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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Preparing for Mars: The Evolvable Mars Campaign 'Proving Ground' Approach

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prepares to extend human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit, we are in the early stages of planning missions within the framework of an Evolvable Mars Campaign. Initial missions would be conducted in near-Earth cis-lunar space and would eventually culminate in extended duration crewed missions on the surface of Mars. To enable such exploration missions, critical technologies and capabilities must be identified, developed, and tested. NASA has followed a principled approach to identify critical capabilities and a "Proving Ground" approach is emerging to address testing needs. The Proving Ground is a period subsequent to current International Space Station activities wherein exploration-enabling capabilities and technologies are developed and the foundation is laid for sustained human presence in space. The Proving Ground domain essentially includes missions beyond Low Earth Orbit that will provide increasing mission capability while reducing technical risks. Proving Ground missions also provide valuable experience with deep space operations and support the transition from "Earth-dependence" to "Earth-independence" required for sustainable space exploration. A Technology Development Assessment Team identified a suite of critical technologies needed to support the cadence of exploration missions. Discussions among mission planners, vehicle developers, subject-matter-experts, and technologists were used to identify a minimum but sufficient set of required technologies and capabilities. Within System Maturation Teams, known challenges were identified and expressed as specific performance gaps in critical capabilities, which were then refined and activities required to close these critical gaps were identified. Analysis was performed to identify test and demonstration opportunities for critical technical capabilities across the Proving Ground spectrum of missions. This suite of critical capabilities is expected to provide the foundation required to enable a variety of possible destinations and missions consistent with the Evolvable Mars Campaign.. The International Space Station will be used to the greatest extent possible for exploration capability and technology development. Beyond this, NASA is evaluating a number of options for Proving Ground missions. An "Asteroid Redirect Mission" will demonstrate needed capabilities (e.g., Solar Electric Propulsion) and transportation systems for the crew (i.e., Space Launch System and Orion) and for cargo (i.e., Asteroid Redirect Vehicle). The Mars 2020 mission and follow-on robotic precursor missions will gather Mars surface environment information and will mature technologies. NASA is considering emplacing a small pressurized module in cis-lunar space to support crewed operations of increasing duration and to serve as a platform for critical exploration capabilities testing (e.g., radiation mitigation; extended duration deep space habitation). In addition, "opportunistic mission operations" could demonstrate capabilities not on the Mars critical path that may, nonetheless, enhance exploration operations (e.g., teleoperations, crew assisted Mars sample return). The Proving Ground may also include "pathfinder" missions to test and demonstrate specific capabilities at Mars (e.g., entry, descent, and landing). This paper describes the (1) process used to conduct an architecture-driven technology development assessment, (2) exploration mission critical and supporting capabilities, and (3) approach for addressing test and demonstration opportunities encompassing the spectrum of flight elements and destinations consistent with the Evolvable Mars Campaign.

Bobskill, Marianne R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reduction of CO 2 Emissions Through Lightweight Body Panels (Project Final Report)

Lightweight construction is an integral part of Volkswagen’s overall strategy of reducing CO 2 emissions. Due to its low cost, steel is the most commonly used material for automotive exterior body panels today. Unfortunately, steel has a high density, resulting in a relatively low specific strength. Glass fiber based sheet molding compounds (SMC) provide high properties in combination with lower density. The high specific strength of SMC offers an enormous lightweight potential. To unlock the full potential of SMC materials in combination with cutting edge manufacturing processes, Volkswagen Group of America worked together with IACMI (Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation) and the academic partners: University of Tennessee Knoxville, Purdue University and Michigan State University; as well as the industry partners: Ashland, IDI, Owens Corning and Continental Structural Plastics. Leveraging the expertise of all project partners, reaching over the entire supply chain the project demonstrated the potential of these materials. This report will highlight the major steps in the development process on the way to technology readiness for SMC using the example of the Volkswagen Atlas Liftgate. Over the 36-month period of the project, the work focused on three R&D areas: material development, design and simulation, and development of the manufacturing process. Material selection included alternative fibers and resin systems, and accounted for material availability, properties, and cost-efficiency. The work undertaken in the field of design and simulation has pushed the envelope of short fiber reinforced thermoset molding compound process simulation. Design iterations were virtually tested, while the final design was used to validate the simulation software against physical parts. Manufacturing development used cutting-edge technology, while experts along the supply chain were working together to ensure the best possible results. In the final stage of the project, liftgates were molded, trimmed, bonded, painted and assembled before exhaustive testing. The result is an e-coat (electrophoretic dip coating) capable Class-A SMC liftgate, which is ready for high-volume production, and can be used as a technology demonstrator. The prototypes manufactured in the scope of this work have exhibited a mass reduction for the Volkswagen Atlas liftgate of up to 35% compared to the series production steel version, without a degradation of the functionalities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bringing Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics Tools for HVAC&R Into the Mainstream

