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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 NTRS1984

Research pressure instrumentation for NASA Space Shuttle main engine, modification no. 5

The objective of the research project described is to define and demonstrate methods to advance the state of the art of pressure sensors for the space shuttle main engine (SSME). Silicon piezoresistive technology was utilized in completing tasks: generation and testing of three transducer design concepts for solid state applications; silicon resistor characterization at cryogenic temperatures; experimental chip mounting characterization; frequency response optimization and prototype design and fabrication. Excellent silicon sensor performance was demonstrated at liquid nitrogen temperature. A silicon resistor ion implant dose was customized for SSME temperature requirements. A basic acoustic modeling software program was developed as a design tool to evaluate frequency response characteristics.

Anderson, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Spacecraft On-Board Information Extraction Computer (SOBIEC)

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the Technical Monitor on an SBIR Program issued for Irvine Sensors Corporation to develop a highly compact, dual use massively parallel processing node known as SOBIEC. SOBIEC couples 3D memory stacking technology provided by nCUBE. The node contains sufficient network Input/Output to implement up to an order-13 binary hypercube. The benefit of this network, is that it scales linearly as more processors are added, and it is a superset of other commonly used interconnect topologies such as: meshes, rings, toroids, and trees. In this manner, a distributed processing network can be easily devised and supported. The SOBIEC node has sufficient memory for most multi-computer applications, and also supports external memory expansion and DMA interfaces. The SOBIEC node is supported by a mature set of software development tools from nCUBE. The nCUBE operating system (OS) provides configuration and operational support for up to 8000 SOBIEC processors in an order-13 binary hypercube or any subset or partition(s) thereof. The OS is UNIX (USL SVR4) compatible, with C, C++, and FORTRAN compilers readily available. A stand-alone development system is also available to support SOBIEC test and integration.

Eisenman, David↗
NASA NTRS2007

Infrared Camera Characterization of Bi-Propellant Reaction Control Engines during Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Tests at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico

This paper describes the application of a FUR Systems A40M infrared (IR) digital camera for thermal monitoring of a Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Ethanol bi-propellant Reaction Control Engine (RCE) during Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS) testing at the National Aeronautics & Space Administration's (NASA) White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Typically, NASA has relied mostly on the use of ThermoCouples (TC) for this type of thermal monitoring due to the variability of constraints required to accurately map rapidly changing temperatures from ambient to glowing hot chamber material. Obtaining accurate real-time temperatures in the JR spectrum is made even more elusive by the changing emissivity of the chamber material as it begins to glow. The parameters evaluated prior to APS testing included: (1) remote operation of the A40M camera using fiber optic Firewire signal sender and receiver units; (2) operation of the camera inside a Pelco explosion proof enclosure with a germanium window; (3) remote analog signal display for real-time monitoring; (4) remote digital data acquisition of the A40M's sensor information using FUR's ThermaCAM Researcher Pro 2.8 software; and (5) overall reliability of the system. An initial characterization report was prepared after the A40M characterization tests at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to document controlled heat source comparisons to calibrated TCs. Summary IR digital data recorded from WSTF's APS testing is included within this document along with findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for further usage as a monitoring tool for the development of rocket engines.

Holleman, Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS2021

Commanding Curiosity from the Couch: MSL Remote Operations, Challenges, and Path Ahead

This paper describes how the Mars ScienceLaboratory (MSL) project prepared for and successfully beganCuriosity rover Mars operations from their homes in responseto the COVID-19 work-from-home orders. In a very shortperiod, the team developed procedures and executed a remoteoperations readiness test in parallel with the team's support fornominal operations. Continuing regular rover operations withan entirely remote team had not previously been consideredfeasible due to a variety of factors. These included both thehuman factors, such as multiple concurrent person-to-personinteractions of the uplink planning team, as well as technicalfactors, such as reliance on powerful workstations dedicated tographically intensive software tools used for planning. The testwas conducted on March 12th, with both the downlink anduplink teams successfully simulating a near full planning day.The JPL administration announced the transition to mandatorytelework on Monday, March 16th. MSL stood down the uplinkplanning originally scheduled for the next day while downlinkcontinued monitoring the rover. Full operations then resumedper schedule with nearly the entire operations team teleworkingon Friday, March 20th, during which the team planned roveractivities for three Martian days (sols). These activities includedthe successful drilling of the "Edinburgh" rock target, a highlycomplex contact science activity.As of October 1st, 2020, the Mars Science Laboratory missionoperations team has conducted 88 remote tactical uplink shiftsfor a total of 190 sols of planned rover activity, which accountsfor more than 6% of the mission to date. In this period the roverhas completed four drilling campaigns and driven over 1150meters towards its next major science target – a sulfate bearinggeologic unit at the foot of Mount Sharp. Success has not beenwithout its challenges. Many of these have been addressed whileothers will remain in some form until the team can safely returnto JPL, which in turn is the largest challenge for the future.

