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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 991 records · Page 55

Propulsion system performance resulting from an integrated flight/propulsion control design

Propulsion-system-specific results are presented from the application of the integrated methodology for propulsion and airframe control (IMPAC) design approach to integrated flight/propulsion control design for a 'short takeoff and vertical landing' (STOVL) aircraft in transition flight. The IMPAC method is briefly discussed and the propulsion system specifications for the integrated control design are examined. The structure of a linear engine controller that results from partitioning a linear centralized controller is discussed. The details of a nonlinear propulsion control system are presented, including a scheme to protect the engine operational limits: the fan surge margin and the acceleration/deceleration schedule that limits the fuel flow. Also, a simple but effective multivariable integrator windup protection scheme is examined. Nonlinear closed-loop simulation results are presented for two typical pilot commands for transition flight: acceleration while maintaining flightpath angle and a change in flightpath angle while maintaining airspeed. The simulation nonlinearities include the airframe/engine coupling, the actuator and sensor dynamics and limits, the protection scheme for the engine operational limits, and the integrator windup protection. Satisfactory performance of the total airframe plus engine system for transition flight, as defined by the specifications, was maintained during the limit operation of the closed-loop engine subsystem.

Mattern, Duane↗

A SynBio explosion: a whole new world for Rubisco engineering

The first Escherichia coli synthetic biology (SynBio) system to successfully heterologously assemble chloroplast Rubisco represented the culmination of decades of Rubisco biogenesis research (Aigner et al., 2017). This system for Arabidopsis Rubisco ushered in a new era of higher throughput Rubisco studies, and has since been adapted for a limited number of other Rubiscos, accelerating both fundamental and applied Rubisco research. Archer et al. (2025) have developed new SynBio systems to assemble a larger variety of C 3 Rubiscos and the first C 4 and monocot Rubiscos, greatly expanding crop Rubisco engineering capabilities. Their explorations of chaperone selectivity and versatility could enable rapid production of SynBio systems for additional species.

Rubisco↗

Performance-based earthquake early warning for tall buildings

The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system aims to issue an advance warning to residents on the West Coast of the United States seconds before the ground shaking arrives, if the expected ground shaking exceeds a certain threshold. However, residents in tall buildings may experience much greater motion due to the dynamic response of the buildings. Therefore, there is an ongoing effort to extend ShakeAlert to include the contribution of building response to provide a more accurate estimation of the expected shaking intensity for tall buildings. Currently, the supposedly ideal solution of analyzing detailed finite element models of buildings under predicted ground-motion time histories is not theoretically or practically feasible. The authors have recently investigated existing simple methods to estimate peak floor acceleration (PFA) and determined these simple formulas are not practically suitable. Instead, this article explores another approach by extending the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) to EEW, considering that every component involved in building response prediction is uncertain in the EEW scenario. Additionally, while this idea is not new and has been proposed by other researchers, it has two shortcomings: (1) the simple beam model used for response prediction is prone to modeling uncertainty, which has not been quantified, and (2) the ground motions used for probabilistic demand models are not suitable for EEW applications. In this article, we address these two issues by incorporating modeling errors into the parameters of the beam model and using a new set of ground motions, respectively. We demonstrate how this approach could practically work using data from a 52-story building in downtown Los Angeles. Using the criteria and thresholds employed by previous researchers, we show that if peak ground acceleration (PGA) is accurately estimated, this approach can predict the expected level of human comfort in tall buildings.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Architector 2.0: Expanded Capabilities for Metal Complex Engineering

Automated three-dimensional molecular construction from two-dimensional graph representations is critical to high-throughput discovery eIorts. Software capabilities in this area have accelerated research across fields ranging from protein design and drug discovery to transition metal catalyst development. When Architector was first introduced, it uniquely enabled high-throughput, chemically relevant three-dimensional construction of f-element complexes. Since its introduction, Architector has been applied in large-scale computational campaigns, targeted studies in critical mineral extraction, and artificial intelligence-driven discovery eIorts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Solar Utility Network Deployment Acceleration

