Engineering topics
Propulsion
Explore propulsion reports from NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI. Search rocket engines, electric propulsion and thrusters; verify designs and performance in the source documents.
The Lunar Flashlight Propulsion System - A Green Chemical Propulsion System for CubeSats
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC) Augmented Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) & Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Evaluation of Response Surface Experiment Designs for Distributed Propulsion Aircraft Aero-Propulsive Modeling
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
FLOW THROUGH POROUS MEDIA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ION ROCKET OPERATION
Flow through porous media and its implications for ion engine operation
Studies on the nucleothermal propulsion. estimation of a nuclear stage performance for a heavy european booster etudes sur la propulsion nucleothermique. estimation de performances d'un etage nucleaire pour lanceur lourd europeen
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Propellant selection for spacecraft propulsion systems. Volume 3 - Thermodynamics and propulsion Final report
Thermodynamic analysis of spacecraft thermal control and pressurization requirements for Mars Orbiter and Mars Excursion Module missions
Rocket vehicle surface reflectance measurement during retro-rocket firing.
Reflectance variation of painted surface during solid propellant retrorocket firing on surface measured by helium-neon laser
Study of solid rocket motors for a space shuttle booster. Appendix A: Solid rocket motor program cost estimate
The SRM booster stage program cost estimate and time-phased funding requirements are presented in tabular form. Graphs on parametric analysis are also considered.
Study of solid rocket motors for a space shuttle booster. Appendix C: Recovery and reuse 120-inch diameter solid rocket motor boosters
A baseline for a space shuttle configuration utilizing four parallel-burn 120-in. diameter SRMS is presented. Topics discussed include parachute system sequence, recovery system development profile, parachute container, and segment and closure recovery operations. A cost analysis for recovery of the SRM stage is presented. It is concluded that from the standpoint of minimum cost and development, parachutes are the best means of achieving SRM recovery. Major SRM components can be reused safely.
Study of solid rocket motors for a space shuttle booster. Appendix D: Recovery and reuse 156-inch diameter solid rocket motor booster
The baseline for a space shuttle configuration utilizing two parallel-burn, 156-in.-diameter SRMs with three segments and techroll seal movable nozzles is presented. The concept and general economic benefits of SRM recovery are equally valid for the series-burn SRMs, provided that those SRMs are also designed for the same strength, stiffness, segmentation, and interchangeability as the present design, and that those SRMs are also recovered as individual units. Feasibility studies were initiated to investigate SRM recoverability. These studies were based upon recovery of the SRM boosters for the Titan 3C. Ground rules precluded SRM modification that required significant changes in motor qualification or schedule. Even with this restriction, the study determined that the recoverable booster concept was completely feasible, both technically and economically. Parachute recovery has been selected as the best method, principally because it can accomplish the task with a minimum development cost and time to achieve operational recovery status. This system affords the highest probability for achieving large cost reductions.
Propulsion integration for a hybrid propulsive-lift system
In a discussion of STOL vehicles with conventional high-lift devices, the need for efficient power-augmented lift systems is presented, and the implications of quiet operation are noted. The underlying philosophy of a promising hybrid lift system with major interactions between aerodynamic, thermodynamic, acoustic, and configuration design technologies is derived. The technique by which engine and airframe-related characteristics for this application may be matched in an optimum manner is described and illustrated by describing the features of a particular short-haul commercial STOL vehicle.
Study of laser heated propulsion devices. Part 2: Assessment of laser propulsion modeling and simulation requirements
Theoretical models for the laser heated thruster are reviewed. The requirements for an improved laser heated thruster theoretical model are discussed. The application of a time dependent finite difference Navier-Stokes equation solution to the laser heated thruster problem is described, along with a simple closed form solution which was developed in order to gain insight into the difficulties encountered in the pursuit of the numerical solution.
