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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 1,333 records · Page 74
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Time Synchronization and Distribution Mechanisms for Space Networks

This work discusses research on the problems of synchronizing and distributing time information between spacecraft based on the Network Time Protocol (NTP), where NTP is a standard time synchronization protocol widely used in the terrestrial network. The Proximity-1 Space Link Interleaved Time Synchronization (PITS) Protocol was designed and developed for synchronizing spacecraft that are in proximity where proximity is less than 100,000 km distant. A particular application is synchronization between a Mars orbiter and rover. Lunar scenarios as well as outer-planet deep space mother-ship-probe missions may also apply. Spacecraft with more accurate time information functions as a time-server, and the other spacecraft functions as a time-client. PITS can be easily integrated and adaptable to the CCSDS Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol with minor modifications. In particular, PITS can take advantage of the timestamping strategy that underlying link layer functionality provides for accurate time offset calculation. The PITS algorithm achieves time synchronization with eight consecutive space network time packet exchanges between two spacecraft. PITS can detect and avoid possible errors from receiving duplicate and out-of-order packets by comparing with the current state variables and timestamps. Further, PITS is able to detect error events and autonomously recover from unexpected events that can possibly occur during the time synchronization and distribution process. This capability achieves an additional level of protocol protection on top of CRC or Error Correction Codes. PITS is a lightweight and efficient protocol, eliminating the needs for explicit frame sequence number and long buffer storage. The PITS protocol is capable of providing time synchronization and distribution services for a more general domain where multiple entities need to achieve time synchronization using a single point-to-point link.

Woo, Simon S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluating the intrinsic resistance to balling of alloys: A High-throughput physics-informed and data-enabled approach

To date, the vast majority of work on metal additive manufacturing (AM) has been framed in terms of the need to tune processing conditions for a particular AM technology in order to print conventional alloys, oftentimes developed for fabrication methods other than AM. This approach overlooks the fact that historically, many engineering alloy system has been designed with a particular processing route in mind, e.g., ingot metallurgy, powder metallurgy, rapid quenching, etc. There are thus significant opportunities to design alloys specifically for AM. A key challenge is that alloy design requires performance metrics that can be optimized by exploring the alloy chemistry space. Here, we present a study in which we examine how intrinsic thermophysical properties can be used to estimate performance metrics related to the behavior of a solidifying metal droplet under AM-relevant conditions. By identifying these intrinsic properties, it is possible to directly incorporate ‘intrinsic printability’, specifically ‘intrinsic resistance to balling’, into AM-focused alloy design.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

The birth of a field through a marriage of scales: urban meteorological modeling meets regional climate modeling

Urban meteorological modeling and regional climate modeling developed largely independently, with each discipline addressing different aspects of atmospheric processes across space and time. In this review, I show that urban climate modeling did not arise as a simple scaling extension of urban meteorological modeling or an add-on to regional climate modeling, but instead emerged through the selective inheritance of complementary strengths from its parents after both disciplines reached sufficient methodological maturity. By tracing the parallel evolution of these disciplines, I demonstrate that urban climate modeling inherited the physically explicit treatment of the built environment developed within urban meteorological modeling, and the hierarchical scale translation and climatological framing that matured within regional climate modeling, allowing urban effects to influence climate-relevant outcomes. Building on this synthesis, I propose an objective, and methodologically-grounded definition of urban climate modeling that distinguishes it from urban meteorological modeling. This distinction is increasingly important as urban climate data informs decisions with long-lived societal consequences, and as ambiguity in terminology risks conflating fundamentally different modeling frameworks with distinct physical meaning and decision relevance. In addition to a clarifying definition, this review outlines a research framework for advancing urban climate modeling through scale-aware coupling strategies that preserve physically consistent urban-atmosphere interactions.

regional climate↗
NASA NTRS1976

Space processing in early Shuttle missions

The paper first reviews potential scientific and commercial benefits of space processing, and discusses roles of ground laboratory, sounding rocket, and Shuttle/Spacelab experimentation in carrying out space processing programs. Benefits which have been identified in such processes as containerless melting/solidification, electrophoresis, crystal growing, etc., and using such specific materials as tungsten, isoenzymes, single crystal silicon ribbon are utilized as specific examples in the above discussion. As a result, the paper identifies spectrum of specific objectives and implementation approaches for Shuttle/Spacelab experimentation. The paper then reviews currently planned Shuttle/Spacelab payload accommodations and traffic model. Finally, the paper matches experimentation approaches with Shuttle/Spacelab plans, and derives a possible schedule of missions in the 1979-1982 time frame using configurations with a high degree of automation where crew time for experiment involvement is limited.

