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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 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Meta-shell Approach for Constructing Lightweight and High Resolution X-Ray Optics

Lightweight and high resolution optics are needed for future space-based x-ray telescopes to achieve advances in high-energy astrophysics. Past missions such as Chandra and XMM-Newton have achieved excellent angular resolution using a full shell mirror approach. Other missions such as Suzaku and NuSTAR have achieved lightweight mirrors using a segmented approach. This paper describes a new approach, called meta-shells, which combines the fabrication advantages of segmented optics with the alignment advantages of full shell optics. Meta-shells are built by layering overlapping mirror segments onto a central structural shell. The resulting optic has the stiffness and rotational symmetry of a full shell, but with an order of magnitude greater collecting area. Several meta-shells so constructed can be integrated into a large x-ray mirror assembly by proven methods used for Chandra and XMM-Newton. The mirror segments are mounted to the meta-shell using a novel four point semi-kinematic mount. The four point mount deterministically locates the segment in its most performance sensitive degrees of freedom. Extensive analysis has been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the four point mount and meta-shell approach. A mathematical model of a meta-shell constructed with mirror segments bonded at four points and subject to launch loads has been developed to determine the optimal design parameters, namely bond size, mirror segment span, and number of layers per meta-shell. The parameters of an example 1.3 m diameter mirror assembly are given including the predicted effective area. To verify the mathematical model and support opto-mechanical analysis, a detailed finite element model of a meta-shell was created. Finite element analysis predicts low gravity distortion and low thermal distortion. Recent results are discussed including Structural Thermal Optical Performance (STOP) analysis as well as vibration and shock testing of prototype meta-shells.

Lightweight and high resolution optics↗
NASA NTRS1986

Fuel-Cell Structure Prevents Membrane Drying

Embossed plates direct flows of reactants and coolant. Membrane-type fuel-cell battery has improved reactant flow and heat removal. Compact, lightweight battery produces high current and power without drying of membranes.

Mcelroy, J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Application of fiber-reinforced bismaleimide materials to aircraft nacelle structures

Existing aircraft engine nacelle structures employ advanced composite materials to reduce weight and thereby increase overall performance. Use of advanced composite materials on existing aircraft nacelle structures includes fiber-reinforced epoxy structures and has typically been limited to regions furthest away from the hot engine core. Portions of the nacelle structure that are closer to the engine require materials with a higher temperature capability. In these portions, existing nacelle structures employ aluminum sandwich construction and skin/stringer construction. The aluminum structure is composed of many detail parts and assemblies and is usually protected by some form of ablative, insulator, or metallic thermal shield. A one-piece composite inner cowl for a new-generation engine nacelle structure has been designed using fiber-reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) materials and honeycomb core in a sandwich construction. The new composite design has many advantages over the existing aluminum structure. Multiple details were integrated into the one-piece composite design, thereby significantly reducing the number of detail parts and fasteners. The use of lightweight materials and the reduction of the number of joints result in a significant weight reduction over the aluminum design; manufacturing labor and the overall number of tools required have also been reduced. Several significant technical issues were addressed in the development of a BMI composite design. Technical evaluation of the available BMI systems led to the selection of a toughened BMI material which was resistant to microcracking under thermal cyclic loading and enhanced the damage tolerance of the structure. Technical evaluation of the degradation of BMI materials in contact with aluminum and other metals validated methods for isolation of the various materials. Graphite-reinforced BMI in contact with aluminum and some steels was found to degrade in salt spray testing. Isolation techniques such as those used for graphite-reinforced epoxy structures were shown to provide adequate protection. The springback and producibility of large BMI structures were evaluated by manufacturing prototype hardware which had the full-scale cross section of the one-piece composite structure.

