On the attitude stability of the SAS A spacecraft
Effects of energy dissipation on systems stability of SAS A spacecraft
Fleisher, G.↗
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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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A viscous-inviscid interaction algorithm for three-dimensional turbulent subsonic aerodynamic juncture region flow
An order-of magnitude analysis of the subsonic, three-dimensional, steady time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for semibounded aerodynamic juncture geometries yields the parabolic Navier-Stokes simplification. The numerical solution of the resultant pressure Poisson equation is cast into complementary and particular parts, yielding an iterative interaction algorithm with an exterior three-dimensional potential flow solution. A parabolic transverse momentum equation set is constructed, wherein robust enforcement first-order continuity effects is accomplished using a penalty differential constraint concept within a finite element solution algorithm. A Reynolds stress constitutive equation, with low turbulence Reynolds number wall functions, is employed for closure, using parabolic forms of the two-equation turbulent kinetic energy-dissipation equation system. The algorithm is employed to predict the three-dimensional turbulent flowfield in the juncture region formed by two intersecting parabolic arcs at a free-stream Mach-number of 0.08, and Re/C = 600,000/m.
Baker, A. J.↗
The CMC:3DPNS computer program for prediction of three-dimensional, subsonic, turbulent aerodynamic juncture region flow. Volume 1: Theoretical
An order-of-magnitude analysis of the subsonic three dimensional steady time averaged Navier-Stokes equations, for semibounded aerodynamic juncture geometries, yields the parabolic Navier-Stokes simplification. The numerical solution of the resultant pressure Poisson equation is cast into complementary and particular parts, yielding an iterative interaction algorithm with an exterior three dimensional potential flow solution. A parabolic transverse momentum equation set is constructed, wherein robust enforcement of first order continuity effects is accomplished using a penalty differential constraint concept within a finite element solution algorithm. A Reynolds stress constitutive equation, with low turbulence Reynolds number wall functions, is employed for closure, using parabolic forms of the two-equation turbulent kinetic energy-dissipation equation system. Numerical results document accuracy, convergence, and utility of the developed finite element algorithm, and the CMC:3DPNS computer code applied to an idealized wing-body juncture region. Additional results document accuracy aspects of the algorithm turbulence closure model.
Baker, A. J.↗
Generation of lower-hybrid noise by superthermal cross-field ion currents
A kinetic model for generating lower-hybrid waves by a low-density, superthermal ion beam directed across a magnetic field is investigated. Growth rate calculations demonstrate the salient features of the process, in particular, the small threshold drift of several background ion thermal speeds required for instability. The mechanism is suitable for collisionless dissipation in systems which evince the characteristics of anomalous resistivity in the presence of relatively small electrical currents.
Barbosa, D. D.↗
Properties of earthquakes generated by fault dynamics
A model for fault dynamics consisting of a uniform chain of blocks and springs pulled slowly across a rough surface is presented. The only nonlinear element of the model is a slip-stick friction force between the blocks and the surface. It is found that this model gives rise to events of all sizes. The numerical evaluation of the distribution of earthquake magnitudes results in a power-law spectrum similar to what is observed in nature. Like certain other dissipative dynamical systems, the observed large fluctuations in earthquake magnitude persist because the system is in a state of marginal stability.
Carlson, J. M.↗
The test facility requirements for the thermal vacuum thermal balance test of the Cosmic Background Explorer Observatory
The Cosmic Background Explorer Observatory (COBE) underwent a thermal vacuum thermal balance test in the Space Environment Simulator (SES). This was the largest and most complex test ever conducted at this facility. The 4 x 4 m (13 x 13 ft) spacecraft weighed approx. 2223 kg (4900 lbs) for the test. The test set up included simulator panels for the inboard solar array panels, simulator panels for the flight cowlings, Sun and Earth Sensor stimuli, Thermal Radio Frequency Shield heater stimuli and a cryopanel for thermal control in the Attitude Control System Shunt Dissipator area. The fixturing also included a unique 4.3 m (14 ft) diameter Gaseous Helium Cryopanel which provided a 20 K environment for the calibration of one of the spacecraft's instruments, the Differential Microwave Radiometer. This cryogenic panel caused extra contamination concerns and a special method was developed and written into the test procedure to prevent the high buildup of condensibles on the panel which could have led to backstreaming of the thermal vacuum chamber. The test was completed with a high quality simulated space environment provided to the spacecraft. The test requirements, test set up, and special fixturing are described.
