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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2020

Learning-Based Load Control to Support Resilient Networked Microgrid Operations

Microgrids have proven to be an effective option for increasing the resiliency of critical end-use loads during extreme events. Building on past operational experiences, some microgrid operators are examining the potential to network microgrids to further improve resiliency. However, the frequency deviations experienced on isolated microgrids during transient events, such as switching operations, step increases in load, and loss of generation, are significantly larger than those typically seen on bulk transmission systems. The larger frequency deviations can cause a loss of inverter-connected assets, resulting in a loss of power to critical end-use loads. This paper presents a method of mitigating the impact of transient events by engaging end-use loads using Grid-Friendly Appliance TM (GFA) controllers. An online, i.e., real-time, device-level algorithm is presented, which adjusts individual GFA controller frequency set-points based on the operational characteristics of each end-use load, and on the changing grid dynamic characteristics. The presented method improves the dynamic stability of the networked microgrid operations while minimizing the interruptions to end-use loads. The presented work is validated with dynamic simulations using a modified version of the IEEE 123-node test system with three microgrids, using the GridLAB-D TM simulation environment.

Radhakrishnan, Nikitha↗

DOE OSTI2024

Large-scale Hydrogen Storage Risk Assessment

This project investigated risks involved in deploying a large-scale hydrogen storage system at the Port of Seattle (hereafter, the Port) for its on-terminal and maritime applications in an urban industrial setting. Alongside, the project attempted to address some of the barriers to risk assessment such as need for an exact system design for a systematic investigation, direct access to surrounding communities to gauge their perceptions, and an integrated software required to undertake a full-fledged risk assessment. These barriers were overcome using illustrative reference station designs, engaging with community-facing agencies through Port support, and pooling national laboratory capabilities available for risk assessments. The project identified relevant public safety risk metrics, compared various hydrogen carriers, engaged with community-facing agencies, and explored potential gaps in existing safety codes and standards. The primary impacts of this project include the development of risk assessment guidance for ports and utilities, informing them of the trade-offs in the choice of hydrogen carriers, and the ability to increase public capacity for dialog and engagement. This paves the way toward decarbonization of the Port activities, bringing about awareness around jobs in the market for risk assessments, and the need to ramp up community engagement long before any hydrogen system deployment is undertaken.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2022

It takes a village: using a crowdsourced approach to investigate organic matter composition in global rivers through the lens of ecological theory

Though community-based scientific approaches are becoming more common, many scientific efforts are conducted by small groups of researchers that together develop a concept, analyze data, and interpret results that ultimately translate into a publication. Here, we present a community effort that breaks these traditional boundaries of the publication process by engaging the scientific community from initial hypothesis generation to final publication. We leverage community-generated data from the Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) consortium to study organic matter composition through the lens of ecological theory. This community endeavor will use a suite of paired physical and chemical datasets collected from 97 river corridors across the globe. With our first step aimed at ideation, we engaged a community of scientists from 20 countries and 60 institutions, spanning disciplines and career stages by holding a virtual workshop (April 2021). In the workshop, participants generated content for questions, hypotheses, and proposed analyses based on the WHONDRS dataset. These ideation efforts resulted in several narratives investigating different questions led by different teams, which will be the basis for research articles in a Frontiers in Water collection. Currently, the community is collectively analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing these data that will result in seven crowdsourced articles using a single, existing WHONDRS dataset. The use of a shared dataset across articles not only lowers barriers for broad participation by not requiring generation of new data, but also provides unique opportunities for emergent learning by connecting outcomes across studies. Here we will explain methods used to enable this community endeavor aimed to promote a greater diversity of thinking on river corridor biogeochemistry through community science.

Borton, Mikayla A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Load regulating latch

A load regulating mechanical latch is described that has a pivotally mounted latch element having a hook-shaped end with a strike roller-engaging laterally open hook for engaging a stationary strike roller. The latch element or hook is pivotally mounted in a clevis end of an elongated latch stem that is adapted for axial movement through an opening in a support plate or bracket mounted to a structural member. A coil spring is disposed over and around the extending latch stem and the lower end of the coil spring engages the support bracket. A thrust washer is removably attached to the other end of the latch stem and engages the other end of the coil spring and compresses the coil spring thereby preloading the spring and the latch element carried by the latch stem. The hook-shaped latch element has a limited degree of axial travel for loading caused by structural distortion which may change the relative positions of the latch element hook and the strike roller. Means are also provided to permit limited tilt of the latch element due to loading of the hook.

