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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

A functional video-based anthropometric measuring system

A high-speed anthropometric three dimensional measurement system using the Selcom Selspot motion tracking instrument for visual data acquisition is discussed. A three-dimensional scanning system was created which collects video, audio, and performance data on a single standard video cassette recorder. Recording rates of 1 megabit per second for periods of up to two hours are possible with the system design. A high-speed off-the-shelf motion analysis system for collecting optical information as used. The video recording adapter (VRA) is interfaced to the Selspot data acquisition system.

Nixon, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Introduction to Flight Software Development: FSW Today, FSW 2010

Experience and knowledge gained from ongoing maintenance of Space Shuttle Flight Software and new development projects including Cockpit Avionics Upgrade are applied to projected needs of the National Space Exploration Vision through Spiral 2. Lessons learned from these current activities are applied to create a sustainable, reliable model for development of critical software to support Project Constellation. This presentation introduces the technologies, methodologies, and infrastructure needed to produce and sustain high quality software. It will propose what is needed to support a Vision for Space Exploration that places demands on the innovation and productivity needed to support future space exploration. The technologies in use today within FSW development include tools that provide requirements tracking, integrated change management, modeling and simulation software. Specific challenges that have been met include the introduction and integration of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Real Time Operating System for critical functions. Though technology prediction has proved to be imprecise, Project Constellation requirements will need continued integration of new technology with evolving methodologies and changing project infrastructure. Targets for continued technology investment are integrated health monitoring and management, self healing software, standard payload interfaces, autonomous operation, and improvements in training. Emulation of the target hardware will also allow significant streamlining of development and testing. The methodologies in use today for FSW development are object oriented UML design, iterative development using independent components, as well as rapid prototyping . In addition, Lean Six Sigma and CMMI play a critical role in the quality and efficiency of the workforce processes. Over the next six years, we expect these methodologies to merge with other improvements into a consolidated office culture with all processes being guided by automated office assistants. The infrastructure in use today includes strict software development and configuration management procedures, including strong control of resource management and critical skills coverage. This will evolve to a fully integrated staff organization with efficient and effective communication throughout all levels guided by a Mission-Systems Architecture framework with focus on risk management and attention toward inevitable product obsolescence. This infrastructure of computing equipment, software and processes will itself be subject to technological change and need for management of change and improvement,

Gouvela, John↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dynamics of pore formation during laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Abstract Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is an emerging 3D printing technique for the fabrication of advanced metal components. Widespread adoption of it and similar additive technologies is hampered by poor understanding of laser-metal interactions under such extreme thermal regimes. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of pore formation and liquid-solid interface dynamics during typical laser powder bed fusion conditions using in situ X-ray imaging and multi-physics simulations. Pores are revealed to form during changes in laser scan velocity due to the rapid formation then collapse of deep keyhole depressions in the surface which traps inert shielding gas in the solidifying metal. We develop a universal mitigation strategy which eliminates this pore formation process and improves the geometric quality of melt tracks. Our results provide insight into the physics of laser-metal interaction and demonstrate the potential for science-based approaches to improve confidence in components produced by laser powder bed fusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Platform for Automated Anomaly Detection in the Mercury Process System at the Target System in the Spallation Neutron Source

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory accelerates proton beams, which are directed toward a mercury target to generate the world’s most intense neutron beams via spallation. The target system consists of several interconnected subsystems and accounts for a major share of the facility’s overall downtime. Early detection of anomalies in the target system response can thus provide the possibility of taking corrective actions to reduce downtime. Accelerator facilities have largely focused on the beam side for data-driven fault prognostics. On the target side, SNS relies on operational shift technicians (OSTs), who respond to alarms and manually flag anomalies onto the System Tracking and Reliability (STAR) platform. This paper presents one of the first studies of using machine learning (ML) to automate anomaly detection in the target system. The study focused on the mercury process system as the first use case and employed reconstruction-based anomaly detection on minutely sampled time series signals. The pipeline was integrated into the STAR platform to autonomously rank and flag anomalies every week. The STAR platform provides a user interface for the OSTs to evaluate the flagged anomalies, thereby incorporating human feedback.

