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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 NTRS2013

Dynamic Stability Analysis of Blunt Body Entry Vehicles Using Time-Lagged Aftbody Pitching Moments

This analysis defines an analytic model for the pitching motion of blunt bodies during atmospheric entry. The proposed model is independent of the pitch damping sum coefficient present in the standard formulation of the equations of motion describing pitch oscillations of a decelerating blunt body, instead using the principle of a time-lagged aftbody moment as the forcing function for oscillation divergence. Four parameters, all with intuitive physical relevance, are introduced to fully define the aftbody moment and the associated time delay. It is shown that the dynamic oscillation responses typical to blunt bodies can be produced using hysteresis of the aftbody moment in place of the pitch damping coefficient. The approach used in this investigation is shown to be useful in understanding the governing physical mechanisms for blunt body dynamic stability and in guiding vehicle and mission design requirements. A validation case study using simulated ballistic range test data is conducted. From this, parameter identification is carried out through the use of a least squares optimizing routine. Results show good agreement with the limited existing literature for the parameters identified, suggesting that the model proposed could be validated by an experimental ballistic range test series. The trajectories produced by the identified parameters were found to match closely those from the MER ballistic range tests for a wide array of initial conditions and can be identified with a reasonable number of ballistic range shots and computational effort.

Supersonic↗
NASA NTRS2015

Effect of Interfacial Turbulence and Accommodation Coefficient on CFD Predictions of Pressurization and Pressure Control in Cryogenic Storage Tank

Laminar models agree closely with the pressure evolution and vapor phase temperature stratification but under-predict liquid temperatures. Turbulent SST k-w and k-e models under-predict the pressurization rate and extent of stratification in the vapor but represent liquid temperature distributions fairly well. These conclusions seem to equally apply to large cryogenic tank simulations as well as small scale simulant fluid pressurization cases. Appropriate turbulent models that represent both interfacial and bulk vapor phase turbulence with greater fidelity are needed. Application of LES models to the tank pressurization problem can serve as a starting point.

Condensation Evaporation↗
NASA NTRS2016

Qualitative Fault Isolation of Hybrid Systems: A Structural Model Decomposition-Based Approach

Quick and robust fault diagnosis is critical to ensuring safe operation of complex engineering systems. A large number of techniques are available to provide fault diagnosis in systems with continuous dynamics. However, many systems in aerospace and industrial environments are best represented as hybrid systems that consist of discrete behavioral modes, each with its own continuous dynamics. These hybrid dynamics make the on-line fault diagnosis task computationally more complex due to the large number of possible system modes and the existence of autonomous mode transitions. This paper presents a qualitative fault isolation framework for hybrid systems based on structural model decomposition. The fault isolation is performed by analyzing the qualitative information of the residual deviations. However, in hybrid systems this process becomes complex due to possible existence of observation delays, which can cause observed deviations to be inconsistent with the expected deviations for the current mode in the system. The great advantage of structural model decomposition is that (i) it allows to design residuals that respond to only a subset of the faults, and (ii) every time a mode change occurs, only a subset of the residuals will need to be reconfigured, thus reducing the complexity of the reasoning process for isolation purposes. To demonstrate and test the validity of our approach, we use an electric circuit simulation as the case study.

Hybrid Systems Diagnosis↗
NASA NTRS2016

Micropulsed Plasma Thrusters for Attitude Control of a Low-Earth-Orbiting CubeSat

This study presents a 3-Unit CubeSat design with commercial-off-the-shelf hardware, Teflon-fueled micropulsed plasma thrusters, and an attitude determination and control approach. The micropulsed plasma thruster is sized by the impulse bit and pulse frequency required for continuous compensation of expected maximum disturbance torques at altitudes between 400 and 1000 km, as well as to perform stabilization of up to 20 deg /s and slew maneuvers of up to 180 deg. The study involves realistic power constraints anticipated on the 3-Unit CubeSat. Attitude estimation is implemented using the q method for static attitude determination of the quaternion using pairs of the spacecraft-sun and magnetic-field vectors. The quaternion estimate and the gyroscope measurements are used with an extended Kalman filter to obtain the attitude estimates. Proportional-derivative control algorithms use the static attitude estimates in order to calculate the torque required to compensate for the disturbance torques and to achieve specified stabilization and slewing maneuvers or combinations. The controller includes a thruster-allocation method, which determines the optimal utilization of the available thrusters and introduces redundancy in case of failure. Simulation results are presented for a 3-Unit CubeSat under detumbling, pointing, and pointing and spinning scenarios, as well as comparisons between the thruster-allocation and the paired-firing methods under thruster failure.

