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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

BEEAM (Building Electrical Efficiency Analysis Model) [SWR-20-107]

Modern high-performance buildings exhibit an increasing number of building loads that use direct current (DC) electricity internally, rather than alternating current (AC), due to the advent of low-cost computing and advanced power electronics. Powering DC devices from the AC grid requires AC/DC power conversion, which introduces energy losses and reduces efficiency. As DC loads proliferate, the cumulative wasted energy associated with hundreds of millions of AC/DC converters has become one of the broadest energy savings opportunities in buildings. DC power distribution systems have been proposed as an elegant and transformative solution to the problem of DC devices. In a DC distribution system, the building's wires carry DC electricity, rather than AC; and a few centralized, highly efficient AC/DC converters replace the many smaller, less efficient converters that serve individual DC loads. Unfortunately, the trade-offs associated with DC distribution systems are not well understood. Reported energy savings associated with DC power distribution differ widely and have not been well validated. The Building Electrical Efficiency Analysis Model (BEEAM) is a Modelica library that simulates the efficiency of building electrical distribution systems using harmonic power flow. BEEAM can model a wide variety of building distribution topologies, including three-phase AC, single-phase AC, unipolar DC, bipolar DC, and hybrid networks under both balanced and unbalanced load conditions. BEEAM accurately models power electronic converter losses, provides granular estimates of losses throughout the distribution system, and properly models efficiency at part load conditions. Users can package BEEAM within a functional mockup unit (FMU), enabling co-simulation with other modeling platform, such as EnergyPlus. In summary, BEEAM provides a tool suite for fair and accurate comparison of the efficiency of building electrical distribution systems, including AC, DC, and hybrid systems.

Frank, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS1993

Breakup and structure of an H-chondrite parent body - The H-chondrite flux over the last million years

Two distinct groups of H chondrites are identified which have respectively induced thermoluminescence peak temperatures above 190 C (AC) and below 190 C (BC). Metallographic cooling rate determinations confirm that the AC group cools at very high rates relative to the latter group. The AC group members have cosmic ray exposure ages of about 8 Myr. Antarctic meteorite of the BC group have cosmic ray exposure ages greater than 20 Myr. Modern H-chondrite falls, which are all of the BC group, have cosmic ray exposure ages of 8 and above 20 Myr. The data show that the abundance of the AC group is directly related to terrestrial age. It is suggested that both the AC group and part of BC group were produced by an impact event at approximately 8 Myr and that the small sizes of the AC group made them prone to destruction, allowing the BC group to dominate the modern H-chondrite flux.

Benoit, Paul H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Transverse Mode Dynamics of VCSELs Undergoing Current Modulation

Transverse mode dynamics of a 20-micron-diameter vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) undergoing gain switching by deep current modulation is studied numerically. The direct current (dc) level is set slightly below threshold and is modulated by a large alternating current (ac). The resulting optical pulse train and transverse-mode patterns are obtained numerically. The ac frequency is varied from 2.5 GHz to 10 GHz, and the ac amplitude is varied from one-half to four times that of the dc level. At high modulation frequencies, a regular pulse train is not generated unless the ac amplitude is large enough. At all modulation frequencies, the transverse spatial profile switches from single-mode to multiple-mode pattern as the ac pumping level is increased. Optical pulse widths vary in the range 5-30 ps. with the pulse width decreasing when either the frequency is increased or the ac amplitude is decreased. The numerical modeling uses an approximation form of the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations. Temporal evolution of the spatial profiles of the laser (and of carrier density) is determined without any assumptions about the type or number of modes. Keywords: VCSELs, current modulation, gain switching, transverse mode dynamics, computational modeling

Goorjian, Peter M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Inverter Output Filter Effect on PWM Motor Drives of a Flywheel Energy Storage System

