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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Large eddy simulation and direct numerical simulation of high speed turbulent reacting flows

The objective of this research is to make use of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) for the computational analyses of high speed reacting flows. Our efforts in the first phase of this research conducted within the past three years have been directed in several issues pertaining to intricate physics of turbulent reacting flows. In our previous 5 semi-annual reports submitted to NASA LaRC, as well as several technical papers in archival journals, the results of our investigations have been fully described. In this progress report which is different in format as compared to our previous documents, we focus only on the issue of LES. The reason for doing so is that LES is the primary issue of interest to our Technical Monitor and that our other findings were needed to support the activities conducted under this prime issue. The outcomes of our related investigations, nevertheless, are included in the appendices accompanying this report. The relevance of the materials in these appendices are, therefore, discussed only briefly within the body of the report. Here, results are presented of a priori and a posterior analyses for validity assessments of assumed Probability Density Function (PDF) methods as potential subgrid scale (SGS) closures for LES of turbulent reacting flows. Simple non-premixed reacting systems involving an isothermal reaction of the type A + B yields Products under both chemical equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions are considered. A priori analyses are conducted of a homogeneous box flow, and a spatially developing planar mixing layer to investigate the performance of the Pearson Family of PDF's as SGS models. A posteriori analyses are conducted of the mixing layer using a hybrid one-equation Smagorinsky/PDF SGS closure. The Smagorinsky closure augmented by the solution of the subgrid turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) equation is employed to account for hydrodynamic fluctuations, and the PDF is employed for modeling the effects of scalar fluctuations. The implementation of the model requires the knowledge of the local values of the first two SGS moments. These are provided by additional modeled transport equations. In both a priori and a posteriori analyses, the predicted results are appraised by comparison with subgrid averaged results generated by DNS. Based on these results, the paths to be followed in future investigations are identified.

Adumitroaie, V.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Hydroponics Database and Handbook for the Advanced Life Support Test Bed

During the summer 1998, I did student assistance to Dr. Daniel J. Barta, chief plant growth expert at Johnson Space Center - NASA. We established the preliminary stages of a hydroponic crop growth database for the Advanced Life Support Systems Integration Test Bed, otherwise referred to as BIO-Plex (Biological Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex). The database summarizes information from published technical papers by plant growth experts, and it includes bibliographical, environmental and harvest information based on plant growth under varying environmental conditions. I collected 84 lettuce entries, 14 soybean, 49 sweet potato, 16 wheat, 237 white potato, and 26 mix crop entries. The list will grow with the publication of new research. This database will be integrated with a search and systems analysis computer program that will cross-reference multiple parameters to determine optimum edible yield under varying parameters. Also, we have made preliminary effort to put together a crop handbook for BIO-Plex plant growth management. It will be a collection of information obtained from experts who provided recommendations on a particular crop's growing conditions. It includes bibliographic, environmental, nutrient solution, potential yield, harvest nutritional, and propagation procedure information. This handbook will stand as the baseline growth conditions for the first set of experiments in the BIO-Plex facility.

Allen J Nasb↗
NASA NTRS2000

Vertical Lift: Not Just for Terrestrial Flight

Autonomous vertical lift vehicles hold considerable potential for supporting planetary science and exploration missions. This paper discusses several technical aspects of vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles in general, and specifically addresses technical challenges and work to date examining notional vertical lift vehicles for Mars, Titan, and Venus exploration.

Young, Larry A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Optimizing the NASA Technical Report Server

The NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS), a World Wide Web report distribution NASA technical publications service, is modified for performance enhancement, greater protocol support, and human interface optimization. Results include: Parallel database queries, significantly decreasing user access times by an average factor of 2.3; access from clients behind firewalls and/ or proxies which truncate excessively long Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); access to non-Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) databases and compatibility with the 239-50.3 protocol; and a streamlined user interface.

Nelson, Michael L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Vertical Lift - Not Just For Terrestrial Flight

Autonomous vertical lift vehicles hold considerable potential for supporting planetary science and exploration missions. This paper discusses several technical aspects of vertical lift planetary aerial vehicles in general, and specifically addresses technical challenges and work to date examining notional vertical lift vehicles for Mars, Titan, and Venus exploration.

