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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Evaluation of a metering, mixing, and dispensing system for mixing polysulfide adhesive

Tests were performed to evaluate whether a metered mixing system can mix PR-1221 polysulfide adhesive as well as or better than batch-mixed adhesive; also, to evaluate the quality of meter-mixed PR-1860 and PS-875 polysulfide adhesives. These adhesives are candidate replacements for PR-1221 which will not be manufactured in the future. The following material properties were evaluated: peel strength, specific gravity and adhesive components of mixed adhesives, Shore A hardness, tensile adhesion strength, and flow rate. Finally, a visual test called the butterfly test was performed to observe for bubbles and unmixed adhesive. The results of these tests are reported and discussed.

Evans, Kurt B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Custom Integration of Multiple Medical Functionalities

INTRODUCTION: Previous spaceflight experience and results from probabilistic risk assessment of spaceflight medical risk have highlighted the need for vital sign measurements, medical scopes, and clinical imaging tools for managing medical conditions during spaceflight. The Human Research Program’s Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element and the Mars Campaign Office’s Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) have performed ground-based evaluations of two Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Multi-functional Integrated Medical (MIM) devices, which integrate various medical capabilities together in one device. The key findings from these evaluations are presented in a complementary presentation, leaving this presentation to focus on forward recommendations for customized integration of multiple medical functionalities. KEY COMPONENTS: The key features of a custom integration of multiple medical functionalities includes devices and capabilities that optimally reduce medical risk. The COTS MIM devices incorporated functionality for best supporting Earth-based, emergency, pre-hospital care. Our custom integration will use probabilistic risk assessment tools, such as the Medical Extensible Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment Tool (MEDPRAT), to determine the optimal functionality to include based on medical risk minimization. An additional feature of custom integration includes the ability to adapt to different requirements within different vehicles and/or missions. The COTS MIM devices store data in patient specific records, however, the format of the records is not modifiable, and data are not easily transferred from the MIM device to a central data architecture outside of the manufacturer’s established system. Our concept for custom integration will use devices that have an open application programming interface, which can easily connect to independent data architectures and third-party visualization software. The ultrasound capabilities included within the COTS MIM devices did not satisfy many of the Artemis Research and Operations Working Group’s ultrasound functional needs, and therefore, incorporation of higher quality ultrasound capabilities within a customized integration will be beneficial. The COTS MIM devices included minimal procedural guidance and clinical decision support tools. Supplemental tools of this type would need to be supplied along with the COTS MIM devices if they were to be used operationally, so another advantage of customization is the ability to integrate these support tools along with the medical functionality, for a more streamlined user experience. CONCLUSION: Investigation of a customized integration of medical functionality provides a method for further understanding the needs of a long-term exploration spaceflight medical system. The crew members of these exploration missions will need to operate more and more independently from Earth-based ground support. Therefore, having an optimized, streamlined medical system, which contains the functionality and supporting information needed, while remaining within mission and vehicle constraints, will help to maintain crew health and performance, which is necessary for achieving high levels of mission success.

B E Lewandowski↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evolution of highly multimodal Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities

Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instabilities are important fluid instabilities that arise in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosions, and many other contexts. Multi-mode coupling is observed in experiments and plays a substantial role in material mix from RT instabilities. In this work, we study the evolution of highly multimodal perturbations (power law distribution) that approximate those found at manufactured material interfaces. We use simulations of over 2000 different perturbations in the LANL code xRAGE to identify distinct phases in the processes of bubble growth and bubble merger which can be visualized in a 2D phase portrait with clear regimes of mode growth and decay. Our results show that the dynamic evolution of the instability strongly depends on the mode of the perturbations and mode interactions. The merger process accelerates bubble growth. A non-Markovian region and a transition of the instability from: (1) initial exponential growth to (2) linear growth and to (3) quadratic growth and asymptotic behavior, are clearly captured in the phase space. We have developed a quantitative model of bubble growth that reproduces the dynamic behavior of ensembles of perturbations. Implications for ICF capsules designed for robustness against instabilities are discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric surface imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method models. Data collection methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps on how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the pre-processing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Article (CTA) 8.2B. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future development of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Sandwich structures↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multidimensional scaling informed by F -statistic: Visualizing grouped microbiome data with inference

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a widely used dimensionality reduction technique in microbial ecology data analysis that captures the multivariate structure of the data while preserving pairwise distances between samples. While improvements in MDS have enhanced the ability to reveal group-specific data patterns, these MDS-based methods require prior assumptions for inference, limiting their application in general microbiome analysis. Here, in this study, we introduce a new MDS-based ordination method, “F-informed MDS,” which configures the data distribution based on the F-statistic, the ratio of dispersion between groups sharing common and different characteristics. Using semisynthetic datasets, we demonstrate that the proposed method is robust to hyperparameter selection while maintaining statistical significance throughout the ordination process. Various quality metrics for evaluating dimensionality reduction confirm that F-informed MDS is comparable to state-of-the-art methods in preserving both local and global data structures. Its application to a diatom-associated bacterial community suggests the role of this new method in interpreting the community’s response to the host. Our approach offers a well-founded refinement of MDS that aligns with statistical test results, which can be beneficial for broader multidimensional data analyses in microbiology and ecology. This new visualization tool can be incorporated into standard microbiome data analyses.

