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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 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

CloudSat Bias on Falling Snow Estimates Over the Daylight Only Operational Period (2012-2019)

Falling snow is a key component for the global atmospheric, hydrological and energy cycles, and its retrieval from space-based observations represents the best current capability to evaluate it globally. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Core Observatory, launched in 2014, together with its constellation sensors, can provide quasi-global precipitation estimates every 30 minutes (for level 3 products). Evaluation and validation efforts for such products are crucial, and for global evaluations, one of the most suitable instruments is the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on board CloudSat, which is sensitive to light rain and falling snow. However, due to a battery anomaly in 2011, during its period of overlapping observations with GPM the CPR has operated in a Daylight Only Operations mode (DO-Op) in which it makes measurements primarily during only the daylit portion of its orbit. The goal of this work is to estimate biases inherent in global snowfall amounts derived from CPR measurements due to this shift to DO-Op mode. We use CloudSat's snowfall measurements during its Full Operations (Full-Op) period from 2006 to 2010 to evaluate the impact DO-Op mode would have had during this period. Results indicate that omitting the nocturnal component of the diurnal cycle of snowfall has nonnegligible impact on snowfall amounts in some regions. The lack of nighttime data during DO-Op biases the latitudinally averaged mean snowfall rates as well as some regional values. Hemispheric differences in bias may be due to more pronounced diurnal variability in the northern hemisphere owing to more prevalent land surface versus the southern hemisphere. The results highlight the need to sample consistently with the CloudSat observations or to adjust snowfall estimates derived from CloudSat when using DO-Op data to evaluate other precipitation products.

Milani, Lisa↗
NASA NTRS1976

Heart Sonar Images

Stanford University cardiologists, with the help of Ames engineers, have validated the operation of the echo-cardioscope to monitor cardiac functions of astronauts in flight. This device forms images of internal structures using high-frequency sound. The instrument is compact, lightweight, portable, and DC powered for safety. The battery powered ultrasonic device, being isolated from its electrical environment, has an inherent safety advantage especially with infants.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2006

Integrated Modeling of Advanced Opto-Mechanical Systems

The design of optical hardware for space applications is particularly challenging when developing high performance, novel systems that have no precedent. Integrated modeling and analysis of such opto-mechanical systems seeks to describe the end-to-end performance of the hardware using mission-relevant metrics. This multidisciplinary analysis might start with thermal disturbances from observation maneuvers, compute the system temperatures, compute the distorted positions and shapes of the hardware and compute the resulting optical performance. Dynamic disturbances such as reaction wheel imbalance or inertia imbalance of optical delay lines might be applied to a structural dynamic model and used in a guidance and control analysis. Mission-relevant science metrics might include wavefront quality, pointing error or imaging stability. Assembling a tool chain that can be both nimble and effective when scaled to the high fidelity models of detail design has been challenging. An integrated thermal, mechanical and optical analysis capability suitable for detail design has been developed and verified through experimental measurement. This capability was used in the design of flight-like breadboard hardware and development of a test apparatus that established both the level of performance of the hardware and the validity of the analysis. The analysis includes prediction of the thermal environment of the test chamber, detailed temperature distributions on the breadboard hardware, fine scale deformations of the optical elements, and computation of the wavefront quality using geometric optics. A battery of tests were conducted to assess the experiment data acquisition, measurement and control system and to establish the performance of the hardware design and accuracy of the integrated modeling. Thermal loads that represent operational observing maneuvers were imposed and the hardware optical performance was measured and compared to analytical predictions.

optomechanical analysis↗
DOE OSTI2026

Revealing the coupled oxygen and hypochlorite chemistry in saltwater batteries through operando pH and oxygen monitoring

Saltwater batteries (SWBs) that utilize Na⁺ ions from seawater have emerged as promising candidates for low-cost and sustainable grid-scale energy storage. To date, the cathode reaction mechanism of SWBs has been predominantly described by oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER/ORR). However, this assumption is valid only under idealized ocean-like conditions with constant pH and continuous oxygen replenishment. In practical systems, SWBs operate in finite volumes of saltwater, where saltwater composition dynamically evolves during cycling. Here, in this work, we systematically investigate the cathode reaction mechanisms of SWBs under finite saltwater conditions using galvanostatic cycling combined with electrochemical diagnostics and operando monitoring of dissolved oxygen and pH. Our results reveal that the cathode chemistry during SWB operation is considerably more complex than previously assumed. In addition to OER and ORR, hypochlorite formation and consumption reactions, along with pH-dependent switching of dominant reaction pathways, play critical roles. We further identify the sequence and relative contributions of these reactions throughout charge–discharge cycling. These findings provide a comprehensive and mechanistically grounded understanding of SWB cathode processes under relatively realistic cell design and operation condition. The insights presented here establish a new framework for interpreting SWB electrochemistry and offer directions for future strategies aimed at improving performance, stability, and practical viability.

