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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality

This paper provides an analysis of the effect of the skill/experience of the software development team on the quality of the final software product. A method for the assessment of software development team skill and experience is proposed, and was derived from a workforce management tool currently in use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Using data from 26 smallscale software development projects, the team skill measures are correlated to 5 software product quality metrics from the ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality standard. in the analysis of the results, development team skill is found to be a significant factor in the adequacy of the design and implementation. In addition, the results imply that inexperienced software developers are tasked with responsibilities ill-suited to their skill level, and thus have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the software product. Keywords: software quality, development skill, software metrics

Beaver, Justin M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Vehicle Technologies Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment Topic 5 Natural Gas Engine Enabling Technologies

A 10 liter natural gas engine has been developed with significant improvements in efficiency while maintaining ultra low NOx emissions and meeting all other EPA criteria emissions limits. This was accomplished through design and analysis of performance components specifically for operation with natural gas in contrast to current production engines which are a minimally modified diesel engine that retain most diesel design features including a flat deck swirl head. The architecture developed here includes a pent roof cylinder head with tumble charge motion and cooling passages specifically optimized for effective cooling around the spark plug and valve bridges. Also in contrast to current production natural gas engines, EGR was not used, in part to avoid the initial cost and warranty expense associated with EGR systems, but also for performance benefits of faster combustion, reduced risk of misfire and high open cycle efficiency due to the turbocharger’s ability to extract energy from the high temperature exhaust. The exhaust manifold uses high temperature material and thermal mechanical fatigue analysis was completed to ensure the ability to withstand high exhaust temperatures without EGR. Other features include dual overhead cam with late intake valve closing Miller cycle and 14:1 compression ratio steel pistons. Low NOx emissions are achieved with stoichiometric combustion and application of a close coupled plus underfloor three way catalysts. The program target of peak brake thermal efficiency of 42% has been demonstrated along with bsNOx of 0.02 g/hp-hr over HD-FTP and RMCSET emissions cycles.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

NuScale Systems Engineering Program Overview and Status

NuScale systems engineering program overview, including technical data management and model-based engineering, product structures, architecture views, and model-based systems engineering. Includes a discussion on technical risk and opportunity management and technical readiness levels, as well as risk-informed performance-based principles and methods.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integration of Yeast Episomal/Integrative Plasmid Causes Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity and Improved Sesquiterpene Production in Metabolically Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The variability in phenotypic outcomes among biological replicates in engineered microbial factories presents a captivating mystery. Establishing the association between phenotypic variability and genetic drivers is important to solve this intricate puzzle. Here, we applied a previously developed auxin-inducible depletion of hexokinase 2 as a metabolic engineering strategy for improved nerolidol production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and biological replicates exhibit a dichotomy in nerolidol production of either 3.5 or 2.5 g L –1 nerolidol. Harnessing Oxford Nanopore’s long-read genomic sequencing, we reveal a potential genetic cause—the chromosome integration of a 2μ sequence-based yeast episomal plasmid, encoding the expression cassettes for nerolidol synthetic enzymes. This finding was reinforced through chromosome integration revalidation, engineering nerolidol and valencene production strains, and generating a diverse pool of yeast clones, each uniquely fingerprinted by gene copy numbers, plasmid integrations, other genomic rearrangements, protein expression levels, growth rate, and target product productivities. Τhe best clone in two strains produced 3.5 g L –1 nerolidol and ~0.96 g L –1 valencene. Comparable genotypic and phenotypic variations were also generated through the integration of a yeast integrative plasmid lacking 2μ sequences. Our work shows that multiple factors, including plasmid integration status, subchromosomal location, gene copy number, sesquiterpene synthase expression level, and genome rearrangement, together play a complicated determinant role on the productivities of sesquiterpene product. Integration of yeast episomal/integrative plasmids may be used as a versatile method for increasing the diversity and optimizing the efficiency of yeast cell factories, thereby uncovering metabolic control mechanisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1984

The role of optimization in structural model refinement

To evaluate the role that optimization can play in structural model refinement, it is necessary to examine the existing environment for the structural design/structural modification process. The traditional approach to design, analysis, and modification is illustrated. Typically, a cyclical path is followed in evaluating and refining a structural system, with parallel paths existing between the real system and the analytical model of the system. The major failing of the existing approach is the rather weak link of communication between the cycle for the real system and the cycle for the analytical model. Only at the expense of much human effort can data sharing and comparative evaluation be enhanced for the two parallel cycles. Much of the difficulty can be traced to the lack of a user-friendly, rapidly reconfigurable engineering software environment for facilitating data and information exchange. Until this type of software environment becomes readily available to the majority of the engineering community, the role of optimization will not be able to reach its full potential and engineering productivity will continue to suffer. A key issue in current engineering design, analysis, and test is the definition and development of an integrated engineering software support capability. The data and solution flow for this type of integrated engineering analysis/refinement system is shown.

