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At least 289 records · Page 16

Network issues for large mass storage requirements

File Servers and Supercomputing environments need high performance networks to balance the I/O requirements seen in today's demanding computing scenarios. UltraNet is one solution which permits both high aggregate transfer rates and high task-to-task transfer rates as demonstrated in actual tests. UltraNet provides this capability as both a Server-to-Server and Server-to-Client access network giving the supercomputing center the following advantages highest performance Transport Level connections (to 40 MBytes/sec effective rates); matches the throughput of the emerging high performance disk technologies, such as RAID, parallel head transfer devices and software striping; supports standard network and file system applications using SOCKET's based application program interface such as FTP, rcp, rdump, etc.; supports access to the Network File System (NFS) and LARGE aggregate bandwidth for large NFS usage; provides access to a distributed, hierarchical data server capability using DISCOS UniTree product; supports file server solutions available from multiple vendors, including Cray, Convex, Alliant, FPS, IBM, and others.

Perdue, James↗

Main memory unit

The development of a main memory unit (MMU) for the space ultrareliable module computer (SUMC) model HTC is discussed. The design, fabrication, and test of basic memory modules (BMM) which were to be used in the design and construction of the MMU are described. The BMM was designed from state-of-the-art technologies which included large scale integration devices mounted and interconnected on a substrate to form a functional module to be utilized in the MMU development. A SUMC memory system design study is discussed which addressed itself to the BMM design and analysis to be conducted to determine the most efficient organization of the BMM in order to establish such modularity features as: word length expandability without redesign, high reliability, and fault tolerance. One MMU was designed, fabricated, tested, and delivered which will be electrical and mechanically compatible with the hybrid technology computer (HTC) model of the SUMC family of computers. The MMU will contain a storage capacity of 8196 36 bit words which includes a parity bit for each 8 bit byte of data.

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Electronic Still Camera

A handheld, programmable, digital camera is disclosed that supports a variety of sensors and has program control over the system components to provide versatility. The camera uses a high performance design which produces near film quality images from an electronic system. The optical system of the camera incorporates a conventional camera body that was slightly modified, thus permitting the use of conventional camera accessories, such as telephoto lenses, wide-angle lenses, auto-focusing circuitry, auto-exposure circuitry, flash units, and the like. An image sensor, such as a charge coupled device ('CCD') collects the photons that pass through the camera aperture when the shutter is opened, and produces an analog electrical signal indicative of the image. The analog image signal is read out of the CCD and is processed by preamplifier circuitry, a correlated double sampler, and a sample and hold circuit before it is converted to a digital signal. The analog-to-digital converter has an accuracy of eight bits to insure accuracy during the conversion. Two types of data ports are included for two different data transfer needs. One data port comprises a general purpose industrial standard port and the other a high speed/high performance application specific port. The system uses removable hard disks as its permanent storage media. The hard disk receives the digital image signal from the memory buffer and correlates the image signal with other sensed parameters, such as longitudinal or other information. When the storage capacity of the hard disk has been filled, the disk can be replaced with a new disk.

Holland, S. Douglas↗

Instructions for Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuit(PEM) Selection, Screening and Qualification.

The use of Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits (PEMs) is permitted on NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) spaceflight applications, provided each use is thoroughly evaluated for thermal, mechanical, and radiation implications of the specific application and found to meet mission requirements. PEMs shall be selected for their functional advantage and availability, not for cost saving; the steps necessary to ensure reliability usually negate any initial apparent cost advantage. A PEM shall not be substituted for a form, fit and functional equivalent, high reliability, hermetic device in spaceflight applications. Due to the rapid change in wafer-level designs typical of commercial parts and the unknown traceability between packaging lots and wafer lots, lot specific testing is required for PEMs, unless specifically excepted by the Mission Assurance Requirements (MAR) for the project. Lot specific qualification, screening, radiation hardness assurance analysis and/or testing, shall be consistent with the required reliability level as defined in the MAR. Developers proposing to use PEMs shall address the following items in their Performance Assurance Implementation Plan: source selection (manufacturers and distributors), storage conditions for all stages of use, packing, shipping and handling, electrostatic discharge (ESD), screening and qualification testing, derating, radiation hardness assurance, test house selection and control, data collection and retention.

