Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “POWER SUPPLIES”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4

Simplified power supplies for ion thrusters

The initial development and demonstration of power supplies with an order of magnitude reduction in parts count, leading to increased reliability at lower weight, while still maintaining thrust system performance are discussed. Two new self-regulating keeper power supply circuits were developed and tested. One supply comprises 14 parts and uses an input voltage range of 18 to 36 volts, the other operates from 200 to 400 volts and requires 22 components. A technique for controlling heater power is also demonstrated.

Gruber, R. P.↗

Expert systems for space power supply - Design, analysis, and evaluation

The feasibility of applying expert systems to the conceptual design, analysis, and evaluation of space power supplies in particular, and complex systems in general is evaluated. To do this, the space power supply design process and its associated knowledge base were analyzed and characterized in a form suitable for computer emulation of a human expert. The existing expert system tools and the results achieved with them were evaluated to assess their applicability to power system design. Some new concepts for combining program architectures (modular expert systems and algorithms) with information about the domain were applied to create a 'deep' system for handling the complex design problem. NOVICE, a code to solve a simplified version of a scoping study of a wide variety of power supply types for a broad range of missions, has been developed, programmed, and tested as a concrete feasibility demonstration.

Cooper, Ralph S.↗

Fail-Safe Synchronizer For Power Supply

Fail-safe synchronizer feeds external synchronizing signal to switching power supply. When external synchronizing signal lost, it feeds signal from relaxation oscillator to power supply.

Katz, Richard B.↗

Prognostic health monitoring in switch-mode power supplies with voltage regulation

The system includes a current injection device in electrical communication with the switch mode power supply. The current injection device is positioned to alter the initial, non-zero load current when activated. A prognostic control is in communication with the current injection device, controlling activation of the current injection device. A frequency detector is positioned to receive an output signal from the switch mode power supply and is able to count cycles in a sinusoidal wave within the output signal. An output device is in communication with the frequency detector. The output device outputs a result of the counted cycles, which are indicative of damage to an a remaining useful life of the switch mode power supply.

Hofmeister, James P↗

Advanced modular power supplies for Space Station Freedom

Viewgraphs and discussion on advanced modular power supplies for Space Station Freedom are presented. Topics covered include concept and characteristics; user power supply applications; and bulk converter application.

Krauthamer, S.↗

Thermal control of power supplies with electronic packaging techniques

The analysis, design, and development work to reduce the weight and size of a standard modular power supply with a 350 watt output was summarized. By integrating low cost commercial heat pipes in the redesign of this power supply, weight was reduced by 30% from that of the previous design. The temperature was also appreciably reduced, increasing the environmental capability of the unit. A demonstration unit with a 100 watt output and a 15 volt regulator module, plus simulated output modules, was built and tested to evaluate the thermal performance of the redesigned power supply.

Source record↗

Power supply standardization and optimization study

A comprehensive design study of a power supply for use in the space shuttle and other space flight applications is presented. The design specifications are established for a power supply capable of supplying over 90 percent of the anticipated voltage requirements for future spacecraft avionics systems. Analyses and tradeoff studies were performed on several alternative design approaches to assure that the selected design would provide near optimum performance of the planned applications. The selected design uses a dc-to-dc converter incorporating regenerative current feedback with a time-ratio controlled duty cycle to achieve high efficiency over a wide variation in input voltage and output loads. The packaging concept uses an expandable mainframe capable of accommodating up to six inverter/regulator modules with one common input filter module.

Ware, C. L.↗

Thematic mapper flight model preshipment review data package. Volume 4: Appendix. Part C: Power supply data

The acceptance test data package for the thematic mapper flight model power supply was reviewed and the data compared to the relevant specification. The power supply was found to be within specification. Final test data for outut voltage regulation and ripple, efficiency, over and undervoltage protection, telemetry, impedances, turn-on requirements, and input current limits are presented.

Source record↗

Power supply with optical-isolator control

Power supply consists of several stages, interconnected and programmed for required output. In capacitor charging mode, transistor switches are closed. Last stage is in series with rectifier that prevents current from flowing backward into circuit. In capacitor discharge mode, transistor switches are closed, and voltage delivered to load is sum of voltages across capacitors.

Baker, R. H.↗

Magnetically switched power supply system for lasers

A laser power supply system is described in which separate pulses are utilized to avalanche ionize the gas within the laser and then produce a sustained discharge to cause the gas to emit light energy. A pulsed voltage source is used to charge a storage device such as a distributed capacitance. A transmission line or other suitable electrical conductor connects the storage device to the laser. A saturable inductor switch is coupled in the transmission line for containing the energy within the storage device until the voltage level across the storage device reaches a predetermined level, which level is less than that required to avalanche ionize the gas. An avalanche ionization pulse generating circuit is coupled to the laser for generating a high voltage pulse of sufficient amplitude to avalanche ionize the laser gas. Once the laser gas is avalanche ionized, the energy within the storage device is discharged through the saturable inductor switch into the laser to provide the sustained discharge. The avalanche ionization generating circuit may include a separate voltage source which is connected across the laser or may be in the form of a voltage multiplier circuit connected between the storage device and the laser.

Pacala, Thomas J.↗

Arcjet power supply and start circuit

A dc power supply for spacecraft arcjet thrusters has an integral automatic starting circuit and an output averaging inductor. The output averaging inductor, in series with the load, provides instantaneous current control, and ignition pulse and an isolated signal proportional to the arc voltage. A pulse width modulated converter, close loop configured, is also incorporated to give fast response output current control.

Gruber, Robert P.↗

Mars 2020 Rover Laser Power Supply Thermomechanical Analysis

Operation of the Laser Power Supply (LPS) module provides the dual challenge of high power dissipation, and the need for strict dielectric isolation, while needing to survive in an environment on Mars that will see a chilly night-time temperature of -123°C, and to a daytime instrument environment in excess of 50°C. Additionally, power restrictions prevent the use of survival heating during the night. The harsh mechanical vibration environment of launch and landing provides an additional challenge to reliability. A multi-physics simulation was created that took into account temperature property variations, as well as solving the transient analysis that also included rapid variation in power-pulsing during the operation of the laser. The steady state analysis employed a more traditional finite element based analysis, but with provisions for Mars gas convection and thermal radiation.

Tuman, David↗

Computerized power supply analysis: State equation generation and terminal models

To aid engineers that design power supply systems two analysis tools that can be used with the state equation analysis package were developed. These tools include integration routines that start with the description of a power supply in state equation form and yield analytical results. The first tool uses a computer program that works with the SUPER SCEPTRE circuit analysis program and prints the state equation for an electrical network. The state equations developed automatically by the computer program are used to develop an algorithm for reducing the number of state variables required to describe an electrical network. In this way a second tool is obtained in which the order of the network is reduced and a simpler terminal model is obtained.

Garrett, S. J.↗

Smart power supply calibration system

This paper details the development of an automated procedure to conduct calibrations of power supplies at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (JPL). The fundamentals of power supply calibrations is given, and discussion on the method by which this custom software handles that calibration. Additionally, this technique provides real time uncertainty quantification of the calibrations. This automated system has demonstrated a time savings over existing automated techniques in use today.

Umansky, Brandon M.↗