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At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Assessment of the Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal (VPCAR) Technology at the MSFC ECLS Test Facility

The Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia. Removal (VPCAR) technology has been previously discussed as a viable option for. the Exploration Water Recovery System. This technology integrates a phase change process with catalytic oxidation in the vapor phase to produce potable water from exploration mission wastewaters. A developmental prototype VPCAR was designed, built and tested under funding provided by a National Research. Announcement (NRA) project. The core technology, a Wiped Film Rotating Device (WFRD) was provided by Water Reuse Technologies under the NRA, whereas Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International performed the hardware integration and acceptance test. of the system. Personnel at the-Ames Research Center performed initial systems test of the VPCAR using ersatz solutions. To assess the viability of this hardware for Exploration. Life Support (ELS) applications, the hardware has been modified and tested at the MSFC ECLS Test facility. This paper summarizes the hardware modifications and test results and provides an assessment of this technology for the ELS application.

Tomes, Kristin↗
NASA NTRS1981

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Engineering Test Facility (ETF) 200 MWe power plant. Design Requirements Document (DRD)

A description and the design requirements for the 200 MWe (nominal) net output MHD Engineering Test Facility (ETF) Conceptual Design, are presented. Performance requirements for the plant are identified and process conditions are indicated at interface stations between the major systems comprising the plant. Also included are the description, functions, interfaces and requirements for each of these major systems. The lastest information (1980-1981) from the MHD technology program are integrated with elements of a conventional steam electric power generating plant.

Rigo, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Modeling Laminar-to-Turbulent Transition in the Panel Test Facility Arcjet

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) laminar-to-turbulence transition model was developed for the NASA Ames Research Center’s 20 MW Panel Test Facility (PTF). Surface pressure, heat flux to a water-cooled plate, and surface temperature on a tile plate coated with reaction-cured glass were measured across several conditions in the facility and compared with laminar and fully-turbulent CFD simulations. The potential for bypass transition in the PTF nozzle was assessed via application of the Langtry-Menter four-equation transitional shear-stress transport (SST) model. Results from the transition model were inconsistent with measurements. Flow interaction with a boundary conditioning plate feature inside the nozzle was also investigated as a potential source of laminar-to-turbulent transition using two turbulence models with specified transition locations. The Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model was configured to simulate a transition at the upstream edge of the boundary conditioning plate and produced results consistent with the surface pressure measurements but not the cold-wall heat flux. Finally, the SST turbulence model was calibrated to transition at the upstream edge of the boundary conditioning plate and produced results consistent with both the surface pressure and cold-wall heat flux measurements. The SST-based model demonstrated reasonable agreement with surface temperature measurements on the reaction-cured glass tile, albeit with some discrepancies.

Computational Fluid Dynamics↗
NASA NTRS2001

Software Manages Documentation in a Large Test Facility

The 3MCS computer program assists and instrumentation engineer in performing the 3 essential functions of design, documentation, and configuration management of measurement and control systems in a large test facility. Services provided by 3MCS are acceptance of input from multiple engineers and technicians working at multiple locations;standardization of drawings;automated cross-referencing; identification of errors;listing of components and resources; downloading of test settings; and provision of information to customers.

Gurneck, Joseph M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Derivation of the Data Reduction Equations for the Calibration of the Six-component Thrust Stand in the CE-22 Advanced Nozzle Test Facility

This paper documents the derivation of the data reduction equations for the calibration of the six-component thrust stand located in the CE-22 Advanced Nozzle Test Facility. The purpose of the calibration is to determine the first-order interactions between the axial, lateral, and vertical load cells (second-order interactions are assumed to be negligible). In an ideal system, the measurements made by the thrust stand along the three coordinate axes should be independent. For example, when a test article applies an axial force on the thrust stand, the axial load cells should measure the full magnitude of the force, while the off-axis load cells (lateral and vertical) should read zero. Likewise, if a lateral force is applied, the lateral load cells should measure the entire force, while the axial and vertical load cells should read zero. However, in real-world systems, there may be interactions between the load cells. Through proper design of the thrust stand, these interactions can be minimized, but are hard to eliminate entirely. Therefore, the purpose of the thrust stand calibration is to account for these interactions, so that necessary corrections can be made during testing. These corrections can be expressed in the form of an interaction matrix, and this paper shows the derivation of the equations used to obtain the coefficients in this matrix.

