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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

System Engineering Paper

The Iowa State University team, Team LunaCY, is composed of the following sub-teams: the main student organization, the Lunabotics Club; a senior mechanical engineering design course, ME 415; a senior multidisciplinary design course, ENGR 466; and a senior design course from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Team LunaCY designed and fabricated ART-E III, Astra Robotic Tractor- Excavator the Third, for the team's third appearance in the NASA Lunabotic Mining competition. While designing ART-E III, the team had four main goals for this year's competition:to reduce the total weight of the robot, to increase the amount of regolith simulant mined, to reduce dust, and to make ART-E III autonomous. After many designs and research, a final robot design was chosen that obtained all four goals of Team LunaCY. A few changes Team LunaCY made this year was to go to the electrical, computer, and software engineering club fest at Iowa State University to recruit engineering students to accomplish the task of making ART-E III autonomous. Team LunaCY chose to use LabView to program the robot and various sensors were installed to measure the distance between the robot and the surroundings to allow ART-E III to maneuver autonomously. Team LunaCY also built a testing arena to test prototypes and ART-E III in. To best replicate the competition arena at the Kennedy Space Center, a regolith simulant was made from sand, QuickCrete, and fly ash to cover the floor of the arena. Team LunaCY also installed fans to allow ventilation in the arena and used proper safety attire when working in the arena . With the additional practice in the testing arena and innovative robot design, Team LunaCY expects to make a strong appearance at the 2012 NASA Lunabotic Mining Competition. .

Heise, James↗
NASA NTRS2001

Transition of a Three-Dimensional Unsteady Viscous Flow Analysis from a Research Environment to the Design Environment

The advent of advanced computer architectures and parallel computing have led to a revolutionary change in the design process for turbomachinery components. Two- and three-dimensional steady-state computational flow procedures are now routinely used in the early stages of design. Unsteady flow analyses, however, are just beginning to be incorporated into design systems. This paper outlines the transition of a three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow analysis from the research environment into the design environment. The test case used to demonstrate the analysis is the full turbine system (high-pressure turbine, inter-turbine duct and low-pressure turbine) from an advanced turboprop engine.

Dorney, Suzanne↗
NASA NTRS1978

Vestibular Function Research (VFR) experiment. Phase B: Design definition study

The Vestibular Functions Research (VFR) Experiment was established to investigate the neurosensory and related physiological processes believed to be associated with the space flight nausea syndrome and to develop logical means for its prediction, prevention and treatment. The VFR Project consists of ground and spaceflight experimentation using frogs as specimens. The phase B Preliminary Design Study provided for the preliminary design of the experiment hardware, preparation of performance and hardware specification and a Phase C/D development plan, establishment of STS (Space Transportation System) interfaces and mission operations, and the study of a variety of hardware, experiment and mission options. The study consist of three major tasks: (1) mission mode trade-off; (2) conceptual design; and (3) preliminary design.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

First Materials Science Research Facility Rack Capabilities and Design Features

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) is the primary facility for U.S. sponsored materials science research on the International Space Station. MSRR-1 is contained in an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for the best possible microgravity environment. MSRR-1 will accommodate dual Experiment Modules and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first Experiment Module for the MSRR-1, the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL), is an international cooperative activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC). The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts which provide distinct thermal processing capabilities. Module Inserts currently planned for the MSL are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, and a Solidification with Quench Furnace. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Development (SPD) Group. Transparent furnace assemblies include capabilities for vapor transport processes and annealing of glass fiber preforms. This Experiment Module is replaceable on-orbit. This paper will describe facility capabilities, schedule to flight and research opportunities.

