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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Advanced Subsonic Combustion Rig Developed

The Advanced Subsonic Combustion Rig (ASCR), a unique, state-of-the-art facility for conducting combustion research, is located at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The ASCR, which was nearing completion at the close of 1995, will be capable of simulating the very high pressure and high temperature conditions that are expected to exist in future, advanced subsonic gas turbine (jet) engines. Future environmental regulations will require much cleaner burning (more environmentally friendly) aircraft engines. The ASCR is critical to the development of these cleaner engines. It will allow NASA and U.S. aircraft engine industry researchers to identify and test promising clean-burning gas turbine engine combustion concepts under the pressure and temperature conditions that are expected for those future engines. Combustion processes will be investigated for a variety of next-generation aircraft engine sizes, including engines for large, long-range aircraft (with typical trip lengths of about 3000 mi) and for regional aircraft (with typical trip lengths of about 400 mi). The ASCR design was conceived and initiated in 1993, and fabrication and construction of the rig, including the buildup of an advanced control room, took place throughout 1994 and 1995. In early 1996, the ASCR will be operational for obtaining research data. The ASCR is an intricate part of the NASA Advanced Subsonic Technology Propulsion Program, which is aimed at developing technologies critical to the next generation of gas turbine engines. This effort is in collaboration with the U.S. aircraft gas turbine engine industry. A goal of the Advanced Subsonic Technology Propulsion Program is to develop combustion concepts and technologies that will result in gas turbine engines that produce 50 percent less nitrous oxide (NO_x) pollutants than current engines do. This facility is unique in its capability to simulate advanced subsonic engine pressure, temperature, and air flow rate conditions. Specifically, it will provide operating temperatures up to 3000 F and pressures up to 60 atm. Under these conditions, researchers will obtain detailed combustion temperatures, pressures, and flow velocities as well as the chemical compositions of the combustion exhaust. Researchers also will be able to obtain data by using nonintrusive laser diagnostic techniques. The ASCR facility will be used to test fundamental combustion configurations (flametubes) for detailed study of combustion processes, to test sectors of gas turbine combustors to study the process in configurations more like those of aircraft engines, and in some cases to test full annular combustors.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Collaborative Assistive Tool To Enable Novel Solutions (CATTENS ) DE Expansion

CATTENS is a model-based, multi disciplinary concurrent engineering tool whose purpose is to enable engineers and scientists to collaborate in defining and developing a mission or system concept. The initial deployment target for CATTENS is the GSFC Mission Design Laboratory (MDL), but CATTENS is available to all GSFC engineers and scientists.

Stephen Waterbury↗
NASA NTRS1997

Hierarchical Modeling and Robust Synthesis for the Preliminary Design of Large Scale Complex Systems

Large-scale complex systems are characterized by multiple interacting subsystems and the analysis of multiple disciplines. The design and development of such systems inevitably requires the resolution of multiple conflicting objectives. The size of complex systems, however, prohibits the development of comprehensive system models, and thus these systems must be partitioned into their constituent parts. Because simultaneous solution of individual subsystem models is often not manageable iteration is inevitable and often excessive. In this dissertation these issues are addressed through the development of a method for hierarchical robust preliminary design exploration to facilitate concurrent system and subsystem design exploration, for the concurrent generation of robust system and subsystem specifications for the preliminary design of multi-level, multi-objective, large-scale complex systems. This method is developed through the integration and expansion of current design techniques: Hierarchical partitioning and modeling techniques for partitioning large-scale complex systems into more tractable parts, and allowing integration of subproblems for system synthesis; Statistical experimentation and approximation techniques for increasing both the efficiency and the comprehensiveness of preliminary design exploration; and Noise modeling techniques for implementing robust preliminary design when approximate models are employed. Hierarchical partitioning and modeling techniques including intermediate responses, linking variables, and compatibility constraints are incorporated within a hierarchical compromise decision support problem formulation for synthesizing subproblem solutions for a partitioned system. Experimentation and approximation techniques are employed for concurrent investigations and modeling of partitioned subproblems. A modified composite experiment is introduced for fitting better predictive models across the ranges of the factors, and an approach for constructing partitioned response surfaces is developed to reduce the computational expense of experimentation for fitting models in a large number of factors. Noise modeling techniques are compared and recommendations are offered for the implementation of robust design when approximate models are sought. These techniques, approaches, and recommendations are incorporated within the method developed for hierarchical robust preliminary design exploration. This method as well as the associated approaches are illustrated through their application to the preliminary design of a commercial turbofan turbine propulsion system. The case study is developed in collaboration with Allison Engine Company, Rolls Royce Aerospace, and is based on the Allison AE3007 existing engine designed for midsize commercial, regional business jets. For this case study, the turbofan system-level problem is partitioned into engine cycle design and configuration design and a compressor modules integrated for more detailed subsystem-level design exploration, improving system evaluation. The fan and low pressure turbine subsystems are also modeled, but in less detail. Given the defined partitioning, these subproblems are investigated independently and concurrently, and response surface models are constructed to approximate the responses of each. These response models are then incorporated within a commercial turbofan hierarchical compromise decision support problem formulation. Five design scenarios are investigated, and robust solutions are identified. The method and solutions identified are verified by comparison with the AE3007 engine. The solutions obtained are similar to the AE3007 cycle and configuration, but are better with respect to many of the requirements.

