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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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Feasibility study and results on use of radio frequency resonance counting for measuring propellant mass aboard orbiting spacecraft
Flight investigation of lightweight helicopter to study feasibility of fixed collective pitch autorotations
Feasibility design of instrument system to collect data of horizon radiance profile in carbon dioxide absorption band
A preliminary study was conducted of the feasibility of space disposal of the actinide class of radioactive waste material. This waste was assumed to contain 1 and 0.1 percent residual fission products, since it may not be feasible to completely separate the actinides. The actinides are a small fraction of the total waste but they remain radioactive much longer than the other wastes and must be isolated from human encounter for tens of thousands of years. Results indicate that space disposal is promising but more study is required, particularly in the area of safety. The minimum cost of space transportation would increase the consumer electric utility bill by the order of 1 percent for earth escape and 3 percent for solar escape. The waste package in this phase of the study was designed for normal operating conditions only; the design of next phase of the study will include provisions for accident safety. The number of shuttle launches per year required to dispose of all U.S. generated actinide waste with 0.1 percent residual fission products varies between 3 and 15 in 1985 and between 25 and 110 by 2000. The lower values assume earth escape (solar orbit) and the higher values are for escape from the solar system.
The goals of the NASA Standard Gas Generator (NSGG) Program are to create a NASA standard gas generating cartridge, characterize its performance, and make it readily available to users. A cartridge within the same envelope as the NASA Standard Initiator (NSI) has the greatest potential use. This potential use is described in viewgraph form. Our approach for NSGG development and qualification was planned to be conducted in several phases. Test methods were developed to evaluate output performance for a variety of potential applications. A feasibility study using modified NSI's was accomplished. Preliminary and final development will be conducted with a delta qualification to evaluate the effects of manufacturing lots and environments. Feasibility study results, feasibility study conclusions, and future plans are presented.
A preliminary feasibility study of the microwave multi-applications payload (MMAP) system for the Spacelab has been carried out. The initial objectives of this study have been to determine the minimum equipment requirements of the MMAP and the feasibility of placing the numerous large aperture antennas in the Spacelab. The study was begun by reviewing the experimental objectives and techniques and determining areas of commonality. Emphasis was given to the determination of common RF equipment requirements. These requirementers were considered after agreement among the experiments had been reached on limiting the number of frequencies to be used in the system. This was done so that the number of antennas, transmitters, and receivers could be minimized. The electronics system block diagram and the antenna configurations were considered in some details. It was concluded that the MMAP is feasible and can be an economical method of achieving a large number of experimental goals.
A computer program is described which can be used to study the feasibility of conducting relativity experiments on a wide range of hypothetical space missions, and a few applications are presented for solar probes which approach the Sun within 0.25 to 0.35 AU. It is assumed that radio ranging data are available from these spacecraft, and that accuracies on the order of 15 meters can be achieved. This is compatible with current accuracies of ranging to Mariner spacecraft. At this level of accuracy, the range data are sensitive to a number of effects, and for this reason it has been necessary to include a total of up to 23 parameters in the feasibility studies, even though there are only two parameters of real interest in the relativity experiments.
The Program Development group at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has been involved in studying the feasibility of placing a 16 meter telescope on the lunar surface to scan the skies using visible/ Ultraviolet/ Infrared light frequencies. The precursor telescope is now called the TRANSIT LUNAR TELESCOPE (LTT). The Program Development Group at Marshall Space Flight Center has been given the task of developing the basic concepts and providing a feasibility study on building such a telescope. The telescope should be simple with minimum weight and volume to fit into one of the available launch vehicles. The preliminary launch date is set for 2005. A study was done to determine the launch vehicle to be used to deliver the telescope to the lunar surface. The TITAN IV/Centaur system was chosen. The engineering challenge was to design the largest possible telescope to fit into the TITAN IV/Centaur launch system. The telescope will be comprised of the primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors and their supporting system in addition to the lander that will land the telescope on the lunar surface and will also serve as the telescope's base. The lunar lander should be designed integrally with the telescope in order to minimize its weight, thus allowing more weight for the telescope and its support components. The objective of this study were to design a lander that meets all the constraints of the launching system. The basic constraints of the TITAN IV/Centaur system are given.
