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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

Eva Physiology, Systems, and Performance (EPSP) Project Overview

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity performed by astronauts outside their space vehicle or habitat. EVA may be performed on orbit, such as outside the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station, or on a planetary surface such as Mars or on the moon. Astronauts wear a pressurized suit that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications while they work in the harsh conditions of a microgravity environment. Exploration missions to the moon and Mars may last many days and will include many types of EVAs; exploration, science, construction and maintenance. The effectiveness and success of these EVA-filled missions is dependent on the ability to perform tasks efficiently. The EVA Physiology, Systems and Performance (EPSP) project will conduct a number of studies to understand human performance during EVA, from a molecular level to full-scale equipment and suit design aspects, with the aim of developing safe and efficient systems for Exploration missions and the Constellation Program. The EPSP project will 1) develop Exploration Mission EVA suit requirements for metabolic and thermal loading, optional center of gravity location, biomedical sensors, hydration, nutrition, and human biomedical interactions; 2) develop validated EVA prebreathe protocols that meet medical, vehicle, and habitat constraints while minimizing crew time and thus increasing EVA work efficiency; and 3) define exploration decompression sickness (DCS) risks, policy, and mission success statistics and develop a DCS risk definition report.

Gernhardt, Michael L.↗

Summary of the Second High-Altitude, Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test for the LDSD Project

NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator Project is developing and testing the next generation of supersonic aerodynamic decelerators for planetary entry. A key element of that development is the testing of full-scale articles in conditions relevant to their intended use, primarily in the tenuous Mars atmosphere. To achieve this testing, the LDSD project developed a new test architecture for the qualification of their supersonic parachute. A large, helium filled scientific balloon is used to hoist a 4.7 m blunt body test vehicle to an altitude of approximately 32 kilometers. The test vehicle is released from the balloon, spun up for gyroscopic stability, and accelerated to over four times the speed of sound and an altitude of 50 kilometers using a large solid rocket motor. Once at those conditions, the vehicle is despun and the test period begins.

Clark, Ian↗

Impact Forces From Artificial and Real Birds on a Large Diameter Hopkinson Bar

Forces were measured from normal impacts with two different artificial bird recipes and two species of real birds on a very rigid flat surface. The tests were conducted by launching the soft body projectiles axially into a Hopkinson bar in accordance with the SAE AS6940 test standard at three different nominal impact conditions: (a) a 1 kg projectile at an impact velocity of 49 m/sec; (b) a 1.8 kg projectile at an impact velocity of 110 m/sec; and (c) a 1.8 kg projectile at an impact velocity of 310 m/sec. At each condition two artificial birds and one real bird projectile were tested with at least three test repeats. Simulations were conducted to assess the effects of projectile orientation and velocity on predicted forces. The Hopkinson bar consisted of an Aluminum 6061 solid cylindrical bar with a diameter of 305 mm and a length of 7.31 m, made up of two 3.66 m long sections that were in axial contact with each other. The bar was instrumented for strain measurement at two locations, 457.2 mm and 609.6 mm (1.5 and 2 diameters) from the impacted face. Forces were calculated from the measured strain. In addition, digital image correlation (DIC) was used to measure the velocity of the free end of the bar. The real bird projectiles were 1 kg Mallard ducks and 1.8 kg Golden Comet chickens that were prepared per ASTM F330-21. Prior to testing, the real birds were placed in muslin bags to minimize tumbling during flight. Two artificial bird formulations were tested, one produced by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and the other by the German Aerospace Center, DLR. The UDRI projectile was a homogeneous, relatively soft solid, formulated with a mixture of water, gelatin and phenolic micro-balloons to achieve a nominal density of 0.95 g/cc. The DLR projectile consisted of a printed plastic shell with internal plastic ribs and filled with a gel material. The projectiles were designed such that the overall average density was the desired value of 0.95 g/cc. Initial testing showed that contact between the two Hopkinson bar segments was not sufficient to allow full transmission of the waves through the interface. For the 49 m/sec and 110 m/sec tests this resulted in reflections returning to the strain measurement site prior to the end of the impact. For these tests only a portion of the force pulse could be accurately measured. For the highest velocity tests at 310 m/sec the force pulse was complete by the time reflected waves interfered with the response. Despite this limitation, useful force data were obtained for all velocities. Impact forces were very sensitive to the impact orientation and velocity. The force history generally consisted of an initial region with varying amplitude followed by a relatively constant amplitude response. The steady state region was similar among all projectiles and similar to what would be predicted for an inviscid fluid with a density of 0.95 g/cc. The initial part of the force response exhibited varying degrees of test-to-test repeatability associated with each projectile type. Forces calculated from DIC velocity measurements of the free end of the bar compared favorably those from the strain measurements. In general, the artificial projectile impact forces were quite repeatable from test to test, with some exceptions which could be explained by issues associated with either the projectile itself or with how the projectile exited the gun barrel. For all impact velocities the initial portion of the impact force from the bird projectiles exhibited large test-to-test variability. In this paper, impact forces for three types of projectiles at three impact velocities will be presented with an emphasis on the test-to-test repeatability of the results. Based on test and simulation results a proposed method for normalizing the impact force to minimize effects of differences in projectile orientation, impact velocity and density will also be discussed.

