Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “system adequacy”

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

Development of a multi-disciplinary ERTS user program in the state of Ohio

The author has identified the following significant results. Although the analysis of the results of presently - used methodology has showed inadequate correlation between the land use change and the various socio-economic factors, a system of analysis was produced that will aid in the future work in this area pointing out the adequacy of the land use data for producing models of desired accuracy. This testing methodology is applicable to other LANDSAT/land use interpretation systems.

Baldridge, P. E.↗

The management of technology assessment

The total problem concept of technology assessment, involving a comprehensive information management activity with an objective orientation to the assessment function is discussed. A brief overview of the technology assessment function and some past experiences are given. Fragmentation of assessment systems, optimum social subsystem for examination in particular assessments, and adequacy of assessments are studied. The magnitude of the technology assessment function and the level of support required for the effective performance of this function are also discussed. One type of institutional arrangement which might produce a close approximation to the total problem assessment approach is suggested.

Mayo, L. H.↗

Coverage Metrics for Requirements-Based Testing: Evaluation of Effectiveness

In black-box testing, the tester creates a set of tests to exercise a system under test without regard to the internal structure of the system. Generally, no objective metric is used to measure the adequacy of black-box tests. In recent work, we have proposed three requirements coverage metrics, allowing testers to objectively measure the adequacy of a black-box test suite with respect to a set of requirements formalized as Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) properties. In this report, we evaluate the effectiveness of these coverage metrics with respect to fault finding. Specifically, we conduct an empirical study to investigate two questions: (1) do test suites satisfying a requirements coverage metric provide better fault finding than randomly generated test suites of approximately the same size?, and (2) do test suites satisfying a more rigorous requirements coverage metric provide better fault finding than test suites satisfying a less rigorous requirements coverage metric? Our results indicate (1) only one coverage metric proposed -- Unique First Cause (UFC) coverage -- is sufficiently rigorous to ensure test suites satisfying the metric outperform randomly generated test suites of similar size and (2) that test suites satisfying more rigorous coverage metrics provide better fault finding than test suites satisfying less rigorous coverage metrics.

Staats, Matt↗

2021 Summer Resource Adequacy in the ERCOT Region

This report is an update to the NETL report on the same topic that examined the potential system performance of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system during the summer of 2020. Anticipated reserve margins in ERCOT have risen year-over-year from the 10.7 percent reported in ERCOT’s Final Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) for Summer 2020 to 15.7 percent for Summer 2021 in ERCOT’s Capacity, Demand and Reserves [CDR] report published in December 2020 and 2021 Summer Preliminary SARA published in March 2021. Using data from ERCOT’s 2021 Summer SARA, CDR, and historical performance data, six economic dispatch scenarios using PROMOD were developed to assess the risk to ERCOT of a load shedding event for Summer 2021. The results suggest that ERCOT could make it through the summer season without a loss of load event, as long as the weather remains normal. However, through a combination of scenarios, including increased demand, increased forced outages, and low wind output, ERCOT is likely to find itself operating in emergency conditions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

MSR Safety Adequacy Demonstration US Contributions Towards a Common Goal

Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are currently under development worldwide. The US government has been sponsoring development of MSR safety adequacy evaluation information and tools. The US is a member of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) MSR provisional System Steering Committee (pSSC). MSR pSSC collaboration is limited to exchange of open-fundamental information. Information employed to assess reactor safety adequacy needs to remain open to external scrutiny. US entities continue to measure fuel salt thermophysical and thermochemical properties, which have now been released into an open database. Non-US entities also continue to measure and openly publish fuel salt thermophysical and thermochemical properties. US entities continue to perform MSR accident progression experiments and simulations, the results of which are being reported in the open, scientific literature. The demonstrations have not yet been at sufficient scale to necessitate international collaboration.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

2022 Summer Resource Adequacy in the ERCOT Region

This report is a 2022 update to the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) report that examined the potential system performance of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system during the summer of 2021. Anticipated summer reserve margins in ERCOT have risen year-over-year from the 15.7 percent reported in ERCOT’s Final Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) for Summer 2021 to 22.8 percent in the Final SARA for Summer 2022, driven mostly by increases in wind and solar generation. Using data from ERCOT’s 2022 Summer SARA, Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) reports, and historical performance data obtained from ERCOT and Hitachi Energy Velocity Suite, six economic dispatch scenarios using PROMOD were developed to assess the risk to ERCOT of a load shedding event for Summer 2022. The results suggests that ERCOT may be facing a very tight resource adequacy situation, with the potential for a serious shortfall during the summer peak, usually the end of July through mid-August, if demand and generator outage rates significantly exceed peak levels. Under these conditions, ERCOT will need to call on its operating tools, including Energy Emergency Alerts (EEA) and calls to conserve electricity, to maintain reliability and continue serving load. Those measures alone may not be sufficient to avert a shedding of load.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Fly-By-Light/Power-By-Wire Requirements and Technology Workshop