Milam, Laura J.↗
Test facility requirements for the thermal vacuum thermal balance test of the Cosmic Background Explorer Observatory
The Cosmic Background Explorer Observatory (COBE) underwant a thermal vacuum thermal balance test in the Space Environment Simulator (SES). This was the largest and most complex test ever conducted at this facility. The 4 x 4 m (13 x 13 ft) spacecraft weighed approx. 2223 kg (4900 lbs) for the test. The test set up included simulator panels for the inboard solar array panels, simulator panels for the flight cowlings, Sun and Earth Sensor stimuli, Thermal Radio Frequency Shield heater stimuli and a cryopanel for thermal control in the Attitude Control System Shunt Dissipator area. The fixturing also included a unique 4.3 m (14 ft) diameter Gaseous Helium Cryopanel which provided a 20 K environment for the calibration of one of the spacecraft's instruments, the Differential Microwave Radiometer. This cryogenic panel caused extra contamination concerns and a special method was developed and written into the test procedure to prevent the high buildup of condensibles on the panel which could have led to backstreaming of the thermal vacuum chamber. The test was completed with a high quality simulated space environment provided to the spacecraft. The test requirements, test set up, and special fixturing are described.
Milam, Laura J.↗
Proposed law of nature linking impacts, plume volcanism, and Milankovitch cycles to terrestrial vertebrate mass extinctions via greenhouse-embryo death coupling
A greenhouse-physiological coupling killing mechanism active among mammals, birds, and reptiles has been identified. Operating via environmental thermal effects upon the maternal core-skin blood flow critical to the survival and development of embryos, it reduces the flow of blood to the uterine tract. Today, during hot summers, this phenomena kills embryos on a vast, global scale. Because of sensitivity of many mammals to modern heat, a major modern greenhouse could reduce population numbers on a global scale, and potentially trigger population collapses in the more vulnerable parts of the world. In the geological past, the killing mechanism has likely been triggered into action by greenhouse warming via impact events, plume volcanism, and Earth orbital variations (Milankovitch cycles). Earth's biosphere is maintained and molded by the flow of energy from the solar energy source to Earth and on to the space energy sink (SES). This SES energy flow maintains Earth's biosphere and its living components, as open, intermediate, dissipative, nonequilibrium systems whose states are dependent upon the rate of energy flowing through them. Greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere influence the SES energy flow rate. Steady-state flow is necessary for global ecological stability (autopoiesis). Natural fluctuations of the C cycle such as rapid releases of CO2 from the mantle, or oceans, disrupt steady-state SES flow. These fluctuations constantly challenge the biosphere; slowdown of SES energy flow drives it toward thermodynamical equilibrium and stagnation. Fluctuations induced by impact event, mantle plume volcanism, and Milankovitch cycles can grow into structure-breaking waves triggering major perturbations of Earth's C cycle and mass extinctions. A major C cycle perturbation involves readjustment of the outer physiochemical spheres of the Earth: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; and by necessity, the biosphere. A greenhouse, one manifestation of a major C cycle perturbation, is the most dangerous natural phenomenon that life on Earth can experience. Greenhouse conditions existed during the KT mass extinctions of 65 m.y. ago, and the Pleistocene-Holocene (P-H) mammalian extinctions of 10,000-12,000 yr ago. Coupling climatology to reproductive physiology via effects of ambient air temperature upon uterine blood flow to developing embryos accounts for the extinctions via established physiological principles.
Mclean, D. M.↗
Emittance characterization of thermal control paints, coatings and surfaces using a calorimetric technique
Thermal control surfaces are used in every spacecraft thermal management system to dissipate heat through radiant heat transfer. This paper describes the thermal performance of several thermal control paints, coatings, and surfaces, as characterized by a calorimetric vacuum emissometer. The emissometer is designed to measure the functional emittance of a surface based on heat transfer from an underlying substrate to the surface and from the surface or near surface to a surrounding cold wall. Emittance measurements were made between 200 and 350 K. Polished aluminum, used here as a standard, was found to have a total hemispherical emittance of 0.06, as expected. A velvet black paint, also used here as a standard, was found to have an emittance of 0.94 at room temperature. Other surfaces of interest included a polyurethane-based black paint designated Z-306, a highly polished 316L stainless steel, and an atomic oxygen beam-textured carbon-carbon composite.
Jaworske, Donald A.↗
Coronal heating, nanoflares and MHD turbulence
Coronal heating is at the origin of the X-ray emission and mass loss from the sun and many other stars. While different scenarios have been proposed to explain the heating of magnetically confined and open regions of the corona, they must all rely on the transfer, storage and dissipation of the abundant energy present in photospheric motions. Here we focus on theories which rely on magnetic fields and electric currents both for the energy transfer and storage in the corona. The dissipation of this energy, whether in the form of reconnection in current sheets (nanoflare?) or the dissipation of MHD waves, depends crucially on the development of extremely small scales in the coronal magnetic field, where kinetic effects are likely to be fundamental. The question of whether coronal heating and flares may be viewed respectively as the macroscopic, low-energy average and the high-energy, temporally intermittent aspect of the same underlying driven, dissipative, turbulent system is also addressed, with emphasis placed on the main observational and theoretical stumbling blocks in the way of a confinement or disproof of such a conjecture.
