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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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NASA NTRS2023

NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program: Earth Systems Digital Twins (ESDT) Standards for Interoperable Digital Twins Workshop Presentations

On September 18, 2023, NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program conducted a mini-workshop that brought together seven experts to survey and discuss "Standards for Interoperable Digital Twins". Since three years, the AIST Program has been developing technologies and prototypes for Earth System Digital Twins (ESDT). During those developments and after the ESDT Workshop held in October 2022, it became clear that standard for ESDT interoperability were needed and should be defined as soon as possible. To address this challenge, the AIST program will survey ongoing development for Digital Twins standards in various domains and the September 18, 2023 Workshop represented the first step towards this understanding. Speakers during this event included: Michael Grieves (Digital Twin Institute), Siri Jodha Singh Khalsa (IEEE GRSS Standards), Trent Tinker (OGC), Ryan Berkheimer (NOAA), John Stone (NVIDIA), Thomas Geenen (ECMWF-DestinE) and Arne Berre (SINTEF-Iliad DTO and EDITO). This presentation regroups all the speakers' presentations.

Earth Science Remote Sensing; Information Systems↗
NASA NTRS2004

Waste Processing Research and Technology Development at NASA Ames Research Center

The current "store and return" approach for handling waste products generated during low Earth orbit missions will not meet the requirements for future human missions identified in NASA s new Exploration vision. The objective is to develop appropriate reliable waste management systems that minimize maintenance and crew time, while maintaining crew health and safety, as well as providing protection of planetary surfaces. Solid waste management requirements for these missions include waste volume reduction, stabilization and storage, water recovery, and ultimately recovery of carbon dioxide, nutrients and other resources from a fully regenerative food production life support system. This paper identifies the key drivers for waste management technology development within NASA, and provides a roadmap for the developmental sequence and progression of technologies. Recent results of research and technology development activities at NASA Ames Research Center on candidate waste management technologies with emphasis on compaction, lyophilization, and incineration are discussed.

Fisher, John↗
NASA NTRS1987

Enabling bold mission initiatives - NASA space power technology

The critical technology requirements of space power for future NASA missions such as humans on Mars and the lunar base mission are reviewed, and ongoing research and technology efforts are discussed. Activities of the new Civil Space Technology Initiative will focus on photovoltaic and solar dynamic conversion system technologies with relevant electrical and thermal energy storage devices. Advanced solar array systems with specific powers of 300 W/kg are projected. The electrochemical energy storage goal is to improve the energy density by a factor of five up to 100 W h/kg, and the solar dynamic technology goal is to develop power systems with a specific power of 20 W/kg.

Gabris, Edward A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

NASA's Microgravity Technology Report, 1996: Summary of Activities

This report covers technology development and technology transfer activities within the Microgravity Science Research Programs during FY 1996. It also describes the recent major tasks under the Advanced Technology Development (ATD) Program and identifies current technology requirements. This document is consistent with NASA,s Enteprise for the Human Exploration and development of Space (HEDS) Strategic Plan. This annual update reflects changes in the Microgravity Science Research Program's new technology activities and requirements. Appendix A. FY 1996 Advanced Technology Development. Program and Project Descriptions. Appendix B. Technology Development.

Kierk, Isabella↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Evolved Antenna for Deployment on NASA's Space Technology 5 Mission

We present an evolved X - band antenna design and flight prototype currently on schedule to be deployed on NASA's Space Technology 5(ST5) spacecraft. Current methods of designing and optimizing antennas by hand are time and labor intensive, limit complexity and require significant expertise and experience. Evolutionary design techniques can overcome these limitations by searching the design space and automatically finding effective solutions that would ordinarily not be found. The ST5 antenna was evolved to meet a challenging set of mission requirements, most notably the combination of wide beamwidth for a circularly-polarized wave and wide bandwidth.Two evolutionary algorithms were used: one used a genetic algorithm style representation that did not allow branching in the antenna arms: the second used a genetic programming style tree-structured representation that allowed branching in the antenna arms. The highest performance antennas from both algorithms were fabricated and tested and both yielded similar performance. Both were comparable in performance to a hand-designed antenna produced by a contractor for the mission, and so we consider them examples of human-competitive performance by evolutionary algorithms. One of the evolved antenna prototypes is undergoing flight qualification testing.

