Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Modular Architecture”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Exploration Space Suit Architecture and Destination Environmental-Based Technology Development

This paper continues forward where EVA Space Suit Architecture: Low Earth Orbit Vs. Moon Vs. Mars [1] left off in the development of a space suit architecture that is modular in design and could be reconfigured prior to launch or during any given mission depending on the tasks or destination. This paper will address the space suit system architecture and technologies required based upon human exploration extravehicular activity (EVA) destinations, and describe how they should evolve to meet the future exploration EVA needs of the US human space flight program.1, 2, 3 In looking forward to future US space exploration to a space suit architecture with maximum reuse of technology and functionality across a range of mission profiles and destinations, a series of exercises and analyses have provided a strong indication that the Constellation Program (CxP) space suit architecture is postured to provide a viable solution for future exploration missions4. The destination environmental analysis presented in this paper demonstrates that the modular architecture approach could provide the lowest mass and mission cost for the protection of the crew given any human mission outside of low-Earth orbit (LEO). Additionally, some of the high-level trades presented here provide a review of the environmental and non-environmental design drivers that will become increasingly important the farther away from Earth humans venture. This paper demonstrates a logical clustering of destination design environments that allows a focused approach to technology prioritization, development, and design that will maximize the return on investment, independent of any particular program, and provide architecture and design solutions for space suit systems in time or ahead of need dates for any particular crewed flight program in the future. The approach to space suit design and interface definition discussion will show how the architecture is very adaptable to programmatic and funding changes with minimal redesign effort such that the modular architecture can be quickly and efficiently honed into a specific mission point solution if required. Additionally, the modular system will allow for specific technology incorporation and upgrade as required with minimal redesign of the system.

Hill, Terry R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decayheatml

This code is designed to predict and analyze the decay heat generated in molten salt reactors (MSRs) using a hybrid approach that combines machine learning and segmented polynomial fitting. The accurate prediction of decay heat is essential for reactor safety and the optimization of spent fuel storage. The code operates through several key components: 1) Data Architecture: It incorporates a modular data architecture that handles various MSR-specific operational parameters such as power density, humidity content, and air ingress. These parameters are sampled using Sobol sequences to ensure comprehensive coverage of operational uncertainties. 2) Machine Learning Framework: The code employs a diverse set of machine learning models, including polynomial regression, decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting, support vector regression, k-nearest neighbors, multi-layer perceptrons, and symbolic regression. These models are trained to predict decay heat over a wide temporal range, from immediate shutdown up to 10,000 years. 3) Region-Optimized Training: The temporal domain is divided into multiple regions, each modeled separately to capture distinct decay heat characteristics across different time scales. This approach significantly improves the accuracy and interpretability of predictions. 4) Segmented Polynomial Interpretation (SPI): The SPI method translates machine learning predictions into piecewise polynomial equations. These equations are physically interpretable and can be directly integrated into existing engineering workflows and safety analyses. 5) Front-End Interfaces: The code includes both a Jupyter notebook interface for research development and a Streamlit web application for operational deployment. These interfaces allow users to interactively explore decay heat predictions, adjust operational parameters, and visualize results in real-time. 6) Applications: The framework supports various applications, including safety system validation and spent fuel container optimization. It enables real-time evaluation of worst-case decay heat scenarios, informing the design of passive safety systems and optimizing container designs for long-term storage. Overall, this code provides a robust, accurate, and user-friendly tool for predicting decay heat in MSRs, enhancing reactor safety, and optimizing spent fuel management.

Retamales, Mauricio Eduardo Tano [Idaho National L↗
NASA NTRS1984

User Requirements

The capabilities, enumerated during the Planetary Data Workshop, which the ideal Planetary Data System (PDS) should provide to its users are summarized. System design and implementation activities must take into account that all requirements do not carry the same weight. While some system requirements are essential and must be met early, other requirements are of a less immediate nature and can be implemented during later stages of development. Some requirements may be determined to be not essential to the operation of a PDS or impractical, and then not considered for implementation. It is assumed, that the PDS implementation will be modular in architecture and accomplishment. The modular plan is supported by many potential benefits in that it: simplifies the design and planning activities; improves the ability to respond to the changing demands of the user community; permits incorporation of emerging technologies; and allows the implementation to remain flexible in the face of fluctuating resources.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Exploration Space Suit Architecture: Destination Environmental-Based Technology Development

