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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 451 records · Page 25

Higher Order Mode Coupling in Feed Waveguide of a Planar Slot Array Antenna

A simple technique was developed to account for the higher order mode coupling between adjacent coupling slots in the feed waveguide of a planar slot array. The method uses an equation relating the slot impedance to the slot voltage and a reaction integral involving the equivalent magnetic current of the slot aperture and the magnetic field coupled from an adjacent slot. In the proposed method, one uses the Elliott s design technique to determine tilt angles and lengths of the coupling slots. The radiating slots are modeled as shunt admittances, and the coupling slots are modeled as series impedances.

Rengarajan, Sembiam↗

Overview of the NASA Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis Exploration Feed-Forward Study

Technology required to land large payloads (20 to 50 mt) on Mars remains elusive. In an effort to identify the most viable investment path, NASA and others have been studying various concepts. One such study, the Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis (EDLSA) Study [1] identified three potential options: the rigid aeroshell, the inflatable aeroshell and supersonic retropropulsion (SRP). In an effort to drive out additional levels of design detail, a smaller demonstrator, or exploration feed-forward (EFF), robotic mission was devised that utilized two of the three (inflatable aeroshell and SRP) high potential technologies in a configuration to demonstrate landing a two to four metric ton payload on Mars. This paper presents and overview of the maximum landed mass, inflatable aeroshell controllability and sensor suite capability assessments of the selected technologies and recommends specific technology areas for additional work.

DwyerCianciolo, Alicia M.↗

Front-Side Microstrip Line Feeding a Raised Antenna Patch

An improved design concept for a printed-circuit patch antenna and the transmission line that feeds the patch calls for (1) a microstrip transmission line on the front (radiative) side of a printed-circuit board based on a thin, high-permittivity dielectric substrate; (2) using the conductor covering the back side of the circuit board as a common ground plane for both the microstrip line and the antenna patch; (3) supporting the antenna patch in front of the circuit board on a much thicker, lower-permittivity dielectric spacer layer; and (4) connecting the microstrip transmission line to the patch by use of a thin wire or narrow ribbon that extends through the thickness of the spacer and is oriented perpendicularly to the circuit-board plane. The thickness of the substrate is typically chosen so that a microstrip transmission line of practical width has an impedance between 50 and 100 ohms. The advantages of this design concept are best understood in the context of the disadvantages of prior design concepts, as explained

Hodges, Richard↗

Evolution of Regolith Feed Systems for Lunar ISRU 02 Production Plants

The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) project of the NASA Constellation Program, Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) has been engaged in the design and testing of various Lunar ISRU O2 production plant prototypes that can extract chemically bound oxygen from the minerals in the lunar regolith. This work demands that lunar regolith (or simulants) shall be introduced into the O2 production plant from a holding bin or hopper and subsequently expelled from the ISRU O2 production plant for disposal. This sub-system is called the Regolith Feed System (RFS) which exists in a variety of configurations depending on the O2 production plant oxygen being used (e.g. Hydrogen Reduction, Carbothermal, Molten Oxide Electrolysis). Each configuration may use a different technology and in addition it is desirable to have heat recuperation from the spent hot regolith as an integral part of the RFS. This paper addresses the various RFS and heat recuperation technologies and system configurations that have been developed under the NASA ISRU project since 2007. In addition current design solutions and lessons learned from reduced gravity flight testing will be discussed.

Mueller, Robert P.↗

Suspended-Patch Antenna With Inverted, EM-Coupled Feed

An improved suspended-patch antenna has been designed to operate at a frequency of about 23 GHz with linear polarization and to be one of four identical antennas in a rectangular array. The antenna includes a parasitic patch on top of a suspended dielectric superstrate, an active patch on top of a suspended dielectric substrate, a microstrip on the bottom of the dielectric substrate, and a ground plane. The microstrip, the ground plane, the airgap between them, and the dielectric substrate together constitute a transmission line that has an impedance of 50 Ohm and is electromagnetically (EM) coupled to the active patch. The parasitic patch is, in turn, excited by the active patch. The microstrip feed is characterized as inverted because the microstrip is on the bottom of the substrate, whereas microstrips are usually placed on the tops of dielectric substrates

Simons, Rainee N.↗

Iodine Hall Thruster Propellant Feed System for a CubeSat

The components required for an in-space iodine vapor-fed Hall effect thruster propellant management system are described. A laboratory apparatus was assembled and used to produce iodine vapor and control the flow through the application of heating to the propellant reservoir and through the adjustment of the opening in a proportional flow control valve. Changing of the reservoir temperature altered the flowrate on the timescale of minutes while adjustment of the proportional flow control valve changed the flowrate immediately without an overshoot or undershoot in flowrate with the requisite recovery time associated with thermal control systems. The flowrates tested spanned a range from 0-1.5 mg/s of iodine, which is sufficient to feed a 200-W Hall effect thruster.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