Koch, Patrick N.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Verification and Validation of Neural Networks for Aerospace Systems

The Dryden Flight Research Center V&V working group and NASA Ames Research Center Automated Software Engineering (ASE) group collaborated to prepare this report. The purpose is to describe V&V processes and methods for certification of neural networks for aerospace applications, particularly adaptive flight control systems like Intelligent Flight Control Systems (IFCS) that use neural networks. This report is divided into the following two sections: Overview of Adaptive Systems and V&V Processes/Methods.

Mackall, Dale↗
NASA NTRS2002

Verification and Validation of Neural Networks for Aerospace Systems

The Dryden Flight Research Center V&V working group and NASA Ames Research Center Automated Software Engineering (ASE) group collaborated to prepare this report. The purpose is to describe V&V processes and methods for certification of neural networks for aerospace applications, particularly adaptive flight control systems like Intelligent Flight Control Systems (IFCS) that use neural networks. This report is divided into the following two sections: 1) Overview of Adaptive Systems; and 2) V&V Processes/Methods.

Mackall, Dale↗
NASA NTRS2004

Spaceflight Operations Services Grid (SOSG) Prototype Implementation and Feasibility Study

Science Operations Services Grid is focusing on building a prototype grid-based environment that incorporates existing and new spaceflight services to enable current and future NASA programs with cost savings and new and evolvable methods to conduct science in a distributed environment. The Science Operations Services Grid (SOSG) will provide a distributed environment for widely disparate organizations to conduct their systems and processes in a more efficient and cost effective manner. These organizations include those that: 1) engage in space-based science and operations, 2) develop space-based systems and processes, and 3) conduct scientific research, bringing together disparate scientific disciplines like geology and oceanography to create new information. In addition educational outreach will be significantly enhanced by providing to schools the same tools used by NASA with the ability of the schools to actively participate on many levels in the science generated by NASA from space and on the ground. The services range from voice, video and telemetry processing and display to data mining, high level processing and visualization tools all accessible from a single portal. In this environment, users would not require high end systems or processes at their home locations to use these services. Also, the user would need to know minimal details about the applications in order to utilize the services. In addition, security at all levels is an underlying goal of the project. The Science Operations Services Grid will focus on four tools that are currently used by the ISS Payload community along with nine more that are new to the community. Under the prototype four Grid virtual organizations PO) will be developed to represent four types of users. They are a Payload (experimenters) VO, a Flight Controllers VO, an Engineering and Science Collaborators VO and an Education and Public Outreach VO. The User-based services will be implemented to replicate the operational voice, video, telemetry and commanding systems. Once the User-based services are in place, they will be analyzed to establish feasibility for Grid enabling. If feasible then each User-based service will be Grid enabled. The remaining non-Grid services if not already Web enabled will be so enabled. In the end, four portals will be developed one for each VO. Each portal will contain the appropriate User-based services required for that VO to operate.

Bradford, Robert N.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Status of Lunar Simulants: Conclusions and Recommendations from the 2005 Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop

No coordinated program currently exists in the U.S.A to define reference materials to be used as analogs of lunar materials. While such efforts have existed at different times in the past (Apollo Landing Module and Lunar Rover programs and NASA's Space Initiative in the early 1990's), the need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that must be addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and program managers. The 2005 Lunar Regolith Materials Workshop was held at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL on January 24-26,2005 to launch a focused effort of defining the requirements of lunar >simulant materials and make specific recommendations to NASA Headquarters for their production. Nearly 100 scientists and engineers worked during 3 days to accomplish these goals. Their conclusions and recommendations will be presented.

