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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Prediction of Weather Related Center Delays

This paper presents results of an initial study of relations between national delay, center level delays and weather. The results presented in the paper indicate: (a) the methodology used for estimating the delay at the national level can be extended to estimate delays caused by a center and delays experienced by a center, (b)delays caused by a center can be predicted using that center's Weather Impacted Traffic Index (WITI) whereas delays experienced by a center are best predicted using WITI of that center and that of a few prominent centers (c) there is differential impact of weather of different centers on center delays.

Deepak, Kulkarni↗
NASA NTRS2006

System Finds Horizontal Location of Center of Gravity

An instrumentation system rapidly and repeatedly determines the horizontal location of the center of gravity of a laboratory vehicle that slides horizontally on three air bearings (see Figure 1). Typically, knowledge of the horizontal center-of-mass location of such a vehicle is needed in order to balance the vehicle properly for an experiment and/or to assess the dynamic behavior of the vehicle. The system includes a load cell above each air bearing, electronic circuits that generate digital readings of the weight on each load cell, and a computer equipped with software that processes the readings. The total weight and, hence, the mass of the vehicle are computed from the sum of the load-cell weight readings. Then the horizontal position of the center of gravity is calculated straightforwardly as the weighted sum of the known position vectors of the air bearings, the contribution of each bearing being proportional to the weight on that bearing. In the initial application for which this system was devised, the center- of-mass calculation is particularly simple because the air bearings are located at corners of an equilateral triangle. However, the system is not restricted to this simple geometry. The system acquires and processes weight readings at a rate of 800 Hz for each load cell. The total weight and the horizontal location of the center of gravity are updated at a rate of 800/3 approx. equals 267 Hz. In a typical application, a technician would use the center-of-mass output of this instrumentation system as a guide to the manual placement of small weights on the vehicle to shift the center of gravity to a desired horizontal position. Usually, the desired horizontal position is that of the geometric center. Alternatively, this instrumentation system could be used to provide position feedback for a control system that would cause weights to be shifted automatically (see Figure 2) in an effort to keep the center of gravity at the geometric center.

Johnston, Albert S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Operating and Managing a Backup Control Center

Due to the criticality of continuous mission operations, some control centers must plan for alternate locations in the event an emergency shuts down the primary control center. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas is the Mission Control Center (MCC) for the International Space Station (ISS). Due to Houston s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, JSC is prone to threats from hurricanes which could cause flooding, wind damage, and electrical outages to the buildings supporting the MCC. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has the capability to be the Backup Control Center for the ISS if the situation is needed. While the MSFC Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) does house the BCC, the prime customer and operator of the ISS is still the JSC flight operations team. To satisfy the customer and maintain continuous mission operations, the BCC has critical infrastructure that hosts ISS ground systems and flight operations equipment that mirrors the prime mission control facility. However, a complete duplicate of Mission Control Center in another remote location is very expensive to recreate. The HOSC has infrastructure and services that MCC utilized for its backup control center to reduce the costs of a somewhat redundant service. While labor talents are equivalent, experiences are not. Certain operations are maintained in a redundant mode, while others are simply maintained as single string with adequate sparing levels of equipment. Personnel at the BCC facility must be trained and certified to an adequate level on primary MCC systems. Negotiations with the customer were done to match requirements with existing capabilities, and to prioritize resources for appropriate level of service. Because some of these systems are shared, an activation of the backup control center will cause a suspension of scheduled HOSC activities that may share resources needed by the BCC. For example, the MCC is monitoring a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. As the threat to MCC increases, HOSC must begin a phased activation of the BCC, while working resource conflicts with normal HOSC activities. In a long duration outage to the MCC, this could cause serious impacts to the BCC host facility s primary mission support activities. This management of a BCC is worked based on customer expectations and negotiations done before emergencies occur. I.

