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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 NTRS2012

Methods for Improving Long-Range Wireless Communication Between Extreme Terrain Vehicles

Axel is an extreme terrain, two-wheeled rover designed to traverse rocky surface and sub-surface landscapes in order to conduct remote science experiments in hard-to-reach locations. The rover's design meets many requirements for a mobile research platform capable of reaching water seeps on Martian cliff sides. Axel was developed by the Mobility and Robotic Systems section at the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Unique design criteria associated with extreme terrain mobility led to a unique rover solution, consisting of a central module, which provides long-term energy storage and space for large-scale science payloads, and two detachable Axels that can detach and explore extreme terrain locations that are inaccessible to conventional rovers. The envisioned mission could involve a four-wheeled configuration of Axel called 'DuAxel' that is able to traverse the benign, flattened terrain of a landing site and approach the edge of the targeted crater or cave where it would deploy anchoring legs and detach one of the Axel rovers [1]. A tether provides a secure link between the Axel rover and the central module, acting as an anchor to allow Axel to descend along steep crater walls to collect data from the scientifically relevant sites along the water seeps or crater ledges. After completing its scientific mission Axel would hoist itself up to the central module and dock autonomously (using its on-board stereo cameras), allowing the once-again recombined DuAxel to travel to another location to repeat data collection.

wireless communication↗
DOE OSTI2022

Detecting the Presence of Intrusive Drilling in Secure Transport Containers Using Non-Contact Millimeter-Wave Radar

We employ a 77–81 GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) millimeter-wave radar to sense anomalous vibrations during vehicle transport at highway speeds for the first time. Secure metallic containers can be breached during transport by means of drilling into their sidewalls but detecting a drilling signature is difficult because the large vibrations of transport drown out the small vibrations of drilling. For the first time, we demonstrate that it is possible to use a non-contact millimeter-wave radar sensor to detect this micron-scale intrusive drilling while highway-speed vehicle movement shakes the container. With the millimeter-wave radar monitoring the microdoppler signature of the container’s vibrating walls, we create a novel signal-processing pipeline consisting of range–angle tracking, time–frequency analysis, horizontal stripe image convolution, and principal component analysis to create a robust and powerful detection statistic to alarm if drilling is present. To support this pipeline, we develop a statistical model combining the vibrating container and the random vibrations induced by vehicle movement to explore the robustness of the sensor’s detection capabilities. The presented results strongly support the inclusion of a millimeter-wave radar vibration sensor into a transport security system.

Wagner, Samuel↗
DOE OSTI2024

FiberFlex: Real-time FPGA-based Intelligent and Distributed Fiber Sensor System for Pedestrian Recognition

In recent years, security monitoring of public places and critical infrastructure has heavily relied on the widespread use of cameras, raising concerns about personal privacy violations. To balance the need for effective security monitoring with the protection of personal privacy, we explore the potential of optical fiber sensors for this application. This article proposes FiberFlex, an intelligent and distributed fiber sensor system. Ultizing Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) high-level synthesis (HLS) acceleration, FiberFlex offers real-time pedestrian detection by co-designing the entire pipeline of optical signal acquisition, processing, and recognition networks based on the principles of optical fiber sensing. As a promising alternative to traditional camera-based monitoring systems, FiberFlex achieves pedestrian detection by analyzing the vibration patterns caused by pedestrian footsteps, enabling security monitoring while preserving individual privacy. FiberFlex comprises three modules: First , fiber-optic sensing system: A fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system is built and used to measure the ground vibration waves generated by people walking. Second , algorithms: We first collect the training data by measuring the ground vibration waves, label the data, and use the data to train the neural network models to perform pedestrian recognition. Third , hardware accelerators: We use HLS tools to design hardware modules on FPGA for data collection and pre-processing and integrate them with the downstream neural network accelerators to perform in-line real-time pedestrian detection. The final detection results are sent back from FPGA to the host CPU. We implement our system FiberFlex with the in-house built DAS system and AMD/Xilinx Kintex7 FPGA KC705 board and verify the whole system using the real-world collected data. We conduct recognition tests on five test subjects of varying ages, heights, and weights in a fixed sensing area. Each subject experienced 20 real-time recognition tests using their daily walking habits, and the subjects were given adequate rest between tests. After 100 tests on five test subjects, the overall real-time recognition accuracy exceeded \(88.0\%\) . The whole system uses 55 W of power, 33 W in the optical DAS system and 22 W in the FPGA. Relying on its end-to-end interdisciplinary design, FiberFlex seamlessly combines fiber-optic sensors with FPGA accelerators to enable low-power real-time security monitoring without compromising privacy, making it a valuable addition to the existing security monitoring network. According to FiberFlex, more valuable research can be conducted in the future, such as fall monitoring for the elderly, migration of identification networks between different application scenarios, and improvement of anti-interference performance in more complex environments. In future perception networks, where the “eyes” are not feasible, let’s use fiber optic touch instead.

