Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “WATER RESOURCES”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52

Ice Growth Model and Lunar Tanker for Polar Water Extraction

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a major component of sustainable and cost-effective missions to the Moon and beyond. Ever since it has been identified in the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) of the Moon, water has become a resource of interest for it’s wide range of uses such as life support and hydrogen and oxygen rocket propellant. It is ice-bound in the regolith, so separation typically involves heating to sublimation temperatures and capturing at very low pressure. One option is to then store it in ice form and transport it out of the PSR and into a sunlit ridge. From here, processes such as electrolysis can be performed. An understanding of frost growth dynamics under rarefied conditions is necessary for successful water production, though. An analytical model was developed using a Diffusion-Limited Aggregation (DLA) approach to evaluate bulk thermal conductivity changes of frost under varying conditions. This model will be evaluated using a one-dimensional frost growth experiment on a horizontal, flat plate under vacuum and cryogenic conditions. The tests will measure frost growth rate and bulk density, and the thermal conductivity of the ice layer as a function of thickness for different plate temperatures. The test data will then be used to validate and improve the analytical model.

Lunar water↗

The impact of earth resources exploration from space

The use of Earth Resources Technology Satellites in solving global problems is examined. Topics discussed are: (1) management of food, water, and fiber resources; (2) exploration and management of energy and mineral resources; (3) protection of the environment; (4) protection of life and property; and (5) improvements in shipping and navigation.

Nordberg, W.↗

Resource Utilization and Site Selection for a Self-Sufficient Martian Outpost

As a planet with striking similarities to Earth, Mars is an important focus for scientific research aimed at understanding the processes of planetary evolution and the formation of our solar system. Fortunately, Mars is also a planet with abundant natural resources, including assessible materials that can be used to support human life and to sustain a self-sufficient martian outpost. Resources required include water, breathable air, food, shelter, energy, and fuel. Through a mission design based on in situ resource development, we can establish a permanent outpost on Mars beginning with the first manned mission. This paper examines the potential for supporting the first manned mission with the objective of achieving self-sufficiency through well-understood resource development and a program of rigorous scientific research aimed at extending that capability. We examine the potential for initially extracting critical resources from the martian environment, and discuss the scientific investigations required to identify additional resources in the atmosphere, on the surface, and within the subsurface. We also discuss our current state of knowledge of Mars, technical considerations of resource utilization, and using unmanned missions' data for selecting an optimal site. The primary goal of achieving self-sufficiency on Mars would accelerate the development of human colonization beyond Earth, while providing a robust and permanent martian base from which humans can explore and conduct long-term research on planetary evolution, the solar system, and life itself.

Barker, Donald↗

Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) - Stream Stage Measurements: V2.5.1 Water Level Products from Satellite Radar Altimetry

In response to the 2018 NASA ROSES Applied Sciences/Water Resources (NASA HQ Program Official: Dr. Brad Doorn) call for proposals, the “Integration of Remotely Sensed Streamflow Data into Alaska Water Resource Management Agency Operations” project with Principal Investigator (PI) Jack Eggleston USGS, was successful, and had the ultimate goal of creating a series of remotely sensed or derived Alaska river parameters for integration into NWIS. These parameters included surface water height and average reach surface water slope (from altimetry), average reach width (from Landsat imagery), and an associated river discharge derived via theoretical means. The surface water height products were required to have both archival and near real time components, noting the availability of ~25years of potential measurements, and accepting the temporal resolution (10-35days) of the suite of radar altimeters. Each surface water level product was expected to be a continuous time series of observation with a sufficient accuracy to highlight monthly, seasonal and interannual variation. The designated set of river reaches were chosen for their geographical distribution, their reach width, and the presence of a radar altimeter mission satellite overpass. This document describes the procedure associated with the creation of these altimetric surface water level products and is relevant to product Version 2.5.1 available from the Global Water Monitor (GWM) web portal.

