, Reynolds number, and radius-to-passage hydraulic diameter ratio. The first three of these four parameters were varied over ranges which are typical of advanced gas turbine engine operating conditions. Results were correlated and compared to previous results from stationary and rotating similar models with trip strips. The heat transfer coefficients on surfaces, where the heat increased with rotation and buoyancy, varied by as much as a factor of four. Maximum values of the heat transfer coefficients with high rotation were only slightly above the highest levels obtained with the smooth wall model. The heat transfer coefficients on surfaces, where the heat transfer decreased with rotation, varied by as much as a factor of three due to rotation and buoyancy. It was concluded that both Coriolis and buoyancy effects must be considered in turbine blade cooling designs with trip strips and that the effects of rotation were markedly different depending upon the flow direction.

Wagner, J. H.↗

Laminar to Turbulence Transition in Boundary Layers due to Tripping Devices

Direct numerical simulations (DNS)and linear stability analyses were performed to identify the mechanisms by whichtwo-and three-dimensional trips promote early transition in subsonic boundary layers over a flat plate. Investigations were conducted for threeboundary-layer transition trip configurations:a two-dimensional smooth hump,a two-dimensional rectangular-shapedrod and a three-dimensional zig-zagtape. The smooth hump was used by Park et al.1in the linear and nonlinear parabolized stability (PSE) computations. Reynolds numbersbased on the tripheights are 710, 683,and 300 for the two-and three-dimensional trips, respectively. Simulations withthe smooth hump showed that the flow becomes stable upstream and strongly unstable downstream of the hump. Simulations with the two-dimensional rectangular trip showed that the flow separates at the top of the trip and forms a long recirculation zonedownstream. However, the flow remains steady in the simulation without any external disturbances. Linear stability analysis showed that the inflectional profile in the recirculation zone is strongly unstable to frequencies in the range of 100-300 Hz. Simulations with the external disturbances forced at the frequency of 200 Hz showed that disturbances grow strongly inside the recirculation zone as observed in the Klebanoff2 experiment. Three-dimensional simulations with secondary disturbances of fundamental, subharmonic, and oblique types produced turbulent flows shortlydownstream. The three-dimensional zig-zag trip with a small roughness Reynolds number lead to early breakdown to a turbulent flow.

Stability↗

Two-micron Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) pointing/tracking study

The objective of the study was to identify and model major sources of short-term pointing jitter for a free-flying, full performance 2 micron LAWS system and evaluate the impact of the short-term jitter on wind-measurement performance. A fast steering mirror controls system was designed for the short-term jitter compensation. The performance analysis showed that the short-term jitter performance of the controls system over the 5.2 msec round-trip time for a realistic spacecraft environment was = 0.3 micro rad, rms, within the specified value of less than 0.5 micro rad, rms, derived in a 2 micron LAWS System Study. Disturbance modes were defined for: (1) the Bearing and Power Transfer Assembly (BAPTA) scan bearing, (2) the spacecraft reaction wheel torques, and (3) the solar array drive torques. The scan bearing disturbance was found to be the greatest contributing noise source to the jitter performance. Disturbances from the fast steering mirror reaction torques and a boom-mounted cross-link antenna clocking were also considered but were judged to be small compared to the three principal disturbance sources above and were not included in the final controls analysis.

Manlief, Scott↗

Benefits of high aerodynamic efficiency to orbital transfer vehicles

The benefits and costs of high aerodynamic efficiency on aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicles (AOTV) are analyzed. Results show that a high lift to drag (L/D) AOTV can achieve significant velocity savings relative to low L/D aerobraked OTV's when traveling round trip between low Earth orbits (LEO) and alternate orbits as high as geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Trajectory analysis is used to show the impact of thermal protection system technology and the importance of lift loading coefficient on vehicle performance. The possible improvements in AOTV subsystem technologies are assessed and their impact on vehicle inert weight and performance noted. Finally, the performance of high L/D AOTV concepts is compared with the performances of low L/D aeroassisted and all propulsive OTV concepts to assess the benefits of aerodynamic efficiency on this class of vehicle.

Andrews, D. G.↗

STS-81 Flight Day 7

On this seventh first day of the STS-81 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Michael A. Baker, Pilot Brent W. Jett, Mission Specialists, John M. Grunsfeld, Marsha S. Ivins, Peter J.K. Wisoff, and John Blaha, and the cosmonauts of the Russian Space Station Mir continue to transfer hundreds of pounds of water, supplies, and logistical items to each other's spacecraft. More than 1,300 pounds of water have now been transferred from Atlantis to the Mir to resupply the Russian outpost, along with equipment that will be used by astronaut Jerry M. Linenger during his four-month research mission. A bioprocessing device and an experiment used to grow cartilage cells during astronaut John Blaha's four month stay on the Mir is also transferred to Atlantis for the trip back to Earth. Linenger spends most of the day collecting water samples from the Mir for analysis back on Earth and Blaha continues to exercise on a treadmill on the Mir to stay in shape for his return to Earth and a readaptation to gravity after four months of weightlessness.

Source record↗

Aerocapture Technology Project Overview

Aerocapture technology development is one of the highest priority investments for the NASA In-Space Propulsion Program (ISP). The ISP is managed by the NASA Headquarters Office of Space Science, and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The objective of the ISP Aerocapture Technology Project (ATP) is to develop technologies that can enable and/or benefit NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass, and trip times. To accomplish this objective, the ATP identifies and prioritizes the most promising technologies using systems analysis, technology advancement and peer review, coupled with NASA Headquarters Office of Space Science target requirements. Efforts are focused on developing mid-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies to systems-level spaceflight validation.

James, Bonnie↗

New Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Lift Concept for More Efficient Missions to Mars and Neptune

The potential for using an applied magnetic field to augment the aerodynamic lift and drag of a hypersonic vehicle entering Neptune or Mars was studied. The study was conducted to assess whether magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)could boost aerodynamic lift and/or drag for aerocapture of a spacecraft into planetary orbit. MHD seemed well suited to create Lorentz forces during aerocapture when the flow is most ionized and conductive. Neptune and Mars were selected since larger payloads and faster trip times to each planet may substantially increase scientific and exploration opportunities. The results of the systems analysis presented herein suggest that a single MHD effector located off-centerline creates steering forces equaling whole-body aerodynamic forces and suggests a ground-breaking opportunity for new mission classes. The magnetic field required to produce these large forces is around 1 Tesla (T) having a mass roughly the same amount as the ballast used for recent Mars lander missions.

Aerocapture↗