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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 1,081 records · Page 60

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NASA NTRS1989

Real-time graphics for the Space Station Freedom cupola, developed in the Systems Engineering Simulator

Among the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center's responsibilities for Space Station Freedom is the cupola. Attached to the resource node, the cupola is a windowed structure that will serve as the space station's secondary control center. From the cupola, operations involving the mobile service center and orbital maneuvering vehicle will be conducted. The Systems Engineering Simulator (SES), located in building 16, activated a real-time man-in-the-loop cupola simulator in November 1987. The SES cupola is an engineering tool with the flexibility to evolve in both hardware and software as the final cupola design matures. Two workstations are simulated with closed-circuit television monitors, rotational and translational hand controllers, programmable display pushbuttons, and graphics display with trackball and keyboard. The displays and controls of the SES cupola are driven by a Silicon Graphics Integrated Raster Imaging System (IRIS) 4D/70 GT computer. Through the use of an interactive display builder program, SES, cupola display pages consisting of two dimensional and three dimensional graphics are constructed. These display pages interact with the SES via the IRIS real-time graphics interface. The focus is on the real-time graphics interface applications software developed on the IRIS.

Red, Michael T.↗

NASA NTRS1992

NASP X-30 Propulsion technology status

The performance goals of the NASP program require an aero-propulsion system with a high effective specific impulse. In order to achieve these goals, the high potential performance of air-breathing engines must be achieved over a very wide Mach number operating range. This, in turn, demands high component performance and involves many important technical issues which must be resolved. Scramjet Propulsion Technology is divided into five major areas: (1) inlets, (2) combustors, (3) nozzles, (4) component integration, and (5) test facilities. A status report covering the five areas is presented.

Powell, William E.↗

NASA NTRS2008

International Space Station USOS Crew Quarters Development

The International Space Station (ISS) United States Operational Segment (USOS) currently provides a Temporary Sleep Station (TeSS) as crew quarters for one crewmember in the Laboratory Module. The Russian Segment provides permanent crew quarters (Kayutas) for two crewmembers in the Service Module. The TeSS provides limited electrical, communication, and ventilation functionality. A new permanent rack sized USOS ISS Crew Quarters (CQ) is being developed. Up to four CQs can be installed into the Node 2 element to increase the ISS crewmember size to six. The new CQs will provide private crewmember space with enhanced acoustic noise mitigation, integrated radiation reduction material, controllable airflow, communication equipment, redundant electrical systems, and redundant caution and warning systems. The rack sized CQ is a system with multiple crewmember restraints, adjustable lighting, controllable ventilation, and interfaces that allow each crewmember to personalize their CQ workspace. Providing an acoustically quiet and visually isolated environment, while ensuring crewmember safety, is critical for obtaining crewmember rest and comfort to enable long term crewmember performance. The numerous human factor, engineering, and program considerations during the concept, design, and prototyping are outlined in the paper.

Broyan, James Lee, Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Environmental Barrier Coating Fracture, Fatigue and High-Heat-Flux Durability Modeling and Stochastic Progressive Damage Simulation

Advanced environmental barrier coatings will play an increasingly important role in future gas turbine engines because of their ability to protect emerging light-weight SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) engine components, further raising engine operating temperatures and performance. Because the environmental barrier coating systems are critical to the performance, reliability and durability of these hot-section ceramic engine components, a prime-reliant coating system along with established life design methodology are required for the hot-section ceramic component insertion into engine service. In this paper, we have first summarized some observations of high temperature, high-heat-flux environmental degradation and failure mechanisms of environmental barrier coating systems in laboratory simulated engine environment tests. In particular, the coating surface cracking morphologies and associated subsequent delamination mechanisms under the engine level high-heat-flux, combustion steam, and mechanical creep and fatigue loading conditions will be discussed. The EBC compostion and archtechture improvements based on advanced high heat flux environmental testing, and the modeling advances based on the integrated Finite Element Analysis Micromechanics Analysis Code/Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures (FEAMAC/CARES) program will also be highlighted. The stochastic progressive damage simulation successfully predicts mud flat damage pattern in EBCs on coated 3-D specimens, and a 2-D model of through-the-thickness cross-section. A 2-parameter Weibull distribution was assumed in characterizing the coating layer stochastic strength response and the formation of damage was therefore modeled. The damage initiation and coalescence into progressively smaller mudflat crack cells was demonstrated. A coating life prediction framework may be realized by examining the surface crack initiation and delamination propagation in conjunction with environmental degradation under high-heat-flux and environment load test conditions.