This paper picks up where EVA Space Suit Architecture: Low Earth Orbit Vs. Moon Vs. Mars (Hill, Johnson, IEEEAC paper #1209) left off in the development of a space suit architecture that is modular in design and interfaces and could be reconfigured to meet the mission or during any given mission depending on the tasks or destination. This paper will walk though the continued development of a space suit system architecture, and how it should evolve to meeting the future exploration EVA needs of the United States space program. In looking forward to future US space exploration and determining how the work performed to date in the CxP and how this would map to a future space suit architecture with maximum re-use of technology and functionality, a series of thought exercises and analysis have provided a strong indication that the CxP space suit architecture is well postured to provide a viable solution for future exploration missions. Through the destination environmental analysis that is presented in this paper, the modular architecture approach provides the lowest mass, lowest mission cost for the protection of the crew given any human mission outside of low Earth orbit. Some of the studies presented here provide a look and validation of the non-environmental design drivers that will become every-increasingly important the further away from Earth humans venture and the longer they are away. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates a logical clustering of design environments that allows a very focused approach to technology prioritization, development and design that will maximize the return on investment independent of any particular program and provide architecture and design solutions for space suit systems in time or ahead of being required for any particular manned flight program in the future. The new approach to space suit design and interface definition the discussion will show how the architecture is very adaptable to programmatic and funding changes with minimal redesign effort required such that the modular architecture can be quickly and efficiently honed into a specific mission point solution if required.

Hill, Terry R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Open Radiation Monitoring: Histogram Builder Module Design

The Open Radiation Monitoring Project seeks to develop and demonstrate a modular radiation detection architecture designed specifically for use in arms control treaty verification (ACTV) applications that will facilitate rapid development of trusted systems to meet the needs of potential future treaties. A modular architecture can be used to reduce more complex systems to a series of single purpose building blocks, thereby facilitating equipment inspection and in turn building trust in the equipment by all treaty parties. Furthermore, a modular architecture can be used to control data flow within the measurement system, reducing the risk of "hidden switches" and constraining the amount of sensitive information that could potentially be inadvertently leaked. This report details the first revision of a prototype circuit that will convert analog pulses directly into a histogrammed data set for further processing. The circuit was designed with both spectroscopy and multiplicity analysis in mind but can, in principle, be used to reduce any raw data stream into a histogram. The number of output channels is limited, and the histogram bin ranges are user configurable to allow for non-uniform and discontinuous bins, which makes it possible to restrict the information being passed down stream if desired. Pulse processing relies entirely on analog circuitry and non- programmable logic, which enables operation without the need for a central processor or other programmable control unit. The circuit remains untested under the Open Radiation Monitoring project due to the closure of the sponsoring program. However, further development and testing is scheduled to take place in support of a purpose-built trusted verification system development effort known as COGNIZANT, which demonstrates the potential benefit of developing a suite of modular trusted system components.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1988

Embedding triple-modular redundancy into a hypercube architecture

This paper describes an embedding of Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) into a binary hypercube. The goal is to improve fault tolerance by masking any single-point faults. Each module of an application task is triplicated and executed in parallel on three nodes of a 2-dimensional subcube (Q2) of the hypercube. Each of these nodes also executes a voter process. The remaining node is used for message passing only. All outputs from the triplicated modules are voted on, and the voting results are transmitted to the appropriate destination. Thus, all interunit messages are also triplicated. We propose an embedding of TMR into a hypercube which can be implemented in a manner transparent to the application program. Subcubes are allocated so that the address space for the TMR units is also a hypercube. Hence, the subcube allocation and intermodule communication schemes are defined to be analogous to the schemes used in the nonredundant system. The embedded system is proven to mask all single-point faults.

Kiskis, Daniel L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Architectural scaling tradeoffs in modular 3D bosonic quantum processors

We propose a modular three-dimensional bosonic quantum processor built from repeatable coupled-cavity modules linked by configurable interconnect networks. Using hardware-motivated graph-theoretic measures, we compare nearest-neighbor, hub-based, and hybrid architectures in terms of interconnect count, communication distance, resource concentration, and implementation complexity. Rather than identifying a universally optimal topology, our analysis shows how these architectures redistribute the costs of scaling, including wiring and port requirements, nonlocal communication distance, exposure to shared resources, routing bottlenecks, and scheduling overhead. Case studies of a \(3\times3\) processor and a larger hierarchical architecture further distinguish finite-size performance from asymptotic scaling. The resulting framework provides a systematic basis for evaluating modular three-dimensional bosonic processors and for identifying the device-level parameters required for quantitative hardware design.

Zhu, Shaojiang [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000293180092)↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Analysis of the Advanced Modular Power Systems (AMPS) Power Electronic Modules

In an effort to transform future space power system architectures and operations, the Advanced Modular Power Systems (AMPS) project is currently developing an interface standard for power electronic modules to enable modular architectures for space power systems. Each architecture would consist of one or more modular electronic units (MEU) that would comprise of a tailored combination of modules. The standard currently comprises modules enabling switchgear, power conversion, and data interfacing. The objective of the AMPS project is to enable the modularity and interchangeability of different architectures using these standardized modules in hopes of reducing complexity and cost, increasing inherent redundancy and reliability, and minimizing power system redesign for future programs. A key enabler to these future modular architectures will be the thermal management system, which has to contend with acquiring heat from the electronics modules at the card level and then transporting that heat to the radiator of the larger system. The focus of this paper, therefore, will be the thermal design and analysis of multiple AMPS power electronics modules and the development of their thermal-vacuum test.

