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At least 1,063 records · Page 59

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Extensibility of PICA TPS for Future Sample Return Missions

Stardust was the first successful robotic sample return mission delivering samples of the Comet Wild 2 to Earth in 2006. Genesis followed Stardust, in the era of “faster, better, cheaper,” collecting samples of solar wind. The Genesis sample return capsule (SRC) was larger and the program did not have the time nor funding to scale up the Stardust PICA heatshield and so, utilized an alternate heatshield. The successful Stardust mission led to future mission concepts baselining Stardust EDL, especially the entry heatshield. OSIRIS REx, was one such concept and the mission was designed to include build-to-print elements of the Stardust design. The primary scale-up limitation beyond Stardust and OSIRIS REx is the single-piece net cast PICA heatshield. In the past three years, FMI working with NASA Ames, expanded the manufacturing capability of PICA and demonstrated a 1.3 m PICA single piece TPS. This was done in anticipation of the Mars Sample Return mission as well as future Sample Return missions requiring larger-scale SRCs. This effort also identified a sustainable domestic replacement precursor for the PICA preform as the heritage precursor was discontinued in 2016 and FMI has gone through multiple rayon replacements since Stardust. As part of the effort, PICA was also tested at conditions higher than the Stardust or OSIRIS REx entry envelope to establish an expanded performance envelope and enable future sample return missions at higher entry speeds. The poster will highlight PICA sustainability and extensibility as part of the Sample Return to Earth session.

PICA thermal protection↗

DOE OSTI2022

Qualification of ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011 Mixing Criteria by Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling for the 3430 Building Fan Addition and Increased Ventilation Capacity

Additional ventilation capacity has been designed for the 3430 Building filtered exhaust stack system. The updated system will increase the number of fans from two to three and include new ductwork with a larger diameter to integrate the new fan into the existing stack. Stack operations will involve running various fan combinations at any given time. The air monitoring system of the existing two-fan stack previously was found to comply with the American National Standards Institute/Health Physics Society (ANSI/HPS) N13.1-1999 standard. Full-scale, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was used to evaluate the modified three-fan system for compliance with the ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011 standard, which essentially is equivalent to the ANSI/HPS N13.1-1999 standard. The four mixing criteria evaluated are 1) flow angle, 2) velocity, 3) gas tracer, and 4) particle tracer. Benchmarking of the CFD modeling methodology showed good agreement with previous testing used to qualify the stack, and modeling of the existing two-fan system showed good agreement with test data collected from the 3430 Building stack. Modeling was performed to develop a suitable three-fan design. Initial modeling of the three-fan design and basic ductwork showed that flow angles and velocity uniformity were acceptable; however, the gas tracer and particle tracer mixing results were not acceptable. To meet ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011 criteria, an air blender was added to the stack design.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Qualification of ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011 Mixing Criteria by Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling for the 3430 Building Fan Addition and Increased Ventilation Capacity

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Machine Learning-Driven Optimization of Building Enclosures for Moisture Durability and Thermal Performance

The design of moisture-durable building enclosures with low embodied carbon often involves an iterative process of selecting the materials for the specific exposure conditions to meet the performance requirements. While hygrothermal simulations are commonly used to evaluate moisture durability, they often require advanced expertise for proper implementation. Machine learning (ML) provides a promising alternative by streamlining the design process and minimizing the reliance on complex simulations. This study presents a machine learning-based approach for predicting moisture durability in residential wall assemblies. The ML model was trained to estimate the mold index and maximum moisture content of various layers under typical exposure conditions. The model achieved a high predictive accuracy, with a coefficient of determination (R²) exceeding 0.90 when compared to traditional hygrothermal simulations on materials that were not part of training the ML model. Building on these results, the ML model was developed into a practical tool for optimizing wall assembly designs. This tool allows users to automatically optimize material selections based on energy, moisture, and carbon performance criteria. By incorporating multi-objective optimization, the tool identifies configurations that minimize embodied carbon while maintaining moisture safety and code-compliant thermal performance. Additionally, it provides insights into how material choices influence assembly durability, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction. The tool will be implemented in the Building Science Advisor (BSA) to enhance its performance and provide more granularity on the results. This research highlights the potential for ML-driven tools to simplify the design of high-performance building enclosures, offering architects and engineers a faster, more efficient way to balance critical performance factors.

