Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Finite element modeling”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

476 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

An improved heat transfer configuration for a solid-core nuclear thermal rocket engine

Interrupted flow, impingement cooling, and axial power distribution are employed to enhance the heat-transfer configuration of a solid-core nuclear thermal rocket engine. Impingement cooling is introduced to increase the local heat-transfer coefficients between the reactor material and the coolants. Increased fuel loading is used at the inlet end of the reactor to enhance heat-transfer capability where the temperature differences are the greatest. A thermal-hydraulics computer program for an unfueled NERVA reactor core is employed to analyze the proposed configuration with attention given to uniform fuel loading, number of channels through the impingement wafers, fuel-element length, mass-flow rate, and wafer gap. The impingement wafer concept (IWC) is shown to have heat-transfer characteristics that are better than those of the NERVA-derived reactor at 2500 K. The IWC concept is argued to be an effective heat-transfer configuration for solid-core nuclear thermal rocket engines.

John S Clark↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of Quicksounder ATMS at Instrument Level TVAC

QuickSounder (QS) is the pathfinder space mission for the next generation of NOAA LEO environmental satellites in the NEON program, follow-on to the JPSS program. It is a collaborative initiative between NASA and NOAA to verify rapid and cost-effective delivery of small Earth observation satellites. QuickSounder is focusing on mission elements other than science performance. In this context, an existing sensor, the refurbished ATMS EDU (Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, Engineering Development Unit) was chosen as the QuickSounder payload. This poster discusses the performances of QuickSounder ATMS during thermal vacuum (TVAC) calibration to ensure that QS ATMS is characterized and calibrated in the same manner as JPSS ATMS units, even though science performance attributes are not the priority of this mission.

Saji Abraham↗
NASA NTRS2026

Artemis Suit Material Effects of Calendaring Woven Fabrics on Dust Resistance

This paper presents one element of an ongoing NASA technology-infusion effort to design, fabricate, and test a new outer shell fabric for a lunar Extravehicular Activity (EVA) space suit, a critical component of sustained lunar exploration. A primary challenge for suit textiles is preventing lunar dust, which is highly abrasive, electrostatically charged, and capable of infiltrating even tightly woven fabrics from penetrating the Environment Protection Garment (EPG) and compromising suit durability and astronaut safety. To enhance dust-blocking performance, the Artemis Suit Materials Team investigated calendaring, a continuous roll to roll mechanical finishing process in which fabric passes through heated rollers under high pressure to compress and flatten the weave, thereby reducing pore size and modifying surface texture without significantly affecting other properties. Targeted testing of calendared Teflon™ T-162 and Ortho Fabric samples provides new insight into how calendaring influences dust resistance, informing future material development and advancing EVA suit technology for long-duration lunar missions.

Dust↗
NASA NTRS2026

Artemis Suit Material Effects of Calendaring Woven Fabrics on Dust Resistance

This paper presents one element of an ongoing NASA technology-infusion effort to design, fabricate, and test a new outer shell fabric for a lunar Extravehicular Activity (EVA) space suit, a critical component of sustained lunar exploration. A primary challenge for suit textiles is preventing lunar dust, which is highly abrasive, electrostatically charged, and capable of infiltrating even tightly woven fabrics from penetrating the Environment Protection Garment (EPG) and compromising suit durability and astronaut safety. To enhance dust-blocking performance, the Artemis Suit Materials Team investigated calendaring, a continuous roll to roll mechanical finishing process in which fabric passes through heated rollers under high pressure to compress and flatten the weave, thereby reducing pore size and modifying surface texture without significantly affecting other properties. Targeted testing of calendared Teflon™ T-162 and Ortho Fabric samples provides new insight into how calendaring influences dust resistance, informing future material development and advancing EVA suit technology for long-duration lunar missions.

