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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Minimum-Violation Traffic Management for Urban Air Mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) refers to air transportation services in and over an urban area and has the potential to revolutionize mobility solutions. However, due to the projected scale of operations, current air traffic management (ATM) techniques are not viable. Increasingly autonomous systems are a pathway to accelerate the realization of UAM operations but must be fielded safely and efficiently. The heavily regulated, safety critical nature of aviation may lead to multiple, competing safety constraints that can be traded off based on the operational context. In this paper, we design a framework which allows for the scalable planning of a UAM ATM system. We formalize safety oriented constraints derived from FAA regulations by encoding them as temporal logic formulae. We then propose a method for UAM ATM that is both scalable and minimally violates the temporal logic constraints. Numerical results show that the runtime for our proposed algorithm is suitable for very large problems and is backed by theoretical guarantees of correctness with respect to given temporal logic constraints.

Urban Air Mobility↗
NASA NTRS1990

National plan to enhance aviation safety through human factors improvements

The purpose of this section of the plan is to establish a development and implementation strategy plan for improving safety and efficiency in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. These improvements will be achieved through the proper applications of human factors considerations to the present and future systems. The program will have four basic goals: (1) prepare for the future system through proper hiring and training; (2) develop a controller work station team concept (managing human errors); (3) understand and address the human factors implications of negative system results; and (4) define the proper division of responsibilities and interactions between the human and the machine in ATC systems. This plan addresses six program elements which together address the overall purpose. The six program elements are: (1) determine principles of human-centered automation that will enhance aviation safety and the efficiency of the air traffic controller; (2) provide new and/or enhanced methods and techniques to measure, assess, and improve human performance in the ATC environment; (3) determine system needs and methods for information transfer between and within controller teams and between controller teams and the cockpit; (4) determine how new controller work station technology can optimally be applied and integrated to enhance safety and efficiency; (5) assess training needs and develop improved techniques and strategies for selection, training, and evaluation of controllers; and (6) develop standards, methods, and procedures for the certification and validation of human engineering in the design, testing, and implementation of any hardware or software system element which affects information flow to or from the human.

Foushee, Clay↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Power for Flight: NASA's Contributions to Aircraft Propulsion

The New York Times announced America's entry into the 'long awaited' Jet Age when a Pan American (Pan Am) World Airways Boeing 707 airliner left New York for Paris on October 26, 1958. Powered by four turbojet engines, the 707 offered speed, more nonstop flights, and a smoother and quieter travel experience compared to newly antiquated propeller airliners. With the Champs-Elysees only 6 hours away, humankind had entered into a new and exciting age in which the shrinking of the world for good was no longer a daydream. Fifty years later, the New York Times declared the second coming of a 'cleaner, leaner' Jet Age. Decades-old concerns over fuel efficiency, noise, and emissions shaped this new age as the aviation industry had the world poised for 'a revolution in jet engines'. Refined turbofans incorporating the latest innovations would ensure that aviation would continue to enable a worldwide transportation network. At the root of many of the advances over the preceding 50 years was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). On October 1, 1958, just a few weeks before the flight of that Pan Am 707, NASA came into existence. Tasked with establishing a national space program as part of a Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, NASA is often remembered in popular memory first for putting the first human beings on the Moon in July 1969, followed by running the successful 30-year Space Shuttle Program and by landing the Rover Curiosity on Mars in August 2012. What many people do not recognize is the crucial role the first 'A' in NASA played in the development of aircraft since the Agency's inception. Innovations shaping the aerodynamic design, efficient operation, and overall safety of aircraft made NASA a vital element of the American aviation industry even though they remained unknown to the public. This is the story of one facet of NASA's many contributions to commercial, military, and general aviation: the development of aircraft propulsion technology, which provides the power for flight.

Kinney, Jeremy R.↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA's Aviation Safety and Modeling Project

The Aviation Safety Monitoring and Modeling (ASMM) Project of NASA's Aviation Safety program is cultivating sources of data and developing automated computer hardware and software to facilitate efficient, comprehensive, and accurate analyses of the data collected from large, heterogeneous databases throughout the national aviation system. The ASMM addresses the need to provide means for increasing safety by enabling the identification and correcting of predisposing conditions that could lead to accidents or to incidents that pose aviation risks. A major component of the ASMM Project is the Aviation Performance Measuring System (APMS), which is developing the next generation of software tools for analyzing and interpreting flight data.

