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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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NASA NTRS1984

Mathematical synthesization of complex structures

A mathematical synthesization approach for rapidly modeling and analyzing complex structures comprised of hundreds or thousands of repeating individual structural members, interconnecting hardware, and other components was described. The techniques are applicable to any structure with repeating structural members. The capabilities are embodied within the Interactive Design and Evaluation of Advanced Spacecraft (IDEAS) computer-aided design system. IDEAS has a full range of integrated spacecraft modeling, design, analysis, performance, and cost estimating capabilities which include about 40 technical program and executive, data base, and file management systems. With IDEAS, a single user at an interactive terminal can create, design, analyze, and conduct parametric studies of Earth orbiting spacecraft in a timely, cost-efficient manner. The system is particularly useful in the conceptual design phases of advanced space missions when a multiplicity of concepts must be evaluated. The IDEAS interactive finite-element modeling capabilities are discussed. The mathematical synthesization programs were structured not only to provide a detailed finite-element model of the structure but also to automatically perform the many auxiliary computations needed to analyze the spacecraft in its orbital operational environment.

Garrett, L. B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Space Station - The first step

The United States Space Station program, begun in Fiscal Year 1985 under significant cost constraints, should cause all those involved in the planning of manned interplanetary flight to revise their impressions of the cost and practicality of planetary missions. The presence of the Space Shuttle, as well as arrival of a capable Space Station, will provide a major impetus to planetary programs, both by removing most of the real barriers to extended manned space flights and by proving that significant manned space ventures may be performed very economically.

Mandell, H. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials Used for Tankage

The Nonmetallic Materials and Processes Group is presently working on several projects to optimize cost while providing effect materials for the space program. One factor that must be considered is that these materials must meet certain weight requirements. Composites contribute greatly to this effort. Through the use of composites the cost of launching payloads into orbit will be reduced to one-tenth of the current cost. This research project involved composites used for aluminum pressure vessels. These tanks are used to store cryogenic liquids during flight. The tanks need some type of reinforcement. Steel was considered, but added too much weight. As a result, fiber was chosen. Presently, only carbon fibers with epoxy resin are wrapped around the vessels as a primary source of reinforcement. Carbon fibers are lightweight, yet high strength. The carbon fibers are wet wound onto the pressure vessels. This was done using the ENTEC Filament Winding Machine. It was thought that an additional layer of fiber would aid in reinforcement as well as containment and impact reduction. Kevlar was selected because it is light weight, but five times stronger that steel. This is the same fiber that is used to make bullet-proof vests trampolines, and tennis rackets.

Cunningham, Christy↗

DOE OSTI2017

LDRD 2016 Annual Report: Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities

Each year, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is required to provide a program description and overview of its Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (LDRD) to the Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with DOE Order 413.2C dated October 22, 2015. This report provides a detailed look at the scientific and technical activities for each of the LDRD projects funded by BNL in FY 2016, as required. In FY 2016, the BNL LDRD Program funded 48 projects, 21 of which were new starts, at a total cost of $11.5M. The investments that BNL makes in its LDRD program support the Laboratory’s strategic goals. BNL has identified four Critical Outcomes that define the Laboratory’s scientific future and that will enable it to realize its overall vision. Two operational Critical Outcomes address essential operational support for that future: renewal of the BNL campus; and safe, efficient laboratory operations.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities (LDRD 2021 Annual Report)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

LDRD 2022 Annual Report: Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities

