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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 NTRS2017

NASA's Current Initiative to Improve Operations Planning

As a follow-on to the Technical Capability Assessment Team, in 2015 NASA began seven Agency-wide efforts to seek out opportunities to improve the effectiveness of NASA operations. One of these technical teams is the Mission Operations Planning team, charged with increasing interactions and efficiency for planning of mission activities. That team is chaired by the author with representatives from eight other centers across the Agency. As the strategic architects for the vision of agency-wide ops planning, the team has identified a number of new initiatives and techniques to improve planning, including: breaking down walls within centers which obstruct multi-mission planning; breaking down walls agency-wide which obstruct the sharing of ops planning lessons and capabilities; strengthening the community of practice of ops planning capability developers; establishing best practices for a variety of types of ops planning; defining standards for activity plans and timelines, and plan inputs; and recommending the presence of "multi-mission operations champions" within each center to implement these recommendations into the next decade.

Seal, David↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Trajectory Optimization for dynamic tool Systems Swapping

Develop capability to reliably execute a handoff of the grapple tool between two robot arms in difficult environments. Goals for the end of summer include evaluating different approaches to state estimation and determine optimal handoff poses based on a given scene.

Dominic Bisio↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Signal and Power Integrity Design Methodology for High-Performance Flight Computing Systems

Computing capabilities of space systems have in-creased onboard performance by orders of magnitude with the use of radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA)and processors. The incorporation of signal and power integrity analysis with printed circuit board (PCB) design in reliable computing architectures for space systems has become critical to enable future mission capabilities. Developers launch high-performance processors into a breadth of orbits and missions, running varying applications that create challenges for designing reliable computing hardware. Specifically, for these designs, academic and industry research has focused on component radiation performance, fault mitigation, and reliable architectures. How-ever, other design parameters including electromagnetic interference (EMI), PCB stackup, signal integrity (SI), voltage regulator module (VRM) design, and power distribution network (PDN)are often deprioritized or disregarded as the design matures. Since these characteristics are becoming more significant in high-performance processor designs, this research presents a hardware design and analysis methodology for high-performance, space-computing systems that focuses on a holistic design approach and PDN reliability. While these challenges exist across all space hardware, the reduced PCB dimensions imposed by SmallSats and CubeSats introduce additional hurdles, specifically to VRM and decoupling design. By examining the relationship between the PDN and radiation performance, an analytical relationship is developed that incorporates Total Ionizing Dose and Single-Event Transients to ensure reliability throughout the mission duration. The presented design methodology is applied to the SpaceCube v3.0 Mini, an FPGA-based on-board science data processing system developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Advanced avionics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of a Sustained Lunar Presence

The Artemis Base Camp will be our first sustainable foothold on the lunar frontier. The base camp includes a lunar surface habitat, power systems, and infrastructure needed to develop capabilities on future missions to Mars. NASA Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) methodologies tend to focus on in-flight Loss of Crew (LOC) or Loss of Vehicle (LOV) risk estimates for short mission durations. However, lunar habit support systems and power generation systems will need to continuously operate. Existing risk methodologies will need to adapt to understand risk drivers in new environments under different operating conditions, such as lunar dust and increased micro-meteoroid exposure. Insights from the nuclear and oil industries can provide guidance to NASA risk practitioners to tackle this new challenge.

risk assessment↗
NASA NTRS2021

Adaptive Data Screening for Multi-Angle Polarimetric Aerosol and Ocean Color Remote Sensing Accelerated by Automatic Differentiation

Remote sensing measurements from multi-angle polarimeters (MAPs) contain rich aerosol microphysical property information, and these sensors have been used to perform retrievals in optically complex atmosphere and ocean systems. Previous studies have concluded that, generally, five moderately separated viewing angles in each spectral band provide sufficient accuracy for aerosol property retrievals, with performance gradually saturating as angles are added above that threshold. The Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP) instruments provide high angular sampling with a total of 90-120 unique angles across four bands, a capability developed mainly for liquid cloud retrievals. In practice, not all view angles are optimal for aerosol retrievals due to impacts of clouds, sun glint, and other impediments. The many viewing angles of HARP can provide resilience to these effects, if the impacted views are screened from the dataset, as the remaining views may be sufficient for successful analysis. In this study, we discuss how the number of available viewing angles impacts aerosol and ocean color retrieval uncertainties, as applied to two versions of the HARP instrument. AirHARP is an airborne prototype that was deployed in the ACEPOL field campaign, while HARP2 is an instrument in development for the upcoming NASA Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. Based on synthetic data, we find that a total of 20-30 angles across all bands (i.e. five to eight viewing angles per band) are sufficient to achieve good retrieval performance. Following from this result, we develop an adaptive multi-angle polarimetric data screening (MAPDS) approach to evaluate data quality by comparing measurements with their best-fitted forward model. The FastMAPOL retrieval algorithm is used to retrieve scene geophysical values, by matching an efficient, deep learning-based, radiative transfer emulator to observations. The data screening method effectively identifies and removes viewing angles affected by thin cirrus clouds and other anomalies, improving retrieval performance. This was tested with AirHARP data, and we found agreement with the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2) aerosol data. The data screening approach can be applied to modern satellite remote sensing missions, such as PACE, where a large amount of multi-angle, hyperspectral, polarimetric measurements will be collected.

