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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 1,243 records · Page 69
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Two-Step Calibration of a Multiwavelength Pyrometer for High Temperature Measurement Using a Quartz Lamp

There is no theoretical upper temperature limit for pyrometer application in temperature measurements. NASA Glenn's multiwavelength pyrometer can make measurements over wide temperature ranges. However, the radiation spectral response of the pyrometer's detector must be calibrated before any temperature measurement is attempted, and it is recommended that calibration be done at temperatures close to those for which measurements will be made. Calibration is a determination of the constants of proportionality at all wavelengths between the detector's output (voltage) and its input signals (usually from a blackbody radiation source) in order to convert detector output into radiation intensity. To measure high temperatures, the detectors are chosen to be sensitive in the spectral range from 0.4 to 2.5 micrometers. A blackbody furnace equilibrated at around 1000 C is often used for this calibration. Though the detector may respond sensitively to short wavelengths radiation, a blackbody furnace at 1000 C emits only feebly at very short wavelengths. As a consequence, the calibration constants that result may not be the most accurate. For pyrometry calibration, a radiation source emitting strongly at the short wavelengths is preferred. We have chosen a quartz halogen lamp for this purpose.

Ng, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS2015

Technology Readiness Level Assessment Process as Applied to NASA Earth Science Missions

Technology assessments of fourteen science instruments were conducted within NASA using the NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Metric. The instruments were part of three NASA Earth Science Decadal Survey missions in pre-formulation. The Earth Systematic Missions Program (ESMP) Systems Engineering Working Group (SEWG), composed of members of three NASA Centers, provided a newly modified electronic workbook to be completed, with instructions. Each instrument development team performed an internal assessment of its technology status, prepared an overview of its instrument, and completed the workbook with the results of its assessment. A team from the ESMP SEWG met with each instrument team and provided feedback. The instrument teams then reported through the Program Scientist for their respective missions to NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) on technology readiness, taking the SEWG input into account. The instruments were found to have a range of TRL from 4 to 7. Lessons Learned are presented; however, due to the competition-sensitive nature of the assessments, the results for specific missions are not presented. The assessments were generally successful, and produced useful results for the agency. The SEWG team identified a number of potential improvements to the process. Particular focus was on ensuring traceability to guiding NASA documents, including the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook. The TRL Workbook has been substantially modified, and the revised workbook is described.

Systems Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cosmogenic 137 Xe Analysis of Alternatives for nEXO

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is a hypothetical nuclear decay in which two matter particles are produced without corresponding antimatter particles. Observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would shed light on a potential explanation of matter-antimatter observed in the universe and also indicate the Majorana nature of neutrinos, meaning that the neutrino can act as its own antiparticle. The nEXO experiment is a proposed 5-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber detector with a projected 1.35 × 10 28 yr half-life sensitivity to neutrinoless double-beta decay in 136 Xe [J. Phys. G 49, 015104 (2022)]. While nEXO has a baseline location of SNOLAB, there are several other underground facilities in the world capable of hosting the experiment. The primary change at each site will be cosmogenic 137 Xe backgrounds, caused by varied cosmogenic muon activity at each site. This study finds that while there is a negligible increase in nEXO’s half-life sensitivity at 90% C.L. from improving the cosmogenic 137 Xe veto rejection procedure for SNOLAB, much higher daily muon rates at three other sites will have an adversely negative effect on nEXO’s sensitivity and would likely require further modifications to nEXO’s baseline design to reach nEXO’s scientific goals. Monte Carlo simulations of muons inducing 137 Xe backgrounds were conducted at four underground sites, SNOLAB, SURF, LNGS, and WIPP, each with roughly a factor of 10 times higher daily muon activity than the previous site. There were two primary inputs to these simulations. The first was sample data of cosmogenic muon flight through nEXO’s outer detector, a 12.8m tall and 12.3m wide cylindrical water tank lined with photomultiplier tubes to detect Cerenkov radiation, and all of the secondary interactions produced in the detector. The second input was a parametrization of 137 Xe* production tagging when 137 Xe de-excites and release prompt gammas, as well as accidental tagging caused by neutron capture on 63 Cu, 65 Cu, 19 F, and 1 H throughout the detector. Together, the number of backgrounds relative to the previous 2021 Sensitivity Paper [J. Phys. G 49, 015104 (2022)] was found at each of these four sites across three energy windows, from 400, 1400, and 2600 keV all up to 4600 keV, just above the end point of the prompt gamma spectrum for 137 Xe*. Using level curves for the sensitivity as 137 Xe backgrounds scale relative to baseline calculations, the half-life sensitivity at 90% C.L. for each of trial was found. Even with reduced 137 Xe backgrounds, the results for SNOLAB yielded neglible improvements in nEXO’s predicted sensitivity. On the contrary, the increased backgrounds for the three other considered sites yielded sensitivity estimates below nEXO’s previous projections. This study demonstrates that the shielding from cosmogenic muons at SNOLAB makes it highly preferred even amongst other world leading underground laboratories.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