Peros, Vasilios↗
DOE OSTI2018

In-plane crashworthiness of bio-inspired hierarchical honeycombs

Biological tissues like bone, wood, and sponge possess hierarchical cellular topologies, which are lightweight and feature an excellent energy absorption capability. Here we present a system of bio-inspired hierarchical honeycomb structures based on hexagonal, Kagome, and triangular tessellations. The hierarchical designs and a reference regular honeycomb configuration are subjected to simulated in-plane impact using the nonlinear finite element code LS-DYNA. The numerical simulation results show that the triangular hierarchical honeycomb provides the best performance compared to the other two hierarchical honeycombs, and features more than twice the energy absorbed by the regular honeycomb under similar loading conditions. We also propose a parametric study correlating the microstructure parameters (hierarchical length ratio r and the number of sub cells N) to the energy absorption capacity of these hierarchical honeycombs. The triangular hierarchical honeycomb with N = 2 and r = 1/8 shows the highest energy absorption capacity among all the investigated cases, and this configuration could be employed as a benchmark for the design of future safety protective systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Lightweight Detection of Cache Conflicts

In memory hierarchies, caches perform an important role in reducing average memory access latency. Minimizing cache misses can yield significant performance gains. As set-associative caches are widely used in modern architectures, capacity and conflict cache misses co-exist. These two types of cache misses require different optimization strategies. While cache misses are commonly studied using cache simulators, state-of-the-art simulators usually incur hundreds to thousands of times a program’s execution runtime. Moreover, a simulator has difficulty in simulating complex real hardware. To overcome these limitations, measurement methods are proposed to directly monitor program execution on real hardware via performance monitoring units. However, existing measurement-based tools either focus on capacity cache misses or do not distinguish capacity and conflict cache misses. In this paper, we design and implement CCProf, a lightweight measurement-based profiler that identifies conflict cache misses and associates them with program source code and data structures. CCProf incurs moderate runtime overhead that is at least an order of magnitude lower than simulators. With the evaluation on a number of representative programs, CCProf is able to guide optimizations on cache conflict misses and obtain nontrivial speedups.

Roy, Probir↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military

Recently, global public health organizations such as Doctors without Borders (MSF), the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. government developed and deployed Field Decontamination Kits (FDKs), a novel, lightweight, compact, reusable decontamination technology to sterilize Ebola-contaminated medical devices at remote clinical sites lacking infra-structure in crisis-stricken regions of West Africa (medical waste materials are placed in bags and burned). Here, the basis for effectuating sterilization with FDKs is chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) produced from a patented invention developed by researchers at the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC) and commercialized as a dry mixed-chemical for bacterial spore decontamination.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1978

Energy Efficient Engine Preliminary Design and Integration Studies

The technology and configurational requirements of an all new 1990's energy efficient turbofan engine having a twin spool arrangement with a directly coupled fan and low-pressure turbine, a mixed exhaust nacelle, and a high 38.6:1 overall pressure ratio were studied. Major advanced technology design features required to provide the overall benefits were a high pressure ratio compression system, a thermally actuated advanced clearance control system, lightweight shroudless fan blades, a low maintenance cost one-stage high pressure turbine, a short efficient mixer and structurally integrated engine and nacelle. A conceptual design analysis was followed by integration and performance analyses of geared and direct-drive fan engines with separate or mixed exhaust nacelles to refine previously designed engine cycles. Preliminary design and more detailed engine-aircraft integration analysis were then conducted on the more promising configurations. Engine and aircraft sizing, fuel burned, and airframe noise studies on projected 1990's domestic and international aircraft produced sufficient definition of configurational and advanced technology requirements to allow immediate initiation of component technology development.

Gray, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Space fabrication demonstration system, technical volume

The automatic beam builder ABB was developed, fabricated, and demonstrated within the established contract cost and schedule constraints. The ABB demonstrated the feasibility of: producing lightweight beams automatically within the required rate of 1 to 5 ft of completed beam per minute and producing structurally sound beams with axial design load of 5538 N based on the Grumman photovoltaic satellite solar power system design reference structure.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

Noise-Path Measurements in Aircraft Structures

System determines amount of radiated sound power separately attributed to airborne and structure-borne paths in aircraft. Also used to evaluate vibrating plates and thin shells. Sound transducers include array of lightweight, miniature piezoelectric accelerometers and two-microphone probe. Multichannel Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzer/computer used for analog-to-digital conversion and to analyze spectrum of each of input signals. Noise-path identification in aircraft performed in flight by this system.

