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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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Space Launch System Ascent Flight Control Design

A robust and flexible autopilot architecture for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) family of launch vehicles is presented. The SLS configurations represent a potentially significant increase in complexity and performance capability when compared with other manned launch vehicles. It was recognized early in the program that a new, generalized autopilot design should be formulated to fulfill the needs of this new space launch architecture. The present design concept is intended to leverage existing NASA and industry launch vehicle design experience and maintain the extensibility and modularity necessary to accommodate multiple vehicle configurations while relying on proven and flight-tested control design principles for large boost vehicles. The SLS flight control architecture combines a digital three-axis autopilot with traditional bending filters to support robust active or passive stabilization of the vehicle's bending and sloshing dynamics using optimally blended measurements from multiple rate gyros on the vehicle structure. The algorithm also relies on a pseudo-optimal control allocation scheme to maximize the performance capability of multiple vectored engines while accommodating throttling and engine failure contingencies in real time with negligible impact to stability characteristics. The architecture supports active in-flight disturbance compensation through the use of nonlinear observers driven by acceleration measurements. Envelope expansion and robustness enhancement is obtained through the use of a multiplicative forward gain modulation law based upon a simple model reference adaptive control scheme.

Orr, Jeb S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Semi-Empirical Correlation for the Onset of Density Wave Oscillations in a Helical Coil Steam Generator

NuScale Power has completed full length helical coil steam generator (HCSG) tests at SIET Laboratories in Piacenza, Italy. The test program included an investigation of the onset and evolution of density wave oscillations (DWO). This paper describes the mechanisms leading to the onset of DWO as inferred from tests performed in the full-height TF-2 counter-flow test facility. This research supports the concept that the onset of DWO is caused by liquid bridging inside the boiling length of the tubes. Using a separate cylinders approximation, a DWO onset correlation is obtained by performing a steady-state momentum balance on the density front created by liquid bridging. This yields a momentum balance equation in terms of a set of dimensionless superficial velocities, a corresponding dimensionless pressure drop term and an average void fraction. Envelope theory is then used to obtain a critical void fraction which is substituted into the dimensionless momentum balance to obtain a DWO onset correlation similar to the Wallis counter-current flooding correlation. A comparison of the DWO onset correlation to the TF-2 DWO experimental data is presented and shows excellent agreement when the average equilibrium vapor quality is greater than 0.2.

Density Wave Oscillations, Helical Coil Steam Gene↗
NASA NTRS2014

On Helium-Dominated Stellar Evolution: The Mysterious Role of the O(He)-Type Stars

Context. About a quarter of all post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are hydrogen-deficient. Stellar evolutionary models explain the carbon-dominated H-deficient stars by a (very) late thermal pulse scenario where the hydrogen-rich envelope is mixed with the helium-rich intershell layer. Depending on the particular time at which the final flash occurs, the entire hydrogen envelope may be burned. In contrast, helium-dominated post-AGB stars and their evolution are not yet understood. Aims. A small group of very hot, helium-dominated stars is formed by O(He)-type stars. A precise analysis of their photospheric abundances will establish constraints to their evolution. Methods. We performed a detailed spectral analysis of ultraviolet and optical spectra of four O(He) stars by means of state-of-the-art non-LTE model-atmosphere techniques. Results. We determined effective temperatures, surface gravities, and the abundances of H, He, C, N, O, F, Ne, Si, P, S, Ar, and Fe. By deriving upper limits for the mass-loss rates of the O(He) stars, we found that they do not exhibit enhanced mass-loss. The comparison with evolutionary models shows that the status of the O(He) stars remains uncertain. Their abundances match predictions of a double helium white dwarf (WD) merger scenario, suggesting that they might be the progeny of the compact and of the luminous helium-rich sdO-type stars. The existence of planetary nebulae that do not show helium enrichment around every other O(He) star precludes a merger origin for these stars. These stars must have formed in a different way, for instance via enhanced mass-loss during their post-AGB evolution or a merger within a common-envelope (CE) of a CO-WD and a red giant or AGB star. Conclusions. A helium-dominated stellar evolutionary sequence exists that may be fed by different types of mergers or CE scenarios. It appears likely that all these pass through the O(He) phase just before they become WDs.

evolution↗
DOE OSTI2014

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Performance of a Hot-Dry Climate Whole-House Retrofit, Stockton, California

The Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) team conducted a deep retrofit project within Stockton’s Large-Scale Retrofit Program that expanded on the standard package by adding HVAC, water heater and window upgrades to the ducting, attic and floor insulation, domestic hot water insulation, envelope sealing, lighting and ventilation upgrades. Post-retrofit site energy savings were 23% compared to the pre-retrofit case.

