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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 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

CO 2 Capture Using Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration

We describe the current status of our research on, and the development of, the Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration (EMAR) process for the capture of CO2 from flue gases. The absorption step in the EMAR process is the same as in the widely used amine process, but the desorption step is accomplished electrochemically as opposed to by a thermal swing used in the amine process. Our laboratory unit has operated continuously for over 200 h, spanning 130 absorption/desorption cycles. We have established an understanding of the thermodynamics of the EMAR process and provided engineering estimates of key features (energetics and sizing) of this technology. The EMAR system does not rely on steam integration, making it a truly plug-and-play unit that can be easily deployed for a range of applications. The EMAR system can also be scaled-down for distributed, modular, and small-scale operations (e.g., stainless steel mini-mills, etc.). Here, results to date indicate that the EMAR process has the potential to be a viable option for post-combustion CO2 capture.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1999

Reusable Rocket Engine Advanced Health Management System. Architecture and Technology Evaluation: Summary

In this study, we proposed an Advanced Health Management System (AHMS) functional architecture and conducted a technology assessment for liquid propellant rocket engine lifecycle health management. The purpose of the AHMS is to improve reusable rocket engine safety and to reduce between-flight maintenance. During the study, past and current reusable rocket engine health management-related projects were reviewed, data structures and health management processes of current rocket engine programs were assessed, and in-depth interviews with rocket engine lifecycle and system experts were conducted. A generic AHMS functional architecture, with primary focus on real-time health monitoring, was developed. Fourteen categories of technology tasks and development needs for implementation of the AHMS were identified, based on the functional architecture and our assessment of current rocket engine programs. Five key technology areas were recommended for immediate development, which (1) would provide immediate benefits to current engine programs, and (2) could be implemented with minimal impact on the current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) engine controllers.

Pettit, C. D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an Inertia Relief Method for Aircraft with Dissimilar Engines in LEAPS

Weight estimation is a critical element of the aircraft conceptual design process. The Layered and Extensible Aircraft Performance System (LEAPS) is an aircraft conceptual design tool that is under development by the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) at the NASA Langley Research Center. LEAPS includes modules that represent aircraft design disciplines. This work presents an update to the LEAPS wing weight estimation method to allow for engine inertia relief to be accurately accounted for when analyzing aircraft with multiple dissimilar engines.

LEAPS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an Inertia Relief Method for Aircraft with Dissimilar Engines in LEAPS

Weight estimation is a critical element of the aircraft conceptual design process. The Layered and Extensible Aircraft Performance System (LEAPS) is an aircraft conceptual design tool that is under development by the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) at the NASA Langley Research Center. LEAPS includes modules that represent aircraft design disciplines. This work presents an update to the LEAPS wing weight estimation method to allow for engine inertia relief to be accurately accounted for when analyzing aircraft with multiple dissimilar engines.

LEAPS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Phenomenological Model of Nonlinear Dynamics and Deterministic Chaotic Gas Migration in Bentonite: Experimental Evidence and Diagnostic Parameters

Understanding gas migration in compacted clay materials, e.g., bentonite and claystone, is important for the design and performance assessment of an engineered barrier system of a radioactive waste repository system, as well as many practical applications. Existing field and laboratory data on gas migration processes in low-permeability clay materials demonstrate the complexity of flow and transport processes, including various types of instabilities, caused by nonlinear dynamics of coupled processes of liquid–gas exchange, dilation, fracturing, fracture healing, etc., which cannot be described by classical models of fluid dynamics in porous media. We here show that the complexity of gas migration processes can be explained using a phenomenological concept of nonlinear dynamics and deterministic chaos theory. To do so, we analyzed gas pressure and gas influx (i.e., input) and outflux (i.e., output), recorded during the gas injection experiment in the compact Mx80-D bentonite sample, and calculated a set of the diagnostic parameters of nonlinear dynamics and chaos, such a global embedding dimension, a correlation dimension, an information dimension, and a spectrum of Lyapunov exponents, as well as plotted 2D and 3D pseudo-phase-space strange attractors, based on the univariate influx and outflux time series data. These results indicate the presence of phenomena of low-dimensional deterministic chaotic behavior of gas migration in bentonite. In particular, during the onset of gas influx in the bentonite core, before the breakthrough, the development of gas flow pathways is characterized by the process of chaotic gas diffusion. After the breakthrough, with inlet-to-outlet movement of gas, the prevailing process is chaotic advection. During the final phase of the experiment, with no influx to the sample, the relaxation pattern of gas outflux is resumed back to a process of chaotic diffusion. The types of data analysis and a proposed phenomenological model can be used to establish the basic principles of experimental data-gathering, modeling predictions, and a research design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Flows of engineered nanomaterials through the recycling process in Switzerland

