SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
The Link Monitor & Control Operator Assistant (LMC OA) is a knowledge-based prototype system which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to provide semi-automated monitor and control functions to support operations of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 70-Meter antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Camplex (DSCC).
Automating the task of training development always sounded like a great idea, and recently, a system was developed that actually does just that.
We have introduced and used significant automation during the verification and validation (V & V) of a spacecraft's autonomous planner. This paper describes the problem we faced, the solution we employed, and the applicability of our approach in a general V & V setting.
Slide presentation for Vertiport Automation System (VAS) Software breakout session introducing the planning and pre-flight phase.
Slide presentation for Vertiport Automation System (VAS) Software breakout session covering the landing and surface movement overview
Slide presentation detailing the Vertiport Automation System system design review
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Hi-Rate Composites Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project in 2021 with the goal of significantly increasing composite structures manufacturing rate in the commercial aircraft industry. The technologies currently under investigation include resin infusion and automated fiber placement (AFP) of novel thermoset materials and thermoplastic composites. Thermoplastic composites offer attractive solutions to rapid manufacturing due to their ability to be formed and consolidated quickly. NASA is particularly focused on assessing composite structure manufacturing utilizing an in-situ consolidation AFP of thermoplastics (ICAT) process employing a recently developed laser heating system. Two semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone thermoplastic tape materials were characterized to ascertain the ICAT process parameters at AFP placement speeds approaching 423 mm/s. The required laser power settings were determined at Electroimpact, measuring material temperatures utilizing a forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging camera and thermocouples. The material temperature, tool temperature, and placement speed were varied for resulting consolidation quality assessment. The resulting temperature data were also utilized to calibrate thermal analysis models under development at NASA. The experimental temperature data confirmed analytical results. An overview of the HiCAM project as well as initial data from ICAT process characterizations are described.
This single slide presentation gives a summary of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Automated Flight & Contingency Management (AFCM) subproject, at a high level for a potentially non-NASA technical audience.
Commercial aircraft structures are frequently manufactured from carbon-epoxy materials because of their weight and stiffness advantages compared to metallic materials. Wing cover panels are regularly manufactured using an automated fiber placement (AFP) process, but current design and manufacturing methodologies do not fully take advantage of the opportunities afforded by AFP. Design and manufacturing studies were undertaken at the NASA Langley Research Center at the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites (ISAAC) facility to quantify manufacturing benefits and limitations associated with AFP to create structurally efficient integral stiffeners as an alternative to bonded or mechanically fastened stiffeners. This methodology could save weight and remove failure mechanisms by reducing the need for rivets and bonding materials since the stiffener plies are interleaved within the skin plies. The use of AFP with integral stiffeners can open the design space, but a fundamental, systematic evaluation of manufacturing limitations is necessary. Manufacturing trials are described herein, where considered manufacturing variables included stiffener location, stiffener course staggering, stiffener widths, stiffener intersections, and material thicknesses for both the skin and stiffener plies. The manufacturing process and lessons learned from each trial are described, including the most successful current design which contains staggered stiffeners, non-traditional laminate angles, and a combination of multiple material thicknesses within the same laminate.
Composite materials have tremendous potential in the design and manufacture of commercial aircraft due to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight properties. However, the use of composite materials is currently limited by high cost and long manufacturing time. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Hi-rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project to investigate promising composite processing technologies with a goal of vastly improving composite commercial aircraft manufacturing rate (4-6x faster than current production rates). Laser assisted automated fiber placement (AFP) of thermoplastics is a key technology that could increase speed of composite manufacturing, but the technology has not been fully developed. In-situ consolidation AFP of thermoplastics (ICAT) could reduce time and cost even further by eliminating the time and equipment required for post-consolidation. In this work, the thermal response of laser heated ICAT was investigated using forward looking infrared (FLIR) and embedded thermocouples (TCs) to better understand fusion between layers (autohesion). Detailed explanation of the algorithm to combine FLIR and TC data will be presented. In addition, the effect of robot speed on time above melting temperature was quantified.
Interconnections of new systems are needed for airspace automation capabilities required in Urban Air Mobility (UAM). FAA Concept of Operations (CONOPS) V1.0 shows Provider of Services for UAM (PSU) at the center of the notional architecture; however, the functional role of the PSU in data exchange and the path to get there is unclear. In partnership with Wisk Aero, Avision, ANRA, Collins Aerospace, OneSky, SkyGrid, and AURA, the NASA National Campaign held discussions and tabletop exercises to test the functional allocations and work flows between an aircraft operator, airspace providers, Command and Control Communication Service Providers (C2CSP), and FAA air traffic in a real-world scenario. The exercise included preplanning and execution of a passenger mission with nominal, contingency, and conflict management scenarios for initial UAM operations. This working paper describes initial conditions for the flight tabletop exercise, exercise summaries, lessons learned, and recommendations for future work.
Commercial aircraft structures are frequently manufactured from carbon-epoxy materials because of their weight and stiffness advantages compared to metallic materials. Wing cover panels are regularly manufactured using an automated fiber placement (AFP) process, but current design and manufacturing methodologies do not fully take advantage of the opportunities afforded by AFP. Design and manufacturing studies were undertaken at the NASA Langley Research Center at the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites (ISAAC) facility to quantify manufacturing benefits and limitations associated with AFP to create structurally efficient integral stiffeners as an alternative to bonded or mechanically fastened stiffeners. This methodology could save weight and remove failure mechanisms by reducing the need for rivets and bonding materials since the stiffener plies are interleaved within the skin plies. The use of AFP with integral stiffeners can open the design space, but a fundamental, systematic evaluation of manufacturing limitations is necessary. Manufacturing trials are described herein, where considered manufacturing variables included stiffener location, stiffener course staggering, stiffener widths, stiffener intersections, and material thicknesses for both the skin and stiffener plies. The manufacturing process and lessons learned from each trial are described, including the most successful current design which contains staggered stiffeners, non-traditional laminate angles, and a combination of multiple material thicknesses within the same laminate.
