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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 703 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Documentation of the analysis of the benefits and costs of aeronautical research and technology models, volume 1

The analysis of the benefits and costs of aeronautical research and technology (ABC-ART) models are documented. These models were developed by NASA for use in analyzing the economic feasibility of applying advanced aeronautical technology to future civil aircraft. The methodology is composed of three major modules: fleet accounting module, airframe manufacturing module, and air carrier module. The fleet accounting module is used to estimate the number of new aircraft required as a function of time to meet demand. This estimation is based primarily upon the expected retirement age of existing aircraft and the expected change in revenue passenger miles demanded. Fuel consumption estimates are also generated by this module. The airframe manufacturer module is used to analyze the feasibility of the manufacturing the new aircraft demanded. The module includes logic for production scheduling and estimating manufacturing costs. For a series of aircraft selling prices, a cash flow analysis is performed and a rate of return on investment is calculated. The air carrier module provides a tool for analyzing the financial feasibility of an airline purchasing and operating the new aircraft. This module includes a methodology for computing the air carrier direct and indirect operating costs, performing a cash flow analysis, and estimating the internal rate of return on investment for a set of aircraft purchase prices.

Bobick, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Costs and benefits to industry of online literature searches

A description is given of a client survey conducted by the NASA Industrial Application Center, U.S.C., examining user-identified dollar costs and benefits of an online computerized literature search. Telephone interviews were conducted on a random sample of clients using a Denver Research Institute questionnaire. Of the total 159 clients surveyed, over 53% identified dollar benefits. A direct relationship between client dollars invested and benefits derived from the search was shown. The ratio of dollar benefit to investment dollar averaged 2.9 to 1. Precise data on the end user's evaluation of the dollar value of an information search are presented.

Jensen, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Cost/performance of solar reflective surfaces for parabolic dish concentrators

Materials for highly reflective surfaces for use in parabolic dish solar concentrators are discussed. Some important factors concerning performance of the mirrors are summarized, and typical costs are treated briefly. Capital investment cost/performance ratios for various materials are computed specifically for the double curvature parabolic concentrators using a mathematical model. The results are given in terms of initial investment cost for reflective surfaces per thermal kilowatt delivered to the receiver cavity for various operating temperatures from 400 to 1400 C. Although second surface glass mirrors are emphasized, first surface, chemically brightened and anodized aluminum surfaces as well as second surface, metallized polymeric films are treated. Conventional glass mirrors have the lowest cost/performance ratios, followed closely by aluminum reflectors. Ranges in the data due to uncertainties in cost and mirror reflectance factors are given.

Bouquet, F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Morocco

Results of a month-long study in Morocco aimed at assessing the market potential for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in agriculture and rural service applications are presented. The following applications, requiring less than 15 kW of power, are described: irrigation, cattle watering, refrigeration, crop processing, potable water and educational TV. Telecommunications and transportation signalling applications, descriptions of power and energy use profiles, assessments of business environment, government and private sector attitudes towards photovoltaics, and financing were also considered. The Moroccan market presents both advantages and disadvantages for American PV manufacturers. The principle advantages of the Moroccan market are: a limited grid, interest in and present use of PV in communications applications, attractive investment incentives, and a stated policy favoring American investment. Disadvantages include: lack of government incentives for PV use, general unfamiliarity with PV technology, high first cost of PV, a well-established market network for diesel generators, and difficulty with financing. The market for PV in Morocco (1981-1986), will be relatively small, about 340 kwp. The market for PV is likely to be more favorable in telecommunications, transport signalling and some rural services. The primary market appears to be in the public (i.e., government) rather than private sector, due to financial constraints and the high price of PV relative to conventional power sector.

Steingass, H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Operational LANDSAT remote sensing system development

The reduction of $121.6 million dollars from NOAA's LANDSAT development program for FY 1982, and the shortened time period for transferring remote sensing technology to the private sector resulted in changes in the Agency's plans for managing the operational system. Proposed legislation for congressional consideration or enactment to establish conditions under which this private sector transfer will occur, and the expected gradual rise in the price of data products are discussed. No money exists for capital investment and none is projected for investing in an operational data handling system for the LANDSAT D satellite. Candidates knowledgeable of various aspects of the needs and uses of remote sensing are urged to consider participation in NOAA's advisory committee.