The Program Development group at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has been involved in studying the feasibility of placing a 16 meter telescope on the lunar surface to scan the skies using visible/ Ultraviolet/ Infrared light frequencies. The precursor telescope is now called the TRANSIT LUNAR TELESCOPE (LTT). The Program Development Group at Marshall Space Flight Center has been given the task of developing the basic concepts and providing a feasibility study on building such a telescope. The telescope should be simple with minimum weight and volume to fit into one of the available launch vehicles. The preliminary launch date is set for 2005. A study was done to determine the launch vehicle to be used to deliver the telescope to the lunar surface. The TITAN IV/Centaur system was chosen. The engineering challenge was to design the largest possible telescope to fit into the TITAN IV/Centaur launch system. The telescope will be comprised of the primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors and their supporting system in addition to the lander that will land the telescope on the lunar surface and will also serve as the telescope's base. The lunar lander should be designed integrally with the telescope in order to minimize its weight, thus allowing more weight for the telescope and its support components. The objective of this study were to design a lander that meets all the constraints of the launching system. The basic constraints of the TITAN IV/Centaur system are given.
The design feasibility study is documented of a single cylinder, free piston Stirling engine/linear alternator (FPSE/LA) power module generating 150 kW-electric (kW sub e), and the determination of the module's maximum feasible power level. The power module configuration was specified to be a single cylinder (single piston, single displacer) FPSE/LA, with tuning capacitors if required. The design requirements were as follows: (1) Maximum electrical power output; (2) Power module thermal efficiency equal to or greater than 20 percent at a specific mass of 5 to 8 kg/kW(sub e); (3) Heater wall temperature/cooler wall temperature = 1050 K/525 K; (4) Sodium heat-pipe heat transport system, pumped loop NaK (sodium-potassium eutectic mixture) rejection system; (5) Maximum power module vibration amplitude = 0.0038 cm; and (6) Design life = 7 years (60,000 hr). The results show that a single cylinder FPSE/LA is capable of meeting program goals and has attractive scaling attributes over the power range from 25 to 150 kW(sub e). Scaling beyond the 150 kW(sub e) power level, the power module efficiency falls and the power module specific mass reaches 10 kg/kW(sub e) at a power output of 500 kW(sub e). A discussion of scaling rules for the engine, alternator, and heat transport systems is presented, along with a detailed description of the conceptual design of a 150 kW(sub e) power module that meets the requirements. Included is a discussion of the design of a dynamic balance system. A parametric study of power module performance conducted over the power output range of 25 to 150 kW(sub e) for temperature ratios of 1.7, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 is presented and discussed. The results show that as the temperature ratio decreases, the efficiency falls and specific mass increases. At a temperature ratio of 1.7, the 150 kW(sub e) power module cannot satisfy both efficiency and specific mass goals. As the power level increases from 25 to 150 kW(sub e) at a fixed temperature ratio, power module efficiency is seen to increase slightly, but at the expense of increased specific mass. An empirical equation relating power module thermal efficiency as a function of power module specific mass, power output, and temperature ratio is developed. Alternative configurations to the single cylinder, direct coupled linear alternator approach are also evaluated, but are shown to have technical drawbacks that lessen their attractiveness. The dynamic balance assembly mass (moving mass and structure) represents 20 to 30 percent of the total single cylinder power module mass. Joining two modules in a balanced opposed configuration eliminates the need for the balancer, and a hot end junction can be made without significant addition of structural mass. Recommendations are made for evaluation of advanced heat pipe concepts, tests of radial flow heat exchangers, and evaluation of high temperature alternator materials.
Feasibility study for retransmitting pulse code modulated data from multiple asynchronous telemetry links in periodic burst form
As human influence continues to negatively impact natural habitats, timely assessment of ecosystem changes and restoration is critical to protect forest health and biodiversity. In our study, we focused on oak-hickory forests in southern Indiana. Oak-hickory forests were the dominant ecosystem dynamic in present-day Indiana for centuries until European colonization, which brought about fire suppression and, eventually, fire exclusion. Anthropogenic fire exclusion in this fire-adapted habitat led to the encroachment of mesic species, such as beech and maple trees. This process, commonly referred to as mesophication, was the focus of our study. Our team performed a feasibility study in using NASA Earth observations to support our end-user partners, Let the Sun Shine In and the US Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest, in their selection of oak-hickory restoration sites. To aid in our analysis of the forest dynamics of southern Indiana, our team used Landsat 5, 8, and 9 imageries, along with other ancillary datasets to create maps to illustrate areas that would most benefit from partners’ forest restoration and management practices. By constructing a Green Vegetation Fraction change map across our 39-year study period (1984-2023) to visualize the change in forest cover and creating a restoration suitability assessment map to reveal sites that met requirements for oak-hickory growth, we provided our partners with suitable site selection for restorative management and found that 3.3% of our entire study area and 4.4% of the Hoosier National Forest were deemed suitable. Our feasibility study benefits southern Indiana restoration by aiding our partners in efficiently selecting sites for prescribed burning, forest thinning, and other restoration management practices.
