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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 NTRS1977

Liquid-hydrogen rocket engine development at Aerojet, 1944 - 1950

This program demonstrated the feasibility of virtually all the components in present-day, high-energy, liquid-rocket engines. Transpiration and film-cooled thrust chambers were successfully operated. The first liquid-hydrogen tests of the coaxial injector was conducted and the first pump to successfully produce high pressures in pumping liquid hydrogen was tested. A 1,000-lb-thrust gaseous propellant and a 3,000-lb-thrust liquid-propellant thrust chamber were operated satisfactorily. Also, the first tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of jet overexpansion and separation on performance of rocket thrust chambers with hydrogen-oxygen propellants.

Osborn, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Architecture and System Engineering Development Study of Space-Based Satellite Networks for NASA Missions

Traditional NASA missions, both near Earth and deep space, have been stovepipe in nature and point-to-point in architecture. Recently, NASA and others have conceptualized missions that required space-based networking. The notion of networks in space is a drastic shift in thinking and requires entirely new architectures, radio systems (antennas, modems, and media access), and possibly even new protocols. A full system engineering approach for some key mission architectures will occur that considers issues such as the science being performed, stationkeeping, antenna size, contact time, data rates, radio-link power requirements, media access techniques, and appropriate networking and transport protocols. This report highlights preliminary architecture concepts and key technologies that will be investigated.

Ivancic, William D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advanced Manufacturing of the SLS Block 1B Payload Adapter: Engineering Development Unit

The Payload Adapter (PLA) for the Space Launch System Block 1B configuration (SLS B1B) is a structural frustum that interfaces with the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) and the Universal Stage Adapter (USA) or the cargo fairing at the aft end and interfaces with the primary or co-manifested payload at the forward end. The primary structure is composed of a single piece aluminum forward ring, a segmented aluminum aft ring, eight carbon composite sandwich panels, and composite bonded longitudinal joints. The PLA is designed and fabricated in-house at MSFC. Development and flight article builds are joint efforts between the Materials & Processes Laboratory (EM), the Spacecraft & Vehicle Systems Department (EV), the Space Systems Department (ES), and the Test Laboratory (ET). The large-scale manufacturing efforts associated with this task include the fabrication of pathfinder panels; the fabrication and assembly of a full-scale Manufacturing Demonstration Article (MDA); the fabrication, assembly, and test of an Engineering Demonstration Unit (EDU); the fabrication, assembly, and test of a qualification Article; and the fabrication, assembly, and proof test of subsequent flight articles. The PLA team recently completed assembly of the EDU. The final assembly included the instillation of the co-manifested secondary payload, NEST, and the instillation and tensioning of the Payload Separation System (PSS). This poster will detail the assembly process which includes: (1) composite panel to ring assembly, (2) adhesive bonding for the longitudinal joints, and (3) instillation of the NEST and PSS. The PLA EDU is prepared to undergo modal and static load testing.

Monique Wallace↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Pulsed Fission-Fusion (PuFF) Engine: Development Status

The PuFF (Pulsed Fission Fusion) project aims to revolutionize space travel through nuclear propulsion. PuFF will produce both high specific impulse (Isp 5,000-30,000 sec) and high thrust (10-100 kN), enabling quick (~1 month) transit times to Mars, the outer planets and exiting the solar system (~5 years). PuFF creates thrust by imploding a fission-fusion target using a Z-pinch. The process involves using the Lorentz (j×B) force to create gigapascal to terapascal pressures. Liquid lithium is injected in both a cylinder and cone. When the two connect, a circuit with a network of capacitors (referred to here as the pulser) is completed, and a 10-25 MA pulse flows down the lithium. The Z-pinch slams the lithium onto a fission-fusion target. The resulting compression (5-10 by volume) reaches super-criticality and explodes. The expanding plasma is then directed out of the back of the engine by a magnetic nozzle.

Nuclear↗
NASA NTRS2019

Loftid Aeroshell Engineering Development Unit Structural Testing

NASA’s Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology was selected for a Technology Demonstration Mission under the Space Technology Mission Directorate in 2017. HIAD is an enabling technology that can facilitate atmospheric entry of heavy payloads to planets such as Earth and Mars using a deployable aeroshell. The deployable nature of the HIAD technology allows it to avoid the size constraints imposed on current rigid aeroshell entry systems. This enables use of larger aeroshells resulting in increased entry system performance (e.g. higher pay-load mass and/or volume, higher landing altitude at Mars). The Low Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is currently scheduled for late-2021. LOFTID will be launched out of Vandenberg Air Force Base as a secondary payload on an Atlas V rocket. The flight test features a 6m diameter, 70-deg sphere-cone aeroshell and will provide invaluable high-energy orbital re-entry flight data. This data will be essential in supporting the HIAD team to mature the technology to diameters of 10m and greater. Aeroshells of this scale are applicable to potential near-term commercial applications and future NASA missions. Currently the LOFTID project has completed fabrication of the engineering design unit (EDU) inflatable structure (IS) and the flexible thermal protection system (F-TPS). These two components along with the rigid nose and center body comprise the HIAD aeroshell system. This EDU aeroshell is the precursor to the LOFTID aeroshell that will be used for flight. The EDU was built to verify the design given the subtle differences between the LOFTID aeroshell and past aeroshell designs that have been fabricated under the NASA HIAD project. To characterize the structural performance of the LOFTID aeroshell design, three structural tests will be performed. The first test to be conducted is static load testing, which will induce a uniform load across the forward surface of the aeroshell to simulate the expected pressure forces during atmospheric entry. The IS integrated with the rigid center body will first be tested alone to provide data for analytical model correlation, and then the F-TPS will be integrated for a second series of static load testing of the full aeroshell system. Instrumentation will be employed during the test series to measure component loads during testing, and a laser scanner will be used to generate a 3D map of the aeroshell surface to verify that the shape of the structure is acceptable at the simulated flight loads. After static load testing, pack and deployment testing will be conducted multiple times on the integrated system to demonstrate the aeroshell’s ability to fit within the required packed volume for the LOFTID mission without experiencing significant damage. Finally, the aeroshell will undergo modal testing to characterize its structural response. This presentation will discuss the setup and execution of each of the three tests that the EDU aeroshell will undergo. In addition, initial results of the testing will be presented outlining key findings as LOFTID moves for-ward with fabrication of the flight aeroshell.

Swanson, G. T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Campaign 78 - Production of 252 Cf and the Recovery of Curium Feed Material at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center

The production of californium-252 (Cf-252) has been of interest to the US Department of Energy (DOE) since the 1970s because of its ability to emit neutrons (2.31 x 10 12 neutrons/gram second). Today, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is responsible for the majority of Cf-252 sold around the world. This report aims to provide a complete summary of the chemical processing of the Cf and curium (Cm) from campaign 78 (C78) which started in January 2019.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
NASA NTRS1972

Dual deflectable beam strip engine development.

This paper describes a dual beam thruster that has been designed, constructed, and tested. The system is suitable for two-axes attitude control and is comprised of two orthogonal strips, each capable of producing 0.30 mlb thrust and beam deflections of more than plus or minus 20 deg. The nominal specific impulse for the thruster is 5000 sec, and the thrust level from each strip can be varied from 0 to 100%. Neutralizer filaments that were developed and life tested over 2000 hours producing more than 40 mA of electron emission per watt of input power are also discussed. The system power required for clean ionizers is approximately 200 W.

Dulgeroff, C. R.↗