Cotter, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Cost of phosphate removal in municipal wastewater treatment plants

Construction and operating costs of advanced wastewater treatment for phosphate removal at municipal wastewater treatment plants have been investigated on orders from the Federal Environmental Bureau in Berlin. Particular attention has been paid to applicable kinds of precipitants for pre-, simultaneous and post-precipitation as well as to different phosphate influent and effluent concentrations. The article offers detailed comments on determination of technical data, investments, capital costs, operating costs and annual costs as well as potential cost reductions resulting from precipitation. Selected results of the cost investigation are shown in graphical form as specific investments, operating and annual costs depending on wastewater flow.

Schuessler, H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Land remote sensing in the 1980's

A discussion is presented concerning U.S. governmental funding policy for the Land Remote Sensing programs, in which the Landsat spacecraft and the research and development activities associated with them are essential elements. Even if present program management practices were to be changed in the next 1-2 years, the investment of significant amounts of private capital in land remote sensing may be 3-5 years away, due to the immaturity of the prospective markets for the services rendered and the present state of technological development. It is judged that even if NASA is successful in bringing significant private investment into remote sensing activities by the mid-1980s, government must continue to support basic research and expensive technology development in long term and high risk, but potentially high payoff, areas which the still-developing remote sensing industry cannot afford.

Thome, P. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Auxiliary propulsion

When man is put in the loop, almost anything can happen. Caution must be exercised in permitting life cycle costs analysis to control technology investment. One of the ways of reducing cost is to stay with the old tried and true technology. However, when requirements of a permanent space station are considered (15-year life, the issues associated with health monitoring, maintenance, and repair), the conclusion is that very little, if anything, is really state of the art. Before investing in old technologies to make them comply with the requirements of a permanent space station, the question of whether or not it is worth putting the money there as opposed to advancing the state of the art should be considered. Program managers and system designers must not make the mistake of selecting old technologies in the belief that they are state of the art.

Rosenberg, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Space Shuttle, private enterprise and intellectual properties in the context of space manufacturing

It is a national policy to make the capabilities of the Space Transportat ion System available to a wide range of potential users. This includes its availability as a space manufacturing facility for commercial activities, which may be carried out on a reimbursable basis or as a joint endeavor with NASA, but with substantial private investment. In any high risk, long lead-time research and development activity directed towards commercialization, the protection afforded the results of the research and development under the laws relating to intellectual property rights may provide an important incentive for private investment. The paper reviews NASA's policies and practices for the protection of privately-established intellectual property rights involved in STS use, with particular emphasis on reimbursable launch agreements and joint endeavor agreements.

Hosenball, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Legal considerations and cooperative opportunities for space commercial activities

It is a national policy to make the capabilities of the Space Transportation System available to a wide range of potential users. This includes its availability as a space manufacturing facility for commercial activities, which may be carried out on a reimbursable basis or as a joint endeavor with NASA, but with substantial private investment. In any high risk, long lead-time research and development activity directed towards commercialization, the protection afforded the results of the research and development under the laws relating to intellectual property rights may provide an important incentive for private investment. The policies and practices of NASA directed towards the protection of privately-established intellectual property rights involved in STS use are reviewed with particular emphasis on reimbursable launch agreements and joint endeavor agreements.

Hosenball, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Status and capabilities of sonic boom simulators

The current status and capabilities of sonic boom simulators which might be used in future studies of the effects of sonic boom on people, animals, or structures is summarized. The list of candidate simulators is based on a literature search which was confined to the United States and Canada. Some of the simulators are fully operational, others could be made operational with a modest investment, and still others would require a major investment. For the sake of the completeness, some simulators which were the subject of a previous review, but which no longer exist, are also included herein.