Lohn, Jason D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Distance Learning With NASA Lewis Research Center's Learning Technologies Project

The NASA Lewis Research Center's Learning Technologies Project (LTP) has responded to requests from local school district technology coordinators to provide content for videoconferencing workshops. Over the past year we have offered three teacher professional development workshops that showcase NASA Lewis-developed educational products and NASA educational Internet sites. In order to determine the direction of our involvement with distance learning, the LTP staff conducted a survey of 500 U.S. schools. We received responses from 72 schools that either currently use distance learning or will be using distance learning in 98-99 school year. The results of the survey are summarized in the article. In addition, the article provides information on distance learners, distance learning technologies, and the NASA Lewis LTP videoconferencing workshops. The LTP staff will continue to offer teacher development workshops through videoconferencing during the 98-99 school year. We hope to add workshops on new educational products as they are developed at NASA Lewis.

Petersen, Ruth↗
NASA NTRS2003

Industry Needs Fulfilled by Patented NASA PS300 Solid Lubricant Technology

In 1999, the NASA Glenn Research Center was awarded a patent (#5866518) for a new high-temperature solid lubricant coating material, PS300. A combination of wear-resistant metals and ceramics with solid lubricant additives, PS300 reduces friction and wear in sliding contacts from below ambient to over 650 C. This lubricant is an outgrowth of over three decades of high-temperature tribological research and was specifically developed as a shaft lubricant to protect foil air bearings used in Oil-Free turbomachinery, like gas turbines. Foil bearings are lubricated by air at high speeds but experience sliding and wear during initial startup and shut down when a lubricating film of air has not yet developed. PS300 shaft coatings have successfully lubricated foil bearings for over 100 000 cycles without wearing out.

DellaCorte, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS1993

Solid State Technology Branch of NASA Lewis Research Center: Fifth Annual Digest

The digest is a collection of papers written by the members of the Solid State Technology Branch of NASA Lewis Research Center from June 1992-June 1993. The papers cover a range of topics relating to superconductivity, monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's), coplanar waveguide, and material characterization.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Evolutionary Design of an X-Band Antenna for NASA's Space Technology 5 Mission

We present an evolved X-band antenna design and flight prototype currently on schedule to be deployed on NASA s Space Technology 5 spacecraft in 2004. The mission consists of three small satellites that wall take science measurements in Earth s magnetosphere. The antenna was evolved to meet a challenging set of mission requirements, most notably the combination of wide beamwidth for a circularly-polarized wave and wide bandwidth. Two genetic algorithms were used: one allowed branching an the antenna arms and the other did not. The highest performance antennas from both algorithms were fabricated and tested. A handdesigned antenna was produced by the contractor responsible for the design and build of the mission antennas. The hand-designed antenna is a quadrifilar helix, and we present performance data for comparison to the evolved antennas. As of this writing, one of our evolved antenna prototypes is undergoing flight qualification testing. If successful, the resulting antenna would represent the first evolved hardware in space, and the first deployed evolved antenna.

Lohn, Jason D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Technology for small spacecraft

This report gives the results of a study by the National Research Council's Panel on Small Spacecraft Technology that reviewed NASA's technology development program for small spacecraft and assessed technology within the U.S. government and industry that is applicable to small spacecraft. The panel found that there is a considerable body of advanced technology currently available for application by NASA and the small spacecraft industry that could provide substantial improvement in capability and cost over those technologies used for current NASA small spacecraft. These technologies are the result of developments by commercial companies, Department of Defense agencies, and to a lesser degree NASA. The panel also found that additional technologies are being developed by these same entities that could provide additional substantial improvement if development is successfully completed. Recommendations for future technology development efforts by NASA across a broad technological spectrum are made.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

NASA space photovoltaic research and technology programs

The NASA programs for increasing conversion efficiency, reduced mass and cost, and extending operating life of photovoltaic converters and arrays and for evaluating advanced solar array concepts are outlined. Research into radiation resistance and annealing, development of thin blankets, high-power low-cost arrays, and lightweight structures for near-Earth and planetary applications are discussed.

