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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 NTRS1987

Effective core potential parameters for first- and second-row atoms

An improved effective core potential (ECP) technique is described and used to give ECP parameters for the atoms of the first two rows of the periodic table. A given basis set is parametrized which allows for a direct comparison with all-electron calculations. Extensive test calculations on first- and second-row molecules using the ECP have been performed, giving excellent agreement with the all-electron results at the SCF, CASSCF, and CI levels of treatment. Correlating and diffuse functions may be added without modifying the ECP parameters. The present ECP descriptions result in CPU time reductions of the order of 50 percent in addition to reduced disk storage.

Pettersson, Lars G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Long duration exposure facility post-flight thermal analysis: Orbital/thermal environment data package

A post flight mission thermal environment for the Long Duration Exposure Facility was created as part of the thermal analysis data reduction effort. The data included herein is the thermal parameter data used in the calculation of boundary temperatures. This boundary temperature data is to be released in the near future for use by the LDEF principal investigators in the final analysis of their particular experiment temperatures. Also included is the flight temperature data as recorded by the LDEF Thermal Measurements System (THERM) for the first 90 days of flight.

Berrios, William M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Capabilities and constraints of typical space flight hardware

The Space Experiments Division is in the business of performing ground based low gravity testing and designing experiment hardware for space flight on the Space Shuttle and in the future, Space Station Freedom. As witnessed in combustion work, the reduction of gravity brings forward previously negligible processes and parameters. In a similar manner, the design of experiments for microgravity operation aboard the Space Shuttle must consider parameters that are often not factors for laboratory hardware.

Koudelka, John M.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Reducing the Volume of NASA Earth-Science Data

A computer program reduces data generated by NASA Earth-science missions into representative clusters characterized by centroids and membership information, thereby reducing the large volume of data to a level more amenable to analysis. The program effects an autonomous data-reduction/clustering process to produce a representative distribution and joint relationships of the data, without assuming a specific type of distribution and relationship and without resorting to domain-specific knowledge about the data. The program implements a combination of a data-reduction algorithm known as the entropy-constrained vector quantization (ECVQ) and an optimization algorithm known as the differential evolution (DE). The combination of algorithms generates the Pareto front of clustering solutions that presents the compromise between the quality of the reduced data and the degree of reduction. Similar prior data-reduction computer programs utilize only a clustering algorithm, the parameters of which are tuned manually by users. In the present program, autonomous optimization of the parameters by means of the DE supplants the manual tuning of the parameters. Thus, the program determines the best set of clustering solutions without human intervention.

Lee, Seungwon↗
NASA NTRS2010

On Variable Geometric Factor Systems for Top-Hat Electrostatic Space Plasma Analyzers

Even in the relatively small region of space that is the Earth's magnetosphere, ion and electron fluxes can vary by several orders of magnitude. Top-hat electrostatic analyzers currently do not possess the dynamic range required to sample plasma under all conditions. The purpose of this study was to compare, through computer simulation, three new electrostatic methods that would allow the sensitivity of a sensor to be varied through control of its geometric factor (GF) (much like an aperture on a camera). The methods studied were inner filter plates, split hemispherical analyzer (SHA) and top-cap electrode. This is the first discussion of the filter plate concept and also the first study where all three systems are studied within a common analyzer design, so that their relative merits could be fairly compared. Filter plates were found to have the important advantage that they facilitate the reduction in instrument sensitivity whilst keeping all other instrument parameters constant. However, it was discovered that filter plates have numerous disadvantages that make such a system impracticable for a top-hat electrostatic analyzer. It was found that both the top-cap electrode and SHA are promising variable geometric factor system (VGFS) concepts for implementation into a top-hat electrostatic analyzer, each with distinct advantages over the other.

Kataria, Dhiren O.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Electron Beam Damage in Apatite: Limitations for SKα Measurements of S6+/∑S

In magmatic systems, the availabil- ity of excess oxygen that can react with multivalent elements such as Fe and S to change their charge (oxi- dation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ or reduction of S6+ to S2-) is characterized by a parameter called the oxygen fugacity (ƒO2). The ƒO2 controls the availability of these ions and consequently the minerals—and the chemistry of those minerals—that crystallize from a melt. Mineral mode and chemistry control how magmas evolve, and given that ƒO2 varies by many orders of magnitude on different planets [2], understanding the ƒO2 of a mag- ma is critical to relating observations about a magma to the body on which it forms. The mineral apatite was long thought to only incor- porate S6+ in a coupled substitution for P5+, but recently natural apatites with S2- were identified in lunar mare basalts that crystallized at low ƒO2 [3]. This suggests that apatite can be used as a monitor of ƒO2 assuming that one can 1) measure S6+/∑S (S6+ over total sulfur), and 2) determine some partitioning relationship be- tween apatite and melt for S6+ and S2-. The most common method for measuring S6+/∑S is X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES), but given the limited access to synchrotron facilities, it is wise to explore the potential of other methods for measuring S6+/∑S. One such possible method relies upon the shift in energy of the sulfur K-α peak on the electron microprobe. However, apatite is subject to well-documented beam damage [4, 5], so it is neces- sary to evaluate under what conditions can reliable S6+ ethod.