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is the national association representing 833 distribution and 62 generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives. From booming suburbs to remote rural farming communities, America’s electric cooperatives are energy providers and engines of economic development and way of life for more than 19 million American homes, businesses, farms, and schools in 47 states across the U.S. Member owned and responsive, generally smaller than investor-owned and municipal utilities, often more nimble in services for members, co-ops provide the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with a strong partner for testing and accelerating utility-scale solar design, pricing, and delivery models.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Accelerated testing of space mechanisms

This report contains a review of various existing life prediction techniques used for a wide range of space mechanisms. Life prediction techniques utilized in other non-space fields such as turbine engine design are also reviewed for applicability to many space mechanism issues. The development of new concepts on how various tribological processes are involved in the life of the complex mechanisms used for space applications are examined. A 'roadmap' for the complete implementation of a tribological prediction approach for complex mechanical systems including standard procedures for test planning, analytical models for life prediction and experimental verification of the life prediction and accelerated testing techniques are discussed. A plan is presented to demonstrate a method for predicting the life and/or performance of a selected space mechanism mechanical component.

Murray, S. Frank↗

Status and challenges for the application of platinum group metal-free catalysts in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalysts are an important class of materials for the sustainable energy economy and significant effort has been made towards developing PGM-free catalysts to replace their costly Pt counterparts in fuel cell electric vehicles. The progress made in activity over the last decade is reviewed, along with synthesis strategies for more controlled active site formation and performance gains achieved through electrode engineering. The increased focus on durability, the growing understanding of degradation mechanisms, and the need for standard performance and accelerated stress test protocols are discussed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Defect diffusion graph neural networks (d2gnn)

SAND2025-01004O Defect Diffusion Graph Neural Networks (d2gnn) is a software tool that assists in the discovery of new materials for high-temperature, clean-energy applications. It uses advanced graph neural networks to model the relationship between material structures and their defect properties. The application helps predict how materials will behave under different conditions and accelerates the development of innovative materials. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Witman, Matthew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Li↗

Factors Affecting the Corporate Decision-Making Process of Air Transport Manufacturers

Fuel economy is a pivotal question influencing the future sale and utilization of commercial aircraft. The NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) Program Office has a program intended to accelerate the readiness of advanced technologies for energy efficient aircraft. Because the decision to develop a new airframe or engine is a major financial hazard for manufacturers, it is important to know what factors influence the decision making process. A method is described for identifying and ranking individuals and organizations involved at each stage of commercial air transport development, and the barriers that must be overcome in adopting new technologies.

Ollila, R. G.↗

An experimental study of propeller-induced structural vibration and interior noise

This paper presents results of tests conducted to study fuselage sidewall dynamics and their effects on the cabin interior noise of a twin-engine, propeller-driven, light aircraft. Data on the dynamic behavior were obtained by slowly sweeping the RPM of one of the engines while the aircraft was stationary on the ground. This technique allowed frequency response plots of the sidewall structural accelerations to be obtained. These accelerations are compared to similar results from a test using a mechanical shaker in order to evaluate the structural dynamic response caused by the harmonics of the propeller blade passage tone. The dynamic response of the fuselage sidewall is also discussed as a noise transmission mechanism. A second mechanism for noise transmission through the fuselage sidewall was investigated by opening the copilot's window. The results illustrate the complex nature of the noise transmission mechanisms and the importance of correctly assessing noise paths.

