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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 1,387 records · Page 77
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Outer planet spacecraft temperature testing and analysis

Unmanned spacecraft flown on missions to the outer planets of the solar system have included flybys, planetary orbiters, and atmospheric probes during the last three decades. The thermal design, test, and analysis approach applied to these spacecraft evolved from the passive thermal designs applied to the earlier lunar and interplanetary spacecraft. The inflight temperature data from representative sets of engineering subsystems and science instruments from a subset of these spacecraft are compared to those obtained during the ground test programs and from the prelaunch predictions. Several lessons are presented with specific recommendations for considerations for new projects to aid in the planning of cost effective temperature design, test, and analysis programs.

temperature testing planetary spacecraft Voyager G↗
DOE OSTI2018

FEMP’s Distributed Energy Program

Fact sheet describes the Federal Energy Management Program’s Distributed Energy Program, which facilitates the implementation of cost-effective, on-site renewable energy and energy storage technologies for federal agencies.

Distributed Energy Program↗
DOE OSTI2017

Installing Deep Groundwater Monitoring Wells in a Volcanic Dominated Rift Basin: Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico - 17594

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL, or the Laboratory) is located in northern New Mexico near the west margin of the Espanola Basin. LANL is underlain by a complex basin-fill sequence of alluvial fan deposits, volcanic tuff, basaltic and dacitic lavas, and riverine deposits. On-going environmental remediation and characterization activities have evolved to improve the performance of groundwater monitoring wells, ensuring they yield representative groundwater and core samples. Groundwater occurs as canyon-fill alluvial water, perched intermediate-depth water associated with the basalts and other local-scale perching horizons, and as a regional-scale aquifer that is the main water supply for the area. Anthropogenic contaminants are found in all three groundwater zones. The regional aquifer below LANL is nominally 1000-1400 feet below ground surface (bgs). Monitoring wells at the Laboratory, are therefore, among the deepest routinely installed in the US. Logistical challenges at LANL include steep terrain, widespread cultural sites, and threatened and endangered species habitat restrictions. Additionally, the cost of installing monitoring wells is high because of groundwater depths and the variable drilling techniques that are required to characterize and install wells in a complex geologic environment. A major challenge to the characterization approach at LANL has been to meet sample quality requirements while minimizing drilling costs. In the late 1990's threaded drill-casing was advanced by rotary drilling methods using compressed air as the only circulation fluid. This resulted in relatively low impacts to the geochemical integrity of rock and groundwater samples, but led to frequent episodes of stuck casing. Additional fluids were introduced to the air-rotary program, improving penetration rates, but also resulting in non-representative groundwater samples due to long-term impacts to the aquifer in the vicinity of the well screen. Mud-rotary drilling was incorporated into the program, but it also had significant long-term impacts on groundwater quality, and often inhibited identification of perched groundwater zones and accurate identification of the water table in the regional aquifer. Current drilling practice makes limited use of fluid additives (e.g. foam) to supplement air circulation methods in order to advance drill casing through the vadose zone. Starting about 100 feet above the water table, drill casing is advanced to the target horizon in the regional aquifer using only air and municipal water (when needed) for circulation. Additionally, the threaded drill casing couplings have been replaced with welded connections, significantly reducing the occurrence of stuck casing. Careful observations of water production and water levels during drilling, coupled with the ability to retract casing for video and geophysical logs, now allows for robust characterization of perched groundwater systems and accurate definition of the top of regional saturation. Recent advances in the drilling program include combined dual-rotary/sonic drilling to depths up to 1150 feet and dual-rotary casing advance at angles up to 25 deg. from vertical. The former allows for core collection with minimal fluid addition, thereby preserving pore water chemistry. The latter method allows for well installation into portions of the aquifer otherwise inaccessible due to constraints at the surface (e.g., cultural sites or topography). Similar to the development of drilling techniques, both well design and groundwater sampling system design have evolved throughout the program. Current well design emphasizes a minimal annulus of filter pack, maximum screen slot size based on formation sieve analyses, and thorough well development to mitigate formation damage due to drilling. To sample groundwater at multiple levels in the same well, earlier sampling systems included Westbay{sup R} multi-zone systems and dual-screen single-pump and dual-screen dual-pump systems designed in collaboration with Baski, Inc. These multi-zone sampling systems proved difficult to develop and maintain given the depth to groundwater, and most current well installations are configured with a single screen and a submersible pump. The ability to purge from a well-developed single-screen well has substantially improved the collection of representative groundwater samples. A carefully crafted groundwater characterization program in target aquifers at depths ranging from 1,000 to 1,400 feet bgs within a complex geologic setting, while also retaining the ability to collect representative core and groundwater samples, may have application at a number of sites throughout the environmental industry. Optimizing each well to meet program objectives while reducing total project costs benefits all environmental investigations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Zero Energy Ready Out of the Box

