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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Summary of the NASA Lewis component technology program for Stirling power converters

An update is presented on the NASA Lewis Stirling component technology program. The component technology program has been organized as part of the NASA Lewis effort to develop Stirling converter technology for space power applications. The Stirling space power project is part of the High Capacity Power element of the NASA Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI). Lewis is also providing technical management of a DOE funded project to develop Stirling converter systems for distributed dish solar terrestrial power applications. The primary contractors for the space power and solar terrestrial projects develop component technologies directly related to their project goals. This Lewis component technology program, while coordinated with these main projects, is aimed at longer term issues, advanced technologies, and independent assessments. Topics to be discussed include bearings, linear alternators, controls and load interaction, materials/life assessment, and heat exchangers.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Extravehicular Activity Technology Roadmaps for Exploration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed and matured many technologies over the decades to advance extravehicular activity (EVA) systems. Over the last 15 years, major steps were taken to advance the technology with the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) government reference design at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The xEMU builds on the lessons learned of the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station (ISS) EMUs, evolving the technology to increase performance for extreme environments. As NASA sets its goals toward Earth’s Moon and Mars, a spacesuit design tolerable of gravity and dust will be needed for these adverse environments. NASA has used roadmaps as the means of documenting actionable plans for strategizing technology developments needed to meet NASA’s mission and goals. To help reach and create a sustained presence on the Moon, NASA procured EVA services from industry through the Exploration EVA Services (xEVAS) contract. These services include certified contractor-provided spacesuits, tools, equipment, vehicle interfaces, and support to training and real-time operations. NASA will now focus on a mission to Mars. NASA leadership has set goals and objectives related to the Agency’s vision and a Moon to Mars (M2M) strategy. This paper presents an organizational framework to provide insight into how NASA’s vision is realized. Additionally, this paper covers the maturation and development of the spacesuit technology and reveals the EVA technology roadmaps for the M2M Program. These EVA roadmaps visualize an actionable path to EVA capabilities needed for Mars exploration.

Cinda Chullen↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Extravehicular Activity Technology Roadmaps for Exploration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed and matured many technologies over the decades to advance extravehicular activity (EVA) systems. Over the last 15 years, major steps were taken to advance the technology with the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) government reference design at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The xEMU builds on the lessons learned of the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station (ISS) EMUs, evolving the technology to increase performance for extreme environments. As NASA sets its goals toward Earth’s Moon and Mars, a spacesuit design tolerable of gravity and dust will be needed for these adverse environments. NASA has used roadmaps as the means of documenting actionable plans for strategizing technology developments needed to meet NASA’s mission and goals. To help reach and create a sustained presence on the Moon, NASA procured EVA services from industry through the Exploration EVA Services (xEVAS) contract. These services include certified contractor-provided spacesuits, tools, equipment, vehicle interfaces, and support to training and real-time operations. NASA will now focus on a mission to Mars. NASA leadership has set goals and objectives related to the Agency’s vision and a Moon to Mars (M2M) strategy. This paper presents an organizational framework to provide insight into how NASA’s vision is realized. Additionally, this paper covers the maturation and development of the spacesuit technology and reveals the EVA technology roadmaps for the M2M Program. These EVA roadmaps visualize an actionable path to EVA capabilities needed for Mars exploration.

Cinda Chullen↗
NASA NTRS2003

NASA Thermal Control Technologies for Robotic Spacecraft

Technology development is inevitably a dynamic process in search of an elusive goal. It is never truly clear whether the need for a particular technology drives its development, or the existence of a new capability initiates new applications. Technology development for the thermal control of spacecraft presents an excellent example of this situation. Nevertheless, it is imperative to have a basic plan to help guide and focus such an effort. Although this plan will be a living document that changes with time to reflect technological developments, perceived needs, perceived opportunities, and the ever-changing funding environment, it is still a very useful tool. This presentation summarizes the current efforts at NASA/Goddard and NASA/JPL to develop new thermal control technology for future robotic NASA missions.

Swanson, Theodore D.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Oil Saving Seal

Driven under difficult field conditions, the Army Jeep shown went more than 22,000 miles without an oil change in a test conducted by the U.S. Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command. Key to this exceptionally long oil life was a set of piston ring seals made of a new synthetic rubber formula called RC-34; the seal pictured, photographed after its arduous Army trial, shows no signs of deterioration. The seal and the RC-34 material, which may soon be available for use in the family auto, were developed by Ramsey Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, a division of TRW Automotive Worldwide. The oil in an automobile engine must be I replaced every few thousand miles not because it wears out but because it becomes contaminated. The contamination sources are gasoline and combustion gases which blow by the piston rings to mix with the oil, reducing the oil's ability to lubricate properly. Seeking to prolong oil life by eliminating "blowby," Ramsey Corporation looked for a better way to seal piston rings and used NASA technology as a departure point. The parent company TRW, under contract to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had developed seals and bladders from a type of material called elastomers which where designed to withstand the environmental extremes of interplanetary flight. That effort formed a knowledge base for research which culminated in Ramsey's RC-34 elastomer.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

