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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Development and Optical Testing of the Camera, Hand Lens, and Microscope Probe with Scannable Laser Spectroscopy (CHAMP-SLS)

Conducting high resolution field microscopy with coupled laser spectroscopy that can be used to selectively analyze the surface chemistry of individual pixels in a scene is an enabling capability for next generation robotic and manned spaceflight missions, civil, and military applications. In the laboratory, we use a range of imaging and surface preparation tools that provide us with in-focus images, context imaging for identifying features that we want to investigate at high magnification, and surface-optical coupling that allows us to apply optical spectroscopic analysis techniques for analyzing surface chemistry particularly at high magnifications. The camera, hand lens, and microscope probe with scannable laser spectroscopy (CHAMP-SLS) is an imaging/spectroscopy instrument capable of imaging continuously from infinity down to high resolution microscopy (resolution of approx. 1 micron/pixel in a final camera format), the closer CHAMP-SLS is placed to a feature, the higher the resultant magnification. At hand lens to microscopic magnifications, the imaged scene can be selectively interrogated with point spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, microscopic Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (micro-LIBS), laser ablation mass-spectrometry, Fluorescence spectroscopy, and/or Reflectance spectroscopy. This paper summarizes the optical design, development, and testing of the CHAMP-SLS optics.

Fluorescence↗
NASA NTRS2015

A Review of Head-Worn Display Research at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Langley has conducted research in the area of helmet-mounted/head-worn displays over the past 30 years. Initially, NASA Langley's research focused on military applications, but recently it has conducted a line of research in the area of head-worn displays for commercial and business aircraft. This work has revolved around numerous simulation experiments as well as flight tests to develop technology and data for industry and regulatory guidance. The paper summarizes the results of NASA's helmet-mounted/head-worn display research. Of note, the work tracks progress in wearable collimated optics, head tracking, latency reduction, and weight. The research lends credence that a small, sunglasses-type form factor of the head-worn display would be acceptable to commercial pilots, and this goal is now becoming technologically feasible. The research further suggests that a head-worn display may serve as an "equivalent" Head-Up Display (HUD) with safety, operational, and cost benefits. "HUD equivalence" appears to be the economic avenue by which head-worn displays can become main-stream on the commercial and business aircraft flight deck. If this happens, NASA's research suggests that additional operational benefits using the unique capabilities of the head-worn display can open up new operational paradigms.

Arthur, Jarvis (Trey) J., III↗
NASA NTRS2016

Nonlinear Unsteady Aerodynamic Modeling Using Wind Tunnel and Computational Data

Extensions to conventional aircraft aerodynamic models are required to adequately predict responses when nonlinear unsteady flight regimes are encountered, especially at high incidence angles and under maneuvering conditions. For a number of reasons, such as loss of control, both military and civilian aircraft may extend beyond normal and benign aerodynamic flight conditions. In addition, military applications may require controlled flight beyond the normal envelope, and civilian flight may require adequate recovery or prevention methods from these adverse conditions. These requirements have led to the development of more general aerodynamic modeling methods and provided impetus for researchers to improve both techniques and the degree of collaboration between analytical and experimental research efforts. In addition to more general mathematical model structures, dynamic test methods have been designed to provide sufficient information to allow model identification. This paper summarizes research to develop a modeling methodology appropriate for modeling aircraft aerodynamics that include nonlinear unsteady behaviors using both experimental and computational test methods. This work was done at Langley Research Center, primarily under the NASA Aviation Safety Program, to address aircraft loss of control, prevention, and recovery aerodynamics.

Murphy, Patrick C.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Measurement and Modelling of Multicopter UAS Rotor Blades in Hover

