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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Review of Habitable Softgoods Inflatable Design, Analysis, Testing, and Potential Space Applications

Inflatable space structures have the potential to significantly reduce the required launch volume of large crewed pressure vessels for space exploration missions. Mass savings can also be achieved via the use of high specific strength softgoods materials, and the reduced design penalty from launching the structure in a densely packaged state. Inflatable softgoods structures have been investigated since the late 1950's, and several major development programs at NASA and in industry have helped advance the state-of-the-art in this technology area. This paper discusses the design, analysis, structural testing, and potential applications for inflatable softgoods structures. In particular, this paper will discuss the design of the multi-layer softgoods shell (inner layer, bladder, structural restraint layer, micrometeoroid orbital debris protection layers, thermal insulation layers, and atomic oxygen layer (for low earth orbit) and the results of material and module-level testing that has been conducted over the past two decades at NASA. Finally, the current utilization of expandable spacecraft structures is discussed, as well as potential future applications including airlocks and habitats on the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, and the surface of the Moon and Mars.

Valle, Gerard↗
DOE OSTI2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Layered Actinide (U, Np, Pu) Oxide and Hydroxide Phases

Systematic structural comparisons across the early actinides remain limited by the scarcity of well-defined transuranic layered oxide and oxyhydroxide phases. Here, we report the synthesis and single-crystal characterization of new layered actinide compounds spanning U, Np, and Pu obtained under mild hydrothermal conditions in concentrated alkali hydroxide media. These include hydrated oxides α-Cs 2 U 2 O 7 •0.5H 2 O and Rb 2 An 2 O 7 •0.5H 2 O (An = Np, Pu), oxy-hydroxides Rb 6 [(AnO 2 ) 6 O 8 (OH) 2 ]•xH 2 O x = 0, 0.5 (An = U, Np) and Rb 4 [(UO 2 ) 5 O 6 (OH) 2 ]•2H 2 O, as well as nitrate-intercalated compounds Cs 6 [(AnO 2 ) 3 O 4 (OH) 2 ](NO 3 ) 2 (An = Np, Pu). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal extended two-dimensional architectures constructed from edge- and vertex-sharing actinyl polyhedra, with systematic evolution in equatorial coordination, hydration, and anionic sheet topology across the U–Np–Pu series. Incorporation of nitrate anions within the interlayer region of Cs 6 [(AnO 2 ) 3 O 4 (OH) 2 ](NO 3 ) 2 establishes a previously unobserved structural motif in layered transuranic oxyhydroxides, demonstrating an additional pathway for anion-mediated framework stabilization. Correlation of crystallographic metrics with single-crystal Raman spectroscopy provides new vibrational benchmarks linking differences in An═O yl bond lengths to the equatorial coordination and the interstitial cations. These findings expand the structural hierarchy of layered actinide materials and address clarifying periodic trends governing topology, bonding, and vibrational signatures in high-valent 5ƒ oxide systems.

actinides↗
NASA NTRS1982

A NASTRAN model of a large flexible swing-wing bomber. Volume 3: NASTRAN model development-wing structure

The NASTRAN model plan for the wing structure was expanded in detail to generate the NASTRAN model for this substructure. The grid point coordinates were coded for each element. The material properties and sizing data for each element were specified. The wing substructure model was thoroughly checked out for continuity, connectivity, and constraints. This substructure was processed for structural influence coefficients (SIC) point loadings and the deflections were compared to those computed for the aircraft detail model. Finally, a demonstration and validation processing of this substructure was accomplished using the NASTRAN finite element program. The bulk data deck, stiffness matrices, and SIC output data were delivered.

Mock, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A NASTRAN model of a large flexible swing-wing bomber. Volume 4: NASTRAN model development-fuselage structure

The NASTRAN model plan for the fuselage structure was expanded in detail to generate the NASTRAN model for this substructure. The grid point coordinates were coded for each element. The material properties and sizing data for each element were specified. The fuselage substructure model was thoroughly checked out for continuity, connectivity, and constraints. This substructure was processed for structural influence coefficients (SIC) point loadings and the deflections were compared to those computed for the aircraft detail model. Finally, a demonstration and validation processing of this substructure was accomplished using the NASTRAN finite element program. The bulk data deck, stiffness matrices, and SIC output data were delivered.