Dust↗
NASA NTRS1993

Stability Measurements of the Radio Science System at the 34-m High-Efficiency Antennas

From 1991 to 1993 the fractional frequency stability of the operational Radio Science System was measured at DSS's 15, 45, and 65. These stations are designed to have the most stable uplink and downlink equipment in the Deep Space Network (DSN). Some measurements were performed when the antenna was moving and the frequency was ramped. The stability, including contributions of all elements in the station except for the antenna and the hydrogen maser, was measured to be 0.3 to 1.3 x 10 -15 when the frequency was fixed, and 0.6 to 6.0 x 10 -15 when the frequency was ramped (sample interval, 1000 sec). Only one measurement out of fifteen exceeded specification. In all other cases, when previous measurements on the antenna and the hydrogen maser were added, a total system stability requirement of 5.0 x 10 -15 as met. In addition, ambient temperature was found to cause phase variation in the measurements at a rate of 5.5 deg of phase per deg C.

T T Pham↗
NASA NTRS1993

Overview 1993: Chemical propulsion at CSTAR

Chemical Propulsion at CSTAR continues to expand its activities and areas of interest. Several new initiatives are being developed which are extensions of, or replacements for, earlier projects. One current focus is on reassessing promising engine cycles and the enabling technologies for implementing them. These engine cycles which include advanced hybrids, and staged combustion cycles have the use of oxygen as a working fluid and coolant in common. Oxygen is used as a turbine drive gas, tank pressurant and as a cooling medium for combustion devices. CSTAR has interest in the propellant feed systems for advanced rocket engines, including propellant conditioning and tank pressurization, gas generators, and turbomachinery. CSTAR's interests also include propellant injection into the main chamber. These aspects of rocket propulsion embody a diverse range of technical disciplines and technologies, critical to the pursuit of low cost space access. The chemical propulsion program at CSTAR includes active projects investigating hybrid rocket engine oxygen feed systems, hybrid rocket injectors, gas fed hybrid rocket combustion, elements of main injectors for staged combustion devices. CSTAR is actively seeking industrial partners interested in joint participation in one or more phases of the analyses, design, development and application of propulsion technologies and related technical disciplines.

William H. Knuth↗
NASA NTRS2026

Thermodynamic Properties of Uranium-Zirconium Carbide Solid Solutions with Oxygen

Uranium-zirconium carbide solid solutions are potential candidates for fuel in space nuclear reactors. To support development of advanced robust fuels for space applications, (U y Zr 1-y )C x O z solid solutions were synthesized via carbothermic reduction with uranium, carbon, and oxygen contents raging from y=0.05 – 0.3, x=0.95 – 0.98, and z = 0.02 – 0.07. These solid solutions were subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction and elemental combustion analysis. High-temperature oxidative drop solution calorimetry in molten sodium molybdate solvent at 1073 K was employed to determine the formation, oxidation, and mixing enthalpies of (U y Zr 1-y )C x O z solid solutions, and thereby for evaluating their thermodynamic stability. The solid solutions are enthalpically less stable than the UC and ZrC end members. They also become less stable and more reactive towards oxidation with increasing uranium content. Incorporation of oxygen into solid solutions increases their solid solution-stability and improves their oxidation resistance.

Calorimetry↗
NASA NTRS1992

Materials And Processes Technical Information System (MAPTIS) LDEF materials database

The Materials and Processes Technical Information System (MAPTIS) is a collection of materials data which was computerized and is available to engineers in the aerospace community involved in the design and development of spacecraft and related hardware. Consisting of various database segments, MAPTIS provides the user with information such as material properties, test data derived from tests specifically conducted for qualification of materials for use in space, verification and control, project management, material information, and various administrative requirements. A recent addition to the project management segment consists of materials data derived from the LDEF flight. This tremendous quantity of data consists of both pre-flight and post-flight data in such diverse areas as optical/thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, atomic concentration surface analysis data, as well as general data such as sample placement on the satellite, A-O flux, equivalent sun hours, etc. Each data point is referenced to the primary investigator(s) and the published paper from which the data was taken. The MAPTIS system is envisioned to become the central location for all LDEF materials data. This paper consists of multiple parts, comprising a general overview of the MAPTIS System and the types of data contained within, and the specific LDEF data element and the data contained in that segment.

