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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 NTRS1991

Automated technologies needed to prevent radioactive materials from reentering the atmosphere

Project SIREN (Search, Intercept, Retrieve, Expulsion Nuclear) was created to identify and evaluate the technologies and operational strategies needed to rendezvous with and capture aerospace radioactive materials (e.g., a distressed or spent space reactor core) before such materials can reenter the terrestrial atmosphere and then to safely move these captured materials to an acceptable space destination for proper disposal. A major component of the current project SIREN effort is the development of an interactive technology model (including a computerized data base) that explores, in building-block fashion, the interaction of the technologies and procedures needed to successfully accomplish a SIREN mission. The SIREN model will include appropriate national and international technology elements--both contemporary and projected into the next century. To obtain maximum flexibility and use, the SIREN technology data base is being programmed for use on 286-class PC's. The major technical elements for a successful SIREN mission include: ground and space-based tracking, launch vehicles of needed payload capacity, telerobotic systems, sensors, capture technologies, and space transport and disposal. However, Project SIREN also will impose specialized requirements including the use of dextrous aerospace systems capable of properly functioning in intense radiation and thermal environments.

Buden, David↗
NASA NTRS1991

Automated technologies needed to prevent radioactive materials from reentering the atmosphere

Project SIREN (Search, Intercept, Retrieve, Expulsion Nuclear) has been created to identify and evaluate the technologies and operational strategies needed to rendezvous with and capture aerospace radioactive materials (e.g., a distressed or spent space reactor core) before such materials can reenter the terrestrial atmosphere and then to safely move these captured materials to an acceptable space destination for proper disposal. A major component of the current Project SIREN effort is the development of an interactive technology model (including a computerized data base) that explores in building block fashion the interaction of the technologies and procedures needed to successfully accomplish a SIREN mission. This SIREN model will include appropriate national and international technology elements-both contemporary and projected into the next century. To permit maximum flexibility and use, the SIREN technology data base is being programmed for use on 386-class PC's.

Buden, David↗
NASA NTRS2010

Integration of In-Situ Resource Utilization Into Lunar/Mars Exploration Through Field Analogs

The NASA project to develop In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, in partnership with commercial and international collaborators, has achieved full system demonstrations of oxygen production using native regolith simulants. These demonstrations included robotic extraction of material from the terrain, sealed encapsulation of material in a pressurized reactor; chemical extraction of oxygen from the material in the form of water, and the electrolysis of water into oxygen and hydrogen for storage and reuse. These successes have provided growing confidence in the prospects of ISRU oxygen production as a credible source for critical mission consumables in preparation for and during crewed missions to the moon and other destinations. Other ISRU processes, especially relevant to early lunar exploration scenarios, have also been shown to be practical, including the extraction of subsurface volatiles, especially water, and the thermal processing of surface materials for civil engineering uses and for thermal energy storage. This paper describes these recent achievements and current NASA ISRU development and demonstration activity. The ability to extract and process resources at the site of exploration into useful products such as propellants, life support and power system consumables; and radiation and rocket exhaust plume debris shielding, known as In-Situ Resource Utilization or ISRU, has the potential to significantly reduce the launch mass, risk, and cost of robotic and human exploration of space. The incorporation of ISRU into missions can also significantly influence technology selection and system development in other areas such as power, life support, and propulsion. For example. the ability to extract or produce large amounts of oxygen and/or water in-situ could minimize the need to completely close life support air and water processing system cycles, change thermal and radiation protection of habitats, and influence propellant selection for ascent vehicles and surface propulsive hoppers. While concepts and even laboratory work on evaluating and developing ISRU techniques such as oxygen extraction from lunar regolith have been going on since before the Apollo 11 Moon landing, no ISRU system has ever flown in space, and only recently have ISRU technologies been developed at a scale and at a system level that is relevant to actual robotic and human mission applications. Because ISRU hardware and systems have never been demonstrated or utilized before on robotic or human missions, architecture and mission planners and surface system hardware developers are hesitant to rely on ISRU products and services that are critical to mission and system implementation success. To build confidence in ISRU systems for future missions and assess how ISRU systems can best influence and integrate with other surface system elements, NASA, with international partners, are performing analog field tests to understand how to take advantage of ISRU capabilities and benefits with the minimum of risk associated with introducing this game-changing approach to exploration. This paper will describe and review the results of four analog field tests (Moses Lake in 6/08, Mauna Kea in 11/08. Flagstaff in 9/09; and Mauna Kea in 1/10) that have begun the process of integrating ISRU into robotic and human exploration systems and missions, and propose future ISRU-related analog field test activities that can be performed in collaboration with international space agencies.