WE-G-BRE-02: Biological Modeling of Gold Nanoparticle Radiosensitization for Proton Therapy

Purpose: The aim of this work is to investigate the radiosensitization effect of gold nanoparticles (GNP) in a proton beam. A computational model was built using the Local Effect Model (LEM) to predict the biological outcome of gold nanoparticle (GNP) sensitization. We present the results using a clinical proton beam, 6MV photon beam and two kilovoltage photon beams. Methods: First, Monte Carlo simulations were carried out using TOPAS (TOol for PArticle Simulation) to obtain the spatial dose distribution in the vicinity of GNPs. The dose distribution was then used as an input for LEM, which predicts dose-response curves for high linear energy transfer radiation using the track structure. The cell survival curves were evaluated for three particle sources (proton beam, MV photon beam and kV photon beam), various treatment depths for each particle source, various GNP uptakes and two different GNP sizes. Results: For proton therapy, the GNP sensitization effect is highly dependent on the treatment depth due to the energy-dependent interaction probability. We predict that if GNPs can be taken up by the cell nucleus, proton therapy can be significantly enhanced. If GNPs are only internalized into the cytoplasm, proton therapy can still be enhanced by GNPs and if GNPs are not internalized into cells, there will be no direct damage to the nucleus. For the same GNP uptake and concentration, the cell survival at 2Gy is reduced by 80% using kilovoltage photons, 50% using protons and only 2% using clinical MV photons. Finally, for the same weight of GNPs taken up by the cells, 10 nm GNPs causes 3 times more damage than 50 nm GNPs. Conclusion: We showed that GNPs have potential to be used to enhance radiation therapy for clinical proton beams.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Microstructure and Pitting Resistance of Weld Joints of 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel

2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) was welded by submerged arc welding. The effects of both heat input and groove type on the ferrite/austenite ratio and elemental diffusion of weld joints were investigated. The relationships among welding joint preparation, ferrite/austenite ratio, elemental diffusion, and pitting corrosion resistance of weld joints were analyzed. When the Ni content of the weld wire deposit was at minimum 2–4% higher than that of 2205 DSS base metal, the desired ratio of ferrite/austenite and elemental partitioning between the austenite and ferrite phases were obtained. While the pitting sensitivity of weld metal was higher than that of base metal, the self-healing capability of the passive film of weld metal was better than that of the base metal when a single V-type groove was used. Furthermore, the heat input should be carefully controlled since pitting corrosion occurred readily in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone near the fusion line of welded joints.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Matrix approach to land carbon cycle modeling: A case study with the Community Land Model

