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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 613 records · Page 34
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Characterization of Aircraft Structural Damage Using Guided Wave Based Finite Element Analysis for In-Flight Structural Health Management

The development of multidisciplinary Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) tools will enable accurate detection, diagnosis and prognosis of damage under normal and adverse conditions during flight. The adverse conditions include loss of control caused by environmental factors, actuator and sensor faults or failures, and structural damage conditions. A major concern is the growth of undetected damage/cracks due to fatigue and low velocity foreign object impact that can reach a critical size during flight, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft. To avoid unstable catastrophic propagation of damage during a flight, load levels must be maintained that are below the load-carrying capacity for damaged aircraft structures. Hence, a capability is needed for accurate real-time predictions of safe load carrying capacity for aircraft structures with complex damage configurations. In the present work, a procedure is developed that uses guided wave responses to interrogate damage. As the guided wave interacts with damage, the signal attenuates in some directions and reflects in others. This results in a difference in signal magnitude as well as phase shifts between signal responses for damaged and undamaged structures. Accurate estimation of damage size and location is made by evaluating the cumulative signal responses at various pre-selected sensor locations using a genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization procedure. The damage size and location is obtained by minimizing the difference between the reference responses and the responses obtained by wave propagation finite element analysis of different representative cracks, geometries and sizes.

Seshadri, Banavara R.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Optimization of conical hydrostatic bearing for minimum friction.

Equations for the flow rate, load capacity, and friction torque for a conical hydrostatic bearing were developed. These equations were solved by a digital computer program to determine bearing configurations for minimum friction torque. Design curves are presented that show optimal bearing dimensions for minimum friction torque as a function of dimensionless flow rate for a range of dimensionless load capacity. Results are shown for both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. The results indicate that hydrostatic pocket friction is a significant portion of the total friction torque. However, the bearing dimensions for a minimum friction design are affected very little by inclusion of pocket friction in the analysis. For laminar flow the values of the outer-land radius ratio X3 and outer bearing radius ratio X4 did not change significantly with increasing friction factor. For turbulent flow, the outer bearing radius ratio X4 did not change with increasing friction factor; therefore the value determined for X4 in the laminar flow case is valid for all turbulent flows.

Nypan, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Polar symmetry in three-dimensional analysis of laminates with angle plies

An improved procedure for the three dimensional finite element analysis of an angle ply laminate with a circular hole is discussed. The procecure exploits polar symmetry and is the basis for a new finite element computer code. For the broad class of laminates that contain angle plies, this code requires only one half as much computing capacity as conventional codes.

Raju, I. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An optimization model for energy generation and distribution in a dynamic facility

An analytical model is described using linear programming for the optimum generation and distribution of energy demands among competing energy resources and different economic criteria. The model, which will be used as a general engineering tool in the analysis of the Deep Space Network ground facility, considers several essential decisions for better design and operation. The decisions sought for the particular energy application include: the optimum time to build an assembly of elements, inclusion of a storage medium of some type, and the size or capacity of the elements that will minimize the total life-cycle cost over a given number of years. The model, which is structured in multiple time divisions, employ the decomposition principle for large-size matrices, the branch-and-bound method in mixed-integer programming, and the revised simplex technique for efficient and economic computer use.

Lansing, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Solid Model Geometry Generator (SMGG)

The Solid Model Geometry Generator (SMGG) system provides the capacity to model complex solid objects through the composition of primitive parts. The parts are specified through input of dimension and orientation parameters. The parts may later be edited, the model may be displayed (through a variety of display options), and the resulting geometry formatted for subsequent analysis. The SMGG system was originally constructed for use in the preliminary stages of space station and other spacecraft design. Because the system models a design through the use of basic shapes common to many solid objects and provides limited capabilities for producing irregularly shaped parts, it can be used for a variety of applications. Currently, seven primitive parts may be specified and produced through SMGG. These include boxes, spheres, cones, paraboloids, tori, and translationally or rotationally swept parts. Each part may be specified by the user through input of basic part dimensions and a local orientation. For example, a box is specified by its length, width, height and orientation in space (rotation, translation, and scaling).

