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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Research and technology

As the NASA center responsible for assembly, checkout, servicing, launch, recovery, and operational support of Space Transportation System elements and payloads, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is placing increasing emphasis on KSC's research and technology program. In addition to strengthening those areas of engineering and operations technology that contribute to safer, more efficient, and more economical execution of the current mission, the technological tools needed to execute KSC's mission relative to future programs are being developed. The Engineering Development Directorate encompasses most of the laboratories and other KSC resources that are key elements of research and technology program implementation and is responsible for implementation of the majority of the projects in this KSC 1990 annual report. Projects under the following topics are covered: (1) materials science; (2) hazardous emissions and contamination monitoring; (3) biosciences; (4) autonomous systems; (5) communications and control; (6) meteorology; (7) technology utilization; and (8) mechanics, structures, and cryogenics.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Overview of the StarLight Mission

An overview of the Starlight Mission is presented. Mission summary: June 2006 launch to heliocentric orbit; Nominal 6 month mission with option of additional 6 month extension; Validate autonomous formation flying system: range control to 10 cm bearing, control to 4 arcmin; Demonstrate formation flying optical interferometry.The original 3 spacecraft design did not fit the budget. 2 spacecraft concept demonstrates all key areas of formation flying interferometry. Collector flown on the surface of a virtual paraboloid, with combiner at the focus. It Gives a baseline of 125 m with a fixed delay of only 14 m.

Lay, Oliver↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The High Density Vertiplex Advanced Onboard Automation Overview

While many studies have been performed examining Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations from UAM Maturity Level (UML) UML-1 to UML-4, [1, 2] some uncertainty exists regarding the integration and role of onboard autonomous systems, airspace management systems, ground control and fleet management systems, and how they integrate with vertiport automation systems to ensure safe high-density future operations. One thrust of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) High Density Vertiplex (HDV) sub-project is to perform rapid prototyping and assessment of an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Ecosystem within the terminal operational area to help inform future research investments and technology development. Another thrust within HDV is to perform integration, testing, and safety risk assessments required to acquire operational credit for several NASA small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) enabling technologies to expand test capabilities and to expedite technology transfer and ultimate effective usage. Both thrusts leverage sUAS to serve as surrogates for the highly-technologically-similar envisioned UAM aircraft as well as to provide significant contributions to sUAS Part-135 operators. This report provides an overview of the activities accomplished within the Advanced Onboard Automation (AOA) schedule work package of HDV.

Human Factors, Simulation↗
NASA NTRS1986

Development of an interface for an ultrareliable fault-tolerant control system and an electronic servo-control unit

The NASA Ames Research Center sponsors a research program for the investigation of Intelligent Flight Control Actuation systems. The use of artificial intelligence techniques in conjunction with algorithmic techniques for autonomous, decentralized fault management of flight-control actuation systems is explored under this program. The design, development, and operation of the interface for laboratory investigation of this program is documented. The interface, architecturally based on the Intel 8751 microcontroller, is an interrupt-driven system designed to receive a digital message from an ultrareliable fault-tolerant control system (UFTCS). The interface links the UFTCS to an electronic servo-control unit, which controls a set of hydraulic actuators. It was necessary to build a UFTCS emulator (also based on the Intel 8751) to provide signal sources for testing the equipment.

Shaver, Charles↗
NASA NTRS2012

Online Cable Tester and Rerouter

Hardware and algorithms have been developed to transfer electrical power and data connectivity safely, efficiently, and automatically from an identified damaged/defective wire in a cable to an alternate wire path. The combination of online cable testing capabilities, along with intelligent signal rerouting algorithms, allows the user to overcome the inherent difficulty of maintaining system integrity and configuration control, while autonomously rerouting signals and functions without introducing new failure modes. The incorporation of this capability will increase the reliability of systems by ensuring system availability during operations.

Lewis, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Tech Briefs, March 2006

Topics covered include: Medical Signal-Conditioning and Data-Interface System; Instruments for Reading Direct-Marked Data-Matrix Symbols; Processing EOS MLS Level-2 Data; Ground Processing of Data From the Mars Exploration Rovers; Estimating Total Electron Content Using 1,000+ GPS Receivers; NASA Solar Array Demonstrates Commercial Potential; Improved Control of Charging Voltage for Li-Ion Battery; Programmable Pulse-Position-Modulation Encoder; Wavelength-Agile External-Cavity Diode Laser for DWDM; Pattern-Recognition Processor Using Holographic Photopolymer; Submicrosecond Power-Switching Test Circuit; Three-Function Logic Gate Controlled by Analog Voltage; Integrated System for Autonomous Science; Montage Version 3.0; Utilizing AI in Temporal, Spatial, and Resource Scheduling; Satellite Image Mosaic Engine; Architecture for Control of the K9 Rover; HFGMC Enhancement of MAC/GMC; Automated Activation and Deactivation of a System Under Test; Cleaning Carbon Nanotubes by Use of Mild Oxygen Plasmas; Generating Aromatics From CO2 on Mars or Natural Gas on Earth; Attaching Thermocouples by Peening or Crimping; Heat Treatment of Friction-Stir-Welded 7050 Aluminum Plates; Generating Breathable Air Through Dissociation of N2O; High-Performance Scanning Acousto-Ultrasonic System; Correction for Thermal EMFs in Thermocouple Feedthroughs; Using Quasiparticle Poisoning To Detect Photons; Estimating Resolution Lengths of Hybrid Turbulence Models; Education and Training Module in Alertness Management; Cargo-Positioning System for Next-Generation Spacecraft; Micro-Imagers for Spaceborne Cell-Growth Experiments; Holographic Solar Photon Thrusters; Plasma-Based Detector of Outer-Space Dust Particles; and Generation of Data-Rate Profiles of Ka-Band Deep-Space Links.