Distributed↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of a Reference Design for a Cyber-Physical System

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a reference design to assist in the selection of security practices in power electronics design. A prototype will be developed from this reference design for evaluation. This evaluation will include a brief cost/benefit analysis to gauge the efficacy of implementing each layer of security throughout the power electronics design process. This thesis will also describe the obstacles and effectiveness of integrating a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) into a cyber-hardened grid-connected device. The TPM device is a secured crypto processor that assists in generating, storing, and restricting the use of cryptographic keys. The emphasis of this research is to establish integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality within a system by providing a baseline of security concerns for segments of the system. This research considers communication, control, and hardware level securities. The scope of this thesis will review the necessary security methods as well as consider the effects these methods have on the embedded system, to assess the desired security to responsiveness trade off. Applying this approach to a design process will alleviate various unknowns of appending security to a power electronics design. This thesis describes the specific vulnerabilities introduced within this grid-edge environment, and how the liabilities within the system can be mitigated. Initially, common security techniques will be considered to establish a guideline to benchmark performance and resource costs of the system. The foundation will be a non-hardened power electronic system platform with industry standard communication protocols. Several security techniques and attack vectors will then be evaluated to contribute to the base level platform. Other fail-safe features take place to gauge progress of the selected approach, non-inclusive to the TPM. Collectively, this investigation will determine a valid experiment by appraising and categorizing resource allocation, performance overhead, and monetary cost analysis results into a reference design. The prototype will then demonstrate methods to relieve common threats that are purposefully implemented into the design.

Blair, Nicholas Paul↗
NASA NTRS1977

Reduced costs for solar-cell modules

Production expenses are decreased by embossing encapsulating plastic film to position and secure cells. Electric circuit is printed on plastic film simultaneously with cell encapsulation process. Procedure can be used with standard-contact and wraparound contact cells.

Forestieri, A. F.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental decoy-state Bennett-Brassard 1984 quantum key distribution through a turbulent channel

In free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) in turbulent conditions, scattering and beam wandering cause intensity fluctuations which decrease the detected signal-to-noise ratio. This effect can be mitigated by rejecting received bits when the channel's transmittance is below a threshold. Thus, the overall error rate is reduced and the secure key rate increases despite the deletion of bits. In this work, we implement recently proposed selection methods focusing on the prefixed-threshold real-time selection (P-RTS) where a cutoff can be chosen prior to data collection and independently of the transmittance distribution. We perform finite-size decoy-state Bennett-Brassard 1984 QKD in a laboratory setting where we simulate the atmospheric turbulence using an acousto-optical modulator. We show that P-RTS can yield considerably higher secure key rates for a wide range of the atmospheric channel parameters. In addition, we evaluate the performance of the P-RTS method for a realistically finite sample size. We demonstrate that a near-optimal selection threshold can be predetermined even with imperfect knowledge of the channel transmittance distribution parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Topological and Dynamical Representations for Radio Frequency Signal Classification

Radio Frequency (RF) signals are found throughout our world, carrying over-the-air information for both digital and analog uses with applications ranging from WiFi to the radio. One area of focus in RF signal analysis is determining the modulation schemes employed in these signals which is crucial in many RF signal processing domains from secure communication to spectrum monitoring. This work investigates the accuracy and noise robustness of novel Topological Data Analysis (TDA) and dynamic representation based approaches paired with a small convolution neural network for RF signal modulation classification with a comparison to state-of-the-art deep neural network approaches. We show that using TDA tools, like Vietoris-Rips and lower star filtrations, and the Takens' embedding in conjunction with a standard shallow neural network we can capture the intrinsic dynamical, geometric, and topological features of the underlying signal's manifold, offering informative representations of the RF signals. Our approach is effective in handling the modulation classification task and is notably noise robust, outperforming the commonly used deep neural network approaches in mode classification. Moreover, our fusion of dynamical and topological information is able to attain similar performance to deep neural network architectures with significantly smaller training datasets.