Stroupe, Ashley↗
DOE OSTI2013

Overview of development and design of MPACT: Michigan parallel characteristics transport code

MPACT (Michigan Parallel Characteristics Transport Code) is a new reactor analysis tool. It is being developed by students and research staff at the University of Michigan to be used for an advanced pin-resolved transport capability within VERA (Virtual Environment for Reactor Analysis). VERA is the end-user reactor simulation tool being produced by the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL). The MPACT development project is itself unique for the way it is changing how students do research to achieve the instructional and research goals of an academic institution, while providing immediate value to industry. The MPACT code makes use of modern lean/agile software processes and extensive testing to maintain a level of productivity and quality required by CASL. MPACT's design relies heavily on object-oriented programming concepts and design patterns and is programmed in Fortran 2003. These designs are explained and illustrated as to how they can be readily extended to incorporate new capabilities and research ideas in support of academic research objectives. The transport methods currently implemented in MPACT include the 2-D and 3-D method of characteristics (MOC) and 2-D and 3-D method of collision direction probabilities (CDP). For the cross section resonance treatment, presently the subgroup method and the new embedded self-shielding method (ESSM) are implemented within MPACT. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Technical Note: PLASTIMATCH MABS, an open source tool for automatic image segmentation

Purpose: Multiatlas based segmentation is largely used in many clinical and research applications. Due to its good performances, it has recently been included in some commercial platforms for radiotherapy planning and surgery guidance. Anyway, to date, a software with no restrictions about the anatomical district and image modality is still missing. In this paper we introduce PLASTIMATCH MABS, an open source software that can be used with any image modality for automatic segmentation. Methods: PLASTIMATCH MABS workflow consists of two main parts: (1) an offline phase, where optimal registration and voting parameters are tuned and (2) an online phase, where a new patient is labeled from scratch by using the same parameters as identified in the former phase. Several registration strategies, as well as different voting criteria can be selected. A flexible atlas selection scheme is also available. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed software across anatomical districts and image modalities, it was tested on two very different scenarios: head and neck (H&N) CT segmentation for radiotherapy application, and magnetic resonance image brain labeling for neuroscience investigation. Results: For the neurological study, minimum dice was equal to 0.76 (investigated structures: left and right caudate, putamen, thalamus, and hippocampus). For head and neck case, minimum dice was 0.42 for the most challenging structures (optic nerves and submandibular glands) and 0.62 for the other ones (mandible, brainstem, and parotid glands). Time required to obtain the labels was compatible with a real clinical workflow (35 and 120 min). Conclusions: The proposed software fills a gap in the multiatlas based segmentation field, since all currently available tools (both for commercial and for research purposes) are restricted to a well specified application. Furthermore, it can be adopted as a platform for exploring MABS parameters and as a reference implementation for comparing against other segmentation algorithms.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2018

Command and Control Software Development

The future of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) depends on its innovation and efficiency in the coming years. With ambitious goals to reach Mars and explore the vast universe, correct steps must be taken to ensure our space program reaches its destination safely. The interns in the Exploration Systems and Operations Division at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have been tasked with building command line tools to ease the process of managing and testing the data being produced by the ground control systems while its recording system is not in use. While working alongside full-time engineers, we were able to create multiple programs that reduce the cost and time it takes to test the subsystems that launch rockets to outer space.

Wallace, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1996

Development of a Wafer Positioning System for the Sandia Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Tool

A wafer positioning system was recently developed by Sandia National Laboratories for an Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) tool. The system, which utilizes a magnetically levitated fine stage to provide ultra-precise positioning in all six degrees of freedom, incorporates technological improvements resulting from four years of prototype development. This paper describes the design, implementation, and functional capability of the system. Specifics regarding control system electronics, including software and control algorithm structure, as well as performance design goals and test results are presented. Potential system enhancements, some of which are in process, are also discussed.

