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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Frame Shift/warp Compensation for the ARID Robot System

The Automatic Radiator Inspection Device (ARID) is a system aimed at automating the tedious task of inspecting orbiter radiator panels. The ARID must have the ability to aim a camera accurately at the desired inspection points, which are in the order of 13,000. The ideal inspection points are known; however, the panel may be relocated due to inaccurate parking and warpage. A method of determining the mathematical description of a translated as well as a warped surface by accurate measurement of only a few points on this surface is developed here. The method uses a linear warp model whose effect is superimposed on the rigid body translation. Due to the angles involved, small angle approximations are possible, which greatly reduces the computational complexity. Given an accurate linear warp model, all the desired translation and warp parameters can be obtained by knowledge of the ideal locations of four fiducial points and the corresponding measurements of these points on the actual radiator surface. The method uses three of the fiducials to define a plane and the fourth to define the warp. Given this information, it is possible to determine a transformation that will enable the ARID system to translate any desired inspection point on the ideal surface to its corresponding value on the actual surface.

Latino, Carl D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Antisymmetric Layup Of Precise Composite Laminates

Warping of precise composite-material (graphite-fiber/epoxy-matrix) laminated panels reduced, according to proposal, by improved combination of design and method of fabrication. Essence of proposal to stack plies during fabrication in such pattern that effects of unavoidable ply-orientation errors in individual layers cancel each other out, on whole, in final product. Emerged from study of warping of composite-material laminated face sheets undergoing development for use as lightweight substrates for precise, curved mirrors in submillimeter-wave astronomical telescopes and optical communication systems.

Rapp, Donald↗
NASA NTRS2013

Updates on Force Limiting Improvements

The following conventional force limiting methods currently practiced in deriving force limiting specifications assume one-dimensional translation source and load apparent masses: Simple TDOF model; Semi-empirical force limits; Apparent mass, etc.; Impedance method. Uncorrelated motion of the mounting points for components mounted on panels and correlated, but out-of-phase, motions of the support structures are important and should be considered in deriving force limiting specifications. In this presentation "rock-n-roll" motions of the components supported by panels, which leads to a more realistic force limiting specifications are discussed.

acoustic↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analytical Simulation of the Effects of Local Mechanisms on the Tensile Response of CMC Minicomposites

A micromechanics-based method based on a fiber shear lag analysis was developed to analyze the fast fracture response of uncoated ceramic matrix minicomposites under room temperature conditions. The model was applied to two SiCf/SiC minicomposite systems that were fabricated by Rolls-Royce and the University of Connecticut. The analysis approach does not require the assumption that matrix cracks propagate along the entire width of the minicomposite. The ratio of the fiber slip length to the crack spacing was found to be a key parameter driving the stress level at which the proportional limit takes place and the secondary modulus. Parametric studies were performed to investigate the effect of interfacial shear stress, fiber volume fraction and percentage of the composite that remains uncracked on the proportional limit stress and the composite secondary modulus. This work will allow increased understanding of the key material mechanisms that take place during the fast fracture loading and can be expanded to provide improved analysis methods for full macro composites. simulations to simulations of a flat panel impact test, have been performed to fully exercise and evaluate the capabilities of the developed model.

Micromechanics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Digital Image Correlation for Material Testing at Cryogenic Temperatures

Recent efforts were made to parametrize an aluminum alloy at cryogenic temperatures to calibrate finite element models simulating material deformation. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to measure material properties using front/back strains of specimens during tensile tests. Data acquired from DIC was compared to physical extensometer measurements. Two camera pairs (front and back) were mounted via aluminum extrusion to the exterior of an environmental chamber of a hydraulic test stand. Images were taken through single-pane optical glass windows of the environment chamber. Positive pressure bags encased the cameras, attaching to the perimeter of the glass to keep out moisture and prevent windows from frosting. Figure 1 shows the environmental setup and the camera setup during cryogenic testing. Some of the challenges during testing at cryogenic temperatures include the gaseous flow of liquid nitrogen in the optical path of the mounted cameras, frost buildup on the windows as seen in Figure 1b, and frost on the test coupon. The temperature gradient present during the introduction of liquid nitrogen into the chamber can increase the projection error of images captured of the specimen. Figure 2 shows the estimated projection error from DIC as a function of temperature during the cool down process. This presentation addresses some of the concerns and observations when using DIC for testing at cryogenic temperatures using methods of isolated camera system and techniques for maintaining the glass panel clear from frost.