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems consume over 5 quads of energy annually, representing 30% of energy consumption in the U.S. commercial buildings. Additionally, commercial refrigeration (R) systems add about 1 quad to commercial buildings energy consumption. Most HVAC systems operate with one or more faults that result in increased energy consumption. Fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) tools have been developed to address this national issue, and many tools are commercially available. FDD tools have the potential to save considerable energy for an existing commercial rooftop unit (RTU) and refrigeration systems. These devices can be used for both retro commissioning and, when faults are addressed, continuous commissioning. However, there appears to be multiple market barriers for this technology. Although there are efforts to develop FDD tool standards, currently there are no standards and methods to define functions, capabilities, accuracy, and reliability of FDD tools in the field. Moreover, most of the commercial FDD tools have not been verified in the field independently. This paper presents a comprehensive approach for bringing HVAC FDD tools into the mainstream. The approach involves demonstrating ten commercially available FDD tools installed at ten different sites, independent testing and evaluation of the FDD tools, communication with various stakeholders, identifying and assessing market barriers, creating a process evaluation methodology, and assisting utility companies in developing incentive programs. Furthermore, the preliminary baseline results from the case study demonstrate how the use of an independent monitoring system (IMS) can be used for ground-truth in evaluating FDD tools in the field.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dielectric Energy Storage Materials for Space Sensors: Effect of Processing on the Performance

This paper explores the development of innovative materials for the dielectric energy storage for space components. The CaCuN 3 Ti 4 O 12 or CCTO belonging to perovskite family is of interest due to its colossal dielectric constant. It was demonstrated that materials synthesized at low temperature show nonequilibrium state and exhibit differences in the dielectric and resistivity values. The goal is to obtain high dielectric constant along with high resistivity values for achieving enhanced breakdown voltage. By using other members of the perovskite structures, it was demonstrated that similar colossal dielectric constant is observed and is dependent on processing methods. We have used heterovalent and dissimilar sized atom to replace Ca +2 ion. Accordingly, we replaced Ca +2 ion with heavy Ga +3 ion and developed gallium-based material system, Ga 2/3 Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 . Following successful synthesis, we measured its dielectric constant and resistivity and compared with CCTO material system. Results of five sets of samples showed that lower temperature processing demonstrated mechanism of grain growth, but due to copper flow in high temperature processed samples dielectric constant and resistivity values were different.

Dielectric Energy↗
NASA NTRS2007

Design and Fabrication Highlights Enabling a 2 mm, 128 Element Bolometer Array for GISMO

The Backshort-Under-Grid (BUG) superconducting bolometer array architecture is intended to be highly versatile, operating in a large range of wavelengths and background conditions. We have undertaken a three-year program to develop key technologies and processes required to build kilopixel arrays. To validate the basic array design and to demonstrate its applicability for future kilopixel arrays, we have chosen to demonstrate a 128 element bolometer array optimized for 2 mm wavelength using a newly built Goddard instrument, GISMO (Goddard /RAM Superconducting 2-millimeter Observer). The arrays are fabricated using batch wafer processing developed and optimized for high pixel yield, low noise, and high uniformity. The molybdenum-gold superconducting transition edge sensors are fabricated using batch sputter deposition and are patterned using dry etch techniques developed at Goddard. With a detector pitch of 2 mm 8x16 array for GISMO occupies nearly one half of the processing area of a 100 mm silicon-on-insulator starting wafer. Two such arrays are produced from a single wafer along with witness samples for process characterization. To provide thermal isolation for the detector elements, at the end of the process over 90% of the silicon must be removed using deep reactive ion etching techniques. The electrical connections for each bolometer element are patterned on the top edge of the square grid supporting the array. The design considerations unique to GISMO, key fabrication challenges, and laboratory experimental results will be presented.