Wronosky, John B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Exercise countermeasure protocol management expert system

Exercise will be used primarily to countermeasure against deconditioning on extended space flight. In this paper we describe the development and evaluation of an expert system for exercise countermeasure protocol management. Currently, the system includes two major subsystems: baseline prescription and prescription adjustment. The baseline prescription subsystem is designed to provide initial exercise prescriptions while prescription adjustment subsystem is designed to modify the initial prescription based on the exercised progress. The system runs under three different environments: PC, SUN workstation, and Symbolic machine. The inference engine, baseline prescription module, prescription adjustment module and explanation module are developed under the Symbolic environment by using the ART (Automated Reasoning Tool) software. The Sun environment handles database management features and interfaces with PC environment to obtain physical and physiological data from exercise units on-board during the flight. Eight subjects' data have been used to evaluate the system performance by comparing the prescription of nine experienced exercise physiologists and the one prescribed by the expert system. The results of the validation test indicated that the performance of the expert system was acceptable.

NASA Discipline Data Analysis↗
NASA NTRS2007

Web-Based Environment for Maintaining Legacy Software

Advanced Tool Integration Environment (ATIE) is the name of both a software system and a Web-based environment created by the system for maintaining an archive of legacy software and expertise involved in developing the legacy software. ATIE can also be used in modifying legacy software and developing new software. The information that can be encapsulated in ATIE includes experts documentation, input and output data of tests cases, source code, and compilation scripts. All of this information is available within a common environment and retained in a database for ease of access and recovery by use of powerful search engines. ATIE also accommodates the embedment of supporting software that users require for their work, and even enables access to supporting commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software within the flow of the experts work. The flow of work can be captured by saving the sequence of computer programs that the expert uses. A user gains access to ATIE via a Web browser. A modern Web-based graphical user interface promotes efficiency in the retrieval, execution, and modification of legacy code. Thus, ATIE saves time and money in the support of new and pre-existing programs.

Tigges, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2005

Diagnosis and Prognosis of Weapon Systems

The Prognostics Framework is a set of software tools with an open architecture that affords a capability to integrate various prognostic software mechanisms and to provide information for operational and battlefield decision-making and logistical planning pertaining to weapon systems. The Prognostics NASA Tech Briefs, February 2005 17 Framework is also a system-level health -management software system that (1) receives data from performance- monitoring and built-in-test sensors and from other prognostic software and (2) processes the received data to derive a diagnosis and a prognosis for a weapon system. This software relates the diagnostic and prognostic information to the overall health of the system, to the ability of the system to perform specific missions, and to needed maintenance actions and maintenance resources. In the development of the Prognostics Framework, effort was focused primarily on extending previously developed model-based diagnostic-reasoning software to add prognostic reasoning capabilities, including capabilities to perform statistical analyses and to utilize information pertaining to deterioration of parts, failure modes, time sensitivity of measured values, mission criticality, historical data, and trends in measurement data. As thus extended, the software offers an overall health-monitoring capability.

Nolan, Mary↗
DOE OSTI2011

Runtime Detection of C-Style Errors in UPC Code

Unified Parallel C (UPC) extends the C programming language (ISO C 99) with explicit parallel programming support for the partitioned global address space (PGAS), which provides a global memory space with localized partitions to each thread. Like its ancestor C, UPC is a low-level language that emphasizes code efficiency over safety. The absence of dynamic (and static) safety checks allows programmer oversights and software flaws that can be hard to spot. In this paper, we present an extension of a dynamic analysis tool, ROSE-Code Instrumentation and Runtime Monitor (ROSECIRM), for UPC to help programmers find C-style errors involving the global address space. Built on top of the ROSE source-to-source compiler infrastructure, the tool instruments source files with code that monitors operations and keeps track of changes to the system state. The resulting code is linked to a runtime monitor that observes the program execution and finds software defects. We describe the extensions to ROSE-CIRM that were necessary to support UPC. We discuss complications that arise from parallel code and our solutions. We test ROSE-CIRM against a runtime error detection test suite, and present performance results obtained from running error-free codes. ROSE-CIRM is released as part of the ROSE compiler under a BSD-style open source license.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Closeout of CRADA JSA 2012S004: Chapter 5, Integrated Control System, of the document of the ESS Conceptual Design Report, publicly available at https://europeanspallationsource.se/accelerator-documents

