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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

Space Suit Portable Life Support System Test Bed (PLSS 1.0) Development and Testing

A multi-year effort has been carried out at NASA-JSC to develop an advanced extra-vehicular activity Portable Life Support System (PLSS) design intended to further the current state of the art by increasing operational flexibility, reducing consumables, and increasing robustness. Previous efforts have focused on modeling and analyzing the advanced PLSS architecture, as well as developing key enabling technologies. Like the current International Space Station Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit PLSS, the advanced PLSS comprises three subsystems required to sustain the crew during extra-vehicular activity including the Thermal, Ventilation, and Oxygen Subsystems. This multi-year effort has culminated in the construction and operation of PLSS 1.0, a test bed that simulates full functionality of the advanced PLSS design. PLSS 1.0 integrates commercial off the shelf hardware with prototype technology development components, including the primary and secondary oxygen regulators, Ventilation Subsystem fan, Rapid Cycle Amine swingbed carbon dioxide and water vapor removal device, and Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator heat rejection device. The overall PLSS 1.0 test objective was to demonstrate the capability of the Advanced PLSS to provide key life support functions including suit pressure regulation, carbon dioxide and water vapor removal, thermal control and contingency purge operations. Supplying oxygen was not one of the specific life support functions because the PLSS 1.0 test was not oxygen rated. Nitrogen was used for the working gas. Additional test objectives were to confirm PLSS technology development components performance within an integrated test bed, identify unexpected system level interactions, and map the PLSS 1.0 performance with respect to key variables such as crewmember metabolic rate and suit pressure. Successful PLSS 1.0 testing completed 168 test points over 44 days of testing and produced a large database of test results that characterize system level and component performance. With the exception of several minor anomalies, the PLSS 1.0 test rig performed as expected; furthermore, many system responses trended in accordance with pre-test predictions.

Watts, Carly↗
NASA NTRS2010

Test Results from a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This presentation describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Test Results From a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This report describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Radiation Beamline Testbeds for the Simulation of Planetary and Spacecraft Environments for Human and Robotic Mission Risk Assessment

The Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) at Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, USA, is establishing an integrated, multi-disciplinary research program on the scientific and engineering challenges faced by NASA and the international space community caused by space radiation. CRESSE focuses on space radiation research directly applicable to astronaut health and safety during future long term, deep space missions, including Martian, lunar, and other planetary body missions beyond low earth orbit. The research approach will consist of experimental and theoretical radiation modeling studies utilizing particle accelerator facilities including: 1. NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory; 2. Proton Synchrotron at Loma Linda University Medical Center; and 3. Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Specifically, CRESSE investigators are designing, developing, and building experimental test beds that simulate the lunar and Martian radiation environments for experiments focused on risk assessment for astronauts and instrumentation. The testbeds have been designated the Bioastronautics Experimental Research Testbeds for Environmental Radiation Nostrum Investigations and Education (BERT and ERNIE). The designs of BERT and ERNIE will allow for a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to modify experimental configurations to simulate planetary surface environments, planetary habitats, and spacecraft interiors. In the nominal configuration, BERT and ERIE will consist of a set of experimental zones that will simulate the planetary atmosphere (Solid CO2 in the case of the Martian surface.), the planetary surface, and sub-surface regions. These experimental zones can be used for dosimetry, shielding, biological, and electronic effects radiation studies in support of space exploration missions. BERT and ERNIE are designed to be compatible with the experimental areas associated with the above facilities. CRESSE has broad expertise in space radiation in the areas of space radiation environment modeling, Monte-Carlo radiation transport modeling, space radiation instrumentation and dosimetry, radiation effects on electronics, and multi-functional composite shielding materials. The BERT and ERNIE testbeds will be utilized in individual and collaborative research incorporating this expertise. The research goal is to maximize the technical readiness level (TRL) of radiation instrumentation for human and robotic missions, optimizing the return value of CRESSE for NASA exploration and international co-operative missions. Outcomes and knowledge from research utilizing BERT and ERNIE will be applied to a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines vital for safe and reliable execution of future space exploration missions, which can be negatively impacted by the space radiation environment. The testbeds will be central to a variety of university educational activities and educational goals of NASA. Specifically, BERT and ERNIE will enhance educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines for engineering and science students at PVAMU, a historically black college/university. Preliminary data on prototype testbed configurations, including simulated lunar regolith (JSC-1A stimulant based on Apollo 11 samples), regolith/polyethylene composites, and dry ice, will be presented to demonstrate the usefulness of BERT and ERNIE in radiation beam line experiments.