Chidester, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Project Continued to Contribute to Breakthrough Technologies

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local environmental groups, and the public have become increasingly concerned over damage to local air quality from aircraft emissions and the impact of producing greenhouse gases. The NASA Glenn Research Center has been working to develop revolutionary technologies to minimize environmentally harmful engine emissions, such as nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, aerosols, and particulates. The two objectives of UEET are (1) to develop technologies to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 70 percent below 1996 ICAO regulations and (2) to decrease carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by dramatically increasing performance and efficiency. High temperature engine materials, ultra-low-NOx combustor designs, efficient, highly loaded turbomachinery, and propulsion-airframe integration analysis are technologies being developed at Glenn to meet these goals. Technology developed in the previous Advanced Subsonic Technology Program is being put into commercial production for large and regional aircraft to reduce NOx emissions 50 percent below 1996 ICAO regulations for landing and takeoff cycles. UEET will take the technology to the next quantum leap-reducing emissions to 70 percent below the ICAO regulations level. In addition, NASA-developed research will significantly reduce carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and corresponding cruise NOx levels for the next generation of aircraft engines. Glenn's UEET research will be useful across the whole range of flight: subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic. It will improve the subsonic transportation that the public depends on, contribute to supersonic commercial aircraft, improve military aircraft, and contribute to the design of a future hypersonic vehicle. These technologies are contributing to a better quality of life on Earth.

Shaw, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Secure Network-Centric Aviation Communication (SNAC)

The existing National Airspace System (NAS) communications capabilities are largely unsecured, are not designed for efficient use of spectrum and collectively are not capable of servicing the future needs of the NAS with the inclusion of new operators in Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) or On Demand Mobility (ODM). SNAC will provide a ubiquitous secure, network-based communications architecture that will provide new service capabilities and allow for the migration of current communications to SNAC over time. The necessary change in communication technologies to digital domains will allow for the adoption of security mechanisms, sharing of link technologies, large increase in spectrum utilization, new forms of resilience and redundancy and the possibly of spectrum reuse. SNAC consists of a long term open architectural approach with increasingly capable designs used to steer research and development and enable operating capabilities that run in parallel with current NAS systems.

Communications↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phase Doppler Interferometry for Efficient Cloud Drop Size Distribution, Number Density, and LWC Measurements

Threats to aviation safety as a result of super-cooled large drops (SLD) has been addressed by the FAA rules change (14 CFR Part 25) with the additional icing certification requirement. SLD clouds often consist of bi-modal drop size spectra leading to significant problems in simulating and characterizing these conditions in situ and in icing wind tunnels. Legacy instrumentation for measuring drop size distributions and liquid water content are challenged under these conditions. The large size range measurement problem is addressed with the development of the Phase Doppler Interferometer, Flight Probe Dual-Range (PDI FPDR). The method is described in this report along with the measurement capabilities including the dynamic measurement range and overall working size range. The PDI instrument bases drop size measurements on the light wavelength as the measurement length scale. The light wavelength is a much more robust scale, especially as compared to the light scattering intensity. Additionally, methods for accurately characterizing the sample volume in situ based on measured drop velocity and transit time are reviewed, given the importance of this parameter for merging results and measuring LWC. Droplet coincidence in the sample volume can be problematic so this condition is treated with an innovative signal parsing approach. Measurement examples acquired in the NASA IRT are provided. Measurements of LWC showed good agreement with the Artium Particle Imaging (PI) instrument but diverged from the tunnel calibration results for larger MVD values.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

CORSIA: The first internationally adopted approach to calculate life-cycle GHG emissions for aviation fuels

The aviation sector has grown at a significant pace in recent years, and despite improvements in aircraft efficiency, the sector's impact on climate change is a growing concern. To address this concern, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) established the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to help reduce aviation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper presents a methodology agreed by the 193 ICAO member states to evaluate the life-cycle GHG emissions of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), in the CORSIA system. The core life-cycle assessment and induced land use change values of SAFs are presented to determine the GHG savings of certified pathways. The paper aims to present that a number of SAFs can yield significant life-cycle emission reductions compared to petroleum-derived jet fuel. This implies the potentially major role of SAFs in reducing aviation's carbon footprint.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Workshop on Sustainable Aviation Fuel-Use Research Opportunities

On February 15-16, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Vehicle Technology Office (VTO) within Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) convened a workshop to assess the end-use research opportunities for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). This report summarizes the proceedings and findings of the workshop, which the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory hosted as a virtual event. During these two half-days, invited members of national laboratories, industry, government, and academia connected virtually to share perspectives on SAF research needs for improving end-use adoption.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2020

