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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 631 records · Page 35

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NASA NTRS2009

One NASA PEM qualification standard : comparison of JPL and GSFC standards

Although use of Plastic Encapsulated Microelectronics (PEMs) in space applications is discouraged, their use is mandatory for selected applications involving the need for advanced technology and small packages. Various space systems designers and manufacturers have developed methods to qualify and screen PEMs. In general, each procedure is different. The purpose of this fiscal year’s investigation is to initiate a process to coordinate the efforts at various NASA centers to eventually develop a One NASA method. Part of this activity includes sharing of test data and PEM qualification methodologies. Various experts in the NASA community were identified and contacted to support this effort. We were successful in finding such experts at GSFC, APL and the Constellation office (Orion and Ares). All these experts provided typical qualification program plans. Since funding was severely restricted, it was decided to concentrate on coordination activity with GSFC. GSFC is planning a new version of IEEE-INST-002 section applying to PEMs. The GSFC expert (Dr. Alexander Teverovsky) provided a detailed assessment of the differences between the planned new version of IEEE-INST-002 and the JPL-D-19426 (JPL guideline) as well as a summary rationale for the decisions within the IEEE-INST-002. It should be noted that GSFC’s assessment of IEEE-INST-002 in the area of PEMs is not finalized. JPL is also considering changes in PEM qualification methodologies based on test data from recent qualification testing for their newer Projects (MSL, Grail, Juno). A spreadsheet delineating the differences between the JPL standard and the GSFC standard is presented.

Cooper, Mark↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development and Testing of a New Partial Gravity Urine Processor Design and Urine Pretreatment

The Planetary Urine Processor (PUP) is a urine distillation system for lunar or planetary applications, taking advantage of local gravity for phase separation as well as the movement and storage of waste feeds and distillate. The PUP utilizes a stationary evaporator with an integrated disposable bag to process urine and capture remaining precipitates. This system aims to increase water reclamation percentage to greater than 96%, reduce resource requirements, and enhance reliability and maintainability due to lower system complexity over the existing water recovery system on the International Space Station (ISS). This paper focuses on the hardware development, testing efforts, and the associated urine pretreatment development work.

Water Recovery↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development and Testing of a New Partial Gravity Urine Processor Design and Urine Pretreatment

Water Recovery↗

NASA NTRS1986

Modified Petri net model sensitivity to workload manipulations

Modified Petri Nets (MPNs) are investigated as a workload modeling tool. The results of an exploratory study of the sensitivity of MPNs to work load manipulations in a dual task are described. Petri nets have been used to represent systems with asynchronous, concurrent and parallel activities (Peterson, 1981). These characteristics led some researchers to suggest the use of Petri nets in workload modeling where concurrent and parallel activities are common. Petri nets are represented by places and transitions. In the workload application, places represent operator activities and transitions represent events. MPNs have been used to formally represent task events and activities of a human operator in a man-machine system. Some descriptive applications demonstrate the usefulness of MPNs in the formal representation of systems. It is the general hypothesis herein that in addition to descriptive applications, MPNs may be useful for workload estimation and prediction. The results are reported of the first of a series of experiments designed to develop and test a MPN system of workload estimation and prediction. This first experiment is a screening test of MPN model general sensitivity to changes in workload. Positive results from this experiment will justify the more complicated analyses and techniques necessary for developing a workload prediction system.

White, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1995

The Design and Testing of the LSSIF Advanced Thermal Control System

The Life Support Systems Integration Facility (LSSIF) provides a platform to design and evaluate advanced manned space systems at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). The LSSIF Early Human Testing Initiative requires the integration of such subsystems to enable human occupancy of the 6 meter chamber for a 90 day closed volume test. The Advanced Thermal Control System (TCS) is an important component of the integrated system by supplying coolant to the subsystems within the chamber, such as the Air Revitalization System. The TCS incorporates an advanced high efficiency, heat pump to reject waste heat from the chamber to an external sink or 'lift' temperature that emulates a Lunar environment. The heat pump is the High Lift Heat Pump, developed by Foster-Miller, Inc., and is the main test article of the TCS. The heat pump prototype utilizes a non-CFC refrigerant in a design where the thermal requirements exceed existing terrestrial technology. These operating requirements provide a unique opportunity to design and test an advanced integrated thermal system and the associated controls. The design, control, and systems integration of the heat pump and the TCS also have terrestrial technology application. This paper addresses the design of the TCS and the heat pump, along with the control scheme to fully test the heat pump. Design approaches utilized in the LSSIF TCS are promoted for implementation in terrestrial thermal systems. The results of the preliminary thermal and fluid analyses used to develop the control of the thermal systems will also be discussed. The paper includes objectives for the 90 day human test and the test setup. Finally, conclusions will be drawn and recommendations for Earth design application are submitted.