King, Terry↗

Performance measurements and operational characteristics of the Storage Tek ACS 4400 tape library with the Cray Y-MP EL

With over 5000 units sold, the Storage Tek Automated Cartridge System (ACS) 4400 tape library is currently the most popular large automated tape library. Based on 3480/90 tape technology, the library is used as the migration device ('nearline' storage) in high-performance mass storage systems. In its maximum configuration, one ACS 4400 tape library houses sixteen 3480/3490 tape drives and is capable of holding approximately 6000 cartridge tapes. The maximum storage capacity of one library using 3480 tapes is 1.2 TB and the advertised aggregate I/O rate is about 24 MB/s. This paper reports on an extensive set of tests designed to accurately assess the performance capabilities and operational characteristics of one STK ACS 4400 tape library holding approximately 5200 cartridge tapes and configured with eight 3480 tape drives. A Cray Y-MP EL2-256 was configured as its host machine. More than 40,000 tape jobs were run in a variety of conditions to gather data in the areas of channel speed characteristics, robotics motion, time taped mounts, and timed tape reads and writes.

Hull, Gary↗

Analysis of the access patterns at GSFC distributed active archive center

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) has been operational for more than two years. Its mission is to support existing and pre Earth Observing System (EOS) Earth science datasets, facilitate the scientific research, and test Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) concepts. Over 550,000 files and documents have been archived, and more than six Terabytes have been distributed to the scientific community. Information about user request and file access patterns, and their impact on system loading, is needed to optimize current operations and to plan for future archives. To facilitate the management of daily activities, the GSFC DAAC has developed a data base system to track correspondence, requests, ingestion and distribution. In addition, several log files which record transactions on Unitree are maintained and periodically examined. This study identifies some of the users' requests and file access patterns at the GSFC DAAC during 1995. The analysis is limited to the subset of orders for which the data files are under the control of the Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) Unitree. The results show that most of the data volume ordered was for two data products. The volume was also mostly made up of level 3 and 4 data and most of the volume was distributed on 8 mm and 4 mm tapes. In addition, most of the volume ordered was for deliveries in North America although there was a significant world-wide use. There was a wide range of request sizes in terms of volume and number of files ordered. On an average 78.6 files were ordered per request. Using the data managed by Unitree, several caching algorithms have been evaluated for both hit rate and the overhead ('cost') associated with the movement of data from near-line devices to disks. The algorithm called LRU/2 bin was found to be the best for this workload, but the STbin algorithm also worked well.

Johnson, Theodore↗

Hybrid Power Management Program Evaluated Ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Transportation Project

The NASA Glenn Research Center initiated baseline testing of ultracapacitors to obtain empirical data in determining the feasibility of using ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Transportation (NGLT) Project. There are large transient loads associated with NGLT that require a very large primary energy source or an energy storage system. The primary power source used for this test was a proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The energy storage system can consist of batteries, flywheels, or ultracapacitors. Ultracapacitors were used for these tests. NASA Glenn has a wealth of experience in ultracapacitor technology through the Hybrid Power Management (HPM) Program, which the Avionics, Power and Communications Branch of Glenn s Engineering Development Division initiated for the Technology Transfer and Partnership Office. HPM is the innovative integration of diverse, state-ofthe- art power devices in optimal configurations for space and terrestrial applications. The appropriate application and control of the various advanced power devices (such as ultracapacitors and fuel cells) significantly improves overall system performance and efficiency. HPM has extremely wide potential. Applications include power generation, transportation systems, biotechnology systems, and space power systems. HPM has the potential to significantly alleviate global energy concerns, improve the environment, and stimulate the economy.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗

Safety Standard for Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems: Guidelines for Hydrogen System Design, Materials Selection, Operations, Storage and Transportation

The NASA Safety Standard, which establishes a uniform process for hydrogen system design, materials selection, operation, storage, and transportation, is presented. The guidelines include suggestions for safely storing, handling, and using hydrogen in gaseous (GH2), liquid (LH2), or slush (SLH2) form whether used as a propellant or non-propellant. The handbook contains 9 chapters detailing properties and hazards, facility design, design of components, materials compatibility, detection, and transportation. Chapter 10 serves as a reference and the appendices contained therein include: assessment examples; scaling laws, explosions, blast effects, and fragmentation; codes, standards, and NASA directives; and relief devices along with a list of tables and figures, abbreviations, a glossary and an index for ease of use. The intent of the handbook is to provide enough information that it can be used alone, but at the same time, reference data sources that can provide much more detail if required.