Anomaly detection↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design sensitivity analysis and optimization tool (DSO) for sizing design applications

The DSO tool, a structural design software system that provides the designer with a graphics-based menu-driven design environment to perform easy design optimization for general applications, is presented. Three design stages, preprocessing, design sensitivity analysis, and postprocessing, are implemented in the DSO to allow the designer to carry out the design process systematically. A framework, including data base, user interface, foundation class, and remote module, has been designed and implemented to facilitate software development for the DSO. A number of dedicated commercial software/packages have been integrated in the DSO to support the design procedures. Instead of parameterizing an FEM, design parameters are defined on a geometric model associated with physical quantities, and the continuum design sensitivity analysis theory is implemented to compute design sensitivity coefficients using postprocessing data from the analysis codes. A tracked vehicle road wheel is given as a sizing design application to demonstrate the DSO's easy and convenient design optimization process.

Chang, Kuang-Hua↗
NASA NTRS1998

Virtual and Experimental Visualization of Flows in Packed Beds of Spheres Simulating Porous Media Flows

A videotape presentation of flow in a packed bed of spheres is provided. The flow experiment consisted of three principal elements: (1) an oil tunnel 76.2 mm by 76.2 mm in cross section, (2) a packed bed of spheres in regular and irregular arrays, and (3) a flow characterization methodology, either (a) full flow field tracking (FFFT) or (b) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation. The refraction indices of the oil and the test array of spheres were closely matched, and the flow was seeded with aluminum oxide particles. Planar laser light provided a two-dimensional projection of the flow field, and a traverse simulated a three-dimensional image of the entire flow field. Light focusing and reflection rendered the spheres black, permitting visualization of the planar circular interfaces in both the axial and transverse directions. Flows were observed near the wall-sphere interface and within the set of spheres. The CFD model required that a representative section of a packed bed be formed and gridded, enclosing and cutting six spheres so that symmetry conditions could be imposed at all cross-boundaries. Simulations had to be made with the flow direction at right angles to that used in the experiments, however, to take advantage of flow symmetry. Careful attention to detail was required for proper gridding. The flow field was three-dimensional and complex to describe, yet the most prominent finding was flow threads, as computed in the representative 'cube' of spheres with face symmetry and conclusively demonstrated experimentally herein. Random packing and bed voids tended to disrupt the laminar flow, creating vortices.

Hendricks, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1999

GCR Transport in the Brain: Assessment of Self-Shielding, Columnar Damage, and Nuclear Reactions on Cell Inactivation Rates

Radiation shield design is driven by the need to limit radiation risks while optimizing risk reduction with launch mass/expense penalties. Both limitation and optimization objectives require the development of accurate and complete means for evaluating the effectiveness of various shield materials and body-self shielding. For galactic cosmic rays (GCR), biophysical response models indicate that track structure effects lead to substantially different assessments of shielding effectiveness relative to assessments based on LET-dependent quality factors. Methods for assessing risk to the central nervous system (CNS) from heavy ions are poorly understood at this time. High-energy and charge (HZE) ion can produce tissue events resulting in damage to clusters of cells in a columnar fashion, especially for stopping heavy ions. Grahn (1973) and Todd (1986) have discussed a microlesion concept or model of stochastic tissue events in analyzing damage from HZE's. Some tissues, including the CNS, maybe sensitive to microlesion's or stochastic tissue events in a manner not illuminated by either conventional dosimetry or fluence-based risk factors. HZE ions may also produce important lateral damage to adjacent cells. Fluences of high-energy proton and alpha particles in the GCR are many times higher than HZE ions. Behind spacecraft and body self-shielding the ratio of protons, alpha particles, and neutrons to HZE ions increases several-fold from free-space values. Models of GCR damage behind shielding have placed large concern on the role of target fragments produced from tissue atoms. The self-shielding of the brain reduces the number of heavy ions reaching the interior regions by a large amount and the remaining light particle environment (protons, neutrons, deuterons. and alpha particles) may be the greatest concern. Tracks of high-energy proton produce nuclear reactions in tissue, which can deposit doses of more than 1 Gv within 5 - 10 cell layers. Information on rates of cell killing from GCR, including patterns of cell killing from single particle tracks. can provide useful information on expected differences between proton and HZE tracks and clinical experiences with photon irradiation. To model effects on cells in the brain, it is important that transport models accurately describe changes in the GCR due to interactions in the cranium and proximate tissues. We describe calculations of the attenuated GCR particle fluxes at three dose-points in the brain and associated patterns of cell killing using biophysical models. The effects of the brain self-shielding and bone-tissue interface of the skull in modulating the GCR environment are considered. For each brain dose-point, the mass distribution in the surrounding 4(pi) solid angle is characterized using the CAM model to trace 512 rays. The CAM model describes the self-shielding by converting the tissue distribution to mass-equivalent aluminum, and nominal values of spacecraft shielding is considered. Particle transport is performed with the proton, neutron, and heavy-ion transport code HZETRN with the nuclear fragmentation model QMSFRG. The distribution of cells killed along the path of individual GCR ions is modeled using in vitro cell inactivation data for cells with varying sensitivity. Monte Carlo simulations of arrays of inactivated cells are considered for protons and heavy ions and used to describe the absolute number of cell killing events of various magnitude in the brain from the GCR. Included are simulations of positions of inactivated cells from stopping heavy ions and nuclear stars produced by high-energy ions most importantly, protons and neutrons.

