Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “LABORATORY SYSTEM”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,531 records · Page 85
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

A Concept for Platform Velocity Estimation Using a Multiphase Center Radar

An important part of a navigation system for a moving platform is the estimation of the rate of travel. This document presents a method for estimating the platform velocity in 3-dimensions using multiple antenna subarrays which could be used to augment navigation in a GPS-degraded environment. An advantage of this technique is that it does not require any knowledge of a positions of any landmarks. Results from radar data collected by the Sandia National Laboratories demonstration radar system are presented to illustrate the promise of this technique.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1995

Magnetic Field Experiment Data Analysis System

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) Magnetic Field Experiment Data Analysis System (MFEDAS) has been developed to process and analyze satellite magnetic field experiment data from the TRIAD, MAGSAT, AMPTE/CCE, Viking, Polar BEAR, DMSP, HILAT, UARS, and Freja satellites. The MFEDAS provides extensive data management and analysis capabilities. The system is based on standard data structures and a standard user interface. The MFEDAS has two major elements: (1) a set of satellite unique telemetry processing programs for uniform and rapid conversion of the raw data to a standard format and (2) the program Magplot which has file handling, data analysis, and data display sections. This system is an example of software reuse, allowing new data sets and software extensions to be added in a cost effective and timely manner. Future additions to the system will include the addition of standard format file import routines, modification of the display routines to use a commercial graphics package based on X-Window protocols, and a generic utility for telemetry data access and conversion.

Holland, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Feasibility study of an orbiting laboratory for testing CSI technology

A concept for an orbiting laboratory for testing Controls-Structures Integration (CSI) technology is described. The CSI-Star concept reflects a lower cost, higher risk approach. The concept supports demonstration and validation testing for critical CSI technologies at a cost of $20M to $26M with a 1-year reliability of approximately 0.9. The Ball Aerospace QuickStar bus is the carrier for the CSI test article. QuickStar is launched as a secondary payload on the McDonnell Douglas Delta 2. The QuickStar/Delta 2 approach is flight proven. The CSI test article is a 20 foot, 1 Hz, truss beam which is deployed from the QuickStar bus. The test article is well instrumented for quality system identification. The laboratory provides three layers of active control consisting of global vibration suppression along the truss beam, vibration isolation between the beam and instrument platforms, and vibration compensation through the use of gimbaled platforms which point lasers relative to optical sensor targets. The configuration simulates the dynamics of multi-instrument science platforms such as those of the Earth Observation System (EOS) while maintaining strong ties to astrophysics missions such as the Optical Interferometer. Uplink/downlink services and a reprogrammable computer provide flexibility for long-term investigations by members of the CSI community (NASA, DoD, academia, and industry). CSI-Star fills the gap between short-term experiments, which have been conducted primarily on the Shuttle, and future science missions which require the technology. The on-orbit maturity of CSI technology must be established to obtain acceptance by project managers and to promote injection of the technology into future science missions.

Bicos, Andrew S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Langley's AirSTAR Testbed: A Subscale Flight Test Capability for Flight Dynamics and Control System Experiments

As part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) project, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed a subscaled flying testbed in order to conduct research experiments in support of the goals of NASA s Aviation Safety Program. This research capability consists of three distinct components. The first of these is the research aircraft, of which there are several in the AirSTAR stable. These aircraft range from a dynamically-scaled, twin turbine vehicle to a propeller driven, off-the-shelf airframe. Each of these airframes carves out its own niche in the research test program. All of the airplanes have sophisticated on-board data acquisition and actuation systems, recording, telemetering, processing, and/or receiving data from research control systems. The second piece of the testbed is the ground facilities, which encompass the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to provide comprehensive support services for conducting flight research using the subscale aircraft, including: subsystem development, integrated testing, remote piloting of the subscale aircraft, telemetry processing, experimental flight control law implementation and evaluation, flight simulation, data recording/archiving, and communications. The ground facilities are comprised of two major components: (1) The Base Research Station (BRS), a LaRC laboratory facility for system development, testing and data analysis, and (2) The Mobile Operations Station (MOS), a self-contained, motorized vehicle serving as a mobile research command/operations center, functionally equivalent to the BRS, capable of deployment to remote sites for supporting flight tests. The third piece of the testbed is the test facility itself. Research flights carried out by the AirSTAR team are conducted at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The UAV Island runway is a 50 x 1500 paved runway that lies within restricted airspace at Wallops Flight Facility. The facility provides all the necessary infrastructure to conduct the research flights in a safe and efficient manner. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the development of the AirSTAR testbed.

