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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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

A scheme for theoretical and experimental evaluation of multivariable system stability robustness

A scheme for theoretical and experimental evaluation of multivariable system stability robustness measures is described. The experimental scheme is based on the estimation of frequency responses from power-spectra analyses of a set of time responses due to sine-sweep excitation at each input and then computation of the appropriate singular values. The procedure can also be used on an open-loop stable system to predict the closed-loop stability before closing the loop. Classical Nyquist diagrams can also be constructed to determine one-loop-at-a-time gain or phase margins. The scheme has been implemented in a wind tunnel test for singular-value evaluation of digital flutter suppression control laws and compared with theory. The singular values at the plant input and output of the actual system and the theoretical model are qualitatively similar but have some discrepancies.

Mukhopadhyay, Vivek↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rotated-Droop Control for Enhanced Stability and Power Decoupling in Microgrids With Complex Line Impedances

Classical droop control in microgrids predominantly assumes inductive line impedance, which simplifies implementation but causes power coupling and steady-state errors in systems with resistive and inductive lines. This paper proposes a rotated-droop control strategy for grid-forming inverters that reformulates the power equations by incorporating the magnitude and angle of the line impedance within a rotated reference frame. This method enhances the decoupling of active and reactive power dynamics without increasing complexity or requiring communication links. A small-signal state-space model was created to capture the dynamic behavior of the system under varying impedance parameters, preserving the original droop gains by rotating the power control structure. This allows eigenvalue-based stability analysis and enhances damping and transient performance. Simulation and experimental results validated the improved power-sharing performance, faster response, and robustness of the proposed method under different impedance conditions. This approach maintains the decentralized structure of the conventional droop control while enabling greater adaptability and scalability, making it suitable for modern inverter-based microgrids with dynamic topologies.

Campo-Ossa, Daniel Dario [Univ. of Puerto Rico, Ag↗
NASA NTRS1979

Submicrosecond comparison of intercontinental clock synchronization by VLBI and the NTS satellite

The intercontinental clock synchronization capabilities of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and the Navigation Technology Satellite (NTS) were compared in May 1978 by using both methods to synchronize the cesium clocks at the NASA Deep Space Net complexes at Madrid, Spain, and Goldstone, California. The VLBI experiments used the Wideband VLBI Data Acquisition System. The Navigation Technology Satellites were used with NTS Timing Receivers developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center. The two methods agreed at about the one-half microsecond level. The VLBI system also obtained long-term stability information on the HP5061A004 cesium standards by measuring delta T/T over four 3- to 4-day intervals, obtaining stability estimates of (1 + or - 1)x10 to the -13th power for the combined timing systems.

Hurd, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated Reliability and Economic Modeling for Transmission Across Large Regions: A Space Odyssey

Power flow modeling and stability analysis are needed to more-comprehensively assess system reliability but the development of the system portfolios and conditions require use of economic models (e.g., production cost). What are the state of art methods for efficiently linking economic and reliability models to enable examination of multiple snapshots and perform detailed nodal analyses?

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Nonstoichiometric Salt Intercalation as a Means to Stabilize Alkali Doping of 2D Materials

Although doping with alkali atoms is a powerful technique for introducing charge carriers into physical systems, the resulting charge-transfer systems are generally not air stable. Here, in this paper, we describe computationally a strategy towards increasing the stability of alkali-doped materials that employs stoichiometrically unbalanced salt crystals with excess cations (which could be deposited during, e.g., in situ gating) to achieve doping levels similar to those attained by pure alkali metal doping. The crystalline interior of the salt crystal acts as a template to stabilize the excess dopant atoms against oxidation and deintercalation, which otherwise would be highly favorable. We characterize this doping method for graphene, NbSe 2 , and Bi 2 Se 3 and its effect on direct-to-indirect band gap transitions, 2D superconductivity, and thermoelectric performance. Salt intercalation should be generally applicable to systems which can accommodate this “ionic crystal” doping (and particularly favorable when geometrical packing constraints favor nonstoichiometry).