Altimetry↗

Case Study for Lunar ISRU Systems Utilizing Polar Water

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is key to long term presence at any extraterrestrial destination. Current NASA direction is to achieve a sustainable presence on the lunar surface by 2028. Mission plans currently target the lunar South Pole to leverage the extended periods of solar illumination and allows for potential access to water ice in the permanently shadowed areas around the poles. With water, it is possible to produce both fuel and oxidizer to fully refuel a vehicle. In order to address ISRU infusion into mission planning, a study of an end-to-end ISRU propellant production system was initiated to assess ISRU architectures and obtain mass and power estimates for each. The results of these case studies will be presented. For this study, The ISRU system architecture involved two sites; the mine site in a shadowed crater where water ice is excavated and extracted from the regolith and the propellant production site at an illuminated ridge where the water is processed into liquefied O2 and H2 propellants. Fixed hardware would be emplaced at each site, with two alternating water tankers to transport water between them. Notional lunar sites were identified for this architecture for baseline environmental parameters. Technology solutions for each subsystem were selected based on those with the highest fidelity models or those that have empirical laboratory data to anchor to. While power needs were identified for each location, a power solution was not prescribed, therefore the masses presented do not include surface power systems. The baseline case in this study assumed that 10 mT of oxygen, along with enough hydrogen to support a propulsion mixture ratio of 6, must be produced in 225 days. Therefore 15 mT of water would need to be collected and processed. The baseline solution resulted in a system mass of5 mT and a total required power of 68kW. The majority of the mass was split between the ridge site system and the two water tankers (2.6 mTand 1.8mTrespectively). The majority of the required power was with three subsystems at approximately 20 kW each: hydrogen liquefaction, electrolysis, and the water extractor subsystem. Trades for four key variables are also presented, namely production rate, water concentration, dry overburden depth, and number of water transport trips. This can be compared to a system that targets oxygen from the minerals in the surface regolith material. A carbothermal reduction reactor system was used for this comparison. The use of direct solar thermal energy to process the regolith and the ease of access of the resource resulted in significantly lower values for the oxygen case: approximately 2.7 mT and 11.8 kW. However, the mass trade would favor the water case over successive missions where the hydrogen up-mass of 2 mT per mission will accrue against the oxygen system.1Aerospace Research Engineer, Chemical and Thermal Propulsion Systems Branch, Senior Member.2Mechanical Engineer, Propulsion and Power Division/Energy Conversion Systems, 2101 Nasa Pkwy/Mailcode EP3 Houston, TX 77058, AIAA member.

Lunar↗

Florida Agriculture - Utilizing TRMM to Analyze Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Patterns During El Nino Southern Oscillations and Their Effects Upon Available Fresh Water for South Florida Agricultural Planning and Management

This project utilizes Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Landsat satellite data to assess the impact of sea breeze precipitation upon areas of agricultural land use in southern Florida. Water is a critical resource to agriculture, and the availability of water for agricultural use in Florida continues to remain a key issue. Recent projections of statewide water use by 2020 estimate that 9.3 billion gallons of water per day will be demanded, and agriculture represents 47% of this demand (Bronson 2003). Farmers have fewer options for water supplies than public users and are often limited to using available supplies from surface and ground water sources which depend in part upon variable weather patterns. Sea breeze thunderstorms are responsible for much of the rainfall delivered to Florida during the wet season (May-October) and have been recognized as an important overall contributor of rainfall in southern Florida (Almeida 2003). TRMM satellite data was used to analyze how sea breeze-induced thunderstorms during El Nino and La Nina affected interannual patterns of precipitation in southern Florida from 1998-2009. TRMM's Precipitation Radar and Microwave Imager provide data to quantify water vapor in the atmosphere, precipitation rates and intensity, and the distribution of precipitation. Rainfall accumulation data derived from TRMM and other microwave sensors were used to analyze the temporal and spatial variations of rainfall during each phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Through the use of TRMM and Landsat, slight variations were observed, but it was determined that neither sea breeze nor total rainfall patterns in South Florida were strongly affected by ENSO during the study period. However, more research is needed to characterize the influence of ENSO on summer weather patterns in South Florida. This research will provide the basis for continued observations and study with the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission.

