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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 NTRS1981

The CELSS program - An overview of its structure and use of computer modelling

NASA has initiated a research program, CELSS, directed at the acquisition of the knowledge and technology required for the development of an autonomous, regenerative life support system. The program is structured to promote effective, cooperative research in fundamental, applied and engineering science. The initial research thrusts involve investigations into problems of food production, waste processing and system control and integration. In the area of food production both conventional, higher plant-based processes as well as chemosynthetic food production technologies are being investigated. Alternative waste processing procedures, both biological and physicochemical, are being examined. Computer based modelling as an aid to design and analysis is an integral part of the approach to system control and management. A mass balance model depicting the flow of elemental mass in a conceptualized closed, regenerative life support system is described.

Averner, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Space Exploration Initiative: a challenge to advanced life support technologies: keynote presentation

President Bush has enunciated an unparalleled, open-ended commitment to human exploration of space called the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). At the heart of the SEI is permanent human presence beyond Earth orbit, which implies a new emphasis on life science research and life support system technology. Proposed bioregenerative systems for planetary surface bases will require carefully designed waste processing elements whose development will lead to streamlined and efficient and efficient systems for applications on Earth.

Ecological Systems, Closed↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Benefits of Trash-to-Gas Versus Jettison of Waste Via Trash-Lock for Mars Transit

Human exploration missions to Mars pose difficulties due to the significant waste that will be generated during transit, which will need to be carried along or disposed of in some fashion. Waste removal from the spacecraft decreases the spacecraft’s mass as well as the associated logistic items necessary for storing the waste. A mission propellant analysis was performed to highlight the mass benefits that may be accessed via waste removal. The propellant mass savings were determined for different waste removal rates (2.9 – 11.6 kg/day) with the highest removal rate leading to the greatest propellant savings of 7,785 kg for an 850-day round-trip mission. Due to these benefits, two methods for waste reduction were studied for the 850-day Mars mission: Trash-to-Gas (TtG) and physical jettison via a trash-lock. The trash-to-gas methods considered were combustion, steam reforming, and pyrolysis, which convert waste into ventable gases (e.g., CO2, CO, CH4, etc.). Combustion and steam reforming require a co-reactant (O2 and/or H2O). Therefore, additional processing units or integration with the spacecraft’s environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) are required to facilitate recycle of the pertinent species. In contrast, pyrolysis is a purely thermal degradation process, which can operate as a standalone system; however, a lower percentage of waste is gasified with pyrolysis. The study herein compares standalone TtG (e.g., Advanced Organic Waste Gasifier, Plasma Pyrolysis, etc.), integrated TtG-ECLSS (e.g., Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, Incineration/Gasification, etc.), and physical jettison. Each system’s mass, volume, power, and cooling requirements were compared via an equivalent system mass (ESM) analysis to ascertain potentially promising technologies that can achieve efficient waste removal while minimizing their own spacecraft load. This study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the different waste management technologies and provides recommendations on the promising technologies based on the ESM metric and propellant mass savings.

Jettison↗
NASA NTRS1998

Airport Financing and User Charge Systems in the USA

This paper examines the financing of U.S. public airports in a turbulent era of change, and projects toward the future. It begins by briefly outlining historical patterns that have changed the industry, and airport facilities in particular. It then develops basic principles of public finance as applied to public infrastructure, followed by the applicable principles of management. Following that, the current airport financing system is analyzed and contrasted with a socially optimal financing system. A concluding section suggests policy reforms and their likely benefits. The principles of finance and management discussed here are elementary. However, their implications are radical for U.S. airport policy. There is a great deal of room to improve the allocation of aviation infrastructure resources. The application of these basic principles makes it evident that in many cases, current practice is wasteful, environmentally unsound, overly costly, and inequitable. Future investments in public aviation capital will continue to be wasteful until more efficient pricing systems are instituted. Thus, problem in the U.S. is not one of insufficient investment in airport infrastructure, but investment in the wrong types of infrastructure. In the U.S., the vast majority of publically-owned airports are owned by local governments. Thus, while the federal government bad a great deal of influence in financing airports, ultimately these are local decisions. The same is true with many other public infrastructure issues. Katz and Herman (1997) report that in 1995, U.S. net public capital stock equaled almost $4.6 trillion, 72% of which ($3.9 trillion) was owned by state and local governments, most of it in buildings, highways, Streets, sewer systems, and water supply facilities. Thus, public infrastructure finance is fundamentally a local government issue, with implications for federal and state governments in the design of their aid programs.