John M. Davis↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modular Assembled Radiators for Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) VehicLes (MARVL) Project Thermal Technology Development

Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) has been considered for crew and cargo class missions to Mars for more than six decades. The Primary Heat Rejection Subsystem (PHRS) of an NEP vehicle expels the megawatts of waste heat generated by the Power Conversion Subsystem (PCS). In previous studies, integrating the majority of the NEP vehicle within a single launch fairing required the use of complex deployable elements and resulted in reduced PCS efficiency. To achieve the necessary radiating area, past design studies have utilized massive multi-wing folding radiators resulting in conceptual PHRS designs that have been widely acknowledged as non-optimal. The Modular Assembled Radiators for NEP VehicLes (MARVL) project is incorporating in-Space Assembly (iSA) into the design process to realize lightweight, modular, and more capable PHRS radiators. Since the project’s Authority to Proceed (ATP) date of October 2024, the project team has been developing a modular design for the PHRS radiators that will be suitable for both the Mars mission environments and iSA commissioning operations. This document captures the current progress of the incremental technology development for the thermal components of the MARVL System of Interest (SOI).

Modular Radiator↗
NASA NTRS2026

Moon Base Transportation - Deliveries to the Lunar Surface

Development of the Moon Base will enable a home away from home for astronauts who will live and work at humanity’s first lunar outpost. In this effort, NASA’s Moon Transportation Office is responsible for enabling the transformational missions required to deliver habitats, supplies, science payloads, and all other elements needed to cultivate a permanent presence on the Lunar Surface. The Mission Concept (MC) is characterized through evaluation of an end-to-end architecture that can successfully deliver a generalized heavy large-volume payload, in excess of 4000 kg, to a precision landing and touchdown on the lunar surface. The mission architecture utilizes a single launch configuration of a Lunar Lander (LL) with a unique propellant system. The LL has an integral orbital transfer capability and features jettisonable elements. The design circumvents the need for prop transfer on orbit and multiple launch configurations. The launch vehicle (LV) for this work will assume the capability to deliver a payload in excess of 40,000 kg to orbit, affording multiple LV solutions. Considerations for the LL and payload deployment from the fairing are assumed to be handled through compliance with a launch providers’ Interface Requirements Document (IRD). The MC will span from launch at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to terminal descent and touchdown on the lunar surface, requiring a total ΔV on the order of 6 km/s beyond what is required to get the vehicle stack to a 200 km circular Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Major mission phases include: launch and launch vehicle separation, transfer operations, pre-landing navigation, and lunar descent and touchdown. A Concept of Operations (ConOps) is used as the primary design driver for defining architecture of the vehicles necessary to achieve final payload delivery. Numerous ground rules and assumptions will be provided for each phase of the mission. Concept designs for the LL is presented. An emphasis of the design maximizes a feasible path for maturation, manufacturing, and operation. A self-imposed practical consideration for this effort is the incorporation of legacy designed hardware to minimize expensive, time-intensive, and high-risk hardware development cycles. The propulsion system of the LL adopts a conventional storable bipropellant configuration of monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) and mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON3). This effort will showcase a unique propellant delivery system to minimize the reliance on propellant management devices (PMDs) during descent. Numerous key constraints have been considered, across the multiple segments of the mission. These include the unique aspects of center of gravity (CG) management, thruster plume effects including self-impingement, propulsion system hardware limitations, navigation during multiple mission phases, and landing gear geometry for uneven terrain. These constraints shape the trades necessary for precision landing of heavy cargo and ensure compatibility with broader Moon Base Transportation concepts. The resulting insights inform future transportation strategies for the Moon and beyond; directly contributing to the development of cargo‑delivery standards that will support the long‑term buildup of a sustainable, continuously inhabited Moon Base.