Mullin, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Ion Propulsion Technology Programs at NASA Glenn Research Center

As lead center for the agency in electric and ion propulsion, the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is pursuing technology development in ion propulsion for a range of mission applications. The program goal is to develop key technologies for advanced NSTAR-derivative high-power ion propulsion, lightweight low power high-performance ion propulsion, 'micro' ion propulsion, and engine and component technologies for high-power electric propulsion for very ambitious missions. Products include: (1) a 5 kW, 400 kg throughput ion thruster and power processing technology; (2) extremely-lightweight high-efficiency sub-kilowatt ion thruster and power processor; (3) a 1-25 W high-specific impulse ion engine; and (4) engine and component technologies for high-power (30 kW class) ion and Hall engines. Identified applications include outer planetary science missions such as Europa orbiter/lander, Comet Nucleus Sample Return mission, Titan Explorer, Neptune/Triton, Pluto-Kuiper Belt Objects Mission, various second generation interplanetary Micro spacecraft, and the Interstellar Probe Mission. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Patterson, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Propulsion and Power Technologies for the NASA Exploration Vision: A Research Perspective

Future propulsion and power technologies for deep space missions are profiled in this viewgraph presentation. The presentation includes diagrams illustrating possible future travel times to other planets in the solar system. The propulsion technologies researched at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) include: 1) Chemical Propulsion; 2) Nuclear Propulsion; 3) Electric and Plasma Propulsion; 4) Energetics. The presentation contains additional information about these technologies, as well as space reactors, reactor simulation, and the Propulsion Research Laboratory (PRL) at MSFC.

Litchford, Ron J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Technology Readiness Level Assessment Process as Applied to NASA Earth Science Missions

Technology assessments of fourteen science instruments were conducted within NASA using the NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Metric. The instruments were part of three NASA Earth Science Decadal Survey missions in pre-formulation. The Earth Systematic Missions Program (ESMP) Systems Engineering Working Group (SEWG), composed of members of three NASA Centers, provided a newly modified electronic workbook to be completed, with instructions. Each instrument development team performed an internal assessment of its technology status, prepared an overview of its instrument, and completed the workbook with the results of its assessment. A team from the ESMP SEWG met with each instrument team and provided feedback. The instrument teams then reported through the Program Scientist for their respective missions to NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) on technology readiness, taking the SEWG input into account. The instruments were found to have a range of TRL from 4 to 7. Lessons Learned are presented; however, due to the competition-sensitive nature of the assessments, the results for specific missions are not presented. The assessments were generally successful, and produced useful results for the agency. The SEWG team identified a number of potential improvements to the process. Particular focus was on ensuring traceability to guiding NASA documents, including the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook. The TRL Workbook has been substantially modified, and the revised workbook is described.

Systems Engineering↗
NASA NTRS2005

Supporting Development for the Stirling Radioisotope Generator and Advanced Stirling Technology Development at NASA Glenn

A high-efficiency, 110-W(sub e) (watts electric) Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) for possible use on future NASA Space Science missions is being developed by the Department of Energy, Lockheed Martin, Stirling Technology Company (STC), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Potential mission use includes providing spacecraft onboard electric power for deep space missions and power for unmanned Mars rovers. GRC is conducting an in-house supporting technology project to assist in SRG110 development. One-, three-, and six-month heater head structural benchmark tests have been completed in support of a heater head life assessment. Testing is underway to evaluate the key epoxy bond of the permanent magnets to the linear alternator stator lamination stack. GRC has completed over 10,000 hours of extended duration testing of the Stirling convertors for the SRG110, and a three-year test of two Stirling convertors in a thermal vacuum environment will be starting shortly. GRC is also developing advanced technology for Stirling convertors, aimed at substantially improving the specific power and efficiency of the convertor and the overall generator. Sunpower, Inc. has begun the development of a lightweight Stirling convertor, under a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) award, that has the potential to double the system specific power to about 8 W(sub e) per kilogram. GRC has performed random vibration testing of a lowerpower version of this convertor to evaluate robustness for surviving launch vibrations. STC has also completed the initial design of a lightweight convertor. Status of the development of a multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code and high-temperature materials work on advanced superalloys, refractory metal alloys, and ceramics are also discussed.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