Bartle, John R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Spacecraft Life Support Systems

This is a general presentation on life support systems utilized for human space exploration. It is intended to serve as an overview.

life support↗
NASA NTRS1981

A data base approach for prediction of deforestation-induced mass wasting events

A major topic of concern in timber management is determining the impact of clear-cutting on slope stability. Deforestation treatments on steep mountain slopes have often resulted in a high frequency of major mass wasting events. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a potentially useful tool for predicting the location of mass wasting sites. With a raster-based GIS, digitally encoded maps of slide hazard parameters can be overlayed and modeled to produce new maps depicting high probability slide areas. The present investigation has the objective to examine the raster-based information system as a tool for predicting the location of the clear-cut mountain slopes which are most likely to experience shallow soil debris avalanches. A literature overview is conducted, taking into account vegetation, roads, precipitation, soil type, slope-angle and aspect, and models predicting mass soil movements. Attention is given to a data base approach and aspects of slide prediction.

Logan, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS2021

C-5 Electrical Substation (SWMU 066) Performance Monitoring Report

The C-5 Electrical Substation (C5ES) is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) operated electrical power substation located at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. This facility has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 066 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program. This Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) presents the Interim Measure (IM) activities, including baseline sampling, air sparge system construction and operation, and performance monitoring, that were completed to remediate chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOC) in groundwater exceeding the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) natural attenuation default concentrations (NADC).

Andrew Scott Starr↗
NASA NTRS2022

Launch Complex 34, SWMU Cc054 2021 DNAPL Source Zone Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring, and Hot Spot 6 Air Sparge System Annual Performance Monitoring Report Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