Henson, Robert A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Design of a Glenn Research Center Solar Field Grid-Tied Photovoltaic Power System

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) designed, developed, and installed, a 37.5 kW DC photovoltaic (PV) Solar Field in the GRC West Area in the 1970s for the purpose of testing PV panels for various space and terrestrial applications. The PV panels are arranged to provide a nominal 120 VDC. The GRC Solar Field has been extremely successful in meeting its mission. The PV panels and the supporting electrical systems are all near their end of life. GRC has designed a 72 kW DC grid-tied PV power system to replace the existing GRC West Area Solar Field. The 72 kW DC grid-tied PV power system will provide DC solar power for GRC PV testing applications, and provide AC facility power for all times that research power is not required. A grid-tied system is connected directly to the utility distribution grid. Facility power can be obtained from the utility system as normal. The PV system is synchronized with the utility system to provide power for the facility, and excess power is provided to the utility for use by all. The project transfers space technology to terrestrial use via nontraditional partners. GRC personnel glean valuable experience with PV power systems that are directly applicable to various space power systems, and provide valuable space program test data. PV power systems help to reduce harmful emissions and reduce the Nation s dependence on fossil fuels. Power generated by the PV system reduces the GRC utility demand, and the surplus power aids the community. Present global energy concerns reinforce the need for the development of alternative energy systems. Modern PV panels are readily available, reliable, efficient, and economical with a life expectancy of at least 25 years. Modern electronics has been the enabling technology behind grid-tied power systems, making them safe, reliable, efficient, and economical with a life expectancy of at least 25 years. The report concludes that the GRC West Area grid-tied PV power system design is viable for a reliable, maintenance free, long life power system that is of significant value to NASA and the community.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Intelligent systems technology infrastructure for integrated systems

A system infrastructure must be properly designed and integrated from the conceptual development phase to accommodate evolutionary intelligent technologies. Several technology development activities were identified that may have application to rendezvous and capture systems. Optical correlators in conjunction with fuzzy logic control might be used for the identification, tracking, and capture of either cooperative or non-cooperative targets without the intensive computational requirements associated with vision processing. A hybrid digital/analog system was developed and tested with a robotic arm. An aircraft refueling application demonstration is planned within two years. Initially this demonstration will be ground based with a follow-on air based demonstration. System dependability measurement and modeling techniques are being developed for fault management applications. This involves usage of incremental solution/evaluation techniques and modularized systems to facilitate reuse and to take advantage of natural partitions in system models. Though not yet commercially available and currently subject to accuracy limitations, technology is being developed to perform optical matrix operations to enhance computational speed. Optical terrain recognition using camera image sequencing processed with optical correlators is being developed to determine position and velocity in support of lander guidance. The system is planned for testing in conjunction with Dryden Flight Research Facility. Advanced architecture technology is defining open architecture design constraints, test bed concepts (processors, multiple hardware/software and multi-dimensional user support, knowledge/tool sharing infrastructure), and software engineering interface issues.

Lum, Henry↗

NASA NTRS1986

Multimegawatt nuclear electric propulsion - First order system design and performance evaluation

The development of space nuclear power supplies capable of delivering high levels of power (1 to 10 MWe) for long life (5 to 10 years) is being considered. An important potential application of these systems will be to provide power for advanced electric propulsion devices such as ion thrusters or Magneto-Plasma-Dynamic (MPD) thrusters. High-powered Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) concepts based on both ion and MPD thrusters are reviewed. To allow for mission performance evaluation, power supply, power processing, and thruster subsystems are characterized for both ion and MPD propulsion systems designed for operation in the 1 to 10 MWe power range. Several proposed missions which are significantly enhanced by the performance potential of these devices are investigated. Studied missions include near-earth orbit raising, cis-lunar cargo transportation, and planetary exploration. If developed, these 1 to 10 MWe NEP systems may provide a technological base for the development of even larger propulsion systems with power levels of up to hundreds of megawatts. The potential performance and technologies associated with such ultra-high-powered NEP systems is explored.

