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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 NTRS1978

Modeling of thruster and solar array characteristics in the JPL low-thrust trajectory analysis

Recent advances in thruster and solar array technology have resulted in the possibility of performing many high energy space missions previously considered infeasible. This capability was demonstrated by an extensive study last year of a comet Halley rendezvous mission. In order to perform this extremely high energy mission, several advanced concepts in electric propulsion technology were investigated; notably the use of very high power, lightweight solar arrays which directly powered the beam supply of the electric propulsion thrusters, and the use of solar concentrators on the arrays together with conventional thrusters and power processors. These technology advances have directly impacted the modeling of the solar arrays and thrusters in the programs used in generating low-thrust trajectories. The intent of this paper is to discuss the modeling of the solar arrays and thrusters as employed in the trajectory programs presently being used in low-thrust mission studies at JPL.

Sauer, C. G., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A comparative analysis of US state-level policies and programs to advance energy justice

Abstract The US energy system is undergoing massive changes that have environmental, technological, and societal implications. Decisions and actions taken now will dramatically alter the trajectory of our future energy system. Though new technologies can lessen the dangers of anthropogenic climate change, an effective and sustainable transition requires addressing social justice issues as a priority. To this end, many states have implemented policies and programs that address energy justice. A formal survey of state-level energy justice policies and programs is needed to better understand the methods used to assist communities targeted and the impacts of these efforts. Such an analysis should include an analysis of the metrics used to judge the effectiveness of the enacted policies and programs. In this paper, we analyze the energy justice policies and programs of seven different US states. From this analysis, we identify three important aspects of state energy policies. First, most policies and programs do not articulate their goals, nor cite metrics to judge their successes. This lack of transparency and accountability is a major roadblock to truly just solutions. Second, states focus on a very narrow range of solutions for energy justice issues. The most prevalent being utility bill assistance, which does not address the systemic and enduring challenges faced by many low-income or historically marginalized communities. Lastly, comprehensive energy policy does not acknowledge and address housing, employment, education, and healthcare inequities that exacerbate energy system inequities. The work presented in this paper sheds light on the progress of state-level energy justice policies and programs across the United States, and we argue more work needs to be done to understand best practices in energy justice policymaking.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1990

A trajectory generation and system characterization model for cislunar low-thrust spacecraft. Volume 2: Technical manual

The documentation of the Trajectory Generation and System Characterization Model for the Cislunar Low-Thrust Spacecraft is presented in Technical and User's Manuals. The system characteristics and trajectories of low thrust nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft can be generated through the use of multiple system technology models coupled with a high fidelity trajectory generation routine. The Earth to Moon trajectories utilize near Earth orbital plane alignment, midcourse control dependent upon the spacecraft's Jacobian constant, and capture to target orbit utilizing velocity matching algorithms. The trajectory generation is performed in a perturbed two-body equinoctial formulation and the restricted three-body formulation. A single control is determined by the user for the interactive midcourse portion of the trajectory. The full spacecraft system characteristics and trajectory are provided as output.

Korsmeyer, David J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Uncertain quantum computing futures and potential energy and physical resource impacts at scale

Considerable attention has recently focused on the vast energy and water demands of supercomputing, namely large-scale data centers that underpin artificial intelligence (AI), one of the great disruptors of contemporary society. Looking ahead some years from now, quantum computing is poised to disrupt established computing paradigms once again. Scientists and engineers are now working intensely to bring this century-old dream of physicists to fruition. Yet, as quantum computers begin to be integrated with classical supercomputing architectures, the implications for energy and physical resource use also need to be understood, especially how they compare to today’s AI data centers. These impacts have not yet been quantified by the research community – a notable gap in the literature, even if commercial-scale deployment of Quantum-Accelerated Computing Infrastructure (QuACI) is not expected for a few more years. This study is the first to conduct such an assessment. Using publicly available information from academic sources and private industry, we characterize multiple configurations of superconducting qubit-based, fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC) that could plausibly be deployed at scale in the 2030s and into the 2040s. By parameterizing these FTQC systems at a process level, we conduct a prospective scenario analysis to quantify their energy and physical resource needs. While these estimates are uncertain, given the current state of quantum technologies and their unknown future trajectories, important insights can already be drawn. One key finding is that while the electricity needs for a fleet of FTQCs are within the bounds of previous modeling studies that have explored high electricity demand futures, the needs for certain physical resources, namely water and helium-3, could pose bottlenecks to QuACI scale-up.

Computing↗
NASA NTRS1982

Galilean satellite mission concepts

Post-Galileo mission concepts considered possible for satellite-intensive investigations are presented, with consideration given to single and multiple target scenarios using orbiter and lander deployments. Candidate missions that satisfy the selected science objectives are identified, and specific scenario/target combinations which fall within performance constraints are chosen. The concepts are then developed into descriptive mission profiles. Also discussed are target encounter and deployment requirements, payload delivery, and operational considerations. Particular attention is given to Jupiter radiation effects and shielding requirements. A wide range of satellite-intensive missions is thought to be within the performance capabilities of earth-gravity-assisted ballistic trajectories and nuclear electric propulsion technology.