Multicopters are becoming one of the more common and popular type of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) which have both civilian and military applications. One example being the concept of drone deliveries proposed by the distribution company Amazon [1]. The electrical propulsion is considered to have both faster and easier deliveries and also environmental benefits compared to other vehicles that still use fossil fuel. Other examples include surveillance and just simple entertainment. The reason behind their success is often said to be due to their small size, relatively low cost, simple structure and finally simple usage. With an increase in the UAS market comes challenges in terms of security, as both people and other aircrafts could be harmed if not used correctly. Therefore further studies and regulations are needed to ensure that future use of drones, especially in the civilian and public sectors, are safe and efficient. Thorough research has been done on full scale, man or cargo transporting, helicopters so that most parts of flight and performance are fairly well understood. Yet not much of it have been verified for small multicopters. Until today many studies and research projects have been done on the control systems, navigation and aerodynamics of multicopters. Many of the methods used today for building multicopters involve a process of trial an error of what will work well together, and once that is accomplished some structural analysis of the multicopter bodies might be done to verify that the product will be strong enough and have a decent aerodynamic performance. However, not much has been done on the research of the rotor blades, especially in terms of structural stress analyses and ways to ensure that the commonly used parts are indeed safe and follow safety measures. Some producers claim that their propellers indeed have been tested, but again that usually tends towards simple fluid dynamic analyses and even simpler stress analyses. There is no real deflection measurement of said blades and all theory is today based on the theory developed for full scale helicopters. This report thus intends to highlight the problems that come with blade deflection theory and measurements for multicopters. This thesis starts with the introduction and problem formulation where the grounds for what the report contains are laid out. Then a literature review of the research within the area follows where previous and current research and methods are presented. In the background information and theory relevant to the area are presented. After that the methods and set up of the different experimental and computer simulation approaches are depicted. In the results section the obtained results are presented and compared. Lastly there is a discussion where the results and methods are evaluated and analyzed, followed by the most important conclusions.

Multicopter UAS Rotor Blades↗
NASA NTRS2017

A CFD Case Study of a Fan Stage with Split Flow Path Subject to Total Pressure Distortion Inflow

This report is the documentation of the work performed under the Hypersonic Project of the NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program. It was funded through Task Number NNC10E444T under GESS-2 Contract NNC06BA07B. The objective of the task is to develop advanced computational tools for the simulation of multi-stage turbomachinery in support of aeropropulsion. This includes work elements in extending the TURBO code and validating the multi-stage URANS (Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) simulation results with the experimental data. The unsteady CFD (Computation Fluid Dynamics) calculations were performed in full wheel mode with and without screen generated total pressure distortion at the computational inflow boundary, as well as in single passage phase lag mode for uniform inflow. The experimental data were provided by NASA from the single stage RTA (Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator) fan test program.Significant non-uniform flow condition at the fan-face of the aeropropulsion system is frequentlyencountered in many of the advanced aerospace vehicles. These propulsion systems can be eithera podded or an embedded design employed in HWB (Hybrid Wing Body) airframe concept. It isalso a topic of interest in military applications, in which advanced air vehicles have already deployedsome form of embedded propulsion systems in their design because of the requirementsof compact and low observable inlets. Even in the conventional airframe/engine design, the fancould operate under such condition when the air vehicle is undergoing rapid maneuvering action.It is believed that a better understanding of the fan’s aerodynamic and aeromechanical responseto this type of operating condition or off design operation would be beneficial to designing distortiontolerant blades for improved engine operability.The objective for this research is to assess the capability of turbomachinery code as an analysistool in understanding the effects and evaluating the impact of flow distortion on the aerodynamicand aeromechanical performance of the fan in advanced propulsion systems. Results from thetesting of an advanced fan stage released by NASA are available and will be used here for CFDcode validation. The experiment was performed at NASA’s high speed compressor facility aspart of the RTA (Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator) demonstration project, a joint effort ofNASA Glenn Research Center and GE Aircraft Engines in developing an advanced Mach 4TBCC (Turbine Based Combined Cycle) turbofan/ramjet engine for access to space. Part of thetest was to assess the aerodynamic performance and operability of the fan stage under nonuniforminflow condition. Various flow distortion patterns were created at the fan-face by manipulatingsets of screens placed upstream of the wind tunnel. Measurements at the fan-face willprovide the necessary distortion flow information as the inflow boundary condition for the CFDin a full wheel simulation. Therefore the purpose of this work is to demonstrate the NASA supportedmulti-stage turbomachinery code, TURBO [1-5], in the aerodynamic performance analysisof a modern fan design operating under off design condition, and in particular to validate theCFD results with the RTA fan test data.A brief description of the RTA fan rig configuration is given in the next section, explaining onhow flow distortion were measured in the test and constructed for the CFD at the fan-face. It isfollowed by a section summarizing previous CFD work performed at NASA relevant to the currentfan configuration. A short description of the TURBO code is given next, followed by detailsin the computational model of the fan rig, the required computing resources, and the numericalprocedure for the simulations. The CFD results are presented in the discussion section and finallyconcluding remarks are summarized.