Allen, Christine↗
DOE OSTI2022

Melt pool temperature measurement and monitoring during laser powder bed fusion based additive manufacturing via single-camera two-wavelength imaging pyrometry (STWIP)

Melt pool (MP) temperature is one of the determining factors and a key signature for evaluating the properties of printed components in metal additive manufacturing (AM). The state-of-the-art measurement systems are hindered, primarily by the large-scale data acquisition and processing demands. In this work, we introduce a novel coaxial, high-speed, single-camera two-wavelength imaging pyrometer (STWIP) system as opposed to the typical utilization of multiple cameras for measuring MP temperature profiles in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. Developed on a commercial LPBF machine (EOS M290), the STWIP system demonstrated its ability to quantitatively monitor the MP temperature and its variation for 50 layers at high framerates (>30,000 fps) for a real-world application (standard fatigue specimens) print. High performance computing is employed to analyze the acquired big data (MP images), for determining each MP's average temperature and 2D temperature profile. The MP temperature evolution in the gage section of a fatigue specimen is also examined at a temporal resolution of 1 ms, by evaluating the MP temperatures in the samples' first, middle, and last layers. This report is the first of its kind on monitoring MP temperature distribution and evolution at such a large, detailed scale for longer durations in practical applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Insights into Preceramic Polymer-Based Additive Manufacturing Inks via Rheological and Scattering Studies of Preceramic Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles Suspended in Polycarbosilane

Preceramic polymers (PCPs) offer advantages in producing ceramics due to their processability and ability to tailor the final chemistry of the produced material. However, challenges such as volumetric shrinkage and mass loss during pyrolysis often result in polymer-derived ceramics containing pores and cracks. PCP-grafted ceramic nanoparticles (PCPGNPs) have been proposed and studied as a route to mitigate the shrinkage issues associated with neat PCPs. Prior studies on PCPGNPs have principally focused on the synthesis and characterization of neat materials. Dispersing PCPGNPs in commercial preceramic polymer is another attractive, but underexplored, route to control the rheological and char yield properties of PCP systems. In this work, a systematic rheological study of commercial PCP (SMP-877) and PCPGNP (silica with poly(1,1-dimethylpropylsilane) corona) mixtures was executed to develop design rules for the processing of such systems. A rheological study demonstrated the effect of increasing particle concentration on network formation with percolation occurring between 50 and 60 wt %. Samples above the percolation threshold exhibited higher viscosities and rapid shear thinning thus demonstrating their direct-write printability. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) corroborated the rheology and showed two diffusive modes when the material was above percolation. Mixtures of PCPGNPs and SMP-877 had synergistically higher char yields upon thermal treatment and pyrolysis. XPCS and rheological measurements during thermal treatment identified thermal jamming of the polymer grafts as a key factor in improving the char yield. In conclusion, with the insights gained here, we expect these mixed systems to provide attractive feedstocks for polymer-derived ceramics, with proof-of-principal application as feedstocks for direct ink write (DIW) additive manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Unraveling the Formation Mechanism of a Hybrid Zr-Based Chemical Conversion Coating with Organic and Copper Compounds for Corrosion Inhibition

Environmental-friendly chromate-free, zirconium (Zr)-based conversion coating is a promising green technology for corrosion protection. Additives in the surface treatment provides critical functionalities and performance improvements; however, mechanistic understanding as of how the additives influence the coatings remains unclear. In this study, a new organic-inorganic hybrid Zrbased conversion coating which combines copper (Cu) compounds and polyamidoamine (PAMAM), taking advantages of a complementary nature of organic and inorganic additives. Here, a multimodal approach combining electron and X-ray characterization is applied to study the interaction of Cu 2+ and PAMAM and the resulting impacts on the coating formation. Adding PAMAM changed the surface morphology, thickness, distribution of Cu in the cluster and void formation of the coatings. High PAMAM (100-200 pm) leads to little conversion coating formation, and low PAMAM (0-25 ppm) shows voids formation under the coatings. Moreover, PAMAM incorporates in the coating in a form of PAMAM-Cu complex with a higher concentration towards the surface, provides an organic layer at the surface of the coating. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy shows a difference between the conventional and hybrid coating treatments in an alkaline solution to simulate the E-coat process, suggesting the contribution of PAMAM in the enhanced chemical stability in an alkaline environment. Therefore, an intermediate range of addition of PAMAM (50 ppm) is optimal to 1) avoid excessive voids formation, 2) promote some Cu cluster formation and thus enhancing the Zr-based coating formation and 3) incorporate organic components into the coating to improve the adhesion of the subsequent coatings. Overall, this work furthers our knowledge on the formation mechanism of an effective and environmentally friendly hybrid conversion coating for corrosion inhibition, demonstrating a critical processing-structureproperty relationship. This study will benefit future development of green and effective surface treatment technology.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Developing an Efficient Cyanobacterial Sugar Production System