Jones, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A comparison between coherent and noncoherent mobile systems in large Doppler shift, delay spread, and C/I environment

The performance and implementation complexity of coherent and of noncoherent QPSK and GMSK modulation/demodulation techniques in a complex mobile satellite systems environment, including large Doppler shift, delay spread, and low C/I, are compared. We demonstrate that for large f(sub d)T(sub b) products, where f(sub d) is the Doppler shift and T(sub b) is the bit duration, noncoherent (discriminator detector or differential demodulation) systems have a lower BER floor than their coherent counterparts. For significant delay spreads, e.g., tau(sub rms) greater than 0.4 T(sub b), and low C/I, coherent systems outperform noncoherent systems. However, the synchronization time of coherent systems is longer than that of noncoherent systems. Spectral efficiency, overall capacity, and related hardware complexity issues of these systems are also analyzed. We demonstrate that coherent systems have a simpler overall architecture (IF filter implementation-cost versus carrier recovery) and are more robust in an RF frequency drift environment. Additionally, the prediction tools, computer simulations, and analysis of coherent systems is simpler. The threshold or capture effect in low C/I interference environment is critical for noncoherent discriminator based systems. We conclude with a comparison of hardware architectures of coherent and of noncoherent systems, including recent trends in commercial VLSI technology and direct baseband to RF transmit, RF to baseband (0-IF) receiver implementation strategies.

Feher, Kamilo↗
NASA NTRS2019

Electra: A Modular-Based Expansion of NASA's Supercomputing Capability

NASA has increasingly relied on high-performance computing (HPC) re- sources for computational modeling, simulation, and data analysis to meet the science and engineering goals of its missions in space exploration, aeronautics, and Earth and space science. The NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif., hosts NASA’s premier supercomputing resources, integral to achieving and enhancing the success of the agency’s missions. NAS provides a balanced environment, funded under the High-End Computing Capability (HECC) project, comprised of world-class supercomputers, including its flagship distributed-memory cluster, Pleiades; high-speed networking; and massive data storage facilities, along with multi-disciplinary support teams for user support, code porting and optimization, and large-scale data analysis and scientific visualization. However, as scientists have increased the fidelity of their simulations and engineers are conducting larger parameter-space studies, the requirements for supercomputing resources have been growing by leaps and bounds. With the facility housing the HECC systems reaching its power and cooling capacity, NAS undertook a prototype project to investigate an alternative approach for housing supercomputers. Modular supercomputing, or container-based computing, is an innovative concept for expanding NASA’s HPC capabilities. With modular supercomputing, additional containers—similar to portable storage pods—can be connected together as needed to accommodate the agency’s ever-increasing demand for computing resources. In addition, taking advantage of the local weather permits the use of cooling technologies that would additionally save energy and reduce annual water usage. The first stage of NASA’s Modular Supercomputing Facility (MSF) prototype, which resulted in a 1,000 square-foot module on a concrete pad with room for 16 compute racks, was completed in Fall 2016 and an SGI (now HPE) computer system, named Electra, was deployed there in early 2017. Cooling is performed via an evaporative system built into the module, and preliminary experience shows a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measurement of 1.03. Electra achieved over a petaflop on the LINPACK benchmark, sufficient to rank number 96 on the November 2016 TOP500 list [14]. The system consists of 1,152 InfiniBand-connected Intel Xeon Broadwell-based nodes. Its users access their files on a facility-wide file system shared by all HECC compute assets via Mellanox MetroX InfiniBand extenders, which connect the Electra fabric to Lustre routers in the primary facility over fiber-optic links about 900 feet long. The MSF prototype has exceeded expectations and is serving as a blueprint for future expansions. In the remainder of this chapter, we detail how modular data center technology can be used to expand an existing compute resource. We begin by describing NASA’s requirements for supercomputing and how resources were provided prior to the integration of the Electra module-based system.