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been involved in the research and development of high speed flywheel systems for small satellite energy storage and attitude control applications. One research and development area has been the minimization of the switching noise produced by the pulsed width modulated (PWM) inverter that drives the flywheel permanent magnet motor/generator (PM M/G). This noise can interfere with the flywheel M/G hardware and the system avionics hampering the full speed performance of the flywheel system. One way to attenuate the inverter switching noise is by placing an AC filter at the three phase output terminals of the inverter with the filter neutral point connected to the DC link (DC bus) midpoint capacitors. The main benefit of using an AC filter in this fashion is the significant reduction of the inverter s high dv/dt switching and its harmonics components. Additionally, common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) voltages caused by the inverter s high dv/dt switching are also reduced. Several topologies of AC filters have been implemented and compared. One AC filter topology consists of a two-stage R-L-C low pass filter. The other topology consists of the same two-stage R-L-C low pass filter with a series connected trap filter (an inductor and capacitor connected in parallel). This paper presents the analysis, design and experimental results of these AC filter topologies and the comparison between the no filter case and conventional AC filter.

Santiago, Walter↗
NASA NTRS2005

AC/DC Power Systems with Applications for future Lunar/Mars base and Crew Exploration Vehicle

ABSTRACT The Power Systems branch at JSC faces a number of complex issues as it readies itself for the President's initiative on future space exploration beyond low earth orbit. Some of these preliminary issues - those dealing with electric power generation and distribution on board Mars-bound vehicle and that on Lunar and Martian surface may be summarized as follows: Type of prime mover - Because solar power may not be readily available on parts of the Lunar/Mars surface and also during the long duration flight to Mars, the primary source of power will most likely be nuclear power (Uranium fuel rods) with a secondary source of fuel cell (Hydrogen supply). The electric power generation source - With nuclear power being the main prime mover, the electric power generation source will most likely be an ac generator at a yet to be determined frequency. Thus, a critical issue is whether the generator should generate at constant or variable frequency. This will decide what type of generator to use - whether it is a synchronous machine, an asynchronous induction machine or a switched reluctance machine. The type of power distribution system - the distribution frequency, number of wires (3- wire, 4-wire or higher), and ac/dc hybridization. Building redundancy and fault tolerance in the generation and distribution sub-systems so that the system is safe; provides 100% availability to critical loads; continues to operate even with faulted sub-systems; and requires minimal maintenance. This report descril_es results of a summer faculty fellowship spent in the Power Systems Branch with the specific aim of investigating some of the lessons learned in electric power generation and usage from the terrestrial power systems industry, the aerospace industry as well as NASA's on-going missions so as to recommend novel surface and vehicle-based power systems architectures in support of future space exploration initiatives. A hybrid ac/dc architecture with source side and load side redundancies and including emergency generators on both ac and dc sides is proposed. The generation frequency is 400 Hz mostly because of the technology maturity at this frequency in the aerospace industry. Power will be distributed to several ac load distribution buses through solid state variable speed, constant frequency converters on the ac side. A segmented dc ring bus supplied from ac/dc converters and with the capability of connecting/disconnecting the segments will supply power to multiple de load distribution buses. The system will have the capability of reverse flow from dc to ac side in the case of an extreme emergency on the main ac generation side.

Chowdhury, Badrul H.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Risk-Significant Adverse Condition Awareness Strengthens Assurance of Fault Management Systems

As spaceflight systems increase in complexity, Fault Management (FM) systems are ranked high in risk-based assessment of software criticality, emphasizing the importance of establishing highly competent domain expertise to provide assurance. Adverse conditions (ACs) and specific vulnerabilities encountered by safety- and mission-critical software systems have been identified through efforts to reduce the risk posture of software-intensive NASA missions. Acknowledgement of potential off-nominal conditions and analysis to determine software system resiliency are important aspects of hazard analysis and FM. A key component of assuring FM is an assessment of how well software addresses susceptibility to failure through consideration of ACs. Focus on significant risk predicted through experienced analysis conducted at the NASA Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) Program enables the scoping of effective assurance strategies with regard to overall asset protection of complex spaceflight as well as ground systems. Research efforts sponsored by NASAs Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) defined terminology, categorized data fields, and designed a baseline repository that centralizes and compiles a comprehensive listing of ACs and correlated data relevant across many NASA missions. This prototype tool helps projects improve analysis by tracking ACs and allowing queries based on project, mission type, domain/component, causal fault, and other key characteristics. Vulnerability in off-nominal situations, architectural design weaknesses, and unexpected or undesirable system behaviors in reaction to faults are curtailed with the awareness of ACs and risk-significant scenarios modeled for analysts through this database. Integration within the Enterprise Architecture at NASA IV&V enables interfacing with other tools and datasets, technical support, and accessibility across the Agency. This paper discusses the development of an improved workflow process utilizing this database for adaptive, risk-informed FM assurance that critical software systems will safely and securely protect against faults and respond to ACs in order to achieve successful missions.