Myers, Audun D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Method for scrambling satellite communications

A secure communications system multiplexes segments of the information signal for keyed encoding and modulation onto a plurality of different carrier frequencies and/or polarizations, and transmits the encoded carriers to multi-channel signal summing receivers that decode the segments from all channels, to reassemble the information signal for use by authorized stations with a key. The use of the multi-channel link and the summing receiver allows the greatest number of different coding algorithms for accommodating the greatest number of discrete secure channels.

Brockman, Milton H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Endpoint Security Using Biometric Authentication for Secure Remote Mission Operations

We propose a flexible security authentication solution for the spacecraft end-user, which will allow the user to interact over Internet with the spacecraft, its instruments, or with the ground segment from anywhere, anytime based on the user's pre-defined set of privileges. This package includes biometrics authentication products, such as face, voice or fingerprint recognition, authentication services and procedures, such as: user registration and verification over the Internet and user database maintenance, with a configurable schema of spacecraft users' privileges. This fast and reliable user authentication mechanism will become an integral part of end-to-end ground-to-space secure Internet communications and migration from current practice to the future. All modules and services of the proposed package are commercially available and built to the NIST BioAPI standard, which facilitates "pluggability" and interoperability.

Donohue, John T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

ModuleOT

ModuleOT is an open hardware security platform which provides all features necessary for securing remote energy resources. The platform consists of a physical bump in-the wire device which runs a custom-built application built with Go and Python and leverages AES-NI Instruction set available on modern hardware for cryptographic acceleration. By combining these features, ModuleOT acts as an all-in-one low-cost solution to enable cryptographically secured communications to any critical remote servers or devices. Because the software application has been built using Golang, this source can be easily compiled for different hardware platforms. The module is designed to provide the following core features: (1) encrypted communications across an untrusted network, (2) certificate-based authentication with secure storage, (3) hardware cryptographic acceleration, (4) IP-based whitelisting, (5) local firewall management, and (6) legacy (RS485) device support.

Hasandka, Adarsh↗
NASA NTRS1994

Technology Benefit Estimator (T/BEST): User's Manual

The Technology Benefit Estimator (T/BEST) system is a formal method to assess advanced technologies and quantify the benefit contributions for prioritization. T/BEST may be used to provide guidelines to identify and prioritize high payoff research areas, help manage research and limited resources, show the link between advanced concepts and the bottom line, i.e., accrued benefit and value, and to communicate credibly the benefits of research. The T/BEST software computer program is specifically designed to estimating benefits, and benefit sensitivities, of introducing new technologies into existing propulsion systems. Key engine cycle, structural, fluid, mission and cost analysis modules are used to provide a framework for interfacing with advanced technologies. An open-ended, modular approach is used to allow for modification and addition of both key and advanced technology modules. T/BEST has a hierarchical framework that yields varying levels of benefit estimation accuracy that are dependent on the degree of input detail available. This hierarchical feature permits rapid estimation of technology benefits even when the technology is at the conceptual stage. As knowledge of the technology details increases the accuracy of the benefit analysis increases. Included in T/BEST's framework are correlations developed from a statistical data base that is relied upon if there is insufficient information given in a particular area, e.g., fuel capacity or aircraft landing weight. Statistical predictions are not required if these data are specified in the mission requirements. The engine cycle, structural fluid, cost, noise, and emissions analyses interact with the default or user material and component libraries to yield estimates of specific global benefits: range, speed, thrust, capacity, component life, noise, emissions, specific fuel consumption, component and engine weights, pre-certification test, mission performance engine cost, direct operating cost, life cycle cost, manufacturing cost, development cost, risk, and development time. Currently, T/BEST operates on stand-alone or networked workstations, and uses a UNIX shell or script to control the operation of interfaced FORTRAN based analyses. T/BEST's interface structure works equally well with non-FORTRAN or mixed software analysis. This interface structure is designed to maintain the integrity of the expert's analyses by interfacing with expert's existing input and output files. Parameter input and output data (e.g., number of blades, hub diameters, etc.) are passed via T/BEST's neutral file, while copious data (e.g., finite element models, profiles, etc.) are passed via file pointers that point to the expert's analyses output files. In order to make the communications between the T/BEST's neutral file and attached analyses codes simple, only two software commands, PUT and GET, are required. This simplicity permits easy access to all input and output variables contained within the neutral file. Both public domain and proprietary analyses codes may be attached with a minimal amount of effort, while maintaining full data and analysis integrity, and security. T/BESt's sotware framework, status, beginner-to-expert operation, interface architecture, analysis module addition, and key analysis modules are discussed. Representative examples of T/BEST benefit analyses are shown.