Howlett, J. T.↗

Low-speed, high-lift aerodynamic characteristics of slender, hypersonic accelerator-type configurations

Two investigations were conducted in the Langley 14 by 22 Foot Subsonic Tunnel to determine the low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a generic hypersonic accelerator-type configuration. The model was a delta wing configuration incorporating a conical forebody, a simulated wrap-around engine package, and a truncated conical aftbody. Six-component force and moment data were obtained over a range of attack from -4 to 30 degrees and for a sideslip range of + or - 20 degrees. In addition to tests of the basic configuration, component build-up tests were conducted; and the effects of power, forebody nose geometry, canard surfaces, fuselage strakes, and engines on the lower surface alone were also determined. Control power available from deflections of wing flaps and aftbody flaps was also investigated and found to be significantly increased during power-on conditions. Large yawing moments resulted from asymmetric flow fields exhibited by the forebody as revealed by both surface pressure data and flow visualization. Increasing nose bluntness reduced the yawing-moment asymmetry, and the addition of a canard eliminated the yawing-moment asymmetry.

Gatlin, Gregory M.↗

Developing a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control System at Signalized Intersections.

This study develops an eco-driving strategy for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in the vicinity of signalized intersections, entitled HEV Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control at Intersections (Eco-CACC-I). The proposed system computes real-time, energy-optimized vehicle trajectories using HEV vehicle dynamics and energy consumption models. In the proposed system, a simple HEV energy model is used to compute the instantaneous fuel consumption. This HEV energy model is selected since it is general, transferable, and can be easily used to compute instantaneous energy consumption levels for HEVs without the additional input of vehicle engine data or complicated power control strategies. In addition, a vehicle dynamics model is used to capture the relationship between speed, acceleration level, and tractive/resistance forces on vehicles. The energy-optimum problem is formulated as an optimization problem with constraints, which is solved using a moving-horizon dynamic programming approach. The proposed HEV Eco-CACC-I system was tested to evaluate its performance for various speed limits, roadway grades, and signal timings. Lastly, the proposed HEV controller was implemented in a microscopic traffic simulation software to test its network-wide performance. The test results from an arterial corridor with three signalized intersections demonstrate that the proposed system can effectively reduce stop-and-go traffic in the vicinity of signalized intersections producing savings of 7.4% in energy consumption, 5.8% in traffic delay and 23% vehicle stops, respectively.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Creep and Tensile Properties of Direct Metal Laser Sintered (DMLS) Inconel 738LC Coupons and Comparison to Cast Properties

Due to the nature of sCO2 power cycles, a number of turbine parts must have good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. For recompression cycles, the turbine inlet temperature is between 600°C - 750°C, which puts nearly all high-temperature turbine parts into a creep regime. The high-strength parts in these applications are often composed of materials having high nickel or chrome contents, and are often termed superalloys. At these temperatures, the blades must survive mechanical loads due to centrifugal stress and blade loading. While centrifugal stress is primarily a function of tip velocity and its associated centrifugal acceleration, blade loading is a function of power density. Since sCO2 turbomachinery is approaching the power density of rocket engines, blade loading tends to be quite large. Another result of this high power density is that blade passages for 1-10 MW turbines tend to be quite small, making conventional fabrication methods challenging and costly; this leads engineers to pioneer new techniques to address these challenges. The authors of the current work are addressing this challenge by applying additive manufacturing techniques in the production of a 10 MW radial inflow impeller. While a comprehensive database exists for the mechanical properties of forged and cast superalloys, data is sparse for superalloys fashioned by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) or other additive manufacturing methods. For the remainder of this work, the term printed will refer to components manufactured using one of these processes for brevity. The current work stems from the desire to manufacture a radial inflow turbine impeller using additive manufactured (AM) Inconel 738. While Siemens has adopted the use of DMLS printed Inconel 738 for use in select aviation engine parts, creep and tensile properties have not been published to the extent needed to validate a given design. The current work will show creep and tensile properties of AM Inconel 738 in the horizontal and vertical build directions and their respective comparison to cast Inconel 738 properties.

wilkes, Jason↗

Model-Based Systems Analysis and Engineering for the Sustainable Flight National Partnership

NASA is committed to supporting the U.S. climate goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector by 2050, as outlined in the U.S. 2021 Aviation Climate Action Plan. Through the Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP), NASA is leading federal agencies and industry partners to accelerate the development of technologies capable of supporting the nation's aviation sustainability goals for products targeting an entry-into-service of 2035. To support the SFNP, NASA is developing a Model-Based Systems Analysis & Engineering (MBSA&E) framework which will serve to digitally integrate the work across numerous projects and demonstrations to the systems-level for relevant vision vehicle concepts. This presentation summarizes the MBSA&E motivation, development efforts, and future work.

