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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 145 records · Page 8

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NASA NTRS2011

Friction Pull Plug Welding in Aluminum Alloys

NASA fs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recently invested much time and effort into the process development of Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW). FPPW, is a welding process similar to Friction Push Plug Welding in that, there is a small rotating part (plug) being spun and simultaneously pulled (forged) into a larger part. These two processes differ, in that push plug welding requires an internal reaction support, while pull plug welding reacts to the load externally. FPPW was originally conceived as a post proof repair technique for External Tank. FPPW was easily selected as the primary process used to close out the termination hole on the Constellation Program fs ARES I Upper Stage circumferential Self ] Reacting Friction Stir Welds (SR ]FSW). The versatility of FPPW allows it to also be used as a repair technique for both SR ]FSW and Conventional Friction Stir Welds. To date, all MSFC led development has been concentrated on aluminum alloys (2195, 2219, and 2014). Much work has been done to fully understand and characterize the process fs limitations. A heavy emphasis has been spent on plug design, to match the various weldland thicknesses and alloy combinations. This presentation will summarize these development efforts including weld parameter development, process control, parameter sensitivity studies, plug repair techniques, material properties including tensile, fracture and failure analysis.

Brooke, Shane A.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Embedded Thermal Control for Spacecraft Subsystems Miniaturization

Optimization of spacecraft size, weight and power (SWaP) resources is an explicit technical priority at Goddard Space Flight Center. Embedded Thermal Control Subsystems are a promising technology with many cross cutting NSAA, DoD and commercial applications: 1.) CubeSatSmallSat spacecraft architecture, 2.) high performance computing, 3.) On-board spacecraft electronics, 4.) Power electronics and RF arrays. The Embedded Thermal Control Subsystem technology development efforts focus on component, board and enclosure level devices that will ultimately include intelligent capabilities. The presentation will discuss electric, capillary and hybrid based hardware research and development efforts at Goddard Space Flight Center. The Embedded Thermal Control Subsystem development program consists of interrelated sub-initiatives, e.g., chip component level thermal control devices, self-sensing thermal management, advanced manufactured structures. This presentation includes technical status and progress on each of these investigations. Future sub-initiatives, technical milestones and program goals will be presented.

Thermal Control↗

NASA NTRS1991

Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) Ada performance study report

The goals of the Ada Performance Study are described. The methods used are explained. Guidelines for future Ada development efforts are given. The goals and scope of the study are detailed, and the background of Ada development in the Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) is presented. The organization and overall purpose of each test are discussed. The purpose, methods, and results of each test and analyses of these results are given. Guidelines for future development efforts based on the analysis of results from this study are provided. The approach used on the performance tests is discussed.

Booth, Eric W.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Electric Propulsion System Modeling for the Proposed Prometheus 1 Mission

The proposed Prometheus 1 spacecraft would utilize nuclear electric propulsion to propel the spacecraft to its ultimate destination where it would perform its primary mission. As part of the Prometheus 1 Phase A studies, system models were developed for each of the spacecraft subsystems that were integrated into one overarching system model. The Electric Propulsion System (EPS) model was developed using data from the Prometheus 1 electric propulsion technology development efforts. This EPS model was then used to provide both performance and mass information to the Prometheus 1 system model for total system trades. Development of the EPS model is described, detailing both the performance calculations as well as its evolution over the course of Phase A through three technical baselines. Model outputs are also presented, detailing the performance of the model and its direct relationship to the Prometheus 1 technology development efforts. These EP system model outputs are also analyzed chronologically showing the response of the model development to the four technical baselines during Prometheus 1 Phase A.

Fiehler, Douglas↗

NASA NTRS1978

Study on utilization of advanced composites in commercial aircraft wing structures, volume 2

A plan is defined for a composite wing development effort which will assist commercial transport manufacturers in reaching a level of technology readiness where the utilization of composite wing structure is a cost competitive option for a new aircraft production plan. The recommended development effort consists of two programs: a joint government/industry material development program and a wing structure development program. Both programs are described in detail.

Sakata, I. F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Preliminary efforts toward development of data handling and analysis software for unsteady flow measurements: An application for aeroelastic transonic flow configurations

A few years ago the Structural Dynamics Division at LaRC started ambitious experimental research efforts known as the Benchmark Models Program. The primary objective of this program was to provide experimental data that may serve as a calibration source for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) efforts that deal with aeroelastic unsteady flow configurations. It also focuses on the understanding of complex flow phenomenon associated with unsteady flow developments. The overall plan for the program has been described by Bennett, including a presentation of initial test results of flutter of a rigid wing mounted on flexible supports. An example of a test model employed to measure the dynamic response along with corresponding pressure distributions is shown. This model incorporates eighty pressure transducers distributed along two spanwise stations. In addition, the models are equipped with four accelerometers and two strain gages. The data handling system for the Benchmark Model Program is under development. Several interactive computer routines designed for the user interface, dynamic memory allocation, unsteady flow measurements data extraction, and further data processing were developed. To present a few examples of measured data, the unsteady pressure distributions and the wing model dynamic response were plotted.