The integrated control system (ICS) is responsible for the whole ESS machine and facility: accelerator, target, neutron scattering instruments and conventional facilities. This unified approach keeps the costs of development, maintenance and support relatively low. ESS has selected a standardised, field-proven controls framework, the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), which was originally developed jointly by Argonne and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Complementing this selection are best practices and experience from similar facilities regarding platform standardisation, control system development and device integration and commissioning. The components of ICS include the control system core, the control boxes, the BLED database management system, and the human machine interface. The control system core is a set of systems and tools that make it possible for the control system to provide required data, information and services to engineers, operators, physicists and the facility itself. The core components are the timing system that makes possible clock synchronisation across the facility, the machine protection system (MPS) and the personnel protection system (PPS) that prevent damage to the machine and personnel, and a set of control system services. Control boxes are servers that control a collection of equipment (for example a radio frequency cavity). The integrated control system will include many control boxes that can be assigned to one supplier, such as an internal team, a collaborating institute or a commercial vendor. This approach facilitates a clear division of responsibilities and makes integration much easier. A control box is composed of a standardised hardware platform, components, development tools and services. On the top level, it interfaces with the core control system components (timing, MPS, PPS) and with the human-machine interface. At the bottom, it interfaces with the equipment and parts of the facility through a set of analog and digital signals, real-time control loops and other communication buses. The ICS central data management system is named BLED (beam line element databases). BLED is a set of databases, tools and services that is used to store, manage and access data. It holds vital control system configuration and physics-related (lattice) information about the accelerator, target and instruments. It facilitates control system configuration by bringing together direct input-output controller (IOC) con guration and real-time data from proton and neutron beam line models. BLED also simplifies development and speeds up the code-test-debug cycle. The set of tools that access BLED will be tailored to the needs of different categories of users, such as ESS staff physicists, engineers, and operators; external partner laboratories; and visiting experimental instrument users. The human-machine interface is vital to providing a high-quality experience to ICS users. It encompasses a wide array of devices and software tools, from control room screens to engineer terminal windows; from beam physics data tools to post-mortem data analysis tools. It serves users with a wide range of skills from widely varied backgrounds. The Controls Group is developing a set of user profiles to accommodate this diverse range of use-cases and users.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
NASA NTRS2023

Python Based Plume Dynamics Estimation Tool (PyPDET) Rapid Plume Strike Analysis for RPOD Maneuvers in Deep Space Operations

I worked as a NASA Intern during the Summer 2023 term in the DS-00 division under the supervision of my mentor, Dr. Jonathan Pitt. Our goal was to build on our previous work from 2022 to develop a plume strike estimation tool using a prescribed physics methodology and model plume impingement effects while considering the dynamics of a rendezvous, operations, proximity, and docking (RPOD) maneuver. This tool supports previously configured CFD-DSMC calculations by allowing for rapid analysis of initial designs using a low-fidelity source flow model. Engineers can then use the high-fidelity CFD-DSMC tool to consolidate results as they work towards finalizing a design. This year’s project was focused on developing a software application that other engineers would be using in their analysis. Thus, the user’s experience was considered in the development of this application. Proper documentation, testability, and modularity of the codebase was our priority. For example, the project included auto documentation procedures to start building towards a User Manual, while also including dedicated demonstration cases for more explicit communication of functionality. Also, this project included a framework for testing the source code for future developments. Additionally, care was taken to develop the code using an Object-Oriented Programming approach. Thus, allowing for a modular extensibility of functionality in anticipation of future developments. The core work of this project was developing an algorithm that would transform the visiting vehicle and associated thruster data according to the kinematics described in the jet firing history. It would then calculate the estimated plume strikes on two of the target vehicles and write data accordingly into a VTK file. Summer work is to conclude by developing and presenting a PowerPoint slide deck at the intern exit briefing on August 11 th , 2023. Once the model for simple plume strike calculations is developed and tested there are several avenues to explore to continue development of this tool. These are also discussed in this report.

Plume Impingement↗
DOE OSTI2014

Overview of New Tools to Perform Safety Analysis: BWR Station Black Out Test Case

Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment (DPRA) methodologies couple system simulator codes (e.g., RELAP, MELCOR) with simulation controller codes (e.g., RAVEN, ADAPT). While system simulator codes accurately model system dynamics deterministically, simulation controller codes introduce both deterministic (e.g., system control logic, operating procedures) and stochastic (e.g., component failures, parameter uncertainties) elements into the simulation. Typically, a DPRA is performed by: 1) sampling values of a set of parameters from the uncertainty space of interest (using the simulation controller codes), and 2) simulating the system behavior for that specific set of parameter values (using the system simulator codes). For complex systems, one of the major challenges in using DPRA methodologies is to analyze the large amount of information (i.e., large number of scenarios ) generated, where clustering techniques are typically employed to allow users to better organize and interpret the data. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of a nuclear simulation dataset that is part of the Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) station blackout (SBO) case study. We apply a software tool that provides the domain experts with an interactive analysis and visualization environment for understanding the structures of such high-dimensional nuclear simulation datasets. Our tool encodes traditional and topology-based clustering techniques, where the latter partitions the data points into clusters based on their uniform gradient flow behavior. We demonstrate through our case study that both types of clustering techniques complement each other in bringing enhanced structural understanding of the data.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Status of SPCA-ANL Software Development, Software Quality Assurance, and Application (FY2025)