Mcgary, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Megavolt, Multigigawatt Pulsed Plasma Switch

Plasma switch proposed for use in high-voltage, high-current pulse power system. Designed not only to out-perform conventional spark-gap switch but also relatively compact and lightweight. Features inverse-pinch configuration to prevent constriction of current sheets into filaments, plus multiple-ring-electrode structure to resist high-voltage breakdown.

Lee, Ja H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Optical Spectroscopy of New Materials

Composites are currently used for a rapidly expanding number of applications including aircraft structures, rocket nozzles, thermal protection of spacecraft, high performance ablative surfaces, sports equipment including skis, tennis rackets and bicycles, lightweight automobile components, cutting tools, and optical-grade mirrors. Composites are formed from two or more insoluble materials to produce a material with superior properties to either component. Composites range from dispersion-hardened alloys to advanced fiber-reinforced composites. UV/VIS and FTIR spectroscopy currently is used to evaluate the bonding between the matrix and the fibers, monitor the curing process of a polymer, measure surface contamination, characterize the interphase material, monitor anion transport in polymer phases, characterize the void formation (voids must be minimized because, like cracks in a bulk material, they lead to failure), characterize the surface of the fiber component, and measure the overall optical properties for energy balances.

White, Susan M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Wide-Bandgap CIAS Thin-film Photovoltaics with Transparent Back Contacts for Next-Generation Single and Multijunction Devices

Future spacecraft and high-altitude airship (HAA) technologies will require high array specific power (W/kg), which can be met using thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on lightweight and flexible substrates. It has been calculated that the thin-film array technology, including the array support structure, begins to exceed the specific power of crystalline multi-junction arrays when the thin-film device efficiencies begin to exceed 12%. Thin-film PV devices have other advantages in that they are more easily integrated into HAA s, and are projected to be much less costly than their crystalline PV counterparts. Furthermore, it is likely that only thin-film array technology will be able to meet device specific power requirements exceeding 1 kW/kg (photovoltaic and integrated substrate/blanket mass only). Of the various thin-film technologies, single junction and radiation resistant CuInSe2 (CIS) and associated alloys with gallium, aluminum and sulfur have achieved the highest levels of thin-film device performance, with the best efficiency, reaching 19.2% under AM1.5 illumination conditions and on thick glass substrates.(3) Thus, it is anticipated that single- and tandem-junction devices with flexible substrates and based on CIS and related alloys could achieve the highest levels of thin-film space and HAA solar array performance.

Woods, Lawrence M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Lightweight, low-cost solar energy collector

A lightweight solar concentrator of the reflecting parabolic or trough type is realized via a thin reflecting film, an inflatable structural housing and tensioned fibers. The reflector element itself is a thin, flexible, specularly-reflecting sheet or film. The film is maintained in the parabolic trough shape by means of a plurality of identical tensioned fibers arranged to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the parabola. Fiber ends are terminated in two identical spaced anchorplates, each containing a plurality of holes which lie on the desired parabolic contour. In a preferred embodiment, these fibers are arrayed in pairs with one fiber contacting the front side of the reflecting film and the other contacting the back side of the reflecting film. The reflective surface is thereby slidably captured between arrays of fibers which control the shape and position of the reflective film. Gas pressure in the inflatable housing generates fiber tension to achieve a truer parabolic shape.