Mechanical creep and fatigue loading condition↗

NASA NTRS2019

Immersive Simulations and Engineering Environment (iSEE): Improving Fidelity of Virtual Reality Simulations

The Immersive Simulation and Engineering Environment (iSEE) provides Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with accurate Human Systems Integration (HSI) analysis of the stresses on a human body incurred from physical work, along with accessibility and reach factors. Human Factors engineers can observe the simulations conducted by iSEE and work with the gathered data to help make the working environment at KSC safer. The software that runs the HSI analysis, however, provides users with a low fidelity virtual environment. Previously, this led to the addition and implementation of other iSEE programs that were capable of higher-fidelity simulations. The difficulties of streamlining the workflow in the lab with these new programs is currently being addressed.

Sein, Alexandr↗

DOE OSTI2024

Improving Efficiency of Off-Road Vehicles by Novel Integration of Electric Machines and Advanced Combustion Engines

Modern off-road equipment will increasingly rely on electrified implements that will deliver precision control with a smaller footprint than hydraulics. The primary energy converter, however, will be an onboard reciprocating internal combustion engine because of the power density of hydrocarbon fuels in comparison to electrical energy storage and the remote locations where much of this equipment is deployed. Adding energy storage and electric machines creates opportunities to improve efficiency while reducing emissions. This program investigated approaches to take advantage of the extra flexibility that an enhanced electrical system to enable high-efficiency, low-emissions combustion technologies. The current program evaluated hybridization of both the torque application and air-handling systems to maximize efficiency while minimizing cost. This program designed, analyzed and tested a hybrid off-road vehicle consisting of a series electric powertrain with energy storage, an electrified air system, and a 33% downsized diesel engine. Detailed comparisons were made between the base powertrain and the developed powertrain using powertrain simulations, engine testing, and vehicle testing. The key results of the study are: • The resulting vehicle reduces fuel consumption by 5% to 15% at equal productivity. The primary improvements were due to recovery of regenerative braking losses for cycles where large transients are encountered. • The electrified air system was an enabler to allow engine downsizing. This was most important for duty-cycles where the engine primarily operated at moderate loads and had few low speed high torque conditions. • Engine level improvements showed re-optimization of the powertrain is possible when electrified air handing is available. Increased exhaust gas recirculation and advanced injection timing allowed up to a 15% reduction in brake specific fuel consumption at equal NOx and transient response. Compared to the larger engine, the downsized engine achieves up to an 18% reduction in brake specific fuel consumption over the non-road transient cycle. • The life cycle analysis and total cost of ownership study showed that the hybrid powertrain has the potential to reduce 5-year CO2 and total cost of ownership by ~6% over the baseline vehicle. The results also indicated that a pure battery electric vehicle is not feasible in this application and is likely to increase the CO2 emissions due to the CO2 from battery production. A hybrid powertrain with low carbon fuels shows the potential to substantially reduce CO2 and total cost of ownership.

02 PETROLEUM↗

NASA NTRS1978

Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System

The Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System (Project FIRES) is a joint National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program for the development of an 'ultimate' firefighter's protective ensemble. The overall aim of Project FIRES is to improve firefighter protection against hazards, such as heat, flame, smoke, toxic fumes, moisture, impact penetration, and electricity and, at the same time, improve firefighter performance by increasing maneuverability, lowering weight, and improving human engineering design of his protective ensemble.