Billiot, Amanda↗

Engineering aspects of geothermal development with emphasis on the Imperial Valley of California

This review was prepared in support of a geothermal planning activity of the County of Imperial. Engineering features of potential geothermal development are outlined. Acreage requirements for drilling and powerplants are estimated, as are the costs for wells, fluid transmission pipes, and generating stations. Rough scaling relationships are developed for cost factors as a function of reservoir temperature. Estimates are made for cooling water requirements, and possible sources of cooling water are discussed. Availability and suitability of agricultural wastewater for cooling are emphasized. The utility of geothermal resources for fresh water production in the Imperial Valley is considered.

Goldsmith, M.↗

Remote Sensing and the Earth

A text book on remote sensing, as part of the earth resources Skylab programs, is presented. The fundamentals of remote sensing and its application to agriculture, land use, geology, water and marine resources, and environmental monitoring are summarized.

Brosius, C. A.↗

Science requirements for free-flying imaging radar (FIREX) experiment for sea ice, renewable resources, nonrenewable resources and oceanography

A future bilateral SAR program was studied. The requirements supporting a SAR mission posed by science and operations in sea-ice-covered waters, oceanography, renewable resources, and nonrenewable resources are addressed. The instrument, mission, and program parameters were discussed. Research investigations supporting a SAR flight and the subsequent overall mission requirements and tradeoffs are summarized.

Carsey, F.↗

Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis Subsystem: Pressure Transducer Trade Study

In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key factor in paving the way for the future of human space exploration. The ability to harvest resources on foreign astronomical objects to produce consumables and propellant offers potential reduction in mission cost and risk. Through previous missions, the existence of water ice at the poles of the moon has been identified, however the feasibility of water extraction for resources remains unanswered. The Resource Prospector (RP) mission is currently in development to provide ground truth, and will enable us to characterize the distribution of water at one of the lunar poles. Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) is the primary payload on RP that will be used in conjunction with a rover. RESOLVE contains multiple instruments for systematically identifying the presence of water. The main process involves the use of two systems within RESOLVE: the Oxygen Volatile Extraction Node (OVEN) and Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA). Within the LAVA subsystem, there are multiple calculations that depend on accurate pressure readings. One of the most important instances where pressure transducers (PT) are used is for calculating the number of moles in a gas transfer from the OVEN subsystem. As a critical component of the main process, a mixture of custom and commercial off the shelf (COTS) PTs are currently being tested in the expected operating environment to eventually down select an option for integrated testing in the LAVA engineering test unit (ETU).

Kang, Edward Shinuk↗

NASA Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competition 10th Anniversary (2010-2019): Taxonomy and Technology Review

Space Mining for resources such as water ice, and regolith, which contain many elements in the form of metals, minerals, volatiles and other compounds, is a necessary step for In-Situ Space Resource Utilization (ISRU). One of the primary goals is to extract propellants from the regolith and water ice, such as oxygen and hydrogen which could then be used for in-space transportation. In addition, the space mining system can be used for various construction tasks that can benefit human and robotic exploration as well as scientific investigations based on excavated exposed topography, such as the side walls of trenches. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) "Lunabotics" Robotic Mining Competition (RMC) is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA has directly benefited from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which has resulted in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a "lunabot", which can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. In recent years the goal has been changed to excavate a minimum of 1 kg of simulated icy regolith which is found under an overburden of regolith simulant. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar regolith simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote-control center or operate it autonomously. This paper will present the results of the ten Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competitions held between May 2010 and May 2019. Each year over 50 university teams have attended, resulting in over 500 lunabot designs and subsequent prototypes. Over 6,000 university students have been part of the on-site competition at KSC. Even more students and the public were engaged via internet broadcasting and social networking media. The various designs have been cataloged and categorized here to provide information to future Lunabotics RMC mining robot designers and competitors. Categories will focus on both the mechanical design as well as the autonomy architecture/design. It is also expected to be of value for actual future space missions, as knowledge is gained from testing many innovative prototypes in simulated lunar regolith. A taxonomy of robotic excavator designs has been presented. In addition, the paper will discuss changes in learning paradigms occurring in the current generation of students, and how this competition leverages those changes to challenge students to develop skills in graduate level concepts and apply them. Examples of how this translates to hiring opportunities for commercial sponsors has also been discussed.

