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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Re-Architecting the NASA Wire Derating Approach

• Design of wiring for aerospace vehicles relies on an understanding of “ampacity,” which refers to the current carrying capacity of wires, individually or in wire bundles. • Designers rely on standards to derate allowable current flow to prevent exceedance of wire temperature limits due to resistive heat dissipation within the wires or wire bundles. Designers select wire sizing and circuit protective device settings/sizing based on the standards. • Exceeding the wire temperature rating can result in electrical, physical, and/or chemical degradation of the wiring insulation and conductor which could lead to a catastrophic failure. • These standards can add considerable margin, in some cases underestimate the margin and are based on empirical data that is no longer available for review.

Steven L Rickman↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Enabling Model Organism and Commercial Astronaut Data Access Through the NASA Open Science Data Repository

NASA’s Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) brings together omics data from NASA’s GeneLab project and non-omics data, including physiological, phenotypic, imaging, and behavioral data from NASA’s Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) collected from decades of space biology research, providing open and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) access of these precious data to scientists world-wide. This rich source of meticulously curated metadata and data from spaceflight and analog studies has been mined by the scientific community resulting in dozens of high impact scientific publications that reveals a complex network of molecular and physiological effects of spaceflight across living systems, from microbes to plants, to mammals. Understanding how these effects translate to the human condition is critical as we move deeper into the era of commercial space travel. However, the integration of data, specifically omics data, from astronauts is particularly challenging due to their sensitive nature. OSDR has risen to this challenge by developing a mechanism to control access to identifiable levels of omics data, such as raw sequence data, while enabling public access to processed, unidentifiable, data and associated metadata that will allow the scientific community to interrogate human astronaut data alongside data from model organisms to begin answering these critical questions. The 2021 SpaceX Inspiration4 (I4) mission collected a comprehensive atlas of biological measurements from four civilian astronauts, providing a wealth of data to characterize the effects of spaceflight on the human body. These data include both non-omics and omics assays such as direct RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single nuclei ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, metagenomics, proteomics, and comprehensive metabolic and cytokine panels, all of which have been integrated into the OSDR system across no less than 9 studies. Each study has been carefully curated using community-backed OSDR standards for sample and assay level metadata ensuring these data are findable and accessible. In addition to hosting both raw and processed data from the principal investigator team for each assay type, the GeneLab team plans to re-process the I4 omics data using GeneLab’s standard processing pipelines. The GeneLab processed data outputs will allow for comparisons across studies on OSDR and enable visualization of these data through the OSDR data visualization platform thereby enabling data reusability and interoperability. Here we describe the robust privacy and security protocols implemented by OSDR to safeguard sensitive health data from astronauts while facilitating metadata and processed data sharing for research purposes. We further provide a road map for navigating the vast amount of data provided for each I4 study on the OSDR, including experimental design, associated experiments, payloads, and missions, data generation and analysis protocols, and associated scientific articles. Additionally, we illustrate how to interrogate the standardized metadata provided in the sample and assay tables as well as various means to download and access the data including programmatically through the GeneLab Open API (GLOpenAPI). The open access of datasets in NASA’s OSDR provides a unique opportunity for the scientific community, as well as citizen scientists and students, to continue using OSDR resources to further unlock profound insights into the consequences of space travel on the human body. Through implementation of security measures to protect sensitive human data, the OSDR seeks to strengthen the science exchange between the Biological and Physical Sciences Program and the Human Research Program, per recommendation 4-1 of the 2023-2032 Decadal Survey, and encourage further sharing and dissemination of astronaut data to provide the scientific community with the resources needed to lay the groundwork for developing targeted mitigation strategies to help withstand the rigors of long-duration spaceflight.