multi-angle polarimeter↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison between Hayabusa 2 Spectral Measurements and Simulations

Recent Hayabusa 2 spectral measurements are compared with state-of-the-art shock-layer radiation simulations resulting from the LAURA/HARA code suite. These simulations include coupled ablation, which accounts for the injection of ablation products into the flowfield, and coupled radiation, which accounts for radiative energy loss in the flowfield. To enable the cou- pled ablation simulations, a best-estimate model is developed for Hayabusa’s carbon-phenolic ablator based on available published information. The comparison between the simulations and measurements focuses on three atomic nitrogen lines, two atomic oxygen lines, one atomic hydrogen line, and the CN Violet band system. Parametric uncertainties are evaluated for these features using a recently developed capability in LAURA/HARA. These uncertainties capture the impact of flowfield and radiation modeling uncertainties on the observed radiation simulations, and include the impact of coupled radiation and ablation product emission. The resulting parametric uncertainties range from 50 to over 100% for the atomic lines, and 80% for CN Violet. Uncertainties in flowfield kinetics and non-Boltzmann modeling provide the dominant contribution to these uncertainties. For the atomic nitrogen and oxygen lines, com- parisons between the nominal simulations and measurements show agreement well within these simulation uncertainty bounds, with the measurements within 20% of the nominal simulation over most of the trajectory, and within 10% at peak emission. This excellent agreement is un- precedented for observed radiation measurements of atomic lines, where previous Stardust and Hayabusa 1 comparisons were significantly worse. The improved agreement for these Hayabusa 2 comparisons is both the result of improved measurement quality and enhanced flowfield and radiation modeling. For the ablation product emission from the 656 nm atomic hydrogen line, the agreement between measurements and simulations is within ±20% for all trajectory points except one outlier. This good comparison is surprising considering this species depends on the ablation rate and is shown to have strong wake contribution, which both contribute to the large ≈±70% parametric uncertainty. For the ablation product emission from CN Violet, the simulations over-predict the measurements by over a factor of two early in the trajectory, with the comparison improving later in the trajectory. This disagreement for CN Violet is consistent with the ≈±80% parametric uncertainty bounds evaluated for the simulations. To utilize the excellent agreement between the atomic line simulations and measurements in the assessment of the radiative heating margin for a future flight vehicle, the flowfield property binning (FPB) approach is applied. Using the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Earth Entry System (EES) as an example, the combination of the excellent Hayabusa comparisons and the FPB analysis justify nearly a 10% reduction in the radiative heating margin from an assumed baseline margin of 30%. This direct quantitative link between observed radiation measurements and the radia- tive heating margin of future flight vehicles demonstrates the value of these observed radiation measurements.

Shock-Layer Radiative Heating↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

DANTi, DAA in the Cockpit

DANTi is a prototype Electronic Flight Bag which incorporates an assistive Detect and Avoid (DAA) capability developed by NASA.

Maria Consiglio↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Ground-Based Microgravity Simulation Facility

Since opportunities to conduct experiments in space are scarce, various microgravity simulators and analogs have been widely used in space biology ground studies. Even though microgravity simulators do not produce all of the biological effects observed in the true microgravity environment, they provide alternative test platforms that are effective, affordable, and readily available to facilitate microgravity research. The Microgravity Simulation Support Facility (MSSF) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has been established for conducting short duration experiments, typically less than 1 month, utilizing a variety of microgravity simulation devices for research at different gravity levels. The simulators include, but are not limited to, 2D Clinostats, 3D Clinostats, Random Positioning Machines, and Rotating Wall Vessels. In this chapter, we will discuss current MSSF capabilities, development concepts, customized sample holder designs, and the physical characteristics of these microgravity simulators.