Fan Stage↗
NASA NTRS2018

Serious Gaming for Building a Basis of Certification via Trust and Trustworthiness of Autonomous Systems

Autonomous systems governed by a variety of adaptive and nondeterministic algorithms are being planned for inclusion into safety-critical environments, such as unmanned aircraft and space systems in both civilian and military applications. However, until autonomous systems are proven and perceived to be capable and resilient in the face of unanticipated conditions, humans will be reluctant or unable to delegate authority, remaining in control aided by machine-based information and decision support. Proving capability, or trustworthiness, is a necessary component of certification. Perceived capability is a component of trust. Trustworthiness is an attribute of a cyber-physical system that requires context-driven metrics to prove and certify. Trust is an attribute of the agents participating in the system and is gained over time and multiple interactions through trustworthy behavior and transparency. Historically, artificial intelligence and machine learning systems provide answers without explanation - without a rationale or insight into the machine “thinking”. In order to function as trusted teammates, machines must be able to explain their decisions and actions. This transparency is a product of both content and communication. NASA’s Autonomy Teaming & TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR) project seeks to build a basis for certification of autonomous systems via establishing metrics for trustworthiness and trust in multi-agent team interactions, using AI (Artificial Intelligence) explainability and persistent modeling and simulation, in the context of mission planning and execution, with analyzable trajectories. Inspired by Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) and Serious Gaming, the proposed ATTRACTOR modeling and simulation environment is similar to online gaming environments in which player (aka agent) participants interact with each other, affect their environment, and expect the simulation to persist and change regardless of any individual agent’s active participation. This persistent simulation environment will accommodate individual agents, groups of self-organizing agents, and large-scale infrastructure behavior. The effects of the emerging adaptation and coevolution can be observed and measured to building a basis of measurable trustworthiness and trust, toward certification of safety-critical autonomous systems.

Allen, B. Danette↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission: A Global DEM

Digital topographic data are critical for a variety of civilian, commercial, and military applications. Scientists use Digital Elevation Models (DEM) to map drainage patterns and ecosystems, and to monitor land surface changes over time.

Digital↗
NASA NTRS1993

Proceedings of the 1993 Conference on Intelligent Computer-Aided Training and Virtual Environment Technology, Volume 1

These proceedings are organized in the same manner as the conference's contributed sessions, with the papers grouped by topic area. These areas are as follows: VE (virtual environment) training for Space Flight, Virtual Environment Hardware, Knowledge Aquisition for ICAT (Intelligent Computer-Aided Training) & VE, Multimedia in ICAT Systems, VE in Training & Education (1 & 2), Virtual Environment Software (1 & 2), Models in ICAT systems, ICAT Commercial Applications, ICAT Architectures & Authoring Systems, ICAT Education & Medical Applications, Assessing VE for Training, VE & Human Systems (1 & 2), ICAT Theory & Natural Language, ICAT Applications in the Military, VE Applications in Engineering, Knowledge Acquisition for ICAT, and ICAT Applications in Aerospace.

Hyde, Patricia R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Joint Lead-Free Solder Test Program for High Reliability Military and Space Applications

Current and future space and defense systems face potential risks from the continued use of tin-lead solder, including: compliance with current environmental regulations, concerns about potential environmental legislation banning lead-containing products, reduced mission readiness, and component obsolescence with lead surface finishes. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has lowered the Toxic Chemical Release reporting threshold for lead to 100 pounds. Overseas, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Dicctives in Europe and similar mandates in Japan have instilled concern that a legislative body will prohibit the use of lead in aerospace/military electronics soldering. Any potential banning of lead compounds could reduce the supplier base and adversely affect the readiness of missions led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Before considering lead-free electronics for system upgrades or future designs, however, it is important for the DoD and NASA to know whether lead-free solders can meet their systems' requirements. No single lead-free solder is likely to qualify for all defense and space applications. Therefore, it is important to validate alternative solders for discrete applications. As a result of the need for comprehensive test data on the reliability of lead-free solders, a partnership was formed between the DoD, NASA, and several original equipment manufactures (OEMs) to conduct solder-joint reliability (laboratory) testing of three lead-free solder alloys on newly manufactured and reworked circuit cards to generate performance data for high-reliability (IPC Class 3) applications.

