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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 271 records · Page 15

Electrification of Airport Shuttle Operations

Fleet owners are increasingly looking to adopt electric vehicles, however careful consideration is needed to ensure electric vehicles can perform their duty without impacting operations. This work examines a fleet of 200 Dallas-Fort Worth airport shuttle buses to estimate the opportunity for vehicle electrification. Analysis suggests unique pathways to electrification for each mode of operation, and unique benefits and challenges whether they serve employee lots, rental car lots, remote lots, or aircraft hardstand operations. These analyses include daily energy consumption, charging opportunities; emissions impacts; and charging location potential using hotspot analysis. Results highlight the most promising candidates for electrification and provide pathways for future electrification.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Innovating High Throughput Hydrogen Stations: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-18-00773

Hydrogen stations today serve the emerging market of light duty fuel cell vehicles, primarily in California with over 30 public retail locations. There has been a steady increase in the number of stations open and hydrogen dispensed, especially in the last two years. From 2015 to 2016, the annual amount of hydrogen dispensed increased from 27,400 kg to 109,200 kg, a nearly fourfold increase in just one year. One station dispensed nearly 12,000 kg in the second quarter of 2017. Despite the significant progress, gaps exist between current infrastructure capabilities and future requirements. For example, fuel cell vehicle applications such as buses, medium-duty, and heavy-duty trucks will gain market share and this must be considered as future customers at hydrogen stations. The expected number of light duty fuel cell vehicles in California alone are expected to grow from approximately 4,000 to over 13,000 by 2020, and 37,000 by 2023. To serve the multiple mobile fuel cell technologies and increased demand, hydrogen stations will have to increase output, decrease cost, and improve reliability. To address these challenges, the project team will demonstrate a hydrogen-focused integrated renewable energy production, storage, and transportation fuel distribution/retailing system. The proposed R&D tasks address key challenges related to light duty station/component reliability and development and validation of high flow rate system models for new applications like medium and heavy-duty truck fueling.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Redundant data management system

Redundant data management system solves problem of operating redundant equipment in real time environment where failures are detected, isolated, and switched in simple manner. System consists of quadruply-redundant computer, input/output control units, and data buses. System inherently contains failure detection, isolation, and switching function.

Hall, J. R.↗

A fault-tolerant information processing concept for space vehicles.

A distributed fault-tolerant information processing system is proposed, comprising a central multiprocessor, dedicated local processors, and multiplexed input-output buses connecting them together. The processors in the multiprocessor are duplicated for error detection, which is felt to be less expensive than using coded redundancy of comparable effectiveness. Error recovery is made possible by a triplicated scratchpad memory in each processor. The main multiprocessor memory uses replicated memory for error detection and correction. Local processors use any of three conventional redundancy techniques: voting, duplex pairs with backup, and duplex pairs in independent subsystems.

Hopkins, A. L., Jr.↗

Turbine Design and Application, Volume 2

NASA has an interest in turbines related primarily to aeronautics and space applications. Airbreathing turbine engines provide jet and turboshaft propulsion, as well as auxiliary power for aircraft. Propellant -driven turbines provide rocket propulsion and auxiliary power for spacecraft. Closed-cycle turbine engines using inert gases, organic fluids, and metal fluids have been studied for providing long-duration electric power for spacecraft. Other applications of current interest for turbine engines include land-vehicle (cars, trucks, buses, trains, etc.) propulsion power and ground-based electrical power. In view of the turbine-system interest and efforts at Lewis Research Center, a course entitled "Turbine Design and Application" was presented during 1968-69 as part of the In-House Graduate Study Program. The course was somewhat revised and again presented in 1972-73. Various aspects of turbine technology were covered including thermodynamic and fluid-dynamic concepts, fundamental turbine concepts, velocity diagrams, losses, blade aerodynamic design, blade cooling, mechanical design, operation, and performance. The notes written and used for the course have been revised and edited for publication. Such a publication can serve as a foundation for an introductory turbine course, a means for self-study, or a reference for selected topics. The first volume presented the material covering thermodynamic and fluid-dynamic concepts, fundamental turbine concepts, and velocity diagram design. This second volume presents the material related to blade aerodynamic design and turbine energy losses.