Kaplan, H.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Development of an Ion Thruster and Power Processor for New Millennium's Deep Space 1 Mission

The NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Applications Readiness Program (NSTAR) will provide a single-string primary propulsion system to NASA's New Millennium Deep Space 1 Mission which will perform comet and asteroid flybys in the years 1999 and 2000. The propulsion system includes a 30-cm diameter ion thruster, a xenon feed system, a power processing unit, and a digital control and interface unit. A total of four engineering model ion thrusters, three breadboard power processors, and a controller have been built, integrated, and tested. An extensive set of development tests has been completed along with thruster design verification tests of 2000 h and 1000 h. An 8000 h Life Demonstration Test is ongoing and has successfully demonstrated more than 6000 h of operation. In situ measurements of accelerator grid wear are consistent with grid lifetimes well in excess of the 12,000 h qualification test requirement. Flight hardware is now being assembled in preparation for integration, functional, and acceptance tests.

Sovey, James S.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Microchemical and Thermal Systems for In-Situ Resource Utilization

Process Intensification and Process Miniaturization can simultaneously be achieved through the application of microfabricated chemical process systems, based on the rapid heat and mass transport in engineered microchannels. Researchers at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are collaboratively developing micro thermal and chemical systems for NASA's Mission to Mars program. Preliminary results show that many standard chemical process components (e.g., heat exchangers, chemical reactors and chemical separations units) can be reduced in hardware volume without a corresponding reduction in chemical production rates. Low pressure drops and improved thermal integration are also accomplished when appropriate scaling rules are applied and when individual microchemical components are packaged together into integral systems.

Wegeng, Robert S.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Microchemical and Thermal Systems for In-Situ Resource Utilization

Wegeng, Robert S.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Rockwell Automation PLC-5 Lands Stennis Space Center with a Reliable, Flexible Control System

Ever since the first rocket was launched, people have been infatuated with the vast and unchartered frontier of space. Whether it's visiting a space center or watching a shuttle launch, people are waiting to see what will be discovered next. And even though orbiting the Earth or taking soil samples form the Moon now seems effortless, decades worth of behind-the-scenes work have helped the U.S. space program get to this point. Even today, NASA must take every precaution to ensure equipment is up to the endeavor of setting foot on the moon. As part of the initial push to put the first man on the moon, NASA established the John C. Stennis Space Center, Hancock County, Mississippi in 1961 for space engine propulsion system development. Today, Stennis has three major test complexes where engine and component testing is carried out and integrated into full motion systems for space shuttles and vehicles as well as secondary testing facilities. With different products being tested throughout the facilities, Stennis was in need of an automation system that could link the operations. By integrating a control system based on a Rockwell Automation's flexible and reliable PLC-5 controller, Stennis was able to implement projects more efficiently and focus its efforts on getting the next generation of products ready for space.

Epperson, Dave↗

NASA NTRS1999

Flight Control Laws for NASA's Hyper-X Research Vehicle

The goal of the Hyper-X program is to demonstrate and validate technology for design and performance predictions of hypersonic aircraft with an airframe-integrated supersonic-combustion ramjet propulsion system. Accomplishing this goal requires flight demonstration of a hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered hypersonic aircraft. A key enabling technology for this flight demonstration is flight controls. Closed-loop flight control is required to enable a successful stage separation, to achieve and maintain the design condition during the engine test, and to provide a controlled descent. Before the contract award, NASA developed preliminary flight control laws for the Hyper-X to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed scramjet test sequence and descent trajectory. After the contract award, a Boeing/NASA partnership worked to develop the current control laws. This paper presents a description of the Hyper-X Research Vehicle control law architectures with performance and robustness analyses. Assessments of simulated flight trajectories and stability margin analyses demonstrate that these control laws meet the flight test requirements.

Davidson, J.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Lunar Dust Mitigation Technology Development

