Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Procurement Quality”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

MARVEL 90% Final Design Report

This document provides documentation of the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation Project’s (MARVEL) 90% Final Design, as required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Standard-1189, “Integration of Safety into the Design Process." Per DOE-STD-1189-2016, the 90% Final Design documentation focuses on design completion, at a level capable of supporting procurement, construction, testing, and operation. At this phase, the design organization finalizes the hazards and accident analyses, Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA), security vulnerability assessments, and other supporting analyses for design completion. The objective of this report is to provide a high-level summary of the design thus far and provide references including, but not limited to, the following design deliverables: • Complete final drawings, specifications and commercial grade dedications that may be released for bid and/or construction. • Clearly defined testing plans for the safety and functionality of all subsystems. • Quality Assurance Program for Design, Testing and Procurement. • Software Quality Assurance Plan. • Code of Record (COR), applicable design requirements including codes and standards. • Final design that meets all the requirements stipulated in the COR. • Final design review, consisting of final validation of comment resolution from previous reviews, and a review of any additional developments since the last review. • Updated Safety Design Strategy. • Hazard Analysis. • Fire Hazard Analysis. • Accident analysis. • Security vulnerability assessment. • Current and detailed cost estimate. • Current construction schedule, and • Risk & Opportunities Assessment.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1991

Physical processes in comets

Post-Halley comets are known to be irregular objects with most nucleus activity very localized and with the dust coma capable of fragmentation and apparently being a source of gas. Older, 1-D strategies which assume steady isotropic outflow of material can give poor time-and-space averaged results, at best. With 2-D data, images through interference filters, it is hoped that: dust structures can be seen that give evidence of the proper geometry for data reduction; gradients along the axes of symmetry and evidence of fragmentation can be studied; and that evidence for gas abundance gradients associated with the dust can be found. High quality data from brighter comets can then be used to suggest improved data reduction procedures for fainter ones. To obtain such data, large image-quality interference filters were procured for use with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera at Lick Observatory, where the scale of the 1 m Nickel reflector is ideal for brighter comets. Whenever possible, data is taken simultaneously with other telescopes and equipment, especially spectroscopy at the Lick 3 m or infrared photometry at the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea.

Newburn, Ray L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Second European Service Module (ESM-2) Evolutions, Production and Challenges

This paper presents an overview of the Second European Service Module (ESM-2), the second in a series of European Service Modules produced as part of the Barter agreement between NASA and ESA for the Orion Program. The European Industrial consortium is led by the ESA prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen. ESA and Airbus signed the ESM-2 contract on 16 February 2017, for this key element of the Orion Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2). EM-2 is the first crewed mission for Orion and will take astronauts farther into the solar system than humanity has ever travelled. EM-2 will also be a historic mission for Europe, as the ESM-2 will be the first European spacecraft to be part of a human transportation system carrying humans beyond low Earth orbit. ESM-2 is mainly a recurring production following ESM-1. Nevertheless, there are a number of important changes being implemented, for example, to incorporate upgrades to further enhance safety and reliability. The challenging delivery schedule for ESM-2 has driven the need to commence manufacturing prior to completion of the qualification on ESM-1. In addition, some requirement deviations and non-compliances approved for ESM-1 have resulted in modifications for ESM-2. In order to manage the competing constraints effectively, the ESM-2 Team has put in place a number of novel approaches to manage schedule, risk, and technical changes. Airbus has set up multi-functional teams according to an approach known as "Major Spacecraft Deliveries" consisting of quality assurance, engineering and procurement. The risk of starting manufacturing prior to qualification is managed through a special risk share agreement. This agreement necessitates rigorous risk reviews across the board for all manufacturing, assembly, integration and test milestones. The ESM-2 changes are managed by Configuration Management, but Airbus has also introduced the Technical Baseline Matrix to provide a transparent top-level overview of the changes from ESM-1 to ESM-2. The tool provides the basis for ESM-2 design and development needs, decisions, as well as the input for the Orion EM-2 Critical Design Review (CDR). The main technical evolutions, status of the production and the novel management approaches for ESM-2 are presented and discussed in the paper.