The results of the Fly-By-Light/Power-By-Wire (FBL/PBW) Workshop held on March 17-19, 1992, at the NASA Langley Research Center are presented. The FBL/PBW program is a joint NASA LeRC/LaRC effort to develop the technology base for confident application of integrated FBL/PBW systems to transport aircraft. The objectives of the workshop were to ascertain the FBL/PBW program technical requirements and satisfy the requirements and needs from the industry viewpoint, provide a forum for presenting and documenting alternative technical approaches which satisfy the requirements, and assess the plan adequacy in accomplishing plan objectives, aims, and technology transfer. Areas addressed were: optical sensor systems, power-by-wire systems, FBL/PBW fault-tolerant architectures, electromagnetic environment assessment, and system integration and demonstration. The workshop consisted of an introductory meeting, a 'keynote' presentation, a series of individual panel sessions covering the above areas, with midway presentations by the panel chairpersons, followed by a final summarizing/integrating session by the individual panels, and a closing plenary session summarizing the results of the workshop.

Baker, Robert L.↗

Test program for transmitter experiment package and heat pipe system for the communications technology satellite

The test program is described for the 200 watt transmitter experiment package and the variable conductance heat pipe system which are components of the high-power transponder aboard the Communications Technology Satellite. The program includes qualification tests to demonstrate design adequacy, acceptance tests to expose latent defects in flight hardware, and development tests to integrate the components into the transponder system and to demonstrate compatibility.

Depauw, J. F.↗

Dual Impacts of Space Heating Electrification and Climate Change Increase Uncertainties in Peak Load Behavior and Grid Capacity Requirements in Texas

Around 60% of households in Texas currently rely on electricity for space heating. As decarbonization efforts increase, non‐electrified households could adopt electric heat pumps, significantly increasing peak (highest) electricity demand in winter. Simultaneously, anthropogenic climate change is expected to increase temperatures, the potential for summer heat waves, and associated electricity demand for cooling. Uncertainty regarding the timing and magnitude of these concurrent changes raises questions about how they will jointly affect the seasonality of peak demand, firm capacity requirements, and grid reliability. This study investigates the net effects of residential space heating electrification and climate change on long‐term demand patterns and load shedding potential, using climate change projections, a predictive load model, and a direct current optimal power flow (DCOPF) model of the Texas grid. Results show that full electrification of residential space heating by replacing existing fossil fuel use with higher efficiency heat pumps could significantly improve reliability under hotter futures. Less efficient heat pumps may result in more severe winter peaking events and increased reliability risks. As heating electrification intensifies, system planners will need to balance the potential for greater resource adequacy risk caused by shifts in seasonal peaking behavior alongside the benefits (improved efficiency and reductions in emissions).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Certification of advanced systems

Advanced cockpit systems in helicopters are evaluated in terms of safety certification areas of concern include: (1) power supply system, failure analysis; (2) software control; (3) lightning substantiation; and (4) adequacy of certification regulations.

Swihart, J. D., Jr.↗

Comparative Analysis of Confidence Metrics for Nuclear Criticality Safety

Nuclear criticality safety standards provide guidance on the requirements and recommendations to establish confidence in computerized model results used to support operation with fissionable materials. By design, the guidance is not prescriptive, leaving the analysts free to determine how various sources of uncertainties are to be statistically aggregated. This report compares the analyses and key assumptions behind four notable methodologies documented in the nuclear criticality safety literature: the parametric, nonparametric, Whisper, and TSURFER methodologies. Because of the involved use of statistics entangled with heuristic recipes, the results of these methodologies are often difficult to interpret. Also, they are augmented by additional large administrative margins, eliminating the incentive to understand their differences. With the new resurgent wave of advanced nuclear systems focused on economizing operation—including advanced reactors, fuel cycles, and fuel concepts—there is a strong need to develop a clear understanding of uncertainties and their fusion methodologies to reduce uncertainties in a scientifically defensible manner. This report offers a deep dive into the various assumptions of the four noted methodologies, their adequacy, and their limitations, to provide guidance on developing confidence for the emergent nuclear systems. These systems are expected to be challenged by the scarcity of experimental data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A systematic evaluation of wind's capacity credit in the Western United States

Abstract The degree to which wind energy can contribute to the capacity needed to meet resource adequacy requirements, also known as capacity credit (CC), can be impacted by many factors. The CC varies regionally with wind resource and correlation to net load and may also vary with wind technology (land‐based versus offshore) and turbine specifications. We use a probabilistic resource adequacy tool to systematically assess the CC of multiple technologies for near‐term wind deployment across the Western US power system to help inform planning decisions. We find that wind CC varies by weather year and location but averages 16% for land‐based turbines and 41% for offshore turbines, with large regional variations. The average wind CC increases to 20% for land‐based and 53% for offshore when considering only the sites in the top 25th percentile of capacity factor. The CC of land‐based wind is generally lower than its capacity factor, which indicates a low correlation of generation to system needs. However, offshore wind shows a substantially higher CC, which is driven by not only a higher capacity factor but also a greater correlation with system needs.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Design of Rigid-Flex PCB Robotics Leveraging Validated Finite Element Simulations