Wilkins, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1993

The time keeping system for GPS block IIR

The precision time keeping system (TKS) in the Global Positioning System (GPS), Block IIR satellites is designed to operate under severe natural and man made environmental conditions. The Block IIR TKS provides precise, autonomous time keeping for periods of up to seven months, without the intervention of the GPS Control Segment. The TKS is implemented using both linear and non-linear controls. The resulting TKS architecture uses a hybrid analog/digital phase locked loop (PLL). The paper provides details of the design and analysis of the TKS. The simulation techniques and the test bed activities used in performing the TKS design trade-offs are described. The effects of non-linear controls are analyzed using a TKS computer simulation of the PLL. The results from a hardware test bed are provided that verify desired TKS operation. The design criteria for the TKS computer simulation and the hardware test bed are indicated. The concepts for verification and testing of the TKS computer simulation and hardware test bed are presented.

Rawicz, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space station common module thermal management: Design and construction of a test bed

In this project, a thermal test bed was designed, simulated, and planned for construction. The thermal system features interior and exterior thermal loads and interfacing with the central-radiator thermal bus. Components of the test bed include body mounted radiator loop with interface heat exchangers (600 Btu/hr); an internal loop with cabin air-conditioning and cold plates (3400 Btu/hr); interface heat exchangers to the central bus (13,000 Btu/hr); and provisions for new technology including advanced radiators, thermal storage, and refrigeration. The apparatus will be mounted in a chamber, heated with lamps, and tested in a vacuum chamber with LN2-cooled walls. Simulation of the test bed was accomplished using a DEC PRO 350 computer and the software package TK! olver. Key input variables were absorbed solar radiation and cold plate loads. The results indicate temperatures on the two loops will be nominal when the radiation and cold plate loads are in the range of 25% to 75% of peak loads. If all loads fall to zero, except the cabin air system which was fixed, the radiator fluid will drop below -100 F and may cause excessive pressure drop. If all loads reach 100%, the cabin air temperature could rise to 96 F.

Barile, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Performance measurements for a laboratory-simulated 30/20 GHz communication satellite transponder

NASA has developed a digital satellite communications system simulator and test bed facility, known as the Systems Integration, Test and Evaluation (SITE) Project. The purpose of the facility is to evaluate satellite system components, develop and verify system concepts, and perform satellite system experiments. A recently completed set of experiments measured the performance of the 30/20 GHz satellite transponder portion of the system in terms of RF parameters and high rate digital data transmission. The results of these tests indicate the quality of data transmission which can be obtained under various transponder conditions, as well as the relative effects of degraded RF performance on the bit-error rate (BER) of transmitted data.

Kerczewski, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Vision science and technology for supervised intelligent space robots

The focus of recent work in robotic vision for application in intelligent space robots such as the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Retriever is in visual function, that is, how information about the space world is derived and then conveyed to cognition. The goal of this work in visual function is first to understand how the relevant structure of the surrounding world is evidenced by regularities among the pixels of images, then to understand how these regularities are mapped on the premises that form the primitive elements of cognition, and then to apply these understandings with the elements of visual processing (algorithms) and visual mechanism (machine organization) to intelligent space robot simulations and test beds. Since visual perception is the process of recognizing regularities in images that are known on the basis of a model of the world to be reliable related to causal structure in the environment (because perception attaches meaning to the link between a conception of the environment and the objective environment), the work involves understanding generic, generally applicable models of world structure (not merely objects) and how that structure evidences itself in images.

Erickson, Jon D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Performance measurements for a laboratory-simulated 30/20 GHz communication satellite transponder

NASA has developed a digital satellite communications system simulator and test bed facility, known as the SITE (System Integratrion, Test and Evaluation) Project. The purpose of the facility is to evaluate satellite system components, develop and verify system concepts, and perform satellite system experiments. A recently completed set of experiments measured the performance of the 30/20 GHz satellite transponder portion of the system in terms of RF parameters and high rate digital data transmission. The results of these tests indicate the quality of data transmission which can be obtained under various transponder operating conditions, as well as the relative effects of degraded RF performance on the bit-error rate (BER) of transmitted data.

Kerczewski, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mechanisms test bed math model modification and simulation support

This report summarizes the work performed under contract NAS8-38771 in support of the Marshall Space Flight Center Six Degree of Freedom Motion Facility and Flight Robotics Laboratory. The contract activities included the development of the two flexible body and Remote Manipulator System simulations, Dynamic Overhead Target Simulator control system and operating software, Global Positioning System simulation, and Manipulator Coupled Spacecraft Controls Testbed. Technical support was also provided for the Lightning Imaging Sensor and Solar X-Ray Imaging programs. The cover sheets and introductory sections for the documentation written under this contract are provided as an appendix.