Biswas, Rupak↗
NASA NTRS2006

Characterization of Days Based On Analysis of National Airspace System Performance Metrics

Days of operations in the National Airspace System can be described in term of traffic demand, runway conditions, equipment outages, and surface and enroute weather conditions. These causes manifest themselves in terms of departure delays, arrival delays, enroute delays and traffic flow management delays, Traffic flow management initiatives such as, ground stops, ground delay programs, miles-in-trail restrictions, rerouting and airborne holding are imposed to balance the air traffic demand with respect to the available capacity, In order to maintain operational efficiency of the National Airspace System, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains delay sad other statistics in the Air Traffic Operations Network (OPSNET) and the Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) databases. OPSNET data includes reportable delays of fifteen minutes ox more experienced by Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) flights. Numbers of aircraft affected by departure delays, enroute delays, arrival delays and traffic flow delays are recorded in the OPSNET data. ASPM data consist of number of actual departures, number of canceled departures, percentage of on time departures, percentage of on time gate arrivals, taxi-out delays. taxi-in delays, gate delays, arrival delays and block delays. Surface conditions at the major U.S. airports are classified in terms of Instrument Meteorological Condition (IMC) and Visual Meteorological Condition (VMC) as a function of the time of the day in the ASPM data. The main objective of this paper is to use OPSNET and ASPM data to classify the days in the datasets into few distinct groups, where each group is separated from the other groups in terms of a distance metric. The motivations for classifying the days are two-fold, 1) to enable selection of days of traffic with particular operational characteristics for concept evaluation using system-wide simulation systems such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Airspace Concepts Evaluation Tool (ACES) and 2) to enable evaluation of a given day with respect to the characteristics of the classified groups. The first part of the paper is devoted to the analysis of major trends seen in the OPSNET and ASPM data. The second part of the paper is devoted to describing features or measures derived from the OPSNET and ASPM data that are suitable for characterizing days, and the classification algorithm used for grouping the days. Finally, the method for evaluating the characteristics of a given day with respect to the properties of the groups is described.

Chatterji, Gano B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Evaluation and characterization of the methane-carbon dioxide decomposition reaction

A program was conducted to evaluate and characterize the carbon dioxide-methane (CO2-CH4) decomposition reaction, i.e., CO2 + CH4 = 2C + 2H2O. The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of applying this reaction at low temperatures as a technique for recovering the oxygen (O2) remaining in the CO2 which exits mixed with CH4 from a Sabatier CO2 reduction subsystem (as part of an air revitalization system of a manned spacecraft). A test unit was designed, fabricated, and assembled for characterizing the performance of various catalysts for the reaction and ultraviolet activation of the CH4 and CO2. The reactor included in the test unit was designed to have sufficient capacity to evaluate catalyst charges of up to 76 g (0.17 lb). The test stand contained the necessary instrumentation and controls to obtain the data required to characterize the performance of the catalysts and sensitizers tested: flow control and measurement, temperature control and measurement, product and inlet gas analysis, and pressure measurement. A product assurance program was performed implementing the concepts of quality control and safety into the program effort.

Davenport, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Angular velocities, angular accelerations, and coriolis accelerations

Weightlessness, rotating environment, and mathematical analysis of Coriolis acceleration is described for man's biological effective force environments. Effects on the vestibular system are summarized, including the end organs, functional neurology, and input-output relations. Ground-based studies in preparation for space missions are examined, including functional tests, provocative tests, adaptive capacity tests, simulation studies, and antimotion sickness.

Ashton Graybiel↗
NASA NTRS1979

Turbine sizing of a solar thermal power plant

Since the insolation is intermittent, thermal energy storage is necessary to extend the time of power generation with solar heat past sunset. There are two approaches to specifying the size of turbine-generator units depending on the system operation. In the first approach, the turbine operates at its full capacity when operating on direct solar heat, and at reduced capacity when operating on collected heat out of energy storage. In the second approach, the turbine will always operate at a uniform level either on derated energy from the receiver or from energy storage. Both of these approaches have certain advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, a simple analysis is outlined and exercised to compare the performance and economics of these two approaches.