Lunar Habitat↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High Temperature Pressure (HTP) Boron Nitride Nanotube (BNNT): Discovery and Commercialization

Future NASA missions for space exploration require key technological elements that must provide sustainability, survivability and operational envelope in extreme environments, such as the high and low extremes in pressures and temperatures, ionizing radiations, chemical and/or physical corrosion, and hypervelocity particles. Advanced multifunctional materials enable revolutionary design schemes for future aerospace vehicles and structures for the extreme environments of NASA missions. Recent studies of nanocomposite materials have shown the potential for both structural integrity and multifunctional capabilities, such as sensing, actuating, health monitoring, radiation shielding, energy harvesting, thermal management, and thermal protection in extreme environments. After the advent of carbon nanotube (CNT) in 1991, scientists predicted that boron and nitrogen, carbons immediate neighbors on the periodic chart, might also form perfect nanotubes, namely boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). The discovery and progress of a new catalyst-free method for synthesizing highly crystalline, very long, and small diameter BNNTs under a high temperature and pressure (HTP) environment have enabled new applications for multifunctional materials. The white color BNNTs offer extraordinary properties including neutron radiation shielding, piezoelectricity, electrostriction, high thermal oxidative stability (>800C in air), not present in CNTs, as well as excellent mechanical strength and toughness, equivalent to CNTs. The characteristics of the BNNTs and their composites along with CNT composites are discussed in this presentation along with their potential aerospace applications in extreme environments.

Cheol Park↗
NASA NTRS2026

Comparison Testing and Analysis of Braided Cords Constructed from Varying Kevlar Fiber Types

Material advancements move quickly, resulting in material obsolescence issues that require parachute engineers to understand how the material properties change with a material upgrade and if there are expected impacts to overall performance of the parachute. The objective of this test was to measure the elongation of different Kevlar types at both the cord-level and at the yarn-level to determine if a change in Kevlar type impacted parachute performance. An Instron machine with a pin-to-pin connection was used to measure load and displacement time histories for various Kevlar cord and yarn samples in a cyclic load profile. Twenty-four cord samples and twenty-four yarn samples were tested; each sample was cycled five times to the relevant maximum load (either to breaking strength or to the 30% peak load expected in flight). In addition to the Instron measurements, a photogrammetric technique was also implemented to measure elongation of the samples using button targets. Modulus test data shows approximately a 10% difference in elongation between Kevlar 29AP and Kevlar 129, and another 10% difference in elongation between Kevlar 29 and Kevlar 29AP. Although this is a measurable change in modulus, the effect on parachute performance is likely small, particularly for non-primary structure elements of relatively small length. This test campaign provides an example of the type of testing and analysis that parachute engineers could do to understand how material upgrades affect performance of their systems.

Modulus Testing↗
NASA NTRS2026

Comparison Testing and Analysis of Braided Cords Constructed from Varying Kevlar Fiber Types

Material advancements move quickly, resulting in material obsolescence issues that require parachute engineers to understand how the material properties change with a material upgrade and if there are expected impacts to overall performance of the parachute. The objective of this test was to measure the elongation of different Kevlar types at both the cord-level and at the yarn-level to determine if a change in Kevlar type impacted parachute performance. An Instron machine with a pin-to-pin connection was used to measure load and displacement time histories for various Kevlar cord and yarn samples in a cyclic load profile. Twenty-four cord samples and twenty-four yarn samples were tested; each sample was cycled five times to the relevant maximum load (either to breaking strength or to the 30% peak load expected in flight). In addition to the Instron measurements, a photogrammetric technique was also implemented to measure elongation of the samples using button targets. Modulus test data shows approximately a 10% difference in elongation between Kevlar 29AP and Kevlar 129, and another 10% difference in elongation between Kevlar 29 and Kevlar 29AP. Although this is a measurable change in modulus, the effect on parachute performance is likely small, particularly for non-primary structure elements of relatively small length. This test campaign provides an example of the type of testing and analysis that parachute engineers could do to understand how material upgrades affect performance of their systems.