Orion European Service Module Programme↗
DOE OSTI2026

Surveillance LANL-ASMT-2026-0059 Procurement – NNSS Supplier Review

The Institutional Quality and Performance Assurance Division's Quality Support Services Group conducted a surveillance of IQPA-IQ Supplier Evaluation group's required assessments of suppliers providing items and services relevant to the Nevada National Security Site. Based upon records examined, the surveillance team has determined that all supplier evaluation/oversight requirements are being met, and no Findings or Opportunities for Improvement are noted.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

A robust synthetic data generation framework for machine learning in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)

Machine learning techniques are attractive options for developing highly-accurate analysis tools for nanomaterials characterization, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). However, successfully implementing such machine learning tools can be difficult due to the challenges in procuring sufficiently large, high-quality training datasets from experiments. In this work, we introduce Construction Zone, a Python package for rapid generation of complex nanoscale atomic structures which enables fast, systematic sampling of realistic nanomaterial structures and can be used as a random structure generator for large, diverse synthetic datasets. Using Construction Zone, we develop an end-to-end machine learning workflow for training neural network models to analyze experimental atomic resolution HRTEM images on the task of nanoparticle image segmentation purely with simulated databases. Further, we study the data curation process to understand how various aspects of the curated simulated data—including simulation fidelity, the distribution of atomic structures, and the distribution of imaging conditions—affect model performance across three benchmark experimental HRTEM image datasets. Using our workflow, we are able to achieve state-of-the-art segmentation performance on these experimental benchmarks and, further, we discuss robust strategies for consistently achieving high performance with machine learning in experimental settings using purely synthetic data. Construction Zone and its documentation are available at https://github.com/lerandc/construction_zone.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1979

Sealed-cell nickel-cadmium battery applications manual

The design, procurement, testing, and application of aerospace quality, hermetically sealed nickel-cadmium cells and batteries are presented. Cell technology, cell and battery development, and spacecraft applications are emphasized. Long term performance is discussed in terms of the effect of initial design, process, and application variables. Design guidelines and practices are given.

Scott, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Advanced composites for large Navy spacecraft

An overview is given of work conducted on contract for the Naval Sea Systems Command. The objective of this contract was to provide direction for the development of high modulus graphite reinforced metal matrix composites. These advanced materials can have a significant effect on the performance of a spacecraft before, during and after an evasive maneuver. The work conducted on this program was organized into seven technical tasks. Task 1 was development of a generic Navy spacecraft model. Finite element models of candidate structural designs were developed. In Task 2, the finite-element model(s) of the structure were used to conduct analytical assessments involving conventional materials, resin matrix composites and metal matrix composites (MMC). In Task 3 and 4, MMC material design, fabrication and evaluation was conducted. This consisted of generating material designs and developing a data base for a broad range of graphite reinforced MMC materials. All material was procured according to specifications which set material quality and material property standards. In Task 5, a set of evasive maneuvering requirements were derived and used in Task 6 to conduct analytical simulations. These analytical simulations used current SOA material properties and projected material properties to provide an indication of key payoffs for material development. In Task 7, a set of material development recommendations was generated.

Davis, William E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Environmentally safe aviation fuels

In response to the Air Force directive to remove Ozone Depleting Chemicals (ODC's) from military specifications and Defense Logistics Agency's Hazardous Waste Minimization Program, we are faced with how to ensure a quality aviation fuel without using such chemicals. Many of these chemicals are found throughout the fuel and fuel related military specifications and are part of test methods that help qualify the properties and quality of the fuels before they are procured. Many years ago there was a directive for military specifications to use commercially standard test methods in order to provide standard testing in private industry and government. As a result the test methods used in military specifications are governed by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). The Air Force has been very proactive in the removal or replacement of the ODC's and hazardous materials in these test methods. For example, ASTM D3703 (Standard Test Method for Peroxide Number of Aviation Turbine Fuels), requires the use of Freon 113, a known ODC. A new rapid, portable hydroperoxide test for jet fuels similar to ASTM D3703 that does not require the use of ODC's has been developed. This test has proved, in limited testing, to be a viable substitute method for ASTM D3703. The Air Force is currently conducting a round robin to allow the method to be accepted by ASTM and therefore replace the current method. This paper will describe the Air Force's initiatives to remove ODC's and hazardous materials from the fuel and fuel related military specifications that the Air Force Wright Laboratory.

