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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Isolated post resonator mesogyroscope

A new symmetric vibratory gyroscope principle has been devised in which a central post proof mass is counter-rocked against an outer sensing plate such that the motion is isolated from the gyroscope case. Prototype gyroscopes have been designed and fabricated with micromachined silicon at mesoscale (20-cm resonator width), vs. microscale (e.g., 2-mm resonator width) to achieve higher sensitivity and machined precision. This novel mesogyro design arose out of an ongoing technical cooperation between JPL and Boeing begun in 1997 to advance the design of micro-inertial sensors for low-cost space applications. This paper describes the theory of operation of the mesogyro and relationships with other vibratory gyroscopes, the mechanical design, closed loop electronics design, bulk silicon fabrication and packaged gyroscope assembly and test methods. The initial packaged prototype test results are reported for what is believed to be the first silicon mesogyroscope.

mesogyroscope↗
NASA NTRS2020

Assembly Development for the Simons Observatory Focal Plane Readout Module

The Simons Observatory (SO) is a suite of instruments sensitive to temperature and polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) to be located at Cerro Toco in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Five telescopes, one large aperture telescope and four small aperture telescopes, will host roughly 70,000 highly multiplexed transition edge sensor (TES) detectors operated at 100 mK. Each SO focal plane module (UFM) couples 1,764 TESes to microwave resonators in a microwave multiplexing (μMux) readout circuit. Before detector integration, the100 mKμMux components are packaged into multiplexing modules (UMMs), which are independently validated to ensure they meet SO performance specifications. Here we present the assembly developments of these UMM readout packages for mid frequency (90/150 GHz) and ultra high frequency (220/280 GHz) UFMs.

Aamir M. Ali↗
NASA NTRS1994

Small Inertial Measurement Units- Sources of Error and Limitations on Accuracy

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) with very low mass and power can be manufactured using micromachined accelerometers and gyroscopes. Six degree of freedom packages which require a few watts of power and have less than a kg of mass are available commercially, greatly expanding the potential applications of IMUs in guidance and navigation. Recent advances in small sensor design and fabrication have pushed the performance limits of these small devices. However, the limitations on the precision of small IMUs are not entirely due to the performance of the individual sensors.

Hoenk, Michael E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

BlueHat

"Bluehat" is a collection of python routines to facilitate the analysis of spectral (multispectral and hyperspectral) remote sensing imagery, with an emphasis on various kind of target detection. The package provides collections of utilities that developers can use in producing algorithms for specific target detection scenarios. Although "bluehat" is mostly expected to be used for remote sensing imagery (which often comes from satellite sensors), and although early versions of "bluehat" were used to design algorithms that were then rewritten for onboard processing; "bluehat" itself is not not specially designed for space and/or satellite application.

Theiler, James↗
NASA NTRS2015

State-of-the-Art Instrumentation Package to Support Model Organism Research in Space

Hardware was developed for the Ames student Fruit-Fly Experiment (AFEx) to support fly growth and analysis during spaceflight. The hardware consists of a 1.5U vented aluminum box that houses an acrylic habitat, video camera, LED lighting, and environmental sensors. Power is provided via two USB connectors, one of which also supports data downlink. While the hardware was designed for use with fruit flies, it will house plants on an upcoming mission and could be adapted for use with other systems.

Fruit-Fly Experiment↗
DOE OSTI2025

AI-powered municipal solid waste management: a comprehensive review from generation to utilization

The accumulation of municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to rise due to burgeoning population, rapid global urbanization and economic growth, intensifying ecological concerns associated with landfills and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Over the past 2 decades, global waste generation has surged by 50%, with one-third remaining uncollected and about 70% sent to landfills. This review examines the critical role of integrating emerging technologies, such as advanced sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), into end-to-end MSW management to alleviate landfill burdens. The suitability of various AI tools for different stages of MSW management is assessed, alongside the deployment of advanced sensors including hyperspectral cameras, computer vision systems, and internet of things (IoT) devices for material identification. Applications of genetic algorithms and reinforcement learning for optimizing collection routes, reducing costs, and lowering emissions are highlighted. Life cycle assessment (LCA) across all stages of MSW management is also reviewed, along with future trends in leveraging generative AI, natural language processing (NLP), and agent-based AI systems to analyze waste generation patterns and public sentiment. Efficient collection and handling can be enhanced through route optimization with geographic information systems and real-time bin-level monitoring. Furthermore, sensor-embedded, real-time object detection systems paired with robotics enable material characterization and automated sorting, thereby lowering costs and diverting waste from landfills into value-added products for diverse industrial sectors including packaging, chemicals, textiles, metals and glass, transportation, and electronics industries. Without intervention, global waste is projected to reach 4.54 billion tons by 2050, contributing direct economic costs of $\$$400 billion and roughly 2.38 billion tons of CO 2 -equivalent emissions annually. This review demonstrates how AI-driven, end-to-end solutions for MSW management can mitigate economic and environmental challenges, while directly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development (UNDP) goals related to innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities (SDG 11), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and climate action (SDG 13).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1981

An extended BET format for La RC shuttle experiments: Definition and development

A program for shuttle post-flight data reduction is discussed. An extended Best Estimate Trajectory (BET) file was developed. The extended format results in some subtle changes to the header record. The major change is the addition of twenty-six words to each data record. These words include atmospheric related parameters, body axis rate and acceleration data, computed aerodynamic coefficients, and angular accelerations. These parameters were added to facilitate post-flight aerodynamic coefficient determinations as well as shuttle entry air data sensor analyses. Software (NEWBET) was developed to generate the extended BET file utilizing the previously defined ENTREE BET, a dynamic data file which may be either derived inertial measurement unit data or aerodynamic coefficient instrument package data, and some atmospheric information.