Sanders, Gerald B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Windowless High-Pressure Solar Reactor

Obscuration by reaction products eliminated. Chemical reactor heated by Sunlight employs rocket technology to maintain internal pressure. Instead of keeping chamber tightly closed, pressure maintained by momentum balance between incoming and outgoing materials. Windowless solar reactor admits concentrated Sunlight through exhaust aperture. Pressure in reactor maintained dynamically.

Ramohalli, K. N. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space Exploration Initiative Fuels, Materials and Related Nuclear Propulsion Technologies Panel

This report was prepared by members of the Fuels, Materials and Related Technologies Panel, with assistance from a number of industry observers as well as laboratory colleagues of the panel members. It represents a consensus view of the panel members. This report was not subjected to a thorough review by DOE, NASA or DoD, and the opinions expressed should not be construed to represent the official position of these organizations, individually or jointly. Topics addressed include: requirement for fuels and materials development for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP); overview of proposed concepts; fuels technology development plan; materials technology development plan; other reactor technology development; and fuels and materials requirements for advanced propulsion concepts.

Bhattacharyya, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Lunar base thermoelectric power station study

Under NASA's Project Prometheus, the Nuclear Systems Program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and Teledyne Energy Systems have teamed with a number of universities, under the Segmented Thermoelectric Multicouple Converter (STMC) program, to develop the next generation of advanced thermoelectric converters for space reactor power systems. Work on the STMC converter assembly has progressed to the point where the lower temperature stage of the segmented multicouple converter assembly is ready for laboratory testing and the upper stage materials have been identified and their properties are being characterized. One aspect of the program involves mission application studies to help define the potential benefits from the use of these STMC technologies for designated NASA missions such as the lunar base power station where kilowatts of power are required to maintain a permanent manned presence on the surface of the moon. A modular 50 kWe thermoelectric power station concept was developed to address a specific set of requirements developed for this mission. Previous lunar lander concepts had proposed the use of lunar regolith as in-situ radiation shielding material for a reactor power station with a one kilometer exclusion zone radius to minimize astronaut radiation dose rate levels. In the present concept, we will examine the benefits and requirements for a hermetically-sealed reactor thermoelectric power station module suspended within a man-made lunar surface cavity. The concept appears to maximize the shielding capabilities of the lunar regolith while minimizing its handling requirements. Both thermal and nuclear radiation levels from operation of the station, at its 100-m exclusion zone radius, were evaluated and found to be acceptable. Site preparation activities are reviewed and well as transport issues for this concept. The goal of the study was to review the entire life cycle of the unit to assess its technical problems and technology needs in all areas to support the development, deployment, operation and disposal of the unit.

space power↗
NASA NTRS2007

Sintering of Lunar and Simulant Glass

Most oxygen-extraction techniques are temperature-dependent, with higher temperatures resulting in higher oxygen yield. An example is hydrogen reduction, in which the optimum process temperature is 1050 C. However, glass-rich lunar soil begins to show the effects of sintering at temperatures of 900 C or lower. Sintering welds particles together due to viscous relaxation of the glass in the sample. One approach to avoid problems related to sintering, such as difficulty in removing waste material from the reactor, is to keep the soil in motion. One of several methods being studied to accomplish this is fluidized-bed processing techniques, in which the grains are kept in motion by the action of flowing reductant gas. The spent material can be removed from the chamber while still fluidized, or the fluidizing motion can continue until the material has cooled below approx. 500 C. Until end-to-end prototypes are built that can remove the heated soil, the most practical option is to keep the bed fluidized while cooling the waste material. As ISRU technology advances, another option will become valuable, which is to intentionally sinter the material to a great enough extent that it becomes a brick. The free iron in lunar soil is magnetic, and ferromagnetic bricks can be manipulated by robotic systems using electromagnetic end effectors. Finally, if an electromagnetic field is applied to the soil while the brick is being formed, the brick itself will become a magnet. This property can be used to create self-aligning bricks or other building materials that do not require fasteners. Although sintering creates a challenge for early lunar surface systems, knowledge gained during prototype development will be valuable for the advanced lunar outpost.