Ye Zhang↗
NASA NTRS2022

Powering the Future of Electric Aviation

Aviation is one of the largest contributors to climate change on this planet, responsible for nearly 5% of the global warming impact on Earth. As the aviation sector is projected to grow and as new aircraft are introduced, aviation’s impact on climate change will only increase. Without sustainable alternatives implemented in the near future, aviation could strongly contribute to making this planet uninhabitable. This paper examines the possibilities of electric aviation and other power sources in reducing the impact of aviation on climate change. Although there are many power sources for aircraft, electricity is the most effective and sustainable power source. Electric aviation, however, is still relatively new, and there are limitations with electric power, such as battery size, energy density, and charging. This paper dives deeper into the applications and factors to consider for the implementation of electric aircraft into the current society, as well as a potential solution to accelerate the process. Specifically, our research finds that hydrogen fuel cells, despite a few limitations, provide the amount of energy necessary to develop capable and sustainable electric aircraft in a manner that may be the most feasible.

electric aviation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Entry Systems and Vehicle Development Branch (Code TSS)

- TSS was established in 2009 to work with discipline-oriented branches (TSA, TSM, TSF) and provide a leadership approach for sub-system design and hardware components that comprise entry systems. - Currently, branch comprises 11 civil servants and 11 contractors. - 19 NASA Honor Awards in Exceptional Service (2), Achievement (2), Engineering Achievement (5), Early Career Achievement (5), and Outstanding Leadership (5). - In the last decade, TSS has built up core competencies that enable the branch to deliver end-to-end entry systems and vehicle development capabilities.

Antonella Alunni↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aggregate Risk Tool for Human Space Flight

This project utilized Data fusion capabilities developed from the 2020-2022 Information Fusion (IFDA) IRAD to enhance functionality of a Human Spaceflight (HSF) Aggregate Risk Product developed by the JSC Flight Safety Office. The tool compiles and presents risk data from multiple Program and Commercial Provider vehicles to provide a holistic assessment of residual risk to Program Managers and Technical Authorities prior to HSF Launches. The aggregation or coupling of risks from multiple sources (Examples: PRA, variances, anomaly data bases, Program Risk Management data bases, technical review board minutes, Hazard Analysis, etc.) when analyzed, identify potential areas of elevated risk in components, systems or mission phases that would otherwise be undetected by nonintegrated program risk management tools and possesses.

Patrick Huckaby↗
NASA NTRS2022

Aggregate Risk Tool for Human Space Flight

This tool utilizes Data fusion capabilities developed from the 2020-2022 Information Fusion (IFDA) IRAD to enhance functionality of a Human Spaceflight (HSF) Aggregate Risk Product developed by the JSC Flight Safety Office. The tool compiles and present risk data from multiple Program and Commercial Provider sources to provide a holistic assessment for Program Managers and Technical Authorities to evaluate residual risk prior to HSF Launches. The aggregation, or coupling of risks from multiple sources (Ex: PRA, variances, anomaly data bases, CRM data, technical review board minutes, Hazard Analysis, etc.) identifies areas of elevated risk in components, systems or mission phases that would otherwise be undetected by non-integrated program risk management tools and possesses. Data is then displayed in an interactive user interface/dashboard that enables users to see potential areas of concern requiring more in-depth analysis.

Patrick M Huckaby↗
NASA NTRS2023

Multirotor Test Bed Load and Stress Analysis

The Multirotor Test Bed (MTB) is a new capability for testing a wide array of advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) rotor configurations, with a primary focus on testing in the U.S. Army 7- by 10-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The MTB was designed to allow adjustment of the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal placement of up to six rotors, as well as allow tilt adjustment of each rotor and pitch adjustment of the whole assembly. The six-axis load cells under each rotor give the MTB the capability of measuring the rotor performance in a wide array of configurations. The overall goal of the MTB project is to help gain a better understanding of the performance, control, interactional aerodynamics, and acoustics of multirotor and tilting-rotor systems. The MTB project was initiated to build upon the knowledge and capabilities developed during the multirotor unmanned aerial systems (MUAS) tests in 2015 and 2017. By measuring individual rotor loads and allowing for adjustments to individual rotor position and attitude, the MTB provides a wealth of data on the aeroperformance of arbitrary multirotor configurations. The flexibility in positioning up to six rotors allows the multirotor design space to be parametrically explored and potentially optimized. The MTB is also at a larger scale than the small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) tested before, which allows for testing at rotor tip Reynolds numbers more relevant to full-scale piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This document contains the complete documentation of the design, loads, and stress analysis of the MTB.