Robert P Mueller↗

NASA LUNABOTICS ROBOTIC MINING COMPETITION 10TH ANNIVERSARY (2010 – 2019): TAXONOMY AND TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

Space Mining for resources such as water ice, and regolith, which contain many elements in the form of metals, minerals, volatiles and other compounds, is a necessary step for In-Situ Space Resource Utilization (ISRU). One of the primary goals is to extract propellants from the regolith and water ice, such as oxygen and hydrogen which could then be used for in-space transportation. In addition, the space mining system can be used for various construction tasks that can benefit human and robotic exploration as well as scientific investigations based on excavated exposed topography, such as the side walls of trenches. The National Aeronautics & Space Ad-ministration (NASA) Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competition (RMC) is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA has directly benefited from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which has resulted in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. In recent years the goal has been changed to excavate a minimum of 1 kg of simulated icy regolith which is found under an over-burden of regolith simulant. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote control center. This paper will present the results of the 10 Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competitions held between May 2010 and May 2019. Each year over 50 university teams have attended, resulting in over 500 lunabot designs and subsequent prototypes. Over 5,000 university students have been part of the competition on-site at KSC. More students and the public were en-gaged via internet broadcasting and social net-working media. The various designs will be cataloged and categorized to provide information to future Lunabotics mining robot designers and competitors. It is also expected to be of value for actual future space missions, as knowledge is gained from testing many innovative prototypes in simulated lunar regoith. A taxonomy of robotic excavator designs will be presented.

Competition↗

Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competition for Universities

Space Mining for resources such as water ice, and regolith, which contain many elements in the form of metals, minerals, volatiles and other compounds, is a necessary step for In-Situ Space Resource Utilization (ISRU). One of the primary goals is to extract propellants from the regolith and water ice, such as oxygen and hydrogen which could then be used for in-space transportation. In addition, the space mining system can be used for various construction tasks that can benefit human and robotic exploration as well as scientific investigations based on excavated exposed topography, such as the side walls of trenches. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) “Lunabotics” Robotic Mining Competition (RMC) is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA has directly benefited from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which has resulted in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous 80 kg mass lightweight excavator, called a “lunabot”, which can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. In recent years the goal has been changed to excavate a minimum of 1 kg of simulated icy regolith which is found under an overburden of regolith simulant. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar regolith simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote mission control center or operate it autonomously. This presentation will summarize the results of the Lunabotics Robotic Mining Competitions held in May 2022. Each year, since 2010, over 50 university teams have attended, resulting in over 500 lunabot designs and subsequent prototypes. Over 6,000 university students have been part of the on-site competition at KSC, and many are employed in the space sector today with thriving careers. Even more students and the public were engaged via internet broadcasting and social networking media. Examples of how this translates to hiring opportunities for commercial sponsors will also be discussed. Overall, this competition has proven to be popular with multi-disciplinary university senior design classes and a valuable tool for NASA and academia in educating and inspiring the next generation of space engineers.

Lunabotics↗

Asteroid and Lava Tube In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Prospecting Free Flyer Project

This project seeks to develop a small free flyer that can be used to safely and effectively prospect on an Asteroid while being controlled by the crew. This will enable the characterization of the Asteroid for the In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Lava tubes can be explored remotely from the outside Asteroids can contain vast amounts of resources such as water for propellants and metals for feed stocks. Lava Tubes on Mars and the Moon may contain frozen volatile resources. Before the resources can be used, they must be found with a prospecting method. The NASA Agency Asteroid Grand Challenge seeks new ideas for Asteroid retrieval mission technologies for exploration and utilization of asteroids in a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO). This project will develop a small free flying platform that can be used to safely and effectively prospect on an Asteroid with limited autonomy while being controlled by the crew. This will enable the characterization of the Asteroid for ISRU. Lava tubes can be explored remotely from the outside as well using this same technology.

