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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Constellation-X Spectroscopy X-Ray Telescope Requirements and Development Program: MSFC Research Program

The Constellation-X Spectroscopy X-ray Telescope (SXT) will provide high-throughput, high-resolution spectroscopy of cosmic sources, from 0.25 keV to 10 keV. Key to this capability is the development of large (1.6 m diameter), lightweight optics for the SXT mirror assembly. Teams led by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and by Italy's Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (OAB) are currently developing competing mirror technologies for this planned mission. Each team is making significant research progress in developing mirror technologies which satisfy the SXT requirements for lightweight optics, consistent with a system-level optical performance of better than 15 arcsec half-power diameter. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), has focussed its efforts on full-shell replicated optics, of electroformed nickel alloys. Recent progress in identifying a surface treatment to effect low, controlled adhesion and, more significantly, in developing new high-strength nickel alloys make this a viable, low cost approach to satisfying the SXT requirements.

O'Dell, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

The dual-bell rocket nozzle was first proposed in 1949, offering a potential improvement in rocket nozzle performance over the conventional-bell nozzle. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. In 2013 a proposal was constructed that offered a NASA F-15 airplane as the flight testbed, with the plan to operate a dual-bell rocket nozzle during captive-carried flight. If implemented, this capability will permit nozzle operation into an external flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle, and facilitate an improved understanding of dual-bell nozzle plume sensitivity to external flow-field effects. More importantly, this flight testbed can be utilized to help quantify the performance benefit with the dual-bell nozzle, as well as to advance its technology readiness level. Toward this ultimate goal, this paper provides plans for future flights to quantify the external flow field of the airplane near the nozzle experiment, as well as details on the conceptual design for the dual-bell nozzle cold-flow propellant feed system integration within the NASA F-15 Propulsion Flight Test Fixture. The current study shows that this concept of flight research is feasible, and could result in valuable flight data for the dual-bell nozzle.

nozzle↗
NASA NTRS2014

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

The dual-bell rocket nozzle was first proposed in 1949, offering a potential improvement in rocket nozzle performance over the conventional-bell nozzle. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. In 2013 a proposal was constructed that offered a NASA F-15 airplane as the flight testbed, with the plan to operate a dual-bell rocket nozzle during captive-carried flight. If implemented, this capability will permit nozzle operation into an external flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle, and facilitate an improved understanding of dual-bell nozzle plume sensitivity to external flow-field effects. More importantly, this flight testbed can be utilized to help quantify the performance benefit with the dual-bell nozzle, as well as to advance its technology readiness level. This presentation provides highlights of a technical paper that outlines this ultimate goal, including plans for future flights to quantify the external flow field of the airplane near the nozzle experiment, as well as details on the conceptual design for the dual-bell nozzle cold-flow propellant feed system integration within the NASA F-15 Propulsion Flight Test Fixture. The current study shows that this concept of flight research is feasible, and could result in valuable flight data for the dual-bell nozzle.

flight-research↗
NASA NTRS2014

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

The dual-bell rocket nozzle was first proposed in 1949, offering a potential improvement in rocket nozzle performance over the conventional-bell nozzle. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. In 2013 a proposal was constructed that offered a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) F-15 airplane as the flight testbed, with the plan to operate a dual-bell rocket nozzle during captive-carried flight. If implemented, this capability will permit nozzle operation into an external flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle, and facilitate an improved understanding of dual-bell nozzle plume sensitivity to external flow-field effects. More importantly, this flight testbed can be utilized to help quantify the performance benefit with the dual-bell nozzle, as well as to advance its technology readiness level. Toward this ultimate goal, this report provides plans for future flights to quantify the external flow field of the airplane near the nozzle experiment, as well as details on the conceptual design for the dual-bell nozzle cold-flow propellant feed system integration within the NASA F-15 Propulsion Flight Test Fixture. The current study shows that this concept of flight research is feasible, and could result in valuable flight data for the dual-bell nozzle.

nozzle↗
NASA NTRS2016

State-of-the-Art for Small Satellite Propulsion Systems

SmallSats are a low cost access to space with an increasing need for propulsion systems. NASA, and other organizations, will be using SmallSats that require propulsion systems to: a) Conduct high quality near and far reaching on-orbit research and b) Perform technology demonstrations. Increasing call for high reliability and high performing for SmallSat components. Many SmallSat propulsion technologies are currently under development: a) Systems at various levels of maturity and b) Wide variety of systems for many mission applications.