Soldner, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

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.↗
NASA NTRS1987

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.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The Voyager-2 Neptune encounter

Aspects of the encounter of Voyager 2 with Neptune which will occur during the summer of 1989 are discussed. The major scientific objectives and the resulting trajectory characteristics are reviewed. The technological requirements for transmitting the scientific data to earth are addressed, and the hardware and software aboard the satellite which will accomplish the transmission are described.

Kosman, William J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaluating success levels of mega-projects

Today's mega-projects transcend the traditional trajectories traced within national and technological limitations. Powers unleashed by internationalization of initiatives, in for example space exploration and environmental protection, are arguably only temporarily suppressed by narrower national, economic, and professional disagreements as to how best they should be harnessed. While the world gets its act together there is time to develop the technologies of such supra-mega-project management that will synergize truly diverse resources and smoothly mesh their interfaces. Such mega-projects and their management need to be realistically evaluated, when implementing such improvements. This paper examines current approaches to evaluating mega-projects and questions the validity of extrapolations to the supra-mega-projects of the future. Alternatives to improve such evaluations are proposed and described.

Kumaraswamy, Mohan M.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Computational Aeroheating Predictions for X-34

Radiative equilibrium surface temperatures, heating rates, streamlines, surface pressures, and flow-field features as predicted by the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (Laura) are presented for the X-34 Technology Demonstrator. Results for two trajectory points corresponding to entry peak heating and two control surface deflections are discussed. This data is also discussed in context of Thermal Protection System (TPS) design issues. The work presented in this report is part of a larger effort to define the X-34 aerothermal environment, including the application of engineering codes and wind-tunnel studies.

Kelb, William L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Computational Aeroheating Predictions for X-34

Radiative equilibrium surface temperatures, heating rates, streamlines, surface pressures, and flow-field features as predicted by the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (LAURA) are presented for the X-34 Technology Demonstrator. Results for two trajectory points corresponding to entry peak heating and two control surface deflections are discussed. This data is also discussed in the context of Thermal Protection System (TPS) design issues. The work presented in this report is part of a larger effort to define the X-34 aerothermal environment, including the application of engineering codes and wind-tunnel studies.

Kleb,William H.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Trailing Ballute Aerocapture: Concept and Feasibility Assessment

Trailing Ballute Aerocapture offers the potential to obtain orbit insertion around a planetary body at a fraction of the mass of traditional methods. This allows for lower costs for launch, faster flight times and additional mass available for science payloads. The technique involves an inflated ballute (balloon-parachute) that provides aerodynamic drag area for use in the atmosphere of a planetary body to provide for orbit insertion in a relatively benign heating environment. To account for atmospheric, navigation and other uncertainties, the ballute is oversized and detached once the desired velocity change (Delta V) has been achieved. Analysis and trades have been performed for the purpose of assessing the feasibility of the technique including aerophysics, material assessments, inflation system and deployment sequence and dynamics, configuration trades, ballute separation and trajectory analysis. Outlined is the technology development required for advancing the technique to a level that would allow it to be viable for use in space exploration missions.

Miller, Kevin L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT): Mission, Vision, and Business Case

The Goal of the GMAT project is to develop new space trajectory optimization and mission design technology by working inclusively with ordinary people, universities businesses and other government organizations; and to share that technology in an open and unhindered way. GMAT's a free and open source software system; free for anyone to use in development of new mission concepts or to improve current missions, freely available in source code form for enhancement or future technology development.

Hughes, Steven P.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Conducting Safe and Efficient Airport Surface Operations in a NextGen Environment

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) vision proposes many revolutionary operational concepts, such as surface trajectory-based operations (STBO) and technologies, including display of traffic information and movements, airport moving maps (AMM), and proactive alerts of runway incursions and surface traffic conflicts, to deliver an overall increase in system capacity and safety. A piloted simulation study was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center to evaluate the ability of a flight crew to conduct safe and efficient airport surface operations while utilizing an AMM. Position accuracy of traffic was varied, and the effect of traffic position accuracy on airport conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) capability was measured. Another goal was to evaluate the crew's ability to safely conduct STBO by assessing the impact of providing traffic intent information, CD&R system capability, and the display of STBO guidance to the flight crew on both head-down and head-up displays (HUD). Nominal scenarios and off-nominal conflict scenarios were conducted using 12 airline crews operating in a simulated Memphis International Airport terminal environment. The data suggest that all traffic should be shown on the airport moving map, whether qualified or unqualified, and conflict detection and resolution technologies provide significant safety benefits. Despite the presence of traffic information on the map, collisions or near-collisions still occurred; when indications or alerts were generated in these same scenarios, the incidents were averted. During the STBO testing, the flight crews met their required time-of-arrival at route end within 10 seconds on 98 percent of the trials, well within the acceptable performance bounds of 15 seconds. Traffic intent information was found to be useful in determining the intent of conflicting traffic, with graphical presentation preferred. The CD&R system was only minimally effective during STBO because the prevailing visibility was sufficient for visual detection of conflicting traffic. Overall, the pilots indicated STBO increased general situation awareness but also negatively impacted workload, reduced the ability to watch for other traffic, and increased head-down time.