This Annual Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) for the Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Source Zone (DSZ) and Hot Spot 6 (HS 6) Air Sparge (AS) System presents the results of Year 12 operation of the hydraulic containment (HC) Interim Measure (IM), the results of performance monitoring direct-push technology (DPT) sampling and monitoring well sampling conducted in the DSZ, and the results of operations and performance sampling of the HS 6 AS IM at Launch Complex 34 (LC34), located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida. Site-wide biennial LTM sampling was not conducted during this reporting period and is scheduled to be conducted in December 2022. The timeframe for activities documented in this PMR extends from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. LC34 has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit CC054 under the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The objective of the HC IM at LC34 is to contain the DSZ and deep dissolved-phase trichloroethene (TCE) high concentration plume via operation of a hydraulic containment system (HCS). The pre-IM design 300 micrograms per liter (μg/L) TCE groundwater contour was used to establish the deep zone capture area for deep recovery wells, and the shallow zone capture area was defined by the DSZ. The system began operating in 2010, and in 2015, the system was expanded to provide HC for areas within the 300 μg/L TCE groundwater isocontours of HS 3 and 4. In 2018 and 2019, an investigation was conducted to re-characterize the DSZ, which included investigating TCE mass in Layer 7. This data was subsequently used to optimize the pumping rates of the HCS to more adequately capture residual contaminant mass. The operational period for Year 12 of the HCS was from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Operational runtime for the system was 94 percent during Year 12, with downtime events attributed to planned maintenance, system repairs, and power outages. As of March 31, 2022, a total of 285,712,801 gallons of groundwater containing 84,933 pounds of VOCs have been removed by the HCS. Influent concentrations of TCE have decreased since startup from approximately 280,000 µg/L (January 2010) to 12,000 µg/L (March 2022). During the reporting period, all effluent concentrations from the HCS (aqueous and vapor) were below regulatory reporting limits, indicating the system continues to operate as intended. Performance monitoring was conducted in December 2021 within the DSZ to evaluate TCE contamination. Groundwater samples were collected via DPT at nine locations, consistent with previous events in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Full vertical profile sampling was completed at each DPT from 8 to 98 ft bls, at 5 foot intervals. The DPT performance monitoring results are summarized in this PMR. The results revealed TCE remains at concentrations greater than 11,000 µg/L in the DSZ (1-percent solubility, indicative of DNAPL) at eight of the nine DPT locations at depths ranging from 8 to 98 ft bls. An overall increasing trend of TCE concentrations was observed in DPT samples during this reporting period, which may be due to several recovery wells that were turned off during the AS Pilot Study in the DSZ that operated from July 2021 to February 2022 (documented separately from this report). The maximum TCE concentration in 2021 was 15,400,000 µg/L in the 58 ft bls depth interval at DPT597 (previous maximum result in 2020 was 1,690,000 at 48 ft bls at DPT596). During the 2021 DPT event, the overall majority of TCE contamination was identified in the 58 ft bls interval (below Layer 4), where in the previous year the majority of mass was observed in Layer 4. This trend appears to indicate continued mass discharge from Layer 4 (fine-grained unit). In addition to DPT sampling, monitoring well samples were collected from deep wells in the DSZ area (Layers 7 and 8) to verify vertical delineation. All monitoring well results were non-detect or below cleanup levels, with exception of one well (IW0162, screened 105 to 115 ft bls, which is below the existing recovery well capture zone) where TCE was identified above cleanup target levels. The HS 6 AS system remained operational during the reporting period covered under this report. The HS 6 AS IM was initiated in 2018 with 160 AS wells, and expanded in 2019 with an additional 140 AS wells. Quarterly performance monitoring was reduced to semi-annual prior to this operational period. The results of the HS 6 system operation and semi-annual performance monitoring are summarized in this report. Semi-annual monitoring results collected in April and October 2021 show concentrations of contaminants of concern (cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2- dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride) are generally decreasing and not impacting the surface water drainage canal, indicating the HS 6 IM is meeting objectives. Overall, the tasks associated with Year 12 operation of the HC IM and operation of the HS 6 AS IM were performed in accordance with the recommendations of the 2020 LC34 (Year 11) Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Report for DNAPL Source Zone, Site Wide LongTerm Monitoring, and Hot Spot 6 Air Sparging System PMR (NASA, 2021c). Evaluation of results from the HC IM and HS 6 IM show that these systems are operating as designed and meeting performance objectives.

trichloroethene↗
NASA NTRS1996

Application of Hybrid Optimization-Expert System for Optimal Power Management on Board Space Power Station

The space power system has two sources of energy: photo-voltaic blankets and batteries. The optimal power management problem on-board has two broad operations: off-line power scheduling to determine the load allocation schedule of the next several hours based on the forecast of load and solar power availability. The nature of this study puts less emphasis on speed requirement for computation and more importance on the optimality of the solution. The second category problem, on-line power rescheduling, is needed in the event of occurrence of a contingency to optimally reschedule the loads to minimize the 'unused' or 'wasted' energy while keeping the priority on certain type of load and minimum disturbance of the original optimal schedule determined in the first-stage off-line study. The computational performance of the on-line 'rescheduler' is an important criterion and plays a critical role in the selection of the appropriate tool. The Howard University Center for Energy Systems and Control has developed a hybrid optimization-expert systems based power management program. The pre-scheduler has been developed using a non-linear multi-objective optimization technique called the Outer Approximation method and implemented using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The optimization model has the capability of dealing with multiple conflicting objectives viz. maximizing energy utilization, minimizing the variation of load over a day, etc. and incorporates several complex interaction between the loads in a space system. The rescheduling is performed using an expert system developed in PROLOG which utilizes a rule-base for reallocation of the loads in an emergency condition viz. shortage of power due to solar array failure, increase of base load, addition of new activity, repetition of old activity etc. Both the modules handle decision making on battery charging and discharging and allocation of loads over a time-horizon of a day divided into intervals of 10 minutes. The models have been extensively tested using a case study for the Space Station Freedom and the results for the case study will be presented. Several future enhancements of the pre-scheduler and the 'rescheduler' have been outlined which include graphic analyzer for the on-line module, incorporating probabilistic considerations, including spatial location of the loads and the connectivity using a direct current (DC) load flow model.