Bird strike↗

Miscellaneous losses

The boundary-layer losses associated with the flow process in the blade channel are discussed. To determine the overall design point efficiency of a turbine, other losses must also be considered; these include tip clearance loss and disk friction loss. The sum of these losses normally comprises all the losses that are considered in the design of a full admission axial flow turbine. If, however, a partial admission turbine is being considered, there are additional losses that must be included. The partial admission losses usually considered are the pumping loss in the inactive blade channels and the filling-and-emptying loss in the blade passages as they pass through the admission arc. Finally, a loss that occurs at off-design operation of any turbine is the incidence loss.

Richard J Roelke↗

Experimental and analytical studies of advanced air cushion landing systems

Several concepts are developed for air cushion landing systems (ACLS) which have the potential for improving performance characteristics (roll stiffness, heave damping, and trunk flutter), and reducing fabrication cost and complexity. After an initial screening, the following five concepts were evaluated in detail: damped trunk, filled trunk, compartmented trunk, segmented trunk, and roll feedback control. The evaluation was based on tests performed on scale models. An ACLS dynamic simulation developed earlier is updated so that it can be used to predict the performance of full-scale ACLS incorporating these refinements. The simulation was validated through scale-model tests. A full-scale ACLS based on the segmented trunk concept was fabricated and installed on the NASA ACLS test vehicle, where it is used to support advanced system development. A geometrically-scaled model (one third full scale) of the NASA test vehicle was fabricated and tested. This model, evaluated by means of a series of static and dynamic tests, is used to investigate scaling relationships between reduced and full-scale models. The analytical model developed earlier is applied to simulate both the one third scale and the full scale response.

Lee, E. G. S.↗

Observations from Space: A Unique Vantage Point for the Study of the Environment and Possible Associations with Disease Occurrence

Health providers/researchers need environmental data to study and understand the geographic, environmental, and meteorological differences in disease. Satellite remote sensing of the environment offers a unique vantage point that can fill in the gaps of environmental, spatial, and temporal data for tracking disease. The field of geospatial health remains in its infancy, and this program will demonstrate the need for collaborations between multi-disciplinary research groups to develop the full potential. NASA will discuss the Public Health Projects developed to work with Grantees and the CDC while providing them with information on opportunities for future collaborations with NASA for future research.

Estes, S.↗

NASA Satellite Observations: A Unique Asset for the Study of the Environment and Implications for Public

Health providers/researchers need environmental data to study and understand the geographic, environmental, and meteorological differences in disease. Satellite remote sensing of the environment offers a unique vantage point that can fill in the gaps of environmental, spatial, and temporal data for tracking disease. The field of geospatial health remains in its infancy, and this program will demonstrate the need for collaborations between multi-disciplinary research groups to develop the full potential. NASA will discuss some of their Public Health Projects and also providing the audience with information on opportunities for future collaborations with NASA for future research.