Jones, Denise R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

0BGRaman: Graph Network based Simulator for Forecasting Molecular Polarizability

This report presents the work performed under the GRaman project, sponsored by the PCSD LDRD Seed program. The project aimed at accelerating ab initio molecular dynamics simulation using Graph Networks. The Graph Network framework is a ML framework that has been successfully employed to simulate the dynamics of several physical systems: including water splashing in a container and flags moving with the wind. In this effort, we performed a data collection campaign for 3 different molecules of interest. We have built tools for preprocessing the trajectories obtained by simulating Raman Spectroscopy with NWChem and translating them into a suitable format for training. We have developed a training algorithm to train the Graph Network based simulators based on our data and developed a simulator that produces trajectories in the same NWChem format. While the tool has improved with each iteration of development and subsequent experiments, the current state of the tool does not allow to directly incorporate the technology within the NWChem framework because the trajectories produced by the tool are not yet accurate enough. However, the technology has proved to have good potential and it is certainly worth further research and development.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2017

Design and Development of a Rapid Research, Design, and Development Platform for In-Situ Testing of Tools and Concepts for Trajectory-Based Operations

To provide justification for equipping a fleet of aircraft with avionics capable of supporting trajectory-based operations, significant flight testing must be accomplished. However, equipping aircraft with these avionics and enabling technologies to communicate the clearances required for trajectory-based operations is cost-challenging using conventional avionics approaches. This paper describes an approach to minimize the costs and risks of flight testing these technologies in-situ, discusses the test-bed platform developed, and highlights results from a proof-of-concept flight test campaign that demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of this approach.

Underwood, Matthew C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

An Evaluation of a Flight Deck Interval Management Algorithm Including Delayed Target Trajectories

NASA's first Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Demonstration (ATD-1) was created to facilitate the transition of mature air traffic management technologies from the laboratory to operational use. The technologies selected for demonstration are the Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering (TMA-TM), which provides precise timebased scheduling in the terminal airspace; Controller Managed Spacing (CMS), which provides controllers with decision support tools enabling precise schedule conformance; and Interval Management (IM), which consists of flight deck automation that enables aircraft to achieve or maintain precise in-trail spacing. During high demand operations, TMA-TM may produce a schedule and corresponding aircraft trajectories that include delay to ensure that a particular aircraft will be properly spaced from other aircraft at each schedule waypoint. These delayed trajectories are not communicated to the automation onboard the aircraft, forcing the IM aircraft to use the published speeds to estimate the target aircraft's estimated time of arrival. As a result, the aircraft performing IM operations may follow an aircraft whose TMA-TM generated trajectories have substantial speed deviations from the speeds expected by the spacing algorithm. Previous spacing algorithms were not designed to handle this magnitude of uncertainty. A simulation was conducted to examine a modified spacing algorithm with the ability to follow aircraft flying delayed trajectories. The simulation investigated the use of the new spacing algorithm with various delayed speed profiles and wind conditions, as well as several other variables designed to simulate real-life variability. The results and conclusions of this study indicate that the new spacing algorithm generally exhibits good performance; however, some types of target aircraft speed profiles can cause the spacing algorithm to command less than optimal speed control behavior.

Swieringa, Kurt A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Visualizing Corridors in Terminal Airspace using Trajectory Clustering

Context: Advances in battery and automation technology have made routine air taxi and cargo transport in urban areas a business model that can be attained by emerging aviation innovators. The community vision and work to enable these novel operations is discussed using the term ‘Urban Air Mobility’ or UAM. Small, piloted, airspace vehicles that fly with a few passengers do operate in urban areas today, and these vehicles can be studied as an early proxy for this future UAM traffic. Aim: We seek to identify corridors already in daily operation and their properties. Method: We applied DBSCAN and HDBSCAN to Dallas Forth-Worth TRACON flight data to identify corridors in use, their density, and devised a method to annotate landing sites used in these corridors with site metadata. Results: While DBSCAN was unable to group similar trajectories, we we were able to successfully identify corridors using HDBSCAN, measure their density and annotate them. Conclusion: The applied method can successfully identify corridors in daily operation with additional metadata to help domain expert understand the intent of UAM corridors.

UAM, Trajectory, TRACON, Clustering, DBSCAN, HDBSC↗