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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

COLDArm Pressure-Sinkage Testing: Implications for Assessing Lunar Trafficability

The ability for regolith to support the movement of vehicles, known as trafficability, is commonly assessed using pressure-sinkage relationships. Trafficability on the lunar surface is controlled by the site-specific physical properties of the regolith and the geometry and mass of the roving vehicle. Lunar regolith pressure-sinkage testing can be performed with standard exploration hardware (e.g., robotic arms with scoops) and will help define exploration routes and hazard zones for rovers and astronauts, as knowledge of the sinkage of a wheel in regolith helps constrain viable operating conditions for rovers. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the necessity of in situ testing and characterization of lunar regolith physical properties for exploration and infrastructure development activities.

Regolith↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

COLDArm Pressure-Sinkage Testing: Implications for Assessing Lunar Trafficability

The ability for regolith to support the movement of vehicles, known as trafficability, is commonly assessed using pressure-sinkage relationships [1]. Trafficability on the lunar surface is controlled by the site-specific physical properties of the regolith and the geometry and mass of the roving vehicle. Lunar regolith pressure-sinkage testing can be performed with standard exploration hardware (e.g., robotic arms with scoops) and will help define exploration routes and hazard zones for rovers and astronauts, as knowledge of the sinkage of a wheel in regolith helps constrain viable operating conditions for rovers. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the necessity of in situ testing and characterization of lunar regolith physical properties for exploration and infrastructure development activities.

Regolith↗
NASA NTRS2013

Characterizing Wheel-Soil Interaction Loads Using Meshfree Finite Element Methods: A Sensitivity Analysis for Design Trade Studies

A wheel experiencing sinkage and slippage events poses a high risk to planetary rover missions as evidenced by the mobility challenges endured by the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project. Current wheel design practice utilizes loads derived from a series of events in the life cycle of the rover which do not include (1) failure metrics related to wheel sinkage and slippage and (2) performance trade-offs based on grouser placement/orientation. Wheel designs are rigorously tested experimentally through a variety of drive scenarios and simulated soil environments; however, a robust simulation capability is still in development due to myriad of complex interaction phenomena that contribute to wheel sinkage and slippage conditions such as soil composition, large deformation soil behavior, wheel geometry, nonlinear contact forces, terrain irregularity, etc. For the purposes of modeling wheel sinkage and slippage at an engineering scale, meshfree nite element approaches enable simulations that capture su cient detail of wheel-soil interaction while remaining computationally feasible. This study implements the JPL wheel-soil benchmark problem in the commercial code environment utilizing the large deformation modeling capability of Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) meshfree methods. The nominal, benchmark wheel-soil interaction model that produces numerically stable and physically realistic results is presented and simulations are shown for both wheel traverse and wheel sinkage cases. A sensitivity analysis developing the capability and framework for future ight applications is conducted to illustrate the importance of perturbations to critical material properties and parameters. Implementation of the proposed soil-wheel interaction simulation capability and associated sensitivity framework has the potential to reduce experimentation cost and improve the early stage wheel design proce

terramechanics↗
NASA NTRS2012

Determining Wheel-Soil Interaction Loads Using a Meshfree Finite Element Approach Assisting Future Missions with Rover Wheel Design

A wheel experiencing sinkage and slippage events poses a high risk to rover missions as evidenced by recent mobility challenges on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project. Because several factors contribute to wheel sinkage and slippage conditions such as soil composition, large deformation soil behavior, wheel geometry, nonlinear contact forces, terrain irregularity, etc., there are significant benefits to modeling these events to a sufficient degree of complexity. For the purposes of modeling wheel sinkage and slippage at an engineering scale, meshfree finite element approaches enable simulations that capture sufficient detail of wheel-soil interaction while remaining computationally feasible. This study demonstrates some of the large deformation modeling capability of meshfree methods and the realistic solutions obtained by accounting for the soil material properties. A benchmark wheel-soil interaction problem is developed and analyzed using a specific class of meshfree methods called Reproducing Kernel Particle Method (RKPM). The benchmark problem is also analyzed using a commercially available finite element approach with Lagrangian meshing for comparison. RKPM results are comparable to classical pressure-sinkage terramechanics relationships proposed by Bekker-Wong. Pending experimental calibration by future work, the meshfree modeling technique will be a viable simulation tool for trade studies assisting rover wheel design.