In this conference paper for the ASHRAE Buildings XV conference, December 2022, PNNL staff share key metrics for companies who are combining off site construction with certification to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program to create homes that are both cost effective to construct and high performance to live in. Key performance metrics and measures for modular, panelized, and SIP homes are compared against all homes in the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program and against new homes built to code. These metrics show that off-site construction homes got similar or better energy performance to site-built homes, and in the case of modular and panelized, at considerably lower average cost than site-built homes. The paper also highlights the experiences of two DOE Zero Energy Ready Home builders who employ offsite construction methods. One builder constructs production homes using pre-assembled panels. The other builder designs and ships kit homes all over the United States. The paper will focus on the optimum value engineering aspects of the panelized construction processes used by each builder to identify management and production practices employed by the builders to operate profitably while meeting high energy performance goals, despite a year marked by skyrocketing materials costs and supply chain and labor shortages. Cost and labor savings methods will be discussed in the context of these two unique business models.

U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Pr↗
NASA NTRS1995

Reusable launch vehicle: Technology development and test program

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requested that the National Research Council (NRC) assess the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology development and test programs in the most critical component technologies. At a time when discretionary government spending is under close scrutiny, the RLV program is designed to reduce the cost of access to space through a combination of robust vehicles and a streamlined infrastructure. Routine access to space has obvious benefits for space science, national security, commercial technologies, and the further exploration of space. Because of technological challenges, knowledgeable people disagree about the feasibility of a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. The purpose of the RLV program proposed by NASA and industry contractors is to investigate the status of existing technology and to identify and advance key technology areas required for development and validation of an SSTO vehicle. This report does not address the feasibility of an SSTO vehicle, nor does it revisit the roles and responsibilities assigned to NASA by the National Transportation Policy. Instead, the report sets forth the NRC committee's findings and recommendations regarding the RLV technology development and test program in the critical areas of propulsion, a reusable cryogenic tank system (RCTS), primary vehicle structure, and a thermal protection system (TPS).

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2011

Next Generation X-Ray Optics: High-Resolution, Light-Weight, and Low-Cost

X-ray telescopes are essential to the future of x-ray astronomy. This paper describes a comprehensive program to advance the technology for x-ray telescopes well beyond the state of the art represented by the three currently operating missions: Chandra, XMM-Newton , and Suzaku . This program will address the three key issues in making an x-ray telescope: (I) angular resolution, (2) effective area per unit mass, and (3) cost per unit effective area. The objectives of this technology program are (1) in the near term, to enable Explorer-class x-ray missions and an IXO type mission, and (2) in the long term, to enable a flagship x-ray mission with sub-arcsecond angular resolution and multi-square-meter effective area, at an affordable cost. We pursue two approaches concurrently, emphasizing the first approach in the near term (2-5 years) and the second in the long term (4-10 years). The first approach is precision slumping of borosilicate glass sheets. By design and choice at the outset, this technique makes lightweight and low-cost mirrors. The development program will continue to improve angular resolution, to enable the production of 5-arcsecond x-ray telescopes, to support Explorer-class missions and one or more missions to supersede the original IXO mission. The second approach is precision polishing and light-weighting of single-crystal silicon mirrors. This approach benefits from two recent commercial developments: (1) the inexpensive and abundant availability of large blocks of mono crystalline silicon, and (2) revolutionary advances in deterministic, precision polishing of mirrors. By design and choice at the outset, this technique is capable of producing lightweight mirrors with sub-arcsecond angular resolution. The development program will increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of the polishing and the lightweighting processes, to enable the production of lightweight sub-arcsecond x-ray telescopes. Concurrent with the fabrication of lightweight mirror segments is the continued development and perfection of alignment and integration techniques, for incorporating individual mirror segments into a precision mirror assembly. Recently, we have been developing a technique called edge-bonding, which has achieved an accuracy to enable 10- arcsecond x-ray telescopes. Currently, we are investigating and improving the long-term alignment stability of so-bonded mirrors. Next, we shall refine this process to enable 5-arsecond x-ray telescopes. This technology development program includes all elements to demonstrate progress toward TRL-6: metrology; x-ray performance tests; coupled structural, thermal, and optical performance analysis, and environmental testing.

