Testing and evaluation of nickel-cadmium spacecraft-type cells Semiannual technical report, 1 Jan. - 1 Jul. 1965
Cycle-life tests of nickel-cadmium battery cells - spacecraft electronic equipment
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “technical evaluation”
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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Evaluation of data obtained from a 35 GHz propagation experiment Technical report no. 7
Effect of atmospheric humidity, pressure, and temperature on electromagnetic wave propagation
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITION EFFECT↗
[Develop and Evaluate the Performance of Single and Multi-Specimen Respirometers.] Technical Report, 4 Nov. 1968 - 4 Feb. 1969
Development and performance of respirometers for biorhythmic studies of gravity effects
Heberlein, P. J.↗
Study to evaluate the effect of EVA on payload systems. Volume 2: Technical analyses
For abstract, see N76-19217.
Patrick, J. W.↗
Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 2: Detailed report
A comprehensive assessment of the regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States is provided. The assessment is focused on the general characteristics of twelve defined geographic regions. Natural resources essential to solar ponds are surveyed. Meteorological and hydrogeological conditions affecting pond performance are examined. Potentially favorable pond sites are identified. Regional thermal and electrical energy output from solar ponds is calculated. Selected pond design cases are studied. Five major potential market sectors are evaluated in terms of technical and energy-consumption characteristics, and solar-pond applicability and potential. Relevant pond system data and financial factors are analyzed. Solar-pond energy costs are compared with conventional energy costs. The assessment concludes that, excepting Alaska, ponds are applicable in all regions for at least two market sectors. Total solar pond energy supply potential in the five market sectors examined is estimated to be 8.94 quads/yr by the year 2000, approximately 7.2% of the projected total national energy demand.
Lin, E. I. H.↗
SRB/FWC water impact: Flexible body loads test
Two technical areas were examined: evaluation of potential correction methods for spurious case strain outputs from the pressure transducers during the NSWC tests; and assessing procedures for modifying either the excitation function or the response function to account for hydroelastic effects.
Source record↗
The design and implementation of the Technical Facilities Controller (TFC) for the Goldstone deep space communications complex
The Technical Facilities Controller is a microprocessor-based energy management system that is to be implemented in the Deep Space Network facilities. This system is used in conjunction with facilities equipment at each of the complexes in the operation and maintenance of air-conditioning equipment, power generation equipment, power distribution equipment, and other primary facilities equipment. The implementation of the Technical Facilities Controller was completed at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex and is now operational. The installation completed at the Goldstone Complex is described and the utilization of the Technical Facilities Controller is evaluated. The findings will be used in the decision to implement a similar system at the overseas complexes at Canberra, Australia, and Madrid, Spain.
Killian, D. A.↗
Development and characterization of Powder Metallurgy (PM) 2XXX series Al alloy products and Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) 2XXX Al/SiC materials for high temperature aircraft structural applications
The results of a series of material studies performed by the Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company over the time period from 1980 to 1991 are discussed. The technical objective of these evaluations was to develop and characterize advanced aluminum alloy materials with temperature capabilities extending to 350 F. An overview is given of the first five alloy development efforts under this contract. Prior work conducted during the first five modifications of the alloy development program are listed. Recent developments based on the addition of high Zr levels to an optimum Al-Cu-Mg alloy composition by powder metallurgy processing are discussed. Both reinforced and SiC or B4C ceramic reinforced alloys were explored to achieve specific target goals for high temperature aluminum alloy applications.
Chellman, D. J.↗
A unified approach for composite cost reporting and prediction in the ACT program
The Structures Technology Program Office (STPO) at NASA Langley Research Center has held two workshops with representatives from the commercial airframe companies to establish a plan for development of a standard cost reporting format and a cost prediction tool for conceptual and preliminary designers. This paper reviews the findings of the workshop representatives with a plan for implementation of their recommendations. The recommendations of the cost tracking and reporting committee will be implemented by reinstituting the collection of composite part fabrication data in a format similar to the DoD/NASA Structural Composites Fabrication Guide. The process of data collection will be automated by taking advantage of current technology with user friendly computer interfaces and electronic data transmission. Development of a conceptual and preliminary designers' cost prediction model will be initiated. The model will provide a technically sound method for evaluating the relative cost of different composite structural designs, fabrication processes, and assembly methods that can be compared to equivalent metallic parts or assemblies. The feasibility of developing cost prediction software in a modular form for interfacing with state of the art preliminary design tools and computer aided design (CAD) programs is assessed.