Salonvaara, Mikael [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000318991554)↗

DOE OSTI2023

Application of Machine Learning to Assist a Moisture Durability Tool

The design of moisture-durable building enclosures is complicated by the number of materials, exposure conditions, and performance requirements. Hygrothermal simulations are used to assess moisture durability, but these require in-depth knowledge to be properly implemented. Machine learning (ML) offers the opportunity to simplify the design process by eliminating the need to carry out hygrothermal simulations. ML was used to assess the moisture durability of a building enclosure design and simplify the design process. This work used ML to predict the mold index and maximum moisture content of layers in typical residential wall constructions. Results show that ML, within the constraints of the construction, including exposure conditions, does an excellent job in predicting performance compared to hygrothermal simulations with a coefficient of determination, R2, over 0.90. Furthermore, the results indicate that the material properties of the vapor barrier and continuous insulation layer are strongly correlated to performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1972

Large area silicon solar array development.

Solar array technology has made significant improvements during the past five years in terms of the design and application of multikilowatt systems and in improvements of the specific power output capabilities of the arrays. The progress in array performance has been primarily due to array design. Experience in building, testing, and flying flexible arrays is giving confidence that they can be safely integrated into many spacecraft designs without deleterious coupling with the spacecraft control system.

Goldsmith, J. V.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Assessing thermal resilience of an assisted living facility during heat waves and cold snaps with power outages

Extreme hot and cold weather events are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer due to climate change. When these events occur coincidentally with power outages, the resulting extreme indoor temperatures pose a severe health hazard for occupants. This study conducted a holistic modeling and analysis of an assisted living facility, where senior residents live, to assess its thermal resilience performance under a six-day heat wave in 2015 and a three-day cold snap in 2021 with power outages. Impacts of 13 energy efficiency measures on thermal resilience and backup power capacity of the facility were evaluated. Three thermal resilience metrics: the SET (standard effective temperature) degree-hours, the Heat Index, and the Hours of Safety, were used and calculated from the EnergyPlus simulation models. Furthermore, major findings are: (1) the facility would suffer from extreme temperatures during the cold and hot events without a power supply, not meeting the passive survivability requirements; (2) most passive envelope measures improve thermal resilience for both hot and cold events, but making the building envelope airtight results in conflicting performance between the hot and cold events; (3) natural ventilation is an effective measure to mitigate summer indoor overheating; and (4) the energy efficiency package can reduce backup power capacity by 19% for the three-day cold snap. It is recommended that building technologies and design strategies be evaluated to consider co-benefits of energy use, thermal resilience, and backup power needs through building energy codes or policies for existing and new buildings, which are transitioning for decarbonization and climate resilience.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2022

Systems Packages for Washington State Building Performance Standard Incentive Program: Phase 1 Analysis

Starting in 2026 Washington State building performance standards will come into effect that require commercial buildings larger than 50,000 sf to meet site energy use intensity targets. To support a state incentive program designed to encourage building owners to start complying early, we characterized the building stock energy use of 11 building types, analyzed 43 energy upgrade measures, and developed seven packages of energy upgrade measures using the ComStock energy analysis tool. Each energy upgrade package included from 4 to 17 energy measures consisting of lighting, HVAC, and envelope upgrades. Package savings were calculated for four priority building types using a sample of 35,000 buildings characterized by four building area bins, three climate zones, and two county types (urban and rural). Of the 28 package and building type combinations analyzed, 17 (61%) met or exceeded program energy savings targets and two packages met targets for all four building types.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2023