Estes, Sue↗

Linear and nonlinear pattern selection in Rayleigh-Benard stability problems

A new algorithm is introduced to compute finite-amplitude states using primitive variables for Rayleigh-Benard convection on relatively coarse meshes. The algorithm is based on a finite-difference matrix-splitting approach that separates all physical and dimensional effects into one-dimensional subsets. The nonlinear pattern selection process for steady convection in an air-filled square cavity with insulated side walls is investigated for Rayleigh numbers up to 20,000. The internalization of disturbances that evolve into coherent patterns is investigated and transient solutions from linear perturbation theory are compared with and contrasted to the full numerical simulations.

Davis, Sanford S.↗

The ATIC Long Duration Balloon Project

Long Duration Balloon (LDB) scientific experiments, launched to circumnavigate the south pole over Antarctica, have particular advantages compared to Shuttle or other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions in terms of cost, weight, scientific 'duty factor' and work force development. The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) cosmic ray astrophysics experiment is a good example of a university-based project that takes full advantage of current LDB capability. The ATIC experiment is currently being prepared for its first LDB science flight that will investigate the charge composition and energy spectra of primary cosmic rays over the energy range from about 10(exp 10) to 10(exp 14) eV. The instrument is built around a fully active, Bismuth Germanate (BGO) ionization calorimeter to measure the energy deposited by the cascades formed by particles interacting in a thick carbon target. A highly segmented silicon matrix, located above the target, provides good incident charge resolution plus rejection of the 'backscattered' particles from the interaction. Trajectory reconstruction is based on the cascade profile in the BGO calorimeter, plus information from the three pairs of scintillator hodoscope layers in the target section above it. A full evaluation of the experiment was performed during a test flight occurring between 28 December 2000 and 13 January 2001 where ATIC was carried to an altitude of approx. 37 km above Antarctica by an approx. 850,000 cu m helium filled balloon for one circumnavigation of the continent. All systems behaved well, the detectors performed as expected, more than 43 gigabytes of engineering and cosmic ray event data was returned and these data are now undergoing preliminary data analysis. During the coming 2002-2003 Antarctica summer season, we are preparing for a ATIC science flight with approx. 15 to 30 days of continuous data collection in the near-space environment of LDB float altitudes.

Guzik, T. G.↗

Activities of the Space Studies Board

This 1993 annual report of the Space Studies Board of the National research Council (NRC) describes the activities of the Board during a year filled with questions and change in the nation's civil space program. The accounts contained in this report briefly describe the activities of the Board and its committees and sketch out major space research issues. Two major reports are summarized, and the full text of three letter reports is included. Items considered include: (1) robotic missions to explore the Earth, the solar system, and the far reaches of the universe; (2) instability in the human flight program; (3) the redesign of the International Space Station; and (4) federal funding of research in all fields, especially basic research.

Source record↗

Using OSSEs to Evaluate the Impacts of Geostationary Infrared Sounders

An observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) was performed to assess the impact of assimilating hyperspectral infrared (IR) radiances from geostationary orbit on numerical weather prediction, with a focus on the proposed sounder on board the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program’s central satellite. Infrared sounders on a geostationary platform would fill several gaps left by IR sounders on polar-orbiting satellites, and the increased temporal resolution would allow the observation of weather phenomena evolution. The framework for this OSSE was the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) OSSE system, which includes a full suite of meteorological observations. The experiment additionally assimilated four identical IR sounders from geostationary orbit to create a “ring” of vertical profiling observations. Based on the experimentation, assimilation of the IR sounders provided a beneficial impact on the analyzed mass and wind fields, particularly in the tropics, and produced an error reduction in the initial 24–48 h of the subsequent forecasts. Specific attention was paid to the impact of the GeoXO Sounder (GXS) over the contiguous United States (CONUS) as this is a region that is well-observed and as such difficult to improve. The forecast sensitivity to observation impact (FSOI) metric, computed across all four synoptic times over the CONUS, reveals that the GXS had the largest impact on the 24-h forecast error of the assimilated hyperspectral infrared satellite radiances as measured using a moist energy error norm. Based on this analysis, the proposed GXS has the potential to improve numerical weather prediction globally and over the CONUS.