ARBI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhancing Building Resilience: Maintaining Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort During Power Outages in Cold Climates

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and cold snaps, present significant challenges to building energy performance and occupant comfort. Highly correlated with climate events are widespread long duration power interruptions that may affect thousands of buildings and millions of customers. This study evaluates the impact of building energy performance and occupant thermal comfort in medium-sized office buildings in a cold climate region. Using energy models representing pre-1980 and 2019 vintages, simulations were conducted to assess energy performance under typical weather conditions and occupant thermal comfort during power interrupted extreme cold snap and heatwave climate events under both current 2020s and future 2050s weather conditions. The results show a projected 33% increase in cooling energy demand and a 19% reduction in heating energy by 2050. Findings reveal that older buildings are more susceptible to cold discomfort during cold snaps, while modern airtight buildings are more vulnerable to overheating during heatwaves. Various passive energy efficiency measures, such as improved infiltration control, thermal windows, solar-controlled windows, and cool envelopes, were evaluated for their ability to mitigate thermal discomforts. Solar controlled windows and weatherstripping contribute to reducing cold thermal discomfort by 21% during a power-interrupted cold snap. Solar-controlled windows were found to reduce hot thermal discomfort by 34% during a future power-interrupted heatwave. The study highlights the importance of targeted retrofitting strategies to enhance thermal resilience, especially during power outages, to ensure occupant safety and comfort during extreme climate events.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lab-Scale Cable-Driven Parallel Robot Prototype for Automated Prefabricated Component Manipulation

This paper presents the design and evaluation of a lab-scale cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) developed as a flexible platform for automated installation of prefabricated components onto exterior building envelopes. Traditional manual installation methods for prefabricated components, which depend on scaffolding, cranes, cherry pickers, and verbal coordination, are not only labor-intensive and error-prone but also face significant limitations in dense urban environments due to site access constraints. To address these challenges, we developed a lab-scale CDPR platform capable of autonomously transporting building envelope components from a designated pickup zone to their target installation location, minimizing the need for human intervention. This study describes the system’s mechanical design, actuation architecture, real-time feedback system, and control strategy of the CDPR, and evaluates its performance in a laboratory environment. The robot’s actuation system uses torque control for end-effector manipulation. The robot’s real-time pose feedback comes from a construction-grade total station and a wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU), which together support precise end-effector control. Experimental results demonstrate the successful integration of the hardware, sensing, state estimation, and control subsystems. Preliminary tests showed that our lab-scale prototype can position the end effector with an error of less than 3 mm, which is a level of precision not previously achieved by existing CDPRs in construction applications. The key findings are twofold: (1) torque-only control is necessary but not sufficient for minimizing final pose error, and (2) incorporating real-time pose feedback can achieve the desired placement accuracy.

Liu, Yifang [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL),↗
DOE OSTI2015

PATCHY BLAZAR HEATING: DIVERSIFYING THE THERMAL HISTORY OF THE INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM

TeV-blazars potentially heat the intergalactic medium (IGM) as their gamma rays interact with photons of the extragalactic background light to produce electron–positron pairs, which lose their kinetic energy to the surrounding medium through plasma instabilities. This results in a heating mechanism that is only weakly sensitive to the local density, and therefore approximately spatially uniform, naturally producing an inverted temperature–density relation in underdense regions. In this paper we go beyond the approximation of uniform heating and quantify the heating rate fluctuations due to the clustered distribution of blazars and how this impacts the thermal history of the IGM. We analytically compute a filtering function that relates the heating rate fluctuations to the underlying dark matter density field. We implement it in the cosmological code GADGET-3 and perform large-scale simulations to determine the impact of inhomogeneous heating. We show that because of blazar clustering, blazar heating is inhomogeneous for z ≳ 2. At high redshift, the temperature–density relation shows an important scatter and presents a low temperature envelope of unheated regions, in particular at low densities and within voids. However, the median temperature of the IGM is close to that in the uniform case, albeit slightly lower at low redshift. We find that blazar heating is more complex than initially assumed and that the temperature–density relation is not unique. Our analytic model for the heating rate fluctuations couples well with large-scale simulations and provides a cost-effective alternative to subgrid models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Expression, purification and crystallization of CTB-MPR, a candidate mucosal vaccine component against HIV-1