VERTICAL TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT↗
NASA NTRS2010

Northrop Grumman TR202 LOX/LH2 Deep Throttling Engine Technology Project Status

NASA's Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) project is currently developing enabling propulsion technologies in support of future lander missions. To meet lander requirements, several technical challenges need to be overcome, one of which is the ability for the descent engine(s) to operate over a deep throttle range with cryogenic propellants. To address this need, PCAD has enlisted Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) in a technology development effort associated with the TR202 engine. The TR202 is a LOX/LH2 expander cycle engine driven by independent turbopump assemblies and featuring a variable area pintle injector similar to the injector used on the TR200 Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE). Since the Apollo missions, NGAS has continued to mature deep throttling pintle injector technology. The TR202 program has completed two series of pintle injector testing. The first series of testing used ablative thrust chambers and demonstrated igniter operation as well as stable performance at discrete points throughout the designed 10:1 throttle range. The second series was conducted with calorimeter chambers and demonstrated injector performance at discrete points throughout the throttle range as well as chamber heat flow adequate to power an expander cycle design across the throttle range. This paper provides an overview of the TR202 program, describing the different phases and key milestones. It describes how test data was correlated to the engine conceptual design. The test data obtained has created a valuable database for deep throttling cryogenic pintle technology, a technology that is readily scalable in thrust level.

Gromski, Jason↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Missions Inspire Online Video Games

Fast forward to 2035. Imagine being part of a community of astronauts living and working on the Moon. Suddenly, in the middle of just another day in space, a meteorite crashes into the surface of the Moon, threatening life as you know it. The support equipment that provides oxygen for the entire community has been compromised. What would you do? While this situation is one that most people will never encounter, NASA hopes to place students in such situations - virtually - to inspire, engage, and educate about NASA technologies, job opportunities, and the future of space exploration. Specifically, NASA s Learning Technologies program, part of the Agency s Office of Education, aims to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines through interactive technologies. The ultimate goal of these educational programs is to support the growth of a pool of qualified scientific and technical candidates for future careers at places like NASA. STEM education has been an area of concern in the United States; according to the results of the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment, 23 countries had higher average scores in mathematics literacy than the United States. On the science literacy scale, 18 countries had higher average scores. "This is part of a much bigger picture of trying to grow skilled graduates for places like NASA that will want that technical expertise," says Daniel Laughlin, the Learning Technologies project manager at Goddard Space Flight Center. "NASA is trying to increase the number of students going into those fields, and so are other government agencies."

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2016

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) Final Report

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) was a two-month effort, chartered by NASA, to provide timely inputs for mission requirement formulation in support of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) Requirements Closure Technical Interchange Meeting held December 15-16, 2015, to assist in developing an initial list of potential mission investigations, and to provide input on potential hosted payloads and partnerships. The FAST explored several aspects of potential science benefits and knowledge gain from the ARM. Expertise from the science, engineering, and technology communities was represented in exploring lines of inquiry related to key characteristics of the ARRM reference target asteroid (2008 EV5) for engineering design purposes. Specific areas of interest included target origin, spatial distribution and size of boulders, surface geotechnical properties, boulder physical properties, and considerations for boulder handling, crew safety, and containment. In order to increase knowledge gain potential from the mission, opportunities for partnerships and accompanying payloads were also investigated. Potential investigations could be conducted to reduce mission risks and increase knowledge return in the areas of science, planetary defense, asteroid resources and in-situ resource utilization, and capability and technology demonstrations. This report represents the FASTâ€"TM"s final product for the ARM.

Mazanek, Daniel D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

ESTA Exit Report

The Energy Test System's Area (ESTA) provides test capabilities and facilities to develop, evaluate or certify hardware in support of human spaceflight. The branch has a few different technical areas including pyrotechnics, batteries, electrical systems, power systems, propulsion and fluids. I will be mainly worked in the propulsion and fluids area. The tests/activities include testing the fluid and energy conversion systems that are required for the exploration and development of space. This group includes function and vibration tests, as well as thermal and vacuum tests. I was trained and certified as an ESTA test director in order to work on tests and sub tests with my mentor as well as the rest of the ESTA team. As a test director, I had the responsibility and authority for planning, developing, safety, execution and reporting on assigned test programs.