Liberio, Patricia D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Discovery: Under the Microscope at Kennedy Space Center

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) is known for discovery, exploration, and advancement of knowledge. Since the days of Leeuwenhoek, microscopy has been at the forefront of discovery and knowledge. No truer is that statement than today at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where microscopy plays a major role in contamination identification and is an integral part of failure analysis. Space exploration involves flight hardware undergoing rigorous "visually clean" inspections at every step of processing. The unknown contaminants that are discovered on these inspections can directly impact the mission by decreasing performance of sensors and scientific detectors on spacecraft and satellites, acting as micrometeorites, damaging critical sealing surfaces, and causing hazards to the crew of manned missions. This talk will discuss how microscopy has played a major role in all aspects of space port operations at KSC. Case studies will highlight years of analysis at the Materials Science Division including facility and payload contamination for the Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning Satellites (NA VST AR GPS) missions, quality control monitoring of monomethyl hydrazine fuel procurement for launch vehicle operations, Shuttle Solids Rocket Booster (SRB) foam processing failure analysis, and Space Shuttle Main Engine Cut-off (ECO) flight sensor anomaly analysis. What I hope to share with my fellow microscopists is some of the excitement of microscopy and how its discoveries has led to hardware processing, that has helped enable the successful launch of vehicles and space flight missions here at Kennedy Space Center.

Howard, Philip M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) Best Practices: CGD as the Primary Acceptance Method

The traditional paradigm applied to the construction of nuclear safety related systems, structures, and components (SSCs), like SPL, involves an owner/licensee hiring an EPC firm with an NQA 1 program to manage the engineering, procurement, and construction of the desired SSC. This traditional approach would have posed significant barriers to the successful completion of the SPL. As a smaller capital project, in the $\$$100–$\$$200 million range, there was concern that employing one of the larger EPC companies would escalate costs and extend the projected schedule beyond what would be feasible for the Department of Energy (DOE). The traditional acceptance method employed for nuclear facilities with credited safety functions requires the use of an EPC firm applying American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NQA 1 nuclear quality assurance (NQA) to accept safety SSCs. In lieu of this approach, INL elected to apply its own NQA 1 program to hire an EPC firm operating a commercial quality program. This method used commercial grade dedication (CGD) as outlined in NQA 1 which had not been applied at this scale. Use of the commercial supply chain was identified as a key factor to the successful completion of SPL. Favorable conditions enabling the use of CGD included: • INL serving as both the designer and the design authority • Design created by an NQA 1 qualified source • A mature CGD program • Availability of a CGD subject matter expert (SME) • A strong construction management program. This white paper elaborates on the methodology employed in the construction of the SPL, the successes achieved, and best practices implemented.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

PTSFA QA Review of Container Procurements: Information Use Procedure

The purpose of this Packaging and Transportation Safety Functional Area (PTSFA) procedure is to describe the process in which the PTSFA Quality Assurance Engineer (QAE) or designee reviews and approves the documentation associated with the procurements of containers to be used for onsite transfer or off-site transportation of hazardous materials and waste.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1972

Using the scanning electron microscope on the production line to assure quality semiconductors

The use of the scanning electron microscope to detect metallization defects introduced during batch processing of semiconductor devices is discussed. A method of determining metallization integrity was developed which culminates in a procurement specification using the scanning microscope on the production line as a quality control tool. Batch process control of the metallization operation is monitored early in the manufacturing cycle.