The use of rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) as primary structure has the potential to reduce the weight and volume of robotic systems. In the case of robotics for interplanetary exploration, these systems can leverage origami-inspired folding for increased mobility options and reduced storage volume. Folding rigid-flex PCB robotics can be constructed with rigid PCB connected by short Nomex fabric hinges coupled with flex PCB ribbon cables that permits enhanced system flexibility and energy dissipation to promote impact survivability. This paper presents a design methodology of rigid-flex PCB systems with an emphasis on impact resistance. The design process considers solder joint adequacy, panel bending, and fracture using a finite element (FE) model. The proposed design methodology is developed using a case study with NASA JPL's Pop-Up Folding Flat Explorer Robot (PUFFER). First, the finite-element (FE) modeling methodology is presented with consideration to both frequency and time-domain modeling applications, which include operational self-contact analysis and high impact scenarios. The time-domain impact modeling methodology utilizes hyperelastic material properties for the Nomex hinges. This modeling method is validated using image correlation of PUFFER drop tests. A flowchart is presented to guide users through a validated Abaqus modeling procedure for highly flexible rigid-flex systems. Next, a case study is presented in which PUFFER is subject to drop heights representative of falls into Lunar pits and then the design is refined for a more optimum impact performance. Finally, the results of the case study are used to inform a generalized design methodology for rigid-flex PCB robotics subject to high-impact loads with the considerations presented.

John Bell↗

Design of Rigid-Flex PCB Robotics Leveraging Validated Finite Element Simulations

The use of rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) as primary structure has the potential to reduce the weight and volume of robotic systems. In the case of robotics for interplanetary exploration, these systems can leverage origamiinspired folding for increased mobility options and reduced storage volume. Folding rigid-flex PCB robotics can be constructed with rigid PCB connected by short Nomex fabric hinges coupled with flex PCB ribbon cables that permits enhanced system flexibility and energy dissipation to promote impact survivability. This paper presents a design methodology of rigidflex PCB systems with an emphasis on impact resistance. The design process considers solder joint adequacy, panel bending, and fracture using a finite element (FE) model. The proposed design methodology is developed using a case study with NASA JPL’s Pop-Up Folding Flat Explorer Robot (PUFFER). First, the finite-element (FE) modeling methodology is presented with consideration to both frequency and time-domain modeling applications, which include operational self-contact analysis and high impact scenarios. The time-domain impact modeling methodology utilizes hyperelastic material properties for the Nomex hinges. This modeling method is validated using image correlation of PUFFER drop tests. A flowchart is presented to guide users through a validated Abaqus modeling procedure for highly flexible rigid-flex systems. Next, a case study is presented in which PUFFER is subject to drop heights representative of falls into Lunar pits and then the design is refined for a more optimum impact performance. Finally, the results of the case study are used to inform a generalized design methodology for rigid-flex PCB robotics subject to high-impact loads with the considerations presented.

de la Croix, Jean-Pierre↗

Effects of photometric geometry on spectral reflectance measurements

Progress is reported in obtaining valuable results needed for the full interpretation of the spectral reflectance curves of solar system objects. The degree to which photometric geometry affects spectral reflectance curves was demonstrated. Various forms of photometric functions were compared and a function adequate for describing the scattering properties of low and moderately reflecting materials was developed and applied in a study of the phase coefficients of various materials, as well as in a study of how the shape of a body affects the spectral reflectance properties. The adequacy of the photometric function for Mars-like analogs was studied. The goniometer system is being converted to a computer driven mode. As soon as computer controls are integrated in the goniometer, the phase dependence 0.95 micron feature in meteorite spectra is scheduled to begin.

Veverka, J.↗

Probabilistic Assessment of High-Renewables Power Systems: Current Work and Future Directions

In a future with higher penetrations of variable and energy-limited resources, the dominant sources of resource adequacy risk begin to shift from (assumed) independent thermal unit outages to spatially- and temporally-correlated weather-driven phenomena. Traditional resource adequacy assessment and planning methods can be ill-suited to such scenarios. This presentation will highlight aspects of NREL's work in adapting and developing new probabilistic methods and tools in anticipation of the needs of the power system planning exercises of tomorrow.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

A study of ASRS reports involving general aviation and weather encounters

Consideration is given to the nature and characteristics of problems involving dissemination of weather information, use of this information by pilots, its adequacy for the purpose intended, the ability of the air traffic control system to cope with weather related incidents, and the various aspects of pilot behavior, aircraft equipment, and NAVAIDS affecting flights in which weather figures. It is concluded from the study that skill and training deficiencies of general aviation pilots are not major factors in weather related occurrences, nor is lack of aircraft equipment. Major problem causes are identified with timely and easily interpreted weather information, judgement and attitude factors of pilots, and the functioning of the air traffic control system.

Rockwell, T. H.↗