Highlights: • Recycling is one of the likely end-of-life fates of nanoproducts. • We assessed the material flows of four nanomaterials in the Swiss recycling system. • After recycling, most nanomaterials will flow to landfills or incineration plants. • Recycled construction waste, plastics and textiles may contain nanomaterials. - Abstract: The use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in diverse applications has increased during the last years and this will likely continue in the near future. As the number of applications increase, more and more waste with nanomaterials will be generated. A portion of this waste will enter the recycling system, for example, in electronic products, textiles and construction materials. The fate of these materials during and after the waste management and recycling operations is poorly understood. The aim of this work is to model the flows of nano-TiO{sub 2}, nano-ZnO, nano-Ag and CNT in the recycling system in Switzerland. The basis for this study is published information on the ENMs flows on the Swiss system. We developed a method to assess their flow after recycling. To incorporate the uncertainties inherent to the limited information available, we applied a probabilistic material flow analysis approach. The results show that the recycling processes does not result in significant further propagation of nanomaterials into new products. Instead, the largest proportion will flow as waste that can subsequently be properly handled in incineration plants or landfills. Smaller fractions of ENMs will be eliminated or end up in materials that are sent abroad to undergo further recovery processes. Only a reduced amount of ENMs will flow back to the productive process of the economy in a limited number of sectors. Overall, the results suggest that risk assessment during recycling should focus on occupational exposure, release of ENMs in landfills and incineration plants, and toxicity assessment in a small number of recycled inputs.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2024

Future of the Search for Life: Workshop Report

The 2-week, virtual Future of the Search for Life science and engineering workshop brought together more than 100 scientists, engineers, and technologists in March and April 2022 to provide their expert opinion on the interconnections between life-detection science and technology. Participants identified the advances in measurement and sampling technologies they believed to be necessary to perform in situ searches for life elsewhere in our Solar System, 20 years or more in the future. Among suggested measurements for these searches, those pertaining to three potential indicators of life termed “dynamic disequilibrium,” “catalysis,” and “informational polymers” were identified as particularly promising avenues for further exploration. For these three indicators, small breakout groups of participants identified measurement needs and knowledge gaps, along with corresponding constraints on sample handling (acquisition and processing) approaches for a variety of environments on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, and Titan. Despite the diversity of these environments, sample processing approaches all tend to be more complex than those that have been implemented on missions or envisioned for mission concepts to date. The approaches considered by workshop breakout groups progress from nondestructive to destructive measurement techniques, and most involve the need for fluid (especially liquid) sample processing. Sample processing needs were identified as technology gaps. These gaps include technology and associated sampling strategies that allow the preservation of the thermal, mechanical, and chemical integrity of the samples upon acquisition; and to optimize the sample information obtained by operating suites of instruments on common samples. Crucially, the interplay between science-driven life-detection strategies and their technological implementation highlights the need for an unprecedented level of payload integration and extensive collaboration between scientists and engineers, starting from concept formulation through mission deployment of life-detection instruments and sample processing systems.

Marc Neveu↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mission operations and command assurance: Instilling quality into flight operations

Mission Operations and Command Assurance (MO&CA) is a Total Quality Management (TQM) task on JPL projects to instill quality in flight mission operations. From a system engineering view, MO&CA facilitates communication and problem-solving among flight teams and provides continuous process improvement to reduce the probability of radiating incorrect commands to a spacecraft. The MO&CA task has evolved from participating as a member of the spacecraft team to an independent team reporting directly to flight project management and providing system level assurance. JPL flight projects have benefited significantly from MO&CA's effort to contain risk and prevent rather than rework errors. MO&CA's ability to provide direct transfer of knowledge allows new projects to benefit from previous and ongoing flight experience.