Propellant Feed System for Swirl-Coaxial Injection

A propellant feed system for swirl-coaxial injection of a liquid propellant includes a reservoir having a bottom plate and at least one tube originating in the bottom plate and extending therefrom. The tube has rectangular slits defined in and distributed tangentially and evenly about a portion of the tube that is disposed in the bottom plate. Drain holes are provided in the bottom plate and tunnels are defined in the bottom plate. Each tunnel fluidly couples one of the drain holes to a corresponding one of the rectangular slits. Each tunnel includes (i) a bend of at least 90.degree., and (ii) a straight portion leading to its corresponding rectangular slit wherein the straight portion is at least five times as long as a hydraulic diameter of the corresponding rectangular slit.

Reynolds, David Christopher↗

Iodine Satellite Propellant Feed Clog-Clearing Demonstration Testing

Experiments are conducted to quantify the formation and clearing of iodine clogs in an iodine feed system. Deposits in the low-pressure portion of the system near the exit to vacuum appear to be relatively small in extent and incomplete in blocking the flow, and they are relatively easy to remove with the re-application of heating, disappearing in minutes. Clogs forming upstream, nearer to the higher-pressure propellant tank, appear to completely block the flow, are much larger in spatial extent, and form much more rapidly than the low-pressure blockages. Significantly more effort is required to remove upstream deposits.

Polzin, K. A.↗

Dual Frequency Feed Horn Design for a Compact Cloud and Precipitation Radar Operating at Ka- and W-band

We present the design of a compact dual frequency feed horn optimized to operate at Ka-band (35.75 GHz) and W-band (94.05 GHz). The structure consists of a single spline profile horn along with a diplexer having orthogonal Ka- and W-band ports and a band pass filter at the Ka band port. The filter is used to achieve high isolation between the Ka- and W-band ports. A directivity of 21 dB and -12 dB beam width of 31 degrees was achieved at Ka-band and a directivity of 26 dB and -12 dB beam width of 21 degrees was achieved at W-band. The overall structure is compact and easy to machine. The dual frequency horn will be tested as part of a Ka/W-band breadboard radar.

Cofield, Rick↗

Large-Scale CT Inspection of Feed-Through EMI Filters for Space Application

A type of Feed-Through Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Filter incorporating two discoidal (ring-shaped) capacitors was selected for use in the Europa Clipper spacecraft propulsion systems. Parts reliability specialists were aware of historical problems with the attach materials used to provide mechanical support and electrical contact within these devices, so therefore a screening was desired to ensure the longevity and ruggedness of units intended for the space environment. CT X-ray, a technology which has become more widely available thanks to the compelling depth of information it offers, was selected as the inspection method of choice.

Bescup, John C↗

Evolution of the NISAR Feed Antenna Design due to Environmental Requirements

NISAR (NASA ISRO SAR, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Indian Space Research Organization, Synthetic Aperture Radar) is an Earth science project currently in its final development phases at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and at ISRO. Due for launch in 2023 it will assess how our planet changes over time by measuring differences in the Earth’s solid surface due to factors like climate change, movement and melting of glaciers, earthquakes, land-slides, deforestation, agriculture and others. The enabling instrument for this mission is a dual band radar (L-Band and S-Band) that feeds a 12m deployable mesh reflector. Given the extreme accuracy needed to perform these measurements from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) some of the most stringent requirements were pushed onto the antenna subsystem to control phase and gain stability over time. In this paper we describe how environmental requirements affected the antenna design and what techniques were used to meet these requirements.

Vacchione, Joseph D.↗

Evaluation of Feed-Through Polymer Tantalum Capacitors for Space Applications

In 2023 AVX developed a new technology of feed-through capacitors that can be used for high (up to GHz range) frequency signal filtering for FPGA, microswitches or micro-DC-DC converters as a replacement for the currently used MLCCs. This part is a Low Inductance Bulk Capacitor (LIBC). It has low ESR and insertion loss values and is manufactured using technology similar to chip polymer tantalum capacitors and have. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the design and performance of the parts using engineering samples from AVX, address potential reliability issues, and suggest screening and lot acceptance procedures necessary to use these capacitors in space projects.

Alexander Teverovsky↗