Arthur J Glassman↗

Effects of pressure waves

Two parameters, side on overpressure and side on impulse loads, and their application to the determination of structural damage to buildings and vehicles in the vicinity of an explosion are investigated. Special consideration was given to what constitutes damage and what level of damage is acceptable. Solutions were sorted through the examination of glass breakage, curve fit to bomb damage, overturning of marginal structures (buses, trucks, mobile homes) subject to toppling, and initiation of yielding in either beam or plate structural components. Three different empirical pressure versus impulse diagrams were presented - the first is for minor structural damage involving wrenched joints and partitions, the second is for major damage structural damage with load bearing members at least partially destroyed, and the third is for 50% to 75% of the building demolished. General guidelines were obtained from the results when the accurate structural details are unknown.

Source record↗

Payload specialist station study: Volume 2, part 3: Program analysis and planning for phase C/D

The controls and displays (C&D) required at the Orbiter aft-flight deck (AFD) and the core C&D required at the Payload Specialist Station (PSS) are identified in this document. The AFD C&D Concept consists of a multifunction display system (MFDS) and elements of multiuse mission support equipment (MMSE). The MFDS consists of two CRTs, a display electronics unit (DEU), and a keyboard. The MMSE consists of a manual pointing controller (MPC), five digit numeric displays, 10 character alphanumeric legends, event timers, analog meters, rotary and toggle switches. The MMSE may be hardwired to the experiment, or interface with a data bus at the PSS for signal processing. The MFDS has video capability, with alphanumeric and graphic overlay features, on one CRT and alphanumeric and graphic (tricolor) capability on a second CRT. The DEU will have the capability to communicate, via redundant data buses, with both the spacelab experiment and subsystem computers.

Source record↗

Fault-tolerant building-block computer study

Ultra-reliable core computers are required for improving the reliability of complex military systems. Such computers can provide reliable fault diagnosis, failure circumvention, and, in some cases serve as an automated repairman for their host systems. A small set of building-block circuits which can be implemented as single very large integration devices, and which can be used with off-the-shelf microprocessors and memories to build self checking computer modules (SCCM) is described. Each SCCM is a microcomputer which is capable of detecting its own faults during normal operation and is described to communicate with other identical modules over one or more Mil Standard 1553A buses. Several SCCMs can be connected into a network with backup spares to provide fault-tolerant operation, i.e. automated recovery from faults. Alternative fault-tolerant SCCM configurations are discussed along with the cost and reliability associated with their implementation.

Rennels, D. A.↗

Solar photovoltaic power stations

The subsystems of a solar photovoltaic central power system are identified and the cost of major components are estimated. The central power system, which would have a peak power capability in the range of 50 to 1000 MW, utilizes two types of subsystems - a power conditioner and a solar array. Despite differences in costs of inverters, the overall cost of the total power conditioning subsystem is about the same for all approaches considered. A combination of two inverters operating from balanced dc buses as a pair of 6-pulse groups is recommended. A number of different solar cell modules and tracking array structures were analyzed. It is concluded that when solar cell costs are high (greater than $500/kW), high concentration modules are more cost effective than those with low concentration. Vertical-axis tracking is the most effective of the studied tracking modes. For less expensive solar cells (less than $400/kW), fixed tilt collector/reflector modules are more cost effective than those which track.

Chowaniec, C. R.↗

Integrated avionics for future general aviation aircraft

The program described was initiated in 1975 to provide the critical information for the design of an advanced avionics system suitable for general aviation. Emphasis is on the use of data busing, distributed microsensors, shared electronic displays and pilot entry devices, innovative low-cost sensors, and improved functional characteristics. Design considerations include cost, reliability, maintainability, and modularity.

Denery, D. G.↗

Testing panels in shear and biaxial compression

Hydraulic jacks simultaneously apply torsion, axial compression, and lateral compression to structural panels. Jacks are suitable for testing large panels used in aircraft, lightweight trucks, and buses.

Neary, J. K.↗

Performance of battery reconditioning on the communications technology satellite

Some real life data on the flight performance and reconditioning on the Communications Technology Satellite are presented. There are two 24-cell nominal 5 amp-hour nickel cadmium batteries on board. The two batteries are operated in parallel with isolating diodes in between and permanently connected to the housekeeping buses. The recharge can be at C over 10 or C over 20 to a 1.4 charge/discharge ratio; and recharge is terminated either when a computed 1.4 charge/discharge ratio is reached, or a charge voltage peak is reached.