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DOE OSTI2023

Domain-aware Control-oriented Neural Models for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Conventional physics-based modeling is a time-consuming bottleneck in control design for complex nonlinear systems like autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). In contrast, purely data-driven models, require a large number of observations and lack operational guarantees for safety-critical systems. Data-driven models leveraging available partially characterized dynamics have potential to provide reliable systems models in a typical data-limited scenario for high value complex systems, thereby avoiding months of expensive expert modeling time. In this work we explore this middle-ground between expert-modeled and pure data-driven modeling. We present control-oriented parametric models with varying levels of domain-awareness that exploit known system structure and prior physics knowledge to create constrained deep neural dynamical system models. We employ universal differential equations to construct data-driven blackbox and graybox representations of the AUV dynamics. In addition, we explore a hybrid formulation that explicitly models the residual error related to imperfect graybox models. We compare the prediction performance of the learned models for different distributions of initial conditions and control inputs to assess their suitability for control.

Shaw Cortez, Wenceslao E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Autonomous Energy Systems

Energy systems are increasingly complicated by the proliferation of clean energy technologies such as solar, wind, storage, electric vehicles, and building automations. Future energy systems will require secure, autonomous, and reliable communications, control, and interoperability among millions of distributed generation points and billions of buildings, vehicles, and more. To enable effective management of the anticipated growth of distributed devices and the deluge of data and extensive metering that will follow, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed the concept of autonomous energy systems (AES).

autonomous↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cyber Resilient Design and Controls for Energy Systems

As the grid of today is evolving into a highly distributed and autonomous cyber-physical system with higher penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and autonomous controls that are dependent on the cyber infrastructure, there are novel and increasing challenges to cyber-resilient operation of the grid. While the traditional mechanisms take a "bolt on" approach to cybersecurity and resiliency, this talk presents two novel technologies developed at NREL that "bake in" security and resilience into the design and control of the grid. An Adaptive Resilience Metrics framework is a novel mechanism for system owners and operators to understand the impact of cyber and physical system design and topology on the resilient operation, while also helping determine optimal policies in response to adverse cyber events. Along with that a zero-knowledge proof-based technique helps incorporate security into the controls layer by focusing on computational integrity rather than data integrity. By leveraging design and control properties unique to Operational Technology systems these technologies will not only help enhance cyber-resilience for the grid of today, but a highly distributed and autonomous grid of tomorrow.

cyber resilience↗
NASA NTRS2001

Evaluation of Relative Navigation Algorithms for Formation-Flying Satellites

Goddard Space Flight Center is currently developing advanced spacecraft systems to provide autonomous navigation and control of formation flyers. This paper discusses autonomous relative navigation performance for formations in eccentric, medium, and high-altitude Earth orbits using Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and intersatellite range measurements. The performance of several candidate relative navigation approaches is evaluated. These analyses indicate that the relative navigation accuracy is primarily a function of the frequency of acquisition and tracking of the GPS signals. A relative navigation position accuracy of 0.5 meters root-mean-square (RMS) can be achieved for formations in medium-attitude eccentric orbits that can continuously track at least one GPS signal. A relative navigation position accuracy of better than 75 meters RMS can be achieved for formations in high-altitude eccentric orbits that have sparse tracking of the GPS signals. The addition of round-trip intersatellite range measurements can significantly improve relative navigation accuracy for formations with sparse tracking of the GPS signals.

Kelbel, David↗
NASA NTRS1997

Autonomous Mobility, Navigation, and Control for Venus Aerobots

Ballons systems which operate under robotic contol, called aerobots, offer rich potential for exploration of the planets. Telerobotics technology allows an aerobot to control its vertical motion and exploit prevailing winds to autonomously move to different planetery locations.

Control for Venus Aerobots Robotic Control Navigat↗
NASA NTRS2014

System Engineering of Autonomous Space Vehicles

Human exploration of the solar system requires fully autonomous systems when travelling more than 5 light minutes from Earth. This autonomy is necessary to manage a large, complex spacecraft with limited crew members and skills available. The communication latency requires the vehicle to deal with events with only limited crew interaction in most cases. The engineering of these systems requires an extensive knowledge of the spacecraft systems, information theory, and autonomous algorithm characteristics. The characteristics of the spacecraft systems must be matched with the autonomous algorithm characteristics to reliably monitor and control the system. This presents a large system engineering problem. Recent work on product-focused, elegant system engineering will be applied to this application, looking at the full autonomy stack, the matching of autonomous systems to spacecraft systems, and the integration of different types of algorithms. Each of these areas will be outlined and a general approach defined for system engineering to provide the optimal solution to the given application context.

