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Results for “CIRCUIT PROTECTION”

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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Life test of a nickel cadmium battery with a protection/reconditioning circuit

Results are discussed for a Ni-Cd battery test over a period of 8 years, 2 months and 44,213 simulated low Earth orbits. The battery cells were protected against overdischarge and reversal at discharge rates up to 25 amperes (1.25C) by a battery protection and reconditioning circuit. The circuit performed flawlessly during the test, and proved its value, both as a battery reconditioner and a cell protection device. Battery cell failures are also discussed. The test demonstrated the viability of using Ni-Cd batteries at depth-of-discharge up to 25 percent for over 5 years in a low Earth orbit.

Lanier, J. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Photovoltaic stand-alone modular systems, phase 2

The final hardware and system qualification phase of a two part stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system development is covered. The final design incorporated modular, power blocks capable of expanding incrementally from 320 watts to twenty kilowatts (PK). The basic power unit (PU) was nominally rated 1.28 kWp. The controls units, power collection buses and main lugs, electrical protection subsystems, power switching, and load management circuits are housed in a common control enclosure. Photo-voltaic modules are electrically connected in a horizontal daisy-chain method via Amp Solarlok plugs mating with compatible connectors installed on the back side of each photovoltaic module. A pair of channel rails accommodate the mounting of the modules into a frameless panel support structure. Foundations are of a unique planter (tub-like) configuration to allow for world-wide deployment without restriction as to types of soil. One battery string capable of supplying approximately 240 ampere hours nominal of carryover power is specified for each basic power unit. Load prioritization and shedding circuits are included to protect critical loads and selectively shed and defer lower priority or noncritical power demands. The baseline system, operating at approximately 2 1/2 PUs (3.2 kW pk.) was installed and deployed. Qualification was successfully complete in March 1983; since that time, the demonstration system has logged approximately 3000 hours of continuous operation under load without major incident.

Naff, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A parylene coating process for hybrid circuits

The parylene coating process developed during this program consists of (1) obtaining a hybrid cover with a hole in it, (2) sealing of the circuit with a hole in the cover, (3) parylene coating through the hole with the external leads protected from parylene by appropriate fixturing, and (4) sealing of the hole by soldering a pretinned kovar tab. Development of the above process required optimization of the parylene coater parameters to obtain a uniform consistent coating which could offer adequate protection to the circuits, fixture design for packages of various types, determination of the size of the deposition hole, and the amount of dimer charge per run, a process to hermetically seal the deposition holes and establishment of quality control techniques or acceptance criteria for the deposited film.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1970

Two terminal current limiter

Two terminal device protects dc electronic circuits and experimental solid state devices, and replaces fuses and circuit breakers directly. The device consists of two transistors and two resistors and draws its necessary supply voltage from power source being protected. The limiter acts as a voltage regulator.

Doubt, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A linearly controlled direct-current power source for high-current inductive loads in a magnetic suspension wind tunnel

The NASA Langley 6 inch magnetic suspension and balance system (MSBS) requires an independently controlled bidirectional DC power source for each of six positioning electromagnets. These electromagnets provide five-degree-of-freedom control over a suspended aerodynamic test model. Existing power equipment, which employs resistance coupled thyratron controlled rectifiers as well as AC to DC motor generator converters, is obsolete, inefficient, and unreliable. A replacement six phase bidirectional controlled bridge rectifier is proposed, which employs power MOSFET switches sequenced by hybrid analog/digital circuits. Full load efficiency is 80 percent compared to 25 percent for the resistance coupled thyratron system. Current feedback provides high control linearity, adjustable current limiting, and current overload protection. A quenching circuit suppresses inductive voltage impulses. It is shown that 20 kHz interference from positioning magnet power into MSBS electromagnetic model position sensors results predominantly from capacitively coupled electric fields. Hence, proper shielding and grounding techniques are necessary. Inductively coupled magnetic interference is negligible.

Tripp, John S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A solid-state controllable power supply for a magnetic suspension wind tunnel

The NASA Langley 6-inch Magnetic Suspension and Balance System (6-in. MSBS) requires an independently controlled bidirectional dc power source for each of six positioning electromagnets. These electromagnets provide five-degree-of-freedom control over a suspended aerodynamic test model. Existing power equipment, which employs resistance-coupled thyratron-controlled rectifiers as well as ac to dc motor-generator converters, is obsolete, inefficient, and unreliable. A replacement six-phase bidirectional controlled bridge rectifier is proposed, which employs power MOSFET switches sequenced by hybrid analog/digital circuits. Full-load efficiency is 80 percent compared with 25 percent for the resistance-coupled thyratron system. Current feedback provides high control linearity, adjustable current limiting, and current overload protection. A quenching circuit suppresses inductive voltage impulses. It is shown that 20-kHz interference from positioning magnet power into MSBS electromagnetic model position sensors results predominantly from capacitively coupled electric fields. Hence, proper shielding and grounding techniques are necessary. Inductively coupled magnetic interference is negligible.