de Chizelle, J. Kuhn↗
NASA NTRS2019

Noise Reduction Potential of Phase Control for Distributed Propulsion Vehicles

Phase control is a noise reduction technique leveraging destructive interference of the coherent acoustic source field between a system of propellers rotating at equivalent rates. Carefully selecting the relative azimuthal blade positions (phase), the overall directivity of the blade passage frequency noise can be modified, potentially steering these tonal components away from sensitive areas. A modeling technique is described and validated using measurements of a dual-rotor system. The sensitivity of noise reduction through phase control is studied in a typical parameter space, i.e., dependence on rotation rate, number of propellers, spacing and layout, and rotation direction. Additionally, estimates of how realistic conditions, e.g., error in the phase controller, degrade potential benefits are described based on the generalized coherence of the system. From this, it is observed that the deviation from the nominal rotation rate should not exceed approximately 0.5% to achieve a 6 dB decrease at the blade passage frequency.

Kyle A Pascioni↗
NASA NTRS2021

Effect of Reactant Pressure on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance

It is an objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to return to the moon and to create sustained lunar operations. Since many applicable lander and upper stage vehicles utilize cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen propellants, it is appealing to incorporate fuel cells into potential mission concepts. A fuel cell could generate electricity, heat, and water from the residual hydrogen and oxygen propellants. Such a concept depends on the capability of the fuel cell to utilize dry, propellant-grade reactants at reduced pressures compared to typical fuel cell operating conditions. This report describes a NASA evaluation of two passive water removal, non-flow-through proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells: a twelve-cell 50 sq. cm active area stack and a seven-cell 150 sq. cm active area stack. Both stacks operated on research grade hydrogen and oxygen reactants supplied at pressures ranging from 20 psia up to the 45-48 psia design operating point, reliably supporting current densities of at least 450 mA/sq. cm at reduced pressures. Polarization curves, fitted with a semi-empirical equation for overpotential, show an increase in effective ohmic resistance and decrease in reversible cell potential, hydrogen crossover current, and Tafel slope when operating at lower pressures, resulting in a reduction in cell voltage at all current densities. Fitted parameters are compared to published values and rationalized with first principles explanations.

fuel cells↗
NASA NTRS2016

Active Vibration Reduction of the Advanced Stirling Convertor

Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being developed as an option to provide power on future space science missions where robotic spacecraft will orbit, flyby, land or rove. A Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) could offer space missions a more efficient power system that uses one fourth of the nuclear fuel and decreases the thermal footprint compared to the current state of the art. The Stirling Cycle Technology Development (SCTD) Project is funded by the RPS Program to developing Stirling-based subsystems, including convertors and controller maturation efforts that have resulted in high fidelity hardware like the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC), and ASC Controller Unit (ACU). The SCTD Project also performs research to develop less mature technologies with a wide variety of objectives, including increasing temperature capability to enable new environments, improving system reliability or fault tolerance, reducing mass or size, and developing advanced concepts that are mission enabling. Active vibration reduction systems (AVRS), or "balancers", have historically been developed and characterized to provide fault tolerance for generator designs that incorporate dual-opposed Stirling convertors or enable single convertor, or small RPS, missions. Balancers reduce the dynamic disturbance forces created by the power piston and displacer internal moving components of a single operating convertor to meet spacecraft requirements for induced disturbance force. To improve fault tolerance for dual-opposed configurations and enable single convertor configurations, a breadboard AVRS was implemented on the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC). The AVRS included a linear motor, a motor mount, and a closed-loop controller able to balance out the transmitted peak dynamic disturbance using acceleration feedback. Test objectives included quantifying power and mass penalty and reduction in transmitted force over a range of ASC operating parameters and mounting conditions. All tests were performed at three different piston amplitudes, 3.0, 3.75, and 4.5 mm. Overall, the transmitted force was reduced to 2 percent of the total unbalanced force by actively balancing out only the first fundamental frequency, with balancer motor power remaining under 1 watt. The test results will be used to guide future balancer designs.