Zhang, William W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ocean recovery of Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters.

Cost effective recovery of the expended Space-Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) from the ocean will result in significant overall cost savings to the Space Shuttle Program. The ocean recovery mission begins with the dispatching of the recovery team to the predicted splashdown area. The SRBs, drogue parachutes and main parachutes must be tracked, located, retrieved, and transported to land where they will be refurbished and recycled for reuse. Trade studies to be conducted will consider the recovery mission requirements and weigh the advantages, disadvantages and costs of various candidate recovery systems. Major parameters effecting the selection of the final system will ensure that the system will meet overall objectives. Large- and small-scale SRB model testing has been conducted to establish characteristics of SRBs during water entry, floating free and under tow.

Junker, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Data availability and the role of the earth resources observation systems data center

With the launch of LANDSAT-1 in July 1972, and the follow-on launch of LANDSAT-2 in January of this year, routine availability of satellite imagery and electronic data of the earth's resources has become a reality. Federal data centers provide LANDSAT data to resource managers and the general public. These data centers have to date provided almost 500,000 frames of LANDSAT data at a cost of more than $2,000,000. Data from the LANDSAT satellite program, along with data and information from the Skylab manned program, are available over any location to anyone for the cost of reproduction.

Watkins, A. H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Monitoring Radiochemical Processing Streams for the 238 Pu Supply Program with Process Pulse II

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is developing advanced spectroscopic and real-time monitoring capabilities to improve the timeliness of analytical measurements and process decisions for the 238Pu Supply Program. Reducing the time, resources, and costs associated with each production campaign is critical because overlapping campaigns will be required to meet the production goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Real-time, in situ analytical measurements in the heavily shielded hot cells at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) will allow for rapid process information feedback and operational benefits that help the 238Pu supply program scale-up production efforts. Noteworthy steps were taken during Campaign 5 to establish the ability to monitor processing streams in real time with spectrophotometry and a commercially available online monitoring software called The Unscrambler X Process Pulse II (PP) multivariate statistical process monitoring system by Camo Analytics (version 5.60). PP automates univariate-type calculations within the software itself and executes multivariate models built using The Unscrambler X (version 10.4 or newer). The Unscrambler is a commercially available data analysis software made by the same company. PP is composed of easy-to-use-tools for all personnel, including data scientists and technicians. The software can be used to plot analyte concentration profiles, spectral data, and other process variables in real time. All process data are represented in a single view with interactive charts useful for viewing how a process evolves over time.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

How to Educate Decision Makers on the Value and Necessity of Modal Testing and Model Correlation: Tips for Young Engineers

Engineers need to effectively communicate the justification and value of their modal testing and model correlation in terminology familiar to decision makers as it relates to the program’s risk tolerance. This communication must relate to the program’s risk tolerance and the metrics used to judge the performance of both the program and individual decision makers. The challenge is the terminologies familiar to engineers and decision makers are quite different and seemingly unrelated. The engineering profession has developed a specific terminology to solve highly technical issues, which are many times themselves unique to very specific engineering problems. It is all too easy for engineers to believe that everyone in their organization, including the decision makers, has an intrinsic understanding of what they do and the value it brings to the program’s success. This is especially true for young engineers who have recently spent the last four plus years in an academic engineering learning environment, which has a highly technical research oriented atmosphere. Effective communication with decision makers is increasingly important as the technical breadth and practical program and project experience level for up and coming decision makers diminishes. It is not unusual for the decision makers to have technical knowledge in a domain different from structural dynamics (e.g., electronics or systems). Competition among satellite manufactures has increased the focus on programmatic cost and ability to deliver on schedule. NASA programs are also seeing more restrictive programmatic cost and schedule constraints, which impact both analysis and testing. It should also be noted that a comprehensive suite of tests are required to verify a satellite’s design capability with some margin. These tests include static strength verification tests, shock, acoustic, and vibration tests (sine and random) of systems, subsystems, and components. Each of these verification tests provide opportunities for model correlation and risk reduction. It is important to recognize dynamic loads/modal test models may not include all of the flight hardware (i.e., harness, coax, waveguides, connectors, etc.) and the previously mentioned tests are still required for qualification/verification of the design. This paper provides tips to young engineers on how to bridge this communications gap, have a better understanding of the environment in which decision makers operate, and assist them to better support successful missions. While this paper primarily focuses on modal testing and model correlation as related to spacecraft missions, the concepts and recommendations presented here are equally applicable to other fields such as aeronautics, automotive, power generation, etc.

