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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 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Multimegawatt electric propulsion system design considerations

Piloted Mars Mission Requirements of relatively short trip times and low initial mass in Earth orbit as identified by the NASA Space Exploration Initiative, indicate the need for multimegawatt electric propulsion systems. The design considerations and results for two thruster types, the argon ion, and hydrogen magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, are addressed in terms of configuration, performance, and mass projections. Preliminary estimates of power management and distribution for these systems are given. Some assessment of these systems' performance in a reference Space Exploration Initiative piloted mission are discussed. Research and development requirements of these systems are also described.

Gilland, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2015

High Thrust-to-Power Annular Engine Technology

Gridded ion engines have the highest efficiency and total impulse of any mature electric propulsion technology, and have been successfully implemented for primary propulsion in both geocentric and heliocentric environments with excellent ground-in-space correlation of performance. However, they have not been optimized to maximize thrust-to-power, an important parameter for Earth orbit transfer applications. This publication discusses technology development work intended to maximize this parameter. These activities include investigating the capabilities of a non-conventional design approach, the annular engine, which has the potential of exceeding the thrust-to-power of other EP technologies. This publication discusses the status of this work, including the fabrication and initial tests of a large-area annular engine. This work is being conducted in collaboration among NASA Glenn Research Center, The Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Michigan.

electric propulsion↗
NASA NTRS2015

High Thrust-to-Power Annular Engine Technology

Gridded ion engines have the highest efficiency and total impulse of any mature electric propulsion technology, and have been successfully implemented for primary propulsion in both geocentric and heliocentric environments with excellent ground/in-space correlation of performance. However, they have not been optimized to maximize thrust-to-power, an important parameter for Earth orbit transfer applications. This publication discusses technology development work intended to maximize this parameter. These activities include investigating the capabilities of a non-conventional design approach, the annular engine, which has the potential of exceeding the thrust-to-power of other EP technologies. This publication discusses the status of this work, including the fabrication and initial tests of a large-area annular engine. This work is being conducted in collaboration among NASA Glenn Research Center, The Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Michigan.

Thruster↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2013

Topics include: ISS Ammonia Leak Detection Through X-Ray Fluorescence; A System for Measuring the Sway of the Vehicle Assembly Building; Fast, High-Precision Readout Circuit for Detector Arrays; Victim Simulator for Victim Detection Radar; Hydrometeor Size Distribution Measurements by Imaging the Attenuation of a Laser Spot; Quasi-Linear Circuit; High-Speed, High-Resolution Time-to-Digital Conversion; Li-Ion Battery and Supercapacitor Hybrid Design for Long Extravehicular Activities; Ultrasonic Low-Friction Containment Plate for Thermal and Ultrasonic Stir Weld Processes; High-Powered, Ultrasonically Assisted Thermal Stir Welding; Next-Generation MKIII Lightweight HUT/Hatch Assembly; Centrifugal Sieve for Gravity-Level-Independent Size; Segregation of Granular Materials; Ion Exchange Technology Development in Support of the Urine Processor Assembly; Nickel-Graphite Composite Compliant Interface and/or Hot Shoe Material; UltraSail CubeSat Solar Sail Flight Experiment; Mechanism for Deploying a Long, Thin-Film Antenna From a Rover; Counterflow Regolith Heat Exchanger; Acquisition and Retaining Granular Samples via a Rotating Coring Bit; Very-Low-Cost, Rugged Vacuum System; Medicine Delivery Device With Integrated Sterilization and Detection; FRET-Aptamer Assays for Bone Marker Assessment, C-Telopeptide, Creatinine, and Vitamin D; Multimode Directional Coupler for Utilization of Harmonic Frequencies from TWTAs; Dual-Polarization, Multi-Frequency Antenna Array for use with Hurricane Imaging Radiometer; Complementary Barrier Infrared Detector (CBIRD) Contact Methods; Autonomous Control of Space Nuclear Reactors; High-Power, High-Speed Electro-Optic Pockels Cell Modulator; Covariance Analysis Tool (G-CAT) for Computing Ascent, Descent, and Landing Errors; Enigma Version 12; Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) Shield Ballistic Limit Analysis Program; Spitzer Telemetry Processing System; Planetary Protection Bioburden Analysis Program; Wing Leading Edge RCC Rapid Response Damage Prediction Tool (IMPACT2); ISSM: Ice Sheet System Model; Automated Loads Analysis System (ATLAS); Integrated Main Propulsion System Performance Reconstruction Process/Models. Phoenix Telemetry Processor; Contact Graph Routing Enhancements Developed in ION for DTN; GFEChutes Lo-Fi; Advanced Strategic and Tactical Relay Request Management for the Mars Relay Operations Service; Software for Generating Troposphere Corrections for InSAR Using GPS and Weather Model Data; Ionospheric Specifications for SAR Interferometry (ISSI); Implementation of a Wavefront-Sensing Algorithm; Sally Ride EarthKAM - Automated Image Geo-Referencing Using Google Earth Web Plug-In; Trade Space Specification Tool (TSST) for Rapid Mission Architecture (Version 1.2); Acoustic Emission Analysis Applet (AEAA) Software; Memory-Efficient Onboard Rock Segmentation; Advanced Multimission Operations System (ATMO); Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP); Automating Hyperspectral Data for Rapid Response in Volcanic Emergencies; Raster-Based Approach to Solar Pressure Modeling; Space Images for NASA JPL Android Version; Kinect Engineering with Learning (KEWL); Spacecraft 3D Augmented Reality Mobile App; MPST Software: grl_pef_check; Real-Time Multimission Event Notification System for Mars Relay; SIM_EXPLORE: Software for Directed Exploration of Complex Systems; Mobile Timekeeping Application Built on Reverse-Engineered JPL Infrastructure; Advanced Query and Data Mining Capabilities for MaROS; Jettison Engineering Trajectory Tool; MPST Software: grl_suppdoc; PredGuid+A: Orion Entry Guidance Modified for Aerocapture; Planning Coverage Campaigns for Mission Design and Analysis: CLASP for DESDynl; and Space Place Prime.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