Hochberg, Eric B.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Simulation of the Electronic Structure of Graphene–Polyvinylidene Fluoride Composite Material

Theoretical models of shockproof composite materials based on two-layer graphenes and multilayer polyvinylidene fluoride C{sub 124}H{sub 40} + n(H–(C{sub 2}H{sub 2}F{sub 2}){sub 5}–H) (n = (1, 8)-bar ) are constructed. The electronic structure is studied using the semiempirical PM3 method that is one of version of the molecular orbital method. The orbital energies, ionization potentials, total electron energies, strength, and other properties of the considered material are calculated based on the theoretical models. The outlooks for application of these materials in the military field for manufacturing superstrong and lightweight flak jackets are considered.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2003

Integrated Propulsion/Vehicle System Structurally Optimized

Ongoing research and testing are essential in the development of air-breathing hypersonic propulsion technology, and this year some positive advancement was made at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Recent work performed for GTX, a rocket-based combined-cycle, single-stage-to-orbit concept, included structural assessments of both the engine and flight vehicle. In the development of air-breathing engine technology, it is impractical to design and optimize components apart from the fully integrated system because tradeoffs must be made between performance and structural capability. Efforts were made to control the flight trajectory, for example, to minimize the aerodynamic heating effects. Structural optimization was applied to evaluate concept feasibility and was instrumental in the determination of the gross liftoff weight of the integrated system. Achieving low Earth orbit with even a small payload requires an aggressive approach to weight minimization through the use of lightweight, oxidation-resistant composite materials. Assessing the integrated system involved investigating the flight trajectory to determine where the critical load events occur in flight and then generating the corresponding environment at each of these events. Structural evaluation requires the mapping of the critical flight loads to finite element models, including the combined effects of aerodynamic, inertial, combustion, and other loads. NASA s APAS code was used to generate aerodynamic pressure and temperature profiles at each critical event. The radiation equilibrium surface temperatures from APAS were used to predict temperatures through the thickness. Heat transfer solutions using NASA's MINIVER code and the SINDA code (Cullimore & Ring Technologies, Littleton, CO) were calculated at selective points external to the integrated vehicle system and then extrapolated over the entire exposed surface. FORTRAN codes were written to expedite the finite element mapping of the aerodynamic heating effects for the internal structure.