Generazio, Edward R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resilient GaN-based Power Module with Improved Diagnostic for Future Accelerator

Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT) play a pivotal role in advancing scientific research and national security initiatives. As a premier facility for neutron science, LANSCE and DARHT provide invaluable insights into fundamental research, materials science, nuclear physics, high-energy physics, material science, and medical imaging. Existing (DC) power supply and pulse modulation technologies used in LANSCE and DARHT face limitations in terms of reliability, maintainability, and diagnostics which hinder the progress of these cutting-edge facilities. By proposing improvements to LANL accelerator facilities’ performance and addressing component failure, we aim to enhance scientific outcomes and minimize disruptions, allowing for more efficient and productive research activities while ensuring the continuity of valuable contributions to the user community. This proposal aims to revolutionize (DC) power supply and pulse power systems for future particle accelerators via the development of a resilient GaN-based power module with improved diagnostic and redundant submodules.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Improvements to the Ionizing Radiation Risk Assessment Program for NASA Astronauts

To perform dosimetry and risk assessment, NASA collects astronaut ionizing radiation exposure data from space flight, medical imaging and therapy, aviation training activities and prior occupational exposure histories. Career risk of exposure induced death (REID) from radiation is limited to 3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The Radiation Health Office at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is implementing a program to integrate the gathering, storage, analysis and reporting of astronaut ionizing radiation dose and risk data and records. This work has several motivations, including more efficient analyses and greater flexibility in testing and adopting new methods for evaluating risks. The foundation for these improvements is a set of software tools called the Astronaut Radiation Exposure Analysis System (AREAS). AREAS is a series of MATLAB(Registered TradeMark)-based dose and risk analysis modules that interface with an enterprise level SQL Server database by means of a secure web service. It communicates with other JSC medical and space weather databases to maintain data integrity and consistency across systems. AREAS is part of a larger NASA Space Medicine effort, the Mission Medical Integration Strategy, with the goal of collecting accurate, high-quality and detailed astronaut health data, and then securely, timely and reliably presenting it to medical support personnel. The modular approach to the AREAS design accommodates past, current, and future sources of data from active and passive detectors, space radiation transport algorithms, computational phantoms and cancer risk models. Revisions of the cancer risk model, new radiation detection equipment and improved anthropomorphic computational phantoms can be incorporated. Notable hardware updates include the Radiation Environment Monitor (which uses Medipix technology to report real-time, on-board dosimetry measurements), an updated Tissue-Equivalent Proportional Counter, and the Southwest Research Institute Radiation Assessment Detector. Also, the University of Florida hybrid phantoms, which are flexible in morphometry and positioning, are being explored as alternatives to the current NASA computational phantoms.

Semones, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dual load-path fastener

A fastener system is provided for securing a component to supporting structure. The fastener system comprises a pair of cooperating fastener modules. The first module includes a first stationary member attached to the supporting structure and a first bolt member threadedly engaged with the first stationary member. The second module includes a second stationary member also attached to the supporting structure and a second bolt member threadedly engaged with the second stationary member. The second bolt member also extends freely through a longitudinal bore in the first bolt member. Head members on the first and second head members are mutually engaged for their unitary rotation and the first head member engages the component. When the head members are rotated in one direction, they are advanced toward the supporting structure thereby drawing the component toward the supporting structure. Rotation in the opposite direction is effective to cause the head members to retract from the supporting structure and thereby separate the component from the supporting structure. With this construction, upon fracture either of the first fastener means at a location away from the first head member or of the second fastener means at a location away from the second head member, upon rotation of the first head member in the one direction, the first head member nevertheless continues to advance toward the supporting structure.

Driscoll, Timothy D.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Concepts to Automate Fluid Transfer Capability of Low Impact Docking System (LIDS)

