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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Automated installation of large platform utilities

The capabilities of the assembler in installing nonstructural platform systems were assessed. These systems include electrical power distribution, heat transport, command and data signal transmission, and payload data transmission. The effects of including installation of utilities on the assembly process and on the design, operation, and performance of the assembler were evaluated. In addition, any special requirements on the assembler and/or the platform due to the installation of utilities were identified. The procedure followed was to define a set of candidate utility characteristics and installation requirements, define and design installation concepts, and perform an assessment of impacts on the assembler and its operation.

Vernon, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

An experimental investigation of an advanced turboprop installation on a swept wing at subsonic and transonic speeds

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the effects of a turboprop-nacelle installation on the pressure distributions over a swept, supercritical wing. The tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.20 to 0.80, at angles of attack from 0 to 5 degrees, nacelle nozzle pressure ratios from 1.0 to 1.6, and at propeller tip speeds from 700 to 800 ft/sec. The results of this study indicate that the turboprop nacelle interference, with and without power, on a swept wing is greater on the inboard wing panel than on the outboard wing panel. The over-the-wing nacelle installation with the propeller upwash on the inboard panel had flow separation problems at a Mach number of 0.80. No severe flow separation problems appear to exist for either propeller rotation direction for the under-the-wing nacelle installation. The local flow disturbances caused by the under-the-wing nacelle installation were in general less severe than for the over-the-wing nacelle installation.

Carlson, John R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Vortex generator installation studies on steady state and dynamic inlet distortion

The theoretical and experimental work carried out under the NASA/MOD Joint Aeronautical Program has shown that CFD vortex generator installations designs successfully managed inlet duct flow distortion and that significant benefits in flow unsteadiness at the engine face were also present. The main conclusions to date from the collaborative effort between NASA/Lewis and DRA/Bedford are as follows: (1) vortex generator installations can be designed to be effective over a wide range of inlet operating conditions using Computational Fluid Dynamics and formal optimization procedures, (2) reductions in steady state engine face distortion of up to 80% have been measured in the M2129 inlet S-duct using CFD designed vortex generator installations, (3) reductions in flow unsteadiness of up to 80% have been measured in the W129 inlet S-duct using CFD designed vortex generator installations, and (4) the Reduced Navier-Stokes code RNS3D is a useful tool to design vortex generator installations to manage engine face distortions over a wide range of inlet operating conditions.

Anderson, Bernhard H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Purchase and Installation of NanoSIMS 50

Although this is a final report on NASA grant number NAG5-8729 we wish to state at the outset that it was mistakenly written as a two-year grant instead of a three-year grant as should have been done. The grant was made for the purpose of purchasing and installing a novel ion microprobe initially called the NanoSIMS 50 and now called the NanoSIMS. The total cost to NASA for purchasing the instrument and refurbishing a laboratory to house it was $1.1 M, split into three installments of $400 (FY 1999), $350K (FY2000), and $350K (FY-2001). We received the first installment in full and $335K in FY2000 for the second installment. The final $350K necessary to complete the purchase and installation was expected by us in the spring of 2001. However, we were recently informed that no more money can be transferred on this grant since it was originally written as a two-year grant. Therefore, we are closing out the current grant and simultaneously writing a new proposal to obtain the final $350K needed to complete the purchase.

Walker, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS1949

Spin Investigation of a 1/29-Scale Model of the Republic XF-91 Airplane with a Conventional Tail Installed

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel of a 1/29-scale model of the Republic XF-91 airplane with a.conventional-tail arrangement installed. Previously, tests were made on the model with a vee tail installed. The erect spin and recovery characteristics of the model were determined for the normal loading with the wing installed at various amounts of incidence. The spin investigation also included inverted-spin tests, spin-recovery-parachute tests, tests with the center of gravity moved rearward, and tests with external fuel tanks added to the model. In addition, several tail.modifications were tested,on the model in an attempt, to improve the model's spin-recovery characteristics. The results indicate that any fully developed spin obtained on the airplane with the conventional tail installed will be satisfactorily terminated if rudder reversal is accompanied by moving the ailerons with the spin (stick right in a right spin).Decreasing the wing incidence from 6deg to -2deg should have a beneficial effect on the recovery characteristics of the airplane. Recovery characteristics by normal use of controls (full rudder reversal followed by moving the elevators down) will be satisfactory if the wing incidence,of the airplane is -2deg. Installation of external fuel tanks (with or without fuel) will have a somewhat adverse effect on the recovery characteristics of the airplane, but if the recovery technique includes movement of the ailerons to full with the spin, the spin rotation will be terminated rapidly. Varying the position of the center of gravity within the limits indicated to be possible on the airplane should not affect the recovery characteristics.