Wong, Kin C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A distributed data acquisition system for aeronautics test facilities

The NASA Lewis Research Center is in the process of installing a new data acquisition and display system. This new system will provide small and medium sized aeronautics test facilities with a state-of-the-art real-time data acquisition and display system. The new data system will provide for the acquisition of signals from a variety of instrumentation sources. They include analog measurements of temperatures, pressures, and other steady state voltage inputs; frequency inputs to measure speed and flow; discrete I/O for significant events, and modular instrument systems such as multiplexed pressure modules or electronic instrumentation with a IEEE 488 interface. The data system is designed to acquire data, convert it to engineering units, compute test dependent performance calculations, limit check selected channels or calculations, and display the information in alphanumeric or graphical form with a cycle time of one second for the alphanumeric data. This paper describes the system configuration, its salient features, and the expected impact on testing.

Fronek, Dennis L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A distributed data acquisition system for aeronautics test facilities

The NASA Lewis Research Center is in the process of installing a new data acquisition and display system. This new system will provide small and medium sized aeronautics test facilities with a state-of-the-art real-time data acquisition and display system. The new data system will provide for the acquisition of signals from a variety of instrumentation sources. They include analog measurements of temperatures, pressures, and other steady state voltage inputs; frequency inputs to measure speed and flow; discrete I/O for significant events, and modular instrument systems such as multiplexed pressure modules or electronic instrumentation with a IEEE 488 interface. The data system is designed to acquire data, convert it to engineering units, compute test dependent performance calculations, limit check selected channels or calculations, and display the information in alphanumeric or graphical form with a cycle time of one second for the alphanumeric data. This paper describes the system configuration, its salient features, and the expected impact on testing.

Fronek, Dennis L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Hybrid Propulsion In-Situ Resource Utilization Test Facility Results for Performance Characterization

Hybrid propulsion presents a promising alternative to conventional systems for in-space propulsion applications using In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP). A hybrid propulsion test facility has been built at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with the capability to evaluate ISPP oxidizers (gaseous mixtures of O2 and CO2) and modify fuel type and chamber geometry. This work is the result of a continuing effort at JPL to characterize the burn characteristics and performance of different propellant combinations and motor configurations in order to refine and support preliminary designs. Twelve tests using gaseous oxygen and two paraffin based fuels (Black Paraffin and SP1X) from the 2015 campaign are presented. Different reduction techniques are compared in an effort to determine the uncertainty associated with deriving a regression rate law and evaluating c* efficiency with the collected data.

Mechentel, F. S.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Hybrid Propulsion In-Situ Resource Utilization Test Facility Results for Performance Characterization