Electric propulsion options for the SP-100 reference mission

Analyses were performed to characterize and compare electric propulsion systems for use on a space flight demonstration of the SP-100 nuclear power system. The component masses of resistojet, arcjet, and ion thruster systems were calculated using consistent assumptions and the maximum total impulse, velocity increment, and thrusting time were determined, subject to the constraint of the lift capability of a single Space Shuttle launch. From the study it was found that for most systems the propulsion system dry mass was less than 20 percent of the available mass for the propulsion system. The maximum velocity increment was found to be up to 2890 m/sec for resistojet, 3760 m/sec for arcjet, and 23 000 m/sec for ion thruster systems. The maximum thruster time was found to be 19, 47, and 853 days for resistojet, arcjet, and ion thruster systems, respectively.

Hardy, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Operational summary of an electric propulsion long term test facility

An automated test facility capable of simultaneously operating three 2.5 kW, 30-cm mercury ion thrusters and their power processors is described, along with a test program conducted for the documentation of thruster characteristics as a function of time. Facility controls are analog, with full redundancy, so that in the event of malfunction the facility automaticcally activates a backup mode and notifies an operator. Test data are recorded by a central data collection system and processed as daily averages. The facility has operated continuously for a period of 37 months, over which nine mercury ion thrusters and four power processor units accumulated a total of over 14,500 hours of thruster operating time.

Trump, G. E.↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Role of Interfacial Thermal Resistance in Li-Ion Battery Thermal Management: Preprint

Temperature critically affects the performance, life and safety of lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, it is essential to understand heat generation and dissipation within individual battery cells and battery packs to plan a proper thermal management strategy. One of the key challenges is that interfacial heat transfer of a battery unit is difficult to quantify. The steady-state absolute method and the transient laser-flash-diffusivity method were employed to measure heat conductivities of battery layer stacks and individual battery layer separately. Results show flash diffusivity method gives higher thermal conductivity at both cross-plane and in-plane directions. The difference is primarily caused by interfacial thermal resistance so that it can be estimated by steady-state and transient measurements. To investigate the effects of interfacial thermal transport beyond individual cell level, a multiphysics battery model is used. The model is built upon a multi-scale multi-domain modeling framework for battery packs that accounts for the interplay across multiple physical phenomena. Benefits of a battery module using thermal management materials are quantified through numerical experiments. During a thermal runaway event, it is found interfacial thermal resistance can mitigate thermal runaway in a battery module by significantly reducing heat transfer between cells.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRS2019

Ion Thruster Produced Roll Torque

Disturbances to the ion engine’s thrust vector will cause a spacecraft to spin about its axis if left unmanaged. Spin about the yaw and pitch axis can be easily handled by a gimbal with enough authority. Spin about the roll axis however must be handled by additional thrusters or reaction wheels. In order to capitalize on the high efficiency of their thrusters, missions utilizing electric propulsion as primary propulsion generally include long periods of thrusting (several years). It is necessary to quantify and understand the ion thruster produced roll torque because it will define the amount of chemical propellant that must be carried or the lifetime and quantity of momentum wheels required for the mission. The roll torque produced by the NEXT ion thruster is analyzed through a combination of theoretical calculations and magnetic field simulations. Experimental techniques for measuring roll torque and past flight data are also discussed.