Amanda Marie Saravia-butler↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analytical Calculation of the Energy Deposition Spectrum and Average Dose to A Spherical Target at All Impact Parameters

Microdosimetry is used to estimate quality factors for risk assessment in radiation protection and to quantify relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for treatment planning of hadron radiation therapy. Radiation physics has shown that energetic ions deposit energy in a complex manner: the track structure. The Local Effect Model (LEM) is often used as an approximation to describe this complex track structure. We have previously calculated an analytical expression for the dose to a spherical target fully located in the penumbra of an ion track using the LEM. In this work, the calculation has been extended to all impact parameters. Furthermore, using these analytical expressions, it was possible to obtain the theoretical energy deposition spectra to a sphere irradiated uniformly.

Ianik Plante↗
NASA NTRS1994

Performance study of galactic cosmic ray shield materials

The space program is faced with two difficult radiation protection issues for future long-term operations. First, retrofit of shield material or conservatism in shield design is prohibitively expensive and often impossible. Second, shielding from the cosmic heavy ions is faced with limited knowledge on the physical properties and biological responses of these radiations. The current status of space shielding technology and its impact on radiation health is discussed herein in terms of conventional protection practice and a test biological response model. The impact of biological response on the selection of optimum materials for cosmic ray shielding is presented in terms of the transmission characteristics of the shield material. Although the systematics of nuclear cross sections are able to demonstrate the relation of exposure risk to shield-material composition, the current uncertainty in-nuclear cross sections will not allow an accurate evaluation of risk reduction. This paper presents a theoretical study of risk-related factors and a pilot experiment to study the effectiveness of choice of shield materials to reduce the risk in space operations.

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hofstadter Topology: Noncrystalline Topological Materials at High Flux

he Hofstadter problem is the lattice analog of the quantum Hall effect and is the paradigmatic example of topology induced by an applied magnetic field. Conventionally, the Hofstadter problem involves adding ~10 4 T magnetic fields to a trivial band structure. In this work, we show that when a magnetic field is added to an initially topological band structure, a wealth of possible phases emerges. Remarkably, we find topological phases that cannot be realized in any crystalline insulators. We prove that threading magnetic flux through a Hamiltonian with a nonzero Chern number or mirror Chern number enforces a phase transition at fixed filling and that a 2D Hamiltonian with a nontrivial Kane–Mele invariant can be classified as a 3D topological insulator (TI) or 3D weak TI phase in periodic flux. We then study fragile topology protected by the product of twofold rotation and time reversal and show that there exists a higher order TI phase where corner modes are pumped by flux. We show that a model of twisted bilayer graphene realizes this phase. Our results rely primarily on the magnetic translation group that exists at rational values of the flux. The advent of Moiré lattices renders our work relevant experimentally. Due to the enlarged Moiré unit cell, it is possible for laboratory-strength fields to reach one flux per plaquette and allow access to our proposed Hofstadter topological phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A graph neural network (GNN) approach to basin-scale river network learning: the role of physics-based connectivity and data fusion

Abstract. Rivers and river habitats around the world are under sustained pressure from human activities and the changing global environment. Our ability to quantify and manage the river states in a timely manner is critical for protecting the public safety and natural resources. In recent years, vector-based river network models have enabled modeling of large river basins at increasingly fine resolutions, but are computationally demanding. This work presents a multistage, physics-guided, graph neural network (GNN) approach for basin-scale river network learning and streamflow forecasting. During training, we train a GNN model to approximate outputs of a high-resolution vector-based river network model; we then fine-tune the pretrained GNN model with streamflow observations. We further apply a graph-based, data-fusion step to correct prediction biases. The GNN-based framework is first demonstrated over a snow-dominated watershed in the western United States. A series of experiments are performed to test different training and imputation strategies. Results show that the trained GNN model can effectively serve as a surrogate of the process-based model with high accuracy, with median Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) greater than 0.97. Application of the graph-based data fusion further reduces mismatch between the GNN model and observations, with as much as 50 % KGE improvement over some cross-validation gages. To improve scalability, a graph-coarsening procedure is introduced and is demonstrated over a much larger basin. Results show that graph coarsening achieves comparable prediction skills at only a fraction of training cost, thus providing important insights into the degree of physical realism needed for developing large-scale GNN-based river network models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Satellite Enveloped with STITCHED Engineering Sensors for Detection of Approaching Objects