Momoh, James↗
NASA NTRS1987

Integration, design, and construction of a CELSS breadboard facility for bioregenerative life support system research

Design criteria for the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC), preliminary operating procedures, and requirements for the future development of the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) are discussed. CELSS, which uses a bioregenerative system, includes the following three major units: (1) a biomass production component to grow plants under controlled conditions; (2) food processing components to derive maximum edible content from all plant parts; and (3) waste management components to recover and recycle all solids, liquids, and gases necessary to support life. The current status of the CELSS breadboard facility is reviewed; a block diagram of a simplified version of CELSS and schematic diagrams of the BPS are included.

Prince, R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Technologies for ECLSS Evolution

Viewgraphs and discussion on technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) evolution are presented. Topics covered include: atmosphere revitalization including CO2 removal, CO2 reduction, O2 generation, and trace contaminant control; water recovery and management including urine processing, hygiene water processing, and potable water processing; and waste management. ECLSS technology schematics, process diagrams, and fluid interfaces are included.

Diamant, Bryce L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Characterization of microbial and chemical composition of shuttle wet waste with permanent gas and volatile organic compound analyses

Solid-waste treatment in space for Advanced Life Support, ALS, applications requires that the material can be safely processed and stored in a confined environment. Many solid-wastes are not stable because they are wet (40-90% moisture) and contain levels of soluble organic compounds that can contribute to the growth of undesirable microorganisms with concomitant production of noxious odors. In the absence of integrated Advanced Life Support systems on orbit, permanent gas, trace volatile organic and microbiological analyses were performed on crew refuse returned from the volume F "wet" trash of three consecutive Shuttle missions (STS-105, 109, and 110). These analyses were designed to characterize the short-term biological stability of the material and assess potential crew risks resulting from microbial decay processes during storage. Waste samples were collected post-orbiter landing and sorted into packaging material, food waste, toilet waste, and bulk liquid fractions deposited during flight in the volume F container. Aerobic and anaerobic microbial loads were determined in each fraction by cultivation on R2A and by acridine orange direct count (AODC). Dry and ash weights were performed to determine both water and organic content of the materials. Experiments to determine the aerobic and anaerobic biostability of refuse stored for varying periods of time were performed by on-line monitoring of CO2 and laboratory analysis for production of hydrogen sulfide and methane. Volatile organic compounds and permanent gases were analyzed using EPA Method TO15 by USEPA et al. [EPA Method TO15, The Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Ambient Air using SUMMA, Passivated Canister Sampling and Gas Chromatographic Analysis,1999] with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and by gas chromatography with selective detectors. These baseline measures of waste stream content, labile organics, and microbial load in the volume F Shuttle trash provide data for waste subsystem analysis and atmospheric management within the ALS Project. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

NASA Center KSC↗
NASA NTRS2017

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA.Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40 and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well-being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

Renewable Energy↗
NASA NTRS2016

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid Power System

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA. Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40% and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

Fuel↗
NASA NTRS2013

Supercritical Water Mixture (SCWM) Experiment in the High Temperature Insert-Reflight (HTI-R)

Current research on supercritical water processes on board the International Space Station (ISS) focuses on salt precipitation and transport in a test cell designed for supercritical water. This study, known as the Supercritical Water Mixture Experiment (SCWM) serves as a precursor experiment for developing a better understanding of inorganic salt precipitation and transport during supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) processes for the eventual application of this technology for waste management and resource reclamation in microgravity conditions. During typical SCWO reactions any inorganic salts present in the reactant stream will precipitate and begin to coat reactor surfaces and control mechanisms (e.g., valves) often severely impacting the systems performance. The SCWM experiment employs a Sample Cell Unit (SCU) filled with an aqueous solution of Na2SO4 0.5-w at the critical density and uses a refurbished High Temperature Insert, which was used in an earlier ISS experiment designed to study pure water at near-critical conditions. The insert, designated as the HTI-Reflight (HTI-R) will be deployed in the DECLIC (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization) Facility on the International Space Station (ISS). Objectives of the study include measurement of the shift in critical temperature due to the presence of the inorganic salt, assessment of the predominant mode of precipitation (i.e., heterogeneously on SCU surfaces or homogeneously in the bulk fluid), determination of the salt morphology including size and shapes of particulate clusters, and the determination of the dominant mode of transport of salt particles in the presence of an imposed temperature gradient. Initial results from the ISS experiments will be presented and compared to findings from laboratory experiments on the ground.

