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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

On the selection of an optimum design point for phase-coherent receivers employing band-pass limiters.

Discussion of the optimum power allocation problem associated with the design of a phase-coherent receiver employing a bandpass limiter. A single channel system is treated in detail, and an optimization technique is proposed that makes use of up-to-date phase-locked loop and bandpass limiter theories recently contributed by Lindsey (1969) and Springett and Simon (1971). It is shown how this technique can be extended to a two-channel system.

Simon, M. K.↗

The effect of solar array degradation on electric propulsion spacecraft performance.

Current estimates of solar-electric-propulsion spacecraft performance are based upon a solar-array output power which is degraded by approximately 10-13% to account for possible losses caused by proton, electron and micrometeorite damage. Past studies have used a worst case analysis in which the maximum degradation was taken to occur at the beginning of the mission. This paper presents a comparison of mission studies using a hypothetical exponential decrease in power with time, with those using a sudden degradation of solar power. These comparisons indicate that the performance gain by using a time varying degradation during the mission is quite small for outbound missions in the solar system. In addition an indication of the power allocation strategy to be followed during a mission is presented.

Sauer, C. G., Jr.↗

VHF command system study

Solutions are provided to specific problems arising in the GSFC VHF-PSK and VHF-FSK Command Systems in support of establishment and maintenance of Data Systems Standards. Signal structures which incorporate transmission on the uplink of a clock along with the PSK or FSK data are considered. Strategies are developed for allocating power between the clock and data, and spectral analyses are performed. Bit error probability and other probabilities pertinent to correct transmission of command messages are calculated. Biphase PCM/PM and PCM/FM are considered as candidate modulation techniques on the telemetry downlink, with application to command verification. Comparative performance of PCM/PM and PSK systems is given special attention, including implementation considerations. Gain in bit error performance due to coding is also considered.

Gee, T. H.↗

Laser data links for communication satellites

Laser data relays potentially offer continuous 1 Gb/sec bandwidths, drastically increasing low-altitude satellite data collection capacity over present store-and-dump techniques. Availability of the laser link as a reliable alternative, operating within conventional low-altitude communication subsystem weight and power allocations, will create customer pressure for adoption. Major communication relay system impacts are discussed including reliability, mechanical design, attitude control, on-board data handling, contamination control, and traffic-net management. Interface parameters which drive the fundamental relay satellite design concepts are discussed, and conditions requiring early quantitative analysis are identified.

Ohern, W. L.↗

Study to investigate and evaluate means of optimizing the Ku-band combined radar/communication functions for the space shuttle

The Ku band radar system on the shuttle orbiter operates in both a search and a tracking mode, and its transmitter and antennas share time with the communication mode in the integrated system. The power allocation properties and the Costa subloop subcarrier tracking performance associated with the baseline digital phase shift implementation of the three channel orbiter Ku band modulator are discussed.

Weber, C. L.↗

Coherent detection of frequency-hopped quadrature modulations in the presence of jamming. I - QPSK and QASK modulations

This paper examines the performance of coherent QPSK and QASK systems combined with FH or FH/PN spread spectrum techniques in the presence of partial-band multitone or noise jamming. The worst-case jammer and worst-case performance are determined as functions of the signal-to-background noise ratio (SNR) and signal-to-jammer power ratio (SJR). Asymptotic results for high SNR are shown to have a linear dependence between the jammer's optimal power allocation and the system error probability performance.

Simon, M. K.↗

Automating the U.S. Space Station's electrical power system

NASA's Lewis Research Center is developing a highly automated system for the generation, storage and distribution of electrical power aboard the projected Space Station. This autonomous power system will employ conventional algorithms, enhanced by expert systems, to schedule power, allocate energy, diagnose causes of failure, propose goals, prepare plans for their implementation, evaluate their consequences, and select optimum plans for their execution. While crew-interactive expert systems will be ready for the initial Space Station, total system autonomy is expected to require additional development time.

Dolce, James L.↗

Space Station Freedom overview

The status of the Space Station Freedom project is briefly reviewed. The multilateral agreements achieved to this point are summarized, and the results of preliminary design reviews are discussed. Progress being made in implementing improvement recommendations and in meeting weight and power allocations is addressed.