Manvi, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Program For Joule-Thomson Analysis Of Mixed Cryogens

JTMIX computer program predicts ideal and realistic properties of mixed gases at temperatures between 65 and 80 K. Performs Joule-Thomson analysis of any gaseous mixture of neon, nitrogen, various hydrocarbons, argon, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. When used in conjunction with DDMIX computer program of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), JTMIX accurately predicts order-of-magnitude increases in Joule-Thomson cooling capacities occuring when various hydrocarbons added to nitrogen. Also predicts boiling temperature of nitrogen depressed from normal value to as low as 60 K upon addition of neon. Written in Turbo C.

Jones, Jack A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Data Link Performance Analysis for LVLASO Experiments

Low-visibility Landing and Surface Operations System (LVLASO) is currently being prototyped and tested at NASA Langley Research Center. Since the main objective of the system is to maintain the aircraft landings and take-offs even during low-visibility conditions, timely exchange of positional and other information between the aircraft and the ground control is critical. For safety and reliability reasons, there are several redundant sources on the ground (e.g., ASDE, AMASS) that collect and disseminate information about the environment to the aircrafts. The data link subsystem of LVLASO is responsible for supporting the timely transfer of information between the aircrafts and the ground controllers. In fact, if not properly designed, the data link subsystem could become a bottleneck in the proper functioning of LVLASO. Currently, the other components of the system are being designed assuming that the data link has adequate capacity and is capable of delivering the information in a timely manner. During August 1-28, 1997, several flight experiments were conducted to test the prototypes of subsystems developed under LVLASO project, The back-round and details of the tests are described in the next section. The test results have been collected in two CDs by FAA and Rockwell-Collins. Under the current grant, we have analyzed the data and evaluated the performance of the Mode S datalink. In this report, we summarize the results of our analysis. Much of the results are shown in terms of graphs or histograms. The test date (or experiment number) was often taken as the X-axis and the Y-axis denotes whatever metric of focus in that chart. In interpreting these charts, one need to take into account the vehicular traffic during a particular experiment. In general, the performance of the data link was found to be quite satisfactory in terms of delivering long and short Mode S squitters from the vehicles to the ground receiver, Similarly, its performance in delivering control messages from the ground control to the vehicles (aircrafts) was also satisfactory. The report is organized as follows. In Section 2, we describe the background information for the LVLASO and the system flight experiments. Section 3 contains formats of the performance data that was analyzed during our research. Section 4 describes different experiments flight experiments and their setup. Section 5 analyzes each of the graphs produced in this report. Finally, Section 6 has a summary of observations that we make based on our research.

Mukkamala, Ravi↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flat-plate solar array project. Volume 5: Process development

The goal of the Process Development Area, as part of the Flat-Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project, was to develop and demonstrate solar cell fabrication and module assembly process technologies required to meet the cost, lifetime, production capacity, and performance goals of the FSA Project. R&D efforts expended by Government, Industry, and Universities in developing processes capable of meeting the projects goals during volume production conditions are summarized. The cost goals allocated for processing were demonstrated by small volume quantities that were extrapolated by cost analysis to large volume production. To provide proper focus and coverage of the process development effort, four separate technology sections are discussed: surface preparation, junction formation, metallization, and module assembly.

Gallagher, B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Lunar landing and launch facilities and operations

A preliminary design of a lunar landing and launch facility for a Phase 3 lunar base is formulated. A single multipurpose vehicle for the lunar module is assumed. Three traffic levels are envisioned: 6, 12, and 24 landings/launches per year. The facility is broken down into nine major design items. A conceptual description of each of these items is included. Preliminary sizes, capacities, and/or other relevant design data for some of these items are obtained. A quonset hut tent-like structure constructed of aluminum rods and aluminized mylar panels is proposed. This structure is used to provide a constant thermal environment for the lunar modules. A structural design and thermal analysis is presented. Two independent designs for a bridge crane to unload/load heavy cargo from the lunar module are included. Preliminary investigations into cryogenic propellant storage and handling, landing/launch guidance and control, and lunar module maintenance requirements are performed. Also, an initial study into advanced concepts for application to Phase 4 or 5 lunar bases has been completed in a report on capturing, condensing, and recycling the exhaust plume from a lunar launch.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Development of Models for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Technologies for Spacecraft Air Revitalization