Velli, M.↗
James Webb Space Telescope Core 2 Test - Cryogenic Thermal Balance Test of the Observatorys Core Area Thermal Control Hardware
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, will be the largest astronomical telescope ever sent into space. To observe the very first light of the early universe, JWST requires a large deployed 6.5-meter primary mirror cryogenically cooled to less than 50 Kelvin. Three scientific instruments are further cooled via a large radiator system to less than 40 Kelvin. A fourth scientific instrument is cooled to less than 7 Kelvin using a combination pulse-tube Joule-Thomson mechanical cooler. Passive cryogenic cooling enables the large scale of the telescope which must be highly folded for launch on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle and deployed once on orbit during its journey to the second Earth-Sun Lagrange point. Passive cooling of the observatory is enabled by the deployment of a large tennis court sized five layer Sunshield combined with the use of a network of high efficiency radiators. A high purity aluminum heat strap system connects the three instrument's detector systems to the radiator systems to dissipate less than a single watt of parasitic and instrument dissipated heat. JWST's large scale features, while enabling passive cooling, also prevent the typical flight configuration fully-deployed thermal balance test that is the keystone of most space missions' thermal verification plans. This paper describes the JWST Core 2 Test, which is a cryogenic thermal balance test of a full size, high fidelity engineering model of the Observatory's 'Core' area thermal control hardware. The 'Core' area is the key mechanical and cryogenic interface area between all Observatory elements. The 'Core' area thermal control hardware allows for temperature transition of 300K to approximately 50 K by attenuating heat from the room temperature IEC (instrument electronics) and the Spacecraft Bus. Since the flight hardware is not available for test, the Core 2 test uses high fidelity and flight-like reproductions.
JWST Thermal Core 2 Test↗
Evolving Systems: Adaptive Key Component Control and Inheritance of Passivity and Dissipativity
We propose a new framework called Evolving Systems to describe the self-assembly, or autonomous assembly, of actively controlled dynamical subsystems into an Evolved System with a higher purpose. Autonomous assembly of large, complex flexible structures in space is a target application for Evolving Systems. A critical requirement for autonomous assembling structures is that they remain stable during and after assembly. The fundamental topic of inheritance of stability, dissipativity, and passivity in Evolving Systems is the primary focus of this research. In this paper, we develop an adaptive key component controller to restore stability in Nonlinear Evolving Systems that would otherwise fail to inherit the stability traits of their components. We provide sufficient conditions for the use of this novel control method and demonstrate its use on an illustrative example.
Frost, S. A.↗
Heat Rejection Concepts for Lunar Fission Surface Power Applications
This paper describes potential heat rejection design concepts for lunar surface Brayton power conversion systems. Brayton conversion systems are currently under study by NASA for surface power applications. Surface reactors may be used for the moon to power human outposts enabling extended stays and closed loop life support. The Brayton Heat Rejection System (HRS) must dissipate waste heat generated by the power conversion system due to inefficiencies in the thermal-to-electric conversion process. Space Brayton conversion system designs tend to optimize at efficiencies of about 20 to 25 percent with radiator temperatures in the 400 K to 600 K range. A notional HRS was developed for a 100 kWe-class Brayton power system that uses a pumped water heat transport loop coupled to a water heat pipe radiator. The radiator panels employ a tube and fin construction consisting of regularly-spaced circular heat pipes contained within two composite facesheets. The water heat pipes interface to the coolant through curved sections partially contained within the cooling loop. The paper evaluates various design parameters including radiator panel orientation, coolant flow path, and facesheet thickness. Parameters were varied to compare design options on the basis of H2O pump pressure rise and required power, heat pipe unit power and radial flux, radiator area, radiator panel areal mass, and overall HRS mass.