CTB-MPR is a fusion protein between the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB) and the membrane-proximal region of gp41 (MPR), the transmembrane envelope protein of Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), and has previously been shown to induce the production of anti-HIV-1 antibodies with antiviral functions. To further improve the design of this candidate vaccine, X-ray crystallography experiments were performed to obtain structural information about this fusion protein. Several variants of CTB-MPR were designed, constructed and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli . The first variant contained a flexible GPGP linker between CTB and MPR, and yielded crystals that diffracted to a resolution of 2.3 Å, but only the CTB region was detected in the electron-density map. A second variant, in which the CTB was directly attached to MPR, was shown to destabilize pentamer formation. A third construct containing a polyalanine linker between CTB and MPR proved to stabilize the pentameric form of the protein during purification. The purification procedure was shown to produce a homogeneously pure and monodisperse sample for crystallization. Initial crystallization experiments led to pseudo-crystals which were ordered in only two dimensions and were disordered in the third dimension. Nanocrystals obtained using the same precipitant showed promising X-ray diffraction to 5 Å resolution in femtosecond nanocrystallography experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The results demonstrate the utility of femtosecond X-ray crystallography to enable structural analysis based on nano/microcrystals of a protein for which no macroscopic crystals ordered in three dimensions have been observed before.

Lee, Ho-Hsien↗
DOE OSTI2024

Positioning Accuracy in a Concurrent Robot-CNC Hybrid Manufacturing System

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) has gained notoriety for offering advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, such as increased design complexity and flexibility. However, it has not found widespread use beyond rapid prototyping. One hindrance to the acceptance of AM processes in industry is the time and cost of fabrication per component. While metal AM by itself can be inexpensive, extra manufacturing steps in the form of subtractive manufacturing (SM) may need to be performed to reach final part tolerances, leading to hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing (HASM) of a part, which increases time and cost. A potential area to reduce cost is through increasing the efficiency of the HASM process by conducting additive and subtractive manufacturing simultaneously. Usually, HASM is performed in a process where AM is completed in one machine or cell and transferred to another machine or cell for SM in a sequential assembly line process. This efficiency decreases part cost, but high aspect ratio parts or parts with internal geometry that require interleaved additive deposition and machining cannot be produced. One unexplored solution to simultaneous HASM that allows for interleaved operations is to operate the deposition head and machining spindle concurrently within the same machine envelope, known as concurrent HASM (CHASM). In this type of process, both AM and SM occur simultaneously on a batch of small parts or a single large part, maintaining a high efficiency without sacrificing the full range of complex geometries that AM allows for. A potential approach to the single-machine method could be to combine a robot and mill within the same envelope. A challenge to this approach, however, is control of both systems. Most machine controllers have limited external communication or, if a robot has been integrated, only offer movement of either the robot or mill at any given time. As a result, systems must pause either the AM or SM process to switch between them rather than working simultaneously. The present work investigates the positional accuracy of such a CHASM system comprised of a robotic arm and a 3-axis mill. Open-loop tests with limited communication between machines are performed on the system to verify positional error during concurrent robot-mill movements. Under certain conditions, it is demonstrated that position error can stay within 2 mm for the duration of a single layer; however, these tests show that, generally, the open-loop positioning performance of the system is inadequate for CHASM without part-specific hand-tuning of parameters. Based on these results, a set of requirements for successful robot-CNC CHASM is proposed for future integrations.

Goodwin, Jesse↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Energy in Modular (EMOD) Buildings Method: A Guide to Energy-Efficient Design for Industrialized Construction of Modular Buildings