Each year, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is required to provide a report of its completed Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (LDRD) projects to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scientific and Technical Information in accordance with DOE Order 413.2C Chg1 (MinChg) dated August 2, 2018. This report provides a detailed look at the scientific and technical activities for each of the LDRD projects funded by BNL in FY 2022, in fulfillment of that requirement. In FY 2022, the BNL LDRD Program funded 70 projects, 30 of which were new starts, at a total cost of $17.2M. The investments that BNL makes in its LDRD program support the Laboratory’s strategic goals. BNL has identified seven scientific initiatives that define the Laboratory’s scientific future and that will enable it to realize its overall vision. This requires simultaneous excellence in all aspects of BNL’s work – from science and operations, to external partnerships with the local, state, and national communities, and beyond. This is enabled by safe, efficient, and secure operations; by an unwavering commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, including workforce development, both with staff and reaching out to the community; and by a strong focus on renewed infrastructure. The seven scientific initiatives are: 1) Nuclear Physics: uncover the structure of visible matter by constructing and operating the Electron-Ion Collider at BNL to maintain international leadership in nuclear physics for decades; 2) Clean Energy and Climate: support a net-zero U.S. economy through fundamental research in basic energy and climate sciences to revolutionize grid-scale storage, renewable integration, and the study of atmospheric processes with a new facility to improve climate predictability; 3) Quantum Information Science and Technology: discover new quantum materials to enhance quantum computers and develop an entanglement sharing quantum network as a prototype for the first quantum internet; 4) Discovery Science Driven by the Human-AI Facility Integration: revolutionize the operation of experiments across the sciences at user facilities and in core programs; 5) High Energy Physics: understand the origin of space and time with the ATLAS high luminosity upgrade at CERN and the future Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment; 6) Isotope Production: accelerate and expand isotope production to ensure the security of the Nation’s supply; 7) Accelerator Science and Technology: harness the cross-cutting accelerator science expertise at BNL to develop new facilities, improve and expand its user facilities, and promote the use of accelerators in industry. The funded projects support BNL’s seven scientific initiatives and priority programs as well as new areas of research and competencies at the Laboratory that are consistent with the Laboratory’s vision and mission. In total, these LDRD investments supported 43 postdoctoral researchers in whole or in part and resulted in 138 publications and 7 awards. This Program Activities Report represents the future of BNL science; it is an impressive body of exploratory work that investigates many scientific and technical directions in support of the DOE and BNL missions.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

NASA NTRS1980

Satellite Power Systems (SPS) space transportation cost analysis and evaluation

A picture of Space Power Systems space transportation costs at the present time is given with respect to accuracy as stated, reasonableness of the methods used, assumptions made, and uncertainty associated with the estimates. The approach used consists of examining space transportation costs from several perspectives to perform a variety of sensitivity analyses or reviews and examine the findings in terms of internal consistency and external comparison with analogous systems. These approaches are summarized as a theoretical and historical review including a review of stated and unstated assumptions used to derive the costs, and a performance or technical review. These reviews cover the overall transportation program as well as the individual vehicles proposed. The review of overall cost assumptions is the principal means used for estimating the cost uncertainty derived. The cost estimates used as the best current estimate are included.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2014

Life Cycle Analysis of Dedicated Nano-Launch Technologies

Recent technology advancements have enabled the development of small cheap satellites that can perform useful functions in the space environment. Currently, the only low cost option for getting these payloads into orbit is through ride share programs - small satellites awaiting the launch of a larger satellite, and then riding along on the same launcher. As a result, these small satellite customers await primary payload launches and a backlog exists. An alternative option would be dedicated nano-launch systems built and operated to provide more flexible launch services, higher availability, and affordable prices. The potential customer base that would drive requirements or support a business case includes commercial, academia, civil government and defense. Further, NASA technology investments could enable these alternative game changing options. With this context, in 2013 the Game Changing Development (GCD) program funded a NASA team to investigate the feasibility of dedicated nano-satellite launch systems with a recurring cost of less than $2 million per launch for a 5 kg payload to low Earth orbit. The team products would include potential concepts, technologies and factors for enabling the ambitious cost goal, exploring the nature of the goal itself, and informing the GCD program technology investment decision making process. This paper provides an overview of the life cycle analysis effort that was conducted in 2013 by an inter-center NASA team. This effort included the development of reference nano-launch system concepts, developing analysis processes and models, establishing a basis for cost estimates (development, manufacturing and launch) suitable to the scale of the systems, and especially, understanding the relationship of potential game changing technologies to life cycle costs, as well as other factors, such as flights per year.

nanolaunch↗

NASA NTRS2014

Life Cycle Analysis of Dedicated Nano-Launch Technologies

Recent technology advancements have enabled the development of small cheap satellites that can perform useful functions in the space environment. Currently, the only low cost option for getting these payloads into orbit is through ride share programs. As a result, these launch opportunities await primary payload launches and a backlog exists. An alternative option would be dedicated nano-launch systems built and operated to provide more flexible launch services, higher availability, and affordable prices. The potential customer base that would drive requirements or support a business case includes commercial, academia, civil government and defense. Further, NASA technology investments could enable these alternative game changing options.With this context, in 2013 the Game Changing Development (GCD) program funded a NASA team to investigate the feasibility of dedicated nano-satellite launch systems with a recurring cost of less than $2 million per launch for a 5 kg payload to low Earth orbit. The team products would include potential concepts, technologies and factors for enabling the ambitious cost goal, exploring the nature of the goal itself, and informing the GCD program technology investment decision making process. This paper provides an overview of the life cycle analysis effort that was conducted in 2013 by an inter-center NASA team. This effort included the development of reference nano-launch system concepts, developing analysis processes and models, establishing a basis for cost estimates (development, manufacturing and launch) suitable to the scale of the systems, and especially, understanding the relationship of potential game changing technologies to life cycle costs, as well as other factors, such as flights per year.

