Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Generative Design”

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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Computer program for the transient analysis of radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

A computer program is described which represents a comprehensive analytical tool providing the capability for predicting the output power and temperature profile of an arbitrary radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) design in the presence of time-dependent operating conditions. The approach taken involves the merging of three existing computer programs - namely, an RTG weight optimization design program, a thermoelectric analysis program, and a nodal heat-transfer computer program. A total of seven transient conditions are included in the computer program as the principal transients affecting long- and short-term performance characteristics of RTGs. This computer program is unique in that it designs an optimum RTG, generates a thermal model or analog and performs heat-transfer analysis of the RTG under user-specified transient conditions.

Eggers, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Study and design of cryogenic propellant acquisition systems. Volume 1: Design studies

An in-depth study and selection of practical propellant surface tension acquisition system designs for two specific future cryogenic space vehicles, an advanced cryogenic space shuttle auxiliary propulsion system and an advanced space propulsion module is reported. A supporting laboratory scale experimental program was also conducted to provide design information critical to concept finalization and selection. Designs using localized pressure isolated surface tension screen devices were selected for each application and preliminary designs were generated. Based on these designs, large scale acquisition prototype hardware was designed and fabricated to be compatible with available NASA-MSFC feed system hardware.

Burge, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Knowledge management in the engineering design environment

The Aerospace and Defense industry is experiencing an increasing loss of knowledge through workforce reductions associated with business consolidation and retirement of senior personnel. Significant effort is being placed on process definition as part of ISO certification and, more recently, CMMI certification. The process knowledge in these efforts represents the simplest of engineering knowledge and many organizations are trying to get senior engineers to write more significant guidelines, best practices and design manuals. A new generation of design software, known as Product Lifecycle Management systems, has many mechanisms for capturing and deploying a wider variety of engineering knowledge than simple process definitions. These hold the promise of significant improvements through reuse of prior designs, codification of practices in workflows, and placement of detailed how-tos at the point of application.

designs↗
NASA NTRS2012

Engineering a Multimission Approach to Navigation Ground Data System Operations

The Mission Design and Navigation (MDNAV) Section at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) supports many deep space and earth orbiting missions from formulation to end of mission operations. The requirements of these missions are met with a multimission approach to MDNAV ground data system (GDS) infrastructure capable of being shared and allocated in a seamless and consistent manner across missions. The MDNAV computing infrastructure consists of compute clusters, network attached storage, mission support area facilities, and desktop hardware. The multimission architecture allows these assets, and even personnel, to be leveraged effectively across the project lifecycle and across multiple missions simultaneously. It provides a more robust and capable infrastructure to each mission than might be possible if each constructed its own. It also enables a consistent interface and environment within which teams can conduct all mission analysis and navigation functions including: trajectory design; ephemeris generation; orbit determination; maneuver design; and entry, descent, and landing analysis. The savings of these efficiencies more than offset the costs of increased complexity and other challenges that had to be addressed: configuration management, scheduling conflicts, and competition for resources. This paper examines the benefits of the multimission MDNAV ground data system infrastructure, focusing on the hardware and software architecture. The result is an efficient, robust, scalable MDNAV ground data system capable of supporting more than a dozen active missions at once.

Mission Design and Navigation (MDNAV)↗
NASA NTRS2015

Injury Risk Assessment of Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Phase VI and Series 4000 Gloves During Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Hand Manipulation Tasks