Chapter 7: Principles of Northern Housing Design with Examples from Alaska

The Arctic has unique challenges and needs with respect to housing due to extreme climate, remoteness of communities, cultural aspects, and other factors. Attempts to adopt designs from other regions often resulted in failures, such as rotten building envelopes or features incompatible with local values. The main goal of this chapter is to inform a broad audience involved in northern housing about basic principles important for the Arctic. Particular attention is given to energy efficiency, health and durability, foundations appropriate for the underlying terrain such as permafrost, inclusive design process to assure meeting cultural and other needs and building design factoring in seasonality and logistical challenges of remote communities. Examples of existing prototype homes are given throughout the chapter to demonstrate how the individual principles can be successfully applied in real-life scenarios. This chapter also covers current trends, what the future might look like, how it is informed by indigenous perspectives, and how northern housing design can influence approaches in other regions of the world. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a vibrant future of communities in the Arctic and beyond.

Arctic↗

DOE OSTI2020

Using Residential and Office Building Archetypes for Energy Efficiency Building Solutions in an Urban Scale: A China Case Study

Building energy consumption accounts for 36% of the overall energy end use worldwide and is growing rapidly as developing countries continue to urbanize. Understanding the energy use at urban scale will lay the foundation for identification of energy efficiency opportunities to be deployed at speed. China has almost half of global new constructions and plays an important role in building suitability. However, an open source national building energy consumption database is not available in China. To provide data support for building energy consumptions, this paper used a simulation method to develop an urban building energy consumption database for a pilot city in Wuhan, China. First, residential, small, and large office building archetype energy models were created in EnergyPlus to represent typical building energy consumption in Wuhan. The baseline reference model simulation results were further validated using survey data from the literature. Second, stochastic simulations were conducted to consider different design parameters and occupants’ energy usage intensity scenarios, such as thermal properties of the building envelope, lighting power density, equipment power density, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) schedule, etc. A building energy consumption database was generated for typical building archetypes. Third, data-driven regression analysis was conducted to support quick building energy consumption prediction using key high- level building information inputs. Finally, a web-based urban energy platform and an interface were developed to support further third-party application development. The research is expected to provide fast energy efficiency building design solutions for urban planning, new constructions as well as building retrofits.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1997

NASA X-34 Technology in Motion

The X-34 technology development program is a joint industry/government project to develop, test, and operate a small, fully-reusable hypersonic flight vehicle. The objective is to demonstrate key technologies and operating concepts applicable to future reusable launch vehicles. Integrated in the vehicle are various systems to assure successful completion of mission objectives, including the Main Propulsion System (MPS). NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for developing the X-34's MPS including the design and complete build package for the propulsion system components. The X-34 will be powered by the Fastrac Engine, which is currently in design and development at NASA-MSFC. Fastrac is a single-stage main engine, which burns a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene(RP-1). The interface between the MPS and Fastrac engine are critical for proper system operation and technologies applicable to future reusable launch vehicles. Deneb's IGRIP software package with the Dynamic analysis option provided a key tool for conducting studies critical to this interface as well as a mechanism to drive the design of the LOX and RP-1 feedlines. Kinematic models were created for the Fastrac Engine and the feedlines for various design concepts. Based on the kinematic simulation within Envision, design and joint limits were verified and system interference controlled. It was also critical to the program to evaluate the effect of dynamic loads visually, providing a verification tool for dynamic analysis and in some cases uncovering areas that had not been considered. Deneb's software put the X-34 technology in motion and has been a key factor in facilitating the strenuous design schedule.

