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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Gear Design Effects on the Performance of High Speed Helical Gear Trains as Used in Aerospace Drive Systems

The performance of high-speed helical gear trains is of particular importance for tiltrotor aircraft drive systems. These drive systems are used to provide speed reduction / torque multiplication from the gas turbine output shaft and provide the necessary offset between these parallel shafts in the aircraft. Four different design configurations have been tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center, High Speed Helical Gear Train Test Facility. The design configurations included the current aircraft design, current design with isotropic superfinished gear surfaces, double helical design (inward and outward pumping), increased pitch (finer teeth), and an increased helix angle. All designs were tested at multiple input shaft speeds (up to 15,000 rpm) and applied power (up to 5,000 hp). Also two lubrication, system-related, variables were tested: oil inlet temperature (160 to 250 degF) and lubricating jet pressure (60 to 80 psig). Experimental data recorded from these tests included power loss of the helical system under study, the temperature increase of the lubricant from inlet to outlet of the drive system and fling off temperatures (radially and axially). Also, all gear systems were tested with and without shrouds around the gears. The empirical data resulting from this study will be useful to the design of future helical gear train systems anticipated for next generation rotorcraft drive systems.

Handschuh, R.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Development of High Temperature Dissimilar Joint Technology for Fission Surface Power Systems

NASA is developing fission surface power (FSP) system technology as a potential option for use on the surface of the moon or Mars. The goal is to design a robust system that takes full advantage of existing materials data bases. One of the key components of the power conversion system is the hot-side Heat Exchanger (HX). One possible design for this heat exchanger requires a joint of the dissimilar metals 316L stainless steel and Inconel 718, which must sustain extended operation at high temperatures. This study compares two joining techniques, brazing and diffusion bonding, in the context of forming the requisite stainless steel to superalloy joint. The microstructures produced by brazing and diffusion bonding, the effect of brazing cycle on the mechanical tensile properties of the alloys, and the strength of several brazed joints will be discussed.

Locci, Ivan E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Behavior Prediction Tools Strengthen Nanoelectronics

Several years ago, NASA started making plans to send robots to explore the deep, dark craters on the Moon. As part of these plans, NASA needed modeling tools to help engineer unique electronics to withstand extremely cold temperatures. According to Jonathan Pellish, a flight systems test engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center, "An instrument sitting in a shadowed crater on one of the Moon s poles would hover around 43 K", that is, 43 kelvin, equivalent to -382 F. Such frigid temperatures are one of the main factors that make the extreme space environments encountered on the Moon and elsewhere so extreme. Radiation is another main concern. "Radiation is always present in the space environment," says Pellish. "Small to moderate solar energetic particle events happen regularly and extreme events happen less than a handful of times throughout the 7 active years of the 11-year solar cycle." Radiation can corrupt data, propagate to other systems, require component power cycling, and cause a host of other harmful effects. In order to explore places like the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars, NASA must use electronic communication devices like transmitters and receivers and data collection devices like infrared cameras that can resist the effects of extreme temperature and radiation; otherwise, the electronics would not be reliable for the duration of the mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