Researchers at the LBNL Advanced Biofuels Process Development Unit, in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory and HelioBioSys, Inc., demonstrated pilot scale recovery and purification of polysaccharides produced by a unique marine cyanobacterial consortium. LBNL researchers tested new methods to quantify biomass and exopolysaccharide content during cultivation, and demonstrated separation of biomass and salt from polysaccharides at the 1,000L scale. Production of marine cyanobacterial polysaccharides from the consortium requires no fresh water, added carbon dioxide, or added nutrients, enabling use of marginal land and water resources for production of these unique biopolymers.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cost-optimized Automated Variance Reduction for Highly Angle-dependent Radiation Transport Analyses [Dissertation]

Monte Carlo variance-reduction techniques that directly bias particle direction have historically received limited attention despite being useful for many radiation transport applications such as those in which radiation travels through large regions with a low probability of colliding. One such technique is known as DXTRAN (short for deterministic transport) in the MCNP Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Until now, effectively applying DXTRAN in calculations is largely based on empirical observations of computational performance. Optimal DXTRAN parameters are identified through manual iteration. This work develops new mathematical descriptions of the DXTRAN variance-reduction process and demonstrates a new automated variance-reduction method that applies these mathematical formulations to determine the optimal application of DXTRAN in a given problem.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Synergistic Thermo-Microbial-Electrochemical (T-MEC) Approach for Drop-In Fuel Production from Wet Waste

This project successfully developed and demonstrated the synergistic thermo-microbial-electrochemical (T-MEC) process, converting food waste into sustainable biofuels while achieving self-sustaining wastewater treatment and hydrogen production. By integrating hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), the project advanced waste-to-fuel technology and expanded the understanding of sustainable waste valorization. It established a scalable framework for achieving high carbon efficiency, effective pollutant removal, and energy recovery, showcasing the potential of combining biological, thermal, and electrochemical systems to optimize resource recovery and reduce environmental impacts. The project demonstrated the technical effectiveness of the T-MEC process, achieving over 50% improvement in carbon efficiency and reducing waste processing costs by more than 25% compared to anaerobic digestion (AD). The HTL pilot reactor processed food waste at 90 kg/h, producing up to 200 L/day of biocrude oil with high conversion efficiency. A critical desalting step in pretreatment prevented catalyst fouling, enabling efficient hydrotreating with 100% deoxygenation and denitrogenation and sulfur reduction to <15 ppm. This positioned the kerosene fraction as a strong candidate for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The MECs achieved rapid startup, 86.4% COD removal, and hydrogen production rates of 1.8 L H 2 /L cat /day, among the highest recorded for pilot-scale systems. The integrated process achieved 65% carbon efficiency to biocrude and 58% to finished fuels, outperforming AD's 41% and 33% efficiencies for biogas and natural gas vehicle fuels. System analysis highlighted economic potential, with minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP) decreasing from $\$$25/GGE at 5 tpd to $\$$10/GGE at 500 tpd due to economies of scale. Future work will focus on reducing MEC material and membrane costs, enhancing performance through higher current densities, and creating tailored operational strategies for diverse feedstocks. Optimization of the integrated system will improve scalability and feasibility, positioning the T-MEC process as a competitive solution for converting wet waste into sustainable fuels and clean water. Beyond its technical and economic achievements, the project offers significant public benefits. The T-MEC process provides a sustainable alternative to landfilling and incineration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving resources. Converting waste into SAF and renewable fuels supports decarbonization in the transportation sector, advancing energy independence and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, the process minimizes environmental pollutants, transforming them into valuable products like hydrogen and fuels, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Design and fabrication of wraparound contact silicon solar cells

Work is reported on the development and production of 1,000 N+/P wraparound solar cells of two different design configurations: Design 1, a bar configuration wraparound and Design 2, a corner pad configuration wraparound. The project goal consisted of determining which of the two designs was better with regard to production cost where the typical cost of a conventional solar cell was considered as the norm. Emphasis was also placed on obtaining the highest possible output efficiency, although a minumum efficiency of 10.5% was required. Five hundred cells of Design 1 and 500 cells of Design 2 were fabricated. Design 1 which used similar procedures to those used in the fabrication of conventional cells, was the less expensive with a cost very close to that of a conventional cell. Design 2 was more expensive mainly because the more exotic process procedures used were less developed than those used for Design 1. However, Design 2 processing technology demonstrated a feasibility that should warrant future investigation toward improvement and refinement.