Biological and medical sciences↗
NASA NTRS1988

Telescope Equipment

Renaissance Telescope for high resolution and visual astronomy has five 82-degree Field Tele-Vue Nagler Eyepieces, some of the accessories that contribute to high image quality. Telescopes and eyepieces are representative of a family of optical equipment manufactured by Tele-Vue Optics, Inc.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections↗
NASA NTRS2015

Cleaning and Cleanliness Measurement of Additive Manufactured Parts

The successful acquisition and utilization of piece parts and assemblies for contamination sensitive applications requires application of cleanliness acceptance criteria. Contamination can be classified using many different schemes. One common scheme is classification as organic, ionic and particulate contaminants. These may be present in and on the surface of solid components and assemblies or may be dispersed in various gaseous or liquid media. This discussion will focus on insoluble particle contamination on the surface of piece parts and assemblies. Cleanliness of parts can be controlled using two strategies, referred to as gross cleanliness and precision cleanliness. Under a gross cleanliness strategy acceptance is based on visual cleanliness. This approach introduces a number of concerns that render it unsuitable for controlling cleanliness of high technology products. Under the precision cleanliness strategy, subjective, visual assessment of cleanliness is replaced by objective measurement of cleanliness. When a precision cleanliness strategy is adopted there naturally arises the question: How clean is clean enough? The six commonly used methods for establishing objective cleanliness acceptance limits will be discussed. Special emphasis shall focus on the use of multiple extraction, a technique that has been demonstrated for additively manufactured parts.

Welker, Roger W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Aircraft geometry verification with enhanced computer-generated displays

A method for visual verification of aerodynamic geometries using computer-generated, color-shaded images is described. The mathematical models representing aircraft geometries are created for use in theoretical aerodynamic analyses and in computer-aided manufacturing. The aerodynamic shapes are defined using parametric bi-cubic splined patches. This mathematical representation is then used as input to an algorithm that generates a color-shaded image of the geometry. A discussion of the techniques used in the mathematical representation of the geometry and in the rendering of the color-shaded display is presented. The results include examples of color-shaded displays, which are contrasted with wire-frame-type displays. The examples also show the use of mapped surface pressures in terms of color-shaded images of V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft and advanced turboprop aircraft.

Cozzolongo, J. V.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Visualizing diverse lithium growth and stripping behaviors in anode-free solid-state batteries with operando X-ray tomography

Anode-free solid-state batteries (SSBs), which eliminate the need for lithium metal use during cell assembly, have the potential to enable high energy densities and simplified manufacturing. However, the factors that control lithium growth/stripping at the anode current collector are not well understood. Here, we use operando X-ray microcomputed tomography to comprehensively image and quantify lithium deposition and stripping under various conditions in three different Li|Li 6 PS 5 Cl|current collector cells, revealing diverse behavior that depends on interface morphology, cell resistance, and solid-state electrolyte (SSE) microstructure. A cell with high resistance exhibits extensive lithium filament growth across the entire current collector interface, with filaments that grow around pre-existing pores in the SSE rather than lithium filling these pores. Lithium filament formation is partially reversible, with the cracks shrinking as lithium metal is stripped. Uniform lithium deposition is achievable at low current densities in low-resistance cells, whereas higher current densities in these cells cause an increase in interfacial roughness, which is correlated with subsequent filamentary growth at the edges of the cell. These results provide insight into filamentary vs. planar lithium growth and highlight that the evolution of lithium is sensitively dependent on SSE microstructure and electrochemical processes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space-Spurred Metallized Materials

Spurred R&D toward improved vacuum metallizing techniques led to an extensive line of commercial products, from insulated outdoor garments to packaging for foods, from wall coverings to window shades, from life rafts to candy wrappings, reflective blankets to photographic reflectors. Metallized Products, Inc. (MPI) was one of the companies that worked with NASA in development of the original space materials. MPI markets its own metallized products and supplies materials to other manufacturers. One of the most widely used MPI products is TXG laminate. An example is a reflective kite, the S.O.S. Signal Kite that can be flown as high as 200 feet to enhance radar and visual detectability. It offers a boon to campers, hikers, mountain climbers and boaters. It is produced by Solar Reflections, Inc. The company also markets a solar reflective hat. Another example is by Pro-Tektion, Inc. to provide protection for expensive musical equipment that have sensitive electronic components subject to damage from the heat of stage lights, dust, or rain at outdoor concerts. MP supplied the material and acceptance of the covers by the sound industry has been excellent.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Effects of Hydrocarbon-Based Grease on Rapid Prototype Material Used for Grease Retention Shrouds