OSSE↗

Conceptual Design and Structural Optimization of NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

Simultaneously achieving the fuel consumption and noise reduction goals set forth by NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project requires innovative and unconventional aircraft concepts. In response, advanced hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft concepts have been proposed and analyzed as a means of meeting these objectives. For the current study, several HWB concepts were analyzed using the Hybrid wing body Conceptual Design and structural optimization (HCDstruct) analysis code. HCDstruct is a medium-fidelity finite element based conceptual design and structural optimization tool developed to fill the critical analysis gap existing between lower order structural sizing approaches and detailed, often finite element based sizing methods for HWB aircraft concepts. Whereas prior versions of the tool used a half-model approach in building the representative finite element model, a full wing-tip-to-wing-tip modeling capability was recently added to HCDstruct, which alleviated the symmetry constraints at the model centerline in place of a free-flying model and allowed for more realistic center body, aft body, and wing loading and trim response. The latest version of HCDstruct was applied to two ERA reference cases, including the Boeing Open Rotor Engine Integration On an HWB (OREIO) concept and the Boeing ERA-0009H1 concept, and results agreed favorably with detailed Boeing design data and related Flight Optimization System (FLOPS) analyses. Following these benchmark cases, HCDstruct was used to size NASA's ERA HWB concepts and to perform a related scaling study.

Quinlan, Jesse R.↗

Update on Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET)

At ISMSE15, the Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET) was introduced as an upcoming high-fidelity, combined-effects planetary surface environment laboratory. This year, we will present an update on the facility status, describing the procurement, installation, commissioning of the chamber in Huntsville, Alabama (USA). With NASA’s push to return to the Moon through the Artemis program, there is a clear need for more high-fidelity test chambers that can replicate multiple aspects of the lunar surface, especially the fine, dusty lunar soil known as regolith. The PLANET chamber is designed to fill this gap, enabling research & development, qualification, and verification testing in a combined lunar surface environment, at an affordable price, for government, commercial/industry, and academic partners. Features include a large regolith simulant bed, low energy electron and ion sources to replicate the solar wind, full-spectrum UV and Solar simulation, and a liquid nitrogen cryogenic shroud, all in a high-vacuum environment (as low as 10^-7 mbar). PLANET’s initial focus will be on the lunar environment, but other surface environments (Martian, asteroid, etc.) are also possible to simulate. Besides the environmental instrumentation, PLANET will be equipped with specialized test systems that the Space Environmental Effects Team has developed over the past two years, including an in-situ tribometer and uniform dust distribution system. The chamber is currently being manufactured, with plans to install in May 2024. This will be followed by outfitting and commissioning. The challenges and accomplishments seen during this process will be detailed, and data from the first tests performed in PLANET will be shared with the community.

environmental testing↗

High performance visible and near-infrared charge-coupled-device array for spectroscopy applications

This paper describes the design and performance of a scientific CCD array for use in NASA's Shuttle Image Spectrometer Experiment. The device is a four-phase, buried-channel CCD structure that operates in the frame-transfer mode. The sensor consists of 64 x 404 pixels, has a 100 percent fill factor, and operates in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. In operation, the 404 horizontal elements provide spatial information, while the 64 vertical elements give spectral information covering the wavelength range of 400 to 1000 nm in 10 nm increments. The high full-well capacity of each pixel and low noise floor yield a dynamic range of more than 95 dB. In addition, the device has been designed to have good linearity characteristics. The unique dual-output structure allows a horizontal row to be read out to the right or to the left, or it can be split from the middle to both right and left output circuits simultaneously for high speed applications. The power dissipation of the device is about 60 mW.

Wang, Weng-Lyang↗

Lithographic spiral antennas at short wavelengths

We have extended the high efficiency of lithographic antennas to mid-infrared wavelengths. Pattern measurements made at 9.5/zm wavelength on a 65 deg, self-complementary, spiral antenna exhibit a ratio of response to orthogonal linear polarizations of 1.35 dB, a beamwidth of 85 deg (3 dB full width), a directivity of 8.2 dB, and surprisingly, a close resemblance to the theoretical pattern for a 65 deg spiral in free space. Direct detection measurements made with an ambient temperature blackbody source yield an antenna efficiency of 52 +/- 7 percent, when corrected for incomplete filling of the antenna beam by the source, at a mean effective wavelength of 19 micron.