Arthur, Neil A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Ion Thruster Produced Roll Torque

Disturbances to the ion engine's thrust vector will cause a spacecraft to spin about its axis if left unmanaged. Spin about the yaw and pitch axis can be easily handled by a gimbal with enough authority. Spin about the roll axis however must be handled by additional thrusters or reaction wheels. In order to capitalize on the high efficiency of their thrusters, missions utilizing electric propulsion as primary propulsion generally include long periods of thrusting (several years). It is necessary to quantify and understand the ion thruster produced roll torque because it will define the amount of chemical propellant that must be carried or the lifetime and quantity of momentum wheels required for the mission. The roll torque produced by the NEXT ion thruster is analyzed through a combination of theoretical calculations and magnetic field simulations. Experimental techniques for measuring roll torque and past flight data are also discussed.

Arthur, Neil A.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Ion Thruster Produced Roll Torque

Disturbances to the ion engine’s thrust vector will cause a spacecraft to spin about its axis if left unmanaged. Spin about the yaw and pitch axes can be easily handled by a gimbal with enough authority. Spin about the roll axis, however, must be handled by additional thrusters or reaction wheels. In order to capitalize on the high efficiency of their thrusters, missions utilizing electric propulsion as primary propulsion generally include long periods of thrusting (several years). It is necessary to quantify and understand the ion thruster produced roll torque because it will define the amount of chemical propellant that must be carried or the lifetime and quantity of momentum wheels required for the mission. The roll torque produced by the NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion thruster is analyzed through a combination of theoretical calculations and magnetic field simulations. Experimental techniques for measuring roll torque and past flight data are also discussed.

Neil A Arthur↗
DOE OSTI2023

North American Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Database Development - Phase II

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are used in a wide range of applications, including cell phones, laptops, power tools, electric vehicles, and grid storage, and are essential for economic growth and addressing climate change. However, the significant demand for LIBs has led to supply chain issues for the United States, as China dominates the processing of battery materials and battery production. To address this concern, NAATBatt International, a trade association of North American battery companies, supported the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in developing a database of companies that mine, process, manufacture, reuse, and recycle batteries in North America. The purpose of this database was to identify strengths and gaps in the supply chain, so that private-government partnerships could develop strategies to create a competitive LIB supply chain in the US. NREL published the first version of this database in 2021 and the second version in 2022. The database includes companies that have a manufacturing facility in North America and are engaged in materials, cells, packs, end-of-life management, as well as those involved in LIB battery modeling, distribution, service and repair, and R&D. In this presentation, we will discuss our approach to collecting data and categorizing various segments and products. We will also provide a summary of the data and present various maps to illustrate the distribution of companies in the database.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Purification of Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass through Tailored Alkaline Corrosion

Obtaining high-purity material outputs is crucial to the viability of novel process aimed at direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Metallic impurities in recycled cathodes have been shown to inhibit performance, thereby threatening mainstream acceptance of recycled battery products. Thus, shredded black mass (BM) must be purified to remove metallic contaminants, and specifically Al and Cu originating from the electrode current collectors. We herein explore a process to ionize solid copper and aluminum to ionic form based on tailored alkaline chemistry, without incurring damage to the target cathode material (Li(NixMnyCo1-x-y)O2; NMC). Al and Cu corrosion may be enhanced through the addition of chloride salt, elevated temperatures, and the use of ultrasonication - all of which disrupt the formation of passivating films on the metallic surface, and thereby increase corrosion rate. We demonstrate optimized parameters for Al and Cu corrosion both from a kinetic and overall process cost perspective. Further, we analyze the impact of these conditions on the structural (XRD, SEM), chemical (EDS, ICP), and electrochemical (impedance, cycling, dQ/dV) properties of NMC, and suggest that the present purification method does not significantly disrupt NMC performance. Finally, we present preliminary results from a promising bench-scale demonstration of this purification process applied to a simulated black mass.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Qualification of a Pulsed, Millinewton Class Metal Plasma Thruster for Broad Mission Applications

In the field of low power (<100W) electric propulsion, all thruster options demand significant trade-offs between operating parameters, reliability and scalable cost. With many systems on the market there are concerns with reliability, the need for extra considerations such as electron neutralizers for pure ion plumes, and the cost or craft compatibility of propellants. The Metal Plasma Thruster (MPT) is a new type of electric propulsion technology intended for low power applications. The system imparts momentum using inert, solid metal pucks as a propellant by using pulsed power to convert the metal into high velocity (~17km/s for Mo) jets of quasi-neutral plasma. The MPT technology does not require gas or liquid propellants, neutralizers, standby heaters, high voltage electronics, high electric or magnetic fields to operate. This comparatively simple pulsed operation is amenable to closed loop control, which provides for fine thrust control and S/C directed impulse on demand. Furthermore, the technology can use any metal as propellant, opening up unique opportunities for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) as well as customizability of performance for meeting specific mission needs. This paper describes implementation and direct measurement of this closed loop control mode as well as impulse measurement of multiple metals consistent with the aim of ISRU at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC).