Shepherd, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The dissociation of subjective measures of mental workload and performance

Dissociation between performance and subjective workload measures was investigated in the theoretical framework of the multiple resources model. Subjective measures do not preserve the vector characteristics in the multidimensional space described by the model. A theory of dissociation was proposed to locate the sources that may produce dissociation between the two workload measures. According to the theory, performance is affected by every aspect of processing whereas subjective workload is sensitive to the amount of aggregate resource investment and is dominated by the demands on the perceptual/central resources. The proposed theory was tested in three experiments. Results showed that performance improved but subjective workload was elevated with an increasing amount of resource investment. Furthermore, subjective workload was not as sensitive as was performance to differences in the amount of resource competition between two tasks. The demand on perceptual/central resources was found to be the most salient component of subjective workload. Dissociation occurred when the demand on this component was increased by the number of concurrent tasks or by the number of display elements. However, demands on response resources were weighted in subjective introspection as much as demands on perceptual/central resources. The implications of these results for workload practitioners are described.

Yeh, Y. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Economics of polysilicon processes

Techniques are being developed to provide lower cost polysilicon material for solar cells. Existing technology which normally provides semiconductor industry polysilicon material is undergoing changes and also being used to provide polysilicon material for solar cells. Economics of new and existing technologies are presented for producing polysilicon. The economics are primarily based on the preliminary process design of a plant producing 1,000 metric tons/year of silicon. The polysilicon processes include: Siemen's process (hydrogen reduction of trichlorosilane); Union Carbide process (silane decomposition); and Hemlock Semiconductor process (hydrogen reduction of dichlorosilane). The economics include cost estimates of capital investment and product cost to produce polysilicon via the technology. Sensitivity analysis results are also presented to disclose the effect of major paramentes such as utilities, labor, raw materials and capital investment.

Yaws, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Spectral analysis of sinus arrhythmia - A measure of mental effort

The validity of the spectral analysis of sinus arrhythmia as a measure of mental effort was investigated using a computer simulation of a hovercraft piloted along a river as the experimental task. Strong correlation was observed between the subjective effort-ratings and the heart-rate variability (HRV) power spectrum between 0.06 and 0.14 Hz. Significant correlations were observed not only between subjects but, more importantly, within subjects as well, indicating that the spectral analysis of HRV is an accurate measure of the amount of effort being invested by a subject. Results also indicate that the intensity of effort invested by subjects cannot be inferred from the objective ratings of task difficulty or from performance.

Vicente, Kim J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The economics of satellite retrieval

The economics of space operations with and without the Space Station have been studied in terms of the financial performance of a typical communications-satellite business venture. A stochastic Monte-Carlo communications-satellite business model is employed which includes factors such as satellite configuration, random and wearout failures, reliability of launch and space operations, stand-down time resulting from failures, and insurance by operation. Financial performance impacts have been evaluated in terms of the magnitude of investment, net present value, and return on investment.

Price, Kent M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Economic geology of lunar Helium-3

Economic geology evaluation of lunar He-3 should answer the question: Can lunar He-3 be sold on Earth with sufficient profit margins and low enough risk to attract capital investment in the enterprise. Concepts that relate to economic geology of recovering He-3 from the lunar maria are not new to human experience. A parametric cost and technology evaluation scheme, based on existing and future data, is required to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the comprehensive economic feasibility and return on investment of He-3 recovery from the lunar maria. There are also many political issues which must be considered as a result of nuclear fusion and lunar mining.

Schmitt, Harrison H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Artificial Intelligence In Computational Fluid Dynamics

Paper compares four first-generation artificial-intelligence (Al) software systems for computational fluid dynamics. Includes: Expert Cooling Fan Design System (EXFAN), PAN AIR Knowledge System (PAKS), grid-adaptation program MITOSIS, and Expert Zonal Grid Generation (EZGrid). Focuses on knowledge-based ("expert") software systems. Analyzes intended tasks, kinds of knowledge possessed, magnitude of effort required to codify knowledge, how quickly constructed, performances, and return on investment. On basis of comparison, concludes Al most successful when applied to well-formulated problems solved by classifying or selecting preenumerated solutions. In contrast, application of Al to poorly understood or poorly formulated problems generally results in long development time and large investment of effort, with no guarantee of success.

Vogel, Alison Andrews↗