Small Satellite↗
NASA NTRS2014

Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration 1 (ATD-1) Tech Transfer Document Summary: Version 3.0

This document summarizes transfer of NASA's terminal sequencing and spacing (TSS) and interval management (IM) technologies to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), as part of its Air Traffic Management Technology (ATM) Demonstration 1 activity. This activity, referred to as ATD-1, is part of NASA's Airspace Systems Program (ASP) specifically, its System Analysis, Integration, and Evaluation (SAIE) Project. ATD-1 is a multi-year research and development effort aimed at accelerating implementation and deployment of NASA-developed ATM technologies by the FAA. These technologies are designed to improve the utilization of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) procedures inside congested terminal airspace. In terms of NASA's Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), ATD-1 is focused on maturing its associated technologies from the Technology Development stage (TRL 4) to the Technology Demonstration stage (TRL 6). In order to ensure that the products of this tech-transfer are relevant and useful, NASA has created strong partnerships with the FAA and key industry stakeholders.

Technology transfer↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ELECTRICAL SHORTING OF THERMOCOUPLES IN ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY APPLICATIONS

The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) will test Hyper-sonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology. Temperature measurements are taken across the vehicle to address a Level 1 mission requirement regarding performance of the Flexible Thermal Protection System (F-TPS). Temperature measurements are made using dozens of thermocouples (TCs) embedded within the F-TPS at different depths and various locations shown in Figure 1.

Cole D Kazemba↗
NASA NTRS2023

Robotic and Crewed Mars Missions Increasing the Demand for Planetary Protection Technology Needs

Planetary protection (PP) policy seeks to avoid harmful contamination by limiting biological and relevant organic contamination from spacecraft as well as preventing adverse changes to Earth’s biosphere when extraterrestial samples are brought back to Earth. The PP policy at NASA was updated in 2021 (NPR 8715.24) and 2022 (NASA-STD-8719.27) to enable missions by expanding the decades old prescriptive requirements to allow for an option of adopting performance-based requirements that are objectivesdriven, risk-informed and case-assured. In parallel, the final PP knowledge gap workshop was completed representing the international consensus on the key areas to be considered in developing crew PP policy. These knowledge gaps focused on key technology development areas in 1) microbial and human health monitoring, 2) technical and operations needed for contamination control and 3) natural transport of contamination on Mars. As robotic missions start to implement performance-based approaches and research and technology efforts commence to inform crew policy the demand for data quality driven verification and validation in relevant space environments. Examples of the types of testing that is envisioned includes test as you fly validation and verification of decontamination systems in a relevant on-orbit and Mars environment, developing lethality curves of terrestrial organisms to further our understanding of the biocidal impacts of Mars and the space environment, and particle transport model validation and verification. Thus, the PP discipline has identified the need for groundbased space environments to perform preliminary testing as validation and verification of flight systems and to advance the technology readiness level prior to further testing on-orbit or lunar environments to prepare for Mars.

J. Nick Benardini↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Robotic and Crewed Mars Missions Increasing the Demand for Planetary Protection Technology Needs