Joseph Cochran↗
NASA NTRS2024

Development of a Single Level Assessment Module for Simulating the Human Factors Concept Trade Space

This paper is a synopsis of the design and development of the Single Level Assessment Module (SLAM), a habitation mockup aimed at simulating volumetric conditions for astronauts in transit to Mars. Utilizing repurposed materials to enable low cost and constrained by various other design requirements from its parent vehicle, the SLAM embodies a critical step towards understanding human/habitat dynamics and interactions within the framework of the Mars Transit Habitat (TH) concept trade space. The synopsis begins by outlining the design constraints and goals, focusing on material availability and functional area volume requirements. Through various 3D design solutions, the SLAM emerges as a versatile habitat prototype, capable of accommodating various functional areas within its reconfigurable framework. The construction phase is then explored, highlighting the practical challenges and solutions encountered in assembling the SLAM's components. From panel assembly to outfitting functional areas, the construction process demonstrates a methodical approach to realizing the habitat's design intent. Looking ahead, the paper outlines future work, emphasizing the SLAM's adaptability for analysis and its potential to inform the design trade space future habitation concepts across the Moon to Mars architecture. By incorporating hinges for reconfigurability and facilitating volume assessments, the SLAM emerges as a crucial tool in advancing NASA’s ability to assess focused habitation configurations in conjunction with the development of the Moon to Mars architecture. In conclusion, this paper showcases the iterative process of habitat design, from conceptualization to construction.

Keith Lindsey↗
DOE OSTI2019

LED array and method for fabricating same

A light emitting device or array comprising a submount having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of edges, with input and output terminals disposed on the top surface. A plurality of attach pads and traces are also disposed on the top surface and electrically connected between the input and output terminals. A plurality of LEDs are also included, each of which is mounted to one of the attach pads. The attach pads cover more of the top surface than the LEDs and spread heat from the LEDs to the top surface of the submount. A plurality of lenses are also included each of which is molded over a respective one of the attach pads and covers the LED mounted to the particular attach pad. The arrays are shaped and arranged so that they can be easily attached to similar arrays in a tiling fashion, with the desired number of arrays included to meet the desired lighting requirements. Methods for fabricating the arrays from a single submount or submounts panel are also disclosed.

Yuan, Thomas Cheng-Hsin↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Zonal Infiltration Measurement Method for Multifamily Buildings: A Novel Test Procedure to Determine Air Leakage Through External and Internal Surfaces

Measuring air infiltration through the external building envelope as well as between adjacent zones within a building is important since air leakage is related to increased energy use and poor indoor air quality (IAQ). State of the art methods can determine both leakages, however it can be both time consuming and labor intensive as it requires running both guarded and compartmentalization tests. This paper presents our work on developing a simplified testing procedure to determine power law flow equation leakage parameters of both external and internal boundaries of tested zones. The proposed Zonal Multipoint Pressure Test (ZMPT) method modulates airflow in the zone using a variable airflow measurement panel (mounted in either a window or the door), and solving the mass balance equations for the leakage parameters. ZMPT results were compared to conventional test results and found to correlate to within +/-7%.

Jayarathne, Tharanga↗
DOE OSTI2025

Graph-based Simulation Framework for Power Resilience Estimation and Enhancement

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events poses significant risks to power distribution systems, leading to widespread outages and severe economic and social consequences. This paper presents a novel simulation framework for assessing and enhancing the resilience of power distribution networks under such conditions. Resilience is estimated through Monte Carlo simulations, which simulate extreme weather scenarios and evaluate the impact on infrastructure fragility. Due to the proprietary nature of power network topology, a distribution network is synthesized using publicly available data. To generate the weather scenarios, an extreme weather generation method is developed. To enhance resilience, renewable resources such as solar panels and energy storage systems (batteries in this study) are incorporated. A customized Genetic Algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal locations and capacities for solar panels and battery installations, maximizing resilience while balancing cost constraints. Experiment results demonstrate that on a large-scale synthetic distribution network with more than 300,000 nodes and 300,000 edges, the proposed framework can efficiently evaluate the resilience, and enhance the resilience through the installations of distributed energy resources (DERs), providing utilities with valuable insights for community-level power system resilience estimation and enhancement.