Hypochlorite redox reaction↗
NASA NTRS2016

NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites: Tools for Software Based Validation and Verification of Small Satellites

The NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites (NOS3) is a suite of tools to aid in areas such as software development, integration test (IT), mission operations training, verification and validation (VV), and software systems check-out. NOS3 provides a software development environment, a multi-target build system, an operator interface-ground station, dynamics and environment simulations, and software-based hardware models. NOS3 enables the development of flight software (FSW) early in the project life cycle, when access to hardware is typically not available. For small satellites there are extensive lead times on many of the commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components as well as limited funding for engineering test units (ETU). Considering the difficulty of providing a hardware test-bed to each developer tester, hardware models are modeled based upon characteristic data or manufacturers data sheets for each individual component. The fidelity of each hardware models is such that FSW executes unaware that physical hardware is not present. This allows binaries to be compiled for both the simulation environment, and the flight computer, without changing the FSW source code. For hardware models that provide data dependent on the environment, such as a GPS receiver or magnetometer, an open-source tool from NASA GSFC (42 Spacecraft Simulation) is used to provide the necessary data. The underlying infrastructure used to transfer messages between FSW and the hardware models can also be used to monitor, intercept, and inject messages, which has proven to be beneficial for VV of larger missions such as James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). As hardware is procured, drivers can be added to the environment to enable hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing. When strict time synchronization is not vital, any number of combinations of hardware components and software-based models can be tested. The open-source operator interface used in NOS3 is COSMOS from Ball Aerospace. For testing, plug-ins are implemented in COSMOS to control the NOS3 simulations, while the command and telemetry tools available in COSMOS are used to communicate with FSW. NOS3 is actively being used for FSW development and component testing of the Simulation-to-Flight 1 (STF-1) CubeSat. As NOS3 matures, hardware models have been added for common CubeSat components such as Novatel GPS receivers, ClydeSpace electrical power systems and batteries, ISISpace antenna systems, etc. In the future, NASA IVV plans to distribute NOS3 to other CubeSat developers and release the suite to the open-source community.

Verification↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modeling Framework for Data Center

This chapter highlights the critical need for advanced modeling of data centers due to their rapidly increasing energy consumption and impact on grid reliability. Driven by the demand for AI applications, data centers are projected to consume a significant portion of US energy by 2028, putting stress on an already challenged power grid. The chapter emphasizes the importance of "fast" time-scale models to understand the dynamic interactions between data centers and the grid, especially given the rapid power fluctuations of AI workloads. It outlines a modeling framework that includes both offline and real-time EMT domain simulations, detailing the necessary representations for various components like utility interfaces, transformers, IT loads, UPS, cooling loads, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), generators, protection systems, and higher-level control systems. While standard simulation tools like PSCAD offer basic models, custom development is often required to accurately capture the unique and fast-changing behaviors of modern data centers. The chapter also discusses key metrics and test cases for validating these models, focusing on transient load responses, protection relay coordination, and demand flexibility. Finally, it addresses the challenges of modeling large-scale data centers, such as computational complexity and the trade-off between model fidelity and practicality, suggesting hybrid modeling approaches as a solution. The overarching goal is to create a robust framework that helps assess data center impacts on grid stability, identify vulnerabilities, and inform the development of standards for reliable integration of these large loads into the bulk power system.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data-Driven Energy Resilience Assessment and Enhancement in Urban Communities: A Case Study in Detroit

This paper presents a data-driven framework for assessing and enhancing energy resilience in urban communities. The resilience assessment is based on two datasets: 1) annual aggregated power outage data and 2) 15-minute interval outage data. High-impact, low-probability (HILP) events are identified within these datasets to evaluate community resilience under extreme conditions. To enhance resilience, an optimization framework utilizing mixed integer linear programming is developed to determine the optimal sizing and placement of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS). This method offers a cost-effective and practical solution for improving energy resilience in vulnerable communities. Furthermore, a case study of the City of Detroit in Michigan demonstrates the effectiveness of the framework through simulation and validation.

