Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Motor Drive”

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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Response to reflected-force feedback to fingers in teleoperations

Reflected-force feedback is an important aspect of teleoperations. The objective is to determine the ability of the human operator to respond to that force. Telerobotics operation is simulated by computer control of a motor-driven device with capabilities for programmable force feedback and force measurement. A computer-controlled motor drive is developed that provides forces against the fingers as well as (angular) position control. A load cell moves in a circular arc as it is pushed by a finger and measures reaction forces on the finger. The force exerted by the finger on the load cell and the angular position are digitized and recorded as a function of time by the computer. Flexure forces of the index, long and ring fingers of the human hand in opposition to the motor driven load cell are investigated. Results of the following experiments are presented: (1) Exertion of maximum finger force as a function of angle; (2) Exertion of target finger force against a computer controlled force; and (3) Test of the ability to move to a target force against a force that is a function of position. Averaged over ten individuals, the maximum force that could be exerted by the index or long finger is about 50 Newtons, while that of the ring finger is about 40 Newtons. From the tests of the ability of a subject to exert a target force, it was concluded that reflected-force feedback can be achieved with the direct kinesthetic perception of force without the use of tactile or visual clues.

Sutter, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Flow Quality Studies of the NASA Glenn Research Center Icing Research Tunnel Circuit (1995 Tests)

The purpose of conducting the flow-field surveys described in this report was to more fully document the flow quality in several areas of the tunnel circuit in the NASA Glenn Research Center Icing Research Tunnel. The results from these surveys provide insight into areas of the tunnel that were known to exhibit poor flow quality characteristics and provide data that will be useful to the design of flow quality improvements and a new heat exchanger for the facility. An instrumented traversing mechanism was used to survey the flow field at several large cross sections of the tunnel loop over the entire speed range of the facility. Flow-field data were collected at five stations in the tunnel loop, including downstream of the fan drive motor housing, upstream and downstream of the heat exchanger, and upstream and downstream of the spraybars located in the settling chamber upstream of the test section. The data collected during these surveys greatly expanded the data base describing the flow quality in each of these areas. The new data matched closely the flow quality trends recorded from earlier tests. Data collected downstream of the heat exchanger and in the settling chamber showed how the configuration of the folded heat exchanger affected the pressure, velocity, and flow angle distributions in these areas. Smoke flow visualization was also used to qualitatively study the flow field in an area downstream of the drive fan and in the settling chamber/contraction section.

Arrington, E. Allen↗
NASA NTRS1983

Magnetic bearing and motor

A magnetic bearing for passively suspending a rotatable element subjected to axial and radial thrust forces is disclosed. The magnetic bearing employs a taut wire stretched along the longitudinal axis of the bearing between opposed end pieces and an intermediate magnetic section. The intermediate section is segmented to provide oppositely directed magnetic flux paths between the end pieces and may include either an axially polarized magnets interposed between the segments. The end pieces, separated from the intermediate section by air gaps, control distribution of magnetic flux between the intermediate section segments. Coaxial alignment of the end pieces with the intermediate section minimizes magnetic reluctance in the flux paths endowing the bearing with self-centering characteristics when subjected to radial loads. In an alternative embodiment, pairs of oppositely wound armature coils are concentrically interposed between segments of the intermediate section in concentric arcs adjacent to radially polarized magnets to equip a magnetic bearing as a torsion drive motor. The magnetic suspension bearing disclosed provides long term reliability without maintenance with application to long term space missions such as the VISSR/VAS scanning mirror instrument in the GOES program.