The terrestrial carbon (C) cycle has been commonly represented by a series of C balance equations to track C influxes into and effluxes out of individual pools in earth system models (ESMs). This representation matches our understanding of C cycle processes well but makes it difficult to track model behaviors. It is also computationally expensive, limiting the ability to conduct comprehensive parametric sensitivity analyses. To overcome these challenges, we have developed a matrix approach, which reorganizes the C balance equations in the original ESM into one matrix equation without changing any modeled C cycle processes and mechanisms. We applied the matrix approach to the Community Land Model (CLM4.5) with vertically-resolved biogeochemistry. The matrix equation exactly reproduces litter and soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics of the standard CLM4.5 across different spatial-temporal scales. The matrix approach enables effective diagnosis of system properties such as C residence time and attribution of global change impacts to relevant processes. We illustrated, for example, the impacts of CO 2 fertilization on litter and SOC dynamics can be easily decomposed into the relative contributions from C input, allocation of external C into different C pools, nitrogen regulation, altered soil environmental conditions, and vertical mixing along the soil profile. In addition, the matrix tool can accelerate model spin-up, permit thorough parametric sensitivity tests, enable pool-based data assimilation, and facilitate tracking and benchmarking of model behaviors. Altogether, the matrix approach can make a broad range of future modeling activities more efficient and effective.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Statistics-Based Material Property Analysis to Support TPS Characterization

Accurate characterization of entry capsule heat shield material properties is a critical component in modeling and simulating Thermal Protection System (TPS) response in a prescribed aerothermal environment. The thermal decomposition of the TPS material during the pyrolysis and charring processes is poorly characterized and typically results in large uncertainties in material properties as inputs for ablation models. These material property uncertainties contribute to large design margins on flight systems and cloud re- construction efforts for data collected during flight and ground testing, making revision to existing models for entry systems more challenging. The analysis presented in this work quantifies how material property uncertainties propagate through an ablation model and guides an experimental test regimen aimed at reducing these uncertainties and characterizing the dependencies between properties in the virgin and charred states for a Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) based TPS. A sensitivity analysis identifies how the high-fidelity model behaves in the expected flight environment, while a Monte Carlo based uncertainty propagation strategy is used to quantify the expected spread in the in-depth temperature response of the TPS. An examination of how perturbations to the input probability density functions affect output temperature statistics is accomplished using a Kriging response surface of the high-fidelity model. Simulations are based on capsule configuration and aerothermal environments expected during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry sequence. We identify and rank primary sources of uncertainty from material properties in a flight-relevant environment, show the dependence on spatial orientation and in-depth location on those uncertainty contributors, and quantify how sensitive the expected results are.

Copeland, Sean R.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Criticality calculation package and its use for a spent fuel storage pool with steam layer - 14324

Criticality studies need several calculations with small variations in a number of parameters. Therefore, a calculation package written at VTT in order to facilitate sensitivity studies in criticality calculations was used. This package is based on MCNP5 [1], and consists of a data transfer and analysis program written in Perl, and a set of pseudo inputs for the transport and storage systems including the fuel assembly. The pseudo inputs contain key words that are replaced by a given value for the specific parameter. In this paper, the package is described in more detail including the new modifications needed for this study. The usability will be demonstrated with a study of the fuel pool in the case of steam gathered under the support plates of the pool. In the new pool model the steam layer was added as a water layer with a very low density. The density of this layer, i.e. the steam density, could be varied as well as the thickness of the layer. This package was then used to study the reactivity effect of the moderator density, the steam density and the thickness of the steam layer. As can be expected the strongest effect was obtained with the moderator density. However, the steam density seemed not to affect the reactivity while the thickness of the layer had a small effect. (author)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

An anomaly detection framework for dynamic systems using a Bayesian hierarchical framework

Complex systems are susceptible to many types of anomalies, faults, and abnormal behavior caused by a variety of off-nominal conditions that may ultimately result in major failures or catastrophic events. Early and accurate detection of these anomalies using system inputs and outputs collected from sensors and smart devices has become a challenging problem and an active area of research in many application domains. In this article, we present a new Bayesian hierarchical framework that is able to model the relationship between system inputs (sensor measurements) and outputs (response variables) without imposing strong distributional/parametric assumptions while using only a subset of training samples and sensor attributes. Then, an optimal cost-sensitive anomaly detection framework is proposed to determine whether a sample is an anomalous one taking into consideration the trade-off between misclassification errors and detection rates. The model can be used for both supervised and unsupervised settings depending on the availability of data regarding the behavior of the system under anomaly conditions. The unsupervised model is particularly useful when it is prohibitive to identify in advance the anomalies that a system may present and where no data are available regarding the behavior of the system under anomaly conditions. A Bayesian hierarchical setting is used to structure the proposed framework and help with accommodating uncertainty, imposing interpretability, and controlling the sparsity and complexity of the proposed anomaly detection framework. A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is also developed for model training using past data. Furthermore, the numerical experiments conducted using a simulated data set and a wind turbine data set demonstrate the successful application of the proposed work for system response modeling and anomaly detection.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Protecting against damage from refraction of high power microwaves in the DIII-D tokamak