Beech, Geoffrey↗

DOE OSTI2024

Mitigation for Removal of Building 01-202681 in the Main Storage Yard of the Area 1 Subdock, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The Main Storage Yard was originally recorded as SHPO Resource No. S2772 in 2020 during an architectural survey of the Area 1 Subdock (Collins et al. 2022). It was recommended individually eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A and C and as contributing to the significance of the potential Area 1 Subdock Historic District. The SHPO concurred with these determinations in a letter dated April 29, 2022 (Reed). The Main Storage Yard retains all seven aspects of integrity. The location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association have not changed since the original construction. Since the purpose of the yard is to maintain storage equipment that is actively being used, the design and feeling will change each time equipment is moved. Such actions reinforce the integrity of design and feeling. Buildings 01-101 and 01-102 were removed (Collins and Menocal 2020), but the other buildings and storage yard remain. Therefore, the setting has been changed, but not to the degree that the Main Storage Yard no longer conveys its significance (see Figures 4 and 5 for comparison). The Main Storage Yard was designed to facilitate the relocation of the Area 3 Subdock to Area 1 in 1985. The design for the overall Subdock provided a centralized cluster of buildings surrounded by two large storage yards. While the North Storage Yard largely serves as overflow storage, the Main Storage Yard holds the majority of drill rigs and drilling equipment needed to support big hole drilling. The Main Storage Yard and its contents were essential elements of the nuclear testing drilling program on the NNSS thus making it eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A for its contribution to broad patterns of history by storing specially designed equipment for underground nuclear testing at the NNSS. It is also eligible under Criterion C as it is an engineered landscape that now serves as an open-air repository of drilling technology and nuclear testing. In addition to its individual significance, the Main Storage Yard also contributes to the significance of the Area 1 Subdock Historic District as it showcases a variety of big-hole drilling equipment, support facilities, and warehouses that were specially designed for nuclear testing at the NNSS. Despite the demolition of two contributing elements to date, the district still contains numerous examples of other facilities with the purpose of supporting big-hole drilling; therefore, the district still remains eligible under Criteria A and C.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1992

An installed nacelle design code using a multiblock Euler solver. Volume 2: User guide

This is a user manual for the general multiblock Euler design (GMBEDS) code. The code is for the design of a nacelle installed on a geometrically complex configuration such as a complete airplane with wing/body/nacelle/pylon. It consists of two major building blocks: a design module developed by LaRC using directive iterative surface curvature (DISC); and a general multiblock Euler (GMBE) flow solver. The flow field surrounding a complex configuration is divided into a number of topologically simple blocks to facilitate surface-fitted grid generation and improve flow solution efficiency. This user guide provides input data formats along with examples of input files and a Unix script for program execution in the UNICOS environment.

Chen, H. C.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization Using WAVE

The current preliminary design tools lack the product performance, quality and cost prediction fidelity required to design Six Sigma products. They are also frequently incompatible with the tools used in detailed design, leading to a great deal of rework and lost or discarded data in the transition from preliminary to detailed design. Thus, enhanced preliminary design tools are needed in order to produce adequate financial returns to the business. To achieve this goal, GEAE has focused on building the preliminary design system around the same geometric 3D solid model that will be used in detailed design. With this approach, the preliminary designer will no longer convert a flowpath sketch into an engine cross section but rather, automatically create 3D solid geometry for structural integrity, life, weight, cost, complexity, producibility, and maintainability assessments. Likewise, both the preliminary design and the detailed design can benefit from the use of the same preliminary part sizing routines. The design analysis tools will also be integrated with the 3D solid model to eliminate manual transfer of data between programs. GEAE has aggressively pursued the computerized control of engineering knowledge for many years. Through its study and validation of 3D CAD programs and processes, GEAE concluded that total system control was not feasible at that time. Prior CAD tools focused exclusively on detail part geometry and Knowledge Based Engineering systems concentrated on rules input and data output. A system was needed to bridge the gap between the two to capture the total system. With the introduction of WAVE Engineering from UGS, the possibilities of an engineering system control device began to formulate. GEAE decided to investigate the new WAVE functionality to accomplish this task. NASA joined GEAE in funding this validation project through Task Order No. 1. With the validation project complete, the second phase under Task Order No. 2 was established to develop an associative control structure (framework) in the UG WAVE environment enabling multi-disciplinary design of turbine propulsion systems. The capabilities of WAVE were evaluated to assess its use as a rapid optimization and productivity tool. This project also identified future WAVE product enhancements that will make the tool still more beneficial for product development.