Mock, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A NASTRAN model of a large flexible swing-wing bomber. Volume 2: NASTRAN model development-horizontal stabilzer, vertical stabilizer and nacelle structures

The NASTRAN model plans for the horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, and nacelle structure were expanded in detail to generate the NASTRAN model for each of these substructures. The grid point coordinates were coded for each element. The material properties and sizing data for each element were specified. Each substructure model was thoroughly checked out for continuity, connectivity, and constraints. These substructures were processed for structural influence coefficients (SIC) point loadings and the deflections were compared to those computed for the aircraft detail models. Finally, a demonstration and validation processing of these substructures was accomplished using the NASTRAN finite element program installed at NASA/DFRC facility.

Mock, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Unveiling the Journey of A Highly Inclined CME: Insights from the March 13, 2012, Event With 110° Longitudinal Separation

Context. A fast (∼2000 km s -1 ) and wide (>110°) coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun on March 13, 2012. Its interplanetary counterpart was detected in situ two days later by STEREO-A and near-Earth spacecraft, such as ACE, Wind, and Cluster. We suggest that at 1 au the CME extended at least 110° in longitude, with Earth crossing its east flank and STEREO-A crossing its- west flank. Despite their separation, measurements from both positions showed very similar in situ CME signatures. The solar source region where the CME erupted was surrounded by three coronal holes (CHs). Their locations with respect to the CME launch site were east (negative polarity), southwest (positive polarity) and west (positive polarity). The solar magnetic field polarity of the area covered by each CH matches that observed at 1 au in situ. Suprathermal electrons at each location showed mixed signatures with only some intervals presenting clear counter streaming flows as the CME transits both locations. The strahl population coming from the shortest magnetic connection of the structure to the Sun showed more intensity. Aims. The aim of this work is to understand the propagation and evolution of the CME and its interaction with the surrounding CHs, to explain the similarities and differences between the observations at each spacecraft, and report what one of the most longitudinal expanded CME structures measured in situ would be. Methods. Known properties of the large-scale structures from a variety of catalogues and previous studies were used to have a better overview of this particular event. In addition, multipoint observations were used to reconstruct the 3D geometry of the CME and determine the context of the solar and heliospheric conditions before the CME eruption and during its propagation. The graduated cylindrical shell model (GCS) was used to reproduce the orientation, size and speed of the structure with a simple geometry. Also, the Drag-Based Model (DBM) was utilised to understand the conditions of the interplanetary medium better in terms of the drag undergone by the structure while propagating in different directions. Finally, a comparative analysis of the different regions of the structure through the different observatories was carried out in order to directly compare the in situ plasma and magnetic field properties at each location. Results. The study presents important findings regarding the in situ measured CME on March 15, 2012, detected at a longitudinal separation of 110° in the ecliptic plane despite its initial inclination being around 45° when erupted (March 13). This suggests that the CME may have deformed and/or rotated, allowing it to be observed near its legs with spacecraft at a separation angle greater than 100°. The CME structure interacted with high-speed streams generated by the surrounding CHs. The piled-up plasma in the sheath region exhibited an unexpected correlation in magnetic field strength despite the large separation in longitude. In situ observations reveal that at both locations there was a flank encounter – where the spacecraft crossed the first part of the CME – then encountered ambient solar wind, and finally passed near the legs of the structure. Conclusions. A scenario covering all evidence is proposed for both locations with a general view of the whole structure and solar wind conditions. Also, the study shows the necessity of having multipoint observations of large-scale structures in the heliosphere.

methods: data analysis↗
NASA NTRS2005

In-situ Resource-based Lunar and Martian Habitat Structures Development at NASA/MSFC

As the nation prepares to return to the Moon and subsequently to Mars, it is apparent that the viability of long duration visits with appropriate radiation shielding/crew protection, hinges on the development of habitat structures, preferably in advance of a manned landing, and preferably utilizing in-situ resources. A relatively large number of habitat structure configurations can be developed from a relatively small set of in-situ resource-based construction products, including, blocks, raw regolith, reinforced concrete, and glass products. A much larger group of habitat designs can be developed when "imported" material are brought from Earth, including thin films and liners, and foldable, or expandable metal structures. These, and other technologies have been identified, and subjected to a rigorous trade study evaluation with respect to exploration and other performance criteria. In this paper, results of this trade study will be presented, as well as various habitat structure design concepts and concepts for construction automation. Results of initial tests aimed at concrete, block and glass production using Lunar regolith simulants will also be presented. Key issues and concerns will be discussed, as well as design concepts for a Lunar environment testbed to be developed at MSFC's Microgravity Development Laboratory (MDL).