Adolphsen, J. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Genesis Solar Wind – Capture, Return, Curate and Analyze: Looking Backward and Creating a Timeline

Introduction: In 1997 NASA’S Discovery Program selected the Genesis mission proposal to return solar wind samples to Earth for laboratory analyses. Principal Investigator Donald S. Burnett and the science team defined the purity of collector materials and ability to analyze solar wind composition to the precision required for planetary science. As a small mission, focused on a well-defined science goal, yet needing careful attention to engineering details, the communication among scientists and engineers, nurtured by Don Burnett, was exceptional. Genesis Mission and Curation Legacy: Genesis, as the first U. S. spacecraft to return astromaterial samples since Apollo, not only integrated the mission planning and flight teams, but also the science and sample curation teams during the mission development period. Since Genesis is a sample return mission, the Science Team was essential in certifying the collectors (sample containers for solar atoms). From inception, Genesis established mission funding for returned sample curation. JSC was lead in contamination control during mission preparation, including establishment of an ISO 4 cleanroom facility and use of ultrapure water (UPW) for cleaning flight hardware (and, as it turned out, for cleaning collectors after the mishap). Reliable, fast communication among scientists, engineers and curators at the hands-on level established deep respect among team members and efficient decision-making. JSC’s 50-years of astromaterial sample curation provided experienced sample processors onsite during recovery in Utah (a deep bench for emergency response). Post-recovery curation included iterative collaboration with science sample users to clean or verify cleanliness of samples. The science legacy from Genesis is addressed by Burnett and Jurewicz, this volume. In The Beginning: After Apollo sample return, Burnett and Marcia Neugebauer at JPL began discussing a solar wind sample return, with Neugebauer arguing that separate collection of solar wind regimes was essential science. By 1992 a solar wind sample return mission was presented at a workshop, and by 1994 a mission was proposed named Suess-Urey. The mission was re-proposed under a new name GENESIS and selected in 1997. Susan Niebur captured the Genesis mission history and stories, from high level management documents and from many interviews with participants [2]. Her account lets readers glimpse personality of participants in quotations from interviews. Need and Scope for Detailed Technical Timeline: A timeline constructed from lower level task documents has been initiated to document the resources and skills actually used, as well as task sequence or concurrency. Timelines for high level mission events are captured in two documents [1] [2] and for detailed re-entry events in [3]. A detailed technical timeline for Genesis mission and curation activities will provide data points for lower level tasks, such as ISO 4 curation facility construction time, preparation for nominal sample field recovery, mishap recovery, and UPW expansion. Changes in technology context 1990-2024: Semiconductor technologies were easily accessible in the U.S.A. (1990-1999), and the Genesis team used those resources for cleanroom design and UPW system expansion. Image documentation was changing from film to digital during cleanroom construction and payload cleaning (1997-2001). Engineering design was done using computer aided design proprietary software, making more difficult the archiving of payload configuration and materials. Email of documents, tracked delivery service and virtual meeting capability greatly improved communication efficiency. Information sources – Pre-launch mission preparation: Examples of mission science, engineering and contamination control are collector purity testing, payload design/fabrication and ISO 4 cleanroom construction. Information on timing of these activities comes from facility readiness reviews, management reviews, shipping documents, procurement documents, test reports, travel documents, laboratory logs, Quality Assurance documents, dates on images, participant notebooks and emails. Information sources – Sample return re-entry and field recovery activities: Information comes from event timelines produced by Mid-Air Recovery team, Lockheed team lead notes and from chase video, JPL Quality Assurance. Information also comes from images and logbooks from UTTR cleanroom operations and from curatorial documents. Information sources – Resulting science and sample cleaning processes: Agendas from the annual gatherings of the science team initially trace testing for collector purity/cleanliness, and after sample recovery, include collector cleaning and cleanliness assessment. Post-recovery documents include curatorial orders and procedures, sample allocation documents and LPSC abstracts. Timeline Objectives: A simple spreadsheet timeline with headers DATE, EVENT, PEOPLE, COMMENT, INFORMATION SOURCE has been initiated and currently has over 90 entries. While this is not definitive historical research, it is a quick look at the evolution of Genesis curation with pointers to documents or people with information. Engineers for future missions may find useful points of comparison for development of facilities. References:[1] Genesis Mission Reference Document, (2011) JPL D-62382.[2] Niebur S. M., edited by Brown D. W. (2023) NASA’s Discovery Program: The First 20 Years of Competitive Planetary Exploration, NASA-SP-2023-4238.[3] Genesis Mishap Investigation Board Report, Vol. 1 (July 2005).