Here, several new protective systems are being installed on the DIII D tokamak to increase the safety margins for plasma operations with injected ECH power at densities approaching cutoff. Inadvertent overdense operation has previously resulted in reflection of an rf beam back into a launcher causing extensive arcing and melt damage on one waveguide line. Damage to microwave diagnostics, which are located on the same side of the tokamak as the ECH launchers, also has occurred. Developing a reliable microwave based interlock to protect the many vulnerable systems in DIII-D has proved to be difficult. Therefore, multiple protective steps have been taken to reduce the risk of damage in the future. Among these is a density interlock generated by the plasma control system, with setpoint determined by the ECH operators based on rf beam trajectories and plasma parameters. Also installed are enhanced video monitoring of the launchers, and an ambient light monitor on each of the waveguide systems, along with a Langmuir probe at the mouth of each launcher. Versatile rf monitors, measuring forward and reflected power in addition to the mode content of the rf beams, have been installed as the last miter bends in each waveguide line. As these systems are characterized, they are being incorporated in the interlock chains, which enable the ECH injection permits. The diagnostics most susceptible to damage from the ECH waves have also been fitted with a variety of protective devices including stripline filters, thin resonant notch filters tuned to the 110 GHz injected microwave frequency, blazed grating filters and shutters. Calculations of rf beam trajectories in the plasmas are performed using the TORAY ray tracing code with input from kinetic profile diagnostics. Using these calculations, strike points for refracted beams on the vacuum vessel are calculated, which allows evaluation of the risk of damage to sensitive diagnostics and hardware.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Beam results for the new super-conducting booster at Jefferson Lab

The performance results of a new super-conducting booster for the CEBAF injector at Jefferson Lab, could be of interest for other similar electron injectors. A recent addition of this new booster has provided us the ability to achieve a more adiabatic acceleration and therefore an improvement to the beam dynamics and beam brightness. It has also simplified the design and operation of the section of the injector responsible for accelerating the electron beam from a few hundred keV to several MeV (typically 6.7 MeV). The addition of the new booster was part of an upgrade to the CEBAF injector to improve the beam quality for future physics experiments with high sensitivity to beam quality. The booster consists of two cavities: a 2-cell cavity followed by a 7-cell cavity. This combination allows for a wide range of input electron beam energies, from 130 keV to more than 300 keV. In fact, during the last year, the booster was successfully operated with 140,180, and 200 keV input beam energies as the electron gun was being upgraded. This paper describes the new booster, presents beam optics data results from different beam studies, commissioning, and the physics quality beam operation.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Calibrating Constant Elasticity of Substitution Technologies to Bottom-up Cost Estimates

We propose a method for calibrating an industry-level technology to engineering (bottom-up) estimates with a particular focus on abatement opportunities. As a demonstration, substitution elasticities across inputs are adjusted in the nested cost function for the electricity sector to best fit a target marginal abatement cost (MAC) curve derived from engineering assessments of available technologies. Elasticities are optimized over an entire relevant range of the MAC, whereas current techniques use local point estimates under little or no abatement. In the context of fitting to a given MAC we evaluate alternative nesting structures and find that, while complexity in nesting improves the fit, even relatively simple nesting structures can reasonably approximate the target MAC. In our example, focused on the electricity sector, we find standard elasticities adopted in top-down models moderately overstate abatement costs relative to the engineering targets. In our preferred specification the most important adjustment is to escalate the substitution elasticity between energy and value-added inputs. This is consistent with an argument that the current set of point estimates fail to properly account for new capital-based technologies. These conclusions, however, are sensitive to our assumption about output-intensity abatement and consumer price responsiveness, both of which are not delineated in engineering estimates.