Jordan, Thomas L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Closeout Report for the Refractory Metal Accelerated Heat Pipe Life Test Activity

With the selection of a gas-cooled reactor, this heat pipe accelerated life test activity was closed out and its resources redirected. The scope of this project was to establish the long-term aging effects on Mo-44.5%Re sodium heat pipes when subjected to space reactor temperature and mass fluences. To date, investigators have demonstrated heat pipe life tests of alkali metal systems up to .50,000 hours. Unfortunately, resources have not been available to examine the effect of temperature, mass fluence, or impurity level on corrosion or to conduct post-test forensic examination of heat pipes. The key objective of this effort was to establish a cost/time effective method to systematically test alkali metal heat pipes with both practical and theoretical benefits. During execution of the project, a heat pipe design was established, a majority of the laboratory test equipment systems specified, and operating and test procedures developed. Procurements for the heat pipe units and all major test components were underway at the time the stop work order was issued. An extremely important outcome was the successful fabrication of an annular wick from Mo-5%Re screen (the single, most difficult component to manufacture) using a hot isostatic pressing technique. This Technical Publication (TP) includes specifics regarding the heat pipe calorimeter water-cooling system, vendor design for the radio frequency heating system, possible alternative calorimeter designs, and progress on the vanadium equilibration technique. The methods provided in this TP and preceding project documentation would serve as a good starting point to rapidly implement an accelerated life test. Relevant test data can become available within months, not years, and destructive examination of the first life test heat pipe might begin within 6 months of test initiation. Final conclusions could be drawn in less than a quarter of the mission duration for a long-lived, fission-powered, deep space probe.

Martin, J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hydrogen wide area monitoring of LH2 releases

The characterization of liquid hydrogen (LH2) releases has been identified as an international research priority to expand the safe use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. The elucidation of LH2 release behavior will require the development of dispersion and other models, guided and validated by empirical field measurements such as those afforded by Hydrogen Wide Area Monitoring (HyWAM). HyWAM can be defined as the quantitative spatial and temporal three-dimensional monitoring of planned or unintentional hydrogen releases. With support provided through the FCH JU Prenormative Research for the Safe Use of Liquid Hydrogen (PRESLHY) program, HSE performed a series of LH2 releases to characterize the dispersion and pooling behavior of cold hydrogen releases. The NREL Sensor Laboratory developed a HyWAM system based upon a distributed array of point sensors that is amenable for profiling cold hydrogen plumes. The NREL Sensor Laboratory and HSE formally committed to collaborate on profiling the LH2 releases. This collaboration included the integration of the NREL HyWAM into the HSE LH2 release hardware. This was achieved through a deployment plan jointly developed by the NREL and HSE personnel. Under this plan, the NREL Sensor Laboratory provided multiple HyWAM modules that accommodated 32 sampling points for near-field hydrogen profiling during the HSE PRESLHY LH2 releases. The NREL HyWAM would be utilized throughout the LH2 release study performed under PRESLHY by HSE, including Work Package 3 (WP3—Release and Mixing--Rainout) and subsequent work packages (WP4—Ignition and WP5—Combustion). Under the auspices of the PRESLHY WP6 (Implementation), data and findings from the HSE LH2 Releases are to be made available to stakeholders in the hydrogen community. Comprehensive data analysis and dissemination is ongoing, but the integration of the NREL HyWAM into the HSE LH2 Release Apparatus and its performance as well as some key outcomes of the LH2 releases in WP3 are presented.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantifying the Impact of Advanced Web Platforms on High Performance Computing Usage

