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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 721 records · Page 40

Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization (MDO) for Co-Designed Transmission & Distribution Electric Grid Planning

This paper describes early experiences and example use cases applying multi-disciplinary design analysis and optimization (MDO) to the integrated design of power grids. Adapted from aerospace, MDO enables combining multiple existing tools into a coordinated optimization. Here we use MDO to simultaneously capture integrated transmission-distribution and investment-engineering trade-offs in an automated framework. Example use cases showcase prototype interactions among existing grid models using MDO and hint at the types of integrated analyses enabled by this approach. In addition, we share experiences and thoughts on grid-specific challenges and opportunities to help advance further work in this area.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Using AI/expert system technology to automate planning and replanning for the HST servicing missions

This paper describes a knowledge-based system that has been developed to automate planning and scheduling for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Servicing Missions. This new system is the Servicing Mission Planning and Replanning Tool (SM/PART). SM/PART has been delivered to the HST Flight Operations Team (FOT) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) where it is being used to build integrated time lines and command plans to control the activities of the HST, Shuttle, Crew and ground systems for the next HST Servicing Mission. SM/PART reuses and extends AI/expert system technology from Interactive Experimenter Planning System (IEPS) systems to build or rebuild time lines and command plans more rapidly than was possible for previous missions where they were built manually. This capability provides an important safety factor for the HST, Shuttle and Crew in case unexpected events occur during the mission.

Bogovich, L.↗

Space Station ground data management system

KSC is planning a Space Station Ground Data Management System (GDMS) for support of functional interface verification, integration and test of Space Station modules and elements. This computer system, planned for initial operational support in 1992, currently is entering a definition and prototyping stage. This paper provides an overview of the GDMS system concept. It synopsizes system functional capabilities, and discusses software and hardware architectural approaches currently under evaluation. It identifies programmatic constraints and their influence upon the concept, as well as specific technical issues planned for study or evaluation via prototyping.

Heuser, Jan↗

Beyond Capacity Credits: Adaptive Stress Period Planning for Evolving Power Systems

This paper combines and applies concepts from several researchers to outline an alternative framework to plan power systems for resource adequacy needs, which we call Adaptive Stress Period Planning (ASPP). It first provides background information regarding least-cost planning objectives and the challenge of balancing an increasing need for model representation with computational intensity as power systems evolve in complexity. Next, it motivates the opportunity for a new paradigm by outlining challenges of frameworks in use today that rely on aggregate capacity heuristics (i.e., capacity credits and planning reserve margins). Subsequently, it lays out main process details of ASPP, which more directly represents spatial and temporal dynamics of power systems in a capacity expansion model with a process to adaptively select risk periods. The paper concludes with a summary of the approach, its benefits, and opportunities for future work.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Crystal Growth Furnace - An overview of the system configuration and planned experiments on the first United States Microgravity Laboratory mission

Attention is given to the Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) currently in the Level IV integration cycle at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for its maiden flight on the first United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) mission to be launched in May 1992. CGF was developed for NASA under the Microgravity Science and Application division programs at NASA Headquarters. An overview of the CGF system and the system configuration for the USML-1 mission are presented, and the planned on-orbit experiments are described. The four important scientific experiments selected from industry and educational institutions for the CGF USML-1 mission will enable a better understanding of the complex phenomena inherent in materials processing that will lead to the ultimate improvement of both processes and materials. Crystal growth by chemical vapor transport has resulted in improved growth conditions with crystal morphology, lower defect densities, and higher growth rates than terrestrially observed.

Srinivas, R.↗

Software reuse in spacecraft planning and scheduling systems

The use of a software toolkit and development methodology that supports software reuse is described. The toolkit includes source-code-level library modules and stand-alone tools which support such tasks as data reformatting and report generation, simple relational database applications, user interfaces, tactical planning, strategic planning and documentation. The current toolkit is written in C and supports applications that run on IBM-PC's under DOS and UNlX-based workstations under OpenLook and Motif. The toolkit is fully integrated for building scheduling systems that reuse AI knowledge base technology. A typical scheduling scenario and three examples of applications that utilize the reuse toolkit will be briefly described. In addition to the tools themselves, a description of the software evolution and reuse methodology that was used is presented.

Mclean, David↗

Expert mission planning and replanning scheduling system for NASA KSC payload operations

EMPRESS (Expert Mission Planning and REplanning Scheduling System) is an expert system created to assist payload mission planners at Kennedy in the long range planning and scheduling of horizontal payloads for space shuttle flights. Using the current flight manifest, these planners develop mission and payload schedules detailing all processing to be performed in the Operations and Checkout building at Kennedy. With the EMPRESS system, schedules are generated quickly using standard flows that represent the tasks and resources required to process a specific horizontal carrier. Resources can be tracked and resource conflicts can be determined and resolved interactively. Constraint relationships between tasks are maintained and can be enforced when a task is moved or rescheduled. The domain, structure, and functionality of the EMPRESS system is briefly designed. The limitations of the EMPRESS system are described as well as improvements expected with the EMPRESS-2 development.