Wang, Xuesong [Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (Uni↗
NASA NTRS1987

Full potential integral solution for transonic flows with and without embedded Euler domains

Two methods are presented to solve for the transonic airfoil flow problems. The first method is based on the integral equation solution of the full-potential equation in terms of the velocity field, and a Shock Capturing-Shock Fitting (SCSF) scheme has been developed. The SCSF-scheme consists of a shock-capturing part and a shock-fitting part in which shock panels are introduced at the shock location. The sock panels are fitted and crossed by using the Rankine-Hugoniot relations. The second method is based on coupling the integral equation of the full-potential equation with the pseudo time integration of Euler equations in a small embedded region around the shock. The integral solution provides the initial and boundary conditions for the Euler domain. This scheme is named as the Integral Equation-Embedded Euler (IEEE) scheme. The two methods are applied to NACA 0012 and NACA 64A010A over a wide range of Mach numbers, and the reults are in good agreement with the experimental data and other computational results. The schemes converge within a number of iterations which is one-order of magnitude less than the finite-difference schemes.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Reduction of sound transmission through fuselage walls by alternate resonance tuning (A.R.T.)

The ability of alternate resonance tuning (ART) to block sound transmission through light-weight flexible paneled walls by controlling the dynamics of the wall panels is considered. Analytical results for sound transmission through an idealized panel wall illustrate the effect of varying system parameters and show that one or more harmonics of the incident sound field can be cancelled by the present method. Experimental results demonstrate that very large transmission losses with reasonable bandwidths can be achieved by a simple ART panel barrier in a duct.

Bliss, Donald B.↗
DOE OSTI2019

High-resolution wall temperature measurements with distributed fiber optic sensors

Conventional approaches of surface temperature measurement are often unreliable, and other methods may not be practical in closed, high-temperature spaces. In this study, surface temperature measurements of the cooling panel of a natural circulation facility were performed with fiber optic distributed temperature sensors (DTS). High resolution surface temperature profiles of the cooling panel were acquired under two steady experimental conditions, and compared with measurements performed with nearby thermocouples. The total measurement error of the DTS results presented has been estimated to be ±4.4 °C. The findings reflected herein show that these DTS can reasonably measure surface temperature when installed with the methods developed in this study. Through the analysis of the DTS data collected, the interesting behavior of the cooling panel was revealed, providing new insights on the system's behavior that may be beneficial to the design and optimization of such heat transfer devices. These sensors can also provide the measurement density necessary for validation efforts with highly-resolved prediction methods such as finite element analysis (FEA) or computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

A dual-mesh method for efficient thermal stress analysis of large-scale welded structures

Transient thermo-mechanical analysis of welding problem requires tremendous computation cost. To accelerate the thermal analysis of large-scale welded structures, an efficient computation scheme based on heat transfer localization and dual meshes was proposed. The computation accuracy is guaranteed by a local fine mesh model with size determined by a theoretical solution and a global coarse mesh model with equivalent heat input. The validity and accuracy of the dual-mesh method were verified using an experimental bead-on-plate model. By extending the weld length, the computation time of the proposed method was proved to be almost linearly dependent on the model scale. The thermal analysis of fillet welding of a large panel structure with 6-m-long weld was accelerated by 10 times over conventional finite element analysis and 2.2 times over adaptive mesh method. Meanwhile, the physical memory consumption was also greatly reduced by the dual-mesh method. Such efficient computation method enables fast evaluation of welding stress and distortion which are vital for manufacturing process and structure performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

An automated, high-throughput method for standardizing image color profiles to improve image-based plant phenotyping

High-throughput phenotyping has emerged as a powerful method for studying plant biology. Large image-based datasets are generated and analyzed with automated image analysis pipelines. A major challenge associated with these analyses is variation in image quality that can inadvertently bias results. Images are made up of tuples of data called pixels, which consist of R, G, and B values, arranged in a grid. Many factors, for example image brightness, can influence the quality of the image that is captured. These factors alter the values of the pixels within images and consequently can bias the data and downstream analyses. Here, we provide an automated method to adjust an image-based dataset so that brightness, contrast, and color profile is standardized. The correction method is a collection of linear models that adjusts pixel tuples based on a reference panel of colors. We apply this technique to a set of images taken in a high-throughput imaging facility and successfully detect variance within the image dataset. In this case, variation resulted from temperature-dependent light intensity throughout the experiment. Using this correction method, we were able to standardize images throughout the dataset, and we show that this correction enhanced our ability to accurately quantify morphological measurements within each image. We implement this technique in a high-throughput pipeline available with this paper, and it is also implemented in PlantCV.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reducing Mass of Steel Auto Bodies using Thin Advanced High Strength Steel with Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Epoxy