Bloom, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Microgravity research in the era of Space Station Freedom

NASA has developed numerous microgravity research-related missions planned for the period of 1991 to 1994, leading to Space Station Freedom (SSF). Space Transportation System (STS) flights are designed with the philosophy that STS, Spacelab, and SSF will constitute an integrated system allowing an evolutionary approach to microgravity research in low earth orbit. Ground experiments, tested and refined on short-duration STS flights, will be developed and deployed on SSF where long-duration operation is required. In addition, this sequence will ensure maximum scientific return, encourage growth of the research community, and increase the chances of identifying new techniques and processes to be used in the SSF time frame. The paper discusses the rationale, justification, and approach taken by NASA to fully exploit this environment.

Lee, Mark C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Kate's Model Verification Tools

Kennedy Space Center's Knowledge-based Autonomous Test Engineer (KATE) is capable of monitoring electromechanical systems, diagnosing their errors, and even repairing them when they crash. A survey of KATE's developer/modelers revealed that they were already using a sophisticated set of productivity enhancing tools. They did request five more, however, and those make up the body of the information presented here: (1) a transfer function code fitter; (2) a FORTRAN-Lisp translator; (3) three existing structural consistency checkers to aid in syntax checking their modeled device frames; (4) an automated procedure for calibrating knowledge base admittances to protect KATE's hardware mockups from inadvertent hand valve twiddling; and (5) three alternatives for the 'pseudo object', a programming patch that currently apprises KATE's modeling devices of their operational environments.

Morgan, Steve↗
DOE OSTI2025

TDCOSMO - XVII. New time delays in 22 lensed quasars from optical monitoring with the ESO-VST 2.6m and MPG 2.2m telescopes

We present new time delays, the main ingredient of time delay cosmography, for 22 lensed quasars resulting from high-cadence r-band monitoring on the 2.6 m ESO VLT Survey Telescope and Max-Planck-Gesellschaft 2.2 m telescope. Each lensed quasar was typically monitored for one to four seasons, often shared between the two telescopes to mitigate the interruptions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample of targets consists of 19 quadruply and 3 doubly imaged quasars, which received a total of 1918 hours of on-sky time split into 21 581 wide-field frames, each 320 seconds long. In a given field, the 5-σ depth of the combined exposures typically reaches the 27th magnitude, while that of single visits is 24.5 mag – similar to the expected depth of the upcoming Vera-Rubin LSST. The fluxes of the different lensed images of the targets were reliably de-blended, providing not only light curves with photometric precision down to the photon noise limit, but also high-resolution models of the targets whose features and astrometry were systematically confirmed in Hubble Space Telescope imaging. This was made possible thanks to a new photometric pipeline, lightcurver, and the forward modelling method STARRED. Finally, the time delays between pairs of curves and their uncertainties were estimated, taking into account the degeneracy due to microlensing, and for the first time the full covariance matrices of the delay pairs are provided. Of note, this survey, with 13 square degrees, has applications beyond that of time delays, such as the study of the structure function of the multiple high-redshift quasars present in the footprint at a new high in terms of both depth and frequency. The reduced images will be available through the European Southern Observatory Science Portal.Key words: methods: data analysis / surveys / distance scale

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Extended Mission Rover (EMR)

A key component in ensuring America's status as a leader in the global community is its active pursuit of space exploration. On the twentieth anniversary of Apollo 11, President George Bush challenged the nation to place a man on the moon permanently and to conduct human exploration of Mars in the 21st century. The students of the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering hope to make a significant contribution to this challenge, America's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), with their participation in the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program. The project selected by the 1991/1992 Aerospace Design group is the design of an Extended Mission Rover (EMR) for use on the lunar surface. This vehicle will serve as a mobile base to provide future astronauts with a 'shirt-sleeve' living and working environment. Some of the proposed missions are planetary surface exploration, construction and maintenance, hardware setup, and in situ resource experimentation. This vehicle will be put into use in the 2010-2030 time frame.