2-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Operational Resilience Metric for Modern Power Distribution Systems

The electrical power system is the backbone of our nations critical infrastructure. It has been designed to withstand single component failures based on a set of reliability metrics which have proven acceptable during normal operating conditions. However, in recent years there has been an increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Many have resulted in widespread long-term power outages, proving reliability metrics alone do not provide adequate energy security. As a result, researchers have focused their efforts on a new set of metrics based on the concept of resilience to ensure efficient operation of power systems during extreme events. A resilient system has the ability to resist, adapt, and recover from disruptions. Therefore, resilience has demonstrated itself as a promising concept for currently faced challenges in power distribution systems. In this work, we propose a real-time resilience metric for modern power distribution systems. The metric is an aggregation of the controllable assets adaptive capacity, or their temporal flexibility in real and reactive power. This metric gives information to the magnitude and duration of a disturbance which the system can respond to without having to drop loads or have stability issues in voltage or frequency. We demonstrate the impact to resilience in a case study under normal operation and during a power contingency on a microgrid. In the future, this information can be used by operators to make more informed decisions based on system resilience in an effort to prevent power outages.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1995

Advanced controls for stability assessment of solar dynamics space power generation

In support of the power requirements for the Space Station Alpha (SSA), a joint program by the U.S. and Russia for a permanently manned space station to be launched into orbit by 1998, a robust control scheme is needed to assure the stability of the rotating machines that will be integrated into the power subsystem. A framework design and systems studies for modeling and analysis is presented. It employs classical d-q axes machine model with voltage/frequency dependent loads. To guarantee that design requirements and necessary trade studies are done, a functional analysis tool CORE is used for the study. This provides us with different control options for stability assessment. Initial studies and recommendations using advanced simulation tools are also presented. The benefits of the stability/control scheme for evaluating future designs and power management are discussed.

Momoh, James A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Impact of Open Communication Networks on Load Frequency Control with Plug-In Electric Vehicles by Cyber-Physical Dynamic Co-Simulation

With the increasing electrification of the transportation sector to achieve the carbon neutrality objective, despite the challenges of charging electric vehicles (EV), there are also opportunities through smart charging EVs to improve system frequency stability; however, EV control technologies might require nontraditional communication support. This paper investigates the impacts of communication variations of EV on power system load frequency control through a cyber-physical dynamic system (CPDS) co-simulation. Here, the CPDS is built upon our previously developed transmission-and-distribution dynamic co-simulation model with the added communication variation functions (i.e., delay and packet loss). The case studies consider multiple communication variation scenarios when the system experiences an N-1 generation trip contingency. The scenarios include communication delays and packet loss using both homogeneous and heterogeneous assumptions. The outcomes of this work can help improve EV frequency regulation services and provide robust and effective tests for different load frequency control algorithms of the future power systems.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid geothermal-wind integration in the US energy grid

Here, we combine US wind generation—a cheap yet intermittent source of electricity—with the latest geothermal resource estimates to understand the technoeconomic possibilities of pairing enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) with existing wind farms to develop a hybrid energy system. Using observed generation data from 583 wind farms, generation gaps are quantified and geographically paired with the latest EGS estimates. Results demonstrate that EGS potential within a 1 km 2 footprint can supplement wind generation at 56% of onshore wind farms. Each wind farm can be supplemented by EGSs when 10% of its surface-occupying footprint is available. The cost of EGSs at wind farms is lowest in the western US and southern Texas border and highest in the central US. While further experiments are warranted, a wind + EGS hybrid system offers an opportunity to increase power output from the same land footprint while maximizing the use of existing electrical infrastructure.

EGS↗
NASA NTRS1993

Computer simulation of a 20-kHz power system for advanced launch systems

The performance of two 20-kHz actuator power systems being built for an advanced launch system are evaluated for typical launch senario using an end-to-end system simulation. Aspects of system performance ranging from the switching of the power electronic devices to the vehicle aerodynamics are represented in the simulation. It is shown that both systems adequately stabilize the vehicle against a wind gust during launch. However, it is also shown that in both cases there are bus voltage and current fluctuations which make system power quality a concern.