Sibille, L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Simulant Materials of Lunar Dust: Requirements and feasibility

As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fast-pace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960 s Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that must be addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and program managers. While the larger size fraction of the lunar regolith has been reproduced in several simulants in the past, little attention has been paid to the fines fraction, commonly refered to as lunar dust. As reported by McKay, this fraction of the lunar regolith below 20 microns can represent upto 30% by mass of the total regolith mass. The issue of reproducing the properties of these fines for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. Preliminary conclusions from the workshop and con- side-rations concerning the feasibility of producing such materials will be presented here.

Sibille, L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Status of Simulant Materials of Lunar Regolith: Requirements, Feasibility, and Recommendations

Introduction: As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fast-pace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960 s Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. While the larger size fraction of the lunar regolith has been reproduced in several simulants in the past, little attention has been paid to the fines fraction, commonly refered to as lunar dust. As reported by McKay and Carrier, this fraction of the lunar regolith below 20 microns can represent up to 30% by mass of the total regolith. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. Preliminary conclusions from the workshop and considerations concerning the feasibility of producing such materials will be presented here.

Sibille, Laurent↗
NASA NTRS2005

Toward a Suite of Standard Lunar Regolith Simulants for NASA's Lunar Missions: Recommendations of the 2005 Workshop of Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials

As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fast-pace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960's Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. The conclusions from the workshop and considerations concerning the feasibility (both technical and programmatic) of producing such materials will be presented here.

Schlagheck, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Standard Lunar Regolith Simulants for Space Resource Utilization Technologies Development: Effects of Materials Choices

As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fastpace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960's Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held 2005 Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. The recommendation of the workshop of establishing standard simulant materials to be used in lunar technology development and testing will be discussed here with an emphasis on space resource utilization. The variety of techniques and the complexity of functional interfaces make these simulant choices critical in space resource utilization.

Sibille, Laurent↗
NASA NTRS2005

Upgrading the Space Shuttle Caution and Warning System

A report describes the history and the continuing evolution of an avionic system aboard the space shuttle, denoted the caution and warning system, that generates visual and auditory displays to alert astronauts to malfunctions. The report focuses mainly on planned human-factors-oriented upgrades of an alphanumeric fault-summary display generated by the system. Such upgrades are needed because the display often becomes cluttered with extraneous messages that contribute to the difficulty of diagnosing malfunctions. In the first of two planned upgrades, the fault-summary display will be rebuilt with a more logical task-oriented graphical layout and multiple text fields for malfunction messages. In the second upgrade, information displayed will be changed, such that text fields will indicate only the sources (that is, root causes) of malfunctions; messages that are not operationally useful will no longer appear on the displays. These and other aspects of the upgrades are based on extensive collaboration among astronauts, engineers, and human-factors scientists. The report describes the human-factors principles applied in the upgrades.

McCandless, Jeffrey W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Space Station Integrated Kinetic Launcher for Orbital Payload Systems (SSIKLOPS) - Cyclops

Access to space for satellites in the 50-100 kg class is a challenge for the small satellite community. Rideshare opportunities are limited and costly, and the small sat must adhere to the primary payloads schedule and launch needs. Launching as an auxiliary payload on an Expendable Launch Vehicle presents many technical, environmental, and logistical challenges to the small satellite community. To assist the community in mitigating these challenges and in order to provide the community with greater access to space for 50-100 kg satellites, the NASA International Space Station (ISS) and Engineering communities in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program (STP) is developing a dedicated 50-100 kg class ISS small satellite deployment system. The system, known as Cyclops, will utilize NASA's ISS resupply vehicles to launch small sats to the ISS in a controlled pressurized environment in soft stow bags. The satellites will then be processed through the ISS pressurized environment by the astronaut crew allowing satellite system diagnostics prior to orbit insertion. Orbit insertion is achieved through use of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Experiment Module Robotic Airlock (JEM Airlock) and one of the ISS Robotic Arms. Cyclops' initial satellite deployment demonstration of DOD STP's SpinSat and UT/TAMU's Lonestar satellites will be toward the end of 2013 or beginning of 2014. Cyclops will be housed on-board the ISS and used throughout its lifetime. The anatomy of Cyclops, its concept of operations for satellite deployment, and its satellite interfaces and requirements will be addressed further in this paper.