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A High-power Electric Propulsion Test Platform in Space

This paper will describe the results of the preliminary phase of a NASA design study for a facility to test high-power electric propulsion systems in space. The results of this design study are intended to provide a firm foundation for subsequent detailed design and development activities leading to the deployment of a valuable space facility. The NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is sponsoring this design project. A team from the NASA Johnson Space Center, Glenn Research Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center and the International Space Station Program Office is conducting the project. The test facility is intended for a broad range of users including government, industry and universities. International participation is encouraged. The objectives for human and robotic exploration of space can be accomplished affordably, safely and effectively with high-power electric propulsion systems. But, as thruster power levels rise to the hundreds of kilowatts and up to megawatts, their testing will pose stringent and expensive demands on existing Earth-based vacuum facilities. These considerations and the human access to near-Earth space provided by the International Space Station (ISS) have led to a renewed interest in space testing. The ISS could provide an excellent platform for a space-based test facility with the continuous vacuum conditions of the natural space environment and no chamber walls to modify the open boundary conditions of the propulsion system exhaust. The test platform could take advantage of the continuous vacuum conditions of the natural space environment. Space testing would provide open boundary conditions without walls, micro-gravity and a realistic thermal environment. Testing on the ISS would allow for direct observation of the test unit, exhaust plume and space-plasma interactions. When necessary, intervention by on-board personnel and post-test inspection would be possible. The ISS can provide electrical power, a location for diagnostic instruments, data handling and thermal control. The platform will be designed to accommodate the side-by-side testing of multiple types of electric thrusters. It is intended to be a permanent facility in which different thrusters can be tested over time. ISS crews can provide maintenance for the platform and change out thruster test units as needed. The primary objective of this platform is to provide a test facility for electric propulsion devices of interest for future exploration missions. These thrusters are expected to operate in the range of hundreds of kilowatts and above. However, a platform with this capability could also accommodate testing of thrusters that require much lower power levels. Testing at the higher power levels would be accomplished by using power fiom storage devices on the platform, which would be gradually recharged by the ISS power generation system. This paper will summarize the results of the preliminary phase of the study with an explanation of the user requirements and the initial conceptual design. The concept for test operations will also be described. The NASA project team is defining the requirements but they will also reflect the inputs of the broader electric propulsion community including those at universities, commercial enterprises and other government laboratories. As a facility on the International Space Station, the design requirements are also intended to encompass the needs of international users. Testing of electric propulsion systems on the space station will help advance the development of systems needed for exploration and could also serve the needs of other customers. Propulsion systems being developed for commercial and military applications could be tested and certification testing of mature thrusters could be accomplished in the space environment.

Petro, Andrew J.↗

Magnetic and electric field meters developed for the US Department of Energy

This report describes work done at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Office of Energy Storage and Distribution of DOE on the measurement of power line fields. A magnetic field meter is discussed that uses fiber optics to couple a small measuring probe to a remote readout device. The use of fiber optics minimizes electric field perturbation due to the presence of the probe and provides electric isolation for the probe, so that it could be used in a high field or high voltage environment. Power to operate the sensor electronics is transferred via an optical fiber, and converted to electrical form by a small photodiode array. The fundamental, the second and third harmonics of the field are filtered and separately measured, as well as the broadband rms level of the field. The design of the meter is described in detail and data from laboratory tests are presented. The report also describes work done to improve the performance of a DC bushing in a Swedish factory, using the improved meter. The DC electric fields are measured with synchronous detection to provide field magnitude data in two component directions.