Gatsonis, Nikolaos A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Failure Simulation Testing of the Z-1 Spacesuit Titanium Bearing Assemblies

The Z-2 is a candidate for NASA's next generation spacesuit, designed for a range of possible missions with enhanced mobility for spacewalks both on planetary surfaces and in microgravity. Increased mobility was accomplished through innovations in shoulder and hip joints, using a number of new bearings to allow spacesuit wearers to dip, walk, and bend with ease; all important tasks for a planetary explorer collecting samples or traveling over rough terrain. The Advanced Spacesuit Development Team of NASA Johnson Space Center requested that the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) perform a series failure simulation tests on three titanium bearing assemblies, an elemental part of the joint construction used in new spacesuit designs. This testing simulated two undetected failures within the bearings and as a result the objective of this test program was to evaluate whether a failed or failing bearing could result in ignition of the titanium race material due to friction. The first failure was an inner seal leak sufficient to pressurize the race with +99 percent oxygen. The second failure was an improperly installed or mismatched ball port that created a protrusion in the ball bearing race, partially obstructing the nominal rolling path of each ball bearing. When the spacesuit bearings are assembled, bearing balls are loaded into the assembly via a ball port. The ball port is specific and unique to each bearing assembly (matched pair). The simulated mismatched ball port is a significant source of friction, which would be caused by an assembly error. To evaluate this risk, the bearings were cycled in a simulated worst-case scenario environment, with operational loads, and potential flaw conditions. During test the amount of actuation torque required and heat generated through continuous operation were measured and the bearings were observed for sparks or burning events. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the test hardware, methodology, and results.

de Baca, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

GES DISC Data Recipes in Jupyter Notebooks

The Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project manages twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) which are geographically dispersed across the United States. The DAACs are responsible for ingesting, processing, archiving, and distributing Earth science data produced from various sources (satellites, aircraft, field measurements, etc.). In response to projections of an exponential increase in data production, there has been a recent effort to prototype various DAAC activities in the cloud computing environment. This, in turn, led to the creation of an initiative, called the Cloud Analysis Toolkit to Enable Earth Science (CATEES), to develop a Python software package in order to transition Earth science data processing to the cloud. This project, in particular, supports CATEES and has two primary goals. One, to transition data recipes created by the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Service Center (GES DISC) into an interactive and educational environment using JupyterNotebooks. Two, to acclimate Earth scientists to cloud computing. To accomplish these goals, we create JupyterNotebooks to compartmentalize the different steps of data analysis and help users obtain and parse data from the command line. We also develop a Docker container, comprised of Jupyter Notebooks, Python dependencies, and command line tools, and configure it into an easy-to-deploy package. The end result is an end-to-end product that simulates the use case of end users working in the cloud computing environment.

discoverability↗
NASA NTRS2017

Magnetic Shield Design Modeling and Validation on SWOT Spacecraft Applied to Mars Flux Pinning Orbiting Sample Design

A modeling methodology was developed for use on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission for the computational modeling and design of a magnetic shield for a 63 A-sq m source. Shield options were modeled and tested across various design parameters and validated with measurement. Measurement results fell within 10% of simulation in most cases of concern with sources of error well understood. These methods results informed a subsequent modeling activity for a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission concept with stringent magnetic cleanliness requirements to retain geologic integrity of the samples. One option for capturing the sample from orbit requires rare earth magnets in close proximity to the Martian samples. Magnetic modeling with a finite-element method solver estimated the magnetic environment and established the need for shielding. Further modeling then determined the shielding necessary to meet magnetic requirements, followed by the design of a mass-optimized solution.

Gonzales, Edward↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ETM: Upper E Traffic Management

This is a slide set as part of a meeting series with members of a working group aimed at the development of a concept that addresses needs and gaps in the management of high altitude airspace operations. This concept leverages elements developed through the UAS Traffic Management project with respect to a cooperative, service-based approach that provides services and capabilities in areas (e.g., Upper E airspace) that currently receive no or limited service from Air Traffic Control. This concept is meant to provide a safe, fair, and scalable approach to management of Upper E operations that reduces the burden on ATC while providing the flexibility and access desired by current and new users of the airspace. This set of slides includes an overview of discussions and industry news covering the time since the previous group meeting, a discussion of industry's position on operation intent and negotiation strategies in ETM airspace, applications of that position as captured through use cases, and a simulation roadmap for NASA's planned work ahead into CY21.