Shields, W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Examining Mars with SPICE

The International Mars Conference highlights the wealth of scientific data now and soon to be acquired from an international armada of Mars-bound robotic spacecraft. Underlying the planning and interpretation of these scientific observations around and upon Mars are ancillary data and associated software needed to deal with trajectories or locations, instrument pointing, timing and Mars cartographic models. The NASA planetary community has adopted the SPICE system of ancillary data standards and allied tools to fill the need for consistent, reliable access to these basic data and a near limitless range of derived parameters. After substantial rapid growth in its formative years, the SPICE system continues to evolve today to meet new needs and improve ease of use. Adaptations to handle landers and rovers were prototyped on the Mars pathfinder mission and will next be used on Mars '01-'05. Incorporation of new methods to readily handle non-inertial reference frames has vastly extended the capability and simplified many computations. A translation of the SPICE Toolkit software suite to the C language has just been announced. To further support cartographic calculations associated with Mars exploration the SPICE developers at JPL have recently been asked by NASA to work with cartographers to develop standards and allied software for storing and accessing control net and shape model data sets; these will be highly integrated with existing SPICE components. NASA specifically supports the widest possible utilization of SPICE capabilities throughout the international space science community. With NASA backing the Russian Space Agency and Russian Academy of Science adopted the SPICE standards for the Mars 96 mission. The SPICE ephemeris component will shortly become the international standard for agencies using the Deep Space Network. U.S. and European scientists hope that ESA will employ SPICE standards on the Mars Express mission. SPICE is an open set of standards, and all related specifications and software are freely distributed around the world. This poster describes the current state of SPICE system development, with special emphasis on current and planned support for Mars exploration missions.

Acton, Charles H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

NGC 4314. II - Hubble Space Telescope I-band surface photometry of the nuclear region

We present an HST I-band Planetary Camera image of the nuclear region of NGC 4314, an anemic barred galaxy with recent star formation confined to a nuclear ring. These data resolve the nuclear ring into multiple sites of new star formation and resolve associated dust lanes into discrete clouds. Deconvolution results in at least 0.13 arcsec resolution, as demonstrated by the de Vaucouleurs r exp 1/4 law. Contrasted with similar studies of M87 and NGC 7457, we find no photometric evidence for an extreme concentration of stars in the center of NGC 4314. We identify an oval distortion of length 8 arcsec in the nuclear region, using ellipse-fitting routines and the unsharp masked frame. This nuclear bar has newer stars near its ends. We catalog 14 star clusters associated with H II regions in the nuclear ring. As an additional demonstration of the resolution achieved, the integral size distribution of these clusters is described by an exponential relationship which prevails down to 0.14 arcsec.

Benedict, G. F.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dawn Maps the Surface Composition of Vesta

By 7-October-2011, the Dawn mission will have completed Survey orbit and commenced high altitude mapping of 4-Vesta. We present a preliminary analysis of data acquired by Dawn's Framing Camera (FC) and the Visual and InfraRed Spectrometer (VIR) to map mineralogy and surface temperature, and to detect and quantify surficial OH. The radiometric calibration of VIR and FC is described. Background counting data acquired by GRaND are used to determine elemental detection limits from measurements at low altitude, which will commence in November. Geochemical models used in the interpretation of the data are described. Thermal properties, mineral-, and geochemical-data are combined to provide constraints on Vesta s formation and thermal evolution, the delivery of exogenic materials, space weathering processes, and the origin of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites.