Planetary protection (PP) policy seeks to avoid harmful contamination by limiting biological and relevant organic contamination from spacecraft as well as preventing adverse changes to Earth’s biosphere when extraterrestrial samples are brought back to Earth. The PP policy at NASA was updated in 2021 (NPR 8715.24) and 2022 (NASA-STD-8719.27) to enable missions by expanding the decades old prescriptive requirements to allow for an option of adopting performance-based requirements that are objectives-driven, risk-informed and case-assured. In parallel, the final PP knowledge gap workshop was completed representing the international consensus on the key areas to be considered in developing crew PP policy. These knowledge gaps focused on key technology development areas in 1) microbial and human health monitoring, 2) technical and operations needed for contamination control and 3) natural transport of contamination on Mars. As robotic missions start to implement performance-based approaches and research and technology efforts commence to inform crew policy the demand for data quality driven verification and validation in relevant space environments. Examples of the types of testing that is envisioned includes test as you fly validation and verification of decontamination systems in a relevant on-orbit and Mars environment, developing lethality curves of terrestrial organisms to further our understanding of the biocidal impacts of Mars and the space environment, and particle transport model validation and verification. Thus, the PP discipline has identified the need for ground-based space environments to perform preliminary testing as validation and verification of flight systems and to advance the technology readiness level prior to further testing on-orbit or lunar environments to prepare for Mars.

J Nick Benardini↗
NASA NTRS1972

An out-of-core version of a six cell heat-pipe heated thermionic converter array

A thermionic system concept is described which incorporates a heat-pipe cooled fast spectrum reactor and six-cell thermionic converter modules located in the space radiator. Much of the technology being developed for the in-core thermionic reactor concept is directly applicable to this out-of-core concept, particularly the fuel and converter development activity. The major technology extension required is in the area of heat-pipes for cooling the reactor and carrying thermal energy from the reactor station to the converters. The performance characteristics of an out-of-core thermionic system at power levels between 40 and 70 kWe are summarized, the adaptation of in-core technology to the out-of-core concept is described and applicable heat-pipe technology programs now underway are discussed.

Kroeger, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Flight Deck Technologies to Enable NextGen Low Visibility Surface Operations

Many key capabilities are being identified to enable Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), including the concept of Equivalent Visual Operations (EVO) . replicating the capacity and safety of today.s visual flight rules (VFR) in all-weather conditions. NASA is striving to develop the technologies and knowledge to enable EVO and to extend EVO towards a Better-Than-Visual operational concept. This operational concept envisions an .equivalent visual. paradigm where an electronic means provides sufficient visual references of the external world and other required flight references on flight deck displays that enable Visual Flight Rules (VFR)-like operational tempos while maintaining and improving safety of VFR while using VFR-like procedures in all-weather conditions. The Langley Research Center (LaRC) has recently completed preliminary research on flight deck technologies for low visibility surface operations. The work assessed the potential of enhanced vision and airport moving map displays to achieve equivalent levels of safety and performance to existing low visibility operational requirements. The work has the potential to better enable NextGen by perhaps providing an operational credit for conducting safe low visibility surface operations by use of the flight deck technologies.

Prinzel, Lawrence (Lance) J., III↗
NASA NTRS2011

Performance Testing of a Liquid Metal Pump for In-Space Power Systems

Fission surface power (FSP) systems could be used to provide power on the surface of the moon, Mars, or other planets and moons of our solar system. Fission power systems could provide excellent performance at any location, including those near the poles or other permanently shaded regions, and offer the capability to provide on demand power at any time, even at large distances from the sun. Fission-based systems also offer the potential for outposts, crew and science instruments to operate in a power-rich environment. NASA has been exploring technologies with the goal of reducing the cost and technical risk of employing FSP systems. A reference 40 kWe option has been devised that is cost-competitive with alternatives while providing more power for less mass anywhere on the lunar surface. The reference FSP system is also readily extensible for use on Mars, where it would be capable of operating through global dust storms and providing year-round power at any Martian latitude. Detailed development of the FSP concept and the reference mission are documented in various other reports. The development discussed in this paper prepares the way for testing of the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), which is a 10 kWe end-to-end test of FSP technologies intended to raise the entire FSP system to technology readiness level (TRL) 6. The Early Flight Fission Test Facility (EFF-TF) was established by NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to provide a capability for performing hardware-directed activities to support multiple in-space nuclear reactor concepts by using a nonnuclear test methodology. This includes fabrication and testing at both the module/component level and at near prototypic reactor components and configurations allowing for realistic thermal-hydraulic evaluations of systems. The liquid-metal pump associated with the FSP system must be compatible with the liquid NaK coolant and have adequate performance to enable a viable flight system. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was tasked with the modeling, design, and fabrication of an ALIP suitable for the FSP reference mission. A prototypic ALIP was fabricated under the direction of INL and shipped to MSFC for inclusion in the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), a quarter-scale end-to-end reactor simulator system that is scheduled for testing at NASA-GRC. Before inclusion in the TDU, the ALIP was tested in the ALIP test circuit (ATC), which is a rig developed and operated at MSFC for the specific purpose of providing accurate quantification of liquid metal pump performance. Data showing the pump performance curves (pressure, flowrate, and pump efficiency) are presented for various operating power levels, demonstrating the full performance envelope of the pump.