Cooper, Bonnie L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Moderator Considerations for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Systems

Nuclear reactors have the potential to provide high energy density to enable sustainable surface power and advanced propulsion methods needed for human exploration activities at the moon and mars. Current mission planning is surveying different reactor types for space power and propulsion application. Of these reactor types, the use of a moderator within the reactor can enable reduced enrichment, reduce overall fuel loadings, and minimize the critical size of the reactor compared to unmoderated reference systems. This proceeding summarizes some moderator materials identified for space reactor applications: zirconium hydride, yttrium hydride, beryllium, and beryllium oxide, and the unique design considerations inherent to surface power and nuclear thermal propulsion reactor designs. It was found that there are four key considerations during the moderator selection and design process: nuclear properties, thermophysical & mechanical properties, manufacture & readiness, and environmental compatibility. Surface power reactors can benefit from moderators which minimize overall system mass and are capable of surviving high temperature irradiation environments for years with little degradation. Nuclear thermal propulsion reactors can benefit from moderators which are capable of retaining structural integrity under multiple burns while being exposed to a wide temperature range (40 < T < 500+ K). Moderator materials which exhibit good stability under irradiation and high temperature operation, minimize fuel pitch, and are high readiness are desirable for near term implementation.

nuclear thermal propulsion↗
NASA NTRS1971

Exploratory screening tests of several alloys and coatings for automobile thermal reactors

A total of 23 materials (including uncoated ferritic and austenitic iron-base alloys, uncoated nickel and cobalt-base superalloys, and several different coatings on AISI 304 stainless steel) were screened as test coupons on a rack in an automobile thermal reactor. Test exposures were generally 51 hours including 142 thermal cycles of 10 minutes at 1010 + or - 30 C test coupon temperature and 7-minutes cool-down to about 510 C. Materials that exhibited corrosion resistance better than that of Hastelloy X include: a ferritic iron alloy with 6 weight percent aluminum; three nickel-base superalloys; two diffused-aluminum coatings on AISI 304; and a Ni-Cr slurry-sprayed coating on AISI 304. Preliminary comparison is made on the performance of the directly impinged coupons and a reactor core of the same material.

Oldrieve, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Human Factor Investigation of Waste Processing System During the HI-SEAS 4-month Mars Analog Mission in Support of NASA's Logistic Reduction and Repurposing Project: Trash to Gas

NASA's Logistics Reduction and Repurposing (LRR) project is a collaborative effort in which NASA is tasked with reducing total logistical mass through reduction, reuse and recycling of various wastes and components of long duration space missions and habitats. Trash to Gas (TtG) is a sub task to LRR with efforts focused on development of a technology that converts wastes generated during long duration space missions into high-value products such as methane, water for life support, raw material production feedstocks, and other energy sources. The reuse of discarded materials is a critical component to reducing overall mission mass. The 120 day Hawaii Space Exploration and Analog Simulation provides a unique opportunity to answer questions regarding crew interface and system analysis for designing and developing future flight-like versions of a TtG system. This paper will discuss the human factors that would affect the design of a TtG or other waste processing systems. An overview of the habitat, utility usage, and waste storage and generation is given. Crew time spent preparing trash for TtG processing was recorded. Gas concentrations were measured near the waste storage locations and at other locations in the habitat. In parallel with the analog mission, experimental processing of waste materials in a TtG reactor was performed in order to evaluate performance with realistic waste materials.