Functional Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) with high precision gloves are essential for the success of Extravehicular Activity (EVA). Previous research done at NASA has shown that total strength capabilities and performance are reduced when wearing a pressurized EMU. The goal of this project was to characterize the human-space suit glove interaction and assess the risk of injury during common EVA hand manipulation tasks, including pushing, pinching and gripping objects. A custom third generation sensor garment was designed to incorporate a combination of sensors, including force sensitive resistors, strain gauge sensors, and shear force sensors. The combination of sensors was used to measure the forces acting on the finger nails, finger pads, finger tips, as well as the knuckle joints. In addition to measuring the forces, data was collected on the temperature, humidity, skin conductance, and blood perfusion of the hands. Testing compared both the Phase VI and Series 4000 glove against an ungloved condition. The ungloved test was performed wearing the sensor garment only. The project outcomes identified critical landmarks that experienced higher workloads and are more likely to suffer injuries. These critical landmarks varied as a function of space suit glove and task performed. The results showed that less forces were acting on the hands while wearing the Phase VI glove as compared to wearing the Series 4000 glove. Based on our findings, the engineering division can utilize these methods for optimizing the current space suit glove and designing next generation gloves to prevent injuries and optimize hand mobility and comfort.

Kilby, Melissa↗
NASA NTRS1993

Variable-speed Generators with Flux Weakening

A cost-competitive, permanent-magnet 20 kW generator is designed such that the following criteria are satisfied: an (over) load capability of at least 30 kW over the entire speed range of 60-120 rpm, generator weight of about 550 lbs with a maximum radial stator flux density of 0.82 T at low speed, unity power factor operation, acceptably small synchronous reactances and operation without a gear box. To justify this final design four different generator designs are investigated: the first two designs are studied to obtain a speed range from 20 to 200 rpm employing rotor field weakening, and the latter two are investigated to obtain a maximum speed range of 40 to 160 rpm based on field weakening via the stator excitation. The generator reactances and induced voltages are computed using finite element/difference solutions. Generator losses and efficiencies are presented for all four designs at rated temperature of Tr=120C.

Fardoun, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Suitport Feasibility: Development and Test of a Suitport and Space Suit for Human Pressurized Space Suit Donning Tests

The suitport concept has been recently implemented as part of the small pressurized lunar rover (Currently the Space Exploration vehicle, or SEV) and the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV) concept demonstrator vehicle. Suitport replaces or augments the traditional airlock function of a spacecraft by providing a bulkhead opening, capture mechanism, and sealing system to allow ingress and egress of a space suit while the space suit remains outside of the pressurized volume of the spacecraft. This presents significant new opportunities to EVA exploration in both microgravity and surface environments. The suitport concept will enable three main improvements in EVA by providing reductions in: pre-EVA time from hours to less than thirty minutes; airlock consumables; contamination returned to the cabin with the EVA crewmember. To date, the first generation suitport has been tested with mockup suits on the rover cabins and pressurized on a bench top engineering unit. The work on the rover cabin has helped define the operational concepts and timelines, and has demonstrated the potential of suitport to save significant amounts of crew time before and after EVAs. The work with the engineering unit has successfully demonstrated the pressurizable seal concept including the ability to seal after the introduction and removal of contamination to the sealing surfaces. Using this experience, a second generation suitport was designed. This second generation suitport has been tested with a space suit prototype on the second generation MMSEV cabin, and testing is planned using the pressure differentials of the spacecraft. Pressurized testing will be performed using the JSC B32 Chamber B, a human rated vacuum chamber. This test will include human rated suitports, a suitport compatible prototype suit, and chamber modifications. This test will bring these three elements together in the first ever pressurized donning of a rear entry suit through a suitport. This paper presents the design of a human rated second generation suitport, the design of a suit capable of supporting pressurized human donning through a suitport, ambient pressure testing of the suit with the suitport, and modifications to the JSC human rated chamber B to accept a suitport. Design challenges and solutions, as well as compromises required to develop the system, are presented. Initial human testing results are presented.

Boyle, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Computer-generated animation for analysis and design

The development of computer-generated animation techniques was reviewed and some examples of the current state of the art were described. A number of ways in which computer-generated animation can be used were examined in relation to the suitability for the engineering task at hand. The examples described are primarily concerned with attempting to combine two different types of simulation: that of superposition of an engineering design on the surrounding real world, and an evaluation of this simulation both from an engineering design and an aesthetic point of view.