salts↗
NASA NTRS1985

Thermal storage analysis for large manned space platforms

High electrical power and waste heat rejection is projected for future manned low earth orbit space platforms, such as Space Station. The high heat rejection, optical coating degradation, long operating life with minimum maintenance requirements pose a challenging thermal management design problem. System optimization, with respect to radiator area and weight, indicate the requirement for thermal storage. This paper examines the thermal storage benefits, determines the characteristics as applied to different TMS concepts (e.g., centralized, decentralized), and examines the similarities and differences of thermal storage integration with single-phase and two-phase systems for a study baseline 75 kWe low earth orbit platform.

Lehtinen, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Assembly and integration of the Space Station Freedom ECLSS

The assembly and integration of the SSF elements and systems throughout the build-up sequence are addressed focusing on ECLSS hardware interfaces and stage performance. The ECLSS encompasses six subsystems which provide temperature and humidity control, atmospheric control and supply, atmospheric revitalization, water recovery and management, waste management, and the fire detection and protection.

Gould, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Launch Complex 39A, SWMU 008 2023 Long-Term Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The 2023 Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Report (LTMR) presents the annual and semi-annual groundwater monitoring results for Launch Complex 39A (LC39A), Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 008, at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The reporting period covered under this LTMR is from January to December 2023, and represents the first year of site-wide monitoring following Air Sparge (AS) system shutdown at the end of 2022. AS system operation at LC39A began operation in 2015. The AS system consisted of a total of 173 AS wells ranging in depth from 11 to 37 feet below land surface. The overall remedial objective for the AS Interim Measure was to actively decrease concentrations of COCs to less than their respective Florida Department of Environmental Protection Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations, so that LC39A can transition into an LTM program. This objective was achieved in 2022, with 2023 marking Year 1 of the LTM program to monitor the residual groundwater plume. VOC results indicate that COC concentrations have continued to decrease or stabilize, with no rebound observed since AS system shutdown. Vinyl chloride was the only COC detected above its GCTL, with the highest concentration detected at 8.0 μg/L. PFAS results detected 15 different PFAS compounds (out of 32 analyzed) between the six monitoring wells sampled. Two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), currently have FDEP Provisional GCTLs of 70 nanograms per liter (ng/L). PFOS was detected in one of the six samples above the FDEP Provisional GCTL at a concentration of 200 ng/L. PFOA was not detected above the FDEP Provisional GCTL in any of the six samples. PFOS and PFOA also currently have United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) of 4 ng/L. PFOS was detected in all six samples above the USEPA MCL. PFOA was detected in three of the six samples above the USEPA MCL. Three other PFAS compounds, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid (PFNA), and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX), currently have USEPA MCLs of 10 ng/L. PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX were not detected at concentrations greater than their respective USEPA MCLs in any of the six wells. Additional PFAS sampling will occur as part of a PFAS Site Assessment to be conducted in the future. Based on Year 1 LC39A LTM results, recommendations for 2024 are to continue with the second year of LTM in 2024 with the same monitoring well network as Year 1 (18 wells). The three wells that were on a semi-annual schedule will transition to an annual schedule to align with the remaining wells. The next annual event is scheduled for May 2024. The three wells that were found to be inadvertently destroyed will be properly abandoned and a replacement well in the vicinity of former monitoring well 21ST-MW0030I will be installed. This new well will be added to the LTM sampling plan upon installation.

Deborah M. Wilson↗