Kirkham, H.↗

Non-volatile, high density, high speed, Micromagnet-Hall effect Random Access Memory (MHRAM)

The micromagnetic Hall effect random access memory (MHRAM) has the potential of replacing ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, and SRAMs because of its ability to achieve non-volatility, radiation hardness, high density, and fast access times, simultaneously. Information is stored magnetically in small magnetic elements (micromagnets), allowing unlimited data retention time, unlimited numbers of rewrite cycles, and inherent radiation hardness and SEU immunity, making the MHRAM suitable for ground based as well as spaceflight applications. The MHRAM device design is not affected by areal property fluctuations in the micromagnet, so high operating margins and high yield can be achieved in large scale integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. The MHRAM has short access times (less than 100 nsec). Write access time is short because on-chip transistors are used to gate current quickly, and magnetization reversal in the micromagnet can occur in a matter of a few nanoseconds. Read access time is short because the high electron mobility sensor (InAs or InSb) produces a large signal voltage in response to the fringing magnetic field from the micromagnet. High storage density is achieved since a unit cell consists only of two transistors and one micromagnet Hall effect element. By comparison, a DRAM unit cell has one transistor and one capacitor, and a SRAM unit cell has six transistors.

Wu, Jiin C.↗

Implementing Journaling in a Linux Shared Disk File System

In computer systems today, speed and responsiveness is often determined by network and storage subsystem performance. Faster, more scalable networking interfaces like Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet provide the scaffolding from which higher performance computer systems implementations may be constructed, but new thinking is required about how machines interact with network-enabled storage devices. In this paper we describe how we implemented journaling in the Global File System (GFS), a shared-disk, cluster file system for Linux. Our previous three papers on GFS at the Mass Storage Symposium discussed our first three GFS implementations, their performance, and the lessons learned. Our fourth paper describes, appropriately enough, the evolution of GFS version 3 to version 4, which supports journaling and recovery from client failures. In addition, GFS scalability tests extending to 8 machines accessing 8 4-disk enclosures were conducted: these tests showed good scaling. We describe the GFS cluster infrastructure, which is necessary for proper recovery from machine and disk failures in a collection of machines sharing disks using GFS. Finally, we discuss the suitability of Linux for handling the big data requirements of supercomputing centers.

Preslan, Kenneth W.↗

Solar Thermal Upper Stage Liquid Hydrogen Pressure Control Testing

High-energy cryogenic propellant is an essential element in future space exploration programs. Therefore, NASA and its industrial partners are committed to an advanced development/technology program that will broaden the experience base for the entire cryogenic fluid management community. Furthermore, the high cost of microgravity experiments has motivated NASA to establish government/aerospace industry teams to aggressively explore combinations of ground testing and analytical modeling to the greatest extent possible, thereby benefitting both industry and government entities. One such team consisting of ManTech SRS, Inc., Edwards Air Force Base, and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was formed to pursue a technology project designed to demonstrate technology readiness for an SRS liquid hydrogen (LH2) in-space propellant management concept. The subject testing was cooperatively performed June 21-30, 2000, through a partially reimbursable Space Act Agreement between SRS, MSFC, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. The joint statement of work used to guide the technical activity is presented in appendix A. The key elements of the SRS concept consisted of an LH2 storage and supply system that used all of the vented H2 for solar engine thrusting, accommodated pressure control without a thermodynamic vent system (TVS), and minimized or eliminated the need for a capillary liquid acquisition device (LAD). The strategy was to balance the LH2 storage tank pressure control requirements with the engine thrusting requirements to selectively provide either liquid or vapor H2 at a controlled rate to a solar thermal engine in the low-gravity environment of space operations. The overall test objective was to verify that the proposed concept could enable simultaneous control of LH2 tank pressure and feed system flow to the thruster without necessitating a TVS and a capillary LAD. The primary program objectives were designed to demonstrate technology readiness of the SRS concept at a system level as a first step toward actual flight vehicle demonstrations. More specific objectives included testing the pressure and feed control system concept hardware for functionality, operability, and performance. Valuable LH2 thermodynamic and fluid dynamics data were obtained for application to both the SRS concept and to future missions requiring space-based cryogen propellant management.