NASA s plans for implementing the Vision for Space Exploration include returning to the moon as a stepping stone for further exploration of Mars, and beyond. Dust on the lunar surface has a ubiquitous presence which must be explicitly addressed during upcoming human lunar exploration missions. While the operational challenges attributable to dust during the Apollo missions did not prove critical, the comparatively long duration of impending missions presents a different challenge. Near term plans to revisit the moon places a primary emphasis on characterization and mitigation of lunar dust. Comprised of regolith particles ranging in size from tens of nanometers to microns, lunar dust is a manifestation of the complex interaction of the lunar soil with multiple mechanical, electrical, and gravitational effects. The environmental and anthropogenic factors effecting the perturbation, transport, and deposition of lunar dust must be studied in order to mitigate it s potentially harmful effects on exploration systems. This paper presents the current perspective and implementation of dust knowledge management and integration, and mitigation technology development activities within NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program. This work is presented within the context of the Constellation Program s Integrated Lunar Dust Management Strategy. The Lunar Dust Mitigation Technology Development project has been implemented within the ETDP. Project scope and plans will be presented, along with a a perspective on lessons learned from Apollo and forensics engineering studies of Apollo hardware. This paper further outlines the scientific basis for lunar dust behavior, it s characteristics and potential effects, and surveys several potential strategies for its control and mitigation both for lunar surface operations and within the working volumes of a lunar outpost.

Hyatt, Mark J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Diameter Versus Mass in the Development of the Orion Life Support Umbilical: A Case Study in Systems Engineering

Systems engineering could also be called the art of compromise. At its heart, systems engineering seeks to find that solution which maximizes the utility of the system, usually compromising the performance of each individual subsystem. While seemingly straightforward, systems engineering methodology is complicated when the utility to be maximized is unclear and the costs to each individual subsystem are not - or not easily - quantifiable. In this paper, we explore one such systems engineering problem within the Constellation Program as a case study in applied systems engineering. During suited operations, astronauts within Orion will be connected to an umbilical to receive and return breathing gas. The pressure drop associated with this umbilical must be overcome by the Orion vehicle. A smaller umbilical, which is desirable for crew operations, means a higher pressure drop, resulting in additional mass and power for the vehicle. We outline the technical considerations in the development of this integrated system and discuss the method by which we reached the ultimate solution. This paper, while just one example of the kind of problem solving that happens every day, offers insight into what happens when the theories of systems engineering are put into practice.

Jordan, Nicole↗

NASA NTRS2010

Lessons Learned on Implementing Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) in a Ground Launch Environment

This paper's main purpose is to detail issues and lessons learned regarding designing, integrating, and implementing Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) for Constellation Exploration Program (CxP) Ground Operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Part of the0 overall implementation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) CxP, FDIR is being implemented in three main components of the program (Ares, Orion, and Ground Operations/Processing). While not initially part of the design baseline for the CxP Ground Operations, NASA felt that FDIR is important enough to develop, that NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate's (ESMD's) Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) initiated a task for it under their Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) research area. This task, referred to as the FDIIR project, is a multi-year multi-center effort. The primary purpose of the FDIR project is to develop a prototype and pathway upon which Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) may be transitioned into the Ground Operations baseline. Currently, Qualtech Systems Inc (QSI) Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) software products Testability Engineering and Maintenance System (TEAMS) Designer and TEAMS RDS/RT are being utilized in the implementation of FDI within the FDIR project. The TEAMS Designer COTS software product is being utilized to model the system with Functional Fault Models (FFMs). A limited set of systems in Ground Operations are being modeled by the FDIR project, and the entire Ares Launch Vehicle is being modeled under the Functional Fault Analysis (FFA) project at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Integration of the Ares FFMs and the Ground Processing FFMs is being done under the FDIR project also utilizing the TEAMS Designer COTS software product. One of the most significant challenges related to integration is to ensure that FFMs developed by different organizations can be integrated easily and without errors. Software Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for the FFMs and their usage will be addressed as the solution to this issue. In particular, the advantages and disadvantages of these ICDs across physically separate development groups will be delineated.

Ferrell, Bob A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Accounting for Point Estimate Uncertainty in Space Systems Reliability and Risk Analysis

Understanding and accounting for uncertainty in risk analysis is a critical step in the management and communication of risk in engineered systems. The component and system-level analysis to determine the probability of a negative outcome and its consequence is often quantified by a point estimate. Many Program and Enterprise decisions involving technical concerns and issues rely on reliability engineering activities to produce quantified risk analysis to inform the decision making process. At NASA, it is common to use a Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) to inform the overall risk to Loss of Mission or Loss of Crew that involves integration across all spacecraft subsystem fault trees to produce an overall probability of mission failure. The point estimate is an estimate of this overall probability and is an immediate result of a fault tree model. It is the result of a model where the probability of each event is taken to be equal to its mean. The value provides an approximation of the overall mean without running any uncertainty calculations (e.g., no sampling). Using only the point estimate can lead to a false sense of precision and the point estimate may not match the resulting mean when uncertainty is taken into consideration. This paper will explore five conditions that can cause the PRA model mean to diverge from the point estimate and will provide engineers and managers insight into the importance of understanding uncertainty in the elements of PRA models.