Findlay, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Measuring Water-Layer Thickness

Technique uses optical proximity detector. Detector consists of sensing probe, cartridge containing photocell and light source, and electronics package, housed in metal carrying case. Light transmitted from fiber-optic probe reflected by observed surface and transmitted back through probe to photoreceiver, output of which indicated on digital voltmeter or other suitable instrument. Sensor used to detect presence of bubbles or particles in water stream or to trigger alarm when condensing water becomes present in bottom of supposedly dry tank. Fiber-optic probes of sizes up to 0.285 in. (7.24 mm) with varying sensitivities and configurations available for use with system.

Faulcon, N.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Prospects for astrometry with the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a large optical telescope having an aperture of 2.4 meters and a length of 8.8 meters, is being developed by NASA. This telescope will be placed into earth orbit by the Space Shuttle. Astrometric observations with the HST are made using a Fine Guidance Sensor which is capable of measuring the position of one object relative to another with an accuracy of + or - 0.002 arcseconds. The astrometric user of HST will be provided with an Astrometric Data Reduction Software package. The variety of astrometric problems to be investigated with HST is discussed.

Jefferys, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A new accelerometer recording system for shuttle use

Microgravity investigators are interested in enhancing the capabilities and improving the information return from accelerometers used in microgravity research. In addition to improving the accelerometer sensor, efforts should be directed towards using recent advances in microprocessor technology and system design techniques to improve sensor calibration and temperature compensation, online data display and analysis, and data reduction and information storage. Results from the above areas of investigation should be combined in an integrated design for a spaceflight microgravity accelerometer package.

Lichtenberg, Byron↗
NASA NTRS2010

Flight Results from the HST SM4 Relative Navigation Sensor System

On May 11, 2009, Space Shuttle Atlantis roared off of Launch Pad 39A enroute to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to undertake its final servicing of HST, Servicing Mission 4. Onboard Atlantis was a small payload called the Relative Navigation Sensor experiment, which included three cameras of varying focal ranges, avionics to record images and estimate, in real time, the relative position and attitude (aka "pose") of the telescope during rendezvous and deploy. The avionics package, known as SpaceCube and developed at the Goddard Space Flight Center, performed image processing using field programmable gate arrays to accelerate this process, and in addition executed two different pose algorithms in parallel, the Goddard Natural Feature Image Recognition and the ULTOR Passive Pose and Position Engine (P3E) algorithms

Naasz, Bo↗
DOE OSTI2019

Final Report on the Viability of Acoustic Techniques for Density and Mass Flow in Enrichment Plants

The primary purpose of this research is to study the viability of acoustic signatures and sensors that could support accurate, noninvasive, and unattended measurement of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas density and mass flow rate in situations representative of gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEP) under safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The measurement method under development can be readily retrofitted to the exterior of piping in existing systems, potentially facilitating acceptance by facility operators. The findings from the demonstration of a preliminary prototype design and first-generation analysis algorithms in this project will inform the safeguards community as to whether continued acoustic instrument and methods development are warranted. This project conducted two types of measurements, depending on the flow conditions of the gas. For static measurements, the focus is on understanding the acoustic properties at low pressure for non-flowing UF6. For flow measurements, the focus is on understanding the performance of the acoustic system in a simulation of a GCEP pipe using a surrogate gas under fully developed flow conditions. Testing with flowing UF6 was not considered because the cost of building a flowing UF6 system with flow similar to a GCEP was considerably greater than allocated project resources. This document summarizes the results of research conducted over the course of the project. Based on the results to date, the approach is seen to be promising with non-invasive acoustic measurements shown to be possible at the desired pressures. The project has demonstrated • 5% uncertainty of the UF6 gas density for static measurements at pressures relevant to GCEP operations over a 5-minute measurement window with a clear path forward to achieving considerably lower uncertainties over a two-hour period, • Measurements of flowing surrogate gases at pressures relevant to GCEP operations. However, additional research remains to be done to further develop the measurement approach and transition the technology for field use. These development needs include: • Understand the impact of flowing gas on gas density measurements, • Adding sensors and improving the measurement procedure, • Augmenting the data analysis methods by leveraging machine learning approaches, • Reevaluating uncertainty requirements for density and mass flow given observed Online Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) measurement uncertainties, • Designing a robust instrumentation package for field-testing, and • Evaluating measurement results to understand the potential impact on mass balance calculations within GCEP facilities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1978

Sensor data autonomy

'Smart' sensors onboard NASA space missions will require variable data output bandwidth as they respond to phenomena of interest. An Instrument Telemetry Packet (ITP) approach has been developed which encodes experimental instrument data into an autonomous data package, along with pertinent engineering parameters and ancillary data (time, position, attitude, etc.). New requirements for onboard concentration and buffering, as well as for end-to-end error control, arise from this approach. Emphasis is placed on packet protocols compatible with the data link standard ADCCP, to enable one set of ground support equipment to readily support instrument development, launch site checkout and mission operations phases.