Feeser, L. J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

AI-Enhanced Co-Design for Next-Generation Microelectronics: Innovating Innovation (Workshop Report)

On April 6-8, 2021, Sandia National Laboratories hosted a virtual workshop to explore the potential for developing AI-Enhanced Co-Design for Next-Generation Microelectronics (AICoM). The workshop brought together two themes. The first theme was articulated in the 2018 Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC) “Basic Research Needs for Microelectronics” (BRN) report, which called for a “fundamental rethinking” of the traditional design approach to microelectronics, in which subject matter experts (SMEs) in each microelectronics discipline (materials, devices, circuits, algorithms, etc.) work near-independently. Instead, the BRN called for a non-hierarchical, egalitarian vision of co-design, wherein “each scientific discipline informs and engages the others” in “parallel but intimately networked efforts to create radically new capabilities.” The second theme was the recognition of the continuing breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) that are currently enhancing and accelerating the solution of traditional design problems in materials science, circuit design, and electronic design automation (EDA).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2003

Helicon Wave Physics Impacts on Electrodeless Thruster Design

Effective generation of helicon waves for high density plasma sources is determined by the dispersion relation and plasma power balance. Helicon wave plasma sources inherently require an applied magnetic field of .01-0.1 T, an antenna properly designed to couple to the helicon wave in the plasma, and an rf power source in the 10-100 s of MHz, depending on propellant choice. For a plasma thruster, particularly one with a high specific impulse (>2000 s), the physics of the discharge would also have to address the use of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating and magnetic expansion. In all cases the system design includes an optimized magnetic field coil, plasma source chamber, and antenna. A preliminary analysis of such a system, calling on experimental data where applicable and calculations where required, has been initiated at Glenn Research Center. Analysis results showing the mass scaling of various components as well as thruster performance projections and their impact on thruster size are discussed.

Gilland, James↗
NASA NTRS2007

Helicon Wave Physics Impacts on Electrodeless Thruster Design

Effective generation of helicon waves for high density plasma sources is determined by the dispersion relation and plasma power balance. Helicon wave plasma sources inherently require an applied magnetic field of .01-0.1 T, an antenna properly designed to couple to the helicon wave in the plasma, and an rf power source in the 10-100 s of MHz, depending on propellant choice. For a plasma thruster, particularly one with a high specific impulse (>2000 s), the physics of the discharge would also have to address the use of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating and magnetic expansion. In all cases the system design includes an optimized magnetic field coil, plasma source chamber, and antenna. A preliminary analysis of such a system, calling on experimental data where applicable and calculations where required, has been initiated at Glenn Research Center. Analysis results showing the mass scaling of various components as well as thruster performance projections and their impact on thruster size are discussed.

Gilland, James H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilience and economics of microgrids with PV, battery storage, and networked diesel generators

Current designs and assessments of microgrids have ignored component reliability, leading to significant errors in predicting a microgrid’s performance while islanded. Existing life cycle cost studies on hybrid microgrids—which combine photovoltaics (PV), battery storage and networked emergency diesel generators—also have not identified all the potential economic opportunities. Reducing the number of emergency diesel generators through reliance on PV and battery, retail bill savings, and demand response and wholesale market revenue streams are all important. This paper provides a new statistical methodology that calculates the impact of distributed energy reliability and variability on a microgrid’s performance and a novel use of the optimization platform REopt to explore multiple cost savings and revenue streams. We examine the impacts for microgrids in California, Maryland, and New Mexico and show that a hybrid microgrid is a more resilient and cost-effective solution than a diesel-only system. Under realistic conditions, a hybrid microgrid can provide higher system reliability when islanded and have a lower life cycle cost under multiple market conditions than a traditional diesel generator-based system. The improved performance of the hybrid system is resilient to conditions experienced over the last 20 years in solar irradiance and sees little degradation in performance immediately after a hurricane. The cost savings to provide this more resilient backup power system as compared to a diesel-only microgrid are significant. The net present cost for a hybrid microgrid is 19% lower in New Mexico and 35% lower in Maryland than a diesel-only microgrid. In California, the net present cost of the hybrid microgrid is negative because, unlike a diesel-only microgrid, a hybrid microgrid has lower life cycle costs than the power costs without a microgrid.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1999