solar wind↗
NASA NTRS2000

Lightweight Lidar Telescopes for Space Applications

NASA is intent on exploiting the unique perspective of space-based remote optical instruments to observe and study large-scale environmental processes. Emphasis on smaller and more affordable missions continues to force the remote sensing instruments to find innovative ways to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the sensor package. This is a challenge because many of the proposed instruments incorporate a high quality meter-class telescope that can be a significant driver of total instrument costs. While various methods for telescope weight reduction have been achieved, many of the current approaches rely on exotic materials and specialized manufacturing techniques that limit availability or substantially increase costs. A competitive lightweight telescope technology that is especially well suited to space-based coherent Doppler wind lidar has been developed through a collaborative effort involving NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) through the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) at the Center for Applied Optics (CAO). The new lightweight optics using metal alloy shells and surfaces (LOMASS) fabrication approach is suitable for high quality metal mirrors and meter-class telescopes. Compared to alternative materials and fabrication methods the new approach promises to reduce the areal density of a meter-class telescope to less than 15-kg/sq m; deliver a minimum VIO-RMS surface optical quality; while using commercial materials and equipment to lower procurement costs. The final optical figure and finish is put into the mirrors through conventional diamond turning and polishing techniques. This approach is especially advantageous for a coherent lidar instrument because the reduced telescope weight permits the rotation of the telescope to scan the beam without requiring heavy wedges or additional large mirrors. Ongoing investigations and preliminary results show promise for the LOMASS approach to be successful in demonstrating a novel alternative approach to fabricating lightweight mirrors with performance parameters comparable with the Space Readiness Coherent Lidar Experiment (SPARCLE). Development and process characterization is continuing with the design and fabrication of mirrors for a 25-cm telescope suitable for a lidar instrument.

Peters, Bruce R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Handling Qualities Specifications for U.S. Military Helicopters

Inadequacies in the military specification for helicopter handling qualities, MIL-H-8501A, have long been recognized, and the latest procurements by the U.S. Army used special Prime Item Development Specifications (PIDS). This paper assesses the efficacy of these PIDS and suggests that changes should be made. In particular, the structure developed in MIL-F-8785B (ASG) (the specification for flying qualities of piloted airplanes) should be incorporated. Improved requirements must be based on a systematic data base and concentrated on topics most important in preliminary design: static and dynamic stability, control power and sensitivity, and interaction with controllers and displays. Emphasis should be on current military helicopter missions and helicopter idiosyncrasies such as cross-coupling, nonlinearities, and higher-order dynamics.

Key, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Management approach recommendations. Earth Observatory Satellite system definition study (EOS)

Management analyses and tradeoffs were performed to determine the most cost effective management approach for the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) Phase C/D. The basic objectives of the management approach are identified. Some of the subjects considered are as follows: (1) contract startup phase, (2) project management control system, (3) configuration management, (4) quality control and reliability engineering requirements, and (5) the parts procurement program.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1983

Qualification and testing of modules

The experience gained in procuring solar modules soon to be installed on the Photovoltaic Higher Education National Exemplar Facility (PHENEF) at Georgetown University is discussed. The 300 KE Photovoltaic Array consists of 4464, 2' X 4', polycrystalline solar cell modules. The performance requirements for the modules are described in a detailed procurement specification which defines physical and electrical characteristics and extensive quality assurance provisions including requirements for an interface control drawing and qualification and acceptance testing.

Cohen, D. B.↗