Multirotor Test Bed↗
NASA NTRS2023

Modeling and Simulation of a Parallel Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) Program

This paper presents a parametric modeling and integrated aircraft sizing and synthesis approach for a charge depleting parallel hybrid electric architecture. The developed models are integrated within the baseline thin-haul and regional aircraft. In addition to the physical architecture, different modes of operation enabled by propulsion system electrification are also modeled parametrically. The modes of operation presented in this paper are the peak power shaving, climb power electric boost, in-flight battery recharging, and electric taxi. The sizing of the powertrain and the aircraft are performed within the multidisciplinary analysis and optimization environment, E-PASS. The consideration of the physical system and its operation together provides a holistic approach where the propulsion system and the airframe are designed under an optimized power and energy management strategy. The parametric nature of the work enables the design space exploration for electrification and lays the groundwork for future technology projection and uncertainty quantification studies. The developed capability is generic and can be applied on other aircraft classes. The work is done as part of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration program.

electrified powertrain flight demonstration↗
NASA NTRS2013

Horizontal Habitability Layout Studies

As our efforts in the 2011-2012 X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge we designed, developed, constructed and tested a deployable horizontally oriented habitat system for use as an Earth analog. The goals of the project included a short-term goal of an interdisciplinary senior design project to design, build and evaluate a horizontally oriented habitat and a long-term goal to develop capabilities in education, research, and outreach in field of space habitat design. This included both technical engineering and outreach efforts. In the 2011-2012 year, the program involved the following schools at OSU: The Schools of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and Industrial and Engineering Management (IEM) within the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and Design, Housing and Merchandising (DHM) in the College of Human Sciences. We also included the School of Aviation Education (AvED) in the College of Education through the ISNPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience) program of as part of our outreach efforts.

Jamey D. Jacob↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

VEDA: Visualization, Exploration, & Data Analysis

NASA's Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) project is an open-source science cyberinfrastructure for data processing, visualization, exploration, and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities. Developed collaboratively and mostly reusing existing open-source components, VEDA consolidates GIS delivery mechanisms, processing platforms, analysis services, and visualization tools and provides an ecosystem of open tools for addressing Earth science research and application needs through the public-facing VEDA Dashboard. In this presentation, Dr. Freitag will provide an overview of VEDA and how it can potentially serve the AOS community.

Brian Freitag↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Changes in Characteristics of Future Climate Across the U.S.: Time Series Analysis of Climate Model Data by NASA POWER

NASA’s Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) project facilitates the use of NASA Earth Science data holdings within the energy, agricultural, and building heating/cooling design industries. POWER packages solar and meteorological data at various temporal levels from several NASA projects in a user friendly GIS-enabled web services system (https://power.larc.nasa.gov). Data users can access these data either through an intuitive data viewer, image services fully integrable with GIS analysis, connections in the cloud through an Amazon Web Services S3 Bucket, or fully customizable access through an API. Data provided by POWER has been used to remotely monitor solar array fields and integrated in a sizing tool for off-grid solar and storage systems. POWER data has also been coupled with key building decision tools to support design and retrofitting of building energy systems for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gases. POWER is now developing capabilities to provide time series of the projected future evolution of surface quantities important to future energy production and use, such as heating/cooling degree days, temperature, wind speed, and downwelling solar flux. We present here a range of possible future changes in these quantities at locations throughout the continental United States. We show how both average and extreme values of the quantities will evolve from present-day to future climate conditions. We plan to provide these projections for users in the energy and sustainable energy communities.

Bradley M. Hegyi↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA HRP Food and Nutrition Risk Strategy

The Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), along with other organizations within NASA, conduct research and capability developments to buy down the risk of performance decrement and crew illness due to inadequate food and nutrition. Food and nutrition are critical for health and performance both in low Earth orbit and on exploration missions. On the International Space Station (ISS), crewmembers share a defined set of pantry foods, and have limited preference and shelf-life foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables) from resupply missions. Exploration design reference missions (DRMs) will likely be more constrained than missions to ISS, where those crewmembers would be subject to a more restricted food system due to resource limitations. HRP food and nutrition research consists of studies to close the following research gaps: determination of the nutritional requirements to maintain health and performance for the defined DRMs, determining the nutrient content, safety, and acceptability of the spaceflight food system specific to DRM and vehicle constraints, development of countermeasures either within or in addition to the food system to mitigate decrements to health and performance by DRM, and the validation and integration of food system countermeasures in analogs and in flight. The current spaceflight food system is shelf-stable, consisting of freeze-dried foods, thermostabilized foods, natural form foods, and powdered beverages. Crops represent a food system countermeasure that has the potential to supplement the pre-packaged food system. As an applied research program, HRP goals for crop research are centered around three main themes: nutrition, safety, and acceptability. As crops advance through Crop Readiness Level evaluations, HHC partners with the sponsoring organization to ensure that HRP goals are met for crops to be consumed in spaceflight.

food↗