Sercel, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS2011

MOS 2.0: Modeling the Next Revolutionary Mission Operations System

Designed and implemented in the 1980's, the Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS) was a breakthrough for deep-space NASA missions, enabling significant reductions in the cost and risk of implementing ground systems. By designing a framework for use across multiple missions and adaptability to specific mission needs, AMMOS developers created a set of applications that have operated dozens of deep-space robotic missions over the past 30 years. We seek to leverage advances in technology and practice of architecting and systems engineering, using model-based approaches to update the AMMOS. We therefore revisit fundamental aspects of the AMMOS, resulting in a major update to the Mission Operations System (MOS): MOS 2.0. This update will ensure that the MOS can support an increasing range of mission types, (such as orbiters, landers, rovers, penetrators and balloons), and that the operations systems for deep-space robotic missions can reap the benefits of an iterative multi-mission framework.12 This paper reports on the first phase of this major update. Here we describe the methods and formal semantics used to address MOS 2.0 architecture and some early results. Early benefits of this approach include improved stakeholder input and buy-in, the ability to articulate and focus effort on key, system-wide principles, and efficiency gains obtained by use of well-architected design patterns and the use of models to improve the quality of documentation and decrease the effort required to produce and maintain it. We find that such methods facilitate reasoning, simulation, analysis on the system design in terms of design impacts, generation of products (e.g., project-review and software-delivery products), and use of formal process descriptions to enable goal-based operations. This initial phase yields a forward-looking and principled MOS 2.0 architectural vision, which considers both the mission-specific context and long-term system sustainability.

ground support systems↗

NASA NTRS1993

LDEF archival system plan

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) has provided the first significant opportunity to extensively study the space environment and its effects upon spacecraft systems and materials. The long-term value of the data obtained from LDEF, which is applicable to a wide range of areas including space environment definition, space environmental effects, and spacecraft design, will depend upon the system developed to archive and retrieve the data. Therefore, in addition to the large effort undertaken to analyze LDEF data, a substantial effort is also necessary in order to retain and disseminate LDEF resources for future research and design. W. J. Schafer Associates, Inc., has a task subcontract to develop the LDEF archival system. The LDEF resources include data, hardware, photographic records, and publications which cover the 20-year history of LDEF from concept design through data analysis. Chronologically, prelaunch resources include documentation of facility and experiment development, testing integration, and operation. Post-retrieval resources are the observations, testing, analysis, and publications since the January 1990 retrieval of LDEF. A third set of resources is the experiment and facility hardware and specimens, including more than 10,000 test specimens flown on LDEF and subsequently divided and distributed among investigators at numerous laboratories. Many valuable science and technology investigations were undertaken with LDEF experiments and hardware, and many more investigations are being identified in areas not yet explored. LDEF data applications encompass primarily low-Earth orbit spacecraft and structures. The nearly six-year space exposure of LDEF has provided data to evaluate materials, systems, and living specimens exposed to radiation, meteoroids, debris, and other constituents of the low-Earth environment. Structural, mechanical, electrical, optical, and thermal systems were studied, and materials with applications in all aspects of space systems were exposed to the space environment. The objectives of the LDEF archival system are to maintain the existing LDEF hardware, data, analysis, publications, and photographs as a long term resource, and to provide a quick and simple mechanism by which LDEF resources can be identified, located, and applied.

Wilson, Brenda K.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Pressurized Payloads Interface Requirements Document: International Space Station Program

This Interface Requirements Document (IRD) is the principle source for interface design requirements for all National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed payloads operating in the pressurized volume of the ISS, and for ESA and JAXA payloads operated in the USOS (all non-Russian modules except JEM and Columbus). Payload developers must verify the applicable requirements in this document to ensure the safety of the ISS crew, transport vehicles, on-orbit ISS systems hardware, and neighboring payloads. This document also provides design guidance that ensures the basic operation of the payload and affects the payload's mission success. It is the responsibility of the payload developer (PD) to design in accordance with the design guidance.

Nelson, George C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Computer-Assisted Monitoring Of A Complex System

Propulsion System Advisor (PSA) computer-based system assists engineers and technicians in analyzing masses of sensory data indicative of operating conditions of space shuttle propulsion system during pre-launch and launch activities. Designed solely for monitoring; does not perform any control functions. Although PSA developed for highly specialized application, serves as prototype of noncontrolling, computer-based subsystems for monitoring other complex systems like electric-power-distribution networks and factories.

Beil, Bob J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Developments in the design, analysis, and fabrication of advanced technology transmission elements

Over the last decade, the presently reported proprietary development program for the reduction of helicopter drive system weight and cost and the enhancement of reliability and survivability has produced high speed roller bearings, resin-matrix composite rotor shafts and transmission housings, gear/bearing/shaft system integrations, photoelastic investigation methods for gear tooth strength, and the automatic generation of complex FEM models for gear/shaft systems. After describing the design features and performance capabilities of the hardware developed, attention is given to the prospective benefits to be derived from application of these technologies, with emphasis on the relationship between helicopter drive system performance and cost.