Siamidis, John↗
Design of Constant Gain Dissipative Controllers for Eigensystem Assignment in Passive Systems
Partial eigensystem assignment with output feedback can lead to an unstable closed-loop system. However, output feedback with passive linear time-invariant systems, such as flexible space structures, is guaranteed to be stable if the controller is dissipative. This paper presents a novel approach for synthesis of dissipative output feedback gain matrices for assigning a selected number of closed-loop poles. Dissipativity of a gain matrix is known to be equivalent to positive semidefiniteness of the symmetric part of the matrix. A sequential procedure is presented to assign one self-conjugate pair of closed-loop eigenvalues at each step using dissipative output feedback gain matrices, while ensuring that the eigenvalues assigned in the previous steps are not disturbed. The problem of assigning one closed-loop pair is reduced to a constrained solution of a system of quadratic equations, and necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution are presented. A minimax approach is presented for determining parameters which satisfy these conditions. This method can assign as many closed-loop system poles as the number of control inputs. A numerical example of damping enhancement for a flexible structure is presented to demonstrate the approach.
Maghami, Peiman G.↗
A 128K-bit CCD buffer memory system
A prototype system was implemented to demonstrate that CCD's can be applied advantageously to the problem of low power digital storage and particularly to the problem of interfacing widely varying data rates. 8K-bit CCD shift register memories were used to construct a feasibility model 128K-bit buffer memory system. Peak power dissipation during a data transfer is less than 7 W., while idle power is approximately 5.4 W. The system features automatic data input synchronization with the recirculating CCD memory block start address. Descriptions are provided of both the buffer memory system and a custom tester that was used to exercise the memory. The testing procedures and testing results are discussed. Suggestions are provided for further development with regards to the utilization of advanced versions of CCD memory devices to both simplified and expanded memory system applications.
Siemens, K. H.↗
Thermoacoustic Thermal Management for Electric Aircraft
Electric aircraft research and development is on the rise, necessitating an avant-garde thermal management system to effectively dissipate and reuse the typically wasted low-grade thermal energy generated on electric aircraft. Hence, the Thermal Recovery Exergy Efficient System (TREES) was successfully modeled, designed, built, and tested at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA GRC) to demonstrate a solution. TREES demonstrates the ability to transport and amplify acoustic energy over various distances, with minimal energy dissipation, while creating a thermoacoustic heat pump that can deliver and absorb thermal energy. The in-house rig is now being utilized as a diagnostics testbed to understand the underlying physics of traveling wave thermoacoustics and to enhance future thermal management technology development.
Thermoacoustics↗
System Assessment of a High Power 3-U CubeSat
The Advanced eLectrical Bus (ALBus) CubeSat project is a technology demonstration mission of a 3-UCubeSat with an advanced, digitally controlled electrical power system capability and novel use of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology for reliable deployable solar array mechanisms. The objective of the project is to, through an on orbit demonstration, advance the state of power management and distribution (PMAD) capabilities to enable future missions requiring higher power, flexible and reliable power systems. The goals of the mission include demonstration of: 100 Watt distribution to a target electrical load, efficient battery charging in the orbital environment, flexible power system distribution interfaces, adaptation of power system control on orbit, and reliable deployment of solar arrays and antennas utilizing re-settable SMA mechanisms. The power distribution function of the ALBus PMAD system is unique in the total power to target load capability of 100 W, the flexibility to support centralized or point-to-load regulation and ability to respond to fast transient power requirements. Power will be distributed from batteries at 14.8 V, 6.5 A to provide 100 W of power directly to a load. The deployable solar arrays utilize NASA Glenn Research Center superelastic and activated Nitinol(Nickel-Titanium alloy) Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology for hinges and a retention and release mechanism. The deployable solar array hinge design features utilization of the SMA material properties for dual purpose. The hinge uses the shape memory properties of the SMA to provide the spring force to deploy the arrays. The electrical conductivity properties of the SMA also enables the design to provide clean conduits for power transfer from the deployable arrays to the power management system. This eliminates the need for electrical harnesses between the arrays and the PMAD system in the ALBus system design. The uniqueness of the SMA retention and release mechanism design is the ability to reset the mechanism, allowing functional tests of the mechanisms prior to flight with no degradation of performance. The project is currently in preparation at the NASA Glenn Research Center for a launch in late calendar year of 2017. The 100 Watt power distribution and dual purpose, re-settable SMA mechanisms introduced several system level challenges due to the physical constraints in volume, mass and surface area of 3-U CubeSats. Several trade studies and design cycles have been completed to develop a system which supports the project objectives. This paper is a report on the results of the system level trade studies and assessments. The results include assessment of options for thermal control of 100 Watts of power dissipation, data from system analyses and engineering development tests, limitations of the 3-U system and extensibility to larger scale CubeSat missions.
CubeSat↗
Heat pipe system for Space Shuttle TWTA.
Description of the design of a heat pipe system built to dissipate and reject the waste heat from the Space Shuttle communications implementing traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA). The heat pipe system proved itself as an effective tool for TWTA thermal control.
Basiulis, A.↗