Model Based Engineering↗

Atomic References for Measuring Small Accelerations

Accelerometer systems that would combine the best features of both conventional (e.g., mechanical) accelerometers and atom interferometer accelerometers (AIAs) have been proposed. These systems are intended mainly for use in scientific research aboard spacecraft but may also be useful on Earth in special military, geological, and civil-engineering applications. Conventional accelerometers can be sensitive, can have high dynamic range, and can have high frequency response, but they lack accuracy and long-term stability. AIAs have low frequency response, but they offer high sensitivity, and high accuracy for measuring small accelerations. In a system according to the proposal, a conventional accelerometer would be used to perform short-term measurements of higher-frequency components of acceleration, while an AIA would be used to provide consistent calibration of, and correction of errors in, the measurements of the conventional accelerometer in the lower-frequency range over the long term. A brief description of an AIA is prerequisite to a meaningful description of a system according to the proposal. An AIA includes a retroreflector next to one end of a cell that contains a cold cloud of atoms in an ultrahigh vacuum. The atoms in the cloud are in free fall. The retroreflector is mounted on the object, the acceleration of which is to be measured. Raman laser beams are directed through the cell from the end opposite the retroreflector, then pass back through the cell after striking the retroreflector. The Raman laser beams together with the cold atoms measure the relative acceleration, through the readout of the AIA, between the cold atoms and the retroreflector.

Maleki, Lute↗

Photolytic activation of Ni (II) X 2 L explains how Ni-mediated cross coupling begins

Nickel photocatalysis has recently become vital to organic synthesis, but how the Ni (II) X 2 L pre-catalyst (X = Cl, Br; L = bidentate ligand) becomes activated to Ni (I) XL has remained puzzling and is typically addressed on a case-by-case basis. Here, we reveal a general mechanism where light induces photolysis of the Ni (II) -X bond, either via direct excitation or triplet energy transfer. Photolysis produces Ni (I) XL and a halogen radical, X*. Subsequent hydrogen atom abstraction, often from the solvent, produces a C(sp 3 ) radical, R*, that recombines with Ni (I) to form organonickel(II) complexes, Ni (II) XRL. Rather than acting as a loss pathway, Ni (II) XRL behaves as a light-activated reservoir of Ni (I) via photolysis of the Ni (II) -C bond. These results explain the role of the solvent in protecting the catalyst from off-cycle dimerization, demonstrate that two photons are often required to drive the reaction, and show how tuning the ligand can control the concentration of active Ni (I) species.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Low thrust vehicle concept study

Low thrust chemical (hydrogen-oxygen) propulsion systems configured specifically for low acceleration orbit transfer of large space systems were defined. Results indicate that it is cost effective and least risk to combine the OTV and stowed spacecraft in a single 65 K Shuttle. The study shows that the engine for an optimized low thrust stage (1) does not require very low thrust; (2) 1-3 K thrust range appears optimum; (3) thrust transient is not a concern; (4) throttling probably not worthwhile; and (5) multiple thrusters complicate OTV/LSS design and aggravate LSS loads. Regarding the optimum vehicle for low acceleration missions, the single shuttle launch (LSS and expendable OTV) is most cost effective and least risky. Multiple shuttles increase diameter 20%. The space based radar structure short OTV (which maximizes space available for packaged LSS) favors use of torus tank. Propellant tank pressures/vapor residuals are little affected by engine thrust level or number of burns.

Source record↗