Bodiford, Melanie P.↗
NASA NTRS2005

In Situ Resource-Based Lunar and Martian Habitat Structures Development at NASA/MSFC

As the nation prepares to return to the Moon and subsequently to Mars, it is apparent that the viability of long duration visits with appropriate radiation shielding/crew protection, hinges on the development of habitat structures, preferably in advance of a manned landing, and preferably utilizing in-situ resources. A relatively large number of habitat structure configurations can be developed from a relatively small set of in-situ resource-based construction products, including, blocks, raw regolith, reinforced concrete, and glass products. A much larger group of habitat designs can be developed when "imported" material are brought from Earth, including thin films and liners, and foldable, or expandable metal structures. These, and other technologies have been identified, and subjected to a rigorous trade study evaluation with respect to exploration and other performance criteria. In this paper, results of this trade study will be presented, as well as various habitat structure design concepts and concepts for construction automation. Results of initial tests aimed at concrete, block and glass production using Lunar regolith simulants will also be presented. Key issues and concerns will be discussed, as well as design concepts for a Lunar environment testbed to be developed at MSFC's Microgravity Development Laboratory. (MDL).

Bodiford, Melanie P.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Mapping and Modeling the Extended Winds of the Massive Interacting Binary, Eta Carinae

The combination HST/STIS high spatial and moderate spectral resolutions have revealed the massive interacting wind structure of Eta Carinae by forbidden lines of singly and doubly ionized elements. Throughout the 5.54-year period, lines of Fe++, Ne++, Ar++, S++ and N+ reveal the interacting wind structures, near critical electron densities of 10(exp 5) to 3 x 10(exp 7)cu cm, photoionized by the hot secondary, Eta Car B, Lines of Fe+ and Ni+ trace the denser (>10(exp 7)cu cm. less-ionized (< 8 eV) primary wind of Eta Car A as it wraps around the interacting binary stars. For 5 years of the 5.54 year period, the FUV radiation from Eta Car B escapes the orbital region, ionizing the boundaries of the expanding wind structures. But for three to six months, Eta Car B plunges into the primary wind approaching to within 1 to 2 AU, leading to cutoff of FUV and X-ray fluxes. The interacting wind structure, resolved out to 0.8", drops io ionization and then rebuilds as Eta Car B emerges from the primary wind envelope. Solid Particle Hydrodynamical(SPH) models have been developed extending out to 2000 AU and adapted to include FUV radiation effects of the winds. In turn, synthetic spectroimages of selected forbidden lines have been constructed and compared to the spectroimages recorded by the HST/STIS throughout 1998.0 to 2004.3, extending across the 1998 and 2003.5 minima. By this method, we show that the orbital axis of the binary system must bc within 15 degrees of the Homunculus axis of symmetry and that periastron occurs with Eta Car B passing on the far side of Eta Car B. This result ties the current binary orbit with the bipolar ejection with intervening skirt and leads to implications that the binary system influenced the mass ejection of the l840s and the lesser ejection of the 1890s.

Gull, Ted↗
NASA NTRS1993

Experiences in the Development of the Mighty Worm

The field of adaptive structures has expanded dramatically during the past few years. Inch worm actuators are commercially available, but do not meet all the desired static and dynamic features in one actuator. The objective of the development of the Mighty Worm was to develop such an actuator. The Mighty Work actuator consists of a piezoelectric transducer, its housing, and two clamping devices. In operation, Mighty Worm either pushes or pulls a load.

actuators↗
NASA NTRS1966

An extendible structure for solar electric power in space

The needs of certain space experiments have required the development of a mechanism capable of extending solar array panels from a spacecraft in orbit, and of positioning the panels so they function effectively as solar collectors. Rather stringent design requirements were imposed by the power and configuration requirements of the spacecraft itself. Further, since high reliability was essential, a simple mechanism was called for. The resulting design can be described as four "jack-in-the-box" modules, each containing a simple slider-crank device which extends and positions a solar panel in a single, continuous cycle. The modules have been fabricated and qualification tested and will be flight-tested in the near future.