Contreras, Michael T.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Push-Pull Locomotion for Vehicle Extrication

For applications in which unmanned vehicles must traverse unfamiliar terrain, there often exists the risk of vehicle entrapment. Typically, this risk can be reduced by using feedback from on-board sensors that assess the terrain. This work addressed the situations where a vehicle has already become immobilized or the desired route cannot be traversed using conventional rolling. Specifically, the focus was on using push-pull locomotion in high sinkage granular material. Push-pull locomotion is an alternative mode of travel that generates thrust through articulated motion, using vehicle components as anchors to push or pull against. It has been revealed through previous research that push-pull locomotion has the capacity for generating higher net traction forces than rolling, and a unique optical flow technique indicated that this is the result of a more efficient soil shearing method. It has now been found that pushpull locomotion results in less sinkage, lower travel reduction, and better power efficiency in high sinkage material as compared to rolling. Even when starting from an "entrapped" condition, push-pull locomotion was able to extricate the test vehicle. It is the authors' recommendation that push-pull locomotion be considered as a reliable back-up mode of travel for applications where terrain entrapment is a possibility.

extrication↗
NASA NTRS2017

Effect of Angle of Attack on Slope Climbing Performance

Ascending steep slopes is often a very difficult challenge for off-road vehicles, whether on Earth or on extraterrestrial bodies. This challenge is even greater if the surface consists of loose granular soil that does not provide much shear strength. This study investigated how the path at which a vehicle traverses a slope, specifically the angle that it is commanded to drive relative to the base of the hill (the angle of attack), can affect its performance. A vehicle was driven in loose sand at slope angles up to 15 degrees and angles of attack ranging from 10 to 90 degrees. A novel photogrammetry technique was implemented to both track vehicle motion and create a three-dimensional profile of the terrain. This allowed for true wheel sinkage measurements. The study showed that though low angles of attack result in lower wheel slip and sinkage, the efficiency of the vehicles uphill motion increased at higher angles of attack. For slopes up to 15 degrees, a 90 degree angle of attack provided the greatest likelihood of successful ascent.

wheel↗
NASA NTRS2014

Terrain Physical Properties Derived from Orbital Data and the First 360 Sols of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Observations in Gale Crater

Physical properties of terrains encountered by the Curiosity rover during the rst 360 sols of operations have been inferred from analysis of the scour zones produced by Sky Crane Landing System engine plumes, wheel touch down dynamics, pits produced by Chemical Camera (ChemCam) laser shots, rover wheel traverses over rocks, the extent of sinkage into soils, and the magnitude and sign of rover-based slippage during drives. Results have been integrated with morphologic, mineralogic, and thermophysical properties derived from orbital data, and Curiosity-based measurements, to understand the nature and origin of physical properties of traversed terrains. The hummocky plains (HP) landing site and traverse locations consist ofmoderately to well-consolidated bedrock of alluvial origin variably covered by slightly cohesive, hard-packedbasaltic sand and dust, with both embedded and surface-strewn rock clasts. Rock clasts have been addedthrough local bedrock weathering and impact ejecta emplacement and form a pavement-like surface in whichonly small clasts (5 to 10 cm wide) have been pressed into the soil during wheel passages. The beddedfractured (BF) unit, site of Curiositys rst drilling activity, exposes several alluvial-lacustrine bedrock unitswith little to no soil cover and varying degrees of lithication. Small wheel sinkage values (1 cm) for both HPand BF surfaces demonstrate that compaction resistance countering driven-wheel thrust has been minimaland that rover slippage while traversing across horizontal surfaces or going uphill, and skid going downhill,have been dominated by terrain tilts and wheel-surface material shear modulus values.