Lundebjerg, Kristen↗
NASA NTRS2019

Lunar Hydrogen Infrastructure

This presentation uses recent developments and discoveries to provide a high-level technical overview of a hydrogen-based energy infrastructure that supports sustained exploration of the moon. Combining creative orbital mechanics, robotic mining and process automation techniques, humanity can use lunar resources to generate the necessary propellant to support the transportation of cargo and humans between multiple points in the cis-lunar space. Robotic systems could collect water by either directly collecting the water entrained in the lunar regolith or by processing minerals found in the lunar regolith. These robotic systems could then electrolyze the water to generate high quality hydrogen and oxygen propellant and capitalize on the very low temperatures (< 15 Kelvin) in permanently shadowed regions (PSR) to maintain these propellants in a cryogenic state. Uncrewed service vehicles could distribute this lunar-generated resource throughout the cis-lunar space to intermediary waystations, like the Gateway. These platforms enable larger payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by providing the propellant necessary to travel through the cis-lunar space without requiring launch mass to lift the propellant and supporting tankage into LEO from the Earth's surface. Delivering 1 kg to LEO from the lunar surface reduces the propellant mass of the launch vehicle from Earth by 7 kg to 11.3 kg, depending on the final destination. By leveraging resources among multiple nations and corporations, this exploration infrastructure potentially can be both fiscally self-supporting and enable more organizations to sustain a human presence on the moon.

Lunar Architecture↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

My Life as a NASA Test Subject

In addition to Joe McMann’s duties as project engineer and technical manager, he was a test subject for spacesuits, life support systems, and other systems under his purview for over 18 years. During this Spacesuit Knowledge Capture event, he shared his experiences as a test subject during the Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle Programs, which include both comical and serious lessons learned.

Joe McMann↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dissertation Defense: Three Papers on Organizational Decision-Making and Change at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

This is a three-paper dissertation that responds to a call for empirical research on stakeholder influence in the implementation of evaluation recommendations. The literature is consistent but mostly theoretical: stakeholder participation should positively influence and increase the probability of implementation (see e.g., Christie, 2011; Cousins & Earl, 1992; Fetterman, 2004). In response, I use two Goddard Space Flight Center engineering technical training and development programs to build a causal argument supporting my proposition that stakeholder influence in the logic modeling process impacts organizational decision-making and change. I first introduce the logic modeling process as a tool to involve stakeholders in program and evaluation design (paper 1); then use the data collection process to implement the collaboratively constructed logic model outcomes (paper 2); and, finally, I triangulate the data using the Toal (2009) Evaluation Involvement Scale (paper 3). I do this to “increase the validity of the findings” (Noble & Heale, 2019, p. 67) and to garner potential mechanisms. I found that stakeholder participation in the logic modeling process positively influenced the use of data to inform recommendations which in turn positively influenced implementation of evaluation recommendations. I identified the process itself as the mechanism and the key decision points as links or influencers. Potential factors included power and interest (measured by role) and time-on-job.

organizational decision-making↗
NASA NTRS2023

Distributed Sensing and Reasoning for Advanced Air Mobility Health Management and Mission Assurance

As envisioned, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) will introduce new vehicles and operations within the national airspace, moving people and cargo safely and efficiently at a much larger scale than today. Driven by transformative technology and revolutionary aircraft, this movement must still manage technical, regulatory, operational, and policy challenges. NASA’s work in support of AAM and UAM includes, but is not limited to tools, technologies, and architectures for distributed sensing of aircraft, data & reasoning services exchange, Human-Autonomy Teaming (HAT), contingency management, and vehicle health management. This paper builds upon these concepts and evaluates the use of distributed sensing and infrastructure assistance towards health management and mission assurance of UAM vehicles in specific operational scenarios. Through analysis of these example missions, aided by the data produced by the conceptual distributed sensing and reasoning infrastructure, we define opportunities for state estimation, diagnosis, and key decision points affecting the health state of the vehicle and the airspace volume. As a result, we define a number of measurable health state parameters providing relevant information to drive decision-making in contingency situations or feed automation tools in support of operators and managers.

Safety↗
NASA NTRS1989

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis project

The Annual Report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1988 research activities and accomplishments, for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division. The ECUT Biocatalysis Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of universities, industrial companies and government research laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: (1) The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes research on modeling of biological systems, developing rigorous methods for the prediction of three-dimensional (tertiary) protein structure from the amino acid sequence (primary structure) for designing new biocatalysis, defining kinetic models of biocatalyst reactivity, and developing genetically engineered solutions to the generic technical barriers that preclude widespread application of biocatalysis. (2) The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields and lower separation energetics. Results of work within this work element will be used to establish the technical feasibility of critical bioprocess monitoring and control subsystems. (3) The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the energy-economics of biocatalyzed chemical production processes, and initiation of technology transfer for advanced bioprocesses.