Studer, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Multistage Magnetic Separator of Cells and Proteins

The multistage electromagnetic separator for purifying cells and magnetic particles (MAGSEP) is a laboratory apparatus for separating and/or purifying particles (especially biological cells) on the basis of their magnetic susceptibility and magnetophoretic mobility. Whereas a typical prior apparatus based on similar principles offers only a single stage of separation, the MAGSEP, as its full name indicates, offers multiple stages of separation; this makes it possible to refine a sample population of particles to a higher level of purity or to categorize multiple portions of the sample on the basis of magnetic susceptibility and/or magnetophoretic mobility. The MAGSEP includes a processing unit and an electronic unit coupled to a personal computer. The processing unit includes upper and lower plates, a plate-rotation system, an electromagnet, an electromagnet-translation system, and a capture-magnet assembly. The plates are bolted together through a roller bearing that allows the plates to rotate with respect to each other. An interface between the plates acts as a seal for separating fluids. A lower cuvette can be aligned with as many as 15 upper cuvette stations for fraction collection during processing. A two-phase stepping motor drives the rotation system, causing the upper plate to rotate for the collection of each fraction of the sample material. The electromagnet generates a magnetic field across the lower cuvette, while the translation system translates the electromagnet upward along the lower cuvette. The current supplied to the electromagnet, and thus the magnetic flux density at the pole face of the electromagnet, can be set at a programmed value between 0 and 1,400 gauss (0.14 T). The rate of translation can be programmed between 5 and 2,000 m/s so as to align all sample particles in the same position in the cuvette. The capture magnet can be a permanent magnet. It is mounted on an arm connected to a stepping motor. The stepping motor rotates the arm to position the capture magnet above the upper cuvette into which a fraction of the sample is collected. The electronic unit includes a power switch, power-supply circuitry that accepts 110-Vac input power, an RS-232 interface, and status lights. The personal computer runs the MAGSEP software and controls the operation of the MAGSEP through the RS-232 interface. The status of the power, the translating electromagnet, the capture magnet, and the rotation of the upper plate are indicated in a graphical user interface on the computer screen.

Barton, Ken↗
NASA NTRS2015

Development of the Resource Prospector Planetary Rover

The Resource Prospector (RP) is an In-­‐Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) lunar rover mission under study by NASA. RP is planned to launch in 2020 to prospect for subsurface volatiles and to extract oxygen from lunar regolith. The mission will address several of NASA's "Strategic Knowledge Gaps" for lunar exploration. The mission will also address the Global Exploration Roadmap's strategic goal of using local resources for human exploration. The distribution of lunar subsurface volatiles drives the mission requirement for mobility. The spatial distribution is hypothesized to be governed by impact cratering with the top 0.5 m being patchy at scales of 100 m. The mixing time scale increases with depth (less frequent larger impacts). Consequently, increased mobility reduces the depth requirement for sampling. The target RP traverse will extend 1 km radially from the landing site to sample craters of varying sizes. Sampling craters with different ages will reveal possible volatile emplacement history. In 1 Ga, approximately 60-­70 craters of 10 m diameter form per km2. Thus, the rover will need to sample at least ten of these craters, which may require a total traverse path length of 2-­‐3 km. During 2014-­2015, we developed an initial prototype rover for RP. The current design is a solar powered, four-­wheeled vehicle, with hub motor drive, offset four wheel steering, and active suspension. Active suspension provides capabilities including changing vehicle ride height, traversing comparatively large obstacles, and controlling load on the wheels. All-­wheel steering enables the vehicle to point arbitrarily while roving, e.g., to keep the solar array pointed at the sun while in motion. The offset steering combined with active suspension improves driving in soft soil. The rover's on-­board software utilizes NASA's Core Flight Software, which is a reusable flight software environment. During 2015, we completed the initial rover software build, which provides low-­level hardware interfaces, basic mobility control, waypoint driving, odometry, basic error checking, and camera services. Development of the prototype rover has enabled maturation of many of the subsystems to TRL 5. During the next year, we will conduct integrated testing of concepts of operation, navigation, and remote driving tools. In addition, we will perform environmental tests including radiation (avionics), thermal and thermal/vacuum (mechanisms), and gravity offload (mobility).

robotics↗
NASA NTRS2024

AC and DC Fault Management for Megawatt Electrified Aircraft Electrical Powertrains - Task 2: Power Quality Filtering Using Nanocrystalline Soft Magnetic Inductor