Greene, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Thermal balance testing of the Anik-E spacecraft

Spar Aerospace, Ltd. of Canada has recently completed the first of two infrared thermal balance/thermal vacuum tests on Canada's next generation of telecommunication satellites: Anik-E. Anik-E is a two spacecraft program using a three axis stabilized GE 5000 series bus as the vehicle for its payload. The infrared test setup consists of the mechanical hardware required to support the spacecraft within the thermal vacuum chamber and the infrared rig which supports the spacecraft. Spar developed a software package which calculated the lamp positions to provide the necessary uniform heat flux, based on the required heat inputs on the various isothermal zones of the spacecraft for the different phases of the tests. Infrared heat sensors, radiometers, were installed on the spacecraft surfaces. These were connected to the facility data processing system and continually monitored the flux absorbed by the various spacecraft surfaces. The test set up had distinct advantages. It enabled testing to progress directly from the thermal balance to thermal vacuum. Waveguide runs were installed for the communications portion of the testing prior to pumpdown. This precluded the requirement to return to ambient to reconfigure the setup.

Golob, Alex↗
NASA NTRS1999

Construction of a Chemical Sensor/Instrumentation Package Using Fiber Optic and Miniaturization Technology

The objective of this research was to construct a chemical sensor/instrumentation package that was smaller in weight and volume than conventional instrumentation. This reduction in weight and volume is needed to assist in further reducing the cost of launching payloads into space. To accomplish this, fiber optic sensors, miniaturized spectrometers, and wireless modems were employed. The system was evaluated using iodine as a calibration analyte.

Newton, R. L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advanced Manufacturing of Printed Melt Wire Chips for Cheap, Compact Passive In-Pile Temperature Sensors

Melt wires are a passive sensor used to determine peak temperatures during a test. Traditional melt wires are commonly used in test reactor experiments such as in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). However, the conditions within a reactor present significant challenges towards test design due to space limitations and the harsh environment. For example, some test capsules have only a couple millimeters in diameter available for instrumentation, which is too small to accommodate a traditional melt wire package, and they are ultimately filled to capacity when they are immersed in molten metal. To enable instrumentation for space limited applications, peak temperature sensing capabilities paired with additive manufacturing options have been utilized to develop printed melt wires for peak irradiation temperature detection. Here, we report on the fabrication of miniaturized melt wire chips with a melting temperature ~960 °C with printed silver nanoparticle ink. This study will advance the development of unique temperature sensors capable of sensing user specified temperature ranges within the harsh environment of irradiation testing.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

A 24-Channel Digitizer With a JESD204B-Compliant Serial Interface for High-Speed Detectors

In this report a 24-channel application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for the readout of high-speed CMOS active pixel sensors for charged particle detection is presented. The chip comprises 24 preamplifiers, 24 distinct 12-bit, 25 MSPS Pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with self-calibration, an internal phase-locked loop (PLL), and a 3 Gbps serial interface that conforms to the JESD204B standard. To simplify interfacing with a variety of sensors, the ASIC also includes an automatic offset calibration loop. The high level of integration of the ASIC reduces overall system cost and area, and exploiting the signal characteristics of the image sensor allows the ADC to be optimized for reduced power dissipation. The use of an integrated serializer and an industry standard protocol simplifies integration of the ASIC into a complete camera system. The ASIC, called the High-Speed Image Preprocessor Targeted for Electron Readout, or HIPSTER, with a die area of 64.26 mm 2 , is packaged in a 480-ball grid array (BGA) and is fabricated in 180-nm CMOS technology. HIPSTER achieves typical differential nonlinearity (DNL) < 0.55 LSB, input-referred thermal noise of $114.5 μV-rms, and a bit error rate (BER) of better than 10-14. The power dissipation is 98 mW/channel.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1987

Program for Analysis and Enhancement of Images

Land Analysis System (LAS) is collection of image-analysis computer programs designed to manipulate and analyze multispectral image data. Provides user with functions ingesting various sensor data, radiometric and geometric corrections, image registration, training site selection, supervised and unsupervised classification, Fourier domain filtering, and image enhancement. Sufficiently modular and includes extensive library of subroutines to permit inclusion of new algorithmic programs. Commercial package International Mathematical & Statistical Library (IMSL) required for full implementation of LAS. Written in VAX FORTRAN 77, C, and Macro assembler for DEC VAX operating under VMS 4.0.

Lu, Yun-Chi↗