Brown, Christina↗
NASA NTRS2005

Design for ASIC reliability for low-temperature applications

In this paper, we present a methodology to design for reliability for low temperature applications without requiring process improvement. The developed hot carrier aging lifetime projection model takes into account both the transistor substrate current profile and temperature profile to determine the minimum transistor size needed in order to meet reliability requirements. The methodology is applicable for automotive, military, and space applications, where there can be varying temperature ranges. A case study utilizing this methodology is given to design for reliability into a custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for a Mars exploration mission.

reliability↗
NASA NTRS2002

Advanced Ultrasonic Diagnosis of Extremity Trauma: The Faster Exam

Ultrasound is of prO)len accuracy in abdominal and thoracic trauma and may be useful to diagnose extremity injury in situations where radiography is not available such as military and space applications. We prospectively evaluated the utility of extremity , ultrasound performed by trained, non-physician personnel in patients with extremity trauma, to simulate remote aerospace or military applications . Methods: Patients with extremity trauma were identified by history, physical examination, and radiographic studies. Ultrasound examination was performed bilaterally by nonphysician personnel with a portable ultrasound device using a 10-5 MHz linear probe, Images were video-recorded for later analysis against radiography by Fisher's exact test. The average time of examination was 4 minutes. Ultrasound accurately diagnosed extremity, injury in 94% of patients with no false positive exams; accuracy was greater in mid-shaft locations and least in the metacarpa/metatarsals. Soft tissue/tendon injury was readily visualized . Extremity ultrasound can be performed quickly and accurately by nonphysician personnel with excellent accuracy. Blinded verification of the utility of ultrasound in patients with extremity injury should be done to determine if Extremity and Respiratory evaluation should be added to the FAST examination (the FASTER exam) and verify the technique in remote locations such as military and aerospace applications.

Dulchavsky, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Noise requirements from a military point of view

External and internal aircraft noise requirements are discussed in terms of application to military helicopters. The impact of the application of noise reduction technology to comply with FAA standards on cost and performance is emphasized.

Crawford, C. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The application of CFD for military aircraft design at transonic speeds

Numerous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are available that solve any of several variations of the transonic flow equations from small disturbance to full Navier-Stokes. The design philosophy at General Dynamics Fort Worth Division involves use of all these levels of codes, depending on the stage of configuration development. Throughout this process, drag calculation is a central issue. An overview is provided for several transonic codes and representative test-to-theory comparisons for fighter-type configurations are presented. Correlations are shown for lift, drag, pitching moment, and pressure distributions. The future of applied CFD is also discussed, including the important task of code validation. With the progress being made in code development and the continued evolution in computer hardware, the routine application of these codes for increasingly more complex geometries and flow conditions seems apparent.

Smith, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Fiber optic sensors for military, industrial and commercial applications

Four examples of specific fiber optic sensor system designs, each of which demonstrates a different optical modulation format, are described. The birefrigent temperature transducer illustrates direct digital signal modulation. The temperature/pressure dependent semiconductor filter illustrates high-pass optical wavelength signal encoding. The coupled polarized-mode transducer shows how a solid-state sensor can produce narrow-bandpass optical wavelength signal encoding. The luminescent temperature sensor illustrates a way to construct a solid state sensor in order to produce pulse width modulation of an optical signal.

James, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The application of CRM to military operations

The detailed content of the CRM training component of the C-5 Aircrew Training System (ATS) was left to the discretion of the contractor. As a part of determining what the content should be, United Airlines Services Corporation has made an effort to understand how the needs of MAC crews compare with those of civilian airline crews. There are distinct similarities between the crew roles in the cockpits of civilian airliners and military air transports. Many of the attitudes and behaviors exhibited by civil and military crew members are comparable, hence much of the training in the field referred to as Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) is equally appropriate to civil or military aircrews. At the same time, there are significant differences which require assessment to determine if modifications to what might be termed generic CRM are necessary. The investigation enabled the definition and specification of CRM training which is believed to address the needs of the C-5 operational community. The study has concentrated largely on military airlift, but the training objectives and course content of the CRM training are readily adaptable to a wider range of military cockpits than are found in strategic airlift. For instance, CRM training focusing on communication, leadership, situational awareness, and crew coordination is just as appropriate, with some modification, to the pilots manning a flight to Tactical Airlift Command A-7's as it is to the pilots, flight engineers, and loadmasters crewing a C-5.

Cavanagh, Dale E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

SAE Mil-1394 For Military and Aerospace Vehicle Applications

Unique opportunity to utilize new technology while increasing vehicle and crew member safety. Demonstration of new technology that can be utilized for Crew Exploration Vehicle and other future manned vehicles. Future work for other cameras in the vehicle that can be IEEE1394 based without major vehicle modifications. Demonstrates that LM can share information and knowledge between internal groups and NASA to assist in providing a product in support of the NASA Return to Flight Activities. This upgrade will provide a flight active data bus that is 100 times faster than any similar bus on the vehicle.

Dunga, Larry↗