Mars Array Technology Experiment Developed to Test Solar Arrays on Mars

Solar arrays will be the power supply for future missions to the planet Mars, including landers, rovers, and eventually human missions to explore the Martian surface. Until Mars Pathfinder landed in July 1997, no solar array had been used on the surface. The MATE package is intended to measure the solar energy reaching the surface, characterize the Martian environment to gather the baseline information required for designing power systems for long-duration missions, and to quantify the performance and degradation of advanced solar cells on the Martian surface. To measure the properties of sunlight reaching the Martian surface, MATE incorporates two radiometers and a visible/NIR spectrometer. The radiometers consist of multiple thermocouple junctions using thin-film technology. These devices generate a voltage proportional to the solar intensity. One radiometer measures the global broadband solar intensity, including both the direct and scattered sunlight, with a field of view of approximately 130. The second radiometer incorporates a slit to measure the direct (unscattered) intensity radiation. The direct radiometer can only be read once per day, with the Sun passing over the slit. The spectrometer measures the global solar spectrum with two 256-element photodiode arrays, one Si sensitive in the visible range (300 to 1100 nm), and a second InGaAs sensitive to the near infrared (900 to 1700 nm). This range covers 86 percent of the total energy from the Sun, with approximately 5-nm resolution. Each photodiode array has its own fiber-optic feed and grating. Although the purpose of the MATE is to gather data useful in designing solar arrays for Mars surface power systems, the radiometer and spectrometer measurements are expected to also provide important scientific data for characterizing the properties of suspended atmospheric dust. In addition to measuring the solar environment of Mars, MATE will measure the performance of five different individual solar cell types and two different solar cell strings, to qualify advanced solar cell types for future Mars missions. The MATE instrument, designed for the Mars-2001 Surveyor Lander mission, contains a capable suite of sensors that will provide both scientific information as well as important engineering data on the operation of solar power systems on Mars. MATE will characterize the intensity and spectrum of the solar radiation on Mars and measure the performance of solar arrays in the Mars environment. MATE flight hardware was built and tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center and is ready for flight.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Description of real-time Ada software implementation of a power system monitor for the Space Station Freedom PMAD DC testbed

The Ada language software development to perform the electrical system monitoring functions for the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC testbed is described. The results of the effort to implement this monitor are presented. The PMAD DC testbed is a reduced-scale prototype of the electrical power system to be used in the Space Station Freedom. The power is controlled by smart switches known as power control components (or switchgear). The power control components are currently coordinated by five Compaq 382/20e computers connected through an 802.4 local area network. One of these computers is designated as the control node with the other four acting as subsidiary controllers. The subsidiary controllers are connected to the power control components with a Mil-Std-1553 network. An operator interface is supplied by adding a sixth computer. The power system monitor algorithm is comprised of several functions including: periodic data acquisition, data smoothing, system performance analysis, and status reporting. Data is collected from the switchgear sensors every 100 milliseconds, then passed through a 2 Hz digital filter. System performance analysis includes power interruption and overcurrent detection. The reporting mechanism notifies an operator of any abnormalities in the system. Once per second, the system monitor provides data to the control node for further processing, such as state estimation. The system monitor required a hardware time interrupt to activate the data acquisition function. The execution time of the code was optimized using an assembly language routine. The routine allows direct vectoring of the processor to Ada language procedures that perform periodic control activities. A summary of the advantages and side effects of this technique are discussed.

Ludwig, Kimberly↗
NASA NTRS2004

UWB Tracking System Design for Free-Flyers

This paper discusses an ultra-wideband (UWB) tracking system design effort for Mini-AERCam (Autonomous Extra-vehicular Robotic Camera), a free-flying video camera system under development at NASA Johnson Space Center for aid in surveillance around the International Space Station (ISS). UWB technology is exploited to implement the tracking system due to its properties, such as high data rate, fine time resolution, and low power spectral density. A system design using commercially available UWB products is proposed. A tracking algorithm TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) that operates cooperatively with the UWB system is developed in this research effort. Matlab simulations show that the tracking algorithm can achieve fine tracking resolution with low noise TDOA data. Lab experiments demonstrate the UWB tracking capability with fine resolution.

Ni, Jianjun↗
NASA NTRS1992

Space micro-guidance and control - Applications and architectures

The features and the components of a new microscale guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) system for future space systems are discussed. An approach is described for the utilization of new microengineering technologies for achieving major reductions in the GN&C system's mass, size, power, and costs. The micro-GN&C system and the component concepts include microactuated adaptive optics, micromachined inertial sensors, fiberoptic data nets with light-power transmission, and VLSI microcomputers. The GN&C system will be applied in microspacecraft, microlanders, microrovers, remote sensing platforms, interferometers, and deployable reflectors.