Parachutes↗
NASA NTRS2026

Isotopic Signature of Organic Molecules from Beyond the Solar System: An Enriched Methane D/H Ratio in the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS

Interstellar objects are interlopers from other planetary systems, and their volatile compositions provide a glimpse into planet formation around their host star. We present near-infrared spectra of the coma of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS measured with the James Webb Space Telescope. Our results demonstrate an unexpectedly high D/H = (3.31 ± 0.34)% for methane and represent an exceedingly rare detection of deuterated organic molecules in an interstellar object. This D/H ratio is a factor of 14 ± 2 higher than that measured in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta spacecraft, the only other comet for which CH3D has been detected, yet the ratio of deuteration in methane compared with water is consistent for both comets within 1.2σ. The D/H ratio in methane is observationally unconstrained in extrasolar sources to date, but the enriched ratio in 3I/ATLAS is most similar to those measured in other organic molecules toward primitive environments. The high D/H ratios of water and methane in 3I/ATLAS are a natural consequence of formation in a high D/H elemental ratio environment as a result of locally cold conditions in the protoplanetary disk and prior interstellar cloud. Thus, 3I/ATLAS formed in an environment very different from that in which our Sun and planets originated.

Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design, Build, and Testing of the Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument Optical Stimulus System (SORC)

The Stimulus Of Ray Cones (SORC) is an optical stimulus system developed to verify, characterize, and calibrate the Roman Space Telescope’s (RST) Wide Field Instrument (WFI) under simulated operational conditions. SORC provides several critical test modes, the primary being point-source mode, which projects an image anywhere on the Focal Plane Assembly (FPA) detectors. This mode provides precise position knowledge of the FPA within WFI. Additional modes enable capturing WFI pupil alignment, evaluation of WFI’s selectable optical elements, and verification of focal plane fiber operation for higher-level system testing. The light source system incorporates a suite of narrowband and broadband fiber fed sources spanning the visible to near-infrared range, with options for pulsed or continuous wave illumination. SORC was designed and built at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC). Initial system-level testing occurred under ambient conditions in GSFC’s Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility (SSDIF), followed by vacuum testing at operational temperatures (SORC at 214-222 K) in the Space Environment Simulator (SES). The system was then shipped to BAE Systems in Boulder, CO for post-shipment ambient and cryogenic testing before integration with WFI for two thermal vacuum test campaigns at cryogenic temperatures. This presentation will focus on design, development, and performance of SORC. Details of WFI verification and calibration using SORC, along with test results, have been published previously and will be referenced only as needed to describe SORC. The SORC ground test capability is critical to ensuring WFI meets stringent optical performance requirements, directly supporting the mission’s science objectives.

Stimulus of Ray Cones↗
NASA NTRS1994

Review of European Microgravity Measurements

AA In a French/Russion cooperation, CNES developed a microgravity detection system for analyzing the Mir space station micro-g-environment for the first time. European efforts to characterize the microgravity (1/9) environment within a space laboratory began in the late seventies with the design of the First Spacelab Mission SL-1. Its Material Science Double Rack was the first payload element to carry its own tri-axial acceleration package. Even though incapable for any frequency analysis, the data provided a wealth of novel information for optimal experiment and hardware design and operations for missions to come. Theoretical investigations under ESA contract demonstrated the significance of the detailed knowledge of micro-g data for a thorough experiment analysis. They especially revealed the high sensitivity of numerous phenomena to low frequency acceleration. Accordingly, the payloads of the Spacelab missions D-1 and D-2 were furnished with state-of-the-art detection systems to ensure frequency analysis between 0.1 and 100 Hz. The Microgravity Measurement Assembly (MMA) of D-2 was a centralized system comprising fixed installed as well as mobile tri-axial packages showing real-time data processing and transmission to ground. ESA's free flyer EURECA carried a system for continuous measurement over the entire mission. All EURECA subsystems and experimental facilities had to meet tough requirements defining the upper acceleration limits. In a French/Russion cooperation, CNES developed a mi crogravity detection system for analyzing the Mir space station micro-g-environment for the first time. An approach to get access to low frequency acceleration between 0 and 0.02 Hz will be realized by QSAM (Quasi-steady Acceleration Measurement) on IML-2, complementary to the NASA system Spacelab Acceleration Measurement System SAMS. A second flight of QSAM is planned for the Russian free flyer FOTON.