Appleberry, W. T.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Connection system

A mechanical connection system comprises a first body defining a receptable and a second body defining a pin matingly receivable in the receptacle by relative movement in a first directional mode. A primary latch is engagable between the two bodies to retain the pin in the receptacle. The primary latch is reciprocable in a second directional mode transverse to the first directional mode. A lock member carried by one of the bodies is operatively associated with the primary latch and movable, transverse to the second directional mode, between a locking position maintaining engagement of the primary latch and a releasing position permitting release of the primary latch. The lock includes an operator portion engagable to move the lock member from its locking position to its releasing position. The operator is located internally of the first body. An actuator is selectivity insertable into and disengagable from the first body. The actuator is movable relative to the first body when it is inserted for engagement with and operation of the operator.

Mccandless, B., II↗

NASA NTRS1991

An investigation to determine the producibility of a 3-D braider and bias direction weaving loom

The development of prototype machines for the production of generalized braid patterns is described. Mechanical operating principles and control strategies are presented for two prototype machines which were fabricated and evaluated. Both machines represent advances over current techniques for forming composite material preforms by enabling near ideal control of fiber orientation. Furthermore, they overcome both the lack of general control of produced fiber architectures and the complexity of other weaving processes that were produced for the same purpose. One prototype, the modified Farley braider, consists of an array of turntables which can be rotated 90 degrees and returned; hence, they can form tracks in the x and y axis. Yarn ends are transported about the surface formed by the turntables using motorized tractors. These tractors are controlled using an optical link with a control circuit and host computer. The tractors are powered through electrical contact with the turntables. The necessary relative motions are produced by a series of linear tractor moves combined with a sequence of turntable rotations. The movement of the tractors about the surface causes the yarns to produce the desired braiding pattern. The second device, the shuttle plate braider, consists of a braiding surface formed by an array of square elements, each separated from its neighbor by a gap. Beneath this surface lies a shuttle plate, which reciprocates first in one axis and then in the other. As this movement takes place, yarn carrying shuttles engage and disengage the plate by means of solenoid activated pins. By selective engagement and disengagement, the shuttles can move the yarn ends in any desired pattern, forming the desired braid. Control power, and control signals, are transmitted from the electronic interface circuit and host computer, via the braiding surface through electrical contact with the shuttles. Motive power is proved to the shuttles by motion of the shuttle plate, which is passively driven using pneumatic rams. Each shuttle is a simple device that uses only a solenoid to engage the plate and is a simple device that uses only a solenoid to engage the plate and is independently controllable. When compared with each other, the modified Farley braider has the advantage of speed, and the shuttle plate braider the advantage of mechanical control and simplicity.

Huey, Cecil O., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Umbilical mechanism assembly for the international space station

Mechanisms for engaging and disengaging electrical and fluid line connectors are required to be operated repeatedly in hazardous or remote locations on space station, nuclear reactors, toxic chemical and undersea environments. Such mechanisms may require shields to protect the mating faces of the connectors when connectors are not engaged and move these shields out of the way during connector engagement. It is desirable to provide a force-transmitting structure to react the force required to engage or disengage the connectors. It is also desirable that the mechanism for moving the connectors and shields is reliable, simple, and the structure as lightweight as possible. With these basic requirements, an Umbilical Mechanism Assembly (UMA) was originally designed for the Space Station Freedom and now being utilized for the International Space Station.

Mandvi, A. Ali↗

NASA NTRS1994

Dual load-path fastener

A fastener system is provided for securing a component to supporting structure. The fastener system comprises a pair of cooperating fastener modules. The first module includes a first stationary member attached to the supporting structure and a first bolt member threadedly engaged with the first stationary member. The second module includes a second stationary member also attached to the supporting structure and a second bolt member threadedly engaged with the second stationary member. The second bolt member also extends freely through a longitudinal bore in the first bolt member. Head members on the first and second head members are mutually engaged for their unitary rotation and the first head member engages the component. When the head members are rotated in one direction, they are advanced toward the supporting structure thereby drawing the component toward the supporting structure. Rotation in the opposite direction is effective to cause the head members to retract from the supporting structure and thereby separate the component from the supporting structure. With this construction, upon fracture either of the first fastener means at a location away from the first head member or of the second fastener means at a location away from the second head member, upon rotation of the first head member in the one direction, the first head member nevertheless continues to advance toward the supporting structure.