Energy resilience assessment↗
NASA NTRS2018

Overview of NASA Behavioral Health and Performance Standard Measures

NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) is developing a set of “Standard Measures” for use in spaceflight and spaceflight analog environments to monitor the risks of long-duration missions on human health and performance, including behavioral health, individual and team performance, and social processes. Based on measures selected, developed, and tested under the NASA-funded Behavioral Core Measures project (PI: D.F. Dinges) as well as other projects from NASA’s Human Factors & Behavioral Performance research portfolio, NASA’s Behavioral Health & Performance (BHP) Laboratory is further evaluating the operational feasibility, acceptability, and validity of a multidisciplinary suite of objective, subjective, behavioral, and biological measures for monitoring monitor behavioral health, individual and team performance, and social processes over time. The inaugural generation of the NASA Behavioral Health & Performance (BHP) Standard Measures includes a neurocognitive test battery, actigraphy, physical proximity sensors, cardiovascular monitors, and subjective self-reports of mood, depression, and various team and social processes and performance outcomes.

Roma, P. G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating large scale aqueous organic redox flow battery performance with a hybrid numerical and machine learning framework

Aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB) is a promising cost-competitive technology for large-scale energy storage. Among existing work, the dihydroxyphenazine (DHP)-based AORFB has demonstrated high energy density and low-capacity degradation in 10 cm$^2$ cells during lab tests. However, its commercial-scale performance in more complex environments remains unknown, posing a barrier to commercialization. To address this gap, this work presents a comprehensive performance evaluation of a 780 cm$^2$ DHP-based AORFB by combining a physics-based numerical model, machine learning (ML)-based surrogate models, and ML-derived sensitivity quantification. Specifically, we first select 12 key battery parameters that include 10 physicochemical and 2 operation quantities, then select 6 performance metrics that include energy efficiency (EE), discharging capacity, charging energy, and power losses due to concentration, activation, and ohmic over-potentials. With such selection, 12800 combinations of the 12 parameters are subsequently generated using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method. Such combinations, together with 38 pre-defined State of Charge, are then integrated to a validated AORFB model developed in COMSOL to compute the performance metrics. With both input parameters and performance metrics, 60 deep neural network (DNN) surrogate models are then trained to approximate the relationship between the 10 physicochemical quantities and 6 performance metrics at each flow rate and current density. Sensitivity scores are then calculated based on the DNN models. Two additional sensitivity analysis tools, i.e., MARS, and SHAP, are also used to cross-validate the sensitivity scores from the DNN. The results demonstrate that 1) the standard potential ranks first in controlling EE and charging energy, 2) the membrane conductivity is most critical for power loss and EE, and 3) specific area and reaction rate control activation power loss.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Accelerated Testing and Analysis Framework for Qualification of Battery Materials Part I: A Case Study with LFP Cathodes

The growing demand for batteries used within automotive, aviation, and grid applications has exacerbated the need to supplement critical battery material feedstocks, such as those for anode and cathode active materials. New or supplementary material sources, however, universally comprise unique properties that can affect the lifetime and performance of resultant batteries. Even minor differences between new sources and established supplies can delay qualification, making it difficult for new suppliers to commercialize and resulting in a less resilient supply chain. Accordingly, the influence of composition, microstructure, and morphology on electrochemical performance should be characterized quickly and accurately to accelerate commercialization of new sources. This work introduces a tiered framework to assess new material viability and understand the influence of physicochemical properties on battery performance. The Tier 1 testing described here is rapid and low-effort to recognize materials with fundamental flaws and potentially disqualify them. Later testing would require more effort but provide higher-fidelity information with a goal of application-based validation. A case study examining commercial sources of LiFePO4 (LFP) is presented, using Tier 1 of the protocol to identify rapid electrochemical and physicochemical signals that correlate with performance and provide early go/no-go decisions for LFP materials without requiring long-term cycling.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS2008

Moving Away from Ones and Zeros, Designing a Ground Data System Based on Higher Levels of Abstraction