The NASA RTAPS program on AC and DC Fault Management for Megawatt Electrified Power Train is a multi-year joint project with Pratt & Whitney (P&W), Collins Aerospace (CA), and RTX Technology Research Center (RTRC). This research program focuses on the high-voltage distribution issues that present a significant technological obstacle in the adoption of Electrified Aviation Propulsion (EAP) systems. One challenge to the adoption of high-voltage distribution systems with power electronic converters is the need for filter elements to limit the generation and propagation of noise, protect the cable systems from premature aging and prevent against excessive heating within subcomponents due to high-frequency induced currents. While increased distribution voltages aide in reducing the cable mass for a fixed power system, the associated mass with the filtering elements for power electronic converter can grow with increasing distribution voltages – thereby mitigating any benefit associated with increasing the distribution system voltage. To enable high-voltage distribution systems with high system specific power densities, new magnetic materials must be developed. Therefore, the second task of the NASA RTAPS program is associated with the design and application of advanced soft magnetic components for Megawatt class electric propulsion systems, specifically the motor drive system. This report covers the collaborative work between NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), RTRC, P&W and CA in the development of three types of magnetic components over the span of the three-year program. These critical magnetic components are the DC side EMI filter, which limits the propagation of harmful electromagnetic noise to the rise of the distribution system, and the AC side damping with the dv/dt filter, which limits the fast rise time of the power electronic converter output voltage to limit the degradation on the cable/motor insulation systems. Each of these components are investigated from component level design and are optimized at the system level with a combined modelling and testing effort. In the final experimental evaluation of the NASA developed soft magnetic material with a dv/dt filter, a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) magnetic core and the GRC magnetic core are optimized and loaded at 320Arms to evaluate their difference in performance. After a run time of 30 minutes in a MW-class motor driver at RTRC, the NASA GRC cores were found to not only offer a lower temperature rise of nearly 25°𝐶, but also a reduction in measured core loss of 25% (12.75W to 9.5W).

Elecrified Aircraft Propulsion↗
NASA NTRS2007

Electromechanically Actuated Valve for Controlling Flow Rate

A proposed valve for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid would include an electric-motor-driven ball-screw mechanism for adjusting the seating element of the valve to any position between fully closed and fully open. The motor would be of a type that can be electronically controlled to rotate to a specified angular position and to rotate at a specified rate, and the ball screw would enable accurate linear positioning of the seating element as a function of angular position of the motor. Hence, the proposed valve would enable fine electronic control of the rate of flow and the rate of change of flow. The uniqueness of this valve lies in a high degree of integration of the actuation mechanism with the flow-control components into a single, relatively compact unit. A notable feature of this integration is that in addition to being a major part of the actuation mechanism, the ball screw would also be a flow-control component: the ball screw would be hollow so as to contain part of the main flow passage, and one end of the ball screw would be the main seating valve element. The relationships among the components of the valve are best understood by reference to the figure, which presents meridional cross sections of the valve in the fully closed and fully open positions. The motor would be supported by a bracket bolted to the valve body. By means of gears or pulleys and a timing belt, motor drive would be transmitted to a sleeve that would rotate on bearings in the valve body. A ball nut inside the sleeve would be made to rotate with the sleeve by use of a key. The ball screw would pass through and engage the ball nut. A key would prevent rotation of the ball screw in the valve body while allowing the ball screw to translate axially when driven by the ball nut. The outer surface of the ball screw would be threaded only in a mid-length region: the end regions of the outer surface of the ball screw would be polished so that they could act as dynamic sealing surfaces. The inlet end (the right end as depicted in the figure) of the ball screw would be the main seating valve element: in the fully closed position, it would be pressed against the valve seat, as depicted in the upper part of the figure. A retainer would hold the valve seat in an inlet fitting. In addition, the retainer would be contoured to obtain a specified flow rate as a function of axial position of the ball screw. In the fully closed position, little force would be needed to press the ball screw against the seat because the push bore area upon which the upstream pressure would act would be small. The motor would position and hold the ball screw against the seat, providing the force necessary for sealing. To open the valve to a particular position, the motor would be commanded to rotate to a particular angular position (equivalently, a particular number of revolutions) at a particular rate of rotation within its torque limitations. Once the valve was open, fluid would flow through the inlet fitting and the chamber in the inlet housing, past the seat and its retainer, along the hollow core of the ball screw, and through the outlet housing and outlet fitting. The net force generated from fluid pressure in the open position would be small because the pressure exposed to the push bore areas at the inlet and outlet are nearly equal and the forces generated would be in opposing directions.