Novel Polyimide Battery Separator Imbibed with Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids

The journey to Mars will require advancements in many existing technologies, including space power and energy storage systems. According to the 2015 NASA Technology Roadmaps, energy storage is a critical technology area to develop for both terrestrial as well as future long-term space missions. Currently, batteries represent one of the major areas in need of advancement, both in terms of energy density as well as safety. Recently, concerns regarding the fire safety of commercial lithium-ion batteries have prompted efforts to produce nonflammable battery components, namely the electrolyte and separator. Commercial lithium-ion batteries utilize polyolefin separators imbibed with a lithium salt dissolved in cyclic carbonates. This separator/electrolyte combination imparts good ionic conductivities in the range of 10(exp -2) to 10(exp -3) S/cm. However, the cyclic carbonates and polyolefin separator are inherently flammable. Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) appear to be a safer alternative to cyclic carbonates. They offer good ionic conductivities, similar to those observed in cyclic carbonates, but are inherently nonvolatile and nonflammable giving them a safety advantage. Many promising RTILs for battery electrolytes are not compatible with commercial polyolefin separator materials. Polyimide aerogels possess an open-porous, fibrillar network architecture which offers a high degree of porosity (typically greater than 85 porous), required for lithium ion conduction, as well as good mechanical properties. Furthermore, these materials are compatible with all tested RTILs. By creating a polyimide gel and imbibing the gel with a RTIL containing a lithium salt instead of super critically drying them to form aerogels, a nonflammable separator/electrolyte system with conductivities in the range of 1x10(exp -3) S/cm has been demonstrated.

Polyimide↗
NASA NTRS2000

Update on the NASA GRC Stirling Technology Development Project

The Department of Energy, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), and Stirling Technology Company (STC) are developing a free-piston Stirling convertor for a Stirling radioisotope power system (SRPS) to provide spacecraft on-board electric power for NASA deep space missions. The SRPS has recently been identified for potential use on the Europa Orbiter and Solar Probe Space Science missions. Stirling is also now being considered for unmanned Mars rovers. NASA GRC is conducting an in-house project to assist in developing the Stirling convertor for readiness for space qualification and mission implementation. As part of this continuing effort, the Stirling convertor will be further characterized under launch environment random vibration testing, methods to reduce convertor electromagnetic interference (EMI) will be developed, and an independent performance verification will be completed. Convertor life assessment and permanent magnet aging characterization tasks are also underway. Substitute organic materials for the linear alternator and piston bearing coatings for use in a high radiation environment have been identified and have now been incorporated in Stirling convertors built by STC for GRC. Electromagnetic and thermal finite element analyses for the alternator are also being conducted. This paper discusses the recent results and status for this NASA GRC in-house project.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

US in-space electric propulsion experiments

Arcjet and ion propulsion offer potentially significant reductions in the mass of propulsion systems required for Earth orbiting satellites and planetary spacecraft. For this reason, they have been the subject of validation and demonstration programs. After examining the benefits of electric propulsion, this paper discusses the technology base for the Electric Propulsion Space Experiment (ESEX) arcjet demonstration experiment and the NASA Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) ion propulsion validation program. As part of the Advanced Research Global Observation Spacecraft (ARGOS), ESEX will perform ten 15-min firings of a 30-kW ammonia arcjet. NASA's validation program, NSTAR, consists of two major elements: a ground-test element and an in-space experiment. The ground element will validate the life, integrability, and performance of low-power ion propulsion. The in-space element will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating and flying an ion propulsion system. The experiment will measure the interactions among the ion propulsion system, the host spacecraft, and the surrounding space plasma. It will provide a quantitative assessment of the ability of ground testing to replicate the in-space performance ion thrusters. By involving industry in NSTAR, a commercial source for this technology will be ensured. Furthermore, the successful completion of the NSTAR validation program will stimulate commercial and government (both civilian and military) uses of this technology.

Stocky, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1976

You can't eat moon rocks

The effects produced by the aerospace program are investigated. The technology developed from aerospace-related research, development, and manufacturing has been made available to the public for its use through the NASA Technology Utilization Program. A description is presented of 'spinoffs' of NASA's aerospace programs which are used on a daily basis by the public. Attention is given to the liquid cooled garment technology, meal systems for the elderly, the zinc-rich coating, the emergency blanket, the flexible urethane foam Temper Foam, the 'Fog-Away Coating', and composite graphite equipment.