Marsh, Angela L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

EGIS - An Environmental GIS Developed for NASA Field Center Applications

As the principal center for Environmental Geographic Information Systems (EGIS), the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), located in Hancock County, Mississippi, has been assigned technical support requirements to design and to implement a basic EGIS data base for all NASA Field Centers. The intent of this Phase I effort is to produce a baseline EGIS data base incorporating newly available remotely sensed data as well as existing environmental data. A example application of the use of the data base at Stennis Space Center will be to illustrate baseline environmental conditions for consideration with proposed propulsion test stand development and operation. To effectively answer questions related to environmental issues at each center, organization of the data layers and sources will include the following categories: Cadastral/Geodetic; Geopolitical; Hydrography; Infrastructure; Physical Geography; Socioeconomic; Remote Sensing Imagery; Associated Metadata. As part of a Phase II effort, site-specific data and applications will be implemented and added to the data base at each Field Center. This poster illustrates the framework of the design and implementation of a basic EGIS data base. Shown are example data sources, hardware and software, and data base delivery and installation. The poster also depicts future recommendations for a centrally located server to house each of the NASA Field Center data bases. The server will allow real-time data base updates with additional layers and models for each center. Expansion of the EGIS data base will continue to grow as site-specific applications are developed addressing the ongoing evolution of environmental concerns at all NASA Field Centers.

Smoot, James↗
NASA NTRS2007

Earth Observations to Assess Impact of Hurricane Katrina on John C. Stennis Space Center

The peril from hurricanes to Space Operations Centers is real and is forecast to continue; Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005 and Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne of 2004 are sufficient motivation for NASA to develop a multi-Center plan for preparedness and response. As was demonstrated at SSC (Stennis Space Center) in response to Hurricane Katrina, NASA Centers are efficiently activated as local command centers, playing host to Federal and State agencies and first responders to coordinate and provide evacuation, relocation, response, and recovery activities. Remote sensing decision support provides critical insight for managing NASA infrastructure and for assisting Center decision makers. Managers require geospatial information to manage the federal city. Immediately following Katrina, SSC s power and network connections were disabled, hardware was inoperative, technical staff was displaced and/or out of contact, and graphical decision support tools were non-existent or less than fully effective. Despite this circumstance, SSC EOC (Emergency Operations Center) implemented response operations to assess damage and to activate recovery plans. To assist Center Managers, the NASA ASP (Applied Sciences Program) made its archive of high-resolution data over the site available. In the weeks and months after the immediate crisis, NASA supplemented this data with high-resolution, post-Katrina imagery over SSC and much of the affected coastal areas. Much of the high-resolution imagery was made available through the Department of Defense Clear View contract and was distributed through U.S. Geological Survey Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science "Hurricane Katrina Disaster Response" Web site. By integrating multiple image data types with other information sources, ASP applied an all-source solutions approach to develop decision support tools that enabled managers to respond to critical issues, such as expedient access to infrastructure and deployment of resources, provision of temporary shelter, logistical control of critical supplies, and the mobilization and coordination of assets from ground crews to aircraft/airspace management. Furthermore, ASP developed information products that illustrate risks to SSC's infrastructure from surge, inundation, and flood. Current plans include developing wind-risk prototype products for refinement and adoption into EOC plans.

Graham, William D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Center of mass detection via an active pixel sensor

An imaging system for identifying the location of the center of mass (COM) in an image. In one aspect, an imaging system includes a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in a matrix. A center of mass circuit coupled to the photosensitive elements includes a resistive network and a normalization circuit including at least one bipolar transistor. The center of mass circuit identifies a center of mass location in the matrix and includes: a row circuit, where the row circuit identifies a center of mass row value in each row of the matrix and identifies a row intensity for each row; a horizontal circuit, where the horizontal circuit identifies a center of mass horizontal value; and a vertical circuit, where the vertical circuit identifies a center of mass vertical value. The horizontal and vertical center of mass values indicate the coordinates of the center of mass location for the image.

Yadid-Pecht, Orly↗
NASA NTRS2005

Center of mass detection via an active pixel sensor

An imaging system for identifying the location of the center of mass (COM) in an image. In one aspect, an imaging system includes a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in a matrix. A center of mass circuit coupled to the photosensitive elements includes a resistive network and a normalization circuit including at least one bipolar transistor. The center of mass circuit identifies a center of mass location in the matrix and includes: a row circuit, where the row circuit identifies a center of mass row value in each row of the matrix and identifies a row intensity for each row; a horizontal circuit, where the horizontal circuit identifies a center of mass horizontal value; and a vertical circuit, where the vertical circuit identifies a center of mass vertical value. The horizontal and vertical center of mass values indicate the coordinates of the center of mass location for the image.

Yadid-Pecht, Orly↗
NASA NTRS2006

Center of mass detection via an active pixel sensor

An imaging system for identifying the location of the center of mass (COM) in an image. In one aspect, an imaging system includes a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in a matrix. A center of mass circuit coupled to the photosensitive elements includes a resistive network and a normalization circuit including at least one bipolar transistor. The center of mass circuit identifies a center of mass location in the matrix and includes: a row circuit, where the row circuit identifies a center of mass row value in each row of the matrix and identifies a row intensity for each row; a horizontal circuit, where the horizontal circuit identifies a center of mass horizontal value; and a vertical circuit, where the vertical circuit identifies a center of mass vertical value. The horizontal and vertical center of mass values indicate the coordinates of the center of mass location for the image.