Freeman, W. Tom↗
Designer's unified cost model
A conceptual and preliminary designers' cost prediction model has been initiated. The model will provide a technically sound method for evaluating the relative cost of different composite structural designs, fabrication processes, and assembly methods that can be compared to equivalent metallic parts or assemblies. The feasibility of developing cost prediction software in a modular form for interfacing with state of the art preliminary design tools and computer aided design programs is being evaluated. The goal of this task is to establish theoretical cost functions that relate geometric design features to summed material cost and labor content in terms of process mechanics and physics. The output of the designers' present analytical tools will be input for the designers' cost prediction model to provide the designer with a data base and deterministic cost methodology that allows one to trade and synthesize designs with both cost and weight as objective functions for optimization. The approach, goals, plans, and progress is presented for development of COSTADE (Cost Optimization Software for Transport Aircraft Design Evaluation).
Freeman, William T.↗
Consistent approach to describing aircraft HIRF protection
The high intensity radiated fields (HIRF) certification process as currently implemented is comprised of an inconsistent combination of factors that tend to emphasize worst case scenarios in assessing commercial airplane certification requirements. By examining these factors which include the process definition, the external HIRF environment, the aircraft coupling and corresponding internal fields, and methods of measuring equipment susceptibilities, activities leading to an approach to appraising airplane vulnerability to HIRF are proposed. This approach utilizes technically based criteria to evaluate the nature of the threat, including the probability of encountering the external HIRF environment. No single test or analytic method comprehensively addresses the full HIRF threat frequency spectrum. Additional tools such as statistical methods must be adopted to arrive at more realistic requirements to reflect commercial aircraft vulnerability to the HIRF threat. Test and analytic data are provided to support the conclusions of this report. This work was performed under NASA contract NAS1-19360, Task 52.
Rimbey, P. R.↗
Designers' unified cost model
The Structures Technology Program Office (STPO) at NASA LaRC has initiated development of a conceptual and preliminary designers' cost prediction model. The model will provide a technically sound method for evaluating the relative cost of different composite structural designs, fabrication processes, and assembly methods that can be compared to equivalent metallic parts or assemblies. The feasibility of developing cost prediction software in a modular form for interfacing with state-of-the-art preliminary design tools and computer aided design programs is being evaluated. The goal of this task is to establish theoretical cost functions that relate geometric design features to summed material cost and labor content in terms of process mechanics and physics. The output of the designers' present analytical tools will be input for the designers' cost prediction model to provide the designer with a database and deterministic cost methodology that allows one to trade and synthesize designs with both cost and weight as objective functions for optimization. This paper presents the team members, approach, goals, plans, and progress to date for development of COSTADE (Cost Optimization Software for Transport Aircraft Design Evaluation).
Freeman, W.↗
Review of Gravity Probe B
In response to a request by the NASA Administrator, the National Research Council (NRC) has conducted an accelerated scientific review of NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission. The review was carried out by the Task Group on Gravity Probe B, under the auspices of the NRC's Space Studies Board and Board on Physics and Astronomy. The specific charge to the task group was to review the GP-B mission with respect to the following terms of reference: (1) scientific importance - including a current assessment of the value of the project in the context of recent progress in gravitational physics and relevant technology; (2) technical feasibility - the technical approach will be evaluated for likelihood of success, both in terms of achievement of flight mission objectives but also in terms of scientific conclusiveness of the various possible outcomes for the measurements to be made; and (3) competitive value - if possible, GP-B science will be assessed qualitatively against the objectives and accomplishments of one or more fundamental physics projects of similar cost (e.g., the Cosmic Background Explorer, COBE).
Source record↗
Assessment of the NASA Space Shuttle Program's Problem Reporting and Corrective Action System
This paper documents the general findings and recommendations of the Design for Safety Programs Study of the Space Shuttle Programs (SSP) Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA) System. The goals of this Study were: to evaluate and quantify the technical aspects of the SSP's PRACA systems, and to recommend enhancements addressing specific deficiencies in preparation for future system upgrades. The Study determined that the extant SSP PRACA systems accomplished a project level support capability through the use of a large pool of domain experts and a variety of distributed formal and informal database systems. This operational model is vulnerable to staff turnover and loss of the vast corporate knowledge that is not currently being captured by the PRACA system. A need for a Program-level PRACA system providing improved insight, unification, knowledge capture, and collaborative tools was defined in this study.