Welz, Linda L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Progress in Technology Validation of the Next Ion Propulsion System

The NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system has been in advanced technology development under the NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology project. The highest fidelity hardware planned has now been completed by the government/industry team, including a flight prototype model (PM) thruster, an engineering model (EM) power processing unit, EM propellant management assemblies, a breadboard gimbal, and control unit simulators. Subsystem and system level technology validation testing is in progress. To achieve the objective Technology Readiness Level 6, environmental testing is being conducted to qualification levels in ground facilities simulating the space environment. Additional tests have been conducted to characterize the performance range and life capability of the NEXT thruster. This paper presents the status and results of technology validation testing accomplished to date, the validated subsystem and system capabilities, and the plans for completion of this phase of NEXT development.

Benson, Scott W.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Technology Readiness of the NEXT Ion Propulsion System

The NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system has been in advanced technology development under the NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology project. The highest fidelity hardware planned has now been completed by the government/industry team, including: a flight prototype model (PM) thruster, an engineering model (EM) power processing unit, EM propellant management assemblies, a breadboard gimbal, and control unit simulators. Subsystem and system level technology validation testing is in progress. To achieve the objective Technology Readiness Level 6, environmental testing is being conducted to qualification levels in ground facilities simulating the space environment. Additional tests have been conducted to characterize the performance range and life capability of the NEXT thruster. This paper presents the status and results of technology validation testing accomplished to date, the validated subsystem and system capabilities, and the plans for completion of this phase of NEXT development. The next round of competed planetary science mission announcements of opportunity, and directed mission decisions, are anticipated to occur in 2008 and 2009. Progress to date, and the success of on-going technology validation, indicate that the NEXT ion propulsion system will be a primary candidate for mission consideration in these upcoming opportunities.

Benson, Scott W.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Development Status and Performance Comparisons of Environmental Barrier Coating Systems for SiCSiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

Environmental barrier coatings (EBC) and SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) will play a crucial role in future aircraft turbine engine systems, because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. This paper presents current NASA EBC-CMC development emphases including: the coating composition and processing improvements, laser high heat flux-thermal gradient thermo-mechanical fatigue - environmental testing methodology development, and property evaluations for next generation EBC-CMC systems. EBCs processed with various deposition techniques including Plasma Spray, Electron Beam - Physical Vapor Deposition, and Plasma Spray Physical Vapor Deposition (PS-PVD) will be particularly discussed. The testing results and demonstrations of advanced EBCs-CMCs in complex simulated engine thermal gradient cyclic fatigue, oxidizing-steam and CMAS environments will help provide insights into the coating development strategies to meet long-term engine component durability goals.

Processing and Properties↗
DOE OSTI2016

Adsorption Modeling at the Front and Back Ends of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Adsorption is a diverse and complex physicochemical process that has many different applications in chemical, environmental, and nuclear sciences. For example, adsorption can be found at both the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle for (i) capturing uranium from seawater to use as a new source of nuclear fuel and (ii) treatment of the off-gases produced when reprocessing used nuclear fuel. Accurate modeling of these processes is important for the design of efficient capture, recovery, and removal systems for the particular aqueous or gaseous species of interest. A set of algorithms and methods designed for flexibility and portability will greatly improve the ability to rigorously model such a complex set of systems. This approach allows more specific models to be built upon the more generic methods, which gives the overall modeling effort larger breadth and greater usability. Due to the complexity of adsorption processes, it is necessary to develop relatively complex mechanistic models to accurately predict the behavior of engineered adsorption systems. Capture and recovery systems designed for nuclear energy need to have a high level of accuracy to reduce uncertainties and aid in the implementation of separations technologies for efficient nuclear energy systems. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Renewable Thermal Hybridization Framework for Industrial Process Heat Applications