Finaish, Fathi↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Phase I Development Overview

Since 2019, a group out of NASA Ames Research Center(ARC)has been focused on implementing systematic updates to make unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) a more viable capability for production wind tunnel testing. Focusing on the general categories of data acquisition, data transfer, data processing, and data visualization, the uPSP Development Team has made several improvements to increase data quality and innovate a more workable system that would provide valuable surface pressure data to customers. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and several initial demonstration tests prior to the formal start of the development effort, the decision was made to focus on launch vehicles as the test article. To-date this development has focused on implementation in the ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by11-footTransonic Wind Tunnel due to the large optical access of the test section and that the NASA Advanced Supercomputer is located at ARC. This paper summarizes the project origins and the results of four years of development effort, which will all culminate in a final demonstration test in the first half of2024.

unsteady pressure-sensitive paint↗

NASA NTRS1997

Space Biosensor Systems: Implications for Technology Transfer

To meet the need for continuous, automated monitoring of animal subjects, including; humans, during space flight, NASA is developing advanced physiologic sensor and biotelemetry system technologies. The ability to continuously track basic physiological parameters, such as heart rate, blood pH, and body temperature, in untethered subjects in space is a challenging task. At NASA's Ames Research Center, where a key focus is gravitational biology research, engineers have teamed with life scientists to develop wireless sensor systems for automated physiologic monitoring of animal models as small as the rat. This technology is also being adapted, in collaboration with medical professionals, to meet human clinical monitoring needs both in space and on the ground. Thus, these advanced monitoring technologies have important dual-use functions; they meet space flight data collection requirements and constraints, while concurrently addressing a number of monitoring and data acquisition challenges on the ground in areas of clinical monitoring and biomedical research. Additional applications for these and related technologies are being sought and additional partnerships established that enhance development efforts, reduce costs and facilitate technology infusion between the public and private sectors. This paper describes technology transfer and co-development projects that have evolved out of NASA's miniaturized, implantable chemical sensor development efforts.

Hines, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Reliable Earth Return System for Safe Recovery of Mars Samples

The objective of a Mars sample return mission is to bring selected Mars surface materials to Earth. Numerous approaches for the Earth-return segment have been analyzed including propulsive or aerocapture return to low-Earth orbit followed by Space Shuttle rendezvous and direct entry. Of these approaches, ballistic entry of a small capsule terminating in a ground landing has been shown to be the lowest risk strategy. Over the past two years, significant work has been performed towards development of a robust direct entry vehicle for Mars sample return. In June 1999, the NASA Planetary Protection Officer provided initial guidance to the former Mars Sample Return Project. The sample return phase of the mission was assigned a restricted Earth return planetary protection classification. The draft mission requirement states that the total mean probability of release of unsterilized Mars material into the Earth;s biosphere must be less than 1.0E-06 (1 in a million). This strict requirement drives the approach and design of the Earth return system. To meet this requirement, selection of the Earth return strategy and development of the Earth return system must be guided by risk, not performance, based decisions. An initial Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) was performed to address the direct entry Earth return system containment assurance reliability and to identify high-risk elements of this system. The results of this PRA identified risk elements that include thermal protection system performance during entry, spin-eject orientation and aerodynamic stability during entry, structural integrity under atmospheric deceleration and impact loads, and tracking/recovery of this system. This initial probabilistic risk quantification demonstrates that, with the proper development program, a prototypical direct entry design can satisfy the containment assurance reliability requirement. Through the current Mars Sample Return Advanced Technology Development effort, an extensive design, analysis, and test program is presently proceeding with the aim of reducing the containment assurance risk of this system. This technology development effort, guided by a continuing PRA, focuses on key risk areas of a direct entry Earth return system including: the thermal protection system, impact dynamics, structural performance, aerodynamic stability, and ground recovery. This development program will culminate in a system validation flight test, 1-2 years prior to launch of the flight system. This flight test would include the launch, entry, and recovery of a full-scale Earth return system, as a scientific validation of the key risk elements to verify nominal design performance. The results of the initial PRA suggested several dominant failure sequences that can be validated in a flight test. These include: demonstrating the thermal protection system reliability and performance during entry, demonstrating the spin-eject orientation and aero-dynamic stability during entry, demonstrating the structural integrity under atmospheric deceleration and impact loads, and demonstrating tracking and recovery of the Earth return system. This single test will directly address over 50% of the total containment assurance risk elements. This presentation will begin by presenting the relative risk of various Earth return strategies. The results of the initial probabilistic risk assessment will be presented followed by a discussion of the development accomplishments and plans for demonstration of a highly reliable direct entry Earth return system.