Smith, James P.↗
NASA NTRS2017

OCT Expanded Clinical Data Analysis

Vision changes identified in long duration space fliers has led to a more comprehensive clinical monitoring protocol. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was recently implemented on board the International Space Station in 2013. NASA is collaborating with Heidelberg Engineering to expand our current OCT data analysis capability by implementing a volumetric approach. Volumetric maps will be created by combining the circle scan, the disc block scan, and the radial scan. This assessment may provide additional information about the optic nerve and further characterize changes related microgravity exposure. We will discuss challenges with collection and analysis of OCT data, present the results of this reanalysis and outline the potential benefits and limitations of the additional data.

Van Baalen, Mary↗
NASA NTRS2018

Integration of Optical Coherence Tomography Scan Patterns to Augment Clinical Data Suite

Vision changes identified in long duration spaceflight astronauts has led Space Medicine at NASA to adopt a more comprehensive clinical monitoring protocol. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was recently implemented at NASA, including on board the International Space Station in 2013. NASA is collaborating with Heidelberg Engineering to increase the fidelity of the current OCT data set by integrating the traditional circumpapillary OCT image with radial and horizontal block images at the optic nerve head. The retinal nerve fiber layer was segmented by two experienced individuals. Intra-rater (N=4 subjects and 70 images) and inter-rater (N=4 subjects and 221 images) agreement was performed. The results of this analysis and the potential benefits will be presented.

Mason, S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer Integration and Test

Integration and test (I&T) of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is presented. A collaborative NASA project between Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center, LADEE's mission is to explore the low lunar orbit environment and exosphere for constituents. Its instruments include two spectrometers, a dust detector, and a laser communication technology demonstration. Although a relatively low-cost spacecraft, LADEE has I&T requirements typical of most planetary probes, such as prelaunch contamination control, sterilization, and instrument calibration. To lead to a successful mission, I&T at the spacecraft, instrument, and observatory level must include step-by-step and end-to-end functional, environmental, and performance testing. Due to its compressed development schedule, LADEE I&T planning requires adjusting test flows and sequences to account for long-lead critical-path items and limited spares. A protoflight test-level strategy is also baselined. However, the program benefits from having two independent but collaborative teams of engineers, managers, and technicians that have a wealth of flight project experience. This paper summarizes the LADEE I&T planning, flow, facilities, and probe-unique processes. Coordination of requirements and approaches to I&T when multiple organizations are involved is discussed. Also presented are cost-effective approaches to I&T that are transferable to most any spaceflight project I&T program.

Wright, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing a Medical System Concept of Operations for Level of Care IV: Long-Duration Lunar Orbital and Surface Operations

A goal of the Human Research Program (HRP) Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element Systems Engineering (SE) team is to define the technical system needed to support crew medical system capabilities for future exploration missions, including a mission with lunar orbital and long duration surface operations. The medical system concept of operations (ConOps) is the starting point of creating a foundation for a medical system that meets Level of Care IV requirements, as defined by NASA’s space flight human-system standards. This ConOps illustrates how NASA can provide a Level of Care IV medical system for crews within the various cis-lunar orbit and lunar surface habitat environments. The use case scenarios included in this ConOps illustrate required medical system capabilities for Level of Care IV and enable the ExMC SE team to develop integrated medical system requirements and identify capabilities required to meet those requirements. This discussion will focus on how this concept of operations was constructed – by utilizing the lessons learned from ExMC’s existing Short-Duration Lunar Orbit Medical System Concept of Operations, by employing Model-Based Systems Engineering, and by collaborating with stakeholders in order to ensure the necessary assumptions were made.

M. Kaetzer↗
NASA NTRS2008

Collaborative Research on the Ultra High Bypass Ratio Engine Cycle to Reduce Noise, Emissions and Fuel Consumption

A pictorial history of NASA development of advanced engine technologies for reducing environmental emissions and increasing performance from the 1970s to present is presented. The goals of the Subsonic Fixed Wing Program portion of the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program are addressed, along with the areas of investigation currently being pursued by the Ultra High Bypass Partnership Element of the Subsonic Fixed Wing Program to meet the goals. Ultra High Bypass cycle research collaboration successes with Pratt & Whitney are presented.

Hughes, Christopher↗