Shavers, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Structure of an anti-HIV-1 hammerhead ribozyme complex with a 17-mer DNA substrate analog of HIV-1 gag RNA and a mechanism for the cleavage reaction: 750 MHz NMR and computer experiments

The structure of an anti-HIV-1 ribozyme-DNA abortive substrate complex was investigated by 750 MHz NMR and computer modeling experiments. The ribozyme was a chimeric molecule with 30 residues-18 DNA nucleotides, and 12 RNA residues in the conserved core. The DNA substrate analog had 17 residues. The chimeric ribozyme and the DNA substrate formed a shortened ribozyme-abortive substrate complex of 47 nucleotides with two DNA stems (stems I and III) and a loop consisting of the conserved core residues. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the DNA stems assume A-family conformation at the NMR concentration and a temperature of 15 degrees C, contrary to the conventional wisdom that DNA duplexes in aqueous solution populate entirely in the B-form. It is proposed that the A-family RNA residues at the core expand the A-family initiated at the core into the DNA stems because of the large free energy requirement for the formation of A/B junctions. Assignments of the base H8/H6 protons and H1' of the 47 residues were made by a NOESY walk. In addition to the methyl groups of all T's, the imino resonances of stems I and III and AH2's were assigned from appropriate NOESY walks. The extracted NMR data along with available crystallographic data, were used to derive a structural model of the complex. Stems I and III of the final model displayed a remarkable similarity to the A form of DNA; in stem III, a GC base pair was found to be moving into the floor of the minor groove defined by flanking AT pairs; data suggest the formation of a buckled rhombic structure with the adjacent pair; in addition, the base pair at the interface of stem III and the loop region displayed deformed geometry. The loop with the catalytic core, and the immediate region of the stems displayed conformational multiplicity within the NMR time scale. A catalytic mechanism for ribozyme action based on the derived structure, and consistent with biochemical data in the literature, is proposed. The complex between the anti HIV-1 gag ribozyme and its abortive DNA substrate manifests in the detection of a continuous track of A.T base pairs; this suggests that the interaction between the ribozyme and its DNA substrate is stronger than the one observed in the case of the free ribozyme where the bases in stem I and stem III regions interact strongly with the ribozyme core region (Sarma, R. H., et al. FEBS Letters 375, 317-23, 1995). The complex formation provides certain guidelines in the design of suitable therapeutic ribozymes. If the residues in the ribozyme stem regions interact with the conserved core, it may either prevent or interfere with the formation of a catalytically active tertiary structure.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2005

Tool for Viewing Faults Under Terrain

Multi Surface Light Table (MSLT) is an interactive software tool that was developed in support of the QuakeSim project, which has created an earthquake- fault database and a set of earthquake- simulation software tools. MSLT visualizes the three-dimensional geometries of faults embedded below the terrain and animates time-varying simulations of stress and slip. The fault segments, represented as rectangular surfaces at dip angles, are organized into collections, that is, faults. An interface built into MSLT queries and retrieves fault definitions from the QuakeSim fault database. MSLT also reads time-varying output from one of the QuakeSim simulation tools, called "Virtual California." Stress intensity is represented by variations in color. Slips are represented by directional indicators on the fault segments. The magnitudes of the slips are represented by the duration of the directional indicators in time. The interactive controls in MSLT provide a virtual track-ball, pan and zoom, translucency adjustment, simulation playback, and simulation movie capture. In addition, geographical information on the fault segments and faults is displayed on text windows. Because of the extensive viewing controls, faults can be seen in relation to one another, and to the terrain. These relations can be realized in simulations. Correlated slips in parallel faults are visible in the playback of Virtual California simulations.