The deployment of Science Gateways for High Performance Computing (HPC) systems can alter long-accepted usage patterns on supercomputing systems in positive ways as an ever-increasing number of users migrate their workflows to HPC systems. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has deployed two separate advanced web platforms, Open OnDemand and NICE DCV, for integration with HPC resources to improve web accessibility for HPC users. Researchers conducted a multi-year study on how HPC usage pat- terns changed in the presence of these platforms. This work reports the results of that study and quantifies the observed impacts, including adoption by visualization and Jupyter Notebook/Lab users, decreased job submission friction, rapid uptake of HPC by Windows users, and increased overall system utilization. The most significant impacts were observed from the deployment of Open OnDemand, and this work also identifies some best practices for Open OnDemand deployment for HPC datacenters.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1989

The laboratory telerobotic manipulator program

New opportunities for the application of telerobotic systems to enhance human intelligence and dexterity in the hazardous environment of space are presented by the NASA Space Station Program. Because of the need for significant increases in extravehicular activity and the potential increase in hazards associated with space programs, emphasis is being heightened on telerobotic systems research and development. The Laboratory Telerobotic Manipulator (LTM) program is performed to develop and demonstrate ground-based telerobotic manipulator system hardware for research and demonstrations aimed at future NASA applications. The LTM incorporates traction drives, modularity, redundant kinematics, and state-of-the-art hierarchical control techniques to form a basis for merging the diverse technological domains of robust, high-dexterity teleoperations and autonomous robotic operation into common hardware to further NASA's research.

Herndon, J. N.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bulk Electrical Cable Non-Destructive Examination Methods for Nuclear Power Plant Cable Aging Management Programs

This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory milestone report describes progress to date on the investigation of nondestructive test methods focusing particularly on bulk electrical test methods that provide key indicators of cable aging and damage. The work includes a review of relevant literature as well as hands-on experimental verification of inspection capabilities. As nuclear power plants consider applying for second, or subsequent, license renewal to extend their operating period from 60 years to 80 years, it is important to understand how the materials installed in plant systems and components will age during that time and develop aging management programs to assure continued safe operation under normal and design basis events (DBE). Normal component and system tests typically confirm the cables can perform their normal operational function. The focus of the cable test program, however, is directed toward the more demanding challenge of assuring the cable function under accident or DBE. The industry has adopted 50% elongation at break (EAB) relative to the un-aged cable condition as the acceptability standard. All tests are benchmarked against the cable EAB test. EAB, however, is a destructive test so the test programs must apply an array of other nondestructive examination (NDE) tests to assure or infer the overall set of cable’s system integrity. Assessment of cable integrity is further complicated in many cases by vendor’s use of dissimilar material for jacket and insulation. Frequently the jacket will degrade more rapidly than the underlying insulation. Although this can serve as an early alert to cable damage, direct test of the cable insulation without violating the protective jacket becomes problematic. This report addresses the range of bulk electrical NDE cable tests that are or could be practically implemented in a field-test situation with a particular focus on frequency domain reflectometry (FDR). The FDR test method offers numerous advantages over many other bulk electrical tests. Two commercial FDR systems plus a laboratory vector network analyzer are used to test an array of aged and un-aged cables under identical conditions. Several conclusions are set forth, and a number of knowledge gaps are identified.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Two-Person Control: A Brief History and Modern Industry Practices