Baresi, Larry↗
NASA NTRS1998

Aircraft/Air Traffic Management Functional Analysis Model: Technical Description

The Aircraft/Air Traffic Management Functional Analysis Model, Version 2.0 (FAM 2.0), is a discrete event simulation model designed to support analysis of alternative concepts in air traffic management and control. FAM 2.0 was developed by the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) under a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contract. This document provides a technical description of FAM 2.0 and its computer files to enable the modeler and programmer to make enhancements or modifications to the model. Those interested in a guide for using the model in analysis should consult the companion document, Aircraft/Air Traffic Management Functional Analysis Model, Version 2.0 Users Manual.

Etheridge, Melvin↗
NASA NTRS1982

Analysis of DSN PPM support during Voyager 2 Saturn encounter

The precision power monitor (PPM) is a precision radiometric instrument used to improve the efficiency of signal reception by the Deep Space Network. Real time estimates of the system operating temperature, the present (signal + noise)-to-noise ratio, and the signal power are utilized to increase the accuracy and resolution of the received spacecraft signal. Due to the critical nature of radio science data returning from Voyager 2 at Saturn Encounter, PPM support was required. The task was undertaken to validate the performance of equipment technically under research and development in time to meet the encounter deadline. Initial studies revealed PPM performance to be out of tolerance. Action was immediately taken to identify the system problems. Using data analysis as feedback, the system failures were identified and corrected in time to contribute to the encounter support efforts. As a result, the radio science data were collected successfully.

Bartok, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The International Space Station: New Capabilities for Disaster Response and Humanitarian Aid

The International Space Station (ISS) has been acquiring Earth imagery since 2000, primarily in the form of astronaut photography using hand-held film and digital cameras. Recent additions of more sophisticated multispectral and hyperspectral sensor systems have expanded both the capabilities and relevance of the ISS to basic research, applied Earth science, and development of new sensor technologies. Funding opportunities established within NASA, the US National Laboratories and the international partner organizations have generated instrument proposals that will further enhance these capabilities. With both internal and external sensor location options, and the availability of both automated and human-tended operational environments, the ISS is a unique platform within the constellation of Earth-observing satellites currently in orbit. Current progress and challenges associated with development of ISS terrestrial remote sensing capabilities in the area of disaster response and support of relief efforts will be presented. The ISS orbit allows for imaging of the Earth's surface at varying times of day and night, providing opportunities for data collection over approximately 95% of the populated regions. These opportunities are distinct from--yet augment--the data collection windows for the majority of sensors on polar-orbiting satellites. In addition to this potential for "being in the right place at the right time" to collect critical information on an evolving disaster, the presence of a human crew also allows for immediate recognition of an event from orbit, notification of relevant organizations on the ground, and re-tasking of available remote sensing resources to support humanitarian response and relief efforts. Challenges to establishing an integrated response capability are both technical (coordination of sensor targeting and data collection, rapid downlink and posting of data to a central accessible hub, timely generation and distribution of relevant data products) and operational (notification and engagement of sensor support teams, international partner agency sanction of astronaut support activities). To better collaborate on common issues and strengthen applications, including using the data to support disaster response, we established an ISS Program Science Forum Working Group for Earth Observations comprised of representatives from the international partner agencies. This international forum welcomes input and support from relevant United Nations task groups regarding our disaster response and humanitarian aid to enable development of the ISS capabilities in this area for greatest value to the international community.

Stefanov, William↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Global Approach to Delta Differential One-Way Range

Radio interferometric techniques for measuring spacecraft angular position play a role of increasing importance in today's missions of interplanetary exploration. Several national and international space agencies have or are developing operational systems to support spacecraft navigation using interferometric measurements. NASA's Deep Space Network has provided Delta Differential One-way Range ((Delta)DOR) for this purpose since 1980. Steady improvements in system performance and operability have taken place with accuracy today approaching the 1-nrad level. In this paper the current performance of NASA's (Delta)DOR system is presented. Recent data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter cruise from Earth to Mars are used to illustrate system performance at 8.4 and 32 GHz. Technical feasibility and requirements for combining tracking stations from different agencies to support (Delta)DOR observations are discussed. The advantages of having additional stations to form baselines for measurements are presented. Results of a covariance study for encounter targeting are given for a candidate mission that may need (Delta)DOR data from additional baselines.

spacecraft navigation↗