Kubokawa, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Development of Augmented Spark Impinging Igniter System for Methane Engines

The Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) program is establishing multiple no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with U.S. private sector entities. The purpose of this program is to encourage the development of robotic lunar landers that can be integrated with U.S. commercial launch capabilities to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. As part of the efforts in Lander Technologies, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (LCH4) engine technology to share with the Lunar CATALYST partners. Liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants are attractive owing to their relatively high specific impulse for chemical propulsion systems, modest storage requirements, and adaptability to NASA's Journey to Mars plans. Methane has also been viewed as a possible propellant choice for lunar missions, owing to the performance benefits and as a technology development stepping stone to Martian missions. However, in the development of methane propulsion, methane ignition has historically been viewed as a high risk area in the development of such an engine. A great deal of work has been conducted in the past decade devoted to risk reduction in LOX/CH4 ignition. This paper will review and summarize the history and results of LOX/CH4 ignition programs conducted at NASA. More recently, a NASA-developed Augmented Spark Impinging (ASI) igniter body, which utilizes a conventional spark exciter system, is being tested with LOX/CH4 to help support internal and commercial engine development programs, such as those in Lunar CATALYST. One challenge with spark exciter systems, especially at altitude conditions, is the ignition lead that transmits the high voltage pulse from the exciter to the spark igniter (spark plug). The ignition lead can be prone to corona discharge, reducing the energy delivered by the spark and potentially causing non-ignition events. For the current work, a commercial compact exciter system, which eliminates this high voltage cabling, was tested at altitude conditions. A modified, conventional exciter system with an improved ignition lead was also recently tested at altitude conditions. This test program demonstrated the capability of these exciter systems to operate at altitude. While more extensive testing may be required, these systems or similar ones may be used for future NASA and commercial engine programs.

methane↗
NASA NTRS1978

NASA's thermionic technology program

Since the termination of the NASA-AEC in-core thermionic power program in 1973, NASA has maintained a modest thermionic technology program. The current program emphasis on out-of-core thermionics allows greater flexibility in materials and geometrics previously prohibited by reactor nucleonics. This out-of-core approach has allowed NASA's program to make significant technology contributions since 1973. This program currently aims at four areas: (1) thermionic power systems analysis; (2) converters; (3) insulators; and (4) heat pipes. Objectives, requirements, status and plans are presented for each area.

Holcomb, L. B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Assessment of Image Sensor Technology for Future NASA Missions

An assessment of solid-state UV/visible image sensor technology for future NASA missions is presented. The paper will attempt to summarize the state of the art in image sensor technology in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe. The state of the art and future trends will be compared to a forecast of future NASA needs in scientific image sensors for planetary exploration, earth science, astrophysics, and spacecraft systems such as star trackers and optical communications.

solid-state↗
NASA NTRS1974

Technology pipeline

After ten years of evolution, the technology utilization program now uses three basic and complementary technology transfer mechanisms: publication, technical assistance dissemination, and application demonstrations. The marketing of NASA technology and industrial applications is discussed.

Voris, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Reconfigurable Processing Module

To accommodate a wide spectrum of applications and technologies, NASA s Exploration System's Missions Directorate has called for reconfigurable and modular technologies to support future missions to the moon and Mars. In response, Langley Research Center is leading a program entitled Reconfigurable Scaleable Computing (RSC) that is centered on the development of FPGA-based computing resources in a stackable form factor. This paper details the architecture and implementation of the Reconfigurable Processing Module (RPM), which is the key element of the RSC system. The RPM is an FPGA-based, space-qualified printed circuit assembly leveraging terrestrial/commercial design standards into the space applications domain. The form factor is similar to, and backwards compatible with, the PCI-104 standard utilizing only the PCI interface. The size is expanded to accommodate the required functionality while still better than 30% smaller than a 3U CompactPCI(TradeMark)card and without the overhead of the backplane. The architecture is built around two FPGA devices, one hosting PCI and memory interfaces, and another hosting mission application resources; both of which are connected with a high-speed data bus. The PCI interface FPGA provides access via the PCI bus to onboard SDRAM, flash PROM, and the application resources; both configuration management as well as runtime interaction. The reconfigurable FPGA, referred to as the Application FPGA - or simply "the application" - is a radiation-tolerant Xilinx Virtex-4 FX60 hosting custom application specific logic or soft microprocessor IP. The RPM implements various SEE mitigation techniques including TMR, EDAC, and configuration scrubbing of the reconfigurable FPGA. Prototype hardware and formal modeling techniques are used to explore the performability trade space. These models provide a novel way to calculate quality-of-service performance measures while simultaneously considering fault-related behavior due to SEE soft errors.

Somervill, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS1992

Overview of the NASA Lewis component technology program for Stirling power converters

This paper presents an update on the NASA Lewis Stirling component technology program. The component technology program has been organized as part of the NASA Lewis effort to develop Stirling converter technology for space power applications. The Stirling space power program is part of the High Capacity Power element of the NASA Civil Space Technology Initiative. Lewis is also providing technical management of a DOE-funded project to develop Stirling converter systems for distributed dish solar terrestrial power applications. The Lewis component technology program is coordinated with the primary contract efforts of these projects but is aimed at longer term issues, advanced technologies, and independent assessments. Topics to be discussed include bearings, linear alternators, controls and load interaction, materials/life assessment, and heat exchangers.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