Paul J Collier↗

NASA NTRS2013

An Offload NIC for NASA, NLR, and Grid Computing

This work addresses distributed data management and access dynamically configurable high-speed access to data distributed and shared over wide-area high-speed network environments. An offload engine NIC (network interface card) is proposed that scales at nX10-Gbps increments through 100-Gbps full duplex. The Globus de facto standard was used in projects requiring secure, robust, high-speed bulk data transport. Novel extension mechanisms were derived that will combine these technologies for use by GridFTP, bandwidth management resources, and host CPU (central processing unit) acceleration. The result will be wire-rate encrypted Globus grid data transactions through offload for splintering, encryption, and compression. As the need for greater network bandwidth increases, there is an inherent need for faster CPUs. The best way to accelerate CPUs is through a network acceleration engine. Grid computing data transfers for the Globus tool set did not have wire-rate encryption or compression. Existing technology cannot keep pace with the greater bandwidths of backplane and network connections. Present offload engines with ports to Ethernet are 32 to 40 Gbps f-d at best. The best of ultra-high-speed offload engines use expensive ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) or NPUs (network processing units). The present state of the art also includes bonding and the use of multiple NICs that are also in the planning stages for future portability to ASICs and software to accommodate data rates at 100 Gbps. The remaining industry solutions are for carrier-grade equipment manufacturers, with costly line cards having multiples of 10-Gbps ports, or 100-Gbps ports such as CFP modules that interface to costly ASICs and related circuitry. All of the existing solutions vary in configuration based on requirements of the host, motherboard, or carriergrade equipment. The purpose of the innovation is to eliminate data bottlenecks within cluster, grid, and cloud computing systems, and to add several more capabilities while reducing space consumption and cost. Provisions were designed for interoperability with systems used in the NASA HEC (High-End Computing) program. The new acceleration engine consists of state-ofthe- art FPGA (field-programmable gate array) core IP, C, and Verilog code; novel communication protocol; and extensions to the Globus structure. The engine provides the functions of network acceleration, encryption, compression, packet-ordering, and security added to Globus grid or for cloud data transfer. This system is scalable in nX10-Gbps increments through 100-Gbps f-d. It can be interfaced to industry-standard system-side or network-side devices or core IP in increments of 10 GigE, scaling to provide IEEE 40/100 GigE compliance.

Awrach, James↗

NASA NTRS1997

Propulsion Flight Research at NASA Dryden From 1967 to 1997

From 1967 to 1997, pioneering propulsion flight research activities have been conceived and conducted at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Many of these programs have been flown jointly with the United States Department of Defense, industry, or the Federal Aviation Administration. Propulsion research has been conducted on the XB-70, F-111 A, F-111E, YF-12, JetStar, B-720, MD-11, F-15, F- 104, Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology, F-14, F/A-18, SR-71, and the hypersonic X-15 airplanes. Research studies have included inlet dynamics and control, in-flight thrust computation, integrated propulsion controls, inlet and boattail drag, wind tunnel-to-flight comparisons, digital engine controls, advanced engine control optimization algorithms, acoustics, antimisting kerosene, in-flight lift and drag, throttle response criteria, and thrust-vectoring vanes. A computer-controlled thrust system has been developed to land the F-15 and MD-11 airplanes without using any of the normal flight controls. An F-15 airplane has flown tests of axisymmetric thrust-vectoring nozzles. A linear aerospike rocket experiment has been developed and tested on the SR-71 airplane. This paper discusses some of the more unique flight programs, the results, lessons learned, and their impact on current technology.

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.↗