Mettler, Edward↗
NASA NTRS1980

Satellite power system (SPS) magnetron tube assessment study

Taks performed to extend the data base and to define a technology development program for the magnetron directional amplifier for the SPS are reviewed. These include: (1) demonstrating the tracking of phase and amplitude of the microwave output to phase and amplitude references; (2) expanding the range of power over which the directional amplifier will operate; (3)recognizing the importance of amplitude control in overall system design and in simplifying power conditioning; (4) developing a preliminary design for the overall architecture of the power module; (5) demonstrating magnetron starting using the amplitude control system; (6) mathematically modelling and performing a computerized study of the pyrolytic graphite radiating fin; (7) defining the mass of the magnetic circuit for the SPS tube; (8) noise measurement; (9) achieving harmonic suppression by notch reflection filters; (10) estimating the mass of the transmitting antenna; (11) developing a magnetron package with power generation, phase control, and power condition functions; and (12) projecting magnetron package characteristics.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

Examples of mesoscale structures and short-term wind variations detected by VHF Doppler radar

The first of three wind profilers planned for operation in central and western Pennsylvania began full-time, high-quality operation during July 1985. It is located about 20 km south-southeast of University Park and operates at 50 MHz. Another 50-MHz radar and a 400-MHz radar are to be installed over the next few months, to complete a mesoscale triangle with sides of 120 to 160 km. During the period since early July, a number of weather systems have passed over the wind profiler. Those accompanied by thunderstorms caused data losses either because the Department computer system lost power or because power went out at the profiler site. A backup power supply and an automatic re-start program will be added to the profiler system to minimize such future losses. Data have normally been averaged over a one-hour period, although there have been some investigations of shorter-period averaging. In each case, preliminary examinations reveal that the profiler winds are indicative of meteorological phenomena. The only occasions of bad or missing data are obtained when airplane noise is occasionally experienced and when the returned power is nearly at the noise level, at the upper few gates, where a consensus wind cannot be determined. Jets streams, clouds, and diurnal variations of winds are discussed.

Forbes, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Development of a simple, self-contained flight test data acquisition system

The system concepts and the flight test program results for a NASA designed in-flight data acquisition system are described. The system draws power from a rechargeable battery pack and intrudes on the aircraft systems only with a total pressure probe, a static pressure probe, and control position transducers, which are simply taped to the frame. A 4000 byte microcomputer forms the heart of the data recording system for cassette tape storage, and is expansion coupled to an eight-bit interactive microcomputer which interfaces with a transducer package for 16-channel demultiplexing. The transducers, ranges, and accuracies are listed, and a five/sec data acquisition rate minimum requirement is noted, although a 10/sec rate is used. The system components are detailed, along with the control and data processing procedures, and the results of dynamic flight testing are presented.

Renz, R. R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Fission Surface Power Systems (FSPS) Project Final Report for the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP): Fission Surface Power, Transition Face to Face

The Fission Surface Power Systems Project became part of the ETDP on October 1, 2008. Its goal was to demonstrate fission power system technology readiness in an operationally relevant environment, while providing data on fission system characteristics pertinent to the use of a fission power system on planetary surfaces. During fiscal years 08 to 10, the FSPS project activities were dominated by hardware demonstrations of component technologies, to verify their readiness for inclusion in the fission surface power system. These Pathfinders demonstrated multi-kWe Stirling power conversion operating with heat delivered via liquid metal NaK, composite Ti/H2O heat pipe radiator panel operations at 400 K input water temperature, no-moving-part electromagnetic liquid metal pump operation with NaK at flight-like temperatures, and subscale performance of an electric resistance reactor simulator capable of reproducing characteristics of a nuclear reactor for the purpose of system-level testing, and a longer list of component technologies included in the attached report. Based on the successful conclusion of Pathfinder testing, work began in 2010 on design and development of the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), a full-scale 1/4 power system-level non-nuclear assembly of a reactor simulator, power conversion, heat rejection, instrumentation and controls, and power management and distribution. The TDU will be developed and fabricated during fiscal years 11 and 12, culminating in initial testing with water cooling replacing the heat rejection system in 2012, and complete testing of the full TDU by the end of 2014. Due to its importance for Mars exploration, potential applicability to missions preceding Mars missions, and readiness for an early system-level demonstration, the Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration program is currently planning to continue the project as the Fission Power Systems project, including emphasis on the TDU completion and testing.

Palac, Donald T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) low-temperature heat pipe experiment package power system results

An overview of a self-contained Direct Energy Transfer Power System which was developed to provide power to the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) Low-Temperature Heat Pipe Experiment Package is presented. The power system operated successfully for the entire mission. Data recorded by the onboard recorder shows that the system operated within design specifications. Other than unanticipated overcharging of the battery, the power system operated as expected for nearly 32,000 low earth orbit cycles, and was still operational when tested after the LDEF recovery. Some physical damage was sustained by the solar array panels due to micrometeoroid hits, but there were not electrical failures.