Green Light for Green Flight: NASA's Contributions to Environmentally Friendly Aviation

Although the shape and speed of commercial airliners have not changed significantly since the late-1950s, many aspects of performance such as range and fuel efficiency, and environmental impacts including noise and emissions have improved tremendously. By the beginning of the 21st century, however, it became clear that more work was necessary. Heightened sensitivity to, and understanding of, the impact of aviation on the environment and the reduced availability of low-cost energy placed the spotlight directly on aircraft efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. This realization spawned one of NASA's most ambitious aviation projects to date - the Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.

Peter W. Merlin↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electrification of Aircraft: Challenges, Barriers, and Potential Impacts

Small-scale aircraft are being electrified with small e-aircraft already certified to fly and with test flights underway for retrofits of existing aircraft focused on near-term deployment. Internationally, from 2018 to 2020, the number of electric aircraft projects underway increased 50%. These technologies are projected to increase operational efficiency and reduce emissions and noise from a growing aviation sector. This emerging interest in aviation electrification includes aircraft, energy supply equipment, and battery storage manufacturers. Federal agencies are currently funding a variety of efforts including technology research as well as forecasting demand and environmental impacts and state governments have also begun pushing for further investigation in this area. This paper provides an overview of the current state and potential future development of aviation electrification. To understand the types of research questions around current and future challenges for this emerging sector, we consider a case study of the potential deployment of small commercial electric aircraft for existing, under-served markets and consider operational requirements and technical challenges as well as the range of questions that will need to be addressed around charging infrastructure, grid integration, policy and regulatory requirements, and emissions impacts. This case study also outlines potential nearer-term solutions and research areas of interest that will need to be addressed in the longer term at much larger scales and highlights NREL capabilities for addressing these challenges.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1982

A flight investigation of simulated data-link communications during single-pilot IFR flight. Volume 2: Flight evaluations

Key problems in single pilot instrument flight operations are in the management of flight data and the processing of cockpit information during conditions of heavy workload. A flight data console was developed to allow simulation of a digital data link to replace the current voice communications stem used in air traffic control. This is a human factors evaluation of a data link communications system to determine how such a system might reduce cockpit workload, improve flight proficiency, and be accepted by general aviation pilots. The need for a voice channel as backup to a digital link is examined. The evaluations cover both airport terminal area operations and full mission instrument flight. Results show that general aviation pilots operate well with a digital data link communications system. The findings indicate that a data link system for pilot/ATC communications, with a backup voice channel, is well accepted by general aviation pilots and is considered to be safer, more efficient, and result in less workload than the current voice system.

Parker, J. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Wing extensions for improving climb performance

Recent wind tunnel studies have shown that significant improvements in wing efficiency and climb performance can be achieved using wing extensions having sharp edges and unmodified upper airfoil contours. Based on tests of six configurations, a simple tip shape provided the best wing efficiency at high lift conditions without penalty during cruise conditions. The best configuration tested exhibited more than 20 percent improvement in the maximum rate of climb, plus a reduction in stall speed and a slight improvement in cruise performance over a baseline tip with a round edge. In addition to measurements that were used to determine performance, flow visualization studies provided insight into reasons for improved wing efficiency. Tests were conducted using a high performance general aviation aircraft model with a tapered, cantilevered wing.

Nicks, O. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Summary of the industry/NASA/FAA workshop on philosophy of automation: Promises and realities

Issues of flight deck automation are multi-faceted and complex. The rapid introduction of advanced computer based technology on to the flight deck of transport category aircraft has had considerable impact on both aircraft operations and the flight crew. As part of NASA's responsibility to facilitate an active exchange of ideas and information between members of the aviation community, an Industry/NASA/FAA workshop was conducted in August 1988. One of the most important conclusions to emerge from the workshop was that the introduction of automation has clearly benefited aviation and has substantially improved the operational safety and efficiency of our air transport system. For example, one carrier stated that they have been flying the Boeing 767 (one of the first aircraft to employ substantial automation) since 1982, and they have never had an accident or incident resulting in damage to the aircraft. Notwithstanding its benefits, many issues associated with the design, certification, and operation of automated aircraft were identified. For example two key conceptual issues were the need for the crew to have a thorough understanding of the system and the importance of defining the pilot's role. With respect to certification, a fundamental issue is the lack of comprehensive human factors requirements in the current regulations. Operational considerations, which have been a factor in incidents involving automation, were also cited. Viewgraphs used in the presentation are given.