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Gale Crater↗
NASA NTRS1994

Non-Geometric Hazard Detection for a Mars Microrover

Non-geometric hazards (i.e., those which cannot be characterized solely by their shape, but instead are related to mechanical properties such as strength and friction) may pose a significant risk to planetary rovers. This paper describes a means for an articulated vehicle to detect sinkage and slippage in such material so as to prevent entrapment and to correct for dead-reckoning errors.

hazards↗
NASA NTRS1971

Performance of the Boeing LRV wheels in a lunar soil simulant. Report 2: Effects of speed, Wheel load, and soil

Two nearly identical Boeing-GM wire-mesh Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) wheels were laboratory tested in a lunar soil simulant to determine the influence of wheel speed and acceleration, wheel load, presence of a fender, travel direction, and soil strength on the wheel performance. Constant-slip and three types of programmed-slip tests were conducted with a single-wheel dynamometer system. Test results indicated that performance of single LRV wheels in terms of pull coefficient, power number, and efficiency were not influenced by wheel speed and acceleration, travel direction, the presence of a fender, or wheel load. Of these variables, only load influenced sinkage, which increased with increasing load. For a given slip, the pull coefficient and power number increased with increasing soil strength. However, for a given pull coefficient or slope, slip was less in firmer soil; thus, the power number decreased and efficiency increased with increasing soil strength.

Melzer, K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

SKITTER foot design

A mechanical design team was formed to design a foot for the lunar utility vehicle SKITTER. The primary design was constrained to be a ski pole design compatible with the existing femur-tibia design legs. The lunar environment had several important effects on the foot design. Three materials were investigated for the SKITTER foot: aluminum alloys, cold worked stainless steel alloys, and titanium alloys. Thin film coatings were investigated as a method of wear reduction for the foot. The performance of the foot is dependent on the action of the legs. The range of motion for the legs was determined to be vertical to 15 degrees above horizontal. An impact analysis was performed for the foot movement, but the results were determined to be inconclusive due to unknown soil parameters. The initial foot design configuration consisted of an annulus attached to the pointed pole. The annulus was designed to prevent excess sinkage. Later designs call for a conical shaped foot with a disk at the point of the tibia attachment. The conical design was analyzed for strength and deflection by two different approaches. A deformable body analysis was performed for the foot under crane load in crane position, and also under actuator load in the vertical position. In both cases, the deflection of the foot was insignificant and the stresses well below the strength of the titanium alloy.

Choi, Gene↗
NASA NTRS1994

Microrover research at JPL

Planetary exploration with microrovers can be extended beyond the baseline short-range capability proposed for the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) microrover mission. The useful range of the microrover can be increased by using local landmarks to accurately reach desired science sites with a minimal number of Earth commands. Furthermore, onboard processing can give indications of excessive sinkage or slippage, which comprise hazards which may not be detectable from imaging, as well as to improve dead reckoning performance. Lastly, it is important to estimate the mean and variance of mission parameters such as time-to-reach-goal, energy-to-reach-goal, and likelihood-of-finding landmark. The author of the paper discusses research focused on accomplishing these objectives.

Wilcox, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2005

Learning for Autonomous Navigation

Robotic ground vehicles for outdoor applications have achieved some remarkable successes, notably in autonomous highway following (Dickmanns, 1987), planetary exploration (1), and off-road navigation on Earth (1). Nevertheless, major challenges remain to enable reliable, high-speed, autonomous navigation in a wide variety of complex, off-road terrain. 3-D perception of terrain geometry with imaging range sensors is the mainstay of off-road driving systems. However, the stopping distance at high speed exceeds the effective lookahead distance of existing range sensors. Prospects for extending the range of 3-D sensors is strongly limited by sensor physics, eye safety of lasers, and related issues. Range sensor limitations also allow vehicles to enter large cul-de-sacs even at low speed, leading to long detours. Moreover, sensing only terrain geometry fails to reveal mechanical properties of terrain that are critical to assessing its traversability, such as potential for slippage, sinkage, and the degree of compliance of potential obstacles. Rovers in the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission have got stuck in sand dunes and experienced significant downhill slippage in the vicinity of large rock hazards. Earth-based off-road robots today have very limited ability to discriminate traversable vegetation from non-traversable vegetation or rough ground. It is impossible today to preprogram a system with knowledge of these properties for all types of terrain and weather conditions that might be encountered.