Goodelle, G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Development of optimized, graded-permeability axial groove heat pipes

Heat pipe performance can usually be improved by uniformly varying or grading wick permeability from end to end. A unique and cost effective method for grading the permeability of an axial groove heat pipe is described - selective chemical etching of the pipe casing. This method was developed and demonstrated on a proof-of-concept test article. The process improved the test article's performance by 50 percent. Further improvement is possible through the use of optimally etched grooves.

Kapolnek, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

SP-100 control drive assembly development

The SP-100 is an electrical generating nuclear power system for space operation. This paper describes the nuclear reactor control systems and the methods used to assure reliable performance for the 10-year design life. Reliable performance is achieved by redundancy and by selecting highly reliable components and design features. Reliability is quantified by analysis using established reliability data. Areas lacking reliability data are identified for development testing. A specific development test description is provided as an example to demonstrate how this process is meeting the system reliability goals.

Gleason, Thomas↗
NASA NTRS2012

Optical Communications Channel Combiner

NASA has identified deep-space optical communications links as an integral part of a unified space communication network in order to provide data rates in excess of 100 Mb/s. The distances and limited power inherent in a deep-space optical downlink necessitate the use of photon-counting detectors and a power-efficient modulation such as pulse position modulation (PPM). For the output of each photodetector, whether from a separate telescope or a portion of the detection area, a communication receiver estimates a log-likelihood ratio for each PPM slot. To realize the full effective aperture of these receivers, their outputs must be combined prior to information decoding. A channel combiner was developed to synchronize the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) sequences of multiple receivers, and then combines these into a single LLR sequence for information decoding. The channel combiner synchronizes the LLR sequences of up to three receivers and then combines these into a single LLR sequence for output. The channel combiner has three channel inputs, each of which takes as input a sequence of four-bit LLRs for each PPM slot in a codeword via a XAUI 10 Gb/s quad optical fiber interface. The cross-correlation between the channels LLR time series are calculated and used to synchronize the sequences prior to combining. The output of the channel combiner is a sequence of four-bit LLRs for each PPM slot in a codeword via a XAUI 10 Gb/s quad optical fiber interface. The unit is controlled through a 1 Gb/s Ethernet UDP/IP interface. A deep-space optical communication link has not yet been demonstrated. This ground-station channel combiner was developed to demonstrate this capability and is unique in its ability to process such a signal.

Quirk, Kevin J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS)

Autonomous operations are critical for the success, safety and crew survival of NASA deep space missions beyond low Earth orbit, including Gateway. For the past 10 years, Stennis Space Center (SSC) has been developing, and has demonstrated an innovative software platform, along with expertise and processes for implementation of autonomous operations.

Integrated Power Avionics and Software↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Flight Effects of Turbofan Fan Tones

This paper presents a summary and status of the ongoing development of an all-new fan tone noise prediction process. This process is being developed based on data from both the Quiet Technology Demonstrator 2 (QTD2) and the NASA/Boeing Propulsion Aeroacoustics & Aircraft System Noise (PAA/ASN) tests. The fan tone prediction model development steps are outlined, and rationale for a framework is provided. The two most significant findings of this work are how the fan tone noise correlates best with relative tip Mach number and the change in the directivity of the inlet tone noise relative to the aft. Using the framework, an initial proposed model has been developed which reduces the overall fan tone noise prediction miss on a power-level basis from +/- ~25dB to +/- ~5dB. This is expected to greatly improve the ability to predict both current and future aircraft concepts.

Fan Noise↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Convolution-Based Numerical Solutions of Transient Temperature Fields during Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing: Theory, Accuracy, and Computational Cost

Powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing has found numerous applications in the aerospace domain. However, components fabricated via PBF have a complex time-temperature history that significantly impacts subsequent mechanical performance. This study examines convolution-based numerical solutions of transient temperature fields that support simulations involving arbitrary beam shapes and paths during PBF. The convolutional approach is verified through comparisons with analytical solutions of the temperature field. The computational speed and accuracy of the method are assessed through comparisons with other explicit and implicit numerical techniques. In addition, the straightforward translation of the approach from a CPU to a GPU implementation and the resultant performance improvement are presented. The role of the technique in predicting microstructure evolution during PBF (for a greater process-structure-property-performance framework) is also demonstrated. This work supports the development of computational materials methods for understanding and controlling the time-temperature history during PBF.

powder bed fusion↗