Analysis and Inverse Design of the HSR Arrow Wing Configuration with Fuselage, Wing, and Flow Through Nacelles

The design process for developing the natural flow wing design on the HSR arrow wing configuration utilized several design tools and analysis methods. Initial fuselage/wing designs were generated with inviscid analysis and optimization methods in conjunction with the natural flow wing design philosophy. A number of designs were generated, satisfying different system constraints. Of the three natural flow wing designs developed, the NFWAc2 configuration is the design which satisfies the constraints utilized by McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (MDA) in developing a series of optimized configurations; a wind tunnel model of the MDA designed OPT5 configuration was constructed and tested. The present paper is concerned with the viscous analysis and inverse design of the arrow wing configurations, including the effects of the installed diverters/nacelles. Analyses were conducted with OVERFLOW, a Navier-Stokes flow solver for overset grids. Inverse designs were conducted with OVERDISC, which couples OVERFLOW with the CDISC inverse design method. An initial system of overset grids was generated for the OPT5 configuration with installed diverters/nacelles. An automated regridding process was then developed to use the OPT5 component grids to create grids for the natural flow wing designs. The inverse design process was initiated using the NFWAc2 configuration as a starting point, eventually culminating in the NFWAc4 design-for which a wind tunnel model was constructed. Due to the time constraints on the design effort, initial analyses and designs were conducted with a fairly coarse grid; subsequent analyses have been conducted on a refined system of grids. Comparisons of the computational results to experiment are provided at the end of this paper.

Krist, Steven E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Mirror Material Properties Compiled for Preliminary Design of the Next Generation Space Telescope (30 to 294 Kelvin)

This technical memorandum reports on the mirror material properties that were compiled by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from April 1996 to June 1997 for preliminary design of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Study. The NGST study began in February 1996, when the Program Development Directorate at NASA MSFC studied the feasibility of the NGST and developed the pre-phase A program for it. After finishing some initial studies and concepts development work on the NGST, MFSC's Program Development Directorate handed this work to the Observatory Projects Office at MSFC and then to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This technical memorandum was written by MSFC's Preliminary Design Office and Materials and Processes Laboratory for the NGST Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) team, in Support of NASA GSFC. It contains material properties for 9 mirror Substrate materials, using information from at least 6 industrial Suppliers, 16 textbooks, 44 technical papers, and 130 technical abstracts.

Luz, P. L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Flow matching meets biology and life science: a survey

Over the past decade, advances in generative modeling, such as generative adversarial networks, masked autoencoders, and diffusion models, have significantly transformed biological research and discovery, enabling breakthroughs in molecule design, protein generation, catalysis discovery, drug discovery, and beyond. At the same time, biological applications have served as valuable testbeds for evaluating the capabilities of generative models. Recently, flow matching has emerged as a powerful and efficient alternative to diffusion-based generative modeling, with growing interest in its application to problems in biology and life sciences. This paper presents the first comprehensive survey of recent developments in flow matching and its applications in biological domains. We begin by systematically reviewing the foundations and variants of flow matching, and then categorize its applications into three major areas: biological sequence modeling, molecule generation and design, and peptide and protein generation. For each, we provide an in-depth review of recent progress. We also summarize commonly used datasets and software tools, and conclude with a discussion of potential future directions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Parallel Genetic Algorithm for Automated Electronic Circuit Design

We describe a parallel genetic algorithm (GA) that automatically generates circuit designs using evolutionary search. A circuit-construction programming language is introduced and we show how evolution can generate practical analog circuit designs. Our system allows circuit size (number of devices), circuit topology, and device values to be evolved. We present experimental results as applied to analog filter and amplifier design tasks.

Lohn, Jason D.↗