modeling↗

NASA NTRS1995

Single-stage-to-orbit: Meeting the challenge

There has been and continues to be significant discussion about the viability of fully reusable, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) concepts for delivery of payloads to orbit. Often, these discussions have focused in detail on performance and technology requirements relating to the technical feasibility of the concept, with only broad generalizations on how the SSTO will achieve its economic goals of greatly reduced vehicle ground and flight operations costs. With the current industry and NASA Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program efforts underway to mature and demonstrate technologies leading to a viable commercial launch system that also satisfies national needs, achieving acceptable recurring costs becomes a significant challenge. This paper reviews the current status of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program including the DC-XA, X-33, and X-34 flight systems and associated technology programs. The paper also examines lessons learned from the recently completed DC-X reusable rocket demonstrator program. It examines how these technologies and flight systems address the technical and operability challenges of SSTO whose solutions are necessary to reduce costs. The paper also discusses the management and operational approaches that address the challenge of a new cost-effective, reusable launch vehicle system.

Freeman, Delma C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Affordability Approaches for Human Space Exploration

The design and development of historical NASA Programs (Apollo, Shuttle and International Space Station), have been based on pre-agreed missions which included specific pre-defined destinations (e.g., the Moon and low Earth orbit). Due to more constrained budget profiles, and the desire to have a more flexible architecture for Mission capture as it is affordable, NASA is working toward a set of Programs that are capability based, rather than mission and/or destination specific. This means designing for a performance capability that can be applied to a specific human exploration mission/destination later (sometime years later). This approach does support developing systems to flatter budgets over time, however, it also poses the challenge of how to accomplish this effectively while maintaining a trained workforce, extensive manufacturing, test and launch facilities, and ensuring mission success ranging from Low Earth Orbit to asteroid destinations. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in support of Exploration Systems Directorate (ESD) in Washington, DC has been developing approaches to track affordability across multiple Programs. The first step is to ensure a common definition of affordability: the discipline to bear cost in meeting a budget with margin over the life of the program. The second step is to infuse responsibility and accountability for affordability into all levels of the implementing organization since affordability is no single person s job; it is everyone s job. The third step is to use existing data to identify common affordability elements organized by configuration (vehicle/facility), cost, schedule, and risk. The fourth step is to analyze and trend this affordability data using an affordability dashboard to provide status, measures, and trends for ESD and Program level of affordability tracking. This paper will provide examples of how regular application of this approach supports affordable and therefore sustainable human space exploration architecture.

Holladay, Jon↗

NASA NTRS2011

Making Human Spaceflight Practical and Affordable: Spacecraft Designs and their Degree of Operability

As we push toward new and diverse space transportation capabilities, reduction in operations cost becomes increasingly important. Achieving affordable and safe human spaceflight capabilities will be the mark of success for new programs and new providers. The ability to perceive the operational implications of design decisions is crucial in developing safe yet cost competitive space transportation systems. Any human spaceflight program - government or commercial - must make countless decisions either to implement spacecraft system capabilities or adopt operational constraints or workarounds to account for the lack of such spacecraft capabilities. These decisions can benefit from the collective experience that NASA has accumulated in building and operating crewed spacecraft over the last five decades. This paper reviews NASA s history in developing and operating human rated spacecraft, reviewing the key aspects of spacecraft design and their resultant impacts on operations phase complexity and cost. Specific examples from current and past programs - including the Space Shuttle and International Space Station - are provided to illustrate design traits that either increase or increase cost and complexity associated with spacecraft operations. These examples address factors such as overall design performance margins, levels of redundancy, degree of automated failure response, type and quantity of command and telemetry interfaces, and the definition of reference scenarios for analysis and test. Each example - from early program requirements, design implementation and resulting real-time operations experience - to tell the end-to-end "story" Based on these experiences, specific techniques are recommended to enable earlier and more effective assessment of operations concerns during the design process. A formal method for the assessment of spacecraft operability is defined and results of such operability assessments for recent spacecraft designs are provided. Recent experience in applying these techniques to Orion spacecraft development is reviewed to highlight the direct benefits of early operational assessment and collaborative development efforts.