Upper E↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Computational Study of Plume Modeling for Space Launch System Abort Scenarios

A series of viscous CFD simulations depicting Space Launch System (SLS) post Mode-1abort scenarios are conducted and analyzed. The primary purpose of these simulations is to study the effect of launch abort vehicle attitude control motor (ACM) and abort motor(AM) plume modeling fidelity on the drag of the aborted core stage. The simulations are first conducted with a fully-coupled, multi-species and chemically reacting model for the freestream gases and the solid rocket abort motor combustion products. Following this, equivalent species are created for the ACM and AM exhaust gases. These equivalent species aim to provide near the same results for core stage drag as the chemically reacting model at a significantly lower computational cost. Finally, the exhaust gases are modeled as calorically perfect air. It was concluded that under most scenarios, both the equivalent species and the perfect air models predict the drag of the aborted core stage sufficiently close to that predicted by the chemically reacting simulations. In these cases, the flow and geometry conditions did not induce significant changes in the composition of the ‘true’ exhaust gas via afterburning of the combustion products. For cases where this was not the case, the properties of the essentially frozen equivalent species and perfect air models deviated from the true mixture, yielding unsatisfactory results. Finally, the accuracy improvements by using the chemically reacting model are weighed against the significant increase in associated computational costs. It was found that the simplified exhaust gas models are at least 4 times less expensive than the chemically reacting model. This may justify the judicious use of these simple models in future work.

CFD↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Computational Study of Plume Modeling for Space Launch System Abort Scenarios

A series of viscous CFD simulations depicting Space Launch System (SLS) post Mode-1abort scenarios are conducted and analyzed. The primary purpose of these simulations is to study the effect of launch abort vehicle attitude control motor (ACM) and abort motor(AM) plume modeling fidelity on the drag of the aborted core stage. The simulations are first conducted with a fully-coupled, multi-species and chemically reacting model for the freestream gases and the solid rocket abort motor combustion products. Following this, equivalent species are created for the ACM and AM exhaust gases. These equivalent species aim to provide near the same results for core stage drag as the chemically reacting model at a significantly lower computational cost. Finally, the exhaust gases are modeled as calorically perfect air. It was concluded that under most scenarios, both the equivalent species and the perfect air models predict the drag of the aborted core stage sufficiently close to that predicted by the chemically reacting simulations. In these cases, the flow and geometry conditions did not induce significant changes in the composition of the ‘true’ exhaust gas via afterburning of the combustion products. For cases where this was not the case, the properties of the essentially frozen equivalent species and perfect air models deviated from the true mixture, yielding unsatisfactory results. Finally, the accuracy improvements by using the chemically reacting model are weighed against the significant increase in associated computational costs. It was found that the simplified exhaust gas models are at least 4 times less expensive than the chemically reacting model. This may justify the judicious use of these simple models in future work.

CFD↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Unified SHOC-EDMF PBL Parameterization in the NASA GEOS Model

We present results from a novel extension of the boundary layer parameterization in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model. An Eddy Diffusivity-Mass Flux (EDMF) multi-plume updraft scheme was previously implemented in GEOS. Here we replace the K-profile eddy diffusivity scheme of Lock et. al. (2000) with the Simplified Higher Order Closure (SHOC). The scheme prognoses turbulent kinetic energy, and derives buoyancy flux, cloud fraction and condensate from a trivariate double-gaussian joint PDF. The original SHOC scheme is modified in two significant respects: (i) contributions from the EDMF updrafts are included in estimates of all higher order moments used to determine the PDF; and (ii) the second and third moments of total water are made prognostic variables, with source terms associated with EDMF updrafts. The predicted higher order moments as well as updraft and environmental properties are compared with large eddy simulations in several case studies.

SHOC-EDMF↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Unified SHOC-MF Boundary Layer Parameterization in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model

We present results from a novel extension of the boundary layer parameterization in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model. An Eddy Diffusivity-Mass Flux (EDMF) multi-plume updraft scheme was previously implemented in GEOS. Here we replace the K-profile eddy diffusivity scheme of Lock et. al. (2000) with the Simplified Higher Order Closure (SHOC; Bogenschutz and Krueger, 2013). The scheme prognoses turbulent kinetic energy, and derives buoyancy flux, cloud fraction and condensate from a trivariate double-gaussian joint PDF. The original SHOC scheme is modified in two significant respects: (i) contributions from the EDMF updrafts are included in estimates of all higher order moments used to determine the PDF; and (ii) the second and third moments of total water are made prognostic variables, with source terms associated with EDMF updrafts. The predicted higher order moments as well as updraft and environmental properties are compared with large eddy simulations in several case studies. Results indicate that many higher order moments are underestimated when the mass flux contribution is neglected.

Nathan Arnold↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Unified SHOC-MF Boundary Layer Parameterization in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model

We present results from a novel extension of the boundary layer parameterization in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model. An Eddy Diffusivity-Mass Flux (EDMF) multi-plume updraft scheme was previously implemented in GEOS. Here we replace the K-profile eddy diffusivity scheme of Lock et. al. (2000) with the Simplified Higher Order Closure (SHOC; Bogenschutz and Krueger, 2013). The scheme prognoses turbulent kinetic energy, and derives buoyancy flux, cloud fraction and condensate from a trivariate double-gaussian joint PDF. The original SHOC scheme is modified in two significant respects: (i) contributions from the EDMF updrafts are included in estimates of all higher order moments used to determine the PDF; and (ii) the second and third moments of total water are made prognostic variables, with source terms associated with EDMF updrafts. The predicted higher order moments as well as updraft and environmental properties are compared with large eddy simulations in several case studies. Results indicate that many higher order moments are underestimated when the mass flux contribution is neglected.