Siegel, Herbert, L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Space Communication and Navigation Testbed Communications Technology for Exploration

NASA developed and launched an experimental flight payload (referred to as the Space Communication and Navigation Test Bed) to investigate software defined radio, networking, and navigation technologies, operationally in the space environment. The payload consists of three software defined radios each compliant to NASAs Space Telecommunications Radio System Architecture, a common software interface description standard for software defined radios. The software defined radios are new technology developed by NASA and industry partners. The payload is externally mounted to the International Space Station truss and available to NASA, industry, and university partners to conduct experiments representative of future mission capability. Experiment operations include in-flight reconfiguration of the SDR waveform functions and payload networking software. The flight system communicates with NASAs orbiting satellite relay network, the Tracking, Data Relay Satellite System at both S-band and Ka-band and to any Earth-based compatible S-band ground station.

Reinhart, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2022

Low-temperature nanoscale heat transport in a gadolinium iron garnet heterostructure probed by ultrafast x-ray diffraction

Time-resolved x-ray diffraction has been used to measure the low-temperature thermal transport properties of a Pt/Gd3Fe5O12//Gd3Ga5O12 metal/oxide heterostructure relevant to applications in spin caloritronics. A pulsed femtosecond optical signal produces a rapid temperature rise in the Pt layer, followed by heat transport into the Gd3Fe5O12 (GdIG) thin film and the Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG) substrate. The time dependence of x-ray diffraction from the GdIG layer was tracked using an accelerator-based femtosecond x-ray source. The ultrafast diffraction measurements probed the intensity of the GdIG (1 −1 2) x-ray reflection in a grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction geometry. The comparison of the variation of the diffracted x-ray intensity with a model including heat transport and the temperature dependence of the GdIG lattice parameter allows the thermal conductance of the Pt/GdIG and GdIG//GGG interfaces to be determined. Complementary synchrotron x-ray diffraction studies of the low-temperature thermal expansion properties of the GdIG layer provide a precise calibration of the temperature dependence of the GdIG lattice parameter. The interfacial thermal conductance of the Pt/GdIG and GdIG//GGG interfaces determined from the time-resolved diffraction study is of the same order of magnitude as previous reports for metal/oxide and epitaxial dielectric interfaces. The thermal parameters of the Pt/GdIG//GGG heterostructure will aid in the design and implementation of thermal transport devices and nanostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1982

Space Shuttle autoland design

The Orbiter Autoland system is activated at 10,000 ft altitude and performs energy control through speedbrake modulation, vertical path tracking with acceleration commands to the pitch control system, lateral path tracking through bank angle commands to the roll control system, and brings the vehicle to main gear touchdown. A nominal 19 degree glide slope is flown down to 2000 ft, followed by a 1.5 deg path to flare and subsequent soft landing. The flight path is similar to that which a pilot would fly, a feature which increases safety factors should manual takeover be necessary during landing maneuvers. A block diagram of the autoland control interfaces is provided, and attention is given to the use of a reference trajectory, the guidance laws, lateral guidance, the speed control system, pitch rate control, and the rollout system. Conditions and instrument indications leading to pilot takeover are outlined.

Tsikalas, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE)

The design and implementation of a Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE), which is intended to become the support system software for a prototype high performance science analysis workstation are discussed. The target machine for this software is a JPL/Caltech Mark IIIfp Hypercube hosted by either a MASSCOMP 5600 or a Sun-3, Sun-4 workstation; however, the design will accommodate other concurrent machines of similar architecture, i.e., local memory, multiple-instruction-multiple-data (MIMD) machines. The CIPE system provides both a multimode user interface and an applications programmer interface, and has been designed around four loosely coupled modules; (1) user interface, (2) host-resident executive, (3) hypercube-resident executive, and (4) application functions. The loose coupling between modules allows modification of a particular module without significantly affecting the other modules in the system. In order to enhance hypercube memory utilization and to allow expansion of image processing capabilities, a specialized program management method, incremental loading, was devised. To minimize data transfer between host and hypercube a data management method which distributes, redistributes, and tracks data set information was implemented.