Today as well as tomorrows spaceborne assets impact almost all areas of national and nuclear security. Spaceborne assets can not only collect and disseminate valuable data, well beyond just the visual, but also track terrestrial-based mobile assets in real-time, and active spaceborne platforms potentially pose serious risk to vulnerable earth-based systems and infrastructures. The capability to defend national spaceborne assets from attack/interference is critical for security interests. This effort supports this mission through the cost-effective preeminent detection of approaching threats to our nation’s vital resources, in order to help secure and trust these high-value assets against the threats of tomorrow. This project develops novel fabrication techniques for conformal, low-profile and lightweight leakywave antenna (LWA) detection/imaging systems, which fuses technical embroidery (TE) and laser ablation (LA) processes with LWA design. Technical embroidery is an emerging field in additive textile manufacturing where flexible materials and functionalized fabrics are created for a wide variety of uses and purposes, while laser ablation is the process of removing material from a solid surface by irradiating it with a laser beam. Here, thin, conformal antenna designs are designed, modeled and fabricated using both TE and LA, to create lightweight, flexible and conformal object detection and imaging radars. This novel development ensures our nation’s ability to field advanced lightweight and conformal technologies to protect spaceborne assets.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

MCNP6.3 Workshop [Slides]

This workshop presentation revisits several new features of MCNP6.2 and tools. Additionally, it offers a preview of the new features and improvements included in the upcoming MCNP6.3 code release that are most relevant to the nuclear radiation protection and shielding communities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1965

Safety with lasers.

Hazards, effect, safety and precaution for prevention of physical injuries from laser radiation

RADIOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Autonomously Responsive Membranes for Chemical Warfare Protection

Stimuli-responsive materials offer new opportunities to resolve long-standing material challenges and are rapidly gaining pivotal roles in diverse applications. For example, smart protective garments that rapidly transport water vapor and autonomously block chemical threats are expected to enable an effective new paradigm of adaptive personal protection. However, the incorporation of these seemingly incompatible properties into a single responsive system remains elusive. Herein, a bistable membrane that can rapidly, selectively, and reversibly transition from a highly breathable state in a safe environment to a chemically protective state when exposed to organophosphate threats such as sarin is demonstrated. Dynamic response to chemical stimuli is achieved through the physical collapse of an ultrathin copolymer layer on the membrane surface, which efficiently gates transport through membrane pores composed of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The adoption of nanometer-wide SWNTs for ultrafast moisture conduction enables a simultaneous boost in size-sieving selectivity and water-vapor permeability by decreasing nanotube diameter, thereby overcoming the breathability/protection trade-off that limits conventional membrane materials. Adaptive multifunctional membranes based on this platform greatly extend the active use of a protective garment and present exciting opportunities in many other areas including separation processes, sensing, and smart delivery.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1991

Further identification and treatment modalities in telephone mediated lightning strike

The results are presented of a prospective survey of people injured by lightning impulses transmitted by the public telephone system. The results are compared with those of a previous retrospective survey. Various deficiencies in the methodology of the latter survey are addressed. A division into a population with severe injury and a population with mild injury is made based on medical history and examination taken immediately after a strike. The best predictors of severe injury were found to be the presence of symptoms beyond one week after the strike, and also the initial presence of musculoskeletal injuries. Psychological upset is also seen to be a significant factor in severe injury. The only physical parameter of strike which could be used as a predictor of severe injury was the presence of concomitant power system damage. The importance of earth bonding between power and telephone system is thus supported in a protection strategy. One author draws on experience in treating patients with these injuries to propose a treatment regimen for those with ongoing symptoms. The importance of evaluating and treating psychological and physical aspects is stressed.