EXPANDABLE STRUCTURE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparative experimental study of heat transfer processes in accumulation energy recovery exchangers

In this study, an experimental comparison between three different energy accumulating ceramic heat exchangers for energy recovery in ventilation systems was presented. The units were selected to represent three different approaches on the energy recovery process: honeycomb structure with more accumulation mass (more energy can be stored in one unit)- Unit 1.1, honeycomb structure with lower accumulation mass- Unit 1.2, and a rectangular structure with expanded heat transfer surface- Unit 1.3. The achieved results are useful for the future application of such units in ventilation systems. It was established that all evaluated units demonstrated an acceptable effectiveness of thermal energy recovery from the exhaust air. Their average energy recovery efficiency ranged between 70 % and 80 %, aligning with expected performance benchmarks for regenerative heat exchangers employed in contemporary mechanical ventilation systems. It was also established that the factor which has the highest impact on thermal effectiveness is the heat transfer surface available in the tested heat exchangers. Units with the highest number of channels (i.e., with the highest amount of single channel walls, which can be used for heat transfer) achieve the highest thermal effectiveness. However, higher thermal effectiveness can negatively affect the ventilation potential of the units. Unit 1.3, which was characterized by the highest thermal efficiency, was also characterized by the lowest achievable flow rate. It was also found that the important technical aspect that should be taken into account when analyzing accumulation energy recovery units is also the fluctuation of the supply air temperature. The ability to ensure minimal temperature fluctuations is a significant operational advantage, as it ensures a higher level of safety at lower outside temperatures.

Energy recovery↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recent trends in all-organic polymer dielectrics for high-temperature electrostatic energy storage capacitors

Electrostatic energy storage (EES) capacitors are critical for renewable energy and high-power systems, driving the search for dielectric materials that combine superior electrical insulation, mechanical flexibility, low density, cost-effectiveness, and processability. Polymer-based dielectrics have emerged as leading candidates, particularly for high electric field applications. However, conventional polymers often fail to meet the demands of high-temperature environments due to increased electrical conductivity and reduced discharged energy density at elevated temperatures, resulting in energy loss and reduced performance. High glass transition temperature (T g) polymers show promise but require further optimization to enhance their energy storage capabilities under thermal and electrical stress. This review provides a comprehensive update on recent advancements in high-T g polymer-based dielectrics for EES capacitors, focusing on both intrinsic polymers and all-organic composites. It outlines key design principles, critical performance parameters, and innovative strategies—such as nanofiller doping, layered architectures, physical blending, and chemical crosslinking—to improve electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The review also highlights emerging trends, including the integration of machine learning algorithms to explore novel polymer structures and expand the chemical design space. By bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application, this review aims to accelerate the development of next-generation dielectric materials capable of balancing multiple performance metrics for high-temperature EES capacitors.

Xie, Zongliang↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tuning Optical and Electrical Properties of Vanadium Oxide with Topochemical Reduction and Substitutional Tin

Vanadium oxides are widely tunable materials, with many thermodynamically stable phases suitable for applications spanning catalysis to neuromorphic computing. The stability of vanadium in a range of oxidation states enables mixed-valence polymorphs of kinetically accessible metastable materials. Low-temperature synthetic routes to, and the properties of, these metastable materials are poorly understood and may unlock new optoelectronic and magnetic functionalities for expanded applications. In this work, we demonstrate topochemical reduction of α-V 2 O 5 to produce metastable vanadium oxide phases with tunable oxygen vacancies (>6%) and simultaneous substitutional tin incorporation (>3.5%). The chemistry is carried out at low temperature (65 °C) with solution-phase SnCl 2 , where Sn 2+ is oxidized to Sn 4+ as V 5+ sites are reduced to V 4+ during oxygen vacancy formation. Despite high oxygen vacancy and tin concentrations, the transformations are topochemical in that the symmetry of the parent crystal remains intact, although the unit cell expands. Band structure calculations show that these vacancies contribute electrons to the lattice, whereas substitutional tin contributes holes, yielding a compensation doping effect and control over the electronic properties. The SnCl 2 redox chemistry is effective on both solution-processed V 2 O 5 nanoparticle inks and mesoporous films cast from untreated inks, enabling versatile routes toward functional films with tunable optical and electronic properties. The electrical conductance rises concomitantly with the SnCl 2 concentration and treatment time, indicating a net increase in density of free electrons in the host lattice. This work provides a valuable demonstration of kinetic tailoring of electronic properties of vanadium–oxygen systems through top-down chemical manipulation from known thermodynamic phases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1966

Energy absorbers

Stress analysis and friction coefficient determination for expandable tube type shock absorber

EXPANDABLE STRUCTURE↗