Electric Propulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Qualification of a Pulsed, Millinewton Class Metal Plasma Thruster for Broad Mission Applications

In the field of low power (<100W) electric propulsion, all thruster options demand significant trade-offs between operating parameters, reliability and scalable cost. With many systems on the market there are concerns with reliability, the need for extra considerations such as electron neutralizers for pure ion plumes, and the cost or craft compatibility of propellants. The Metal Plasma Thruster (MPT) is a new type of electric propulsion technology intended for low power applications. The system imparts momentum using inert, solid metal pucks as a propellant by using pulsed power to convert the metal into high velocity (~17km/s for Mo) jets of quasi-neutral plasma. The MPT technology does not require gas or liquid propellants, neutralizers, standby heaters, high voltage electronics, high electric or magnetic fields to operate. This comparatively simple pulsed operation is amenable to closed loop control, which provides for fine thrust control and S/C directed impulse on demand. Furthermore, the technology can use any metal as propellant, opening up unique opportunities for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) as well as customizability of performance for meeting specific mission needs. This paper describes implementation and direct measurement of this closed loop control mode as well as impulse measurement of multiple metals consistent with the aim of ISRU at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC).

Electric Propulsion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Depth-Resolved Lithiated Gradients in Pristine and Laser-Ablated Anodes During Fast Charging

Laser ablating 3D electrode microstructures is a technique to improve Li-ion battery fast-charge performance. This technique has been theoretically proposed and electrochemically validated previously in the literature. The fundamental principle underlying laser ablation is that the ablated features reduce Li-ion transport pathways, improving access to the electrode active material near the current collector. This, in turn, promotes more homogeneous electrode utilization. The present study seeks to directly affirm the physics attributed to laser ablation using operando high-speed synchrotron X-ray diffraction. In this study, depth-resolved graphite lithiation gradients are measured operando during high-rate (15 min) charging. The depth-resolved lithiation dynamics of both ablated and non-ablated anodes are compared. The results highlight that the laser-ablated graphite electrode has notably more homogeneous utilization as compared to the non-ablated electrode. Additionally, the ablated electrode has a significant delay in reaching the maximum graphite lithiation at the separator, indicating less propensity for lithium plating. During low rate delithiation/discharge (2 hr), the two cells' lithiation gradients converge. Notably, a calibrated physics-based electrochemical model accurately reflects experimental findings, suggesting the potential to use pseudo-4D models not only to optimize laser ablation parameters in fast-charge capable electrodes but also to guide fast charging protocols that avoid lithium plating.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electric propulsion

An alternative propulsion subsystem for MSAT is presented which has a potential of reducing the satellite weight by more than 15%. The characteristics of pulsed plasma and ion engines are described and used to estimate of the mass of the propellant and thrusters for attitude control and stationkeeping functions for MSAT. Preliminary estimates indicate that the electric propulsion systems could also replace the large momentum wheels necessary to counteract the solar pressure; however, the fine pointing wheels would be retained. Estimates also show that either electric propulsion system can save approximately 18% to 20% of the initial 4,000 kg mass. The issues that require further experimentation are mentioned.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microstructure Scale Lithium-Ion Battery Modeling: Part III. When and Where Lithium Plating Occurs and its Correlation with the Electrode Microstructure

Li-ion battery performance and degradation are closely related to the cell’s underlying electrode microstructure. Electrode microstructures are typically characterized with volume-averaged properties that neglect the impact of local heterogeneities. However, local heterogeneities create hot spots that can trigger degradation onset. Herein, a microstructure scale electrochemical model is used to investigate the impact of microstructure heterogeneity on lithium plating. The model predicts lithium plating is not uniform, even when considering a relatively small portion of the electrode (a cross-sectional area of 154×144 µm 2 ), preferring to plate on larger particles as compared to smaller particles. While local heterogeneities control where plating occurs, the model predicts that volume-averaged properties control when plating occurs. Additionally, the model predicts that the active material specific surface area has a linear relationship with the plating onset. However, the linear relationship between increased active material surface area and delayed plating response appears to be sensitive to the microstructure feature used to increase the active interface area. Here, a comparative case-study is explored where the specific surface area is increased by either reducing the active material particle diameter, adding open-porosity cracks, or increasing the active material surface roughness. The model predicts that increasing the specific surface area by reducing the active material particle diameter is the most effective strategy for delaying lithium plating. At 6C, reducing particle size is shown to be 3 and 20 times more effective than, respectively, adding open-porosity cracks and increasing surface roughness. A dual-layer electrode architecture combining gradations both for average properties and uniformities is eventually proposed to improve homogeneous material utilization and reduce degradation at high charge rates.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