Polzin, Kurt↗
NASA NTRS2015

EBF3 Design and Sustainability Considerations

Electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) is a cross-cutting technology for producing structural metal parts using an electron beam and wire feed in a layer-additive fashion. This process was developed by researchers at NASA Langley to specifically address needs for aerospace applications. Additive manufacturing technologies like EBF3 enable efficient design of materials and structures by tailoring microstructures and chemistries at the local level to improve performance at the global level. Additive manufacturing also facilitates design freedom by integrating assemblies into complex single-piece components, eliminating flanges, fasteners and joints, resulting in reduced size and mass. These same efficiencies that permit new design paradigms also lend themselves to supportability and sustainability. Long duration space missions will require a high degree of self-sustainability. EBF3 is a candidate technology being developed to allow astronauts to conduct repairs and fabricate new components and tools on demand, with efficient use of feedstock materials and energy.

Taminger, Karen M. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluation of High-Temperature Fabrics for Improved Performance of Seals and Thermal Barriers

Hypersonic and space flight applications continue to push material demands of component-level technologies such as high-temperature seals and thermal barriers. NASA Glenn Research Center continues to develop and evaluate materials and coatings as well as thermal barrier designs for these applications. Experimental test data is presented for two different sheath fabrics that were evaluated in full thermal barrier assemblies through compression and wear testing at elevated temperatures, as well as flow testing at ambient temperature.

Seals↗
NASA NTRS2013

SpiderFab(TradeMark):Process for On-Orbit Construction of Kilometer-Scale Apertures

The SpiderFab effort investigated the value proposition and technical feasibility of radically changing the way we build and deploy spacecraft by enabling space systems to fabricate and integrate key components on-orbit. Weeveloped an architecture for a SpiderFab system, identifying the key capabilities, and detailed two concept implementations of this architecture, one specialized for fabricating support trusses for large solar arrays, and the second a robotic system capable of fabricating spacecraft components such as antenna reflectors. We then performed analyses to evaluate the value proposition for on-­orbit fabrication, and in each case found that the dramatic improvements in structural performance and packing efficiency enabled by on-orbit fabrication can provide order-of-magnitude improvements in key system metrics. For phased-­‐array radars, SpiderFab enables order-­of-­magnitude increases in gain-per-stowed-volume. For the New Worlds Observer mission, SpiderFab construction of a starshade can provide a ten-fold increase in the number of Earth-like planets discovered per dollar. For communications systems, SpiderFab can change the cost equation for large antenna reflectors, enabling affordable deployment of much larger apertures than feasible with current deployable technologies. To establish the technical feasibility, we identified methods for combining several additive manufacturing technologies with robotic assembly technologies, metrology sensors, and thermal control techniques to provide the capabilities required to implement a SpiderFab system. We performed proof-­of-concept level testing of these approaches, in each case demonstrating that the proposed solutions are feasible, and establishing the SpiderFab architecture at TRL-3. Further maturation of SpiderFab to mission-readiness is well-suited to an incremental development program. Affordable smallsat demonstrations will prepare the technology for full-scale demonstration that will unlock the full potential of the SpiderFab architecture by flight qualifying and validating an on-orbit fabrication and integration process that can be re-used to reduce the life-cycle cost and increase power, bandwidth, resolution, and sensitivity for a wide range of NASA Science and Exploration missions.