Moore, J. D.↗

On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronics

The On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronics (ODME) project develops materials, processes, and device designs to enable electronics, sensors, and semiconductors to be produced in microgravity environments. The demonstration of these technologies provides a pathway for space-based manufacturing of circuits, wearables, energy storage devices, and other electronics. This has facilitated the terrestrial production of devices including a wide range of sensors, printed batteries, and circuits that are additively manufactured using techniques available on the Advanced Toolplate System (ATS). Recent parabolic flight campaigns conducted with the ATS suggest that direct ink write (DIW) technology is suitable for depositing functional material inks in reduced gravity environments. The development of the Advanced Toolplate system also includes several other new tools, including miniaturized versions of the direct write head, fused filament fabrication head, micro-mill, component pick & place head, and two newly developed deposition technologies, the Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet head (for semiconductors), and the Electrodeposition head (for high performance circuits). These experiments are designed to compare processing and material behavior in zero gravity versus ground-based data for validation of microgravity advantages and de-risking of future orbital demonstrations of these technologies. The ability to conduct experiments in microgravity is a pivotal step in enabling electronic manufacturing technology in space for both terrestrial and deep space applications.

Cadre Francis↗

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2013

Dielectrophoresis-Based Particle Sensor Using Nanoelectrode Arrays; Multi-Dimensional Damage Detection for Surfaces and Structures; ULTRA: Underwater Localization for Transit and Reconnaissance Autonomy; Autonomous Cryogenic Leak Detector for Improving Launch Site Operations; Submillimeter Planetary Atmospheric Chemistry Exploration Sounder; Method for Reduction of Silver Biocide Plating on Metal Surfaces; Silicon Micromachined Microlens Array for THz Antennas; Forward-Looking IED Detector Ground Penetrating Radar; Fully Printed, Flexible, Phased Array Antenna for Lunar Surface Communication, Battery Charge Equalizer with Transformer Array; An Efficient, Highly Flexible Multi-Channel Digital Downconverter Architecture; Dimmable Electronic Ballast for a Gas Discharge Lamp; Conductive Carbon Nanotube Inks for Use with Desktop Inkjet Printing Technology; Enhanced Schapery Theory Software Development for Modeling Failure of Fiber-Reinforced Laminates; High-Performance, Low-Temperature-Operating, Long-Lifetime Aerospace Lubricants; Carbon Nanotube Microarrays Grown on Nanoflake Substrates; Differential Muon Tomography to Continuously Monitor Changes in the Composition of Subsurface Fluids; Microgravity Drill and Anchor System; 20 Granular Media-Based Tunable Passive Vibration Suppressor; 21 Miga Aero Actuator and 2D Machined Mechanical Binary Latch; Micro-XRF for In Situ Geological Exploration of Other Planets; Hydrogen-Enhanced Lunar Oxygen Extraction and Storage Using Only Solar Power; Uplift of Ionospheric Oxygen Ions During Extreme Magnetic Storms; Miniaturized, High-Speed, Modulated X-Ray Source; Hollow-Fiber Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator 25 High-Power Single-Mode 2.65-micrometers InGaAsSb/AlInGaAsSb Diode Lasers; Optical Device for Converting a Laser Beam Into Two Co-aligned but Oppositely Directed Beams; A Hybrid Fiber/Solid-State Regenerative Amplifier with Tunable Pulse Widths for Satellite Laser Ranging; X-Ray Diffractive Optics; SynGenics Optimization System (SynOptSys); 29 CFD Script for Rapid TPS Damage Assessment; radEq Add-On Module for CFD Solver Loci-CHEM; Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA) Version 8; 30 Autonomous Byte Stream Randomizer; Distributed Engine Control Empirical/Analytical Verification Tools; Dynamic Server-Based KML Code Generator Method for Level-of-Detail Traversal of Geospatial Data; Automated Planning of Science Products Based on Nadir Overflights and Alerts for Onboard and Ground Processing; Linked Autonomous Interplanetary Satellite Orbit Navigation; Risk-Constrained Dynamic Programming for Optimal Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing; Scheduling Operations for Massive Heterogeneous Clusters; Deepak Condenser Model (DeCoM); Flight Software Math Library; Recirculating 1-K-Pot for Pulse-Tube Cryostats; 35 Method for Processing Lunar Regolith Using Microwaves; Wells for In Situ Extraction of Volatiles from Regolith (WIEVR); and Estimating the Backup Reaction Wheel Orientation Using Reaction Wheel Spin Rates Flight Telemetry from a Spacecraft.