Hunter, James E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2011

The topics include: 1) Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing Toolbox; 2) Collaborative Supervised Learning for Sensor Networks; 3) Hazard Detection Software for Lunar Landing; 4) Onboard Nonlinear Engine Sensor and Component Fault Diagnosis and Isolation Scheme; 5) Network-Capable Application Process and Wireless Intelligent Sensors for ISHM; 6) Interface Supports Multiple Broadcast Transceivers for Flight Applications; 7) FPGA Sequencer for Radar Altimeter Applications; 8) Miniature Sapphire Acoustic Resonator - MSAR; 9) Process-Hardened, Multi-Analyte Sensor for Characterizing Rocket Plume Constituents; 10) SAD5 Stereo Correlation Line-Striping in an FPGA; 11) Hybrid Composite Cryogenic Tank Structure; 12) Nanoscale Deformable Optics; 13) Reliability-Based Design Optimization of a Composite Airframe Component; 14) Zinc Oxide Nanowire Interphase for Enhanced Lightweight Polymer Fiber Composites; 15) Plasma Igniter for Reliable Ignition of Combustion in Rocket Engines; 16) Wire Test Grip Fixture; 17) A Sub-Hertz, Low-Frequency Vibration Isolation Platform; 18) Carbon Nanofibers Synthesized on Selective Substrates for Nonvolatile Memory and 3D Electronics; 19) Nanoparticle/Polymer Nanocomposite Bond Coat or Coating; 20) High-Resolution Wind Measurements for Offshore Wind Energy Development; 21) Spring Tire; 22) Marsviewer 2008; 23) Mission Services Evolution Center Message Bus; 24) Major Constituents Analysis for the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor; 25) Astronaut Health Participant Summary Application; 26) Adaption of the AMDIS Method to Flight Status on the VCAM Instrument; 27) Natural Language Interface for Safety Certification of Safety-Critical Software; 28) Cryogenic Caging for Science Instrumentation; 29) Wide-Range Neutron Detector for Space Nuclear Applications; 30) In Situ Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring System; 31) Multiplexed Energy Coupler for Rotating Equipment; 32) Attitude Estimation in Fractionated Spacecraft Cluster Systems; 33) Full Piezoelectric Multilayer-Stacked Hybrid Actuation/Transduction Systems; 34) Active Flow Effectors for Noise and Separation Control; 35) Method and System for Temporal Filtering in Video Compression Systems; 36) Apparatus for Measuring Total Emissivity of Small, Low-Emissivity Samples; 37) Multiple-Zone Diffractive Optic Element for Laser Ranging Applications; 38) Simplified Architecture for Precise Aiming of a Deep-Space Communication Laser Transceiver; 39) Two-Photon-Absorption Scheme for Optical Beam Tracking; 40) High-Sensitivity, Broad-Range Vacuum Gauge Using Nanotubes for Micromachined Cavities; 41) Wide-Field Optic for Autonomous Acquisition of Laser Link; 42) Extracting Zero-Gravity Surface Figure of a Mirror; 43) Modeling Electromagnetic Scattering From Complex Inhomogeneous Objects; 44) Visual Object Recognition and Tracking of Tools; 45) Method for Implementing Optical Phase Adjustment; 46) Visual SLAM Using Variance Grid Maps; 47) Rapid Calculation of Spacecraft Trajectories Using Efficient Taylor Series Integration; 48) Efficient Kriging Algorithms; 49) Predicting Spacecraft Trajectories by the WeavEncke Method; 50) An Augmentation of G-Guidance Algorithms; 51) Comparison of Aircraft Icing Growth Assessment Software; 52) Silicon-Germanium Voltage-Controlled Oscillator at 105 GHz; 53) Estimation of Coriolis Force and Torque Acting on Ares-1; 54) Null Lens Assembly for X-Ray Mirror Segments; and 55) High-Precision Pulse Generator.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2021

Origami-Inspired Optical Shield for a Starshade Inner Disk Testbed: Design, Fabrication, and Analysis

In 2019, a 10 m-diameter starshade inner disk test article was assembled; this test article demonstrated deployment accuracy sufficient for starshade mission concepts. Here, we describe the design, fabrication, and computational structural analysis of a key inner disk component realized for this effort: the origami-folded optical shield. The optical shield is a 10 m-diameter lightweight cover that makes the inner disk opaque. It stows within a 2.3 m-diameter volume by using an origami-inspired wrapping pattern, and is deployed passively by the inner disk perimeter truss. The fold pattern was generated by a custom algorithm based one existing generative design approaches. This prototype demonstrated critical functions: stowage in a compact volume, static equilibrium when stowed and deployed, and low strain when stowed. Four separate computational structural analysis models of the optical shield were de- veloped, at varying levels of fidelity and using a variety of software solutions: Abaqus, RAPID, and ADAMS. These models were intended to pathfind approaches for modeling the stowage and deployment of the inner disk, and to demonstrate that the optical shield is amenable existing structural modeling approaches. These models were found to adequately capture pertinent stowage and deployment behavior of the optical shield prototype.

Hoffman, Laura↗
NASA NTRS1990

Synthesis and structures of metal chalcogenide precursors

The reactivity of early transition metal sandwich complexes with sulfur-rich molecules such as dithiocarboxylic acids was studied. Researchers recently initiated work on precursors to CuInSe2 and related chalcopyrite semiconductors. Th every high radiation tolerance and the high absorption coefficient of CuInSe2 makes this material extremely attractive for lightweight space solar cells. Their general approach in early transition metal chemistry, the reaction of low-valent metal complexes or metal powders with sulfur and selenium rich compounds, was extended to the synthesis of chalcopyrite precursors. Here, the researchers describe synthesis, structures, and and routes to single molecule precursors to metal chalcogenides.

Hepp, Aloysius F.↗