The capability to transfer mass between spacecraft is necessary for many mission scenarios. Docking and berthing operations have enabled fluid, electrical, crew and equipment transfers to some degree on all manned space operations since the Gemini program. The Apollo program performed some sophisticated docking maneuvers to land men on the moon and return them safely to Earth. These programs primarily transferred crew, equipment, and pressurized atmosphere between docked spacecraft. The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. modules are connected by Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) portals. They provide many feed-through ports for electrical, and fluid transfer between modules, as well as a large diameter crew and equipment tunnel. Fluid and electrical jumpers are manually installed after the CBM sealing surfaces have been securely mated to maintain the pressurized cabin environment. CBM berthing and subsequent fluid transfer capability requires a lengthy manual process involving an active interface that mates with a passive half. The Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (MAS) a Russian technology that docked the Russian Zarya module to Unity, or Node 1, is a more complex system that also is capable of fuel transfer, enabling refueling of the Russian re-boost engines on ISS. For several years, a Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) has been under development at Johnson Space Center (JSC). This docking technology has a requirement to be androgynous in order to allow the fabrication of a single configuration that can dock with all other LIDS units. It is desired to make electrical and fluid coupling mating an automated process to enable routine docking and undocking operations to support future exploration missions. It is envisioned that modular design and vehicle assembly will require an efficient LIDS for fuel, electrical, crew, and equipment transfer. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has joined the LIDS development effort and plans to employ fluid transfer concepts and technology from previous development programs, such as the Automated Fluid Interface System (AFIS) and the Ohital Fluid Transfer System (OFTS) that were developed and tested by MSFC. Orbital Expressderived robotic satellite servicing technology is scheduled to fly soon to demonstrate fluid transfer technology developed for the Air Force. This paper will compare known technology against possible fluid transfer requirements for LIDS to develop design strategies for automated fluid transfer.

Miernik, Janie H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Emergency Lighting

A lighting system originally developed for NASA's Apollo and Skylab manned spacecraft resulted in a industrial spinoff and creation of a whole new company to produce and market the product line. The company is UDEC Corp., Waltham, Mass. UDEC's "Multi-Mode" electronic lighting systems are designed for plant emergency and supplemental use, such as night lighting, "always-on" stairwell lights and illuminated exit signs. Their advantages stem from the qualities demanded for spacecraft installation: extremely high fight output with very low energy drain, compactness, light weight, and high reliability. The Multi-Mode system includes long-life fluorescent lamps operated by electronic circuitry, a sealed battery that needs no maintenance for 10 years, and a solid-state battery charger. A typical emergency installation consists of a master module with battery and an eight watt lamp, together with four remote "Satellight" modules powered by the master's battery. As a night lighting system for maintenance or I security, UDEC fixtures can bypass the battery and 1 operate on normal current at a fraction of the energy 1 demand of conventional night lighting. Industrial customers have realized savings of better than ninety percent with UDEC night lights. UDEC started as a basement industry in 1972 but the company has already sold more than 1,000 lighting systems to building operators.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reducing module soiling with scalable and robust photocatalytic coatings

The air-glass interface at the front of a photovoltaic (PV) module reflects approximately 4% of incident light, decreasing the potential power output of the module by the same amount. Today’s modules reduce this loss by adding a low-refractive-index (1.25-1.30) SiO2 coating to the sunward side of the module glass; this antireflection coating recovers approximately 3% of the 4% light that would otherwise be lost. While such antireflection coatings work very well on clean, new modules, they do not inhibit soiling—the accumulation of soilants such as dust, pollen, soot, or other foreign material—on the module glass, and soilants reflect and scatter incident light. An improved coating would serve provide not only an antireflection effect, but also an anti-soiling effect. The goal of this project was to develop such a coating and provide a path for it to be manufactured in the U.S. The project successfully designed and fabricated coatings that provided >3% transmittance gain compared to bare glass (matching the performance of commercial antireflection coatings) and displayed anti-soiling behavior in standard laboratory soiling effects. This was achieved by using a Swift Coat proprietary coating deposition technique, aerosol impact-driven assembly (AIDA), to control the porosity and thus refractive index of coatings of photocatalytic materials—such as TiO2—that would otherwise increase (instead of decrease) reflection. These combined antireflection/anti-soiling coatings passed PV industry standard module reliability tests as well as coating-specific abrasion tests, showing that they have the durability needed for decades in the field. Swift Coat scaled the AIDA hardware and deposition process to make mini-modules that were monitored for nearly two years during field tests administered by a third party, as well as demonstrated scaling to the widths of full-sized modules. The fielded mini-modules outperformed reference modules (with commercial antireflection coatings) in two locations, providing a 1% absolute average performance boost and larger increases during periods of heavier soiling. Swift Coat’s cost analysis indicated a coating manufacturing cost below the sales price of today’s antireflection coatings. More than five module manufacturers sampled and assessed the coatings, and three provided letters of support. The coating developed in this project increases the energy output of PV modules, thereby decreasing the cost per kilowatt-hour of solar energy generated. Cheaper solar electricity benefits the public by accelerating the transition to a stable, affordable, carbon-free energy economy. In addition, for select applications in which PV modules are highly visible—such as on residential rooftops—the coating provides an aesthetic benefit because it stays cleaner than today’s modules. Finally, Swift Coat and its prospective customers are U.S. companies, and successful commercialization of this technology will provide U.S. jobs and a secure solar supply chain.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