Feasibility of performing 1969 Mars Orbiter mission using Atlas Centaur launching vehicle - engineering results reported
Feasibility of transforming solid state switches into high current resettable fuses
The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: rationale for an on-orbit control-structurs interaction (CSI) test facility; CSI flight experiment objectives; feasibility study objectives; CSI free-flyer solution; feasibility study technical status summary; CSI-Star - a low-cost CSI free flyer; conceptual experiment design - option 2 configuration; Delta 2 - Quickstar Interface clambband capability; open and closed loop response of baselined truss with active struts; experiment weight baseline (option 1) configuration; experiment weight option 2 configuration; experiment power baseline (option 1) configuration; experiment power option 2 configuration; CSI Quickstar capabilities/requirements; and remaining work.
We have performed a feasibility study in which we show that chip-based, microfluidic (LabChip(TM)) technology is suitable for protein crystal growth. This technology allows for accurate and reliable dispensing and mixing of very small volumes while minimizing bubble formation in the crystallization mixture. The amount of (protein) solution remaining after completion of an experiment is minimal, which makes this technique efficient and attractive for use with proteins, which are difficult or expensive to obtain. The nature of LabChip(TM) technology renders it highly amenable to automation. Protein crystals obtained in our initial feasibility studies were of excellent quality as determined by X-ray diffraction. Subsequent to the feasibility study, we designed and produced the first LabChip(TM) device specifically for protein crystallization in batch mode. It can reliably dispense and mix from a range of solution constituents into two independent growth wells. We are currently testing this design to prove its efficacy for protein crystallization optimization experiments. In the near future we will expand our design to incorporate up to 10 growth wells per LabChip(TM) device. Upon completion, additional crystallization techniques such as vapor diffusion and liquid-liquid diffusion will be accommodated. Macromolecular crystallization using microfluidic technology is envisioned as a fully automated system, which will use the 'tele-science' concept of remote operation and will be developed into a research facility for the International Space Station as well as on the ground.
The Advanced Space Transportation (AST) project office has challenged NASA to design, manufacture, ground-test and flight-test an axisymmetric, hydrocarbon-fueled, flight-weight, ejector-ramjet engine system testbed no later than 2005. To accomplish this, a multi-center NASA team has been assembled. The goal of this team, led by NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is to develop propulsion technologies that demonstrate rocket and airbreathing combined-cycle operation (DRACO). Current technical activities include flowpath conceptual design, engine systems conceptual design, and feasibility studies investigating the integration and operation of the DRACO engine with a Lockheed D-21B drone. This paper focuses on the activities of the Flowpath Systems Product Development Team (PDT), led by NASA-Glenn Research Center (GRC) and supported by NASA-MSFC and TechLand Research, Inc. The objective of the Flowpath PDT at the start of the DRACO program was to establish a conceptual design of the flowpath aerodynamic lines, determine the preliminary performance, define the internal environments, and support the DRACO testbed concept feasibility studies. To accomplish these tasks, the PDT convened to establish a baseline flowpath concept. With the conceptual lines defined, cycle analysis tasks were planned and the flowpath performance and internal environments were defined. Additionally, sensitivity studies investigating the effects of inlet reference area, combustion performance, and combustor/nozzle materials selection were performed to support the Flowpath PDT design process. Results of these tasks are the emphasis of this paper and are intended to verify the feasibility of the DRACO flowpath and engine system as well as identify the primary technical challenges inherent in the flight-weight design of an advanced propulsion technology demonstration engine. Preliminary cycle performance decks were developed to support the testbed concept feasibility studies but are not discussed further in this paper.
The practicability of utilizing hollow fiber membranes in vehicular and portable life support system applications is described. A preliminary screening of potential advanced life support applications resulted in the selection of five applications for feasibility study and testing. As a result of the feasibility study and testing, three applications, heat rejection, deaeration, and bacteria filtration, were chosen for breadboard development testing; breadboard hardware was manufactured and tested, and the physical properties of the hollow fiber membrane assemblies are characterized.