Solar industrial process heat (SIPH) technologies, such as concentrating solar power collectors, could economically replace the steam or heat needs at many industrial sites by providing high-temperature heat transfer fluids (HTFs) such as pressurized water, synthetic-oil, or direct steam. Renewable thermal energy systems (RTES) could be hybridized with different renewable options e.g., flat plate collectors with parabolic trough collectors, or combined with existing heat supplies (e.g., fossil fuels), to give options for targeted SIPH applications, industrial decarbonization and the reduction of fuel consumption. Hybrid solutions and thermal energy storage will be important for the dispatch of heat at optimal times needed by the demand side of the buildings and industrial applications. At present, there is no integrated modeling tool for hybrid RTES, and this paper highlights the development of a renewable thermal hybridization framework for IPH use that is built from existing tools like System Advisor Model. The long-term vision for the framework (through significant further research) is to develop a coupled hybrid energy generation and cost analysis tool, where the tool could help the user in determining the most suitable and cost-effective technologies for their applications. Ongoing work will look to add costs for RTES options and further refinement on the selection of suitable technologies. This future tool could calculate the levelized cost of heat of various RTES hybrid options, by taking the user's solar resource, fuel costs, industrial heat demand profile, available land, and other factors into account to determine the applicability into their process.

concentrating solar power↗
NASA NTRS1974

MSFC Skylab instrumentation and communication system mission evaluation

An evaluation of the in-orbit performance of the instrumentation and communications systems installed on Skylab is presented. Performance is compared with functional requirements and the fidelity of communications. In-orbit performance includes processing engineering, scientific, experiment, and biomedical data, implementing ground-generated commands, audio and video communication, generating rendezvous ranging information, and radio frequency transmission and reception. A history of the system evolution based on the functional requirements and a physical description of the launch configuration is included. The report affirms that the instrumentation and communication system satisfied all imposed requirements.

Adair, B. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Customer requirements process

Customer requirements are presented through three viewgraphs. One graph presents the range of services, which include requirements management, network engineering, operations, and applications support. Another viewgraph presents the project planning process. The third viewgraph presents the programs and/or projects actively supported including life sciences, earth science and applications, solar system exploration, shuttle flight engineering, microgravity science, space physics, and astrophysics.

Russell, Yvonne↗
NASA NTRS2020

Pterodactyl: Trade Study for an Integrated Control System Design of a Mechanically Deployable Entry Vehicle

This paper presents the trade study method used to evaluate and downselect from a set of guidance and control (G&C) system designs for a mechanically Deployable Entry Vehicle (DEV). The Pterodactyl project was prompted by the challenge to develop an effective G&C system for a vehicle without a backshell, which is the case for DEVs. For the DEV, the project assumed a specific aeroshell geometry pertaining to an Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) vehicle, which was successfully developed by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) prior to this study. The Pterodactyl project designed three different entry G&C systems for precision targeting. This paper details the Figures of Merit (FOMs) and metrics used during the course of the project’s G&C system assessment. The relative importance of the FOMs was determined from the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which was used to develop weights that were combined with quantitative design metrics and engineering judgement to rank the G&C systems against one another. This systematic method takes into consideration the project’s input while simultaneously reducing unintentional judgement bias and ultimately was used to select a single G&C design for the project to pursue in the next design phase.

Alunni, Antonella I.↗
DOE OSTI2020

MRDIS Case Study

The Mobile Radiation Detection and Identification System (MRDIS) is a large mobile scanner that inspects containers in transit from cargo ships for radiological materials. The MRDIS platform operates as a two-part system with one MRDIS using a plastic Polyvinyl Toleune (synthetic polymer) for primary detection and another MRDIS that uses spectroscopic detectors for secondary isotopic identification. MRDIS can operate either independently or as part of a team, depending on the needs of the port. MRDIS is controlled by a human operator, who searches the computer monitor for any traces of radiological materials when the containers pass through the center of the system. Each MRDIS can also feed data into a central system or collect data on its own for additional material analysis. The system integrates radiation detection, radioisotope identification, an optical character recognition system, occupancy/speed sensors, wireless communications, and data processing capabilities to discern what specific radiological materials are of particular interest. In addition, Sandia engineers created a detailed set of requirements for subsequent models, allowing for faster implementation of additional detection systems.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