Driscoll, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Self-Advancing Step-Tap Drills

Self-advancing tool bits that are hybrids of drills and stepped taps make it possible to form threaded holes wider than about 1/2 in. (about 13 mm) without applying any more axial force than is necessary for forming narrower pilot holes. These self-advancing stepped-tap drills were invented for use by space-suited astronauts performing repairs on reinforced carbon/carbon space-shuttle leading edges during space walks, in which the ability to apply axial drilling forces is severely limited. Self-advancing stepped-tap drills could also be used on Earth for making wide holes without applying large axial forces. A self-advancing stepped-tap drill (see figure) includes several sections having progressively larger diameters, typically in increments between 0.030 and 0.060 in. (between about 0.8 and about 1.5 mm). The tip section, which is the narrowest, is a pilot drill bit that typically has a diameter between 1/8 and 3/16 in. (between about 3.2 and about 4.8 mm). The length of the pilot-drill section is chosen, according to the thickness of the object to be drilled and tapped, so that the pilot hole is completed before engagement of the first tap section. Provided that the cutting-edge geometry of the drill bit is optimized for the material to be drilled, only a relatively small axial force [typically of the order of a few pounds (of the order of 10 newtons)] must be applied during drilling of the pilot hole. Once the first tap section engages the pilot hole, it is no longer necessary for the drill operator to apply axial force: the thread engagement between the tap and the workpiece provides the axial force to advance the tool bit. Like the pilot-drill section, each tap section must be long enough to complete its hole before engagement of the next, slightly wider tap section. The precise values of the increments in diameter, the thread pitch, the rake angle of the tap cutting edge, and other geometric parameters of the tap sections must be chosen, in consideration of the workpiece material and thickness, to prevent stripping of threads during the drilling/tapping operation. A stop-lip or shoulder at the shank end of the widest tap section prevents further passage of the tool bit through the hole.

Pettit, Donald R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Methods Used in Game Development to Foster FLOW

Games designed for entertainment have a rich history of providing compelling experiences. From consoles to PCs, games have managed to present intuitive and effective interfaces for a wide range of game styles to successfully allow users to "walk-up-and-play". Once a user is hooked, successful games artfully present challenging experiences just within reach of a user's ability, weaving each task and achievement into a compelling and engaging experience. In this paper, engagement is discussed in terms of the psychological theory of Flow. I argue that engagement should be one of the primary goals when developing a serious game and I discuss the best practices and techniques that have emerged from traditional video game development which help foster the creation of engaging, high Flow experiences.

Jeppsen, Isaac Ben↗

NASA NTRS2012

Linear and/or curvilinear rail mount system

One or more linear and/or curvilinear mounting rails are coupled to a structure. Each mounting rail defines a channel and at least one cartridge assembly is engaged in the channel. Each cartridge assembly includes a housing that slides within the channel. The housing defines a curvilinearly-shaped recess longitudinally aligned with the channel when the housing is in engagement therewith. The cartridge assembly also includes a cleat fitted in the recess for sliding engagement therealong. The cleat can be coupled to a fastener that passes through the mounting rail and the housing when the housing is so-engaged in the channel. The cleat is positioned in the recess by a position of the fastener.

Thomas, Jackie D.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Using Agent Based Modeling (ABM) to Develop Cultural Interaction Simulations

Today, most cultural training is based on or built around "cultural engagements" or discrete interactions between the individual learner and one or more cultural "others". Often, success in the engagement is the end or the objective. In reality, these interactions usually involve secondary and tertiary effects with potentially wide ranging consequences. The concern is that learning culture within a strict engagement context might lead to "checklist" cultural thinking that will not empower learners to understand the full consequence of their actions. We propose the use of agent based modeling (ABM) to collect, store, and, simulating the effects of social networks, promulgate engagement effects over time, distance, and consequence. The ABM development allows for rapid modification to re-create any number of population types, extending the applicability of the model to any requirement for social modeling.