Decision Maker↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

How to Educate Decision Makers on the Value and Necessity of Modal Testing and Model Correlation: Tips for Young Engineers

Engineers need to effectively communicate the justification and value of their modal testing and model correlation in terminology familiar to decision makers as it relates to the program’s risk tolerance. This communication must relate to the program’s risk tolerance and the metrics used to judge the performance of both the program and individual decision makers. The challenge is the terminologies familiar to engineers and decision makers are quite different and seemingly unrelated. The engineering profession has developed a specific terminology to solve highly technical issues, which are many times themselves unique to very specific engineering problems. It is all too easy for engineers to believe that everyone in their organization, including the decision makers, has an intrinsic understanding of what they do and the value it brings to the program’s success. This is especially true for young engineers who have recently spent the last four plus years in an academic engineering learning environment, which has a highly technical research oriented atmosphere. Effective communication with decision makers is increasingly important as the technical breadth and practical program and project experience level for up and coming decision makers diminishes. It is not unusual for the decision makers to have technical knowledge in a domain different from structural dynamics (e.g., electronics or systems). Competition among satellite manufactures has increased the focus on programmatic cost and ability to deliver on schedule. NASA programs are also seeing more restrictive programmatic cost and schedule constraints, which impact both analysis and testing. It should also be noted that a comprehensive suite of tests are required to verify a satellite’s design capability with some margin. These tests include static strength verification tests, shock, acoustic, and vibration tests (sine and random) of systems, subsystems, and components. Each of these verification tests provide opportunities for model correlation and risk reduction. It is important to recognize dynamic loads/modal test models may not include all of the flight hardware (i.e., harness, coax, waveguides, connectors, etc.) and the previously mentioned tests are still required for qualification/verification of the design. This paper provides tips to young engineers on how to bridge this communications gap, have a better understanding of the environment in which decision makers operate, and assist them to better support successful missions. While this paper primarily focuses on modal testing and model correlation as related to spacecraft missions, the concepts and recommendations presented here are equally applicable to other fields such as aeronautics, automotive, power generation, etc.

Decision Maker↗
DOE OSTI2016

Systematic Literature Review: How is Model-Based Systems Engineering Justified?

The genesis for this systematic literature review was to search for industry case studies that could inform a decision of whether or not to support the change process, investment, training, and tools needed to implement an MBSE approach across the engineering enterprise. The question asked was, how the change from a document - based systems engineering approach (DBSE) to a model-based systems engineering approach (MBSE) is justified? The methodology employed for this systematic literature review was to conduct a document search of electronically published case studies by authors from the defense, space, and complex systems product engineering industries. The 67 case studies without metrics mainly attributed success to completeness, consistency, and communication of requirements. The 21 case studies with metrics on cost and schedule primarily attributed success to the ability of an MBSE approach to improve defect prevention strategies. The primary conclusion is that there is a significant advantage to project performance by applying an MBSE approach. An MBSE approach made the engineering processes on a complex system development effort more efficient by improving requirements completeness, consistency, and communication. These were seen in engineering processes involved in requirements management, concept exploration, design reuse, test and qualification, Verification and Validation, and margins analyses. An MBSE approach was most effective at improving defect prevention strategies. The approach was found to enhance the capability to find defects early in the system development life cycle (SDLC), when they could be fixed with less impact and prevented rework in later phases, thus mitigating risks to cost, schedule, and mission. However, if a program only employed an MBSE approach for requirements management, advantages from finding defects early could not be leveraged in later phases, where the savings in cost and schedule from rework prevention is realized. Significant performance success was achieved when the systems engineer (SE) held a leadership role over engineering process es. A number of the case studies addressed a general lack of skilled MBSE engineers as a major hindrance to implementing an MBSE approach successfully.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Program Management Plan EnCore ® Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Program

This Program Management Plan (PMP) is developed to support Westinghouse’s vision of developing and commercializing the Accident Tolerant Fuel. The near term goal of this Program is to deliver 2 fuel assemblies that consists of LTRs for Exelon Byron Unit 2 in spring of 2019. The longer term goal of this program is deployment of LTAs in 2022 of a mixture of coated zirconium cladding and SiC cladding with ADOPT and U3Si2 fuels. This is a high complexity program and is one of the largest research and development programs in Westinghouse and as such, the project scope is expected to change continuously. Integrated change control will be invoked as necessary. The Program consists of multiple funding streams (internal through Westinghouse innovation funding), external (through the DOE). The DOE funding consists of two phases: 1. Phase 2 – funded by DOE award number DE-NE0008222. 2. Phase 2B – funded by DOE – Westinghouse proposal reference # LTR-AMER-MKG-18-826, Rev. 1, August 23, 2018 (10/18 to 2/21), Award No. DE-NE0008824. 3. Cost share contributions from Westinghouse and program partners.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