Klinar, Walter J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

CFD-CAA Coupled Calculations of a Tandem Cylinder Configuration to Assess Facility Installation Effects

This paper presents a numerical assessment of acoustic installation effects in the tandem cylinder (TC) experiments conducted in the NASA Langley Quiet Flow Facility (QFF), an open-jet, anechoic wind tunnel. Calculations that couple the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) of the TC configuration within the QFF are conducted using the CFD simulation results previously obtained at NASA LaRC. The coupled simulations enable the assessment of installation effects associated with several specific features in the QFF facility that may have impacted the measured acoustic signature during the experiment. The CFD-CAA coupling is based on CFD data along a suitably chosen surface, and employs a technique that was recently improved to account for installed configurations involving acoustic backscatter into the CFD domain. First, a CFD-CAA calculation is conducted for an isolated TC configuration to assess the coupling approach, as well as to generate a reference solution for subsequent assessments of QFF installation effects. Direct comparisons between the CFD-CAA calculations associated with the various installed configurations allow the assessment of the effects of each component (nozzle, collector, etc.) or feature (confined vs. free jet flow, etc.) characterizing the NASA LaRC QFF facility.

Redonnet, Stephane↗
DOE OSTI2023

Vehicle for installing anchors in an underwater substrate

A method of installing one or more anchors in an underwater substrate in a body of water including installing an anchor into the underwater substrate by rotating an anchor installation vehicle about a central axis Y to drive the anchor coupled to the anchor installation vehicle into the underwater substrate. The anchor installation vehicle includes a vehicle frame having a top end and bottom end, a plurality of arms extending outward from the vehicle frame, one or more rotational thrusters disposed at distal ends of the respective arms, and an anchor system that holds the anchor extending from the bottom end of the vehicle frame with the anchor aligned with a central axis Y.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Installer Badges Toolkit and Visualization Resources

NREL staff (Jal Desai and Cory Chovanec) will introduce the U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE WAP) Installer Badges Toolkit. The presentation will cover topics such as how this toolkit can be customized and implemented in a program, the potential benefits of using the Badges, and lessons learned from other implementers. This session will also engage participants to share their experiences regarding their existing training and how they are bringing their workforce up to speed in their building envelope-related programs. The Installer Badges Toolkit consists of 25 Badges, each representing different energy efficiency tasks that an installer could perform on a home. Each Badge defines the desired outcome, criteria to verify the work, applicable material requirements, and references to DOE's Standard Work Specifications (SWS) or other relevant standards. Workers earn Badges by completing each task and receiving approval from a qualified supervisor. The Badges provide a consistent approach to training by ensuring that installers are learning the same skills nationwide. Organizations can also customize the Toolkit by choosing only those Badges that are relevant to their program. NREL staff will also showcase new visualization resources like the Single-family and manufactured home job aids and the Single-family 3D house tool.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Monitoring installation of partially occluded subassemblies in modular construction factories using BIM, ray tracing, and computer vision

Modular and offsite construction methods are being increasingly adopted due to the advantages they offer in terms of project completion time, quality, and energy-efficiency. Despite these advantages, the current state of monitoring systems in modular construction factories highly relies on labor-intensive, subjective, and error-prone observational methods. A large body of research has aimed to automate the monitoring process using an array of sensors, such as IMUs and RFIDs, during the past two decades. Recently, computer vision-based methods have gained increasing interest as a non-intrusive technology to monitor the process inside modular construction factories. However, partial occlusion challenges have impeded their practical application on a large scale. This challenge is specifically important for monitoring the installation of subassemblies since they can obstruct the view of the monitoring camera, especially those that enable long-term monitoring like closed-circuit television (CCTV) fixed-view surveillance cameras. Here, this paper aims to address this challenge by proposing a novel computer vision-based method to monitor the installation of new subassemblies inside modular factories in highly occluded scenes. The proposed methodology identifies the subassemblies in the CCTV video footage using computer vision, analyzes the occlusions using BIM and ray casting techniques, and estimates the progress of assembly by comparing the BIM model with the detected subassemblies in the video. The proposed methodology was successfully validated on surveillance videos captured from a volumetric modular construction factory in the U.S., achieving 93% accuracy in identifying the installation of subassemblies. The results from this research show that the integration of BIM and computer vision is a promising method for monitoring the installation processes inside modular factories under severe occlusion.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