Daniels, Taumi S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Method for Coupled Electromagnetic and Circuit Simulations to Evaluate Surge Arrester Performance in Protecting Equipment Against E1 HEMP

Surge arrester behavioral modeling for realistic systems embedded in an E1 high-altitude electromagnetic pulse environment inherently encompasses three interconnected complications: (1) the need to account for signal propagation across two domains, electromagnetics and electrical; (2) the need to include both linear and nonlinear circuit components in the analysis; and (3) the need to understand that the over-current and over-voltage mitigation performance is dependent not only on the properties of the surge arrester and protected load but also on the topology of the overall electrical network. This study presents a framework to address these challenges in a systematic manner to consider the effectiveness of protective measures for a common class of equipment in power generation facilities. Full-wave simulations were carried out to derive circuit-domain (i.e., lumped element–based) equivalent models for the excitation waveform and the physical components of the system. Then, these equivalent models were imported to a circuit solver and combined with a high-frequency surge arrester model to evaluate mitigation performance. The methodology outlined is general enough such that it can be applied for other electromagnetic interference problems that involve E2/E3 HEMP or microwave emissions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1990

Improved Thermal-Switch Disks Protect Batteries

Improved thermal-switch disks help protect electrical batteries against high currents like those due to short circuits or high demands for power in circuits supplied by batteries. Protects batteries against excessive temperatures. Centered by insulating fiberglass washer. Contains conductive polymer that undergoes abrupt increase in electrical resistance when excessive current raises its temperature above specific point. After cooling, polymer reverts to low resistance. Disks reusable.

Darcy, Eric↗
DOE OSTI2026

Non-Markovian relaxation spectroscopy of fluxonium qubits

Recent studies have shown that parasitic two-level systems (TLS) in superconducting qubits, which are a leading source of decoherence, can have relaxation times longer than the qubits themselves. However, the standard techniques used to characterize qubit relaxation is only valid for measuring T 1 under the Born-Markov approximation and could mask environmental memory effects in practice. Here, we introduce two-timescale relaxometry, a technique to probe the qubit and environment relaxation simultaneously and efficiently. We apply it to high-coherence fluxonium qubits over a frequency range of 0.1-0.4 GHz, and reveal a discrete spectrum of TLS with millisecond lifetimes. Our analysis of the spectrum is consistent with a random distribution of TLS in the aluminum oxide tunnel barrier of the Josephson junction chain of the fluxonium, with a spectral and volumetric density and average electric dipole similar to previous TLS studies at much higher frequencies. Our study suggests that investigating and mitigating TLS in the junction chain is crucial to the development of various types of noise-protected qubits in circuit QED.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Magnetic flux imaging in a 3D superconductor integrated circuit

We report on imaging magnetic flux distributions in a multilayered superconductor integrated circuit which emerge during magnetization and after field cooling of the circuit in the DC magnetic field. The obtained complicated field maps expose the flux propagation across the patterned superconducting ground planes sandwiching layers with Josephson junction-based logic cells, fine wire grid around the functional units, and multiple superconducting fill structures located in different inner layers. The observed intricate flux distributions are explained by specific patterns of Meissner screening currents and superconducting critical currents in different mutually interacting parts of the integrated circuit. Our results provide important insights into possible ways of improving the protection of superconductor integrated circuits from magnetic fields and their resilience against flux trapping.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1974

Self-healing fuse

Fast-acting current limiting device provides current overload protection for vulnerable circuit elements and then re-establishes conduction path within milliseconds. Fuse can also perform as fast-acting switch to clear transient circuit overloads. Fuse takes advantage of large increase in electrical resistivity that occurs when liquid metal vaporizes.

Jones, N. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Modular, high power, variable R dynamic electrical load simulator

The design of a previously developed basic variable R load simulator was entended to increase its power dissipation and transient handling capabilities. The delivered units satisfy all design requirements, and provides for a high power, modular simulation capability uniquely suited to the simulation of complex load responses. In addition to presenting conclusions and recommendations and pertinent background information, the report covers program accomplishments; describes the simulator basic circuits, transfer characteristic, protective features, assembly, and specifications; indicates the results of simulator evaluation, including burn-in and acceptance testing; provides acceptance test data; and summarizes the monthly progress reports.

Joncas, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A high voltage electrical power system for low Earth orbit applications

The results of testing a high voltage electrical power system (EPS) breadboard using high voltage power processing equipment developed at Marshall Space Flight Center and Ni-Cd batteries are discussed. These test results are used to extrapolate to an efficient, reliable, high capacity EPS for near term low Earth orbit, high power applications. EPS efficiencies, figures of merit, and battery reliability with a battery protection and reconditioning circuit are presented.

Lanier, J. R., Jr.↗