Braun, R.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

New Development Activities at NASA Ames in Reusable TPS Materials

Over the last few years, new activities in rapid, low-cost access to low-earth orbit (LEO) and hypersonic flight have refreshed interest in reusable thermal protection systems (RTPS) that have not had broad application since the Space Shuttle era. Development of novel systems having a greater consideration of full cycle cost (lower cost raw materials, manufacturing, integration, and refurbishment) in addition to improved performance are needed to enable this new generation of space flight. NASA Ames has a long history of RTPS development including invention of flexible blankets such as Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI), rigid ceramic tiles like Fibrous Refractory Composite Insulation (FRCI) and Alumina Enhanced Thermal Barrier (AETB), and multi-component systems like Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Reinforced Oxidation-resistant Composite (TUFROC). In much more recent times, NASA Ames is supporting the growing commercial space field through internal research and development efforts for high-risk low TRL materials and collaboration with commercial partners including technology transfer. This talk will discuss the current development efforts that span broadly from updating legacy insulating systems with modern raw materials and processes to totally novel designs for heat pipes with various low-TRL activities in between. It will also discuss Ames’ recent re-investment in experimental capabilities to enable characterization and material testing.

Reusable thermal protection materials↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

New Development Activities at NASA Ames in Reusable TPS Materials

Reusable thermal protection materials↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reusable TPS Materials Development Activities at NASA Ames

Recent developments in low-cost access to low-earth orbit (LEO) and hypersonic flight are driving renewed demand in reusable thermal protection systems (RTPS) that have not had broad application since the Space Shuttle era. Modern systems will need to consider full cycle cost (lower cost raw materials, manufacturing, integration, and refurbishment) in addition to improved performance to enable this new generation of space flight. NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) has a long history of RTPS development including modern state-of-the-art materials like Alumina Enhanced Thermal Barrier (AETB), and multi-component systems like Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Reinforced Oxidation-resistant Composite (TUFROC). Now, ARC is supporting the growing commercial space field through internal research and development efforts for high-risk low TRL materials and collaboration with commercial partners including technology transfer. This talk will discuss the current development efforts at ARC that span updating legacy insulating systems with modern raw materials and processes to totally novel designs for heat pipes with various low-TRL activities in between. It will also discuss Ames’ recent re-investment in experimental capabilities to enable characterization and material testing.

Adam Caldwell↗

NASA NTRS2007

ISHM Anomaly Lexicon for Rocket Test

Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) is a comprehensive capability. An ISHM system must detect anomalies, identify causes of such anomalies, predict future anomalies, help identify consequences of anomalies for example, suggested mitigation steps. The system should also provide users with appropriate navigation tools to facilitate the flow of information into and out of the ISHM system. Central to the ability of the ISHM to detect anomalies is a clearly defined catalog of anomalies. Further, this lexicon of anomalies must be organized in ways that make it accessible to a suite of tools used to manage the data, information and knowledge (DIaK) associated with a system. In particular, it is critical to ensure that there is optimal mapping between target anomalies and the algorithms associated with their detection. During the early development of our ISHM architecture and approach, it became clear that a lexicon of anomalies would be important to the development of critical anomaly detection algorithms. In our work in the rocket engine test environment at John C. Stennis Space Center, we have access to a repository of discrepancy reports (DRs) that are generated in response to squawks identified during post-test data analysis. The DR is the tool used to document anomalies and the methods used to resolve the issue. These DRs have been generated for many different tests and for all test stands. The result is that they represent a comprehensive summary of the anomalies associated with rocket engine testing. Fig. 1 illustrates some of the data that can be extracted from a DR. Such information includes affected transducer channels, narrative description of the observed anomaly, and the steps used to correct the problem. The primary goal of the anomaly lexicon development efforts we have undertaken is to create a lexicon that could be used in support of an associated health assessment database system (HADS) co-development effort. There are a number of significant byproducts of the anomaly lexicon compilation effort. For example, (1) Allows determination of the frequency distribution of anomalies to help identify those with the potential for high return on investment if included in automated detection as part of an ISHM system, (2) Availability of a regular lexicon could provide the base anomaly name choices to help maintain consistency in the DR collection process, and (3) Although developed for the rocket engine test environment, most of the anomalies are not specific to rocket testing, and thus can be reused in other applications.