Crocker, Alan R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Improving Life-Cycle Cost Management of Spacecraft Missions

This presentation will explore the results of a recent NASA Life-Cycle Cost study and how project managers can use the findings and recommendations to improve planning and coordination early in the formulation cycle and avoid common pitfalls resulting in cost overruns. The typical NASA space science mission will exceed both the initial estimated and the confirmed life-cycle costs by the end of the mission. In a fixed-budget environment, these overruns translate to delays in starting or launching future missions, or in the worst case can lead to cancelled missions. Some of these overruns are due to issues outside the control of the project; others are due to the unpredictable problems (unknown unknowns) that can affect any development project. However, a recent study of life-cycle cost growth by the Discovery and New Frontiers Program Office identified a number of areas that are within the scope of project management to address. The study also found that the majority of the underlying causes for cost overruns are embedded in the project approach during the formulation and early design phases, but the actual impacts typically are not experienced until late in the project life cycle. Thus, project management focus in key areas such as integrated schedule development, management structure and contractor communications processes, heritage and technology assumptions, and operations planning, can be used to validate initial cost assumptions and set in place management processes to avoid the common pitfalls resulting in cost overruns.

Clardy, Dennon↗

DOE OSTI2022

Melt-Spun PAN Precursor for Cost-Effective Carbon Fibers in High Pressure Compressed Gas Tankage

The objective of this program was to synthesize melt-spinnable polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor that will lead to carbon fiber 25% less expensive than carbon fiber produced from conventional PAN precursor when produced in large volumes. The carbon fiber produced from this precursor needs to achieve ≥ 700 ksi tensile strength with this cost reduction to replace the incumbent fiber. In this program, the technology for producing precursor and then converted carbon fiber (CF) capable of meeting the 700 ksi target was to be demonstrated at a small scale in tows, containing ≥ 100 filaments. If this program moved on to a “Phase 2”, the processes would be scaled up to produce and test Type IV compressed gas storage tanks capable of meeting the 700-bar ultimate targeted FOA performance level. Precursor fiber production typically contributes a large fraction (~50%) to finished CF manufactured cost. Presently, all high strength CFs are manufactured from solution spun PAN precursor, accomplished at low temperatures using large amounts of environmentally unfriendly solvents that impart major impact to line speed and costs involved with handling and reclaiming the solvents and associated “waste streams” required in spinning and extracting those solvents. PAN melt spinning was demonstrated by the company BASF in CF precursor production and used in production of some other acrylic fibers, but significant production challenges remain for meeting the established CF metrics. Melt spinning requires use of plasticizers to suppress the melt temperature of the predominantly PAN formulation to a point sufficiently below the temperature of significant cross-linking. Fortunately, BASF and this team’s earlier work had demonstrated acrylic formulations melt spun with combinations of plasticizing solvents at much lower solvent levels. This project team made significant progress in understanding technical issues and identifying formulation pathways in earlier work in this area where >250ksi strength was achieved. The goal of this program was to pursue a more comprehensive approach with a larger, more diverse team having greater equipment design and overall production capabilities to push rapidly beyond the science to resolve remaining “engineering” issues associated with establishing stable, continuous processes for precursor fiber leading to enhanced, cost-effective CF and composite tank production.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1973

System design of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft. Volume 12: International cooperation

A spectrum of plans has been prepared to illustrate the range of practical sharing possibilities available so as to assist Ames Research Center (ARC) and European Space Research Organization (ESRO) in selection of a program meeting mutual goals. Five plans are described showing increased participation by ESRO WITH ascending plan number. Each of these has sharing properties fulfilling particular requirements such as available ESRO budget level, extent of ESRO program responsibility, matching particular ESRO capability, and cost saving to ARC through sharing. All plans apply to orbiter sharing only. A sharing plan based on the model Plan 4 may offer the most attractive division of Pioneer Venus between ARC and ESRO. This plan allows ESRO to bear primary responsibility for the orbiter and to avoid an extensive financial burden. Savings to ARC are commensurate with ARC loss of program control. Duplication of effort is avoided by using orbiter subsystems that are common to the probe bus and orbiter.