Lehman, L. L.↗
DOE OSTI2021

3D printing of lignin: Challenges, opportunities and roads onward

Abstract As the second most abundant biopolymer on earth, and as a resource recently becoming more available in separated and purified form on an industrial scale due to the development of new isolation technologies, lignin has a key role to play in transitioning our material industry towards sustainability. Additive manufacturing (AM), the most efficient‐material processing technology to date, has likewise made great strides to promote sustainable industrial solutions to our needs in engineered products. Bringing lignin research to AM has prompted the emergence of the nascent “lignin 3D printing” field. This review presents the recent state of art of this promising field and highlights its challenges and opportunities. Following a review of the industrial availability, molecular attributes, and associated properties of technical lignins, we review R&D efforts at implementing lignin systems in extrusion‐based and stereolithography (SLA) printing technologies. Doing so underlines the adage of lignin research that “all lignins are not created equal,” and stresses the opportunity nested in this chemical diversity created mostly by differences in isolation conditions to molecularly select and tune the attributes of technical lignin systems towards desirable properties, be it by modification or polymer blending. Considering the AM design process in its entirety, we finally propose onward routes to bring the full potential to this emerging field. We hope that this review can help promote the unique value and overdue industrial role of lignin in sustainable engineered materials and products.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A computational parametric study of ducted fuel injection implementation in a heavy-duty diesel engine

Experiments have shown that ducted fuel injection (DFI) effectively reduces soot emissions from direct-injection diesel engines. Although many computational studies have evaluated DFI’s spray development and soot reduction mechanisms in constant volume chambers, only limited computational work on internal combustion engines exists. The DFI duct assembly changes the engine’s in-cylinder flow, spray, and combustion development. Therefore, current production engine designs might not be optimal for achieving the best engine performance with DFI. Here, this work conducted an extensive numerical study to evaluate how parameter changes affect DFI performance. The parameters include swirl ratio, piston geometry, compression ratio (CR), number of injector orifices, split injection strategy, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in a heavy-duty diesel engine utilizing DFI. The combustion and soot emission data from the Sandia compression ignition optical research engine were used for model validation. Simulations showed that an increased swirl ratio resulted in more intense jet flame-piston interaction, slowing down the combustion heat release during the late combustion stage and leading to lower indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) due to higher exhaust losses. A piston-bowl design with a reentrant inner piston edge yielded the highest thermal efficiency, due to the reduced cylinder head heat transfer loss. Additional injector orifices led to higher efficiency owing to a more advanced combustion phasing. Nevertheless, the maximum pressure rise rate (MPRR) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) emissions also increased with the number of injector orifices due to more rapid heat release and higher combustion temperature. Implementation of a split injection strategy combined with a higher EGR rate effectively inhibited the excessive MPRR and NO x formation. In general, the study concluded that DFI is not sensitive to most parameter changes but will benefit from future parameter optimization.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Experimental clean combustor program: Diesel no. 2 fuel addendum, phase 3

A CF6-50 engine equipped with an advanced, low emission, double annular combustor was operated 4.8 hours with No. 2 diesel fuel. Fourteen steady-state operating conditions ranging from idle to full power were investigated. Engine/combustor performance and exhaust emissions were obtained and compared to JF-5 fueled test results. With one exception, fuel effects were very small and in agreement with previously obtained combustor test rig results. At high power operating condition, the two fuels produced virtually the same peak metal temperatures and exhaust emission levels. At low power operating conditions, where only the pilot stage was fueled, smoke levels tended to be significantly higher with No. 2 diesel fuel. Additional development of this combustor concept is needed in the areas of exit temperature distribution, engine fuel control, and exhaust emission levels before it can be considered for production engine use.

Gleason, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Advanced transport aircraft technology

Various elements of the NASA aircraft energy efficiency program are described. Regarding composite structures, the development of three secondary and three medium-primary components to validate structural and fabrication technology is discussed. In laminar flow control, the design of advanced airfoils having large regions of supercritical flow with features which simplify laminarization are considered. Emphasis is placed on engine performance improvement, directed at developing advanced components to reduce fuel consumption in current production engines, and engine diagnostics aimed at identifying the sources and causes of performance deterioration in high-bypass turbofan engines. In addition, the results of propeller aerodynamic and acoustic tests have substantiated the feasibility of achieving the propeller efficiency goal of 80% and confirmed that the effect of blade sweep on reducing propeller source noise was 5-6 dB.

Winblade, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mars Observer data production, transfer, and archival: The data production assembly line

This paper describes the data production, transfer, and archival process designed for the Mars Observer Flight Project. It addresses the developmental and operational aspects of the archive collection production process. The developmental aspects cover the design and packaging of data products for archival and distribution to the planetary community. Also discussed is the design and development of a data transfer and volume production process capable of handling the large throughput and complexity of the Mars Observer data products. The operational aspects cover the main functions of the process: creating data and engineering products, collecting the data products and ancillary products in a central repository, producing archive volumes, validating volumes, archiving, and distributing the data to the planetary community.