Schmalzel, John L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Plasma contactor development for Space Station

Plasma contactors have been baselined for the Space Station (SS) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and, in particular, the technology development effort on ion thrustor systems. The plasma contactor subsystems include the plasma contactor unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this pre-flight development program these will all be brought to breadboard or engineering model status. Development efforts for the plasma contactor include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contactor unit design selected for the SS is an enclosed keeper, xenon hollow cathode plasma source. This paper discusses the test results and development status of the plasma contactor unit subsystem for the SS.

Patterson, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Functional Testing of the Space Station Plasma Contactor

A plasma contactor system has been baselined for the International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and, in particular, the technology development effort on ion thruster systems. The plasma contactor subsystems include a hollow cathode assembly, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under a pre-flight development program these subsystems are being developed to the level of maturity appropriate for transfer to U.S. industry for final development. Development efforts for the hollow cathode assembly include design selection and refinement, validating its required lifetime, and quantifying the cathode performance and interface specifications. To date, cathode components have demonstrated over 10,000 hours lifetime, and a hollow cathode assembly has demonstrated over 3,000 ignitions. Additionally, preliminary integration testing of a hollow cathode assembly with a breadboard power electronics unit has been completed. This paper discusses test results and the development status of the plasma contactor subsystems for ISSA, and in particular, the hollow cathode assembly.

Patterson, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Analysis and Test Correlation of Proof of Concept Box for Blended Wing Body-Low Speed Vehicle

The Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) is a 14.2% scale remotely piloted vehicle of the revolutionary Blended Wing Body concept. The design of the LSV includes an all composite airframe. Due to internal manufacturing capability restrictions, room temperature layups were necessary. An extensive materials testing and manufacturing process development effort was underwent to establish a process that would achieve the high modulus/low weight properties required to meet the design requirements. The analysis process involved a loads development effort that incorporated aero loads to determine internal forces that could be applied to a traditional FEM of the vehicle and to conduct detailed component analyses. A new tool, Hypersizer, was added to the design process to address various composite failure modes and to optimize the skin panel thickness of the upper and lower skins for the vehicle. The analysis required an iterative approach as material properties were continually changing. As a part of the material characterization effort, test articles, including a proof of concept wing box and a full-scale wing, were fabricated. The proof of concept box was fabricated based on very preliminary material studies and tested in bending, torsion, and shear. The box was then tested to failure under shear. The proof of concept box was also analyzed using Nastran and Hypersizer. The results of both analyses were scaled to determine the predicted failure load. The test results were compared to both the Nastran and Hypersizer analytical predictions. The actual failure occurred at 899 lbs. The failure was predicted at 1167 lbs based on the Nastran analysis. The Hypersizer analysis predicted a lower failure load of 960 lbs. The Nastran analysis alone was not sufficient to predict the failure load because it does not identify local composite failure modes. This analysis has traditionally been done using closed form solutions. Although Hypersizer is typically used as an optimizer for the design process, the failure prediction was used to help gain acceptance and confidence in this new tool. The correlated models and process were to be used to analyze the full BWB-LSV airframe design. The analysis and correlation with test results of the proof of concept box is presented here, including the comparison of the Nastran and Hypersizer results.

Spellman, Regina L.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Material Studies Related to the Use of NaK Heat Exchangers Coupled to Stirling Heater Heads

NASA has been supporting design studies and technology development that could provide power to an outpost on the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid. Technology development efforts have included fabrication and evaluation of components used in a Stirling engine power conversion system. Destructive material evaluation was performed on a NaK shell heat exchanger that was developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and integrated with a commercial 1 kWe Stirling convertor from Sunpower Incorporated. The NaK Stirling test demonstrated Stirling convertor electrical power generation using a pumped liquid metal heat source under thermal conditions that represent the heat exchanger liquid metal loop in a Fission Power Systems (FPS) reactor. The convertors were operated for a total test time of 66 hr at a maximum temperature of 823 K. After the test was completed and NaK removed, the heat exchanger assembly was sectioned to evaluate any material interactions with the flowing liquid metal. Several dissimilar-metal braze joint options, crucial for the heat exchanger transfer path, were also investigated. A comprehensive investigation was completed and lessons learned for future heat exchanger development efforts are discussed.

Locci, Ivan E.↗

NASA NTRS2014

The SMAP Dictionary Management System

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Dictionary Management System is a web-based tool to develop and store a mission dictionary. A mission dictionary defines the interface between a ground system and a spacecraft. In recent years, mission dictionaries have grown in size and scope, making it difficult for engineers across multiple disciplines to coordinate the dictionary development effort. The Dictionary Management Systemaddresses these issues by placing all dictionary information in one place, taking advantage of the efficiencies inherent in co-locating what were once disparate dictionary development efforts.

systems engineering↗