Nathan Arnold↗
NASA NTRS2024

Leveraging Multi-Primary PS-InSAR Configurations for the Robust Estimation of Coastal Subsidence

InSAR is a key technique used to constrain contributions of diverse processes to coastal subsidence, also known as vertical land motion (VLM). However, coastal environments can pose major challenges for InSAR due to natural disturbances that degrade interferogram quality. We describe a new multi-primary pairing strategy for persistent scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) to estimate subsidence in challenging coastal environments. Our method retains only consistent PS candidates across multiprimary substacks and solves for redundant velocity observations using SVD-based inversion, similar to the conventional small baseline subset (SBAS) method. Through simulations and a case study comparing with single-primary PS-InSAR and conventional SBAS techniques, we show that our pairing strategy reduces temporal and spatial uncertainty in subsidence estimates in the presence of strong but temporary decorrelation loss, even with increased distance from the reference point. Moreover, our method visibly dampens time-series variation and decreases standard error in our time series fit by nearly 2x in our case study. Thus, we find that implementing a multi-primary PS-InSAR configuration is a simple method of increasing the robustness of VLM estimates in challenging coastal environments.

Persistent scatterer InSAR↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing xEMU Lunar Dust Mitigation Devices

Fine, electrically charged, glass like dust particles caused significant damage to the Apollo EMU9 during lunar EVAs, identified as one of the greatest challenges to future exploration. Passive Lunar Dust Mitigation Devices (LDMD) were developed, within a SBIR Phase II, to prohibit this dust from interrupting venting space suit component operation. A Computational Fluid-Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) Simulation Tool was developed at the University of Colorado, Boulder to predict venting gas flow ability to self-clean adhered dust particles from LDMD surfaces. Lunar dust properties (i.e., adhesion and cohesion strengths) required to complete Simulation Tool analysis are relatively unknown due to considerable differences between the Earth and the Moon (i.e., gravity, humidity) and due to an absence of dust particles in their native state. Analytically determining gas flow velocity, density and direction within the fluid Boundary Layer, microns from LDMD surfaces presented a second challenge. Dusty Plasma Chamber testing is being performed at Auburn University, Auburn to observe electrostatically charged dust behavior as it adheres to LDMD prototypes and specific geometry and is then blown away by metered gas flow. Test articles were developed to offer insight into the impact of different flow geometries, surface roughness and dust removal within the gas Boundary-Layer. Observed dust behavior is currently being developed to support the CFD-DEM analysis. Many Simulation Tool analytical cases have been processed to support the intention of completing sensitivity studies to assess how different dust adherence values and Boundary Layer fluid properties impact LDMD self-cleaning effectivity.

Thomas J Stapleton↗
NASA NTRS2003

Precipitation Processes developed during ARM (1997), TOGA COARE(1992), GATE(1 974), SCSMEX(1998) and KWAJEX(1999): Consistent 2D and 3D Cloud Resolving Model Simulations

Real clouds and clouds systems are inherently three dimensional (3D). Because of the limitations in computer resources, however, most cloud-resolving models (CRMs) today are still two-dimensional (2D). A few 3D CRMs have been used to study the response of clouds to large-scale forcing. In these 3D simulations, the model domain was small, and the integration time was 6 hours. Only recently have 3D experiments been performed for multi-day periods for tropical cloud system with large horizontal domains at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The results indicate that surface precipitation and latent heating profiles are very similar between the 2D and 3D simulations of these same cases. The reason for the strong similarity between the 2D and 3D CRM simulations is that the observed large-scale advective tendencies of potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and horizontal momentum were used as the main forcing in both the 2D and 3D models. Interestingly, the 2D and 3D versions of the CRM used in CSU and U.K. Met Office showed significant differences in the rainfall and cloud statistics for three ARM cases. The major objectives of this project are to calculate and axamine: (1)the surface energy and water budgets, (2) the precipitation processes in the convective and stratiform regions, (3) the cloud upward and downward mass fluxes in the convective and stratiform regions; (4) cloud characteristics such as size, updraft intensity and lifetime, and (5) the entrainment and detrainment rates associated with clouds and cloud systems that developed in TOGA COARE, GATE, SCSMEX, ARM and KWAJEX. Of special note is that the analyzed (model generated) data sets are all produced by the same current version of the GCE model, i.e. consistent model physics and configurations. Trajectory analyse and inert tracer calculation will be conducted to identify the differences and similarities in the organization of convection between simulated 2D and 3D cloud systems.

Tao, W.-K.↗