Physical asset protection is the principal objective of many security and safeguard measures. One well-known means of asset protection is two-person control. This paper reviews literature regarding two-person control to gain insight into its origin, first demonstrated uses, and its presence in several modern industries. This literature review of two-person control is intended to benefit people and organizations with a desire to understand its origins and how the practice has evolved over time, as well as give some insight into the flexibility of this safeguarding technique. The literature review is focused in four main sections: (1) defining two-person control, (2) early history, (3) two-person control in modern industry, and (4) a theory on how two- person control entered modern industry. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank Jarret Lafleur and Scott Paap of Sandia National Laboratories, California's Systems Analysis & Engineering organization for the opportunity to work on this project. Jarret Lafleur provided very constructive and helpful feedback through all stages of the work. Amanda Thompson of the Sandia California Technical Library maintained a great spirit and always had a quick document turnaround that very much helped out this project's completion. Additionally, yet perhaps most importantly, the author would like to thank his wife and daughter, along with the rest of his family, for continued support over the years. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
NASA NTRS1958

Microlock- a minimum weight radio instrumentation system for a satellite

The design, construction and laboratory testing of a satellite tracking system are described. The tracking mechanism employs a low power, lightweight flight transmitter in conjunction with a receiving system of advanced design. The flight transmitter will radiate 3 mw for three months and will provide two narrow hand telemetering channels in a unit having a total weight of 2 lb. The ground receiving equipment is capable of acquiring and tracking the beacon signal at a line-of-sight distance of 3000 miles and at any azimuth and elevation angle. Interferometer antennas could he used to determine the angular position of the satellite with an accuracy of one milliradian, which is equivalent to approximately ±0.04 sec in the determination of the period.

Earth Satellites↗
NASA NTRS1975

Radiated microwave power transmission system efficiency measurements

The measured and calculated results from determining the operating efficiencies of a laboratory version of a system for transporting electric power from one point to another via a wireless free space radiated microwave beam are reported. The system's overall end-to-end efficiency as well as intermediated conversion efficiencies were measured. The maximum achieved end-to-end dc-to-ac system efficiency was 54.18% with a probable error of + or - 0.94%. The dc-to-RF conversion efficiency was measured to be 68.87% + or - 1.0% and the RF-to-dc conversion efficiency was 78.67 + or - 1.1%. Under these conditions a dc power of 495.62 + or - 3.57 W was received with a free space transmitter antenna receiver antenna separation of 170.2 cm (67 in).

Dickinson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2010

TBCC TSTO Design for the NASA-AFRL Joint System Study

NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory are involved in a Joint System Study (JSS) on Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicles. The JSS will examine the performance, operability and uncertainty of unmanned, fully reusable, airbreathing-based TSTO launch vehicle concepts. NASA is providing a concept using turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion on the booster stage and an all-rocket orbiter. The Air Force supplied two vehicle concepts, both utilizing an all-rocket booster; one with an all-rocket orbiter, the other using a rocket-based combined cycle orbiter. For NASA, this study is being used for tool assessment and development, and to identify generic technology gaps, not to choose vehicle types or concepts. This presentation starts with an overview of the major JSS ground rules and assumptions. Second, the NASA TSTO concept, Reusable Airbreathing Launch Vehicle - iteration B (RALV-B) is introduced, including its mission profile and, the vehicle (booster and orbiter) layout and packaging. The high speed propulsion concept is then briefly discussed, including the work performed and lessons learned. The low speed TBCC propulsion system is covered next in some detail. An overview for the low speed system is given; then its development is discussed (starting with initial layout and leading to more detailed analyses performed and results). The low speed system portion is wrapped up with lessons learned and summary. Finally, an overall summary and lessons learned so far for the JSS are given as well as work planned to complete the study.