Andrews, Christopher J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Majorana zero modes in impurity-assisted vortex of LiFeAs superconductor

The iron-based superconductor is emerging as a promising platform for Majorana zero mode, which can be used to implement topological quantum computation. One of the most significant advances of this platform is the appearance of large vortex level spacing that strongly protects Majorana zero mode from other low-lying quasiparticles. Despite the advantages in the context of physics research, the inhomogeneity of various aspects hampers the practical construction of topological qubits in the compounds studied so far. Here we show that the stoichiometric superconductor LiFeAs is a good candidate to overcome this obstacle. By using scanning tunneling microscopy, we discover that the Majorana zero modes, which are absent on the natural clean surface, can appear in vortices influenced by native impurities. Our detailed analysis reveals a new mechanism for the emergence of those Majorana zero modes, i.e. native tuning of bulk Dirac fermions. The discovery of Majorana zero modes in this homogeneous material, with a promise of tunability, offers an ideal material platform for manipulating and braiding Majorana zero modes, pushing one step forward towards topological quantum computation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Topologically protected Grover's oracle for the partition problem

The number partitioning problem (NPP) is one of the NP-complete (nondeterministic polynomial-time complete) computational problems. Its definite exact solution generally requires a check of all $N$ solution candidates, which is exponentially large. Here we describe a path to the fast solution of this problem in $\sqrt{N}$ quasi-adiabatic quantum annealing steps. We argue that the errors due to the finite duration of the quantum annealing can be suppressed if the annealing time scales with $N$ only logarithmically. Moreover, our adiabatic oracle is topologically protected, in the sense that it is robust against small uncertainty and slow time dependence of the physical parameters or the choice of the annealing protocol. In conclusion, we also argue that our approach can solve many other famous NP-complete computational problems in $\sqrt{N}$ steps.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

LLNL Kimberlina 1.2 NUFT Simulations June 2018 (v2)