Industrialized construction has immense potential to address the growing need globally to build and upgrade the building stock to be affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient. It can also help achieve the United States' goal of a 50% reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Despite this potential, and the ever-increasing push for electrification and decarbonization of households in the United States, industrialized construction has not yet been leveraged specifically to help address these challenges and accelerate the pathway to meet these goals. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aims to claim this missed opportunity by focusing on delivering affordable, grid-efficient net-zero energy (NZE) modular buildings for underserved communities to ensure an equitable transition to the future of clean energy, accelerate decarbonization of the built environment, and support the development of a high-productivity construction and energy efficiency workforce. The Energy in Modular (EMOD) method is our approach to designing, producing, and delivering affordable, net-zero energy, low-carbon, and healthier buildings at scale. The following energy efficiency strategies are part of the scope of this guide: envelope thermal control, envelope infiltration control, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, smart controls, and solar plus storage. We draw synergies between design for manufacturing and assembly, process optimization, retrofit technologies, and digitization. Our goal is to influence the improvement and production of buildings to increase performance, enhance energy efficiency, and reduce GHG emissions. This guide documents the research and development efforts initiated by a set of design objectives to "modularize" a set of energy efficiency and low-carbon strategies into a housing unit while preserving and enhancing energy efficiency benefits and decarbonization pathways. This guide is intended to serve as a framework for housing developers, housing agencies, architects, energy experts, and process engineers or factory operator personnel who are critical to today's modular builder teams. This guide focuses on specific energy efficiency strategies, decarbonization pathways, and associated processes as part of NREL's research efforts. Stakeholders may substitute other means, methods, and technologies for the ones evaluated in this study.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Habitat for Humanity Zero Energy Home: A Cold Climate Case Study for Affordable Zero Energy Homes

The design of this 1,280-square-foot, three-bedroom Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver zero energy home carefully combines envelope efficiency, efficient equipment, appliances and lighting, and passive and active solar features to reach the zero energy goal. The home was designed with an early version (July 22, 2004) of the BEOpt building optimization software; DOE2 and TRNSYS were used to perform additional analysis. This engineering approach was tempered by regular discussions with Habitat construction staff and volunteers. These discussions weighed the applicability of the optimized solutions to the special needs and economics of a Habitat house, moving the design toward simple, easily maintained mechanical systems and volunteer-friendly construction techniques. A data acquisition system was installed in the completed home to monitor its performance. The home's energy performance was monitored for 10 years. A comprehensive report on the home was done after the first 2 years of monitoring and a follow-up ACEEE paper on the project including 10 years of performance data was presented in 2016.

Affordable Housing↗
DOE OSTI2015

Taking off the training wheels: the properties of a dynamic vegetation model without climate envelopes

We describe an implementation of the Ecosystem Demography (ED) concept in the Community Land Model. The structure of CLM(ED) and the physiological and structural modifications applied to the CLM are presented. A major motivation of this development is to allow the prediction of biome boundaries directly from plant physiological traits via their competitive interactions. Here we investigate the performance of the model for an example biome boundary in Eastern North America. We explore the sensitivity of the predicted biome boundaries and ecosystem properties to the variation of leaf properties determined by the parameter space defined by the GLOPNET global leaf trait database. Further, we investigate the impact of four sequential alterations to the structural assumptions in the model governing the relative carbon economy of deciduous and evergreen plants. The default assumption is that the costs and benefits of deciduous vs. evergreen leaf strategies, in terms of carbon assimilation and expenditure, can reproduce the geographical structure of biome boundaries and ecosystem functioning. We find some support for this assumption, but only under particular combinations of model traits and structural assumptions. Many questions remain regarding the preferred methods for deployment of plant trait information in land surface models. In some cases, plant traits might best be closely linked with each other, but we also find support for direct linkages to environmental conditions. We advocate for intensified study of the costs and benefits of plant life history strategies in different environments, and for the increased use of parametric and structural ensembles in the development and analysis of complex vegetation models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1976

Performance documentation of the engineering model 30-cm diameter thruster

The results of extensive testing of two 30-cm ion thrusters which are virtually identical to the 900 series Engineering Model Thruster in an ongoing 15,000-hour life test are presented. Performance data for the nominal fullpower (2650 W) operating point; performance sensitivities to discharge voltage, discharge losses, accelerator voltage, and magnetic baffle current; and several power throttling techniques (maximum Isp, maximum thrust/power ratio, and two cases in between are included). Criteria for throttling are specified in terms of the screen power supply envelope, thruster operating limits, and control stability. In addition, reduced requirements for successful high voltage recycles are presented.