Diversitak, a company based in Detroit, MI, has developed a proprietary, low specific gravity, carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CFRE) under U.S. patent number 9,963,58832. Preliminary testing on this new material conducted in collaboration with ArcelorMittal Steel Company proved out the CFRE concept. A thin layer of this CFRE was applied to a stamped sheet of steel with residual stamping oils from a mill, in a time corresponding to automotive processing (e.g., ~15 seconds), and processed following automotive e-coat procedures (phosphating + 175–200°C heating), to complete the curing. No problems with adherence or performance were noted. While the CFRE does add weight to a thin gauge steel panel, it weighs much less than what is displaced by using thicker conventional mild steel gauges. The application of the coating showed a significant increased dent resistance, oil canning resistance, and part stiffness.This current two-year project was designed to mature this new technology to near manufacturing readiness to reduce the weight of a vehicle and lower the cost of weight reduction. The process involves the use of thinner gauge steels than are currently used. The collaborative development team included two industrial manufacturers: Diversitak and ArcelorMittal Steel Company; LightMAT; and two National Laboratories: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The team developed a new manufacturing process to reduce the weight of a vehicle and lower the cost of weight reduction, as well as a better understanding of how to apply the coating so that it will perform to a high standard in-service. The team also performed an in-depth study to determine the long-term durability of the materials manufactured using this technology and well-known automotive industry standard tests.The overall process involved stiffening the thinner gauge steel by applying the CFRE on only one side. To accomplish this goal, the optimal reinforcement fiber length and fiber concentration was first determined. This was followed by measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in all three directions, so it could be fed into manufacturing models and methods for rapidly and inexpensively applying the coating. This was followed by panel level evaluations of the coating and steel combination, and then by full part demonstration of the technology on door panels. The final step was corrosion testing of the parts.ArcelorMittal characterized the advanced high strength steel (AHSS) (e.g., metallurgy-heat treatment for required AHSS properties as a function of the sheet thickness, state of internal stress) and quantified CFRE adhesion to the steel as a function of sheet preparation (e.g., rolling and stamping).ORNL optimized the fiber length, fiber concentration, and coating thickness for best vehicle function and performance at the least cost. Along with the suppliers, ORNL developed a durable CFRE application process (e.g., gun material, design, robotic dispensing process) and identified the adhesion stability of the CFRE during process holding. An approach to ensure that application/curing timing conforms to conventional assembly line speed and plant cycle times was determined. ORNL also determined the CTE of the material in all three directions and performed material scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses.INL characterized the corrosion properties of the steel panels coated with CFRE. The panels were investigated for corrosion resistance and stability as replacement materials used in automotive body panels to reduce mass. The coupons tested at INL were supplied by Diversitak after an optimized CFRE formulation was achieved in the already coated form for corrosion testing.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS2005

Inspection of the Space Shuttle External Tank SOFI Using Near-Field and Focused Millimeter Wave Nondestructive Testing Techniques

The Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure has been attributed to a piece of external tank SOFI (Spray On Foam Insulation) striking the left wing of the orbiter causing significant damage to some of the reinforced carbon/carbon leading edge wing panels. Subsequently, several nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques have been considered for inspecting the external tank. One such method involves using millimeter waves which have been shown to easily penetrate through the foam and provide high resolution images of its interior structures. This paper presents the results of inspecting three different SOFI covered panels by reflectometers at millimeter wave frequencies, specifically at 100 GHz. Each panel was fitted with various embedded anomalies/inserts representing voids and unbonds of diferent shapes, sizes and locations within each panel. In conjunction with these reJqectome&rs, radiators including a focused lens antenna and a small horn antenna were used. The focused lens antenna provided for a footprint diameter of approximately 1.25 cm (0.5") at 25.4 cm (10") away from the lens surface. The horn antenna was primarily operated in its near-field for obtaining relatively high resolution images. These images were produced using 2 0 scanning mechanisms. Discussions of the difference between the capabilities of these two types of antennas (radiators) for the purpose of inspecting the SOFI as it relates to the produced images are also presented.

Kharkovsky, S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Application of AI methods to aircraft guidance and control

A research program for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with tools and methods used for aircraft flight control system design, development, and implementation is discussed. The application of the AI methods for the development and implementation of the logic software which operates with the control mode panel (CMP) of an aircraft is presented. The CMP is the pilot control panel for the automatic flight control system of a commercial-type research aircraft of Langley Research Center's Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) program. A mouse-driven color-display emulation of the CMP, which was developed with AI methods and used to test the AI software logic implementation, is discussed. The operation of the CMP was enhanced with the addition of a display which was quickly developed with AI methods. The display advises the pilot of conditions not satisfied when a mode does not arm or engage. The implementation of the CMP software logic has shown that the time required to develop, implement, and modify software systems can be significantly reduced with the use of the AI methods.

Hueschen, Richard M.↗