The roles of learning mechanisms in services: Evidence from US residential solar installations

Non-hardware costs are majority of the cost of producing solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity. Here we use matched data on patents and over 125,000 residential PV installations to estimate the effects of three learning mechanisms in reducing PV costs: learning by doing, searching, and interacting. While previous work in this area has focused predominantly on learning by doing, we find that learning by searching and interacting are also significant mechanisms to facilitate non-hardware cost reductions. Including these two mechanisms reduces the effect of learning by doing in explaining non-hardware cost reductions by 43%. Our results suggest that prior work may overemphasize the role of learning by doing and the policies that help generate learning by doing. Analysis of the supplier-network between installers and their suppliers shows that concentrated supplier networks are associated with lower non-hardware costs, although there are key differences between installer-panel and installer-inverter manufacturer networks. An important implication is that policies for reducing non-hardware costs need to take a more complete view of how different learning mechanisms engender cost reductions. They should particularly consider the important role of learning in supplier networks in cost reductions—an effect that until now has largely been missing in analyses of solar non-hardware costs.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cryogenics and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector installation at Fermilab

This paper describes the cryogenic and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector in its present implementation at the Fermi National Laboratory, Illinois, U.S.A. The ICARUS T600 detector is made of four large Time Projection Chambers, installed in two separate containers of about 275 m 3 each. The detector uses liquid argon both as target and as active medium. For the correct operation of the detector, the liquid argon must be kept in very stable thermal conditions and the contamination of electronegative impurities must be consistently kept at the level of small fractions of parts per billion. The detector was previously operated in Italy, at the INFN Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), in a three-year run on the CERN to LNGS Long Baseline Neutrino Beam. For its operation on the Booster and NuMI neutrino beams at Fermilab, for the search of sterile neutrinos and measurements of neutrino-argon cross sections, the detector was moved from Gran Sasso to CERN for the upgrades required for operation at shallow depth with high intensity neutrino beams. The liquid argon containers, the thermal insulation and all the cryogenic equipment have been completely re-designed and rebuilt, following the schemes of the previous installation in Gran Sasso. The detector and all the equipment have been transported to Fermilab, where they have been installed, tested and recently put into operation. The work described in this paper has been conducted as a joint responsibility of CERN and Fermilab with the supervision provided by the ICARUS Collaboration. Design, installation, testing, commissioning and operation are the result of a common effort of CERN, Fermilab and INFN groups.

Cryogenic detectors↗
DOE OSTI2022

Full Scale 3D Computational Model of the Industrial -Scale Coal Fired Boiler Performance for Temperature Sensor Installation Guidance

Abstract Nearly 30% of the electricity is generated by using coal as the primary fuel in the US. One of the major concerns in coal-fired power plants is the failure of boiler tubes that leads to unscheduled maintenance and has a huge economical and societal impact. High temperature flue gas along with ash pass over the boiler tubes, which over time leads to tube failure. Therefore, developing temperature sensors for harsh environments and install them for temperature sensing and boiler tube lifetime prediction is an urgent need. On the side of sensor development, the location of the sensor installation is important for stable sensing performance and easy calibration. In this study, computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer modeling are adopted to establish a full-scale 3-dimensional model of a coal-fired boiler to investigate the flue gas temperature distribution within the boiler and identify the proper locations for sensor installation. We proposed three criteria to select the temperature sensor installation location: (1) select the boiler tube panel away from the sidewalls, (2) select the boiler tube section closer to the top wall of the boiler; and (3) select the boiler tube on the back of the boiler panel (not directly facing the flue gas flow). In these regions, the flue gas temperature is stable, providing an ideal environment for stable temperature sensing and calibration.