Watson, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Trusted Autonomy for Space Flight Systems

NASA has long supported research on intelligent control technologies that could allow space systems to operate autonomously or with reduced human supervision. Proposed uses range from automated control of entire space vehicles to mobile robots that assist or substitute for astronauts to vehicle systems such as life support that interact with other systems in complex ways and require constant vigilance. The potential for pervasive use of such technology to extend the kinds of missions that are possible in practice is well understood, as is its potential to radically improve the robustness, safety and productivity of diverse mission systems. Despite its acknowledged potential, intelligent control capabilities are rarely used in space flight systems. Perhaps the most famous example of intelligent control on a spacecraft is the Remote Agent system flown on the Deep Space One mission (1998 - 2001). However, even in this case, the role of the intelligent control element, originally intended to have full control of the spacecraft for the duration of the mission, was reduced to having partial control for a two-week non-critical period. Even this level of mission acceptance was exceptional. In most cases, mission managers consider intelligent control systems an unacceptable source of risk and elect not to fly them. Overall, the technology is not trusted. From the standpoint of those who need to decide whether to incorporate this technology, lack of trust is easy to understand. Intelligent high-level control means allowing software io make decisions that are too complex for conventional software. The decision-making behavior of these systems is often hard to understand and inspect, and thus hard to evaluate. Moreover, such software is typically designed and implemented either as a research product or custom-built for a particular mission. In the former case, software quality is unlikely to be adequate for flight qualification and the functionality provided by the system is likely driven largely by the need to publish innovative work. In the latter case, the mission represents the first use of the system, a risky proposition even for relatively simple software.

Freed, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1980

A propulsion and steering control system for the Mars rover

The design of a propulsion and steering control system for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute prototype autonomous Mars roving vehicle is presented. The vehicle is propelled and steered by four independent electric motors. The control system must regulate the speeds of the motors so they work in unison during turns and on irregular terrain. An analysis of the motor coordination problem on irregular terrain, where each motor must supply a different torque at a different speed is presented. A procedure was developed to match the output of each motor to the varying load. A design for the control system is given. The controller uses a microprocessor which interprets speed and steering commands from an off-board computer, and produces the appropriate drive voltages for the motors.

Turner, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Work Experience Report

The NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS) toolkit is currently being used at the NASA John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) to develop the INSIGHT program, which will autonomously monitor and control the Nitrogen System of the High Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) on site. The INSIGHT program is in need of generic timing capabilities in order to perform timing based actions such as pump usage timing and sequence step timing. The purpose of this project was to develop a timing module that could fulfill these requirements and be adaptable for expanded use in the future. The code was written in Gensym G2 software platform, the same as INSIGHT, and was written generically to ensure compatibility with any G2 program. Currently, the module has two timing capabilities, a stopwatch function and a countdown function. Although the module has gone through some functionality testing, actual integration of the module into NPAS and the INSIGHT program is contingent on the module passing later checks.

Guo, Daniel↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Autonomous Operations: Expectations vs. Reality (at NASA)

- Future deep-space exploration drives need for autonomy - Communication time delay between Earth and deep-space system precludes Earth-based remote-control - Autonomy is: - Acting separately from others (Webster’s Dictionary) - Able to independently choose how to act to achieve goals - Autonomy is a relative term: Autonomous from whom? for what purpose? and when? - Autonomous Operations is: - Automatically controlled operation of a system that replaces human effort - Able to perform a pre-specified set of instructions on its own - Automation is a tool that enables and supports autonomy

Autonomous Operation↗
NASA NTRS2000

Autonomous Relative Navigation for Formation-Flying Satellites Using GPS

The Goddard Space Flight Center is currently developing advanced spacecraft systems to provide autonomous navigation and control of formation flyers. This paper discusses autonomous relative navigation performance for a formation of four eccentric, medium-altitude Earth-orbiting satellites using Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and "GPS-like " intersatellite measurements. The performance of several candidate relative navigation approaches is evaluated. These analyses indicate that an autonomous relative navigation position accuracy of 1meter root-mean-square can be achieved by differencing high-accuracy filtered solutions if only measurements from common GPS space vehicles are used in the independently estimated solutions.

Gramling, Cheryl↗
NASA NTRS2003

Multiple Autonomous Discrete Event Controllers for Constellations

The Multiple Autonomous Discrete Event Controllers for Constellations (MADECC) project is an effort within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center's (NASA/GSFC) Information Systems Division to develop autonomous positioning and attitude control for constellation satellites. It will be accomplished using traditional control theory and advanced coordination algorithms developed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). This capability will be demonstrated in the discrete event control test-bed located at JHU/APL. This project will be modeled for the Leonardo constellation mission, but is intended to be adaptable to any constellation mission. To develop a common software architecture. the controllers will only model very high-level responses. For instance, after determining that a maneuver must be made. the MADECC system will output B (Delta)V (velocity change) value. Lower level systems must then decide which thrusters to fire and for how long to achieve that (Delta)V.

Esposito, Timothy C.↗