Solar electric propulsion system /SEPS/: Tomorrow's propulsion system - Today
Mission and system concepts relating to the SEPS project will be discussed as well as an overview of current project planning. SEPS system concept descriptions will be limited to in-house NASA concepts. The capabilities of the in-house concepts to meet a wide range of mission requirements will be described to give an indication of potential capabilities SEPS can provide to the space mission planners.
Large space antenna communications systems: Integrated Langley Research Center/Jet Propulsion Laboratory development activities. 3: Jet Propulsion Laboratory activities
The portion of JPL antenna R/D work that is performed cooperatively with Langley Research Center in support of the demonstration and evaluation of the 15-m unfurlable antenna. The activities that will be performed during FY 83 and FY 84 are also indicated.
Evaluation and Improvement of Liquid Propellant Rocket Chugging Analysis Techniques. Part 2: a Study of Low Frequency Combustion Instability in Rocket Engine Preburners Using a Heterogeneous Stirred Tank Reactor Model
During the shutdown of the space shuttle main engine, oxygen flow is shut off from the fuel preburner and helium is used to push the residual oxygen into the combustion chamber. During this process a low frequency combustion instability, or chug, occurs. This chug has resulted in damage to the engine's augmented spark igniter due to backflow of the contents of the preburner combustion chamber into the oxidizer feed system. To determine possible causes and fixes for the chug, the fuel preburner was modeled as a heterogeneous stirred tank combustion chamber, a variable mass flow rate oxidizer feed system, a constant mass flow rate fuel feed system and an exit turbine. Within the combustion chamber gases were assumed perfectly mixed. To account for liquid in the combustion chamber, a uniform droplet distribution was assumed to exist in the chamber, with mean droplet diameter determined from an empirical relation. A computer program was written to integrate the resulting differential equations. Because chamber contents were assumed perfectly mixed, the fuel preburner model erroneously predicted that combustion would not take place during shutdown. The combustion rate model was modified to assume that all liquid oxygen that vaporized instantaneously combusted with fuel. Using this combustion model, the effect of engine parameters on chamber pressure oscillations during the SSME shutdown was calculated.
Dynamical oscillation and propulsion of magnetic fields in the convective zone of a star. V - Instability and propulsion of flux bundles. VI - Small flux bundles, network fields, and ephemeral active regions
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Liquid Rocket Booster (LRB) for the Space Transportation System (STS) systems study. Appendix E: Pressure-fed booster test bed for the liquid rocket booster study
The stress analysis/structural design of the Pressure-Fed Booster Engine Test Bed using the existing F-1 Test Facility Test Stand at Huntsville, Alabama is described. The analysis has been coded and set up for solution on NASTRAN. A separate stress program was established to take the NASTRAN output and perform stress checks on the members. Joint checks and other necessary additional checks were performed by hand. The notes include a brief description of other programs which assist in reproducing and reviewing the NASTRAN results. The redesign of the test stand members and the stress analysis was performed per the A.I.S.C. Code. Loads on the stand consist of the loaded run tanks; wind loads; seismic loads; live loads consisting of snow and ice: live and dead loads of steel; and loaded pressurant bottle. In combining loads, wind loads and seismic loads were each combined with full live loads. Wind and seismic loads were not combined. No one third increase in allowables was taken for the environmental loads except at decks 147 and 214, where the increase was used when considering the stay rods, brackets and stay beams. Wind and seismic loads were considered from each of the four coordinate directions (i.e. N,S,E,W) to give eight basic conditions. The analysis was run with the pressurant tank mounted at level 125. One seismic condition was also run with the tank mounted at levels 169 and 214. No failures were noted with mounting at level 169, but extensive deck failure with mounting at level 214 (the loadsets used are included on the tape, but no detailed results are included in the package). Decking support beams at levels 147 and 214 are not included in the model. The stress program thus does not reduce strut lengths to the length between support beams (the struts are attached to the beams at intersection points) and gives stress ratios larger than one for some of the struts. The affected members were therefore checked by hand.