Yadid-Pecht, Orly↗
DOE OSTI2025

Shedding light on U.S. small and midsize data centers: Exploring insights from the CBECS survey

As demand for digital services accelerates, the energy and environmental footprint of data centers faces increasing scrutiny. While hyperscale cloud facilities have driven efficiency gains, small and midsize U.S. data centers remain a critical yet underexamined segment with significant untapped potential for energy savings. This study leverages data from the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) to analyze trends in server stocks, computing customers, cooling system adoption and efficiency, and geospatial distribution from 2012 to 2018. Findings reveal a sharp decline in small and midsize data centers, from 1.764 million to 1.398 million, with server counts dropping from 5.177 million to 4.262 million—aligning with the broader shift toward cloud computing. More than 40 % of servers in small data centers and 55 % in midsize data centers are housed in office buildings, and over half of all servers are concentrated in climate zones 5A (cold), 3A (mixed-humid), and 4A (mixed-humid), with the highest densities in metropolitan hubs. While direct expansion units remain the dominant cooling system, a clear transition toward more energy-efficient solutions, particularly air economizers, is evident. By integrating server and cooling system distributions, we estimate Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) for U.S. data centers by size and year. Results show that midsize data centers are more energy-efficient but more water-intensive due to the widespread use of water-cooled chillers. These findings highlight the trade-offs in cooling system selection and provide a critical foundation for policies aimed at enhancing efficiency in an evolving data center landscape.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scalable Parallel Measurement of Individual Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond is a solid-state spin defect that has been widely adopted for quantum sensing and quantum information processing applications. Typically, experiments are performed either with a single isolated NV center or with an unresolved ensemble of many NV centers, resulting in a trade-off between measurement speed and spatial resolution or control over individual defects. In this work, we introduce an experimental platform that bypasses this trade-off by addressing multiple optically resolved NV centers in parallel. We perform charge- and spin-state manipulations selectively on multiple NV centers from within a larger set, and we manipulate and measure the electronic spin states of over 100 NV centers in parallel. We show that the high signal-to-noise ratio of the measurements enables the detection of shot-to-shot pairwise correlations between the spin states of 108 NV centers, corresponding to the simultaneous measurement of 5778 unique correlation coefficients. We discuss how our platform can be scaled to parallel experiments with thousands of individually resolved NV centers. These results enable parallelized high-throughput sensing experiments that retain the spatial resolution of single defects and will, thereby, help to unlock advances in applications such as single-molecule NMR and characterization of integrated circuits. In addition, our approach to multiplexing provides a natural platform for the application of recently developed correlated sensing techniques.

NV centers↗
DOE OSTI2024

Powering Data Centers with Clean Energy: A Techno-Economic Case Study of Nuclear and Renewable Energy Dependability

Rising data demands from artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) generating images, videos, and text have prompted increased need for larger and more robust data centers in the United States. Major companies interested in these larger data centers face the choice of linking them to existing regional grids, building stand-alone power supplies onsite, or a combination of both. The request, review, and approval process for new transmission lines to grids in the United States, however, has grown in recent years to times spans rivaling those of new construction for nuclear power plants. Building an islanded power supply for each data center is therefore becoming a prominent option. In this case study, several technologies are modeled in techno-economic simulations for long-term system costs subject to fixed electricity demand from a singular data center. A 250 MWe data center is assumed with additional 50 MWe for resiliency. Techno-economic simulations are conducted using the Holistic Energy Resource Optimization Network (HERON) software, which is a part of the Framework for Optimization of Resources and Economics (FORCE) tool suite. Technologies considered include solar, wind, lithium-ion batteries, and several types of nuclear reactors: large-scale reactors, small modular reactors, and microreactors. A low- and high-cost estimate for each technology is assumed to develop a range of expected economic performance. Low-cost estimates included several clean energy production tax credits. Different combinations of renewable energy generators with nuclear reactors are considered, ranging from a fully renewable-powered data center to a fully nuclear-powered data center. Historic time series of wind and solar availability from the Texas grid are used to train a reduced order model; this model then generates unique time series with similar characteristics of the training dataset. Multiple scenarios of weather and subsequent operations are simulated for each renewable-nuclear combination to determine total costs throughout the project lifetime. Fully renewable-powered configurations required large amounts of installed capacity (GW scale) in the simulations to meet the fixed demand of the data center. This is due to some scenarios in the historical dataset which captured low-wind and low-solar days, requiring over-building of these technologies as well as batteries to compensate for the low amounts of electricity generation. Fully nuclear-powered configurations outperformed the fully renewable and mixed renewable-nuclear configurations in terms of cost, with ranges between $1B and $10B in 2023 USDs compared to $40B+ for fully renewable configurations. Of the nuclear technologies, small modular reactors performed better economically than large-scale nuclear models due to lower projected capital costs, and both performed better than the microreactor models. These results demonstrate the applicability of firm, dispatchable electricity resources from baseload generators like nuclear power plants for operating facilities that run at constant power without daily variability.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Transient Modeling of Large Data Centers for Grid-Level Studies