Previous JPL ground systems have been designed with the Ground Data System (GDS) engineer in mind. The focus on these systems has been on packaging and delivery of low level information (frames, packets, telemetry values) to the end user. It was not that long ago when project teams would be huddled over a workstation, examining crude displays of telemetry bits organized in various ways, trying to determine the status of a spacecraft. Understanding the data often required additional levels of GDS expertise, or worse, transformation of the raw data into alternative formats followed by ingestion into other tools so that the data became meaningful. The primary focus was often to answer these types of questions: "Why did this particular frame fail Reed-Solomon decode? Why did this packet get marked as invalid? Why am I missing a block of telemetry from my query?" -- which are completely valid questions to ask from a GDS Engineer's point of view, and large families of tools have been designed to help answer these questions. But these are not the questions that most users care about - which are more like: "Why is the battery state of charge trending down? Show me a summary image report for the last traverse to the target. Show me a data accountability summary for the last DSN pass." Answers to these questions, which are what users are looking for, requires a higher level of abstraction and supporting tools than mining through ones and zeros. JPL has created a next generation capability called the Mission Data Processing and Control System (MPCS) which is designed to support this higher level of abstraction by providing customizable views of the ground system combining collections of lower level information into more meaningful ways. Instead of examining frames, packets, and individual telemetry data points -- MPCS is capable of providing comprehensive summary reports, product status, overall flight/ground event status, as well as payload health summaries. Based on these higher level views, end users can make tactical or strategic decisions, or drop into detailed analysis as needed. System designers need to continue building systems that support low level GDS troubleshooting - but the basic design of a GDS should be geared towards what end users actually need to see. This paper will describe the capabilities of MPCS that directly support these higher levels of abstraction, and which are being used today in missions such as the Mars Science Laboratory and other NASA missions.

MPCS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Validation of Lithium-ion cell technology for JPL's 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission

n early 2004 JPL successfully landed two Rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, on the surface of Mars after traveling >300 million miles over a 6-7 month period. In order to operate for extended duration on the surface of Mars, both Rovers are equipped with rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries, which were designed to aid in the launch, correct anomalies during cruise, and support surface operations in conjunction with a triple-junction deployable solar arrays. The requirements of the Lithium-ion battery include the ability to provide power at least 90 sols on the surface of Mars, operate over a wide temperature range (-20 C to +40 C), withstanding long storage periods (e.g., cruise period), operate in an inverted position, and support high currents (e.g., firing pyro events). In order to determine the viability of Lithium-ion technology to meet these stringent requirements, a comprehensive test program was implemented aimed at demonstrating the performance capability of prototype cells fabricated by Lithion, Inc. (Yardney Technical Products, Inc.). The testing performed includes, determining the (a) room temperature cycle life, (b) pulse capability as a function of temperature, (e) self-discharge and storage characteristics mission profile capability, (f) cycle life under mission simulation conditions, (g) impedance characteristics, (h) impact of cell orientation, and (i) performance in 8-cell engineering batteries. As will be discussed, the Lithium-ion prototype cells and batteries were demonstrated to meet, as well as, exceed the requirements defined by the mission.

2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER)↗
DOE OSTI2024

pnnl/EZBattery

Cell performance optimization is important for improving the system efficiency of a redox flow battery. To gain better insights into key controlling factors Of system efficiency, this work first proposed a theoretical model for a unit cell by extending a two-dimensional analytic model to a full cell. The model is then used for cell performance optimization after validating it with experimental and numerical modeling data.

Bao, Jie↗
NASA NTRS1992

The value of the 4-day headdown bedrest model for screening countermeasures

In order to evaluate the benefits of periodic exposure to the +G(z) vector as a countermeasure to the physiological responses to minus 6 degree head down bedrest (HDT), we considered a two-tiered approach: (a) to use 4 days HDT as a quick and inexpensive means of screening countermeasures, (b) to use a 60 day HDT to validate the most promising candidates. The approach and results of a 4 day study are described here. Methods: Nine males were admitted to our Human Research Facility for one ambulatory control day followed by 4 days HDT and were released on the next day after completion of a peak oxygen consumption test (VO(sub 2 peak)). A battery of tests was selected and standardized to evaluate the known early effects of HDT on plasma volume, early bone markers, orthostatic tolerance, physical performance, and fluid and electrolytes and their hormone regulation. Fluid sodium (Na) and potassium (K) intake and output in the urine were monitored throughout. Plasma volume was determined with a modified Evans Blue method and orthostatic tolerance with a 60 degree head-up tilt test for 30 minutes - both of which were determined on the ambulatory control day and on day 4 of HDT. Immediately after completion of the tilt test subjects were returned to the minus 6 degree position until the next morning when a VO(sub 2 peak) (horizontal ergometer) was done. This was compared to a similar control test determined on 2 separate occasions before subject admission. Results: Four hours after going HDT produced significant decreases (p less than 0.05) in the circulating concentration of fluid and electrolyte regulating hormones. Plasma volume, orthostatic tolerance and VO(sub 2 peak) changed significantly after 4 days HDT. There was also the expected natriuresis on day 1 of HDT but no significant diuresis. The consistency of the pre-bedrest VO(sub 2 peak) tilt tests and plasma volumes was remarkable. Conclusions: The 4 day HDT model seems highly promising for screening a variety of countermeasures alone and in combination before validating their benefits in extended bedrest or flight experiments.