Bechtel, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Centaur family

The Centaur upper stage has been used with Atlas and Titan boosters for a total of 66 launches, and is now being considered for future use with the Space Shuttle. Centaur's high-energy oxygen-hydrogen propellant combination provides the maximum performance capability for launching geosynchronous and earth-escape missions with both boosters. Shuttle/Centaur performance, combined with the demonstrated low-thrust operating capability of the Centaur engines, will allow gentle transfer of large communications spacecraft into geostationary orbit, thus significantly increasing the economies of communication satellites. This paper presents Centaur configurations, payload capabilities, and payload envelopes for future applications.

Rector, W. F., III↗
NASA NTRS1983

Extended flight evaluation of a near-term pitch active control system

Fuel savings can be achieved by moving the center of gravity of an aircraft aft which reduces the static stability margin and consequently the trim drag. However, flying qualities of an aircraft with relaxed static stability can be significantly degraded. The flying qualities can be restored by using a pitch active control system (PACS). This report documents the work accomplished during a follow-on program (see NASA CR-165951 for initial program report) to perform extended flight tests of a near-term PACS. The program included flying qualities analyses, piloted flight simulation tests, aircraft preparation and flight tests to demonstrate that the near-term PACS provided good flying qualities within the linear static stability envelope to a negative 3% static stability margin.

Guinn, Wiley A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The Design and Use of a Temperature-Compensated Hot-Film Anemometer System for Boundary-Layer Flow Transition Detection on Supersonic Aircraft

An airborne temperature-compensated hot-film anemometer system has been designed, fabricated, and used to obtain in-flight airfoil boundary-layer flow transition data by the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. Salient features of the anemometer include near constant sensitivity over the full flight envelope, installation without coaxial wiring, low-noise outputs, and self-contained signal conditioning with dynamic and steady-state outputs. The small size, low-power dissipation, and modular design make the anemometer suitable for use in modern high-performance research aircraft. Design of the temperature-compensated hot-film anemometer and its use for flow transition detection on a laminar flow flight research project are described. Also presented are data gathered in flight which is representative of the temperature-compensated hot-film anemometer operation at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flight conditions.

Chiles, Harry R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Aerodynamic flow quality and acoustic characteristics of the 40- by 80-foot test section circuit of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex

The 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel circuit of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) has recently undergone major modifications and subsequently completed final acceptance testing. The initial testing and calibration of the wind tunnel are described and in many cases these results are compared with predictions derived from model tests and theoretical analyses. The wind tunnel meets or exceeds essentially all performance objectives. The facility runs smoothly and routinely at its maximum test-section velocity of 300 knots (Mach number = 0.45). An effective cooling air exchange system enables the wind tunnel to operate indefinitely at this maximum power condition. Throughout the operating envelope of the wind tunnel the test-section dynamic pressure is uniform to within + or - 0.5 deg, and the axial component of turbulence is generally less than 0.5 percent. Acoustic measurements indicate that, due to the low noise fans and acoustic treatment in the wind-tunnel circuit and test section, the background noise level in the test section is comparable to other large-scale acoustic wind tunnels in the United States and abroad.

Olson, Lawrence E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Flight test of a low-altitude helicopter guidance system with obstacle avoidance capability

Military aircraft regularly conduct missions that include low-atltitude, near-terrain flight in order to increase covertness and payload effectiveness. Civilian applications include airborne fire fighting, police surveillance, search and rescue, and helicopter emergency medical service. Several fixed-wing aircraft now employ terrain elevation maps and forward-pointed radars to achieve automated terrain following or terrain avoidance flight. Similar systems specialized to helicopters and their flight regime have not received as much attention. A helicopter guidance system relying on digitized terrain elevation maps has been developed that employs airborne navigation, mission requirements, aircraft performance limits, and radar altimeter returns to generate a valley-seeking, low-altitude trajectory between waypoints. The guidance trajectory is symbolically presented to the pilot on a helmet mounted display. This system has been flight tested to 150 ft (45.7 m) above ground level altitude at 80 kts, and is primarily limited by the ability of the pilot to perform manual detection and avoidance of unmapped hazards. In this study, a wide field of view laser radar sensor has been incorporated into this guidance system to assist the pilot in obstacle detection and avoidance, while expanding the system's operational flight envelope. The results from early flight tests of this system are presented. Low-altitude missions to 100 ft (30.5 m) altitude at 80n kts in the presence of unmapped natural and man-made obstacles were demonstrated while the pilot maintained situational awareness and tracking of the guidance trajectory. Further reductions in altitude are expected with continued flight testing.

Zelenka, Richard E.↗