Cobb, S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A New Concurrent Engineering Tool for the New Mission Design Center at NASA Ames Research Center

The NASA Ames Mission Design Center (MDC) has undergone a significant transformation process in recent years, culminating in becoming a true Concurrent Engineering Center. The underlying goal of this transformation is to better serve the Ames PI community in a cost-effective and rapidly-responsive way, providing quality products pivotal to the decision-making proposal strategy of our center. The four pillars of the change focus on four areas: personnel, physical places, tools, and training. Personnel: the MDC switched from using a dedicated pool of engineers—mostly entry-level career—for a matrixed approach with more experienced Subject Matter Experts, usually involved in spaceflight projects. These SMEs get detailed to the MDC for the duration of the study on a part-time or full-time basis. Physical places: The physical aspect pertains mostly to the layout of the new Engineering building and the dedicated concurrent engineering layout to foster collaboration. The current plan includes a dedicated space for concurrent engineering sessions as well as dedicated project rooms for concept studies. Tool: the MDC team is developing a new in-house concurrent engineering tool to facilitate concurrent engineering sessions. The team leveraged the many lessons learned and insight gained from using the current concurrent engineering tool, in use since 2007. SMEs have been involved throughout its design and development, ensuring accuracy and providing validity to the implementation approach. This new tool is database-driven and allows a team to work concurrently on the same model of a mission concept. “Workspaces” are provided for each of the traditional spacecraft mission design disciplines, including cost accounting and systems engineering. There are multiple tiers of fidelity available within each workspace, which can be completed parametrically or independently from the other disciplines as needed or synchronously with the other disciplines. A “commit” step synchronizes a workspace with the mission database and identifies any potential conflicts, along with the user who entered the conflicting data. A Mission Summary workspace enables a Study Lead to run an effective CE session, displaying key graphics, workspace status information, and technical and monetary budget information. This new CE tool will be undergoing Beta Testing with its primary user base and a limited Parts database in the summer of 2020. The team plans to release the first fully operational version in December 2020. Training: working in early concept development and maturation for a space mission requires a unique mindset and being comfortable with uncertainties in an environment where requirements are not yet fully developed, and where changes and trade-offs happen at a high tempo. The MDC started a weekly training program to ensure a common knowledge base on how do develop and mature early concept studies, as well as how to operate in a concurrent engineering environment. In conclusion, the MDC transformation will provide the overall PI community focused on cost-effective small satellite scientific missions with a powerful tool to address and mature early concepts more effectively and efficiently.

David Mauro↗
NASA NTRS1990

Graphical interfaces for cooperative planning systems

Based on a cognitive task analysis of 5 airline flight crews in a simulator study, researchers have designed a testbed for studying computer aids for en route flight path planning. This testbed runs on a Mac II controlling three color monitors, and is being used to study the design of aids for both dispatchers and flight crews. Specifically, the research focuses on design concepts for developing cooperative problem-solving systems. We use en route flight planning (selecting alternate routes or destinations due to unanticipated weather, traffic, malfunctions, etc.) as the context for studying the design of such systems. Researchers are currently exploring three questions in this test environment: (1) When interacting with a flight planning aid, how does the role of the pilot influence overall system performance; (2) Can the architecture for a cooperative planning system be built around Sacerdoti's (1983) concept of an abstraction hierarchy, where the pilot can interact with the system at many different levels of detail (but where the computer aid by default handles lower level details that the pilot has chosen not to deat with); and (3) Can graphical displays and direct manipulation of these displays provide perceptual enhancements (Larkin and Simon, 1987) of the pilot's problem-solving activities. Information is given in viewgraph form.

Smith, Philip J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Use of Taguchi design of experiments to optimize and increase robustness of preliminary designs