Hoyt, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2003

Qualifying the Sunpower M87N Cryocooler for Operation in the AMS-02 Magnetic Field

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMs-02) experiment uses a superfluid helium dewar to cool a large superconducting magnet. The outer vapor-cooled shields of the dewar are to be held at 80 K by four Sunpower M87N cryocoolers. These cryocoolers have magnetic components that might interact with the external applied field generated by the superconducting magnet, thereby degrading the cryocoolers' performance. Engineering models of the Sunpower M87 have been qualified for operation in a magnetic environment similar to the AMs-02 magnetic environment. Although there was no noticeable performance degradation at field levels that were comparable to AMs-02 field levels, there appears to be a small performance degradation at higher field levels. It was theorized that there were three possible issues related to these performance losses at high magnetic fields: i) induced piston rubbing on the cylinder wall due to forces and torques on the linear motor due to the applied magnetic fields; ii) Magnetic hysteretic and/or eddy current damping of the balancer due to its motion in the applied magnetic fields; iii) Inductance losses in motor due to the applied magnetic field. The experiments conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) cyclotron facility in June 2002 were designed to test these. Tests were performed over a range of field levels that were lower, comparable, and higher than the field levels that the cryocoolers will experience in the AMs-02 operating environment. This paper describes the experiments and the inferences derived from them.

Mustafi, Shuvo↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Effect of Rotor Cruise Tip Speed, Engine Technology and Engine/Drive System RPM on the NASA Large Civil Tiltrotor (LCTR2) Size and Performance

A multi-year study was conducted under NASA NNA06BC41C Task Order 10 and NASA NNA09DA56C task orders 2, 4, and 5 to identify the most promising propulsion system concepts that enable rotor cruise tip speeds down to 54% of the hover tip speed for a civil tiltrotor aircraft. Combinations of engine RPM reduction and 2-speed drive systems were evaluated. Three levels of engine and the drive system advanced technology were assessed; 2015, 2025 and 2035. Propulsion and drive system configurations that resulted in minimum vehicle gross weight were identified. Design variables included engine speed reduction, drive system speed reduction, technology, and rotor cruise propulsion efficiency. The NASA Large Civil Tiltrotor, LCTR, aircraft served as the base vehicle concept for this study and was resized for over thirty combinations of operating cruise RPM and technology level, quantifying LCTR2 Gross Weight, size, and mission fuel. Additional studies show design sensitivity to other mission ranges and design airspeeds, with corresponding relative estimated operational cost. The lightest vehicle gross weight solution consistently came from rotor cruise tip speeds between 422 fps and 500 fps. Nearly equivalent results were achieved with operating at reduced engine RPM with a single-speed drive system or with a two-speed drive system and 100% engine RPM. Projected performance for a 2025 engine technology provided improved fuel flow over a wide range of operating speeds relative to the 2015 technology, but increased engine weight nullified the improved fuel flow resulting in increased aircraft gross weights. The 2035 engine technology provided further fuel flow reduction and 25% lower engine weight, and the 2035 drive system technology provided a 12% reduction in drive system weight. In combination, the 2035 technologies reduced aircraft takeoff gross weight by 14% relative to the 2015 technologies.

Robuck, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2018

Low Power Radioisotope Conversion Technology and Performance Summary

This work presents a summary of low-power radioisotope-based power sources. This includes systems that use direct energy conversion from radioactive decay such as betavoltaics and systems that convert heat generated by the isotope decay. These types of power systems have terrestrial and space-based applications. Their main application is to provide low levels of power in remote environments where long life and reliability are the main objectives. This work looked at the potential performance of these types of systems and the range of output power they can achieve. Also considered was the amount of power that could be achieved from these different conversion technologies, while remaining under the critical limit acceptable for space flight without the need for special handling and controls. This is of interest for space missions where low power levels can be used for operating sensors or other devices, but the expense associated with the incorporation of radioactive material above this critical level would be cost prohibitive.

Colozza, Anthony J.↗