Through the respiration process, humans consume oxygen (O2) while producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as byproducts. For long term space exploration, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere must be managed to prevent hypercapnia. Moreover, CO2 can be used as a source of oxygen through chemical reduction serving to minimize the amount of oxygen required at launch. Reduction can be achieved through a number of techniques. NASA is currently exploring the Sabatier reaction, the Bosch reaction, and co- electrolysis of CO2 and H2O for this process. Proof-of-concept experiments and prototype units for all three processes have proven capable of returning useful commodities for space exploration. All three techniques have demonstrated the capacity to reduce CO2 in the laboratory, yet there is interest in understanding how all three techniques would perform at a system level within a spacecraft. Consequently, there is an impetus to develop predictive models for these processes that can be readily rescaled and integrated into larger system models. Such analysis tools provide the ability to evaluate each technique on a comparable basis with respect to processing rates. This manuscript describes the current models for the carbon dioxide reduction processes under parallel developmental efforts. Comparison to experimental data is provided were available for verification purposes.

Swickrath, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

LIRA: Probing the Lunar Surface for Resources.

The thermal, compositional and electrical properties of the lunar regolith, such as the triboelectric properties of lunar dust, the volatile content and the thermophysical properties of the polar regolith are essential to understand from a scientific perspective as well as for resource extraction and hazard mitigation. Understanding these properties specifically requires in situ measurement, as these properties are inherent in the ambient environment. With the Lunar In situ Regolith Analyzer (LIRA) we will combine mature surface sensor technologies from previous spacecraft missions (TECP) with new sensors (ClO4- ) and battery capability to achieve a compact in situ analysis package. The surface instrument suite is adapted for lunar conditions from a sensor developed as part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument on the 2007 Mars Phoenix mission, as well as supplemental sensors. • The Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP), flown on MECA/Phoenix, which measures heat capacity, thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, and electrical permittivity between needles inserted into the soil. The TECP also measured atmospheric humidity, a capability that will be retained to search for subsurface H2O ice. The Mars TECP weighed 100-gram and by definition was at TRL 9. The lunar version (LIRA) is TRL 4. • The Perchlorate (ClO4) sensor is based on the fluorescence property of perchlorate (Mg, Fe, Na). We added a light source to excite the perchlorate (ClO4) and a photo diode to collect the emission wavelength. A sun-shade over the photo diode blocks out the ambient light during day light hours. The unifying goal of LIRA is to deliver a complete, integrated experiment suite that investigates properties that must be measured in situ, and provides the capability to power the suite at night or in PSRs, as well as a means to simulate aspects of the diurnal transition by delivering an optical pulse to the surface with intensity comparable to sunlight. We describe the scientific context of LIRA, touching on the electrical state of the near-surface environment, the thermal properties of the undisturbed regolith, and the distribution, geochemistry, and mobility of water. We also address the exploration implications of the work, examining hazards and resources in the context of strategic knowledge gaps (SKGs).

Heather Smith↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling 238U/204Pb (μ) and Initial Pb of Lunar Meteorite Northwest Africa 12593

Apatite Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (F, Cl, OH) serves as a valuable analytical resource. It is the only nominally hydrous phase on the moon and possesses the capacity to concentrate elements like U, Th, Pb, and rare earth elements (REE). This characteristic facilitates its use in U-Pb and Pb-Pb geochronology, allowing for the determination of the initial isotopic Pb and the -238 U/ -204 Pb ratio (μ) of the parent melt. In situ analysis of apatite grains can provide a detailed record of geochemical changes, revealing the broader petrogenetic and volatile history of the source material. This mineral is particularly informative in understanding the developmental history of its source. In situ analyses are crucial for lunar samples, predominantly composed of breccias, where correlating distinct grains with whole rock analyses poses challenges. This study utilizes in situ apatite isotopic analysis of apatite grains in lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 12593 and model the initial Pb isotopic composition and -238 U/ -204 Pb (μ) of the source. We present in situ Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) Pb-Pb analyses of 12 apatite grains in Northwest Africa (NWA) 12593 to test two hypotheses: 1) NWA 12593 clasts and matrix are closely related and from the same source, and 2) the matrix material previously documented as having a highland affinity has a lower modeled μ then KREEP.

K M Lehman Franco↗