abatement cost↗
DOE OSTI2015

Parameter Uncertainty for Repository Thermal Analysis

This report is one follow-on to a study of reference geologic disposal design concepts (Hardin et al. 2011a). Based on an analysis of maximum temperatures, that study concluded that certain disposal concepts would require extended decay storage prior to emplacement, or the use of small waste packages, or both. The study used nominal values for thermal properties of host geologic media and engineered materials, demonstrating the need for uncertainty analysis to support the conclusions. This report is a first step that identifies the input parameters of the maximum temperature calculation, surveys published data on measured values, uses an analytical approach to determine which parameters are most important, and performs an example sensitivity analysis. Using results from this first step, temperature calculations planned for FY12 can focus on only the important parameters, and can use the uncertainty ranges reported here. The survey of published information on thermal properties of geologic media and engineered materials, is intended to be sufficient for use in generic calculations to evaluate the feasibility of reference disposal concepts. A full compendium of literature data is beyond the scope of this report. The term “uncertainty” is used here to represent both measurement uncertainty and spatial variability, or variability across host geologic units. For the most important parameters (e.g., buffer thermal conductivity) the extent of literature data surveyed samples these different forms of uncertainty and variability. Finally, this report is intended to be one chapter or section of a larger FY12 deliverable summarizing all the work on design concepts and thermal load management for geologic disposal (M3FT-12SN0804032, due 15Aug2012).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Consequences of Altered Root Nutrient Uptake for Soil Carbon Stabilization (Final Report)

Objectives: The primary objectives of this project are to improve our understanding of tropical forest belowground processes, and to increase representation of this biome in ecosystem-scale and global C cycle models. Belowground dynamics present a major source of uncertainty inhibiting our ability to predict C cycle responses to climate change. Representation of tropical forests in these models is particularly lacking, even though these ecosystems hold >25% of terrestrial C stocks. While the majority of humid tropical forests exist on relatively infertile soils (i.e. poor in rock-derived nutrients), enormous gradients in soil nutrient availability exist at landscape-scales due to shifts in geology and soil order. Soil fertility is likely to greatly influence how tropical soil C storage will respond to the declines in precipitation predicted for the tropics. In particular, root dynamics vary across soil fertility gradients, with roots representing the major input of C to subsurface soils. Root characteristics related to soil fertility include biomass, turnover, C exudates, tissue chemistry, and nutrient uptake rates, with each of these likely sensitive to changes in moisture. The proposed project will fully integrate field research with an existing ecosystem model to assess potential effects of drying on belowground tropical C dynamics across a range of soil fertilities. Project Description:. This project will identify key linkages among soil fertility, root nutrient uptake, root dynamics, and soil C storage. The hypothesized framework for understanding these linkages is: Tropical rainforest roots in relatively fertile soils have lesser root biomass, faster turnover, fewer exudates, and improved root tissue quality relative to infertile sites, all resulting from increased root nutrient uptake. Ultimately, these root characteristics in fertile soils promote proportionally greater long-term soil C storage in organo-mineral associations. Specifically, lower root exudates and improved root tissue quality in fertile soils reduce microbial respiration of extant soil C (i.e. “priming) and increase microbial C use efficiency, leading to sorption of protein-rich microbial and plant organic matter on soil mineral surfaces. However, the larger pools of mineral-associated C in fertile tropical soils are more vulnerable to decreased rainfall than smaller C pools in infertile soils, in part because of the lesser root biomass, faster turnover, and softer, more labile root tissues. Also, the shallower lateral rooting structures typical in fertile soils experience greater desiccation and death than deeper roots in infertile sites, with little short-term adaptation to drying.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Techno-economic Analysis of the Cryogenic Flux Capacitor Compared to Other forms of Hydrogen Production and Storage

The Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC) is a cold, dense energy storage core that is being studied in the cryo-compressed, about 300 bar and 80K, region of gaseous hydrogen (GH2) storage and liquid hydrogen (LH2) region near the normal boiling point. The hydrogens storage is improved by physically bonding the molecules within the nanoscale pores of the aerogel composite blanket material. The process of bonding or debonding is governed by principles of physical adsorption (physisorption) and thermodynamics. The large surface area afforded by the nanoporous aerogel (~1,000 m2/g) allows its storage performance to easily exceed capacities of high-pressure GH2 storage for an equivalent volume. With the integrated aerogel, subscale tests have shown that storage is increased by about 49% over a simple tank filled with GH2 at the same operating temperature and pressure. For LH2 conditions, the CFC is shown to operate at equivalent densities. For the techno-economic analysis (TEA), the source of hydrogen is compared between onsite steam methane reforming (SMR) and onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) panels providing power to electrolyzers to produce GH2. The TEA compares pure hydrogen burning in a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) to hydrogen fuel cells with an overall net power output of 650 MW. The SMR system uses natural gas as an input and includes a carbon capture and storage (CCS) system. The levelized cost of electricity is developed based on the capital cost and operating cost of the systems. Sensitivities are discussed around the cost of natural gas, ranging from 1.93 USD per MMBTU to 6.75 USD per MMBTU, and carbon dioxide disposal, ranging from 7 USD per tonne to 10 USD per tonne. For comparison to the conventional CCGT baseline, a baseload scenario is adopted with 85% capacity factor. The results of the study show that onsite hydrogen generation from SMR is about 1 to 3 USD per kg over the life of the plant and the PV hydrogen production produces at 4 to 5 USD per kg. The cost of storage for CFC is compared to other systems, including high-pressure GH2 and atmospheric LH2. The system is shown to provide the lowest costs for all these options at the grid scale, due to its higher capacity than high-pressure GH2 and ability to operate at 80K, receiving refrigeration from liquid nitrogen systems reducing capital and operating costs when compared LH2 storage systems. SMR is competitive with CCGT at the gas prices, both of which have lower LCOE than the PV system. When accounting for variability in gas prices, the PV and electrolyzer system is less sensitive to these changes and provides the lowest LCOE across the whole range.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1983

Communications network design and costing model technical manual

This computer model provides the capability for analyzing long-haul trunking networks comprising a set of user-defined cities, traffic conditions, and tariff rates. Networks may consist of all terrestrial connectivity, all satellite connectivity, or a combination of terrestrial and satellite connectivity. Network solutions provide the least-cost routes between all cities, the least-cost network routing configuration, and terrestrial and satellite service cost totals. The CNDC model allows analyses involving three specific FCC-approved tariffs, which are uniquely structured and representative of most existing service connectivity and pricing philosophies. User-defined tariffs that can be variations of these three tariffs are accepted as input to the model and allow considerable flexibility in network problem specification. The resulting model extends the domain of network analysis from traditional fixed link cost (distance-sensitive) problems to more complex problems involving combinations of distance and traffic-sensitive tariffs.

Logan, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Tape heating method for space simulation testing

An ohmic heating technique for simulating the solar heat input to a spacecraft during space environment testing was developed. Tests of spacecraft radiator sample panels were used to evaluate the heating method for its potential hazard to sensitive surfaces and for its application accuracy prior to use in full scale thermal vacuum tests of flight spacecraft and thermal models.

Presley, H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Requirements for long-life mechanical cryocoolers for space applications

The growing demand for long wavelength infrared and submillimeter imaging instruments for space observational applications, together with the emergence of the multiyear life Oxford University Stirling cycle cooler, has led to a rapidly expanding near term commitment to mechanical cryocoolers throughout the subkelvin to 150 K temperature range for long-life space missions. To satisfy this growing commitment, emerging cryocoolers must successfully address not only the input power, cooling power, and mass constraints of the spacecraft and instruments, but also the broad array of complex interface requirements that critically affect successful integration to the sensitive instrument detectors. Generic requirements are presented for each of the cryocooler requirement areas, which are then contrasted with the projected capabilities of emerging space cryocoolers. The degree of match is used to highlight both the strengths of existing technologies and the areas in need of increased development.

Ross, R. G., Jr.↗