Sudhoff, S. D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Examination of Semi-Analytical Solution Methods in the Coarse Operator of Parareal Algorithm for Power System Simulation

With continuing advances in high-performance parallel computing platforms, parallel algorithms have become powerful tools for development of faster than real-time power system dynamic simulations. In particular, it has been demonstrated in recent years that parallel-in-time (Parareal) algorithms have the potential to achieve such an ambitious goal. Here, the selection of a fast and reasonably accurate coarse operator of the Parareal algorithm is crucial for its effective utilization and performance. This paper examines semi-analytical solution (SAS) methods as the coarse operators of the Parareal algorithm and explores performance of the SAS methods to the standard numerical time integration methods. Two promising time-power series-based SAS methods were considered; Adomian decomposition method and Homotopy analysis method with a windowing approach for improving the convergence. Numerical performance case studies on 10-generator 39-bus system and 327-generator 2383-bus system were performed for these coarse operators over different disturbances, evaluating the number of Parareal iterations, computational time, and stability of convergence. All the coarse operators tested with different scenarios have converged to the same corresponding true solution (if they are convergent) and the SAS methods provide comparable computational speed, while having more stable convergence to the true solution in many cases.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of Kill Switch Toxins in Plant-Beneficial Pseudomonas fluorescens Reveals Drivers of Lethality, Stability, and Escape

Kill switches provide a biocontainment strategy in which unwanted growth of an engineered microorganism is prevented by expression of a toxin gene. A major challenge in kill switch engineering is balancing evolutionary stability with robust cell killing activity in application relevant host strains. Understanding host-specific containment dynamics and modes of failure helps to develop potent yet stable kill switches. To guide the design of robust kill switches in the agriculturally relevant strain Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, we present a comparison of lethality, stability, and genetic escape of eight different toxic effectors in the presence of their cognate inactivators (i.e., toxin–antitoxin modules, polymorphic exotoxin–immunity systems, restriction endonuclease–methyltransferase pair). We find that cell killing capacity and evolutionary stability are inversely correlated and dependent on the level of protection provided by the inactivator gene. Decreasing the proteolytic stability of the inactivator protein can increase cell killing capacity, but at the cost of long-term circuit stability. By comparing toxins within the same genetic context, we determine that modes of genetic escape increase with circuit complexity and are driven by toxin activity, the protective capacity of the inactivator, and the presence of mutation-prone sequences within the circuit. Here, the results of our study reveal that circuit complexity, toxin choice, inactivator stability, and DNA sequence design are powerful drivers of kill switch stability and valuable targets for optimization of biocontainment systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1980

Dynamic response of a Mach 2.5 axisymmetric inlet and turbojet engine with a poppet-value controlled inlet stability bypass system when subjected to internal and external airflow transients

The throat of a Mach 2.5 inlet that was attached to a turbojet engine was fitted with a poppet-valve-controlled stability bypass system that was designed to provide a large, stable airflow range. Propulsion system response and stability bypass performance were determined for several transient airflow disturbances, both internal and external. Internal airflow disturbances included reductions in overboard bypass airflow, power lever angle, and primary-nozzle area as well as compressor stall. For reference, data are also included for a conventional, fixed-exit bleed system. The poppet valves greatly increased inlet stability and had no adverse effects on propulsion system performance. Limited unstarted-inlet bleed performance data are presented.