The magnitude and complexity of electricity usage patterns from large data centers are having significant impacts on the operation and dynamics of the power grid; grid operators and planners require a range of specialized data center models to properly evaluate these impacts and specify technical solutions as needed. Towards addressing this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a library of electromagnetic transient (EMT) models for grid-level studies of data centers called the data center model library (DML). This report describes how the DML was created and how it may properly be used. The models present in the DML are generic models; subject matter expertise and additional technical data are needed to modify these models before they can represent any real data center. However, they will significantly reduce the level of effort required to develop site-specific models and can serve as a common starting point to guide industry towards a more refined consensus. Most of the models within DML are dedicated to representing the power electronics interfaces commonly used in modern data centers, such as double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies and single-phase power factor correction converters. These models are intended for use in grid-level studies and are a simplified aggregation of many small components. That said, background material on the physical and electrical design of large data centers is provided as companion material so that users can be aware of many of the details which have been omitted or streamlined as a matter of practical necessity. Additionally, guidance on the application of EMT analysis for data center interconnection studies is provided, which aids users in identifying when the DML is necessary and what sort of additional model development may be necessary for conducting real-world studies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electromagnetic Transient Modeling of Large Data Centers for Grid-Level Studies: Beta Release

The magnitude and complexity of electricity usage patterns from large data centers are having significant impacts on the operation and dynamics of the power grid; grid operators and planners require a range of specialized data center models to properly evaluate these impacts and specify technical solutions as needed. Towards addressing this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a library of electromagnetic transient (EMT) models for grid-level studies of data centers called the data center model library (DML). This report describes how the DML was created and how it may properly be used. This report details the DML’s beta release, completed in July 2026. This is a revision and expansion of the alpha release, which was made available in January 2026 The models present in the DML are generic models; subject matter expertise and additional technical data are needed to modify these models before they can represent any real data center. However, they will significantly reduce the level of effort required to develop site-specific models and can serve as a common starting point to guide industry towards a more refined consensus. Most of the models within DML are dedicated to representing the power electronics interfaces commonly used in modern data centers, such as double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies and single-phase power factor correction converters. These models are intended for use in grid-level studies and are a simplified aggregation of many small components. That said, background material on the physical and electrical design of large data centers is provided as companion material so that users can be aware of many of the details which have been omitted or streamlined as a matter of practical necessity. Additionally, guidance on the application of EMT analysis for data center interconnection studies is provided, which aids users in identifying when the DML is necessary and what sort of additional model development may be necessary for conducting real-world studies.

electromagnetic transients↗
NASA NTRS1990

NASA's engineering research centers and interdisciplinary education

A new program of interactive education between NASA and the academic community aims to improve research and education, provide long-term, stable funding, and support cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research. The mission of NASA's Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology (OAET) is discussed and it is pointed out that the OAET conducts about 10 percent of its total R&D program at U.S. universities. Other NASA university-based programs are listed including the Office of Commercial Programs Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) and the National Space Grant program. The importance of university space engineering centers and the selection of the nine current centers are discussed. A detailed composite description is provided of the University Space Engineering Research Centers. Other specialized centers are described such as the Center for Space Construction, the Mars Mission Research Center, and the Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration. Approaches to educational outreach are discussed.