Prettyman, T.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Laser Tracker Utilization Methodology in Measuring Truth Trajectories for INS Testing on 6 Degree of Freedom Table at the Marshall Space Flight Center's Contact Dynamics Simulation Laboratory with Lessons Learned

When performing Inertial Navigation System (INS) testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Contact Dynamics Simulation Laboratory (CDSL) early in 2017, a Leica Geosystems AT901 Laser Tracker system (LLT) measured the twist & sway trajectories as generated by the 6 Degree Of Freedom (6DOF) Table in the CDSL. These LLT measured trajectories were used in the INS software model validation effort. Several challenges were identified and overcome during the preparation for the INS testing, as well as numerous lessons learned. These challenges included determining the position and attitude of the LLT with respect to an INS-shared coordinate frame using surveyed monument locations in the CDSL and the accompanying mathematical transformation, accurately measuring the spatial relationship between the INS and a 6DOF tracking probe due to lack of INS visibility from the LLT location, obtaining the data from the LLT during a test, determining how to process the results for comparison with INS data in time and frequency domains, and using a sensitivity analysis of the results to verify the quality of the results. While many of these challenges were identified and overcome before or during testing, a significant lesson on test set-up was not learned until later in the data analysis process. It was found that a combination of trajectory-dependent gimbal locking and environmental noise introduced non-negligible noise in the angular measurements of the LLT that spanned the evaluated frequency spectrum. The lessons learned in this experiment may be useful for others performing INS testing in similar testing facilities.

Leggett, Jared O.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Implementation of an advanced table look-up classifier for large area land-use classification

Software employing Eppler's improved table look-up approach to pattern recognition has been developed, and results from this software are presented. The look-up table for each class is a computer representation of a hyperellipsoid in four dimensional space. During implementation of the software Eppler's look-up procedure was modified to include multiple ranges in order to accommodate hollow regions in the ellipsoids. In a typical ERTS classification run less than 6000 36-bit computer words were required to store tables for 24 classes. Classification results from the improved table look-up are identical with those produced by the conventional method, i.e., by calculation of the maximum likelihood decision rule at the moment of classification. With the new look-up approach an entire ERTS MSS frame can be classified into 24 classes in 1.3 hours, compared to 22.5 hours required by the conventional method. The new software is coded completely in FORTRAN to facilitate transfer to other digital computers.

Jones, C.↗
NASA NTRS2008

A Globally Optimal Particle Tracking Technique for Stereo Imaging Velocimetry Experiments

An important phase of any Stereo Imaging Velocimetry experiment is particle tracking. Particle tracking seeks to identify and characterize the motion of individual particles entrained in a fluid or air experiment. We analyze a cylindrical chamber filled with water and seeded with density-matched particles. In every four-frame sequence, we identify a particle track by assigning a unique track label for each camera image. The conventional approach to particle tracking is to use an exhaustive tree-search method utilizing greedy algorithms to reduce search times. However, these types of algorithms are not optimal due to a cascade effect of incorrect decisions upon adjacent tracks. We examine the use of a guided evolutionary neural net with simulated annealing to arrive at a globally optimal assignment of tracks. The net is guided both by the minimization of the search space through the use of prior limiting assumptions about valid tracks and by a strategy which seeks to avoid high-energy intermediate states which can trap the net in a local minimum. A stochastic search algorithm is used in place of back-propagation of error to further reduce the chance of being trapped in an energy well. Global optimization is achieved by minimizing an objective function, which includes both track smoothness and particle-image utilization parameters. In this paper we describe our model and present our experimental results. We compare our results with a nonoptimizing, predictive tracker and obtain an average increase in valid track yield of 27 percent

McDowell, Mark↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Alternative Architectures for a 2024 Lunar Sortie

This study focused on performing a broad analysis of lunar architectures to identify key alternatives capable of performing a 2024 human lunar landing mission. The goal of the study was to identify architecture alternatives which exhibit robustness, as measured by launch vehicle payload margin, to absorb the natural growth that occurs during design maturation. The study consisted of up to three element architectures which perform the mission from cis-lunar aggregation, through the surface sortie, and return to cis-lunar space. More than 600,000 data points were evaluated utilizing a novel architecture synthesis framework currently being developed by NASA/MSFC. Key findings from the study indicate that architecture complexity can be reduced by minimizing the number of discrete, unique architecture elements, which in turn translates into reduced design, development, test, and evaluation (DDT&E) complexity. It was identified that heavy lift launch vehicles enable such architectures while also providing significant increases to launch vehicle margin over existing and near-term commercial launch vehicle (CLV) performance expected in the 2024 time frame. Additionally, the study identified storable propellant based lander architectures as leading alternatives in achieving a 2024 human lunar landing by providing reduced technology needs and development schedules.