Snyder, Christopher A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Lessons Learned During TBCC Design for the NASA-AFRL Joint System Study

NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory are involved in a Joint System Study (JSS) on Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicles. The JSS will examine the performance, operability and analysis uncertainty of unmanned, fully reusable, TSTO launch vehicle concepts. NASA is providing a vehicle concept using turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion on the booster stage and an all-rocket orbiter. The variation in vehicle and mission requirements for different potential customers, combined with analysis uncertainties, make it problematic to define optimum vehicle types or concepts, but the study is being used by NASA for tool assessment and development, and to identify technology gaps. Preliminary analyses were performed on the entire TBCC booster concept; then higher-fidelity analyses were performed for particular areas to verify results or reduce analysis uncertainties. Preliminary TBCC system analyses indicated that there would be sufficient thrust margin over its mission portion. The higher fidelity analyses, which included inlet and nozzle performance corrections for significant area mismatches between TBCC propulsion requirements versus the vehicle design, resulted in significant performance penalties from the preliminary results. TBCC system design and vehicle operation assumptions were reviewed to identify items to mitigate these performance penalties. The most promising items were then applied and analyses rerun to update performance predictions. A study overview is given to orient the reader, quickly focusing upon the NASA TBCC booster and low speed propulsion system. Details for the TBCC concept and the analyses performed are described. Finally, a summary of "Lessons Learned" are discussed with suggestions to improve future study efforts.

Snyder, Christopher A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dynamic Human-in-the-Loop Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Thermal Dispatch System Demonstration and Evaluation Study

An Idaho National Laboratory research team performed a human-in-the-loop study with two formerly licensed retired operators to evaluate thermal power dispatch operations supported by the modified GSE Systems GPWR plant simulator. Virtual representations of the analog control panels were presented on touch-screen bays configured to mimic the control room layout in the newly renovated Human Systems Simulation Laboratory. The operators performed 15 scenarios covering normal evolutions to transition the plant from full turbine operation to joint turbine and thermal power dispatch operations in addition to transient response scenarios induced with simulated faults to evaluate the impact of thermal power dispatch system on operator and plant responses. A prototype human-system interface (HSI) was developed and displayed in tandem with the virtual analog panels to support the operators executing the procedurally drive evolutions and transient responses. An interdisciplinary team of operations experts, nuclear engineers, and human factors experts observed the operators performing the scenarios to evaluate the operations. Only a preliminary analysis of the results has been performed. The full analysis will be shared in a milestone report scheduled for release at the end of September; however, some high-level conclusions were readily available. Two high level findings for the system design were captured in the study. The manual control supported by the HSI to transition from standard operations to thermal power dispatch operation imposed a considerable amount of workload on the operators due to tedious manual valve manipulations and system monitoring required to verify their intended effect. An additional operator would be required in the control room to support the daily evolution. Automatic control for the transition was deemed a requirement for plant adoption without imposing additional staffing costs. The second finding was the necessity for an automatic thermal power dispatch system trip isolation function linked to a turbine and reactor trip signal. The operators completed scenarios with automatic isolation functionality and manually required actuation of the thermal power dispatch system. The operator response was sufficiently slower in the manual trip condition, such that operators were unable to manually actuate key post trip safety functions an indicate a degraded control capability that should be avoided. With an automatic trip signal little to no impact of the thermal power dispatch system was identified on the primary plant response and therefore the system could be readily and safely adopted. Together these two findings represent the need to support the adoption of thermal power dispatch capability into existing operations by leveraging automation to augment any additional operator tasking required to control and monitor an additional system beyond existing operations.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS2002

An update of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking/Maui Space Surveillance System (NEAT/MSSS) collaboration

Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program has two simultaneously-operating, autonomous search systems on two geographically-separated 1.2-m telescopes; one at the Maui Space Surveillance System (NEAT/MSSS) and the other on the Palomar Observatory's Oschin telescope (NEAT/Palomar). This paper will focus exclusively on the NEAT/MSSS system.

NEAT MSSS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Force-free Jacobian equilibria for Vlasov-Maxwell plasmas

New analytic force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibria for thin current sheets are presented. The magnetic flux densities are expressed in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions of one Cartesian spatial coordinate. The magnetic flux densities reduce to previously reported hyperbolic functions in one limit and sinusoidal functions in another limit of the modulus k. A much wider class of nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibria open expanded possibilities for modeling of solar system, astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Modified Maxwellian distribution functions are determined explicitly in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions. Conditions for double peaked distribution functions that could be unstable are developed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