Hybrid propulsion presents a promising alternative to conventional systems for in-space propulsion applications using In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP). A hybrid propulsion test facility has been built at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with the capability of evaluating ISPP oxidizers (gaseous mixtures of O2 and CO2) and modifying fuel type and chamber geometry. This work is the result of a continuing e ort at JPL to characterize the burn characteristics and performance of different propellant combinations and motor configurations in order to re ne and support preliminary designs. Twelve tests using gaseous oxygen and two paraffin based fuels (Black Paraffin and SP1X) from the 2015 campaign are presented. Different reduction techniques are compared in an e ort to determine the uncertainty associated with deriving a regression rate law and evaluating c* efficiency with the collected data.Hybrid motors are mechanically and chemically simple propulsion systems that have the potential forlong-term storability with low gross mass. The oxidizer (such as gaseous O2) can be produced in-situ,signicantly reducing the landed mass. The solid, inert fuel is stored in the combustion chamber in its most dense state, further reducing the total structural mass and volume. Considerable eorts have been focusedon ISPP for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and human exploration of Mars.At optimum oxidizer to fuel ratio (O/F), about 70% of the total propellant mass could be produced in-situ.Paran based fuels exhibit a fast regression rate behavior due to the formation of a thin liquid layer on thefuel surface.1 A high burn rate is necessary in order to reach a medium to high thrust range. In order toachieve an O/F ratio close to optimum performance (between 2.1 and 2.7 for the O2/Paran combination),the fuel mass ow needs to be suciently large compared to the oxidizer ow. The slow regression rateof classical hybrid rocket fuels leads to long fuel grain designs or complicated multi-port structures. Singleport, high regression rate fuels have the potential to reduce residual propellant mass and have a grainlength to diameter ratio (L/D) more favorable for packaging. However, hybrid motors remain at a fairly lowTechnology Readiness Level (TRL), and solutions to accurately measure and increase performance are stilllacking, especially for small-scale motors that are constrained to tight packaging.A total of 12 hotres were performed and analyzed in this campaign. All of these tests were conductedat pressures above the critical pressure of paran wax, approximately 6.7 bar (97 psi).2 Three dierentmotor congurations were explored while conserving a single cylindrical port fuel grain. Additionally, sincethrottling is a crucial advantage of hybrid rocket propulsion systems, low oxidizer mass ows (60 - 100 g/s)and uxes (5 - 30 g/cm2/s) were investigated to determine the performance impact in this regime.

Mechentel, F. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Electrochemical Technology for Oxygen Removal and Measurement in the CELSS Test Facility, Engineering Development Unit

The Life Support Flight Program is evaluating regenerative technologies, including those that utilize higher plants, as a means to reduce resupply over long duration space missions. Constructed to assist in the evaluation process is the CELSS Test Facility Engineering Development Unit (CTF-EDU) an environmentally closed (less than 1% mass and thermal leakage) technology test bed. This ground based fully functional prototype is currently configured to support crop growth, utilizing the power, volume and mass resources allocated for two space station racks. Sub-system technologies were selected considering their impact on available resources, their ability to minimize integration issues, and their degree of modularity. Gas specific mass handling is a key sub-system technology for both biological and physical/chemical life support technologies. The CTF-EDU requires such a system to accommodate non-linear oxygen production from crops, by enabling the control system to change and sustain partial pressure set points in the growth volume. Electrochemical cells are one of the technologies that were examined for oxygen handling in the CTF-EDU. They have been additionally considered to meet other regenerative life support functions, such as oxygen generation, the production of potable water from composite waste streams, and for having the potential to integrate life support functions with those of propulsion and energy storage. An oxygen removal system based on an electrochemical cell was chosen for the EDU due to it's low power, volume and mass requirements (10W, 0.000027 cu m, 4.5 kg) and because of the minimal number of integration considerations. Unlike it's competitors, the system doesn't require post treatments of its byproducts, or heat and power intensive regenerations, that also mandate system redundancy or cycling. The EDUs oxygen removal system only requires two resources, which are already essential to controlled plant growth: electricity and water. Additionally, the amount of oxygen that is removed from the EDU is directly proportional to the cell input current via Faraday's constant, potentially allowing for a mol/electron measurement of photosynthetic rate. The currently operative oxygen removal system has maintained reduced oxygen set points within the EDU, and preparation is underway to verify of the accuracy of electrochemical measurement of oxygen production and hence, photosynthesis. This paper examines the working principles of the electrochemical cell, outlines the overall design of the oxygen removal system and its integration with other EDU subsystems, and summarizes test results obtained over crop growth cycles in the CTF-EDU.

Drews, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Development of Modeling Approaches for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Test Facilities

High efficiency of rocket propul-sion systems is essential for humanity to venture be-yond the moon. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is a promising alternative to conventional chemical rock-ets with relatively high thrust and twice the efficiency of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. NASA is in the pro-cess of developing a new NTP engine, and is evaluat-ing ground test facility concepts that allow for the thor-ough testing of NTP devices. NTP engine exhaust, hot gaseous hydrogen, is nominally expected to be free of radioactive byproducts from the nuclear reactor; how-ever, it has the potential to be contaminated due to off-nominal engine reactor performance. Several options are being investigated to mitigate this hazard potential with one option in particular that completely contains the engine exhaust during engine test operations. The exhaust products are subsequently disposed of between engine tests. For this concept (see Figure 1), oxygen is injected into the high-temperature hydrogen exhaust that reacts to produce steam, excess oxygen and any trace amounts of radioactive noble gases released by off-nominal NTP engine reactor performance. Water is injected to condense the potentially contaminated steam into water. This water and the gaseous oxygen (GO2) are subsequently passed to a containment area where the water and GO2 are separated into separate containment tanks.