waste management↗
NASA NTRS2014

Human Factor Investigation of Waste Processing System During the HI-SEAS 4 Month Mars Analog Mission in Support of NASA's Logistic Reduction and Repurposing Project: Trash to Gas

NASAs Logistics Reduction and Repurposing (LRR) project is a collaborative effort in which NASA is tasked with reducing total logistical mass through reduction, reuse and recycling of various wastes and components of long duration space missions and habitats. Trash to Gas (TtG) is a sub task to LRR with efforts focused on development of a technology that converts wastes generated during long duration space missions into high-value products such as methane, water for life support, raw material production feedstocks, and other energy sources. The reuse of discarded materials is a critical component to reducing overall mission mass. The 120 day Hawaii Space Exploration and Analog Simulation provides a unique opportunity to answer questions regarding crew interface and system analysis for designing and developing future flight-like versions of a TtG system. This paper will discuss the human factors that would affect the design of a TtG or other waste processing systems. An overview of the habitat, utility usage, and waste storage and generation is given. Crew time spent preparing trash for TtG processing was recorded. Gas concentrations were measured near the waste storage locations and at other locations in the habitat. In parallel with the analog mission, experimental processing of waste materials in a TtG reactor was performed in order to evaluate performance with realistic waste materials.

Steam reformer↗
NASA NTRS1993

Design of a lunar propellant processing facility. NASA/USRA advanced program

Mankind's exploration of space will eventually lead to the establishment of a permanent human presence on the Moon. Essential to the economic viability of such an undertaking will be prudent utilization of indigenous lunar resources. The design of a lunar propellant processing system is presented. The system elements include facilities for ore processing, ice transportation, water splitting, propellant storage, personnel and materials transportation, human habitation, power generation, and communications. The design scenario postulates that ice is present in the lunar polar regions, and that an initial lunar outpost was established. Mining, ore processing, and water transportation operations are located in the polar regions. Water processing and propellant storage facilities are positioned near the equator. A general description of design operations is outlined below. Regolith containing the ice is mined from permanently-shaded polar craters. Water is separated from the ore using a microwave processing technique, and refrozen into projectiles for launch to the equatorial site via railgun. A mass-catching device retrieves the ice. This ice is processed using fractional distillation to remove impurities, and the purified liquid water is fed to an electrolytic cell that splits the water into vaporous hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen are condensed and stored separately in a tank farm. Electric power for all operations is supplied by SP-100 nuclear reactors. Transportation of materials and personnel is accomplished primarily using chemical rockets. Modular living habitats are used which provide flexibility for the placement and number of personnel. A communications system consisting of lunar surface terminals, a lunar relay satellite, and terrestrial surface stations provides capabilities for continuous Moon-Moon and Moon-Earth transmissions of voice, picture, and data.

Batra, Rajesh↗
NASA NTRS1973

NERVA irradiation program. GTR 23, volume 1: Combined effects of reactor radiation and cryogenic temperature on NERVA structural materials

Specimens fabricated from structural materials that were candidates for certain NERVA applications were irradiated in liquid nitrogen (LN2), liquid hydrogen (LH2), water, and air. The specimens irradiated in LN2 were stored in LN2 and finally tested in LN2, or at some higher temperature in a few instances. The specimens irradiated in LH2 underwent an unplanned warmup while in storage so this portion of the test was lost; some specimens were tested in LN2 but none were tested in LH2. The Ground Test Reactor was the radiation source. The test specimens consisted mainly of tensile and fracture toughness specimens of several different materials, but other types of specimens such as tear, flexure, springs, and lubricant were also irradiated. Materials tested include Hastelloy X, Al, Ni steel, steel, Be, ZrC, Ti-6Al-4V, CuB, and Ti-5Al-2.5Sn.

Mcdaniel, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Use of steel and tantalum apparatus for molten Cd-Mg-Zn alloys

Steel and tantalum apparatus contains various ternary alloys of cadmium, zinc, and magnesium used in pyrochemical processes for the recovery of uranium-base reactor fuels. These materials exhibit good corrosion resistance at the high temperatures necessary for fuel separation in liquid metal-molten salt solvents.

Bennett, G. A.↗