Patterson, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1972

The Intelsat 4 antenna positioner

The Intelsat 4 communications satellite has two spot beam antennas which are pointed to selected land masses by gimbaled positioners. The positioners employ drive motors with electromagnetic brakes and jackscrews that are self-caging during the launch. The positioner uses dry lubricants for ball bearings, spur gears, screw and nut, and various journal bearings. A coefficient of friction of approximately 0.05 was demonstrated in vacuum operation. Success of the positioner was demonstrated on the first Intelsat 4 placed in orbit in January 1971. The developmental problems that were encountered and their solutions are discussed.

Glassow, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Smoke Plume Analysis Using Fan-beam and Single-beam Radiometers

Smoke plume data were taken using the stacks of the Mills Road Steam Plant on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. The fan-beam unit was placed approximately 235 meters east of the Mills Road Steam Plant, and the single-beam unit was placed approximately 80 meters north of the fan-beam unit. Results of the smoke plume measurements indicate that the smoke plume is a periodic process near the mouth of the smokestack. The usefulness of the system is limited because of inaccurate and cumbersome positioning methods and base line constraints due to cable length. It is recommended that the radiometers be mounted on pedestals which have both azimuth and elevation positions determined by digitally controlled stepper drive motors. It is also recommended that a time multiplex system be used to transmit data from the radiometers to the electronics van.

Dodd, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A study of remote guidance and control for planetary surface vehicles.

Description of tests that were originally conducted with the aim of extending the operational lifetime of the lunar roving vehicle beyond the period of the astronauts stay on the moon. The results obtained include the findings that a vehicle with six independently driven wheels appears to be practical, and that with proper drive motor sizing this configuration could provide redundancy as well as the ability to negotiate some crevasses and rocks.

Mastin, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Investigation of fluctuations in angular velocity in magnetic memory devices

The fluctuations in the angular velocity of individual assemblies of a precision mechanical system were analyzed. The system was composed of an electric motor and a magnetic drum which were connected by a flexible coupling. A dynamic model was constructed which took into account the absence of torsion in the rigid shafts of the electric motor drive rotor and the magnetic drum. The motion was described by Lagrange differential equations of the second kind. Curves are developed to show the nature of amplitude fluctuation of the magnetic drum angular velocity at a specific excitation frequency. Additional curves show the amplitudes of fluctuation of the magnetic drum angular velocity compared to the quantity of damping at specific frequencies.

Meshkis, Y. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Automatic inoculating apparatus

An automatic inoculating apparatus for agar trays is described and using a simple inoculating element, such as a cotton swab or inoculating loop. The apparatus includes a movable carriage for supporting the tray to be inoculated, a drive motor for moving the tray along a trackway, and a swabbing motor for automatically swabbing the tray during the movement. An actuator motor controls lowering of the inoculating element onto the tray and lifting of the inoculating element. An electrical control system, including limit microswitches, enables automatic control of the actuator motor and return of the carriage to the initial position after inoculating is completed.

Wilkins, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A fully automated digitally controlled 30-inch telescope

A fully automated 30-inch (75-cm) telescope has been successfully designed and constructed from a military surplus Nike-Ajax radar mount. Novel features include: closed-loop operation between mountain telescope and campus computer 30 km apart via microwave link, a TV-type sensor which is photon shot-noise limited, a special lightweight primary mirror, and a stepping motor drive capable of slewing and settling one degree in one second or a radian in fifteen seconds.

Colgate, S. A.↗