The research performed this summer includes the completion of work begun last summer in support of the Air Launched Personnel Launch System parametric study, providing support on the development of the test matrices for the plume experiments in the Plume Model Investigation Team Project, and aiding in the conceptual design of a lunar habitat. After the conclusion of last years Summer Program, the Systems Definition Branch continued with the Air Launched Personnel Launch System (ALPLS) study by running three experiments defined by L27 Orthogonal Arrays. Although the data was evaluated during the academic year, the analysis of variance and the final project review were completed this summer. The Plume Model Investigation Team (PLUMMIT) was formed by the Engineering Directorate to develop a consensus position on plume impingement loads and to validate plume flowfield models. In order to obtain a large number of individual correlated data sets for model validation, a series of plume experiments was planned. A preliminary 'full factorial' test matrix indicated that 73,024 jet firings would be necessary to obtain all of the information requested. As this was approximately 100 times more firings than the scheduled use of Vacuum Chamber A would permit, considerable effort was needed to reduce the test matrix and optimize it with respect to the specific objectives of the program. Part of the First Lunar Outpost Project deals with Lunar Habitat. Requirements for the habitat include radiation protection, a safe haven for occasional solar flare storms, an airlock module as well as consumables to support 34 extra vehicular activities during a 45 day mission. The objective for the proposed work was to collaborate with the Habitat Team on the development and reusability of the Logistics Modules.

Carrasco, Hector R.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Internal Structural Design of the Common Research Model Wing Box for Aeroelastic Tailoring

This work explores the use of alternative internal structural designs within a full-scale wing box structure for aeroelastic tailoring, with a focus on curvilinear spars, ribs, and stringers. The baseline wing model is a fully-populated, cantilevered wing box structure of the Common Research Model (CRM). Metrics of interest include the wing weight, the onset of dynamic flutter, and the static aeroelastic stresses. Twelve parametric studies alter the number of internal structural members along with their location, orientation, and curvature. Additional evaluation metrics are considered to identify design trends that lead to lighter-weight, aeroelastically stable wing designs. The best designs of the individual studies are compared and discussed, with a focus on weight reduction and flutter resistance. The largest weight reductions were obtained by removing the inner spar, and performance was maintained by shifting stringers forward and/or using curvilinear ribs: 5.6% weight reduction, a 13.9% improvement in flutter speed, but a 3.0% increase in stress levels. Flutter resistance was also maintained using straight-rotated ribs although the design had a 4.2% lower flutter speed than the curved ribs of similar weight and stress levels were higher. For some configurations, the differences between curved and straight ribs were smaller, which provides motivation for future optimization-based studies to fully exploit the trade-offs.

Jutte, Christine V.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Diversity and defense-in-depth analysis for I and C systems of research reactors: A case study on two research reactors - 376

This paper provides the analysis results of the diversity and defense-in-depth (D3) applied to two research reactors designed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The D3 assessments for instrumentation and control (I and C) systems of two research reactors are performed according to the guidelines documented in NUREG/CR-6303. The I and C systems are classified into four echelons of defense: control echelon, reactor trip echelon, engineered safety feature (ESF) actuation echelon, and monitoring and indication echelon. The diversity between the echelons of defense is assessed to determine that a single software common cause failure (CCF) does not impair the functions of multiple echelons of defense. In addition, the effects of a software CCF of the reactor protection system on the design basis events of the research reactors are analyzed by assuming that the automated reactor trip and ESF actuation functions of the reactor protection system are inoperable due to the software CCF. From the D3 analyses for the research reactors, it is verified that (1) adequate diversity has been provided, (2) adequate defense-in-depth has been provided, and (3) the displays and manual controls for critical safety functions initiated by operator action are diverse from digital systems used in the automatic portion of the protection system. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1979

NASA gear research and its probable effect on rotorcraft transmission design

The NASA Lewis Research Center devised a comprehensive gear technology research program beginning in 1969, the results of which are being integrated into the NASA civilian Helicopter Transmission System Technology Program. Attention is given to the results of this gear research and those programs which are presently being undertaken. In addition, research programs studying pitting fatigue, gear steels and processing, life prediction methods, gear design and dynamics, elastohydrodynamic lubrication, lubrication methods and gear noise are presented. Finally, the impact of advanced gear research technology on rotorcraft transmission design is discussed.