Vernikos, J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Toward Reliable and Energy Efficient Wireless Sensing for Space and Extreme Environments

Reliability is the critical challenge of wireless sensing in space systems operating in extreme environments. Energy efficiency is another concern for battery powered wireless sensors. Considering the physics of wireless communications, we propose an approach called Software-Defined Wireless Communications (SDC) that dynamically decide a reliable channel(s) avoiding unnecessary redundancy of channels, out of multiple distinct electromagnetic frequency bands such as radio and infrared frequencies.We validate the concept with Android and Raspberry Pi sensors and pseudo extreme experiments. SDC can be utilized in many areas beyond space applications.

Choi, Baek-Young↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Testbed for Implementing Prognostic Methodologies on Cryogenic Propellant Loading Systems

Prognostics technologies determine the health state of a system and predict its remaining useful life. With this information, operators are able to make maintenance-related decisions, thus effectively streamlining operational and mission-level activities. Experimentation on testbeds representative of critical systems is very useful for the maturation of prognostics technology; precise emulation of actual fault conditions on such a testbed further validates these technologies. In this paper we present the development of a pneumatic valve testbed, initial experimental results and progress towards the maturation and validation of component-level prognostic methods in the context of cryogenic refueling operations. The pneumatic valve testbed allows for the injection of time-varying leaks with specified damage progression profiles in order to emulate common valve faults. The pneumatic valve testbed also contains a battery used to power some pneumatic components, enabling the study of the effects of battery degradation on the operation of the valves.

Prognositcs↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA Lewis advanced IPV nickel-hydrogen technology

Individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel-hydrogen technology was advanced at NASA Lewis and under Lewis contracts. Some of the advancements are as follows: to use 26 percent potassium hydroxide electrolyte to improve cycle life and performance, to modify the state of the art cell design to eliminate identified failure modes and further improve cycle life, and to develop a lightweight nickel electrode to reduce battery mass, hence reduce launch and/or increase satellite payload. A breakthrough in the LEO cycle life of individual pressure vessel nickel-hydrogen battery cells was reported. The cycle life of boiler plate cells containing 26 percent KOH electrolyte was about 40,000 accelerated LEO cycles at 80 percent DOD compared to 3,500 cycles for cells containing 31 percent KOH. Results of the boiler plate cell tests have been validated at NWSC, Crane, Indiana. Forty-eight ampere-hour flight cells containing 26 and 31 percent KOH have undergone real time LEO cycle life testing at an 80 percent DOD, 10 C. The three cells containing 26 percent KOH failed on the average at cycle 19,500. The three cells containing 31 percent KOH failed on the average at cycle 6,400. Validation testing of NASA Lewis 125 Ah advanced design IPV nickel-hydrogen flight cells is also being conducted at NWSC, Crane, Indiana under a NASA Lewis contract. This consists of characterization, storage, and cycle life testing. There was no capacity degradation after 52 days of storage with the cells in the discharged state, on open circuit, 0 C, and a hydrogen pressure of 14.5 psia. The catalyzed wall wick cells have been cycled for over 22,694 cycles with no cell failures in the continuing test. All three of the non-catalyzed wall wick cells failed (cycles 9,588; 13,900; and 20,575). Cycle life test results of the Fibrex nickel electrode has demonstrated the feasibility of an improved nickel electrode giving a higher specific energy nickel-hydrogen cell. A nickel-hydrogen boiler plate cell using an 80 mil thick, 90 percent porous Fibrex nickel electrode has been cycled for 10,000 cycles at 40 percent DOD.

Smithrick, John J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Nickel Hydrogen Batteries

An electrochemical Ni-H2 battery model has been expanded to include thermal effects. A thermal energy conservation equation was derived from first principles. An electrochemical and thermal coupled model was created by the addition of this equation to an existing multiphase, electrochemical model. Charging at various rates was investigated and the results validated against experimental data. Reaction currents, pressure changes, temperature profiles, and concentration variations within the cell are predicted numerically and compared with available data and theory.

Cullion, R.↗