IV&V↗
NASA NTRS2017

Risk-Significant Adverse Condition Awareness Strengthens Assurance of Fault Management Systems

As spaceflight systems increase in complexity, Fault Management (FM) systems are ranked high in risk-based assessment of software criticality, emphasizing the importance of establishing highly competent domain expertise to provide assurance. Adverse conditions (ACs) and specific vulnerabilities encountered by safety- and mission-critical software systems have been identified through efforts to reduce the risk posture of software-intensive NASA missions. Acknowledgement of potential off-nominal conditions and analysis to determine software system resiliency are important aspects of hazard analysis and FM. A key component of assuring FM is an assessment of how well software addresses susceptibility to failure through consideration of ACs. Focus on significant risk predicted through experienced analysis conducted at the NASA Independent Verification Validation (IVV) Program enables the scoping of effective assurance strategies with regard to overall asset protection of complex spaceflight as well as ground systems. Research efforts sponsored by NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance defined terminology, categorized data fields, and designed a baseline repository that centralizes and compiles a comprehensive listing of ACs and correlated data relevant across many NASA missions. This prototype tool helps projects improve analysis by tracking ACs and allowing queries based on project, mission type, domaincomponent, causal fault, and other key characteristics. Vulnerability in off-nominal situations, architectural design weaknesses, and unexpected or undesirable system behaviors in reaction to faults are curtailed with the awareness of ACs and risk-significant scenarios modeled for analysts through this database. Integration within the Enterprise Architecture at NASA IVV enables interfacing with other tools and datasets, technical support, and accessibility across the Agency. This paper discusses the development of an improved workflow process utilizing this database for adaptive, risk-informed FM assurance that critical software systems will safely and securely protect against faults and respond to ACs in order to achieve successful missions.

Fault management↗
NASA NTRS2017

Atmospheric Correction for Hyperspectral Ocean Color Retrieval with Application to the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO)

The classical multi-spectral Atmospheric Correction (AC) algorithm is inadequate for the new generation of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors such as NASA's first hyperspectral Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard the anticipated Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission. The AC process must estimate and remove the atmospheric path radiance contribution due to the Rayleigh scattering by air molecules and scattering by aerosols from the measured top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance, compensate for the absorption by atmospheric gases, and correct for reflection and refraction of the air-sea interface. In this work, we present and evaluate an improved AC for hyperspectral sensors developed within NASA's Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Data Analysis System software package (SeaDAS). The improvement is based on combining the classical AC approach of multi-spectral capabilities to correct for the atmospheric path radiance, extended to hyperspectral, with a gas correction algorithm to compensate for absorbing gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor. The SeaDAS-hyperspectral version is capable of operationally processing the AC of any hyperspectral airborne or spaceborne sensor. The new algorithm development was evaluated and assessed using the Hyperspectral Imager for Coastal Ocean (HICO) scenes collected at the Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) site, and other SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) and AERosol Robotic NETwork - Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) coastal sites. A hyperspectral vicarious calibration was applied to HICO, showing the validity and consistency of HICO's ocean color products. The hyperspectral AC capability is currently available in SeaDAS to the scientific community at https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

Ocean Color↗
NASA NTRS2022

Optimal Estimation Framework for Ocean Color Atmospheric Correction and Pixel-level Uncertainty Quantification