Technology Portfolio System↗

An Experimental Study on Low Pressure Frost Formation for Lunar Polar Water Capture

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is a vital component of NASA’s mission to the Moon and beyond, as the extraction of resources from the environment can reduce payload weight and the frequency of resupply missions. Since the discovery of water in the regolith of the permanently shadowed regions (PSR) of the Moon, its extraction and transport has become an area of increasing interest for NASA. One proposed method is heating icy regolith to free the water before desublimating and transporting it as ice in a tanker. However, little is known regarding the dynamics of frost growth at low pressures, and an understanding of the heat transfer process is required to properly size the heat exchanger for the tanker. To investigate this phenomenon, a cold plate was placed in a vacuum chamber with water vapor directed at its surface. The chamber pressure (300 and 500 Pa) and cold plate temperature (–18 to –5 °C) were kept below the triple point and varied throughout the experiment to examine their impact on frost layer heat transfer. As water flowed into the chamber and deposited on the cold plate surface, the heat flux and temperature were measured along with the frost layer thickness and/or mass. Density calculated at the conclusion of each test suggests the frost layer is denser than that of frost grown at atmospheric pressure. The results demonstrate unexpected density and heat transfer characteristics and require development of a new model of frost growth for lunar conditions.

In situ Resource Utiliztion↗

Synthetic Biological Membrane

The ultimate goal of the Synthetic Biological Membrane project is to develop a new type of membrane (using FOST - Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) that will enable the waste water treatment system required on exploration missions to operate for extended periods while requiring no maintenance, and using only available resources. Because current water treatment systems have a lifetime of less than 1 year, extending membrane life will benefit exploration missions by reducing upmass and crew time requirements associated with maintenance and resupply/replacement of membranes. The project will use synthetic biology to engineer organisms that protect and replenish the membrane, and this new technology can be easily adapted for use in terrestrial waste water treatment plants.

Biomimetic membrane↗

Mission and Implementation of an Affordable Lunar Return

We present an architecture that establishes the infrastructure for routine space travel by taking advantage of the Moon's resources, proximity and accessibility. We use robotic assets on the Moon that are teleoperated from Earth to prospect, test, demonstrate and produce water from lunar resources before human arrival. This plan is affordable, flexible and not tied to any specific launch vehicle solution. Individual surface pieces are small, permitting them to be deployed separately on small launchers or combined together on single large launchers. Schedule is our free variable; even under highly constrained budgets, the architecture permits this program to be continuously pursued using small, incremental, cumulative steps. The end stage is a fully functional, human-tended lunar outpost capable of producing 150 metric tonnes of water per year enough to export water from the Moon and create a transportation system that allows routine access to all of cislunar space. This cost-effective lunar architecture advances technology and builds a sustainable transportation infrastructure. By eliminating the need to launch everything from the surface of the Earth, we fundamentally change the paradigm of spaceflight.

Spudis, Paul↗

Case Studies for Lunar ISRU Systems Utilizing Polar Water

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is key to long term presence at any extraterrestrial destination. Current NASA direction is to achieve a sustainable presence on the lunar surface by 2028. Mission plans currently target the lunar South Pole to leverage the extended periods of solar illumination and allows for potential access to water ice in the permanently shadowed areas around the poles. With water, it is possible to produce both fuel and oxidizer to fully refuel a vehicle. In order to address ISRU infusion into mission planning, a study of an end-to-end ISRU propellant production system was initiated to assess ISRU architectures and obtain mass and power estimates for each. The results of these case studies will be presented.

In situ Resource Utilization↗