Drago, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A nonrecursive order N preconditioned conjugate gradient: Range space formulation of MDOF dynamics

While excellent progress has been made in deriving algorithms that are efficient for certain combinations of system topologies and concurrent multiprocessing hardware, several issues must be resolved to incorporate transient simulation in the control design process for large space structures. Specifically, strategies must be developed that are applicable to systems with numerous degrees of freedom. In addition, the algorithms must have a growth potential in that they must also be amenable to implementation on forthcoming parallel system architectures. For mechanical system simulation, this fact implies that algorithms are required that induce parallelism on a fine scale, suitable for the emerging class of highly parallel processors; and transient simulation methods must be automatically load balancing for a wider collection of system topologies and hardware configurations. These problems are addressed by employing a combination range space/preconditioned conjugate gradient formulation of multi-degree-of-freedom dynamics. The method described has several advantages. In a sequential computing environment, the method has the features that: by employing regular ordering of the system connectivity graph, an extremely efficient preconditioner can be derived from the 'range space metric', as opposed to the system coefficient matrix; because of the effectiveness of the preconditioner, preliminary studies indicate that the method can achieve performance rates that depend linearly upon the number of substructures, hence the title 'Order N'; and the method is non-assembling. Furthermore, the approach is promising as a potential parallel processing algorithm in that the method exhibits a fine parallel granularity suitable for a wide collection of combinations of physical system topologies/computer architectures; and the method is easily load balanced among processors, and does not rely upon system topology to induce parallelism.

Kurdila, Andrew J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Distributed computing environments for future space control systems

The aim of this paper is to present the results of a CNES research project on distributed computing systems. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of the use of new computer technologies in the design and development of future space applications. The first part of this study was a state-of-the-art review of distributed computing systems. One of the interesting ideas arising from this review is the concept of a 'virtual computer' allowing the distributed hardware architecture to be hidden from a software application. The 'virtual computer' can improve system performance by adapting the best architecture (addition of computers) to the software application without having to modify its source code. This concept can also decrease the cost and obsolescence of the hardware architecture. In order to verify the feasibility of the 'virtual computer' concept, a prototype representative of a distributed space application is being developed independently of the hardware architecture.

Viallefont, Pierre↗

NASA NTRS1985

Systems approach to software fault tolerance

Computing systems are employed for aerospace applications with high reliability requirements. In order to provide the needed reliability, it was necessary to make use of computing systems with fault-tolerance characteristics. Traditionally, fault tolerance is achieved through the use of hardware redundance. However, fault-tolerant techniques based on suitable software design considerations have also been developed. The present paper is concerned with the major issues arising in the context of an application of fault-tolerant software techniques to dynamic systems. Attention is given to fault-tolerant flight software, software component stability, system stability with fault-tolerant software, the preservation of functional performance, N-version vs. recovery blocks in flight software, systems-based software, static and dynamic models, static and dynamic consistency tests, and recovery block initialization.

Caglayan, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines (SWEGs)

As the protection of crew health is a primary focus of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Space and Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) is vigilant in setting potable water limits for spaceflight that are health protective. Additional it is important that exposure limits not be set so stringently that water purification systems are unnecessarily over designed. With these considerations in mind, NASA has partnered with the National Research Council on Toxicology (NRCCOT) to develop spacecraft water exposure guidelines (SWEGs) for application in spaceflight systems. Based on documented guidance (NRC, 2000) NASA has established 28 SWEGs for chemical components that are particularly relevant to water systems on the International Space Station, the Shuttle and looking forward to Constellation.

John T James↗

NASA NTRS1986

The Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological Experiment (COHMEX)

The Satellite Precipitation and Cloud Experiment, the Microburst and Severe Thunderstorm, and the FAA Lincoln Laboratories Operational Weather Studies of the COHMEX are described. The precipitation and cloud experiment focuses on the prestorm period in order to observe the physical processes leading to the formation of small convective systems. Aircraft, remote sensing and rewinsonde data are utilized to determine various storm/environment characteristics. Doppler velocity and reflectivity of microburst clouds are studied to evaluate the three-dimensional structure of microbursts from thunderstorms. The weather studies are designed to develop and test automatic algorithms for wind shear detection using Doppler weather radars. The application of satellite systems to data collection for these experiments is discussed.

Dodge, J.↗