Gupta, Tanuj↗
DOE OSTI2022

Installation and imaging of thousands of minirhizotrons to phenotype root systems of field-grown plants

Roots are vital to plant performance because they acquire resources from the soil and provide anchorage. However, it remains difficult to assess root system size and distribution because roots are inaccessible in the soil. Existing methods to phenotype entire root systems range from slow, often destructive, methods applied to relatively small numbers of plants in the field to rapid methods that can be applied to large numbers of plants in controlled environment conditions. Much has been learned recently by extensive sampling of the root crown portion of field-grown plants. But, information on large-scale genetic and environmental variation in the size and distribution of root systems in the field remains a key knowledge gap. Minirhizotrons are the only established, non-destructive technology that can address this need in a standard field trial. Prior experiments have used only modest numbers of minirhizotrons, which has limited testing to small numbers of genotypes or environmental conditions. This study addressed the need for methods to install and collect images from thousands of minirhizotrons and thereby help break the phenotyping bottleneck in the field. Over three growing seasons, methods were developed and refined to install and collect images from up to 3038 minirhizotrons per experiment. Modifications were made to four tractors and hydraulic soil corers mounted to them. High quality installation was achieved at an average rate of up to 84.4 minirhizotron tubes per tractor per day. A set of four commercially available minirhizotron camera systems were each transported by wheelbarrow to allow collection of images of mature maize root systems at an average rate of up to 65.3 tubes per day per camera. This resulted in over 300,000 images being collected in as little as 11 days for a single experiment. The scale of minirhizotron installation was increased by two orders of magnitude by simultaneously using four tractor-mounted, hydraulic soil corers with modifications to ensure high quality, rapid operation. Image collection can be achieved at the corresponding scale using commercially available minirhizotron camera systems. Along with recent advances in image analysis, these advances will allow use of minirhizotrons at unprecedented scale to address key knowledge gaps regarding genetic and environmental effects on root system size and distribution in the field.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimizing Residential HVAC Systems: Evaluating How the Usage of Smart Diagnostic Tools for Quality Installation and Commissioning Impacts System Performance and HVAC Contractor Businesses

The adoption of digital quality installation and fault detection tools has the potential to transform the $14 billon residential heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) service and installation industry. Increased market penetration can be accelerated by providing an increased understanding of the energy and economic value proposition of the usage of these tools. In tandem with energy and HVAC system performance impact research and analysis, the Southface Team investigated the economic business implications for HVAC service and installation contractors adopting the use of measureQuick (mQ), a smart diagnostic app that aids in quality installation and fault detection and works agnostically with Bluetooth-enabled HVAC technician tools.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of shading following installation of agrivoltaic systems on eco-physiological and biochemical attributes of “Howes” cranberry in Massachusetts

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems, which integrate solar energy generation with crop production on the same piece of land, offer a sustainable solution for optimizing land-use efficiency. However, the impact of shading induced by solar panels on crop growth, physiology, and metabolic activities of cranberry is not known. Understanding these interactions is essential for assessing the feasibility of AV systems in cranberry production. In this study we evaluated eco-physiological and biochemical crop responses on a commercial ‘Howes’ cranberry bog grown under an agrivoltaics system using different row spacings in the year immediately following installation. Following installation of fixed tilt solar panels at a height of 3.0 m above the plant canopy, four shading treatments were evaluated: an uncovered control area and row spacings of 9.0 m, 7.0 m, and 5.0 m, corresponding to 30%, 35%, and 37% shading respectively. The shading effect was also evaluated at three different fruit developmental stages (green, blush, and full-red stage). Using microclimate sensors installed in the treatment areas, key eco-physiological and biochemical parameters, including leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and antioxidant content, electrolyte leakage, proline and trehalose accumulation, were assessed. While moderate shading (30% and 35%) alleviated environmental stress, as reflected by improved leaf water status and reduced electrolyte leakage, these same treatments suppressed key physiological and metabolic functions, including photosynthetic activity, carbon reserve accumulation, and the biosynthesis of stress-related osmolytes and antioxidant compounds. Under higher shading (37%), these reductions were even more pronounced, indicating a potential threshold beyond which the benefits of shading are outweighed by declines in assimilate production and secondary metabolism. These findings highlight a trade-off between the stress-mitigating benefits of shading and the alterations in key physiological and metabolic processes under agrivoltaic systems. Minimizing these trade-offs by optimizing row spacing in agrivoltaics systems is critical to maintain cranberry physiological status. Since commercial cranberry is grown as a continuous plant canopy (no interrow spaces for equipment travel), damage caused by the installation process likely impacted crop response evaluated in the first year; multi-year studies are needed to fully understand the dynamics of a dual-use system. Notably, this work provides the first direct measurements of proline, trehalose content, and electrolyte leakage in cranberry grown under AV conditions, offering new insight into their physiological adjustments to shading.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effects of installation caused flow distortion on noise from a fan designed for turbofan engines