Kohrs, Richard H.↗

Definition and preliminary design of the LAWS (Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder). Volume 1, phase 2: Executive summary

The objective of phase 1 of the LAWS study was to define and perform a preliminary design for the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) instrument. The definition phase consisted of identifying realistic concepts for LAWS and analyzing them in sufficient detail to be able to choose the most promising one for the LAWS application. System and subsystem configurations were then developed for the chosen concept. The concept and subsequent configurations were to be compatible with two prospective platforms--the Japanese Polar Orbiting Platform (JPOP) and as an attached payload on the Space Station Freedom. After a thorough and objective concept selection process, we chose a heterodyne detection Doppler lidar using a CO2 laser transmitter operating at 9.1 microns over a 2.1 micron solid state system. The choice of the CO2 approach over solid-state reflects the advanced state of development of CO2 lasers, its maturity in ground-based systems and the eased subsystem requirements associated with the longer wavelength. The CO2 lidar concept was then analyzed in detail to arrive at a configuration for the instrument and its major subsystems. Our approach throughout the configuration design was to take a systems perspective and trade requirements between subsystems, wherever possible, to arrive at configurations which made maximum use of existing, proven technology or relatively straightforward extensions to existing technology to reduce risk and cost. At the conclusion of Phase 1 we arrived at a configuration for LAWS which meets the performance requirements, yet which is less complex than previous designs of space-based wind sensors (e.g. Windsat), employs lightweight technologies to meet its weight goals (less than 800kg) and sufficiently flexible to offer various operational scenarios with power requirements from about 2 kW to 3 kW. The Phase 1 Final Report was released in March 1990. The 21-month Phase 2 began in October 1990. The requirement to accommodate LAWS as an attached payload on Space Station Freedom was deleted and the orbit altitude for the Japanese polar orbiting platform was changed from 824 km to 705 km. The power allocated to LAWS was reduced to 2.2 kW from 3 kW. Subsequently the availability of a Japanese Polar Orbiting Platform was called into question and LAWS accommodation studies were continued using a conceptual, ATLAS-launched platform supplied by MSFC. In March 1991 a modification to the original contracts was funded to provide a LAWS laser breadboard which could demonstrate all the performance requirements of the LAWS laser. Also funded as part of the same contract extension was a lifetest demonstration using an existing laser at STI. The breadboard extension was an eighteen month effort and the period of performance was therefore extended to September 30, 1992.

Source record↗

Microwave Power for Smart Membrane Actuators

The concept of microwave-driven smart membrane actuators is envisioned as the best option to alleviate the complexity associated with hard-wired control circuitry. A large, ultra-light space structure, such as solar sails and Gossamer spacecrafts, requires a distribution of power into individual membrane actuators to control them in an effective way. A patch rectenna array with a high voltage output was developed to drive smart membrane actuators. Networked patch rectenna array receives and converts microwave power into a DC power for an array of smart actuators. To use microwave power effectively, the concept of a power allocation and distribution (PAD) circuit is developed and tested for networking a rectenna/actuator patch array. For the future development, the PAD circuit could be imbedded into a single embodiment of rectenna and actuator array with the thin-film microcircuit embodiment. Preliminary design and fabrication of PAD circuitry that consists of a sixteen nodal elements were made for laboratory testing.

Choi, Sang H.↗

Regenerative pseudo-noise ranging for deep space applications

Currently, ranging for deep space missions is performed by turning around the uplink ranging modulation and remodulating it onto the downlink carrier. This method results in about 1.5 MHz of noise also being modulated onto the downlink, severely degrading the received ranging SNR on the ground. This degradation must be compensated for by either increasing the integration time of the received signal, which increases the length of time for the track, or increasing the downlink ranging signal's modulation index, which decreases the power available for the telemetry modulation. A method for the regeneration on the spacecraft of a pseudo noise (PN) ranging signal has been developed. This method allows for an increase of up to 30dB in the received downlink ranging power. The increased power can be used to decrease the measurement uncertainty, reduce the time of the measurement, or increase the power allocated to the downlink telemetry. This system was implemented in the Spacecraft Transponding Modem that was developed by JPL for NASA.

deep space ranging↗

Deep-Space Optical Terminals (DOT)

A conceptual design study titled Deep-Space Optical Terminals was recently completed for an optical communication technology demonstration from Mars in the 2018 time frame. We report on engineering trades for the entire system, and for individual subsystems including the flight terminal, the ground receiver and the ground transmitter. A point design is described to meet the requirement for greater than 0.25 Gb/s downlink from the nearest distance to Mars of 0.42 AU with a maximum mass and power allocation of 40 kg and 110 W. Furthermore, the concept design addresses link closure at the farthest Mars range of 2.7 AU. Maximum uplink data-rate of 0.3 Mb/s and ranging with 30 cm precision are also addressed.