Drucker, Nick↗

NASA NTRS2013

Robotic Ankle for Omnidirectional Rock Anchors

Future robotic exploration of near-Earth asteroids and the vertical and inverted rock walls of lava caves and cliff faces on Mars and other planetary bodies would require a method of gripping their rocky surfaces to allow mobility without gravitational assistance. In order to successfully navigate this terrain and drill for samples, the grippers must be able to produce anchoring forces in excess of 100 N. Additionally, the grippers must be able to support the inertial forces of a moving robot, as well gravitational forces for demonstrations on Earth. One possible solution would be to use microspine arrays to anchor to rock surfaces and provide the necessary load-bearing abilities for robotic exploration of asteroids. Microspine arrays comprise dozens of small steel hooks supported on individual suspensions. When these arrays are dragged along a rock surface, the steel hooks engage with asperities and holes on the surface. The suspensions allow for individual hooks to engage with asperities while the remaining hooks continue to drag along the surface. This ensures that the maximum possible number of hooks engage with the surface, thereby increasing the load-bearing abilities of the gripper. Using the microspine array grippers described above as the end-effectors of a robot would allow it to traverse terrain previously unreachable by traditional wheeled robots. Furthermore, microspine-gripping robots that can perch on cliffs or rocky walls could enable a new class of persistent surveillance devices for military applications. In order to interface these microspine grippers with a legged robot, an ankle is needed that can robotically actuate the gripper, as well as allow it to conform to the large-scale irregularities in the rock. The anchor serves three main purposes: deploy and release the anchor, conform to roughness or misalignment with the surface, and cancel out any moments about the anchor that could cause unintentional detachment. The ankle design contains a rotary DC motor that can drag the microspine arrays across the surface to engage them with asperities, as well as a linear actuator to disengage the hooks from the surface. Additionally, the ankle allows the gripper to rotate freely about all three axes so that when the robot takes a step, the gripper may optimally orient itself with respect to the wall or ground. Finally, the ankle contains some minimal elasticity, so that between steps, the gripper returns to a default position that is roughly parallel to the wall.

Parness, Aaron↗

NASA NTRS2014

Public-Private Collaborations with Earth-Space Benefits

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) was established in October 2010 to promote collaborative problem solving and project development to advance human health and performance innovations benefiting life in space and on Earth. The NHHPC, which now boasts over 135 corporate, government, academic and non-profit members, has convened four successful workshops and engaged in multiple collaborative projects. The center is currently developing a streamlined partner engagement process to capture technical needs and opportunities of NHHPC members, facilitate partnership development, and establish and manage collaborative projects for NASA. The virtual center facilitates member engagement through a variety of vehicles, including annual inperson workshops, webcasts, quarterly electronic newsletters, web postings, and the new system for partner engagement. The most recent NHHPC workshop was conducted in November 2013 on the topic of "Accelerating Innovation: New Organizational Business Models," and focused on various collaborative approaches successfully used by organizations to achieve their goals. The powerful notion of collaboration across sectors to solve intractable problems was recently highlighted in Williams Eggers' book "The Solution Revolution,"i which provides numerous examples of how business, government and social enterprises partner to solve tough problems. Mr. Eggers was a keynote speaker at the workshop, along with Harvard Business School, Jump Associates, and the Conrad Foundation. The robust program also included an expert panel addressing collaboration across sectors, four interactive breakout sessions, and a concluding keynote on innovative ways to increase science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by NASA Associate Administrator for Education, Leland Melvin. The NHHPC forum also provides a platform for international partners to interact on many topics. Members from around the world include ISS International Partner JAXA; the World Biomimetic Foundation in Spain who is interested in advancing the use of biomimicry to provide technical solutions in many industries; Satellite Application Catapult in London, England who interested in pursuing U.S. collaborations with the Space and Life Sciences Innovation Centre under development in Scotland; and DLR in Cologne, Germany who developed :envihab, a collaborative facility for partners to pursue research and technology projects of mutual interest. The NHHPC has sponsored two global networking forums on innovation by partners Wyle, NASA, and DLR, was featured in the 2013 Humans in Space Symposium Panel on "NHHPC and :envihab - reach out to Future Markets," and is working on an international meeting for Spring 2014 in Cologne with :envihab.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗

NASA NTRS2014

LightForce Photon-Pressure Collision Avoidance: Updated Efficiency Analysis Utilizing a Highly Parallel Simulation Approach

This paper provides an updated efficiency analysis of the LightForce space debris collision avoidance scheme. LightForce aims to prevent collisions on warning by utilizing photon pressure from ground based, commercial off the shelf lasers. Past research has shown that a few ground-based systems consisting of 10 kilowatt class lasers directed by 1.5 meter telescopes with adaptive optics could lower the expected number of collisions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by an order of magnitude. Our simulation approach utilizes the entire Two Line Element (TLE) catalogue in LEO for a given day as initial input. Least-squares fitting of a TLE time series is used for an improved orbit estimate. We then calculate the probability of collision for all LEO objects in the catalogue for a time step of the simulation. The conjunctions that exceed a threshold probability of collision are then engaged by a simulated network of laser ground stations. After those engagements, the perturbed orbits are used to re-assess the probability of collision and evaluate the efficiency of the system. This paper describes new simulations with three updated aspects: 1) By utilizing a highly parallel simulation approach employing hundreds of processors, we have extended our analysis to a much broader dataset. The simulation time is extended to one year. 2) We analyze not only the efficiency of LightForce on conjunctions that naturally occur, but also take into account conjunctions caused by orbit perturbations due to LightForce engagements. 3) We use a new simulation approach that is regularly updating the LightForce engagement strategy, as it would be during actual operations. In this paper we present our simulation approach to parallelize the efficiency analysis, its computational performance and the resulting expected efficiency of the LightForce collision avoidance system. Results indicate that utilizing a network of four LightForce stations with 20 kilowatt lasers, 85% of all conjunctions with a probability of collision Pc > 10 (sup -6) can be mitigated.

conjunction analysis↗

NASA NTRS2014

Terrain Traversing Device Having a Wheel with Microhooks

A terrain traversing device includes an annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of the annular rotor element. Each microspine hook has an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits the microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when the annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface.

Parness, Aaron↗

NASA NTRS2015

Terrain Traversing Device Having a Wheel with Microhooks

A terrain traversing device is described. The device includes an annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of the annular rotor element. Each microspine hook has an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits the microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when the annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface. Improvements related to the design, fabrication and use of the microspine hooks in the device are also described.

Parness, Aaron↗

NASA NTRS2017

Cultivating a Grassroots Aerospace Innovation Culture at NASA Ames Research Center

This paper details the adaptation of specific 'knowledge production' methods to implement a first of its kind, grassroots event that provokes a cultural change in how the NASA Ames civil servant community engages in the creation and selection of innovative ideas. Historically, selection of innovative proposals at NASA Ames Research Center is done at the highest levels of management, isolating the views and perspectives of the larger civil servant community. Additionally, NASA innovation programs are typically open to technical organizations and do not engage non-technical organizations to bring forward innovative processes/business practices. Finally, collaboration on innovative ideas and associated solutions tend to be isolated to organizational silos. In this environment, not all Ames employees feel empowered to innovate and opportunities for employee collaboration are limited. In order to address these issues, the 'innovation contest' method was adapted to create the NASA Ames Innovation Fair, a unique, grassroots innovation opportunity for the civil servant community. The Innovation Fair consisted of a physical event with a virtual component. The physical event provided innovators the opportunity to collaborate and pitch their innovations to the NASA Ames community. The civil servant community then voted for the projects that they viewed as innovative and would contribute to NASA's core mission, making this event a truly grassroots effort. The Innovation Fair website provided a location for additional knowledge sharing, discussion, and voting. On March 3rd, 2016, the 'First Annual NASA Ames Innovation Fair' was held with 49 innovators and more than 300 participants collaborating and/or voting for the best innovations. Based on the voting results, seven projects were awarded seed funding for projects ranging from innovative cost models to innovations in aerospace technology. Surveys of both innovators and Fair participants show the Innovation Fair was successful in fostering cross-organizational collaborations, soliciting participation of non-technical innovations, and increasing employee engagement in influencing the future of NASA Ames Research Center. The grassroots component of the Innovation Fair has been bench marked by the agency as a solid foundation for increasing employee engagement in the development of game changing aerospace technology and processes in support of NASA's mission.

Innovation↗