H Hamacher↗
NASA NTRS2003

An Overview of the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program

The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is an agency-wide effort aimed at ensuring the quality, safety, reliability and performance of flight battery systems for NASA applications. The program provides for the validation of primary and secondary cell and battery level technology advances to ensure their availability and readiness for use in NASA missions. It serves to bridge the gap between the development of technology advances and the realization and incorporation of these advances into mission applications. The program is led by the Glenn Research Center and involves funded task activities at each of the NASA mission centers and JPL. The overall products are safe, reliable, high quality batteries for mission applications. The products are defined along three product lines: 1. Battery Systems Technology - Elements of this task area cover the systems aspects of battery operation and generally apply across chemistries. This includes the development of guidelines documents, the establishment and maintenance of a central battery database that serves a central repository for battery characterization and verification test data from tests performed under the support of this program, the NASA Battery Workshop, and general test facility support. 2. Secondary Battery Technology - l h s task area focuses on the validation of battery technology for nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal-hydride and lithium-ion secondary battery systems. Standardized test regimes are used to validate the quality of a cell lot or cell design for flight applications. In this area, efforts are now concentrated on the validation and verification of lithium-ion battery technology for aerospace applications. 3. Primary Battery Technology - The safety and reliability aspects for primary lithium battery systems that are used in manned operations on the Shuttle and International Space Station are addressed in the primary battery technology task area. An overview of the task areas supported under this program will be presented.

Manzo, Michelle A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Enabling Reliable, Fault-Tolerant Autonomous Lunar Habitats with High-Performance Spaceflight Computing

The lunar surface presents unfavorable constraints and harsh living conditions. To address these challenges, autonomous habitats will require complex integrated systems that combine advanced software, high-performance hardware, and cutting-edge sensors to ensure sustainability, safety, and operational efficiency. Consequently, maintaining a sustainable presence on the Moon requires reliable infrastructure and efficient development, precise monitoring, and utilization of resources within a lunar installation. These elements are essential not only to ensure that lunar settlement can be long-term, self-sustaining, and resource-efficient, but also to serve as a foundation for future missions and eventual human habitation on Mars. Humans are not native to the Moon; therefore, our survival and ability to thrive will depend on autonomous systems that can foster safety and resilience through high-availability architectures, graceful degradation, and highly fault-tolerant spaceflight hardware capable of continuing operation during failures. This requires advanced human-rated distributed systems architectures with specialized electronics, scalable capabilities, and an integrated design approach. Unlike current practices focused on short-term missions and regularly maintained components, permanent lunar compute systems must be designed for extended operations beyond mission durations. This paper explores the necessity of transitioning toward fault- tolerant, highly autonomous hardware systems designed for multi-year missions. It also identifies critical subsystems that require high levels of autonomy, supported by radiation-hardened processors and extreme thermal loads, which are essential to mitigate long-term degradation and ensure sustainable lunar habitation. Finally, the paper aligns with NASA’s identified Civil Space Shortfalls, particularly in high-performance onboard computing, advanced data acquisition, extreme-environment avionics, radiation monitoring and countermeasures, and autonomous health management. It proposes NASA’s new High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor as a turnkey solution, delivering 100 times the performance-per-watt of legacy rad-hard CPUs and enabling onboard AI, edge computing, and fault-tolerant features essential for sustained lunar autonomy and beyond.

Sarkis S Mikaelian↗