Zaretsky, E. V.↗
NASA NTRS1986

On reliable control system designs

A research effort is summarized which addresses some of the current problems in interfacing systems theory and reliability. Reliability is roughly the probability that a system will perform according to specifications for a given amount of time. The reliability of a system depends on the structure of its components. Systems theory and control theory deal with the response characteristics of a system, which depend on the system dynamics. The concepts necessary to unify the structural and the dynamic properties of a system are defined. The result is a definition of what constitutes a reliable systems, from the viewpoint of systems theory, and a methodology which can be used to determine if a given design allows a reliable control system design.

Birdwell, J. Douglas↗
DOE OSTI2022

Need for research and training reactors for advanced reactor designs

Full text of publication follows. Research and training reactors have served a valuable role in helping train workforce for currently operating fleet of light water reactors. These research and training reactors have been used in reactor laboratory classes to familiarize the students with such vital concepts as approach to criticality, reactor period, neutron moderation, reactivity, flux distribution and leakage, etc. As the industry moves toward advanced non-light-water reactor designs, it is critical that research and training reactors be developed and deployed at university campuses to help train the new generation of nuclear and non-nuclear engineers who are likely to design, build, and operate these advanced reactors. Among the designs currently being pursued for nuclear power generation include molten salt, sodium cooled, and gas cooled designs, with options for various fuel forms. Thus, industry and DOE in collaboration with academic institutions should devise plans on how to familiarize the next generation of nuclear workforce with hands-on experience necessary for such designs. These research and training reactors will play a vital role in familiarizing the future workforce with hands-on experience with concepts associated with fast spectrum reactors, gas cooled reactors, and other features not associated with light water reactors. In addition to classical nuclear engineering concepts, these advanced research and training reactors can also be used for hands-on training as well as for research on features being considered in the design of GEN-IV reactors: cyber security for digital control room operations, hybrid energy system, hydrogen generation, district heating, autonomous control... (author)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS2002

An Overview of NASA Glenn Research Center's Antenna R&D and Technology Efforts

This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of antenna research and design efforts being performed at NASA's Glenn Research Center. The following type of antenna research projects are discussed: phased array antennas, thin film ferroelectric reflectarray antenna, microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) based antennas and multi-beam antennas. Project overviews, design issues and research problems for each type of antenna system are covered. Additional topics reviewed included: communication systems of the future and a facility description.

Miranda, Felix A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lessons Learned in Concurrent Mission and Systems Design at NASA Glenn Research Center: Almost Fifteen Years of the Compass Team

This paper is a retrospective of the lessons learned during the almost 15-year history of the Compass concurrent mission and systems design team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC). It examines the key factors in the team’s evolution from a temporary group gathered to perform a single study to the successful, sustainable team it is today. Compass is a matrixed team of experts with various technical backgrounds and personalities. They collaborate over a two-week period either physically in a dedicated meeting space, or virtually to design a space system (Spacecraft, stage, science package, etc). Over the years, because of the rapid nature of the design studies, the team leadership has iterated on the optimal team member personality makeup, facility elements and tools as well as NASA GRC management support necessary to lead to sustained success.

systems engineering↗
NASA NTRS1980

VCE test bed engine for supersonic cruise research

Various design concepts for a variable cycle engine applicable to a supersonic, mixed mission propulsion system which would combine the merits of a turbofan at subsonic operating conditions with those of a turbojet for supersonic operating conditions are briefly examined. In particular the integration of the variable area bypass injector with the core driven (aft fan block) fan stage is discussed and the technical benefits of the configuration are summarized.

Vdoviak, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

In-flight direct-strike lightning research

Tests designed to investigate the lightning-generated electromagnetic environment affecting aircraft are discussed. An F-106B aircraft specially instrumented for lightning electromagnetic measurements was used. The instrumentation system is reviewed and typical results recorded by the instrumentation during simulated-lightning ground tests performed for a safety survey are presented. Several examples of data obtained during summer flight testing are presented and future plans are discussed.

Pitts, F. L.↗