The current medical inventory paradigm on the International Space Station (ISS) requires crew to report use of medications and supplies to be manually decremented by ground teams. This method is not only tedious and time consuming for both the crew and ground teams but also results in inaccuracies in location and availability of medical supplies over time. Fortunately, the ISS is frequently resupplied by cargo launches and crew expeditions, and an accurate inventory count is less critical. However, for exploration missions, resupply will be greatly limited or unavailable entirely, and increasing communication latency will impair crew-ground communications. On longer missions, with large medical systems and time constrained crew, NASA needs a method of accurately managing medical inventory without reliance on ground teams and with as little crew time and effort as possible. The Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) project called Medical Exploration Development and Implementation Scoping (MEDIScope) prepared a concept of operations and preliminary requirements for an Automated Medical Inventory System (AMIS) and completed a market survey and trade study of potential inventory management technologies in partnership with the market research firm, yet2. The products from the MEDIScope effort, including the market survey results, preliminary functional requirements and a concept of operations, have been handed off to a development team at Glenn Research Center (GRC) and ZIN Technologies for technology maturation. In the development phase, the AMIS team will finalize system requirements, down select technologies, integrate with a future exploration Crew Health and Performance Integrated Data Architecture, and conduct design reviews. The project will culminate in an ISS technical flight demonstration in FY27.
The High Density Vertiplex Sub-Project, as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Project, has been developing a reference Vertiport Automation System (VAS) to support the management of arrival and departure operations in the terminal area of a vertiport or network of inter-connected vertiports known as a vertiplex. The VAS is potentially a key element of an integrated AAM architecture that will enable greater levels of coordination and predictability for vertiport users through its integration and sharing of information, and greater control of vertiport resources for managing operators. This paper provides an overview of the VAS and a description of an initial implementation that has been integrated into a broader reference architecture as part of ongoing research. Examples from recent simulations are presented with an outline for next steps and considerations.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Hi-Rate Composites Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project in 2021 with the goal of significantly increasing composite structures manufacturing rate in the commercial aircraft industry. The technologies currently under investigation include resin infusion and automated fiber placement (AFP) of novel thermoset materials and thermoplastic composites. Thermoplastic composites offer attractive solutions to rapid manufacturing due to their ability to be formed and consolidated quickly. NASA is particularly focused on assessing composite structure manufacturing utilizing an in-situ consolidation AFP of thermoplastics (ICAT) process employing a recently developed laser heating system. Two semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone thermoplastic tape materials were characterized to ascertain the ICAT process parameters at AFP placement speeds approaching 423 mm/s. The required laser power settings were determined at Electroimpact, measuring material temperatures utilizing a forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging camera and thermocouples. The material temperature, tool temperature, and placement speed were varied for resulting consolidation quality assessment. The resulting temperature data were also utilized to calibrate thermal analysis models under development at NASA. The experimental temperature data confirmed analytical results. An overview of the HiCAM project as well as initial data from ICAT process characterizations are described.
This presentation is about eVTOL and an Automation Enable Pilot Study conducted at NASA-Ames. The presentation also provides a short history of VTOL and control studies at NASA Ames along with an introduction to Ames.
To meet the future demand of the commercial aircraft market, composite aircraft manufacturing rates must significantly increase. NASA’s Hi-Rate Composites Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) program addresses this need to advance aircraft composite manufacturing technologies. Thermoplastic composites offer a promising solution to these manufacturing demands and present an opportunity for Northrop Grumman to bring the benefits of its Automated Stiffener Forming (ASF) technology to thermoplastic processing. Within HiCAM, Northrop Grumman is evolving the ASF technology for ply-by-ply, in-situ processing of thermoplastic composite materials. The modular process accommodates flexibility in the laminate stacking, while allowing for ply drops, ply additions, and yaw, pitch, and roll in the laminate geometry. To adapt the ASF process for thermoplastics, heating technologies and roller compaction processes were investigated by manufacturing flat test coupons. These panels were evaluated by photo-microscopy, non-destructive inspection, and short beam shear tests and results were compared against baseline autoclave coupons. The results of the laminates fabricated via ASF are presented.
NASA and Electroimpact, Inc. ®†† in conjunction with other U.S. industry partners are performing research as a part of the NASA High-rate Composites for Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) Project to fabricate thermoplastic panels using automated fiber placement (AFP) to increase manufacturing rates of aircraft structural composites. This work focuses on evaluating the in-situ consolidation AFP of thermoplastics (ICAT) process. Previous studies of the ICAT process using semi-crystalline, polyaryletherketone (PAEK) slit-tape have resulted in an adequate degree of intimate contact between plies; however, the resulting interlaminar strength have been less than laminates fabricated in an autoclave. To improve these properties, the effect of reducing the laser angle of incidence (AoI) during placement to increase the degree of auto-hesion was evaluated. The AoI of the laser assisted AFP head was varied between 12° and 16° to fabricate multiple quasi- isotropic and unidirectional test panels. Physics-based thermal models developed at the NASA Langley Research Center were utilized to predict the temperature profile. Laminate processing temperature was measured experimentally, and panel quality was evaluated by both non- destructive evaluation (NDE) as well as destructively by photo-microscopy. The effect on interlaminar strength was determined by short beam strength testing. Test results of carbon fiber laminates fabricated by ICAT using polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), and low-melt polyaryletherketone (LM-PAEK) at various laser angles of incidence, placement temperatures and placement speeds are presented.