Balancer↗
NASA NTRS2016

Active Vibration Reduction of the Advanced Stirling Convertor

Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being developed as an option to provide power on future space science missions where robotic spacecraft will orbit, flyby, land or rove. A Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) could offer space missions a more efficient power system that uses one fourth of the nuclear fuel and decreases the thermal footprint compared to the current state of the art. The Stirling Cycle Technology Development (SCTD) Project is funded by the RPS Program to developing Stirling-based subsystems, including convertors and controller maturation efforts that have resulted in high fidelity hardware like the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC), and ASC Controller Unit (ACU). The SCTD Project also performs research to develop less mature technologies with a wide variety of objectives, including increasing temperature capability to enable new environments, improving system reliability or fault tolerance, reducing mass or size, and developing advanced concepts that are mission enabling. Active vibration reduction systems (AVRS), or "balancers", have historically been developed and characterized to provide fault tolerance for generator designs that incorporate dual-opposed Stirling convertors or enable single convertor, or small RPS, missions. Balancers reduce the dynamic disturbance forces created by the power piston and displacer internal moving components of a single operating convertor to meet spacecraft requirements for induced disturbance force. To improve fault tolerance for dual-opposed configurations and enable single convertor configurations, a breadboard AVRS was implemented on the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC). The AVRS included a linear motor, a motor mount, and a closed-loop controller able to balance out the transmitted peak dynamic disturbance using acceleration feedback. Test objectives included quantifying power and mass penalty and reduction in transmitted force over a range of ASC operating parameters and mounting conditions. All tests were performed at three different piston amplitudes, 3.0 mm, 3.75 mm, and 4.5 mm. Overall, the transmitted force was reduced to 2% of the total unbalanced force by actively balancing out only the first fundamental frequency, with balancer motor power remaining under one watt. The test results will be used to guide future balancer designs.

Active Vibration Reduction↗
NASA NTRS1991

An application specific integrated circuit based multi-anode microchannel array readout system

Size reduction of two new multi-anode microchannel array (MAMA) readout systems is described. The systems are based on two analog and one digital application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The new readout systems reduce volume over previous discrete designs by 80 percent while improving electrical performance on virtually every significant parameter. Emphasis is made on the packaging used to achieve the volume reduction. Surface mount technology (SMT) is combined with modular construction for the analog portion of the readout. SMT reliability concerns and the board area impact of MIL SPEC SMT components is addressed. Package selection for the analog ASIC is discussed. Future sytems will require even denser packaging and the volume reduction progression is shown.

Smeins, Larry G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Pole placement and order reduction in two-time-scale control systems through Riccati iteration

A transformation of variables taken from singular perturbations may be applied to two-time-scale linear systems in state space form to reduce the system to block-diagonal form with slow and fast modes decoupled. The transformation is easily computed by applying the new Riccati iteration. The iteration yields a solution to the nonsymmetric algebraic Riccati equation obtained by partitioning the original system matrix A. The numerical procedure is initiated with the trivial iterate L(0) = 0, and is globally convergent to the desired unique time scale decoupling solution. After transformation, the decoupled system may be used in controller design to achieve exact closed loop pole placement in the slow subsystem without altering the poles of the fast subsystem. The decoupled form may also be used to reduce system order by wetting a small parameter to zero. Provided the fast subsystem is stable, the order reduction can be expected to yield a good approximation to the original system. These methods are demonstrated using the 16th order linear model of a turbofan engine.

Anderson, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Analytical and experimental study of mean flow and turbulence characteristics inside the passages of an axial flow inducer

The effort conducted to gather additional understanding of the complex inviscid and viscid effects existing within the passages of a three-bladed axial flow inducer operating at a flow coefficient of 0.065 is summarized. The experimental investigations included determination of the blade static pressure and blade limiting streamline angle distributions, and measurement of the three components of mean velocity, turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses at locations inside the inducer blade passage utilizing a rotating three-sensor hotwire probe. Applicable equations were derived for the hotwire data reduction analysis and solved numerically to obtain the appropriate flow parameters. Analytical investigations were conducted to predict the three-dimensional inviscid flow in the inducer by numerically solving the exact equations of motion, and to approximately predict the three-dimensional viscid flow by incorporating the dominant viscous terms into the exact equations. The analytical results are compared with the experimental measurements and design values where appropriate.