Modular Power Electronics↗
NASA NTRS2013

Exploration Space Suit Architecture and Destination Environmental-Based Technology Development

This paper continues forward where EVA Space Suit Architecture: Low Earth Orbit Vs. Moon Vs. Mars left off in the development of a space suit architecture that is modular in design and could be reconfigured prior to launch or during any given mission depending on the tasks or destination. This space suit system architecture and technologies required based on human exploration (EVA) destinations will be discussed, and how these systems should evolve to meet the future exploration EVA needs of the US human space flight program. A series of exercises and analyses provided a strong indication that the Constellation Program space suit architecture, with its maximum reuse of technology and functionality across a range of mission profiles and destinations, is postured to provide a viable solution for future space exploration missions. The destination environmental analysis demonstrates that the modular architecture approach could provide the lowest mass and mission cost for the protection of the crew, given any human mission outside of low-Earth orbit. Additionally, some of the high-level trades presented here provide a review of the environmental and nonenvironmental design drivers that will become increasingly important as humans venture farther from Earth. The presentation of destination environmental data demonstrates a logical clustering of destination design environments that allows a focused approach to technology prioritization, development, and design that will maximize the return on investment, largely independent of any particular design reference mission.

Hill, Terry R.↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Fully Decentralized Modulation Scheme for Modular Multilevel Converters

As the number of submodules rapidly increase, control architecture of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) is transforming from centralized to distributed in order to address the challenges of tremendous computational burden and massive wiring. In this digest, we propose a modulation scheme for the MMCs with distributed controls, where each submodule is able to handle both controls and modulation in a decentralized manner. It enables the distributed controllers to synchronize in terms of fast-switching pulse width modulation (PWM). Aiming at this key technical challenge, this research develops a physics-informed PWM control strategy of mirroring the spontaneous synchronization feature of coupled oscillator’s behavior at switching frequency. Thanks to less reliance on wirings and communications, the proposed approach has the potential of i) improving reliability of MMC systems, and ii) reducing cost and space requirements for MMCs. The proposed approach has been preliminarily verified through a simulation tool for power electronics systems.

Lu, Minghui [BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)]↗
NASA NTRS2012

Modular, Autonomous Command and Data Handling Software with Built-In Simulation and Test

The spacecraft system that plays the greatest role throughout the program lifecycle is the Command and Data Handling System (C&DH), along with the associated algorithms and software. The C&DH takes on this role as cost driver because it is the brains of the spacecraft and is the element of the system that is primarily responsible for the integration and interoperability of all spacecraft subsystems. During design and development, many activities associated with mission design, system engineering, and subsystem development result in products that are directly supported by the C&DH, such as interfaces, algorithms, flight software (FSW), and parameter sets. A modular system architecture has been developed that provides a means for rapid spacecraft assembly, test, and integration. This modular C&DH software architecture, which can be targeted and adapted to a wide variety of spacecraft architectures, payloads, and mission requirements, eliminates the current practice of rewriting the spacecraft software and test environment for every mission. This software allows missionspecific software and algorithms to be rapidly integrated and tested, significantly decreasing time involved in the software development cycle. Additionally, the FSW includes an Onboard Dynamic Simulation System (ODySSy) that allows the C&DH software to support rapid integration and test. With this solution, the C&DH software capabilities will encompass all phases of the spacecraft lifecycle. ODySSy is an on-board simulation capability built directly into the FSW that provides dynamic built-in test capabilities as soon as the FSW image is loaded onto the processor. It includes a six-degrees- of-freedom, high-fidelity simulation that allows complete closed-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing of a spacecraft in a ground processing environment without any additional external stimuli. ODySSy can intercept and modify sensor inputs using mathematical sensor models, and can intercept and respond to actuator commands. ODySSy integration is unique in that it allows testing of actual mission sequences on the flight vehicle while the spacecraft is in various stages of assembly, test, and launch operations all without any external support equipment or simulators. The ODySSy component of the FSW significantly decreases the time required for integration and test by providing an automated, standardized, and modular approach to integrated avionics and component interface and functional verification. ODySSy further provides the capability for on-orbit support in the form of autonomous mission planning and fault protection.