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The Wizard Staff: A Mobile Tool Supporting Human Exploration on The Lunar Surface

The Wizard Staff is a rechargeable, battery powered mobile tool with multiple uses for lunar surface exploration. It supports human activity as a surface survey tool, provides external illumination to enhance safety, delivers networking, communications, and navigation features to remote sites, and assists crew rescue with an emergency beacon and rigid splint structure. As a survey tool, it assists crewed geologic field site exploration with external lights, cameras, and LiDAR to illuminate, map, and record the sample collection process. As a relay station, it provides a surface intranet communications and navigation node for extended exploration far from the lander or habitation module. A separately developed Search-and-Rescue (SAR) handheld device can broadcast a signal to the Gandalf Staff containing crew position and biometric data. The staff then formats the message and sends it orbiting satellite(s) for emergency response via the LunaNET on a dedicated frequency similar to terrestrial applications using an Emergency Position-Indicating Radiobeacon (EPIRB). The staff is designed with an upper and lower segment. Components in the upper segment are the LiDAR, external lighting arrays, cameras, communications equipment, intelligence devices, and user interface for crew operations. The lower segment is a set of FeLiPO4 battery cells packed into the 2” diameter carbon fiber tube. When the battery pack is discharged, a spring connector (designed for the dusty lunar environment) easily disconnects the two segments for replacement with another fully charged battery pack. The lower segment can be used for Incapacitated Crew Rescue (ICR) as a rigid splint. As a stand-alone science platform, the Wizard Staff provides infrastructure for instruments and sensors to record the lunar environment over long periods of time. After a crew installs the components on the lunar surface, the platform delivers data to the lunar lander or base station for analysis. The stand-alone mode requires an auxiliary power source (e.g. solar array) and energy storage system (e.g. battery), so it could also be used as an electrical recharging station. A working prototype of Wizard Staff has been developed with collaboration between NASA (JSC, MSFC, and GSFC), Texas Space Technology Applications and Research (T STAR), and Texas A&M University (TAMU) using $300k of innovation funding in FY’21 and FY’22. The functional staff weights 36# on Earth (6# on the Moon), stands 2.1m tall and delivers external lighting with an array of 40 LED bulbs generating 1460 Lux at 2m range (near field), or 2 Lux at 50m (far field).

Gandalf Staff↗

Liquid Acquisition Device Hydrogen Outflow Testing on the Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Engineering Design Unit

As part of the NASA Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) Engineering Design Unit (EDU) testing with liquid hydrogen, screen-channel liquid acquisition devices (LADs) were tested during liquid hydrogen outflow from the EDU tank. A stainless steel screen mesh (325x2300 Dutch T will weave) was welded to a rectangular cross-section channel to form the basic LAD channel. Three LAD channels were tested, each having unique variations in the basic design. The LADs fed a common outflow sump at the aft end of the 151 cu. ft. volume aluminum tank, and included a curved section along the aft end and a straight section along the barrel section of the tank. Wet-dry sensors were mounted inside the LAD channels to detect when vapor was ingested into the LADs during outflow. The use of warm helium pressurant during liquid hydrogen outflow, supplied through a diffuser at the top of the tank, always led to early breakdown of the liquid column. When the tank was pressurized through an aft diffuser, resulting in cold helium in the ullage, LAD column hold-times as long as 60 minutes were achieved, which was the longest duration tested. The highest liquid column height at breakdown was 58 cm, which is 23 less than the isothermal bubble-point model value of 75 cm. This paper discusses details of the design, construction, operation and analysis of LAD test data from the CPST EDU liquid hydrogen test.

Liquid hydrogen↗

Modeling and Simulation of Tank Pressure Control using Zero-Boil Off Active Thermal Control for LOXSAT Technology Demonstration Mission