Pierce, Roger↗

Proton Improvement Plan II Cryogenic Distribution System thermodynamic design

The Proton Improvement Plan – II (PIP-II) is a superconducting linear accelerator being built at Fermilab that will provide 800 MeV proton beams for neutrino production. The Linac requires cooling at 40 K, 5 K, and 2 K temperatures, which will be provided by cryogenic helium produced by a Helium Cryoplant and distributed by a Cryogenic Distribution System (CDS). Based primarily on the Linac heat load requirements at each temperature and the allowable pressure drop, we have made a preliminary thermodynamic design of the CDS. The design also incorporates special requirements such as controlled and/or fast cooldown of the superconducting RF cavities and their dual maximum allowable working pressures. This paper presents the overall features of the PIP-II CDS, sizing of helium process circuits, different operating modes, and calculated mass flow capacities that cater to these operating modes.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Coordinating the activities of a planner and an execution agent

A research program was defined that will explore the link between planning and execution systems. A simple scenario was defined in which a very capable off-line planning system interacts with the user and a smaller, less capable, on-line real-time system executing plans and reacting to faults. However, the on-line execution system may have a more flexible representation of the plans it is executing. This imbalance in the capabilities of the two agents involved should clarify some of the research objectives and give an experimental framework for the work. The task is to investigate the knowledge representations and communication protocols needed to link a user stating some requirements for a task to be carried out through a planning system to the (remote) execution agent that can carry out the user's wishes. The notion that a single representation can encapsulate the expression of the user's requirements, the capabilities for action, the communication to the execution agent, the successful or faulty response from the execution agent and the means of keeping the user informed, is examined. Methods of creating plan patches to update the plans separately held by each of the parties involved to keep them in step as they each react to changing circumstances in real-time is investigated. This involves the specification of plan patch attachment points that can be understood by the recipient. Transaction based methods are also investigated for coordinating the activities of the planner with those of the execution agent and user. The trial application area for the research is in the command and control of an advanced Earth Observation Space Platform.

Tate, Austin↗

Fly-by-light flight control system technology development plan

The results of a four-month, phased effort to develop a Fly-by-Light Technology Development Plan are documented. The technical shortfalls for each phase were identified and a development plan to bridge the technical gap was developed. The production configuration was defined for a 757-type airplane, but it is suggested that the demonstration flight be conducted on the NASA Transport Systems Research Vehicle. The modifications required and verification and validation issues are delineated in this report. A detailed schedule for the phased introduction of fly-by-light system components has been generated. It is concluded that a fiber-optics program would contribute significantly toward developing the required state of readiness that will make a fly-by-light control system not only cost effective but reliable without mitigating the weight and high-energy radio frequency related benefits.

Chakravarty, A.↗

Crystal Growth Furnace System Configuration and Planned Experiments on the Second United States Microgravity Laboratory Mission

The Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) is currently undergoing modifications and refurbishment and is currently undergoing modifications and refurbishment and is manifested to refly on the Second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) mission scheduled for launch in September 1995. The CGF was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) programs at NASA Headquarters. The refurbishment and reflight program is being managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Funding and program support for the CGF project is provided to MSFC by the office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications at NASA Headquarters. This paper presents an overview of the CGF system configuration for the USML-2 mission, and provides a brief description of the planned on-orbit experiment operation.

Srinivas, R.↗

DSN model for use in strategic planning

A System Dynamics Model of the DSN to support strategic planning for the Network is addressed. Applications for the model are described, as well as the foundations of system dynamics and the methodology used to develop the model. Activities to date and plans for future work are also discussed.

Kelly, K. C.↗

Harmonized geospatial data to support infrastructure siting feasibility planning for energy system transitions

Climate change, energy system transitions, and socioeconomic change are compounding influences affecting the growth of electricity demand. While energy efficiency initiatives and distributed resources can address a significant amount of this demand, the United States will likely still need new utility-scale generation resources. The energy sector uses capacity expansion planning models to determine the aggregate need for new generation, but these models are typically at the state or regional scale and are not equipped to address the wide range of location- and technology-specific issues that are increasingly a factor in power plant siting. To help address these challenges, we have developed the Geospatial Raster Input Data for Capacity Expansion Regional Feasibility (GRIDCERF) data package, a high-resolution product to evaluate siting suitability for renewable and non-renewable power plants in the conterminous United States. GRIDCERF offers 264 suitability layers for use with 56 power plant technologies in a harmonized format that can be easily ingested by geospatially-enabled modeling software allowing for customization to robustly address science objectives when evaluating varying future conditions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