Tiller, Smith E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Load-Following Power Timeline Analyses for the International Space Station

Spacecraft are typically complex assemblies of interconnected systems and components that have highly time-varying thermal communications, and power requirements. It is essential that systems designers be able to assess the capability of the spacecraft to meet these requirements which should represent a realistic projection of demand for these resources once the vehicle is on-orbit. To accomplish the assessment from the power standpoint, a computer code called ECAPS has been developed at NASA Lewis Research Center that performs a load-driven analysis of a spacecraft power system given time-varying distributed loading and other mission data. This program is uniquely capable of synthesizing all of the changing spacecraft conditions into a single, seamless analysis for a complete mission. This paper presents example power load timelines with which numerous data are integrated to provide a realistic assessment of the load-following capabilities of the power system. Results of analyses show how well the power system can meet the time-varying power resource demand.

Fincannon, James↗
NASA NTRS1985

Expanding role for autonomy in military space

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently transferring satellite on-board autonomy technology to the USAF for use in military spacecraft as a means of lowering the ground support requirements. The techniques were proven on the Viking and Voyager spacecraft and permitted on-board fault detection and correction. New military satellites will incorporate an autonomous redundancy and maintenance management subsystem in an on-board computer, while the system will still be subject to ground-based safing commands for situations demanding deeper analyses. A level 5 autonomy will need 256 kb memory, 10 Mb nonvolatile data storage and 50 W power and will weigh 20 kg. Systems will be periodically checked and compared with an ideal in the data base. Deviations detected will result in a rollback and redundant examination by two microprocessors, which can initiate correction commands until operational criteria are met. The development of the expert systems to the point that they satisfy military specifications is expected to take 10 yr.

Evans, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Distribution automation applications of fiber optics

Motivations for interest and research in distribution automation are discussed. The communication requirements of distribution automation are examined and shown to exceed the capabilities of power line carrier, radio, and telephone systems. A fiber optic based communication system is described that is co-located with the distribution system and that could satisfy the data rate and reliability requirements. A cost comparison shows that it could be constructed at a cost that is similar to that of a power line carrier system. The requirements for fiber optic sensors for distribution automation are discussed. The design of a data link suitable for optically-powered electronic sensing is presented. Empirical results are given. A modeling technique that was used to understand the reflections of guided light from a variety of surfaces is described. An optical position-indicator design is discussed. Systems aspects of distribution automation are discussed, in particular, the lack of interface, communications, and data standards. The economics of distribution automation are examined.

Kirkham, Harold↗
NASA NTRS1988

Intelligent data reduction - A preliminary investigation

Research being undertaken to develop expert systems for reducing telemetry data from spacecraft is described. The use of the Hubble Space Telescope Electrical Power System as a testbed is examined. The Nickel Cadmium Battery Expert System is briefly addressed, and the I-DARE (Intelligent Data Reduction) prototype system is discussed.

Ford, Donnie R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Description of real-time Ada software implementation of a power system monitor for the Space Station Freedom PMAD DC testbed

The authors describe the Ada language software developed to perform the electrical power system monitoring functions for the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC testbed. The results of the effort to implement this monitor are presented. The PMAD DC testbed is a reduced-scale prototype of the electric power system to be used in Space Station Freedom. The power is controlled by smart switches known as power control components (or switchgear). The power control components are currently coordinated by five Compaq 386/20e computers connected through an 802.4 local area network. The power system monitor algorithm comprises several functions, including periodic data acquisition, data smoothing, system performance analysis, and status reporting. Data are collected from the switchgear sensors every 100 ms, then passed through a 2-Hz digital filter. System performance analysis includes power interruption and overcurrent detection. The system monitor required a hardware timer interrupt to activate the data acquisition function. The execution time of the code was optimized by using an assembly language routine. The routine allows direct vectoring of the processor to Ada language procedures that perform periodic control activities.

Ludwig, Kimberly↗