Grossman, E. N.↗

Fluid Sloshing Characteristics in Spacecraft Propellant Tanks with Diaphragms

All spacecraft are launched from the Earth as payloads on a launch vehicle. During portions of the launch profile, the spacecraft could be subjected to nearly purely translational oscillatory lateral motions as the launch vehicle control system guides the rocket along its flight path. All partially-filled liquids tanks, even those with diaphragms, exhibit sloshing behavior under these conditions and some tanks can place large loads on their support structures if the sloshing is in resonance with the control system oscillation frequency. The objectives of this project were to conduct experiments using a full-scale model of a flight tank to 1) determine whether launch vehicle vibrations can cause the diaphragm to achieve a repeatable configuration, regardless of initial condition, and 2) identify the slosh characteristics of the propellant tank under flight-like lateral motions for different diaphragm shapes and vibration levels. The test results show that 1) the diaphragm shape is not affected by launch vibrations, and 2) the resonance-like behavior of the fluid and diaphragm is strongly affected by the nonlinear stiffness and damping provided by the diaphragm.

Green, Steve↗

Validation of High-Resolution CFD Method for Slosh Damping Extraction of Baffled Tanks

Determination of slosh damping is a very challenging task as there is no analytical solution. The damping physics involve the vorticity dissipation which requires the full solution of the nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations. As a result, previous investigations and knowledge were mainly carried out by extensive experimental studies. A Volume-Of-Fluid (VOF) based CFD program developed at NASA MSFC was applied to extract slosh damping in a baffled tank from the first principle. First, experimental data using water with subscale smooth wall tank were used as the baseline validation. CFD simulation was demonstrated to be capable of accurately predicting natural frequency and very low damping value from the smooth wall tank at different fill levels. The damping due to a ring baffle at different liquid fill levels from barrel section and into the upper dome was then investigated to understand the slosh damping physics due to the presence of a ring baffle. Based on this study, the Root-Mean-Square error of our CFD simulation in estimating slosh damping was less than 4.8%, and the maximum error was less than 8.5%. Scalability of subscale baffled tank test using water was investigated using the validated CFD tool, and it was found that unlike the smooth wall case, slosh damping with baffle is almost independent of the working fluid and it is reasonable to apply water test data to the full scale LOX tank when the damping from baffle is dominant. On the other hand, for the smooth wall, the damping value must be scaled according to the Reynolds number. Comparison of experimental data, CFD, with the classical and modified Miles equations for upper dome was made, and the limitations of these semi-empirical equations were identified.

Yang, H. Q.↗

Unbound molecular complexes in M33

The HI content of the nearby spiral galaxy M33 (d approx. 0.8 Mpc) has been the subject of many detailed studies (most recently Deul and van der Hulst 1987), but similar data on the molecular gas component has been lacking. This galaxy is currently undergoing vigorous high-mass star formation, as evidenced by the many OB associations and HII regions, and so is expected to possess at least some molecular gas. Interferometric studies have detected molecular clouds similar to Galactic Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) (Boulanger et al. 1988; Wilson et al. 1988). Researchers have recently mapped the nuclear region of M33 in the CO J=1-0 line with a 12 m telescope (half power beam width 55 inches approx. 210 pc) out to a radius of 3.5 minutes in order to trace the detailed distribution of the molecular gas. The resulting map reveals six large complexes with diameters of 200 to 400 pc. Interferometer observations of these regions have resolved them into individual molecular clouds similar to Galactic GMCs (Wilson et al. 1988). The complexes shown are much larger than individual Galactic GMCs (Sanders, Scoville, and Solomon 1985), but are somewhat smaller on average than the large associations seen in the grand-design spiral galaxy M51 (Rand and Kulkarni 1989). If we extend the velocity-diameter relation observed for Galactic GMCs to these larger structures, the predicted velocity widths are a factor of 1.5 to 3 times greater than the observed full-width half-maximum velocities (13 to 29 km (s-1). The peak brightness temperatures are approx. 0.2 K, at least a factor of 10 lower than what is observed for Galactic GMCs. If these large structures are made up of objects similar to Galactic GMCs, the area filling factor of the small clouds is roughly 10 percent. These results suggest that these complexes are not very large GMCs, but rather are associations of many individual GMCs or GMCs embedded in a diffuse gas component.

Wilson, Christine D.↗