Architecture Analysis↗
DOE OSTI2022

NXREFINE

NXRefine implements a complete workflow for both data acquisition and reduction of single crystal diffuse x-ray scattering collected as a series of area detector frames during continuous sample rotation. The data are stored in HDF5 files, which conform to the NeXus data format standard. These files contain a comprehensive set of metadata, including the incident wavelength, powder calibration scans used to define detector distances, beam centers, and yaw, pitch, and roll corrections. Automated peak searches of the three-dimensional data arrays define a set of Bragg peaks that are used to define an orientation matrix, defined according to Busing and Levy, which is then used to transform the data from angular coordinates to reciprocal space coordinates using the CCTW program. Multiple rotations at different detector translations and offset rotation axes are combined to ensure that there are no gaps in the reconstructed data, and allow the construction of masks to eliminate detector artifacts due to Compton scattering within the sensor layers. Finally, the data can be transformed into 3D-ΔPDF maps using the punch-and-fill method after symmetrization.

OSBORN, RAYMOND↗
NASA NTRS1977

Wind tunnel and analytical investigation of over-the-wing propulsion/air frame interferences for a short-haul aircraft at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 0.78

Results of analytical calculations and wind tunnel tests at cruise speeds of a representative four engine short haul aircraft employing upper surface blowing (USB) with a supercritical wing are discussed. Wind tunnel tests covered a range of Mach number M from 0.6 to 0.78. Tests explored the use of three USB nozzle configurations. Results are shown for the isolated wing body and for each of the three nozzle types installed. Experimental results indicate that a low angle nacelle and streamline contoured nacelle yielded the same interference drag at the design Mach number. A high angle powered lift nacelle had higher interference drag primarily because of nacelle boattail low pressures and flow separation. Results of varying the spacing between the nacelles and the use of trailing edge flap deflections, wing upper surface contouring, and a convergent-divergent nozzle to reduce potential adverse jet effects were also discussed. Analytical comparisons with experimental data, made for selected cases, indicate favorable agreement.

Wells, O. D.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-dissipation centred schemes for hyperbolic equations in conservative and non-conservative form

We propose a one-parameter family of low-dissipation centred numerical schemes for solving hyperbolic equations in conservative or non-conservative form, using finite volume or discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods. The new schemes spring out from the multi-dimensional FORCE method and are determined by a single parameter α ≥ 1. Given an increasing sequence of real numbers 1 ≤ α 1 < α 2 < . . . < α K , there corresponds a sequence of numerical schemes with stability restriction associated to a decreasing sequence of Courant numbers 1 > c 1 > c 2 > . . . > c K > 0 and a decreasing sequence of corresponding numerical viscosity functions d 1 > d 2 > . . . > d K . For a given Courant number c k ≤ 1 there is a real number α k > 0 and a corresponding stable scheme with minimal numerical viscosity d k . The proposed schemes suit very well the family of high-order discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods and the recently proposed class of ADER-TR schemes, whose orders of accuracy define decreasing sequences of Courant numbers, as the order of accuracy increases. The centred methods of this paper are stable in 2D and 3D in the frame of simultaneous updating formulae, unlike other centred methods, such as 1D FORCE, which are not. Furthermore, the schemes are highly accurate for slowly-moving waves, which is precisely the kind of waves that traditional centred methods smear disastrously. Additional features of the proposed schemes include ease of implementation and applicability to any hyperbolic system either in conservative or non-conservative form. Here, the proposed schemes are analysed and computationally assessed through a suite of test problems for a linear model system, for the Euler equations in one and two space dimensions, and for the Baer-Nunziato equations for compressible two-phase flow.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