optical communications↗

Compact Deep-Space Optical Communications Transceiver

Deep space optical communication transceivers must be very efficient receivers and transmitters of optical communication signals. For deep space missions, communication systems require high performance well beyond the scope of mere power efficiency, demanding maximum performance in relation to the precious and limited mass, volume, and power allocated. This paper describes the opto-mechanical design of a compact, efficient, functional brassboard deep space transceiver that is capable of achieving megabyte-per-second rates at Mars ranges. The special features embodied to enhance the system operability and functionality, and to reduce the mass and volume of the system are detailed. System tests and performance characteristics are described in detail. Finally, lessons learned in the implementation of the brassboard design and suggestions for improvements appropriate for a flight prototype are covered.

DSOCT↗

POIWG #53 Vehicle Configuration Overview

The Vehicle Configuration Team is composed of the MAGIK, CAMMP, and IPiP groups who function to model and analyze the internal and external configurations of the ISS, plug-in power allocations, as well as the movement of the robotic arms around the station.

Vehicle↗

DAISY-DAMP: A distributed AI system for the dynamic allocation and management of power

One of the critical parameters that must be addressed when designing a loosely coupled Distributed AI SYstem (DAISY) has to do with the degree to which authority is centralized or decentralized. The decision to implement the Dynamic Allocation and Management of Power (DAMP) system as a network of cooperating agents mandated this study. The DAISY-DAMP problem is described; the component agents of the system are characterized; and the communication protocols system elucidated. The motivations and advantages in designing the system with authority decentralized is discussed. Progress in the area of Speech Act theory is proposed as playing a role in constructing decentralized systems.

Hall, Steven B.↗

Flexible allocation of energy storage in power grids

Methods and apparatus provide flexible allocation and regulation of scheduled energy transfers between energy storage devices (“batteries”) and a power grid. Piecewise mappings having at least one sloping segment enable gradual variations in scheduled energy transfers as cleared values of a medium of energy exchange deviate from predicted values of the medium of energy exchange. Thereby deviations from a battery's predicted energy transfer schedule can be reduced, and overall smoother operation of a power grid can be achieved. Two sloping linear segments can be separated by a dead band, a portion of the mapping in which the scheduled energy transfer amount is invariant. A dead zone can increase the likelihood of a battery meeting its predicted schedule.

Bhattarai, Bishnu P.↗

A Novel Modular, Reconfigurable Battery Energy Storage System: Design, Control, and Experimentation

This paper presents a novel modular, reconfigurable battery energy storage system. The proposed design is characterized by a tight integration of reconfigurable power switches and DC/DC converters. This characteristic enables isolation of faulty cells from the system and allows fine power control for individual cells toward optimal system-level performance. An optimal power management approach is developed to extensively exploit the merits of the proposed design. Based on receding-horizon convex optimization, this approach aims to minimize the total power losses in charging/discharging while allocating the power in line with each cell’s condition to achieve state of-charge (SoC) and temperature balancing. By appropriate design, the approach manages to regulate the power of a cell across its full SoC range and guarantee the feasibility of the optimization problem. Here, we perform extensive simulations and further develop a lab-scale prototype to validate the proposed system design and power management approach.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Adaptive Reinforcement Learning Control for Power Distribution in Multi-Output Resonant Converters

This paper presents an adaptive reinforcement learning (ARL)-based control framework for efficient power distribution in a multi-output resonant converter for UAV applications. The proposed system is based on a high-frequency isolated resonant architecture, where a single energy source supplies multiple propulsion loads through independently controlled output rectifiers, addressing the need for coordinated multi-motor power management. The ARL framework dynamically allocates output power by learning optimal phase-shift control actions under varying load demands and operating conditions. The agent autonomously determines control parameters that maximize conversion efficiency while ensuring accurate power sharing among multiple outputs. In addition, the proposed approach enables adaptive operation without requiring detailed system modeling or manual tuning. Experimental results demonstrate stable and efficient performance over a wide range of operating conditions, confirming the effectiveness and robustness of the learning-based control strategy for multi-output resonant converter system.

Asa, Erdem [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000190884812)↗