Effects of hydrocarbon-based greases on specific rapid prototype (RP) materials used to fabricate grease retention shrouds (GRS) were explored in this study. Grease retention shrouds are being considered as a way to maintain adequate grease lubrication at the gear mesh in a prototype research transmission system. Due to their design and manufacturing flexibility, rapid prototype materials were chosen for the grease retention shrouds. In order to gain a better understanding of the short and long term effects grease pose on RP materials, research was conducted on the interaction of hydrocarbon-based grease with RP materials. The materials used in this study were durable polyamide (nylon), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and WaterClear 10120. Testing was conducted using Mobilgrease 28 and Syn-Tech 3913G grease (gear coupling grease). These greases were selected due to their regular use with mechanical components. To investigate the effect that grease has on RP materials, the following methods were used to obtain qualitative and quantitative data: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), interference profilometer measurements, digital camera imaging, physical shape measurement, and visual observations. To record the changes in the RP materials due to contact with the grease, data was taken before and after the grease application. Results showed that the WaterClear 10120 RP material provided the best resistance to grease penetration as compared to nylon and ABS RP materials. The manufacturing process, and thus resulting surface conditions of the RP material, played a key role in the grease penetration properties and resilience of these materials.

Zakrajsek, Andrew J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Precision Polishing of Spheres Via In-Situ Process Monitoring and Machine-Learning-Based Optimization

In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments seeking output gains of unity and beyond, the quality of the ablator capsule is paramount for minimizing hydrodynamic mix that quenches the central hot spot. Defects in the form of foreign particles or missing mass on the surface and within the wall of the capsule are primary offenders. High density carbon capsules made for ICF experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) are precision polished to achieve the surface smoothness in the order of a few nm as well as to minimize isolated defects in the form of pits. Given the critical role of this process, we are developing smart manufacturing techniques with goal of elevating the efficiency of this process. Our approach is to use MEMS-based sensors to capture the fine vibrational signals generated during the polishing process and combine it with synchronized visual feedback as needed. Beyond using these sensors for process monitoring, we use specific deep learning methods to analyze the data and extract correlations with both the process parameters and the final performance of the polishing run. Here, we describe the multiple fronts that we have explored in this regard and the results we have gotten so far. This approach promises to have the potential to ultimately provide real-time feedback that can be used for ensuring the progress of the run as well as a means for faster optimization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Edge ML for CAN bus intrusion detection in AVs

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are revolutionizing transportation, but their reliance on interconnected cyber-physical systems exposes them to unprecedented cybersecurity risks. This study addresses the critical challenge of detecting real-time cyber intrusions in self-driving vehicles by leveraging a dataset from the Udacity self-driving car project. We simulate four high-impact attack vectors, Denial of Service (DoS), spoofing, replay, and fuzzy attacks, by injecting noise into spatial features (e.g., bounding box coordinates) to replicate adversarial scenarios. We develop and evaluate two lightweight neural network architectures (NN-1 and NN-2) alongside a logistic regression baseline (LG-1) for intrusion detection. The models achieve exceptional performance, with NN-2 attaining an AUC score of 93.15% and 93.15% accuracy, demonstrating their suitability for edge deployment in AV environments. Through explainable AI techniques, we uncover unique forensic fingerprints of each attack type, such as spatial corruption in fuzzy attacks and temporal anomalies in replay attacks, offering actionable insights for feature engineering and proactive defense. Visual analytics, including confusion matrices, ROC curves, and feature importance plots, validate the models' robustness and interpretability. This research sets a new benchmark for AV cybersecurity, delivering a scalable, field-ready toolkit for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and policymakers. By aligning intrusion fingerprints with SAE J3061 automotive security standards, we provide a pathway for integrating machine learning into safety-critical AV systems. Our findings underscore the urgent need for security-by-design AI, ensuring that AVs not only drive autonomously but also defend autonomously. This work bridges the gap between theoretical cybersecurity and life-preserving engineering, offering a leap toward safer, more secure autonomous transportation.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2003

Visual and x-ray inspection characteristics of eutectic and lead free assemblies

For high reliability applications, visual inspection has been the key technique for most conventional electronic package assemblies. Now, the use of x-ray technique has become an additional inspection requirement for quality control and detection of unique defects due to manufacturing of advanced electronic array packages such as ball grid array (BGAs) and chip scale packages (CSPs).

x-ray↗
DOE OSTI2024

An R Shiny graphical user interface for analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting high precision mass spectrometric data

There is currently a lack of software that meets the needs for the analysis of raw data produced by modern isotope ratio mass spectrometers for both R&D and routine use at SRNL and other US national labs • Needs to accommodate multiple isotope systems, instruments, and manufacturers • Include modern statistical methods and handling/visualization of uncertainty • Flexible software with transparent (no “black box”) and reproducible methods • This project is inspired by existing discipline-specific data analysis software (e.g., Tripoli1 , ET_Redux2 , IsoplotR3) used in the geochemical community • Our goal is to build an open source data analysis software package that focuses on flexibility, transparency, and reproducibility

Labone, Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS1979

Manufacture of low carbon astroloy turbine disk shapes by hot isostatic pressing. Volume 2, project 1

The performance of a hot isotatic pressed disk installed in an experimental engine and exposed to realistic operating conditions in a 150-hour engine test and a 1000 cycle endurance test is documented. Post test analysis, based on visual, fluorescent penetrant and dimensional inspection, revealed no defects in the disk and indicated that the disk performed satisfactorily.

Eng, R. D.↗