Ocean color remote sensing requires compensation for atmospheric scattering and absorption (aerosol, Rayleigh, and trace gases), referred to as atmospheric correction (AC). AC allows inference of parameters such as spectrally resolved remote sensing reflectance ( R rs )(λ) ; sr 1 ) at the ocean surface from the top-of-atmosphere reflectance. Often, the uncertainty of this process is not fully explored. Bayesian inference techniques provide a simultaneous AC and uncertainty assessment via a full posterior distribution of the relevant variables, given the prior distribution of those variables and the radiative transfer (RT) likelihood function. Given uncertainties in the algorithm inputs, the Bayesian framework enables better constraints on the AC process by using the complete spectral information compared to traditional approaches that use only a subset of bands for AC. This paper investigates a Bayesian inference research method (Optimal Estimation, OE) for ocean color AC by simultaneously retrieving atmospheric and ocean properties using all visible and near-infrared spectral bands. The OE algorithm analytically approximates the posterior distribution of parameters based on normality assumptions and provides a potentially viable operational algorithm with a reduced computational expense. We developed a Neural Network (NN) RT forward model look-up-table-based emulator to increase algorithm efficiency further and thus speed up the likelihood computations. We then applied the OE algorithm to synthetic data and observations from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua spacecraft. We compared the R rs )(λ) retrieval and its uncertainty estimates from the OE method with in-situ validation data from the SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) and Aerosol Robotic Network Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) datasets. The OE algorithm improved R rs )(λ) estimates relative to the NASA standard operational algorithm by improving all statistical metrics at 443, 555, and 667 nm. Unphysical negative R rs )(λ) , which often appear in complex water conditions, was reduced by a factor of 3. The OE-derived pixel-level R rs )(λ) uncertainty estimates were also assessed relative to in-situ data and were shown to have skill.

Atmospheric correction↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on AcMg3 by Materials Project

Mg3Ac is alpha bismuth trifluoride structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are two inequivalent Mg sites. In the first Mg site, Mg is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to eight equivalent Mg and six equivalent Ac atoms. All Mg–Mg bond lengths are 3.34 Å. All Mg–Ac bond lengths are 3.86 Å. In the second Mg site, Mg is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Mg and four equivalent Ac atoms. All Mg–Ac bond lengths are 3.34 Å. Ac is bonded in a distorted body-centered cubic geometry to fourteen Mg atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Ac2AgIr by Materials Project

Ac2IrAg is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ac is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Ir and four equivalent Ag atoms. All Ac–Ir bond lengths are 3.31 Å. All Ac–Ag bond lengths are 3.31 Å. Ir is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. Ag is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Ac2HgGe by Materials Project

Ac2HgGe is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ac is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Hg and four equivalent Ge atoms. All Ac–Hg bond lengths are 3.44 Å. All Ac–Ge bond lengths are 3.44 Å. Hg is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. Ge is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on LiAc2Si by Materials Project

LiAc2Si is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Li is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. All Li–Ac bond lengths are 3.37 Å. Ac is bonded in a distorted body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Li and four equivalent Si atoms. All Ac–Si bond lengths are 3.37 Å. Si is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Ac2CuIr by Materials Project

Ac2IrCu is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ac is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Ir and four equivalent Cu atoms. All Ac–Ir bond lengths are 3.24 Å. All Ac–Cu bond lengths are 3.24 Å. Ir is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. Cu is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Ac2CdSn by Materials Project

Ac2CdSn is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ac is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Cd and four equivalent Sn atoms. All Ac–Cd bond lengths are 3.54 Å. All Ac–Sn bond lengths are 3.54 Å. Cd is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. Sn is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on LiAc2Ga by Materials Project

LiAc2Ga is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Li is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. All Li–Ac bond lengths are 3.42 Å. Ac is bonded in a distorted body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Li and four equivalent Ga atoms. All Ac–Ga bond lengths are 3.42 Å. Ga is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on LiAc2Ge by Materials Project

LiAc2Ge is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Li is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. All Li–Ac bond lengths are 3.39 Å. Ac is bonded in a distorted body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Li and four equivalent Ge atoms. All Ac–Ge bond lengths are 3.39 Å. Ge is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Ac2GaCu by Materials Project

Ac2CuGa is Heusler structured and crystallizes in the cubic Fm-3m space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ac is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to four equivalent Cu and four equivalent Ga atoms. All Ac–Cu bond lengths are 3.32 Å. All Ac–Ga bond lengths are 3.32 Å. Cu is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms. Ga is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Ac atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