Childs, David B.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Duct Mode Measurements on the TFE731-60 Full Scale Engine

A continuously rotating rake with radial microphones was developed to measure the inlet and exhaust duct modes on a TFE731-60 turbofan engine. This was the first time the rotating rake technology was used on a production engine. The modal signature for the first three fan harmonics was obtained in the inlet and exhaust. Rotor-stator and rotor-strut interaction modes were measured. Total harmonic power was calculated over a range of fan speeds. Above sonic tip speed, the rotor locked mode was not strong enough to be identified, but the 'buzz-saw' noise at fan sub-harmonics was identified.

Sutliff, Daniel L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Development of procedures for calculating stiffness and damping of elastomers in engineering applications, part 7

An elastomer shear damper was designed, tested, and compared with the performance of the T 55 power turbine supported on the production engine roller bearing support. The Viton 70 shear damper was designed so that the elastomer damper could be interchanged with the production T 55 power turbine roller bearing support. The results show that the elastomer sheer dampener permitted stable operation of the power turbine to the maximum operating speed of 16,000 rpm.

Rieger, A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

JT8D and JT9D jet engine performance improvement program. Task 1: Feasibility analysis

JT8D and JT9D component performance improvement concepts which have a high probability of incorporation into production engines were identified and ranked. An evaluation method based on airline payback period was developed for the purpose of identifying the most promising concepts. The method used available test data and analytical models along with conceptual/preliminary designs to predict the performance improvements, weight, installation characteristics, cost for new production and retrofit, maintenance cost, and qualitative characteristics of candidate concepts. These results were used to arrive at the concept payback period, which is the time required for an airline to recover the investment cost of concept implementation.

Gaffin, W. O.↗
NASA NTRS1982

LANDSAT-D assessment system library computer compatible tape (LASLIB-CCT/LAS-CCT)

The format for computer compatible tapes containing thematic mapper archival data and product data generated by the LANDSAT-D Assessment System (LAS). These data tapes are engineering products developed primarily for LAS internal use to assist in the early evaluation of thematic mapper data quality and ground data processing algorithms during the limited period of one year following the launch of LANDSAT-D.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1992

Engine Coatings

Increasing the operating temperature of turbine engines reduces fuel consumption and increases engine efficiency. However, engine components must be protected from excessive heat. Lewis Research Center has successfully developed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), which are deposited on the components. They insulate, offer oxidation and corrosion resistance and increase adherence. Surface temperatures can be reduced by 200 degrees centigrade or more. G. E. Aircraft Engines, a Lewis contractor, now uses a TBC based on the one developed at Lewis, on production engines. The system, which consists of a bond and a top coat extends component life from 1.3 to 2 times. The company is also testing TBCs on components that operate at higher temperatures.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1992

Aluminum-fueled rockets for the space transportation system

Aluminum-fueled engines, used to propel orbital transfer vehicles (OTV's), offer benefits to the Space Transportation System (STS) if scrap aluminum can be scavenged at a reasonable cost. Aluminum scavenged from Space Shuttle external tanks could replace propellants hauled from Earth, thus allowing more payloads to be sent to their final destinations at the same Shuttle launch rate. To allow OTV use of aluminum fuel, two new items would be required: a facility to reprocess aluminum from external tanks and an engine for the OTV which could burn aluminum. Design of the orbital transfer vehicle would have to differ substantially from current concepts for it to carry and use the aluminum fuel. The aluminum reprocessing facility would probably have a mass of under 15 metric tons and would probably cost less that $200,000,000. Development of an aluminum-burning engine would no doubt be extremely expensive (1 to 2 billion dollars), but this amount would be adequately repaid by increased STS throughput. Engine production cost is difficult to estimate, but even an extremely high cost (e.g., $250,000,000 per engine) would not significantly increase orbit-raising expenses.

Cutler, Andrew Hall↗
NASA NTRS1984

Thematic Mapper Image Production in the Engineering Checkout Phase

Thematic Mapper data processing during LANDSAT 4's first year was performed on an engineering evaluation basis. Fully corrected products were created for some 282 scenes during this period using software and systems based upon the intended full production systems to become operational following the evaluation period. The engineering systems included substantial software and procedures for assessing spacecraft, instrument and ground processing algorithmic behavior. The data systems are described in terms of performance objectives, processing organization and data flow, quality assurance measurements and achievement of goals. The a priori implementation of TM radiometric and geometric corrections is described. Changes to processing suggested by or implemented on the basis of on-orbit data analysis are discussed. Spacecraft, instrument and algorithmic performance are evaluated.

Fischel, D.↗