Lee, Meemong↗
DOE OSTI2022

Recommendations for Secure Transport: Material Conveyance Physical Protection Technology

Nuclear material is at higher risk of theft and sabotage during transport than during any other phase of the nuclear fuel lifecycle. Nuclear materials are transported in the public domain where adversaries have an upper hand by taking advantage of the time and location of the theft or sabotage attempt. As such, even modest threat profiles for transport of nuclear and radioactive material can require substantial detection and delay measures to support timely response. Conveyance tracking augmented with technology that improves on-the-scene situational awareness at a remote monitoring center has been adopted as a de-facto standard approach for transportation security. At present, the extended tracking and situational awareness capabilities needed for a nuclear material shipment, as is provided by the purpose designed, Transportation – Security, Tracking and Reporting (T-STAR) System, do not exist in a single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution. Typically, the COTS systems that excel in one area are deficient in other areas, presenting challenges to designing well-rounded, robust systems. Still, COTS solutions can offer the basic set of tracking and situational awareness capabilities by indicating last update time, current location, and route taken. By incorporating vehicle and driver performance measures via the vehicle’s controller area network (CAN bus) and video alongside other data streams allows telemetry and other shipment information to be assessed in novel ways.This paper describes the operation, capabilities and features of various conveyance protection systems and approaches, assesses emerging technologies and how they could be used through a unified interface, and enumerates additional ways to provide early detection using vehicle, onboard technologies, effective delay technologies and approaches and simple equipment to improve protection during transport.

Shannon, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1980

Remote sensing of coastal fronts and their effects on oil dispersion

The use of remote sensing techniques to determine the properties of coastal and estuarine fronts, which represent regions of discontinuities and high gradients in ocean physical parameters such as velocity and density, and to assess the influence of such fronts on oil pollutants is discussed. Results of an aircraft and boat verification study of an oil drift and spread model in Delaware Bay are indicated which illustrate the tendency of oil slicks to be attracted to frontal regions, where a denser fluid underlies a lighter fluid giving rise to an inclined interface with convergence zones. Landsat imagery of the bay acquired in order to incorporate frontal information into the interactive computer model is then presented which allows the locations of coastal fronts to be charted throughout a tidal cycle. It is noted that satellite observations of flood-associated fronts on the New Jersey side of the bay and ebb-associated fronts on the Delaware side agree with boat measurements and model predictions, and that the remote tracking of fronts by aircraft and satellites will aid in oil slick clean-up operations.

Klemas, V.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A post-processing system for automated rectification and registration of spaceborne SAR imagery

An automated post-processing system has been developed that interfaces with the raw image output of the operational digital SAR correlator. This system is designed for optimal efficiency by using advanced signal processing hardware and an algorithm that requires no operator interaction, such as the determination of ground control points. The standard output is a geocoded image product (i.e. resampled to a specified map projection). The system is capable of producing multiframe mosaics for large-scale mapping by combining images in both the along-track direction and adjacent cross-track swaths from ascending and descending passes over the same target area. The output products have absolute location uncertainty of less than 50 m and relative distortion (scale factor and skew) of less than 0.1 per cent relative to local variations from the assumed geoid.

Curlander, John C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

High temperature superconducting infrared imaging satellite

A low earth orbiting platform for an infrared (IR) sensor payload is examined based on the requirements of a Naval Research Laboratory statement of work. The experiment payload is a 1.5-meter square by 0.5-meter high cubic structure equipped with the imaging system, radiators, and spacecraft mounting interface. The orbit is circular at 509 km (275 nmi) altitude and 70 deg. inclination. The spacecraft is three-axis stabilized with pointing accuracy of plus or minus 0.5 deg. in each axis. The experiment payload requires two 15-minute sensing periods over two contiguous orbit periods for 30 minutes of sensing time per day. The spacecraft design is presented for launch via a Delta 2 rocket. Subsystem designs include attitude control, propulsion, electric power, telemetry, tracking and command, thermal design, structure, and cost analysis.

Angus, B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Data-Logger Interface And Test Controller

Data-logger interface and test controller developed to enable automation of tests in conjunction with data-acquisition functions performed by data loggers that have output-switching capabilities. Includes relay logic circuits that remain deenergized until out-of-tolerance condition on any data channel discovered. Designed to be connected to Fluke model 2286A (or equivalent) data-logger system, which features 3 control channels with 6 data inputs per channel. Includes elapsed-time counter that keeps track of power outages.

Burch, Donnie R.↗