Cuseo, John↗
NASA NTRS2013

Exploration Space Suit Architecture and Destination Environmental-Based Technology Development

This paper continues forward where EVA Space Suit Architecture: Low Earth Orbit Vs. Moon Vs. Mars1 left off in the development of a space suit architecture that is modular in design and could be reconfigured prior to launch or during any given mission depending on the tasks or destination. This paper addresses the space suit system architecture and technologies required based on human exploration (EVA) destinations, and describes how these systems should evolve to meet the future exploration EVA needs of the US human space flight program. A series of exercises and analyses provided a strong indication that the Constellation Program space suit architecture, with its maximum reuse of technology and functionality across a range of mission profiles and destinations, is postured to provide a viable solution for future space exploration missions. The destination environmental analysis demonstrates that the modular architecture approach could provide the lowest mass and mission cost for the protection of the crew, given any human mission outside of low-Earth orbit. Additionally, some of the high-level trades presented here provide a review of the environmental and non-environmental design drivers that will become increasingly important as humans venture farther from Earth. This paper demonstrates a logical clustering of destination design environments that allows a focused approach to technology prioritization, development, and design that will maximize the return on investment, largely independent of any particular design reference mission.

Hill, Terry R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Modular, Data Driven System: Architecture for GSFC Ground Systems: GSFC's Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC)

The GSFC Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) was established in 2001 to coordinate ground and flight data systems development and services at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GMSEC system architecture represents a new way to build the next generation systems to be used for a variety of missions for years to come. The old approach was to find or build the best products available and integrate them into a reusable system to meet everyone's needs. The new approach assumes that needs, products, and technology will change.

Cary, Everett↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Novel RF Architecture for Simultaneous Communication, Navigation, and Remote Sensing with Software-Defined Radio

The rapid growth of SmallSat and CubeSat missions at NASA has necessitated a re-evaluation of communication and remote-sensing architectures. Novel designs for CubeSat-sized single-board computers can now include larger Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and faster System-on-Chip (SoCs) devices. These components substantially improve onboard processing capabilities so that varying subsystems no longer require an independent processor. By replacing individual Radio Frequency (RF) systems with a single software-defined radio (SDR) and processor, mission designers have greater control over reliability, performance, and efficiency. The presented architecture combines individual processing systems into a single design and establishes a modular SDR architecture capable of both remote-sensing and communication applications. This new approach based on a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) SDR features a scalable architecture optimized for Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C), with sufficient noise performance and phase-coherence to enable both remote-sensing and navigation applications, while providing a communication solution for simultaneous S-band and X-band transmission. This SDR design is developed around the NASA CubeSat Card Standard (CS2) that provides the required modularity through simplified backplane and interchangeable options for multiple radiation-hardened/tolerant processors. This architecture provides missions with a single platform for high-rate communication and a future platform to develop cognitive radio systems.

Advanced Avionics, Hybrid Processing, Data Process↗
NASA NTRS1998

MIDEX Advanced Modular and Distributed Spacecraft Avionics Architecture

MIDEX (Medium Class Explorer) is the newest line in NASA's Explorer spacecraft development program. As part of the MIDEX charter, the MIDEX spacecraft development team has developed a new modular, distributed, and scaleable spacecraft architecture that pioneers new spaceflight technologies and implementation approaches, all designed to reduce overall spacecraft cost while increasing overall functional capability. This resultant "plug and play" system dramatically decreases the complexity and duration of spacecraft integration and test, providing a basic framework that supports spacecraft modularity and scalability for missions of varying size and complexity. Together, these subsystems form a modular, flexible avionics suite that can be modified and expanded to support low-end and very high-end mission requirements with a minimum of redesign, as well as allowing a smooth, continuous infusion of new technologies as they are developed without redesigning the system. This overall approach has the net benefit of allowing a greater portion of the overall mission budget to be allocated to mission science instead of a spacecraft bus. The MIDEX scaleable architecture is currently being manufactured and tested for use on the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), an inhouse program at GSFC.

Ruffa, John A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS)

The Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS) Program is a technology demonstration effort designed to advance the state-of-the-art in launch vehicle propulsion systems. Its emphasis is on developing and demonstrating a modular software architecture for advanced engine control systems that will result in lower software maintenance (operations) costs. It effectively accommodates software requirement changes that occur due to hardware technology upgrades and engine development testing. Ground rules directed by MSFC were to optimize modularity and implement the software in the Ada programming language. MRECS system software and the software development environment utilize Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products. This paper presents the objectives, benefits, and status of the program. The software architecture, design, and development environment are described. MRECS tasks are defined and timing relationships given. Major accomplishments are listed. MRECS offers benefits to a wide variety of advanced technology programs in the areas of modular software architecture, reuse software, and reduced software reverification time related to software changes. MRECS was recently modified to support a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) hot-fire test. Cold Flow and Flight Readiness Testing were completed before the test was cancelled. Currently, the program is focused on supporting NASA MSFC in accomplishing development testing of the Fastrac Engine, part of NASA's Low Cost Technologies (LCT) Program. MRECS will be used for all engine development testing.

Tarrant, C.↗