To-date, research and modeling of cryogenic fluid management technologies (CFM) for spaceflight has been limited to ground tests, short-duration zero-g simulations (e.g. drop towers), and small-scale experiments on-orbit. There has not been a large-scale flight demonstration of a flight-like system. As future NASA missions to take humans further from Earth will require large, in-space cryogenic propulsion vehicles, it is imperative to begin collecting flight data for these systems to accurately model and design future vehicles. To meet this goal, NASA awarded tipping point technology demonstration awards to Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to demonstrate on-orbit storage and transfer of cryogenic propellant. For its award, Eta Space is developing LOXSAT-1. It is a small satellite that will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The spacecraft consists of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft bus with a primary payload of a spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank with thermodynamic control systems. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate zero-boil-off storage of liquid oxygen. To accomplish this objective, the payload is equipped with an active thermal control system fluid loop that consists of propellant management device (PMD), positive-displacement pump, heat exchanger connected to a cryocooler, and a spray bar mixing injector. When the fluid loop is operating, fluid is drawn from the tank by the PMD and pumped through the heat exchanger, lowering the fluid temperature below the fluid temperature in the tank. This subcooled liquid is then injected back into the tank through the spray bar. The subcooled injected liquid has two effects. If it is sprayed into the ullage space, the injected liquid will form into jets or droplets and exchange heat with the ullage gas. This will cool and condense the gas, reducing the pressure in the tank. Additionally, the liquid that is not sprayed through the ullage, as well as any remaining liquid spray from the ullage, will rejoin the liquid mass of the tank, lowering the bulk temperature of the liquid. These combines effects provide for zero-boil off pressure control by lowering the tank pressure and the liquid saturation pressure simultaneously, ensuring the liquid stays subcooled. To model these complex mechanics and predict the performance of the active thermal control system, NASA is providing Eta Space with 3 parallel models of the tank. The approach of providing 3 different models allows for cross-checking and comparisons between the three to better understand how different modeling assumptions and selection semi-empirical factors affects the modeling result. Additionally, developing 3 models provides three different schemes for numerical simulation, providing confidence that results depict real physical phenomenon and not numerical quirks of the program. Within the tank thermodynamics, there are two primary areas of heat transfer we concern ourselves with: the heat transfer between the ullage space and the droplet spray, and between the ullage space and bulk liquid. For the droplet heat transfer, there are multiple sets of assumptions that can be made and correlations that can be used. Currently, two working models - the TankSIM model and Easy5 model – provide for an overview of the different approaches available. The TankSIM model and Easy5 model use two different models for droplet heating and evaporation that illustrate how the models use different types of mechanisms to arrive at the same answer. For the TankSIM model, droplets are treated as spheres of constant radius. Heat is transferred from the ullage to the droplet and warms the droplet until it reaches saturation, then the droplet begins evaporating and reducing its radius and mass. To calculate the heat transfer coefficient between the droplet and ullage, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. To determine the number of droplets in the ullage, a resident mass approach is used. This approach averages the number of droplets such that residuals at the start-up and shut-off of the spray bar cancel out. This same approach is used in the Easy5 model. The GFSSP model implements a linked list to track individual droplet “nodes” within the model. For the Easy5 model, the droplet is assumed to have an interface at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure of the gas phase. The heat transfer from the gas to the interface and the interface to the droplet bulk is then calculated, and the net mass transfer between the droplet and interface is determined by performing an energy balance across the interface. For the gas side of the interface, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. For the liquid side of the interface, a variety of correlations were tried, including Kronig and Brink (1950) and effective conductivity models. As a result of these assumptions, the Easy5 model currently predicts faster depressurization, as at saturated vapor conditions, the heat transfer coeffect on the liquid side for the Easy5 model is greater than the heat transfer coefficient predicted by Ranz-Marshall used in the TankSIM code. This greater heat flux translates into faster condensation of the saturated ullage gas. At the bulk liquid to ullage interface, the models are in much closer agreement. Both models model the ullage as a sphere centered within the bulk liquid in the tank, and both use the energy-jumping boundary condition to model heat and mass transfer across the interface. There are slight differences in how the interface temperature is calculated, however. The Easy5 model assumes the temperature of the interface is equal to the saturation temperature associated with the pressure of the gas phase. The TankSIM model calculates this temperature with Alabovskii’s equation, which provides a correction factor for interface temperatures. Analysis tasks are focused on determining rates of depressurization within the tank during active cooling operation. To maintain net positive suction head at the pump inlet, the tank pressure cannot fall faster than the saturation pressure associated with the temperature of the bulk liquid. Additionally, there is interest in analyzing the performance of the loop at different pump speeds and cryocooler input powers. Adjusting the flowrate affects both the performance of the heat exchanger between the cryocooler and pumped liquid, and the heat transfer between the droplet spray and the ullage. Ideally, a pump speed and cryocooler power can be selected that will allow the tank to operate in zero-boil-off mode with a very narrow range of storage pressure.

Cameron J. Hines↗