Lackner, J.↗

Reconfigurable modular computer networks for spacecraft on-board processing

The core electronics subsystems on unmanned spacecraft, which have been sent over the last 20 years to investigate the moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, have progressed through an evolution from simple fixed controllers and analog computers in the 1960's to general-purpose digital computers in current designs. This evolution is now moving in the direction of distributed computer networks. Current Voyager spacecraft already use three on-board computers. One is used to store commands and provide overall spacecraft management. Another is used for instrument control and telemetry collection, and the third computer is used for attitude control and scientific instrument pointing. An examination of the control logic in the instruments shows that, for many, it is cost-effective to replace the sequencing logic with a microcomputer. The Unified Data System architecture considered consists of a set of standard microcomputers connected by several redundant buses. A typical self-checking computer module will contain 23 RAMs, two microprocessors, one memory interface, three bus interfaces, and one core building block.

Rennels, D. A.↗

A distributed microprocessor system for spacecraft control and data handling

The specific requirements for spacecraft computing systems are considered. These requirements are partly related to the constraints of limited resources of power, weight, and volume. Another important factor is the requirement of extremely high reliability. These reliability requirements have led to introduction of automated redundancy techniques on board the spacecraft. The various redundant computers check each other and provide recovery procedures when a computer is found to have failed. Past and future capabilities are considered along with distributed processing requirements. System considerations are discussed, taking into account suboptimum computer throughput, sensitivity to software modifications, hierarchic timing, I/O granularity, restricted communications, synchronous functions, hierarchic control, and concurrent error detection. A description is presented of the Unified Data System (UDS), which consists of a set of standard microcomputers connected by several buses. Attention is also given to synchronization and timing, the executive control structure, the programming language, and the executive program.

Rennels, D. A.↗

Determining potential 30/20 GHz domestic satellite system concepts and establishment of a suitable experimental configuration

Issues and results in a NASA study of the potential concepts and markets for a multibeam 30/20 GHz domestic satellite system in the 1990s are presented. Issues considered include the reduction of signal attenuation due to rain, beam-beam interference isolation in the multibeam system, the method of access/modulation (FDMA, TDMA or hybrid) and the market for reduced reliability and wideband services. A hypothetical demonstration payload configuration which would attempt to resolve these issues is illustrated. The communications payload would employ a system of seven contiguous coverage spots in order to demonstrate a typical cell in a contiguous beam system having extensive frequency re-use, as in a direct-to-user system, and a single spot, typical of a trunking system, to determine signal isolation. The payload could be carried on several existing buses and is illustrated on an MMS bus.

Stevens, G. H.↗

Optimization of tapered busses for solar cell contacts

Some fraction of the power produced by a solar cell is necessarily lost by series resistance associated with the metallized contact grid and by shadowing of cell active area by the grid. There are several approaches to reducing these losses, such as choosing a more efficient pattern, optimizing line spacing, and using tapered buses. The present paper analyzes tapered lines and derives from this analysis a theoretical lower bound to metallization power loss, independent of pattern chosen.

Landis, G. A.↗

High rate data acquisition from Spacelab/Shuttle

The need for high data rates from a variety of experiments on Spacelab/Shuttle produced the requirement for the Spacelab High Rate Multiplexer/Demultiplexer system. This system acquires serial digital data at asynchronous bit rates from up to sixteen experiments, two data buses, three voice links, two tape recorders, and a universal time channel. Experiment data rates may vary from 200 bps to 16 Mbps while recorded data rates range from 250 Kbps to 32 Mbps. The High Rate Multiplexer (HRM) accepts these data inputs and forms a serial PCM output at flexible rates up to 48 Mbps. This PCM output is transmitted to ground by a Ku-Band RF link via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) or recorded on board for delayed transmission. A complementary ground based High Rate Demultiplexer (HRDM) accepts and demultiplexes the composite PCM data at ground processing locations.

Coffey, R.↗

Forecast analysis of optical waveguide bus performance

Elements to be considered in the design of a data bus include: architecture; data rate; modulation, encoding, detection; power distribution requirements; protocol, work structure; bus reliability, maintainability; interterminal transmission medium; cost; and others specific to application. Fiber- optic data bus considerations for a 32 port transmissive star architecture, are discussed in a tutorial format. General optical-waveguide bus concepts, are reviewed. The electrical and optical performance of a 32 port transmissive star bus, and the effects of temperature on the performance of optical-waveguide buses are examined. A bibliography of pertinent references and the bus receiver test results are included.

Ledesma, R.↗