Jones, Daniel R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Acoustic interactions between an altitude test facility and jet engine plumes: Theory and experiments

The overall objective of the described effort was to develop an understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the flow/acoustic interactions experienced in full-scale altitude engine test facilities. This is done by conducting subscale experiments and through development of a theoretical model. Model cold jet experiments with an axisymmetric convergent nozzle are performed in a test setup that stimulates a supersonic jet exhausting into a cylindrical diffuser. The measured data consist of detailed flow visualization data and acoustic spectra for a free and a ducted plume. It is shown that duct resonance is most likely responsible by theoretical calculations. Theoretical calculations also indicate that the higher discrete tones observed in the measurements are related to the screech phenomena. Limited experiments on the sensitivity of a free 2-D, C-D nozzle to externally imposed sound are also presented. It is shown that a 2-D, C-D nozzle with a cutback is less excitable than a 2-D C-D nozzle with no cutback. At a pressure ratio of 1.5 unsteady separation from the diverging walls of the nozzle is noticed. This separation switches from one wall to the opposite wall thus providing an unsteady deflection of the plume. It is shown that this phenomenon is related to the venting provided by the cutback section.

Ahuja, K. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Six-Degree-of-Freedom Test Facility

Shuttle to Space Station docking has become an important issue in the last few years. Docking sensors have been proposed that will provide the high precision measurements required for the fuel efficient rendezvous and docking of space vehicles. These sensors also will be used for satellite servicing and orbital assembly. The performance of the docking sensors must be tested before they are implemented in a space environment. A 6-DOF test facility was developed at the Tracking and Communications Section, JSC, to test the static and dynamic accuracies of docking sensors. A candidate sensor is evaluated by comparing the sensor's static position and velocity measurements to the more accurate 6-DOF system.

Bittel, Michelle A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The CELSS Test Facility Project - An example of a CELSS flight experiment system

The design of the facility is described in terms of its use as an investigation tool for evaluating crop growth in space with reference to required emerging technologies. NASA's CELSS Test Facility (CTF) is designed to permit the measurement of crop-plant productivity under microgravity conditions including biomass production, food production, water transpiration, and O2/CO2 exchanges. Crucial hardware tests and qualifications are identified to assure the operation of CTF technologies in space including the nutrient-delivery, water-condensation, and gas-liquid-mixing subsystems. The design concept and related scientific requirements are described and shown to provide microgravity crop research. The CTF is expected to provide data for plant research and for concepts for bioregenerative life-support systems for applications to Martian, lunar, and space-station missions.

Macelroy, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Space Exploration Initiative and NASA Langley Research Center test facilities

The NASA Exploration Technology Program (ETP) will make possible the U.S. Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), and is structured according to mission thrusts that are based on technologies to be developed and tested or that will otherwise be utilized to support SEI. Twenty-seven technology projects have thus far been established, and NASA's Langley Research Center is responsible for six lead roles and four participating roles. This report briefly defines these ten Langley-assigned ETP technology projects, and it describes both existing and proposed test facilities capable of supporting the Center's responsibilities.

Mouring, John L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A subsonic to Mach 5.5 subscale engine test facility

The NASA-Langley Mach 4 facility, in which air-hydrogen combustion is used to heat the test gas, was modified to make the facility suitable for tests of ramjet-type models at subsonic and transonic, as well as supersonic, Mach numbers. The construction details and the instrumentation of this facility, designated the Combustion-Heated Scramjet Test Facility, are described, and modifications to enhance the test capability range from the subsonic/transonic and Mach 3.5 to 5.5 are discussed. Design diagrams and test result graphs are included.

Andrews, Earl H., Jr.↗