Johnston, Gordon I.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Photosynthetic reaction center complexes from heliobacteria

The goal of this project is to understand the early evolutionary development of photosynthesis by examining the properties of reaction centers isolated from certain contemporary organisms that appear to contain the simplest photosynthetic reaction centers. The major focus of this project is the family of newly discovered strictly anaerobic photosynthetic organisms known as Heliobacteria. These organisms are the only known photosynthetic organisms that are grouped with the gram-positive phylum of bacteria. The properties of these reaction centers suggest that they might be the decendants of an ancestor that also gave rise to Photosystem 1 found in oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms. Photoactive reaction center-core antenna complexes have been isolated from the photosynthetic bacteria Heliobacillus mobilis and Heliobacterium gestii. The absorption and fluorescence properties of membranes and reaction centers are almost identical, suggesting that a single pigment-protein complex serves as both antenna and reaction center. Experiments in progress include sequence determination of the 48,000 Mr reaction center protein, and evolutionary comparisons with other reaction center proteins.

Trost, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA Propulsion Engineering Research Center, volume 1

Over the past year, the Propulsion Engineering Research Center at The Pennsylvania State University continued its progress toward meeting the goals of NASA's University Space Engineering Research Centers (USERC) program. The USERC program was initiated in 1988 by the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology to provide an invigorating force to drive technology advancements in the U.S. space industry. The Propulsion Center's role in this effort is to provide a fundamental basis from which the technology advances in propulsion can be derived. To fulfill this role, an integrated program was developed that focuses research efforts on key technical areas, provides students with a broad education in traditional propulsion-related science and engineering disciplines, and provides minority and other under-represented students with opportunities to take their first step toward professional careers in propulsion engineering. The program is made efficient by incorporating government propulsion laboratories and the U.S. propulsion industry into the program through extensive interactions and research involvement. The Center is comprised of faculty, professional staff, and graduate and undergraduate students working on a broad spectrum of research issues related to propulsion. The Center's research focus encompasses both current and advanced propulsion concepts for space transportation, with a research emphasis on liquid propellant rocket engines. The liquid rocket engine research includes programs in combustion and turbomachinery. Other space transportation modes that are being addressed include anti-matter, electric, nuclear, and solid propellant propulsion. Outside funding supports a significant fraction of Center research, with the major portion of the basic USERC grant being used for graduate student support and recruitment. The remainder of the USERC funds are used to support programs to increase minority student enrollment in engineering, to maintain Center infrastructure, and to develop research capability in key new areas. Significant research programs in propulsion systems for air and land transportation complement the space propulsion focus. The primary mission of the Center is student education. The student program emphasizes formal class work and research in classical engineering and science disciplines with applications to propulsion.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1996

Really Cool Stars at the Galactic Center

New and existing K-band spectra for 19 Galactic center late-type stars have been analyzed along with representative spectra of disk and bulge M giants and supergiants. Absorption strengths for strong atomic and molecular features have been measured. The Galactic center stars generally exhibit stronger absorption features centered near Na I (2.206 microns) and Ca I (2.264 microns) than representative disk M stars at the same CO absorption strength. Based on the absolute K - band magnitudes and CO and H2O absorption strengths for the Galactic center stars and known M supergiants and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we conclude that only IRS 7 must be a supergiant. Two other bright stars in our Galactic center sample are likely supergiant as well. The remaining bright, cool stars in the Galactic center that we have observed are most consistent with being intermediate mass/age AGB stars. We identify four of the Galactic center stars as long period variables based on their K-band spectral properties and associated photometric variability. Estimates of initial masses and ages for the GC stars suggest multiple epochs of star formation have occurred in the Galactic center over the last 7-100 Myr. 0 1996 American Astronomical Society.

Blum, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Really Cool Stars at the Galactic Center

New and existing K-band spectra for 19 Galactic center late-type stars have been analyzed along with representative spectra of disk and bulge M giants and supergiants. Absorption strengths for strong atomic and molecular features have been measured. The Galactic center stars generally exhibit stronger absorption features centered near Na I (2.206 microns) and Ca I (2.264 microns) than representative disk M stars at the same CO absorption strength. Based on the absolute K-band magnitudes and CO and H2O absorption strengths for the Galactic center stars and known M supergiants and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we conclude that only IRS 7 must be a supergiant. Two other bright stars in our Galactic center sample are likely supergiants as well. The remaining bright, cool stars in the Galactic center that we have observed are most consistent with being intermediate mass/age AGB stars. We identify four of the Galactic center stars as long period variables based on their K-band spectral properties and associated photometric variability. Estimates of initial masses and ages for the GC stars suggest multiple epochs of star formation have occurred in the Galactic center over the last 7-100 Myr.

Blum, R. D.↗