Gilchrist, Andrea C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Optimizing spacecraft design - optimization engine development : progress and plans

At JPL and NASA, a process has been developed to perform life cycle risk management. This process requires users to identify: goals and objectives to be achieved (and their relative priorities), the various risks to achieving those goals and objectives, and options for risk mitigation (prevention, detection ahead of time, and alleviation). Risks are broadly defined to include the risk of failing to design a system with adequate performance, compatibility and robustness in addition to more traditional implementation and operational risks. The options for mitigating these different kinds of risks can include architectural and design choices, technology plans and technology back-up options, test-bed and simulation options, engineering models and hardware/software development techniques and other more traditional risk reduction techniques.

risk↗
NASA NTRS2015

T-38 Primary Flight Display Prototyping and HIVE Support Abstract & Summary

This fall I worked in EV3 within NASA's Johnson Space Center in The HIVE (Human Integrated Vehicles & Environments). The HIVE is responsible for human in the loop testing, getting new technologies in front of astronauts, operators, and users early in the development cycle to make the interfaces more human friendly. Some projects the HIVE is working on includes user interfaces for future spacecraft, wearables to alert astronauts about important information, and test beds to simulate mock missions. During my internship I created a prototype for T-38 aircraft displays using LabVIEW, learned how to use microcontrollers, and helped out with other small tasks in the HIVE. The purpose of developing a prototype for T-38 Displays in LabVIEW is to analyze functions of the display such as navigation in a cost and time effective manner. The LabVIEW prototypes allow Ellington Field AOD to easily make adjustments to the display before hardcoding the final product. LabVIEW was used to create a user interface for simulation almost identical to the real aircraft display. Goals to begin the T-38 PFD (Primary Flight Display) prototype included creating a T-38 PFD hardware display in a software environment, designing navigation for the menu's, incorporating vertical and horizontal navigation bars, and to add a heading bug for compass controls connected to the HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator). To get started with the project, measurements of the entire display were taken. This enabled an accurate model of the hardware display to be created. Navigation of menu's required some exploration of different buttons on the display. The T-38 simulator and aircraft were used for examining the display. After one piece of the prototype was finished, another trip of to the simulator took place. This was done until all goals for the prototype were complete. Some possible integration ideas for displays in the near future are autopilot selection, touch screen displays, and crew member preferences. Complete navigation, control, and function customization will be achievable once a display is fully developed. Other than the T-38 prototyping, I spent time learning how to design small circuits and write code for them to function. This was done by adding electronic circuit components to breadboard and microcontroller then writing code to speak to those components through the microcontroller. I went through an Arduino starter kit to build circuits and code software that allowed the hardware to act. This work was planned to assist in a lighting project this fall but another solution was discovered for the lighting project. Other tasks that I assisted with, included hands on work such as mock-up construction/removal, logic analyzer repairs, and soldering with circuits. The unique opportunity to be involved work with NASA has significantly changed my educational and career goals. This opportunity has only opened the door to my career with engineering. I have learned over the span of this internship that I am fascinated by the type of work that NASA does. My desire to work in the aerospace industry has increased immensely. I hope to return to NASA to be more involved in the advancement of science, engineering, and spaceflight. My interests for my future education and career lie in NASA’s work - pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

Boniface, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS2003

Intelligent Launch and Range Operations Virtual Test Bed (ILRO-VTB)

Intelligent Launch and Range Operations Virtual Test Bed (ILRO-VTB) is a real-time web-based command and control, communication, and intelligent simulation environment of ground-vehicle, launch and range operation activities. ILRO-VTB consists of a variety of simulation models combined with commercial and indigenous software developments (NASA Ames). It creates a hybrid software/hardware environment suitable for testing various integrated control system components of launch and range. The dynamic interactions of the integrated simulated control systems are not well understood. Insight into such systems can only be achieved through simulation/emulation. For that reason, NASA has established a VTB where we can learn the actual control and dynamics of designs for future space programs, including testing and performance evaluation. The current implementation of the VTB simulates the operations of a sub-orbital vehicle of mission, control, ground-vehicle engineering, launch and range operations. The present development of the test bed simulates the operations of Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The test bed supports a wide variety of shuttle missions with ancillary modeling capabilities like weather forecasting, lightning tracker, toxic gas dispersion model, debris dispersion model, telemetry, trajectory modeling, ground operations, payload models and etc. To achieve the simulations, all models are linked using Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). The test bed provides opportunities for government, universities, researchers and industries to do a real time of shuttle launch in cyber space.