This dataset contains the output 6,000, 3-dimensional reactive multi-phase flow and transport aquifer simulations of brine and CO2 leakage into a protective aquiver in California’s San Joaquin Valley and input data files detailing the geologic mesh, aquifer physical properties and CO2 and brine injection rates. This data set was generated as an ongoing effort with the US DOE National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) to evaluate the effectiveness of monitoring techniques to detect brine and CO2 leakage from legacy wells into underground sources of drinking water overlaying a CO2 storage reservoir. Each simulation contains a unique set of input parameters, generated stochastically. The outputs consist of these upper three geologic layers (from top): the Etchegoin, Macoma-Chanac, Santa Margarita-McLure formations. These simulations span the several distances (1, 3 and 6 km or wells W31-0.2, W31-0.5 and W31-1.0, respectively) from the CO2 injector, initiated from bottom hole pressure and saturation to calculate wellbore leakage from the storage reservoir, with low and high regional groundwater gradients and wellbore leakage into 5 leaky nodes. The dataset includes 1,000 unique simulations for each distance, which each contain a unique aquifer heterogeneity, aquifer and caprock permeability, and two model generations are included with a high permeability (prod07) and hybrid permeability (prod09). The range of permeability distributions is listed in Table 1. Each model generation consists of 3,000 simulations. Included in the dataset are the leakage rates determined from 2D wellbore models which utilize the pressure and CO2 saturation from LBL's reservoir simulations, NUFT mesh files with distributed lithology, NUFT rocktab files which describe the material properties for the geologic layers and the NUFT input files and post-processed output 'ntab' files. Each ntab file contains spatial (rows) and temporal (columns) model output tables for each model cell, the locations (x,y,z) and dimensions for each cells (dx, dy, dz). Table 1. Permeability distribution ranges for prod07 and prod09 model generations Geologic Layer: Permeability Range (log10 m^2) prod07 prod09 Etchegoin -12.92 to -10.92 -13.70 to -11.44 Macoma-Chanac -12.72 to -10.72 -13.50 to -11.24 Santa Margarita-McLure -12.70 to -10.70 -13.48 to -11.22 The input files used to generate the model include which are included in the dataset are: Time series of CO2 leakage input into the model (ex: Q_brn.W31-0.2.sim1000.layers123.tab) Time series of CO2 leakage input into the model (ex: Q_CO2.W31-0.2.sim1000.layers123.tab) Physical properties of the aquifer materials detailing the aquifer porosity, solid density, partitioning coefficients, permeabilities and van-Genuchten parameters detailed in a NUFT rocktab file: (ex: sim1000.usnt.rocktab) Numerical mesh and geologic data assigned to each model cell detailed in a NUFT genmsh format (ex: sim1000.mesh_k16.prod07.trans.genmsh) The primary output parameters are: pH (use absolute value) Change in TDS (mg/kg) Change in Pressure (Pa) Change CO2 gas saturation (fraction range 0.0-1.0) for example, the directory /p/lscratchh/mansoor1/nrap/kimberlina/prod09/mainfiles/sim1000/W31- 0.2 contains: sim1000.W31-0.2.trans.pH.red.ntab sim1000.W31-0.2.no_bg.trans.TDS.red.ntab sim1000.W31-0.2.usnt.P.deltabg.red.ntab sim1000.W31-0.2.usnt.CO2_sat.deltabg.red.ntab Each row in the NTAB files consist of model output per numerical grid cell. Each output file contains 33 columns (variables), including the information of numerical records, geologic location and sizes and the simulated parameter values over time. The first 13 variables are about numerical records and relative geologic information for a simulation grid: 1. index: simulation index 2. i: the ith grid of x-axis 3. j: the ith grid of y-axis 4. k: the ith grid of z-axis 5. element_ref: element reference 6. nuft_ind: nuft index 7. x: grid location in the x axis direction 8. y: grid location in the y axis direction 9. z: grid location in the z axis direction 10. dx: grid length in the x axis direction 11. dy: grid length in the y axis direction 12. dz: grid length in the z axis direction 13. volume: volume of the simulation grid The remainder (14, 15, 16...) variables are the simulated parameter values over time, take Pressure as an example, are: 14. 0.0y: initial pressure per cell. 15. 10.0y: simulated pressure at the end of the 10th year. 16. 20.0y: simulated pressure at the end of the 20th year. ... (repeated for every 10 years until 200 years)... The model extends 10,000 m, 5,000 m and 1,411 m in the x,y and z dimensions, respectively. The mesh consists of 164,832 cells with mesh dimensions of 101 x 51 x 32 (nx, ny, nz), with cell dimensions ranging from 100 m laterally (along x and y-axis) and model layers are as designated in the z-axis: Layer 1: atmosphere (1e-30 m thick) Layer 2: upper caprock (10 m thick) Layers 3-13: Etchegoin (536.23 m thck) Layers 14-27: Macoma-Chanac (679.04 m thick) Layers 28-32: Santa Margarita-McLure (185.94 m thick) The wellbore is placed along node i=51, j=26, and extends vertically along 5 nodes from the top to the bottom of the model. Special instructions when extracting files: Each Gzip archive (ex: prod07.sim1000-sim00099.tar.gz) contains 100 simulations. Gzip archives should be transferred into base directories (ie. In Linux: mkdir prod07; mv prod07.*.tar.gz prod07/.) before extracting, or files will be overwritten. Each sub-simulation tree should have the following file structure pattern (using the linux 'tree' command): |-- prod07 | |-- sim0001 | |-- W31-0.2 | | |-- Q_brn.W31-0.2.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- Q_co2.W31-0.2.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.2.no_bg.trans.TDS.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.2.trans.pH.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.2.usnt.CO2_sat.deltabg.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.2.usnt.P.deltabg.red.ntab | |-- W31-0.5 | | |-- Q_brn.W31-0.5.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- Q_co2.W31-0.5.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.5.no_bg.trans.TDS.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.5.trans.pH.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.5.usnt.CO2_sat.deltabg.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-0.5.usnt.P.deltabg.red.ntab | |-- W31-1.0 | | |-- Q_brn.W31-1.0.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- Q_co2.W31-1.0.sim0001.layers123.tab | | |-- sim0001.W31-1.0.no_bg.trans.TDS.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-1.0.trans.pH.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-1.0.usnt.CO2_sat.deltabg.red.ntab | | |-- sim0001.W31-1.0.usnt.P.deltabg.red.ntab | |-- sim0001.mesh_k16.prod07.trans.genmsh Disclaimer This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. This report was reviewed and released as LLNL-MI-753464.