Kelly, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Heritage and Advanced Technology Systems Engineering Lessons Learned from NASA Deep Space Missions

In the design and development of complex spacecraft missions, project teams frequently assume the use of advanced technology systems or heritage systems to enable a mission or reduce the overall mission risk and cost. As projects proceed through the development life cycle, increasingly detailed knowledge of the advanced and heritage systems within the spacecraft and mission environment identifies unanticipated technical issues. Resolving these issues often results in cost overruns and schedule impacts. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Discovery & New Frontiers (D&NF) Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) recently studied cost overruns and schedule delays for 5 missions. The goal was to identify the underlying causes for the overruns and delays, and to develop practical mitigations to assist the D&NF projects in identifying potential risks and controlling the associated impacts to proposed mission costs and schedules. The study found that optimistic hardware/software inheritance and technology readiness assumptions caused cost and schedule growth for four of the five missions studied. The cost and schedule growth was not found to result from technical hurdles requiring significant technology development. The projects institutional inheritance and technology readiness processes appear to adequately assess technology viability and prevent technical issues from impacting the final mission success. However, the processes do not appear to identify critical issues early enough in the design cycle to ensure project schedules and estimated costs address the inherent risks. In general, the overruns were traceable to: an inadequate understanding of the heritage system s behavior within the proposed spacecraft design and mission environment; an insufficient level of development experience with the heritage system; or an inadequate scoping of the system-wide impacts necessary to implement an advanced technology for space flight applications. The paper summarizes the study's lessons learned in more detail and offers suggestions for improving the project's ability to identify and manage the technology and heritage risks inherent in the design solution.

Barley, Bryan↗

NASA NTRS2010

Heritage Systems Engineering Lessons from NASA Deep Space Missions

In the design and development of complex spacecraft missions, project teams frequently assume the use of advanced technology systems or heritage systems to enable a mission or reduce the overall mission risk and cost. As projects proceed through the development life cycle, increasingly detailed knowledge of the advanced and heritage systems within the spacecraft and mission environment identifies unanticipated technical issues. Resolving these issues often results in cost overruns and schedule impacts. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Discovery & New Frontiers (D&NF) Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) recently studied cost overruns and schedule delays for 5 missions. The goal was to identify the underlying causes for the overruns and delays, and to develop practical mitigations to assist the D&NF projects in identifying potential risks and controlling the associated impacts to proposed mission costs and schedules. The study found that optimistic hardware/software inheritance and technology readiness assumptions caused cost and schedule growth for all five missions studied. The cost and schedule growth was not found to be the result of technical hurdles requiring significant technology development. The projects institutional inheritance and technology readiness processes appear to adequately assess technology viability and prevent technical issues from impacting the final mission success. However, the processes do not appear to identify critical issues early enough in the design cycle to ensure project schedules and estimated costs address the inherent risks. In general, the overruns were traceable to: an inadequate understanding of the heritage system s behavior within the proposed spacecraft design and mission environment; an insufficient level of development experience with the heritage system; or an inadequate scoping of the systemwide impacts necessary to implement an advanced technology for space flight applications. The paper summarizes the study s lessons learned in more detail and offers suggestions for improving the project s ability to identify and manage the technology and heritage risks inherent in the design solution.

Barley, Bryan↗

DOE OSTI2019

DE-FE0031180 Final Report - LGFCS Prototype System Testing - R0

In the project, LGFCS assembled and tested its modular SOFC Power System that incorporates all critical technology improvements identified for its “product-like” demonstration. This product demonstrator is expected to meet customer and LGFCS performance expectations for operation, availability, durability and serviceability. The principal technology improvements are aimed at increasing the fuel cell power output and reducing the stack degradation rate. Improvements were also made for added system robustness and increased reliability. The objective of this program is to test a 250kWe thermally self-sustaining modular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) Power System for a minimum of 5,000 hours while advancing this commercial prototype product demonstrator to a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 7. The SOFC system was tested on a site provided by Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio. System performance and degradation as well as cost estimates were compared to established SOFC Program performance metrics to assess progress. The major achievements were to assemble, and QA qualify 70 fuel cell strips for 12 integrated blocks into a fuel cell vessel and install it into a generator module with the fuel and power electronics modules on the test site. Performance to date included over 1800 hours on load at 250 KW-AC to the grid with a DC efficiency of 61% and AC efficiency of 55%. Power degradation was less than 0.4% per 1000 hours and NOx emissions met standards. The LGFCS SOFC Prototype System (GEN0) was demonstrated in an operational environment and therefore achieving Technical Readiness Level 7. The work presented here represents the efforts of all the employees of LG Fuel Cell Systems. Their dedication and hard work made GEN0 possible and successful.

03 NATURAL GAS↗