Norman, Susan D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Airport Financing and User Charge Systems in the USA

This paper examines the financing of U.S. public airports in a turbulent era of change, and projects toward the future. It begins by briefly outlining historical patterns that have changed the industry, and airport facilities in particular. It then develops basic principles of public finance as applied to public infrastructure, followed by the applicable principles of management. Following that, the current airport financing system is analyzed and contrasted with a socially optimal financing system. A concluding section suggests policy reforms and their likely benefits. The principles of finance and management discussed here are elementary. However, their implications are radical for U.S. airport policy. There is a great deal of room to improve the allocation of aviation infrastructure resources. The application of these basic principles makes it evident that in many cases, current practice is wasteful, environmentally unsound, overly costly, and inequitable. Future investments in public aviation capital will continue to be wasteful until more efficient pricing systems are instituted. Thus, problem in the U.S. is not one of insufficient investment in airport infrastructure, but investment in the wrong types of infrastructure. In the U.S., the vast majority of publically-owned airports are owned by local governments. Thus, while the federal government bad a great deal of influence in financing airports, ultimately these are local decisions. The same is true with many other public infrastructure issues. Katz and Herman (1997) report that in 1995, U.S. net public capital stock equaled almost $4.6 trillion, 72% of which ($3.9 trillion) was owned by state and local governments, most of it in buildings, highways, Streets, sewer systems, and water supply facilities. Thus, public infrastructure finance is fundamentally a local government issue, with implications for federal and state governments in the design of their aid programs.

Bartle, John R.↗
NASA NTRS2018

An Investigation of Risk Management Approaches for NASA Piloted X-Plane Projects

NASA is resuming X-plane research. It plans to build a low-boom supersonic flight demonstrator (LBFD), an all-electric general aviation aircraft (X-57), and possibly an ultra-efficient subsonic transport (UEST) demonstrator. In an attempt to define what levels of risk are appropriate in piloted X-plane research, the NASA Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) evaluated numerous NASA, Department of Defense (DoD), and industry project management and risk assessment tools. Provided are the results of the evaluations of NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 7120.5, 7120.8, and 8705.4; Langley Research Center (LaRC) Procedural Requirement (LPR) 7120.5; Dryden (Armstrong) Center Procedures S-002 and X-009; and Military Handbook 516C. Some of these were applied to the LBFD and X-57 aircraft. The impacts on risk of budgeting decisions and specialized flight conditions were also considered. None of the evaluated processes were found to be fully appropriate for governing experimental aircraft projects, but many useful elements were found in some of them.

X-59↗
NASA NTRS2009

Chemical Processing of Non-Crop Plants for Jet Fuel Blends Production

The use of Biofuels has been gaining in popularity over the past few years due to their ability to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Biofuels as a renewable energy source can be a viable option for sustaining long-term energy needs if they are managed efficiently. We describe our initial efforts to exploit algae, halophytes and other non-crop plants to produce synthetics for fuel blends that can potentially be used as fuels for aviation and non-aerospace applications. Our efforts have been dedicated to crafting efficient extraction and refining processes in order to extract constituents from the plant materials with the ultimate goal of determining the feasibility of producing biomass-based jet fuel from the refined extract. Two extraction methods have been developed based on communition processes, and liquid-solid extraction techniques. Refining procedures such as chlorophyll removal and transesterification of triglycerides have been performed. Gas chromatography in tandem with mass spectroscopy is currently being utilized in order to qualitatively determine the individual components of the refined extract. We also briefly discuss and compare alternative methods to extract fuel-blending agents from alternative biofuels sources.

Kulis, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Hydrogen fueled subsonic aircraft - A prospective

The performance characteristics of hydrogen-fueled subsonic transport aircraft are compared with those of aircraft using conventional aviation kerosene. Results of the Cryogenically Fueled Aircraft Technology Program sponsored by NASA indicate that liquid hydrogen may be particularly efficient for subsonic transport craft when ranges of 4000 km or more are involved; however, development of advanced cryogenic tanks for liquid hydrogen fuel is required. The NASA-sponsored program also found no major technical obstacles for international airports converting the liquid hydrogen fueling systems. Resource utilization efficiency and fuel production costs for hydrogen produced by coal gasification or for liquid methane or synthetic aviation kerosene are also assessed.

Witcofski, R. D.↗