aquifer↗
DOE OSTI2022

Permanent Foam Fixatives for Radioactive Contamination Control: Environmental Chamber Testing

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) is tasked with closing cleanup sites throughout the DOE-EM complex. A major component of successfully closing the sites is the deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of radioactively contaminated buildings in nuclear facilities. Deactivation consists of the process of placing a contaminated facility in stable condition in order to minimize any risks that could affect workers, the public, and the environment. Successful deactivation and decommissioning consists of leaving the buildings in an agreed upon end state to provide future protection against hazards. Hazards include radiation but can also include asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other environmental and physical hazards.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data Management for Digital Twin Implementation: Enhancing Existing SCADA Architecture for INL's CITRC Test Distribution System

The United States power grid will continue to experience stress from aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and increasing loads. In order to strengthen resiliency, researchers need to run tests and simulations that model real-life infrastructure. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is creating a digital twin of its Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex (CITRC). CITRC is an at-scale grid testbed which can be configured in utility-realistic distribution scenarios for a variety of tests, such as advanced grid protection and control. A digital twin of this infrastructure would support in-depth tests/simulations without risking physical consequences, before trialing devices under test at-scale. This project focuses on the data acquisition part of constructing a digital twin. It investigates the Supervisory Data Acquisition and Control (SCADA) system of CITRC and explores ways to utilize this system for the twin. Future “ideal” at-scale implementations such as upgraded equipment, modern communication protocols, and automation applications are also explored.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1975

Contamination control coatings for hybrids

Conductive particles unexpectedly present in hermetically sealed hybrid microcircuit packages pose a high risk of shorting the closely spaced planar conductors within the package, causing failure of the device. The present work evaluates commercially available organic coating materials and determines the most promising ones for protection of complex microcircuits against entrapped particulate contaminants. The candidate materials were exposed to a series of physical and electrical screening tests, the results of which were used as a basis for the final coating selection. Silicones and high-purity epoxies are found to not only display excellent compatibility with microcircuits but to improve the performance of microcircuits as to voltage breakdown between adjacent conductors.

Mastro, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Design Challenge for Scientific Spacecraft Powered by a Stirling Power Converter

A 55 We free-piston Stirling Technology Demonstration Convertor (TDC) has been tested as part of an evaluation to determine its feasibility as a means for significantly reducing the amount of radioactive material required compared to Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) to support long-term space science missions. Measurements were made to quantify the low frequency magnetic and electric fields radiated from the Stirling's 80 Hertz (Hz) linear alternator and control electronics in order to determine the magnitude of reduction that will be required to protect sensitive field sensors aboard some science missions. One identified "Solar Probe" mission requires a 100 dB reduction in the low frequency magnetic field over typical military standard design limits, to protect its plasma wave sensor. This paper discusses the electromagnetic interference (EMI) control options relative to the physical design impacts for this power system, composed of 3 basic electrical elements. They are (1) the Stirling Power Convertor with its linear alternator, (2) the power switching and control electronics to convert the 90 V, 80 Hz alternator output to DC for the use of the spacecraft, and (3) the interconnecting wiring including any instrumentation to monitor and control items 1 and 2.

Sargent, Noel B.↗