SPCA-ANL is a simulation tool used to perform deterministic analyses of sodium spray and pool fires. Development of the SPCA-II (Spray Pool Combustion Analysis) code began in the mid- 1980s as part of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor (CRBR) Project. At that time, development of SPCA-II, which was led by Rockwell International, was focused on treatment of large-scale sodium spray, stream, and pool fires that were anticipated to be prototypic of the steam generator building cells in CRBR. Under more recent DOE NE programmatic activities, the SPCA-II code was recovered from existing literature and underwent minor modifications to generate a stable executable. This recovered version of the code was not formally released. As part of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) Project in the 2010s, the SPCA-II code underwent key modifications to improve stability, address modeling deficiencies, improve consistency between the code manual and software, and address numerous bugs. At this point, SPCA-II was renamed SPCA-ANL. Given that SPCA-II served as the original basis for SPCA-ANL, both codes share an integrated history. Following termination of the VTR Project, the DOE NE Fast Reactor Program resumed support of the software with the goal of building and maintaining software infrastructure that can enable commercial-grade dedication of SPCA-ANL by an end user. Version 1.0, the first external release of SPCA-ANL, was generated in June 2024. This report summarizes the development and maintenance activities completed for SPCAANL in FY2025. This year’s work was focused on improving quality and usability of the code. The provisional Software Quality Assurance (SQA) program has been established and was used to test the procedures for infrastructure improvements, code development, bug fixes, and code releases, as described in the following sections of this report. A code Version 1.0.1 was released in FY25, as described in Chapter 4.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

From fault-detection to automated fault correction: A field study

A fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) tool, as addressed by this study, is a tool that continuously identifies the presence of faults and efficiency improvement opportunities through a one-way interface to the building automation system and the application of automated analytics. Although FDD tools can inform operators of building operational faults, currently an action is always required to correct the faults to generate energy savings. Fault auto-correction integrating with commercial FDD technology offerings can close the loop between the passive diagnostics and active control, increase the savings generated by FDD tools, and reduce the reliance on human intervention. This paper presents the field study of seven fault auto-correction algorithms implemented in commercial FDD platforms. Implementation includes software changes in the FDD tools and additional controls hardware or software changes in the BAS that were required to enable the execution of different types of auto-correction algorithms in real buildings. The routines successfully and automatically correct faults and improve the operation of large built-up Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, common in most commercial buildings. The auto-correction algorithms are tested across four buildings and three different building automation systems, following a rigorous procedure to make sure they work properly and do not negatively impact the system and building occupants. Finally, technology benefits, market drivers, and scalability changes are drawn from the implementation effort and test results, to drive future research and industry engagement.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-169: A Periodic Quality Assurance Program for a Spot-Scanning Proton Treatment Facility

Purpose: To develop daily and monthly quality assurance (QA) programs in support of a new spot-scanning proton treatment facility using a combination of commercial and custom equipment and software. Emphasis was placed on efficiency and evaluation of key quality parameters. Methods: The daily QA program was developed to test output, spot size and position, proton beam energy, and image guidance using the Sun Nuclear Corporation rf-DQA™3 device and Atlas QA software. The program utilizes standard Atlas linear accelerator tests repurposed for proton measurements and a custom jig for indexing the device to the treatment couch. The monthly QA program was designed to test mechanical performance, image quality, radiation quality, isocenter coincidence, and safety features. Many of these tests are similar to linear accelerator QA counterparts, but many require customized test design and equipment. Coincidence of imaging, laser marker, mechanical, and radiation isocenters, for instance, is verified using a custom film-based device devised and manufactured at our facility. Proton spot size and position as a function of energy are verified using a custom spot pattern incident on film and analysis software developed in-house. More details concerning the equipment and software developed for monthly QA are included in the supporting document. Thresholds for daily and monthly tests were established via perturbation analysis, early experience, and/or proton system specifications and associated acceptance test results. Results: The periodic QA program described here has been in effect for approximately 9 months and has proven efficient and sensitive to sub-clinical variations in treatment delivery characteristics. Conclusion: Tools and professional guidelines for periodic proton system QA are not as well developed as their photon and electron counterparts. The program described here efficiently evaluates key quality parameters and, while specific to the needs of our facility, could be readily adapted to other proton centers.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