Far-field noise measurements were taken for three different installations of essentially the same fan. The installation with the most uniform inlet flow resulted in fan-blade-passage tone sound pressure levels more than 10 dB lower than the installation with more nonuniform inflow. Perceived noise levels were computed for the various installations and compared. Some measurements of inlet flow distortion were made and used in a blade-passage noise generation theory to predict the effects of distortion on noise. Good agreement was obtained between the prediction and the measured effect. Possible origins of the distortion were identified by observation of tuft action in the vicinity of the inlet.

Povinelli, F. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An experimental investigation of the aerodynamics and cooling of a horizontally-opposed air-cooled aircraft engine installation

A flight-test based research program was performed to investigate the aerodynamics and cooling of a horizontally-opposed engine installation. Specific areas investigated were the internal aerodynamics and cooling mechanics of the installation, inlet aerodynamics, and exit aerodynamics. The applicable theory and current state of the art are discussed for each area. Flight-test and ground-test techniques for the development of the cooling installation and the solution of cooling problems are presented. The results show that much of the internal aerodynamics and cooling technology developed for radial engines are applicable to horizontally opposed engines. Correlation is established between engine manufacturer's cooling design data and flight measurements of the particular installation. Also, a flight-test method for the development of cooling requirements in terms of easily measurable parameters is presented. The impact of inlet and exit design on cooling and cooling drag is shown to be of major significance.

Miley, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1944

Aerodynamic Tests of a Full-scale TBF-1 Aileron Installation in the Langley 16-foot High-Speed Tunnel

The failure of wing panels on a number of TBF-1 and TBM-1 airplanes in flight has prompted several investigations of the possible causes of failure. This report describes tests in the Langley 16-foot high-speed tunnel to determine whether these failures could be attributed to changes in the aerodynamic characteristics of the ailerons at high speeds. The tests were made of a 12-foot-span section including the tip and aileron of the right wing of a TBF-1 airplane. Hinge moments, control-link stresses due to aerodynamic buffeting, and fabric-deflection photographs were obtained at true airspeeds ranging from 110 to 365 miles per hour. The aileron hinge-moment coefficients were found to vary only slightly with airspeed in spite of the large fabric deflections that developed as the speed was increased. An analysis of these results indicated that the resultant hinge moment of the ailerons as installed in the airplane would tend to restore the ailerons to their neutral position for all the high-speed flight conditions covered in the tests. Serious aerodynamic buffeting occurred at up aileron angles of -10 degrees or greater because of stalling of the sharp projecting lip of the Frise aileron. The peak stresses set up in the aileron control linkages in the buffeting condition were as high as three times the mean stress. During the hinge-moment investigation, flutter of the test installation occurred at airspeeds of about 150 miles per hour. This flutter condition was investigated in some detail and slow-motion pictures were made of the motion of the wing tip and aileron. The flutter was found to involve simultaneous normal bending and chordwise oscillation of the wing and flapping of the aileron. The aileron motion appeared to be coupled with this flutter condition and was investigated in some detail and slow-motion pictures were made of the motion of the wing tip and aileron. The flutter was found to involve simultaneous normal bending and chordwise oscillation of the wing and flapping of the aileron. The aileron motion appeared to be coupled with the motion of the wing through the mass unbalance of the aileron in the normal-to-chord plane due to location of the hinge line 2.17 inches below the center of gravity of the aileron. Flutter did not occur when the installation was stiffened to prevent chordwise motion or when the bending frequency of the aileron system was appreciably higher than that of the wing as in the complete airplane installation.

Becker, John V↗