Bardina, Jorge↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of the Advanced Regolith Ground Operations (ARGO) Test Bed– A Robotic Construction Test Facility with Simulated Lunar Environments

NASA’s Artemis Program is working towards developing a sustained presence on the Moon and eventually Mars. To achieve this goal, robotic excavation, site preparation and construction technologies are under development to establish the capability to construct infrastructure such as launch/landing pads and radiation protection shelters. Technologies must be proven in simulated Lunar conditions prior surface demonstration missions. To that end, the Relevant Additive Construction Technology (REACT) Announcement of Collaboration Opportunities (ACO) project with AI Space Factory and the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory (a.k.a. Swamp Works) has developed the Advanced Regolith Ground Operations (ARGO) Test Bed. ARGO includes a ~1.5m x 1.5m x 1.2m (~5x5x4ft) vacuum chamber, cryogenically cooled thermal shroud, a 3-axis robotic positioning system, and a regolith bin. For the REACT project, a pellet extruder and feed hopper have been installed on ARGO to advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of regolith-polymer composite Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) additive construction systems, processes, and materials. This paper will focus on the design and operational characteristics of the ARGO Test Bed with pellet extruder.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Spacelab IPS Star Simulator

The cost of doing business in space is very high. If errors occur while in orbit the costs grow and desired scientific data may be corrupted or even lost. The Spacelab Instrument Pointing System (IPS) Star Simulator is a unique test bed that allows star trackers to interface with simulated stars in a laboratory before going into orbit. This hardware-in-the-loop testing of equipment on earth increases the probability of success while in space. The IPS Star Simulator provides three fields of view 2.55 x 2.55 deg each for input into star trackers. The fields of view are produced on three separate monitors. Each monitor has 4096 x 4096 addressable points and can display 50 stars (pixels) maximum at a given time. The pixel refresh rate is 1000 Hz. The spectral output is approximately 550 nm. The available relative visual magnitude range is two to eight visual magnitudes. The star size is less than 100 arcsec. The minimum star movement is less than 5 arcsec and the relative position accuracy is approximately 40 arcsec. The purpose of this paper is to describe the IPS Star Simulator design and to provide an operational scenario so others may gain from the approach and possible use of the system.

Wessling, Francis C., III↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Spacelab IPS Star Simulator

The cost of doing business in space is very high. If errors occur while in orbit the costs grow and desired scientific data may be corrupted or even lost. The Spacelab Instrument Pointing System (IPS) Star Simulator is a unique test bed that allows star trackers to interface with simulated stars in a laboratory before going into orbit. This hardware-in-the loop testing of equipment on earth increases the probability of success while in space. The IPS Star Simulator provides three fields of view 2.55 x 2.55 degrees each for input into star trackers. The fields of view are produced on three separate monitors. Each monitor has 4096 x 4096 addressable points and can display 50 stars (pixels) maximum at a given time. The pixel refresh rate is 1000 Hz. The spectral output is approximately 550 nm. The available relative visual magnitude range is 2 to 8 visual magnitudes. The star size is less than 100 arc seconds. The minimum star movement is less than 5 arc seconds and the relative position accuracy is approximately 40 arc seconds. The purpose of this paper is to describe the LPS Star Simulator design and to provide an operational scenario so others may gain from the approach and possible use of the system.

Wessling, Francis C., III↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA MSFC Lunar Surface Simulator (LSS): A Facility for Lunar Relevant Environment Testing

NASA will resume crewed visits to the lunar sur-face beginning in the mid-2020s. Environmental testing is essential to developing and validating the hardware that will enable a sustained presence on the lunar surface. Lunar dust is one of the most pressing challenges that threatens the longevity of mechanical systems as well as the health of astronauts living and working on the Moon. Facilities that allow large pieces of hard-ware to be exposed to both lunar dust and the temperature and vacuum of the lunar environment are invaluable to the agency as well as to the broader community of international, academic, and industry partners with which the agency collaborates. Marshall Space Flight Center has out-fitted one of its largest test chambers with regolith simulant beds to create the Lunar Surface Simulator (LSS).

Relevant environment testing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of the Advanced Regolith Ground Operations (ARGO) Test Bed: A Robotic Excavation and Construction Test Facility with Simulated Lunar Environments

NASA’s Artemis Program is working towards developing a sustained presence on the Moon and eventually Mars. To achieve this goal, robotic excavation, site preparation and construction technologies are under development to establish the capability to construct infrastructure such as launch/landing pads and radiation protection shelters. Technologies must be proven in simulated Lunar conditions prior to surface demonstration missions. To that end, the Relevant Additive Construction Technology (REACT) Announcement of Collaboration Opportunities (ACO) project with AI Space Factory and the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory (a.k.a. Swamp Works) has developed the Advanced Regolith Ground Operations (ARGO) Test Bed. ARGO includes a ~1.5m x 1.5m x 1.2m (~5x5x4ft) vacuum chamber, cryogenically cooled thermal shroud, 3-axis robotic positioning system, and regolith bin. For the REACT project, a pellet extruder, feed hopper, and heated 600mm x 600mm (23.6x23.6in) build plate have been installed on ARGO to advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of regolith-polymer composite Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) additive construction systems, processes, and materials. This paper will focus on the design and operational characteristics of the ARGO Test Bed with pellet extruder.

regolith↗