Sanders, B. W.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Feasibility Study for Implementing Magnetic Suspension in the Glenn Research Center 225 cm2 Supersonic Wind Tunnel for Testing the Dynamic Stability of Blunt Bodies

The implementation of a magnetic suspension system in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) 225 cm2 Supersonic Wind Tunnel would be a powerful test technique that could accurately determine the dynamic stability of blunt body entry vehicles with no sting interference. This paper explores initial design challenges to be evaluated before implementation, including defining the lowest possible operating dynamic pressure and corresponding model size, developing a compatible video analysis technique, and incorporating a retractable initial support sting.

dynamic stability↗
DOE OSTI2021

Oscillatory Spreading and Inertia in Power Grids

The increase in variable renewable generators (VRGs) in power systems has altered the dynamics from a historical experience. VRGs introduce new sources of power oscillations, and the stabilizing response provided by synchronous generators (SGs, e.g., natural gas, coal, etc.), which help avoid some power fluctuations, will lessen as VRGs replace SGs. These changes have led to the need for new methods and metrics to quickly assess the likely oscillatory behavior for a particular network without performing computationally expensive simulations. This work studies the impact of a critical dynamical parameter - the inertia value - on the rest of a power system's oscillatory response to representative VRG perturbations. We use a known localization metric in a novel way to quantify the number of nodes responding to a perturbation and the magnitude of those responses. This metric allows us to relate the spread and severity of a system's power oscillations with inertia. We find that as inertia increases, the system response to node perturbations transitions from localized (only a few close nodes respond) to delocalized (many nodes across the network respond). We introduce a heuristic computed from the network Laplacian to relate this oscillatory transition to the network structure. We show that our heuristic accurately describes the spread of oscillations for a realistic power-system test case. Using a heuristic to determine the likely oscillatory behavior of a system given a set of parameters has wide applicability in power systems, and it could decrease the computational workload of planning and operation.

dynamical systems↗
DOE OSTI2021

Phenomenon Identification and Ranking Table Analysis for Thermal Energy Storage Technologies Integration with Advanced Nuclear Reactors

This report provides an overview of the Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) analysis of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for possible integration with various types of advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs). Advanced NPPs will potentially need to operate in environments where power generation flexibility is more highly valued than the stability or baseload generation capability for conventional demand curves. TES systems would enable NPPs to respond nimbly to market variability and could also position advanced NPPs to participate differently in restructured markets, thus further enhancing their economic competitiveness. TES systems could also benefit the electric grid by eliminating the need for peaking plants, as well as by improving the economic performance of baseload NPPs. While TES technologies afford a unique opportunity to address many of these challenges, the applicability of these systems is also complicated by the fact that various advanced NPPs are designed differently, each with its own temperature range, size, operating fluids, and operating conditions. Hence, TES systems face significant barriers to investment, as more information on their compatibility and performance metrics is needed to quantify the advantages provided by each, as well as the challenges these technologies might face if coupled with a particular type of advanced NPP. This report explores the possibility of integrating a wide variety of TES technologies with various categories of advanced NPPs, based on their operating characteristics. To help users and developers decide which TES technology is best suited to a particular category of advanced NPPs, this research developed a PIRT of 10 TES systems that could potentially be coupled with advanced NPPs, which themselves are divided into nine categories based on their operating conditions. Each advanced NPP category is evaluated for compatibility with the 10 TES systems by assembling and discussing a database of information concerning 10 engineering questions (defined herein in as figures of merit [FOMs]), such as: technology readiness level (TRL), temperature compatibility, energy density, size, cycle frequency, ramp time, realignment frequency, geographic needs, environmental impact, and interventions. By assembling a database of information concerning the TES technologies’ compatibility with various advanced NPP systems, this study can help developers acquaint themselves with a particular TES technology before choosing to build a new integrated installation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space shuttle rudder/speedbrake actuation subsystem

The Rudder/Speedbrake (R/SB) Actuation Subsystem for use on the NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter is an electro-hydro-mechanical system which provides the control and positionary capability of the orbiter aero-dynamic primary flight control surface. The system is located in the vehicle's vertical stabilizer. The geared rotary actuators provide a power hinge feature of the split panel rudder. Actuation of both panels in the same direction provides conventional rudder control; actuating the panels differentially provides a speedbrake function intended to control both speed and pitch. The commands may be superimposed on one another. The system consists of one power drive unit which responds to quadredundant avionic signals to generate a rotary output, four geared rotary actuators, which develop rotary position and torque as outputs, and ten torque transmitting drive-shifts.

Naber, R. A.↗