Irwin, Keith↗

NASA NTRS1988

Representation and matching of knowledge to design digital systems

A knowledge-based expert system is described that provides an approach to solve a problem requiring an expert with considerable domain expertise and facts about available digital hardware building blocks. To design digital hardware systems from their high level VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) representation to their finished form, a special data representation is required. This data representation as well as the functioning of the overall system is described.

Jones, J. U.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Design of a radiator shade for testing in a simulated lunar environment

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have chosen the parabolic/catenary concept from their sponsored Fall 1991 lunar radiation shade project for further testing and development. NASA asked the design team to build a shading device and support structure for testing in a vacuum chamber. Besides the support structure for the catenary shading device, the design team was asked to develop a system for varying the shade shape so that the device can be tested at different focal lengths. The design team developed concept variants and combined the concept variants to form overall designs. Using a decision matrix, an overall design was selected by the team from several overall design alternatives. Concept variants were developed for three primary functions. The three functions were structural support, shape adjustments, and end shielding. The shade adjustment function was divided into two sub-functions, arc length adjustment, and width adjustment.

Huff, Jaimi↗

DOE OSTI2024

Decarbonizing Building Thermal Systems: A How-to Guide for Heat Pump Systems and Beyond

Buildings account for a substantial portion of carbon emissions, primarily due to the widespread use of fossil fuels in heating systems. Decarbonization of heating is essential to meet climate targets and reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Heat pumps are capable of leveraging renewable energy sources and can provide heating and cooling in an energy-efficient manner. By leveraging heat pump technology, buildings can significantly reduce their carbon footprint, minimize energy consumption, and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels. The design and construction community plays a pivotal role in facilitating the transition to heat pump systems for heating and cooling. However, this transition requires specialized knowledge and expertise. This resource was developed for architects, engineers, and contractors in response to an industry need for a comprehensive technical resource that guides them through the intricacies of heat pump system design, installation, and maintenance. This resource provides detailed information on system sizing, selection of appropriate heat systems, heat sources, and integration with existing building systems. Moreover, it emphasizes best practices for ensuring operational efficiency, system longevity, and reliability. The development of this recourse was a collaborative effort between NREL/DOE Better Buildings Design and Construction Allies and ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization. This resource is composed of two complimentary portions that will be completed and released on separate time frames. The first portion will be completed and released in 2023, while the second portion will be released in 2024.

building thermal systems↗

DOE OSTI2023

Microgrid Tiered Circuits Effects for a Planned Housing Community in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico faced a double strike from hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The resulting damage required a comprehensive rebuild of electric infrastructure. There are plans and pilot projects to rebuild with microgrids to increase resilience. This paper provides a techno-economic analysis technique and case study of a potential future community in Puerto Rico that combines probabilistic microgrid design analysis with tiered circuits in building energy modeling. Tiered circuits in buildings allow electric load reduction via remote disconnection of non-critical circuits during an emergency. When coupled to a microgrid, tiered circuitry can reduce the chances of a microgrid's storage and generation resources being depleted. The analysis technique is applied to show 1) Approximate cost savings due to a tiered circuit structure and 2) Approximate cost savings gained by simultaneously considering resilience and sustainability constraints in the microgrid optimization. The analysis technique uses a resistive capacitive thermal model with load profiles for four tiers (tier 1-3 and non-critical loads). Three analyses were conducted using: 1) open-source software called Tiered Energy in Buildings and 2) the Microgrid Design Toolkit. For a fossil fuel based microgrid 30% of the total microgrid costs of 1.18 million USD were calculated where the non-tiered case keeps all loads 99.9% available and the tiered case keeps tier 1 at 99.9%, tier 2 at 95%, tier 3 at 80% availability, with no requirement on non-critical loads. The same comparison for a sustainable microgrid showed 8% cost savings on a 5.10 million USD microgrid due to tiered circuits. The results also showed 6-7% cost savings when our analysis technique optimizes sustainability and resilience simultaneously in comparison to doing microgrid resilience analysis and renewables net present value analysis independently. Though highly specific to our case study, similar assessments using our analysis technique can elucidate value of tiered circuits and simultaneous consideration of sustainability and resilience in other locations.

building energy modeling↗