mixture of Gaussians↗
NASA NTRS2006

Ground-Based Localization of Mars Rovers

The document discusses a procedure for localizing the Mars rovers in site frame, a locally defined reference frame on the Martian surface. MER onboard position within a site frame is estimated onboard and is based on wheel odometry. Odometry estimation of rover position is only reliable over relatively short distances assuming no wheel slip, sinkage, etc. As the rover traverses, its onboard estimate of position in the current site frame accumulates errors and will need to be corrected on occasions via relocalization on the ground (mission operations). The procedure provides a systematic process for ground operators to localize the rover. The method focuses on analysis of acquired images used to declare a site frame and images acquired post-drive. Target selection is performed using two main steps. In the first step, the user identifies features of interest from the images used to declare the current site. Each of the selected target s position in site frame is recorded. In the second step, post-traverse measurements of the selected features positions are recorded again, this time in rover frame, using images acquired post-traverse. In the third step, we transform the post-traverse target s positions to local level frame. In the fourth step, we compute the delta differences in the pre- and post-traverse target s position. In the fifth step, we analyze the delta differences with techniques that compute their statistics to determine the rover s position in the site frame.

Trebi-Ollennu, Ashitey↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dynamic Modeling and Soil Mechanics for Path Planning of the Mars Exploration Rovers

To help minimize risk of high sinkage and slippage during drives and to better understand soil properties and rover terramechanics from drive data, a multidisciplinary team was formed under the Mars Exploration Rover project to develop and utilize dynamic computer-based models for rover drives over realistic terrains. The resulting system, named ARTEMIS (Adams-based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Interaction System), consists of the dynamic model, a library of terramechanics subroutines, and the high-resolution digital elevation maps of the Mars surface. A 200-element model of the rovers was developed and validated for drop tests before launch, using Adams dynamic modeling software. The external library was built in Fortran and called by Adams to model the wheel-soil interactions include the rut-formation effect of deformable soils, lateral and longitudinal forces, bull-dozing effects, and applied wheel torque. The paper presents the details and implementation of the system. To validate the developed system, one study case is presented from a realistic drive on Mars of the Opportunity rover. The simulation results match well from the measurement of on-board telemetry data. In its final form, ARTEMIS will be used in a predictive manner to assess terrain navigability and will become part of the overall effort in path planning and navigation for both Martian and lunar rovers.

rover↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dynamic Modeling and Soil Mechanics for Path Planning of the Mars Exploration Rovers

To help minimize risk of high sinkage and slippage during drives and to better understand soil properties and rover terramechanics from drive data, a multidisciplinary team was formed under the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project to develop and utilize dynamic computer-based models for rover drives over realistic terrains. The resulting tool, named ARTEMIS (Adams-based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Interaction Simulator), consists of the dynamic model, a library of terramechanics subroutines, and the high-resolution digital elevation maps of the Mars surface. A 200-element model of the rovers was developed and validated for drop tests before launch, using MSC-Adams dynamic modeling software. Newly modeled terrain-rover interactions include the rut-formation effect of deformable soils, using the classical Bekker-Wong implementation of compaction resistances and bull-dozing effects. The paper presents the details and implementation of the model with two case studies based on actual MER telemetry data. In its final form, ARTEMIS will be used in a predictive manner to assess terrain navigability and will become part of the overall effort in path planning and navigation for both Martian and lunar rovers.

terramechanics↗