New directions for surrogate models and differentiable programming for High Energy Physics detector simulation

The computational cost for high energy physics detector simulation in future experimental facilities is going to exceed the current available resources. To overcome this challenge, new ideas on surrogate models using machine learning methods are being explored to replace computationally expensive components. Additionally, differentiable programming has been proposed as a complementary approach, providing controllable and scalable simulation routines. In this document, new and ongoing efforts for surrogate models and differential programming applied to detector simulation are discussed in the context of the 2021 Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise (`Snowmass').

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Stochastic Programming Approach for Resource Selection under Demand Uncertainty

Cost-efficient selection and scheduling of a subset of geographically distributed resources to meet the demands of a scientific workflow is a challenging problem. The problem is exacerbated by uncertainties in demand and availability of resources. In this paper, we present a stochastic optimization based framework for robust decision making in the selection of distributed resources over a planning horizon under demand uncertainty. We present a novel two-stage stochastic programming model for resource selection, and implement an L-shaped decomposition algorithm to solve this model. A Sample Average Approximation algorithm is integrated to enable stochastic optimization to solve problems with a large number of scenarios. Using the metric of stochastic solution, we demonstrate up to 30% cost reduction relative to solutions without explicit consideration of demand uncertainty for a 24-month problem. We also demonstrate up to 54% cost reduction relative to a previously developed solution for a 36-month problem. We further argue that the composition of resources selected is superior to solutions computed without explicit consideration of uncertainties. Given the importance of resource selection and scheduling of complex scientific workflows, especially in the context of commercial cloud computing, we believe that our novel stochastic programming framework will benefit many researchers as well as users of distributed computing resources.

scientific workflows, task scheduling, optimizatio↗
NASA NTRS2012

EPOXI and Stardust NExT: The Management Challenges of Two Comet Flybys in Three Months

The EPOXI and Stardust NExT missions were missions of opportunity utilizing the Deep Impact and Stardust spacecraft, respectively. These new missions took advantage of the cost savings of utilizing spacecraft that were already flying for new science investigations. Both were retargeted to fly by an additional comet. EPOXI visited Hartley 2, significantly smaller than the other Jupiter family comets visited previously. Stardust NExT flew by Tempel 1, providing a second look at the comet previously studied by Deep Impact in 2005. Both projects were part of NASA's Discovery Program. In order to further save costs, the projects were combined into a single project office at JPL. This provided some efficiencies due to the similarity of the missions, but having the flybys space only three months apart posed challenges for the project management team to ensure each project was ready for its critical event and ensuring each received the proper support from the management team. The project office relied on an integrated calendar for tracking and scheduling meetings, reviews, and other key events. The project management team also coordinated their availability for both projects to maintain involvement with each team to ensure effective risk identification and management.

NExT (New Exploration of Tempel 1)↗
NASA NTRS1979

Weight and cost estimating relationships for heavy lift airships

Weight and cost estimating relationships, including additional parameters that influence the cost and performance of heavy-lift airships (HLA), are discussed. Inputs to a closed loop computer program, consisting of useful load, forward speed, lift module positive or negative thrust, and rotors and propellers, are examined. Detail is given to the HLA cost and weight program (HLACW), which computes component weights, vehicle size, buoyancy lift, rotor and propellar thrust, and engine horse power. This program solves the problem of interrelating the different aerostat, rotors, engines and propeller sizes. Six sets of 'default parameters' are left for the operator to change during each computer run enabling slight data manipulation without altering the program.

Gray, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The NASA research and technology program on batteries

The NASA research and technology program on batteries is being carried out within the Propulsion, Power and Energy Division (Code RP) of NASA's Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology (OAET). The program includes development of high-performance, long-life, cost-effective primary and secondary (rechargeable) batteries. The NASA OAET battery program is being carried out at Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). LeRC is focusing primarily on nickel-hydrogen batteries (both individual pressure vessel or IPV and bipolar). LeRC is also involved in a planned flight experiment to test a sodium-sulfur battery design. JPL is focusing primarily on lithium rechargeable batteries, having successfully transferred its lithium primary battery technology to the U.S. Air Force for use on the Centaur upper stage. Both LeRC and JPL are studying advanced battery concepts that offer even higher specific energies. The long-term goal is to achieve 100 Wh/kg.

Bennett, Gary L.↗