Korsmeryer, D. J.↗
Vibration Testing of Stirling Power Convertors
The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are currently developing a high efficient, long life, free piston Stirling convertor for use as an advanced spacecraft power system for future NASA missions. As part of this development, a Stirling Technology Demonstrator Convertor (TDC), developed by Stirling Technology Company (STC) for DOE, was vibration tested at GRC s Structural Dynamics Laboratory (SDU7735) in November- December 1999. This testing demonstrated that the Stirling TDC is able to withstand the harsh random vibration (20 to 2000 Hertz) seen during a typical spacecraft launch and survive with no structural damage or functional power performance degradation, thereby enabling its usage in future spacecraft power systems. The Stirling Vibration Test Team at NASA GRC and STC personnel conducted tests on a single 55 electric watt TDC. The purpose was to characterize the TDC s structural response to vibration and determine if the TDC could survive the vibration criteria established by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for launch environments. The TDC was operated at full-stroke and full power conditions during the vibration testing. The TDC was tested in two orientations, with the direction of vibration parallel and perpendicular to the TDC s moving components (displacer and piston). The TDC successfully passed a series of sine and random vibration tests. The most severe test was a 12.3 Grms random vibration test (peak vibration level of 0.2 g2/Hz from 50 to 250 Hertz) with test durations of 3 minutes per axis. The random vibration test levels were chosen to simulate, with margin, the maximum anticipated launch vibration conditions. As a result of this very successful vibration testing and successful evaluations in other key technical readiness areas, the Stirling power system is now considered a viable technology for future application for NASA spacecraft missions. Possible usage of the Stirling power system would be to supply on- board electric spacecraft power for future NASA Deep-Space Missions, performing as an attractive alternative to Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG). Usage of the Stirling technology is also being considered as the electric power source for future Mars rovers, whose mission profiles may exclude the use of photovoltaic power systems (such as exploring at high Martian latitudes or for missions of lengthy durations). GRC s Thermo-Mechanical Systems Branch (5490) provides Stirling technology expertise under a Space Act Agreement with the DOE. Additional vibration testing, by GRC s Structural Systems Dynamics Branch (7733, is planned to continue to demonstrate the Stirling power system s vibration capability as its technology and flight system designs progress.
Hughes, Bill↗
Space Shuttle Main Engine Implications for the Abort-to-Orbit Off-the-Pad Study
In 2001, the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) project office was contacted by the Space Shuttle Ascent Guidance, Navigation, and Control group to provide the engine perspective for an Abort-to-Orbit (ATO) study. The purpose of the AT0 Off-the-Pad study was to determine the feasibility of eliminating the Return to Launch Site and Transatlantic abort modes by using a five-segment solid rocket booster and throttling the remaining SSMEs to a higher power level. This would enable all abort modes to be Abort-to-Orbit. The SSME project office at Marshall Space Flight Center collaborated with MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate and Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power to provide the AT0 Off-the-Pad study with the analysis required. Power levels at 109%, 1 11% and 1 13% of rated power level were studied as well as mixture ratio decreases down to 5.85. SSME was to evaluate and define the technical and programmatic impacts to certify the SSME to these abort power levels. The SSME systems analysis group performed a steady state analysis using the SSME power balance model to determine if there were any technical issues associated with higher power level, low mixture ratio operation. Based on each power level/mixture ratio combination, an engine certification plan was created and a preliminary probabilistic risk assessment was performed. The results showed favorable results for higher power 1evel/lower mixture ratio SSME operation. In nearly all performance and redline parameters, the traded engine operation was encompassed by nominal engine performance of a prior engine configuration.
Schoffstoll, Dayna L.↗
Human Spaceflight Safety for the Next Generation on Orbital Space Systems
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Commercial Crew Program (CCP) has been chartered to facilitate the development of a United States (U.S.) commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable, and cost effective access to and from low Earth orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as possible. Once the capability is matured and is available to the Government and other customers, NASA expects to purchase commercial services to meet its ISS crew rotation and emergency return objectives. The primary role of the CCP is to enable and ensure safe human spaceflight and processes for the next generation of earth orbital space systems. The architecture of the Program delineates the process for investment performance in safe orbital systems, Crew Transportation System (CTS) certification, and CTS Flight Readiness. A series of six technical documents build up the architecture to address the top-level CTS requirements and standards. They include Design Reference Missions, with the near term focus on ISS crew services, Certification and Service Requirements, Technical Management Processes, and Technical and Operations Standards Evaluation Processes.
Mango, Edward J.↗
NASA Glenn Research Center Support of the ASRG Project
A high efficiency radioisotope power system is being developed for long-duration NASA space science missions. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) managed a flight contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) to build Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generators (ASRGs), with support from NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Sunpower Inc. held two parallel contracts to produce Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs), one with DOELockheed Martin to produce ASC-F flight units, and one with GRC for the production of ASC-E3 engineering unit pathfinders that are built to the flight design. In support of those contracts, GRC provided testing, materials expertise, government furnished equipment, inspections, and related data products to DOELockheed Martin and Sunpower. The technical support includes material evaluations, component tests, convertor characterization, and technology transfer. Material evaluations and component tests have been performed on various ASC components in order to assess potential life-limiting mechanisms and provide data for reliability models. Convertor level tests have been used to characterize performance under operating conditions that are representative of various mission conditions. Technology transfers enhanced contractor capabilities for specialized production processes and tests. Despite termination of flight ASRG contract, NASA continues to develop the high efficiency ASC conversion technology under the ASC-E3 contract. This paper describes key government furnished services performed for ASRG and future tests used to provide data for ongoing reliability assessments.
Technology Transfer↗