Gorton, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Swirling-flow jet noise suppressors for aircraft engines

Experimental investigations of the effects of swirling the jet exhausts of small turbofan and turbojet engines have indicated significant progress towards predicting and attaining substantial jet noise abatement with minimum thrust losses in large aircraft engines. Systematic variations of the important swirl vane and swirling flow parameters were conducted to determine their effects on jet noise reduction and engine performance. Since swirling flow becomes more effective in reducing jet noise as the density and temperature gradients increase, the significant trends in noise reduction and engine performance that were established by these parametric studies could be projected into potentially greater reductions of sound pressure levels with minimum thrust losses by controlled swirling of the jets of high thrust engines. The density and temperature gradients in the jet exhausts of high thrust engines are larger by comparison with gradients in small engines.

Schwartz, I. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A Remotely Operated Multiple Array Acoustic Range (ROMAAR) and its application for the measurement of airplane flyover noise footprints

The ROMAAR now in operation at NASA will allow direct measurement and display of aircraft noise in several measurement units during takeoff, landing, and flyby operations. This information, in addition to its application in terms of ground noise footprints, will also permit determination of the statistical variation of footprints or contours due to the atmosphere or aircraft operational parameters, and a measure of the impact of various noise reduction techniques and hardware on ground noise footprints. The methods, techniques, and equipment developed for the ROMAAR concept are applicable to CTOL, STOL, General Aviation, and VTOL aircraft. ROMAAR represents a unique combination of state of the art digital and analog noise recording methods, computer-controlled digital communications methods, radar-tracking facilities, quick-look weather capabilities, and a large data handling facility complemented by a large capacity curve fitting and plotting routine. The ROMAAR is set apart from the standard airport noise monitoring system by having the unique features mentioned above plus the fact that at present as many as 38 separate (but simultaneous) noise measurements can be made for each aircraft overflight.

Hilton, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An acoustic sensitivity study of general aviation propellers

This paper describes the results of a study in which a systematic approach has been taken in studying the effect of selected propeller parameters on the character and magnitude of propeller noise. Four general aviation aircraft were chosen, i.e., a Cessna 172, Cessna 210, Cessna 441, and a 19 passenger commuter concept, to provide a range in flight velocity, engine horsepower, and gross weight. The propeller parameters selected for examination consisted of number of blades, rpm reduction, thickness/chord reduction, activity factor reduction, proplets, airfoil improvement, sweep, position of maximum blade loading, and diameter reduction.

Korkan, K. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Analytical and experimental study of mean flow and turbulence characteristics inside the passages of an axial flow inducer

The inviscid and viscid effects existing within the passages of a three bladed axial flow inducer operating at a flow coefficient of 0.065 are investigated. The blade static pressure and blade limiting streamline angle distributions were determined and the three components of mean velocity, turbulence intensities, and turbulence stresses were measured at locations inside the inducer blade passage utilizing a rotating three sensor hotwire probe. Applicable equations were derived for the hotwire data reduction analysis and solved numerically to obtain the appropriate flow parameters. The three dimensional inviscid flow in the inducer was predicted by numerically solving the exact equations of motion, and the three dimensional viscid flow was predicted by incorporating the dominant viscous terms into the exact equations. The analytical results are compared with the experimental measurements and design values where appropriate. Radial velocities are found to be of the same order as axial velocities within the inducer passage, confirming the highly three dimensional characteristic of inducer flow. Total relative velocity distribution indicate a substantial velocity deficiency near the tip at mid-passage which expands significantly as the flow proceeds toward the inducer trailing edge. High turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses are concentrated within this core region. Considerable wake diffusion occurs immediately downstream of the inducer trailing edge to decay this loss core. Evidence of boundary layer interactions, blade blockage effects, radially inward flows, annulus wall effects, and backflows are all found to exist within the long, narrow passages of the inducer.

Gorton, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Statistical fatigue of unnotched composite laminates

A general analytical, phenomenological model is developed for characterizing fatigue damage accumulation in unnotched composite laminates, and experimental results are used to evaluate the model. The fatigue model, which is developed for various types of cyclic loadings, is based on the assumption that the residual strength reduction is a monotonically decreasing function of the fatigue life. Parameters are determined from baseline test data consisting of one set of residual strength data, one set of static strength data, and one set of constant amplitude fatigue life data. Once the parameters are determined, the model is able to predict: (1) the statistical distribution of the fatigue life, and the residual strength under constant and variable amplitude loads, and (2) the effect of periodic proof tests, without any additional experimental data. Experimental test results show that predictions made from the present model agree quite well with the experimental results. The model is also applicable to fatigue of bonded or bolted composite joints.

Yang, J. N.↗