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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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Monthly summary of top achievements at Los Alamos National Laboratory in May 2023, including nuclear security; science, technology, and engineering; mission operations; and community relations.
The effects of radiation on the performance of modern rocket propulsion systems operating at high pressure and temperature were recognized as a key issue in the design and operation of various liquid rocket engines of the current and future generations. Critical problem areas of radiation coupled with combustion of bipropellants are assessed and accounted for in the formulation of a universal scaling law incorporated with a radiation-enhanced vaporization combustion model. Numerical algorithms are developed and the pertaining data of the Variable Thrust Engine (VTE) and Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) are used to conduct parametric sensitivity studies to predict the principal intercoupling effects of radiation. The analysis reveals that low enthalpy engines, such as the VTE, are vulnerable to a substantial performance set back by the radiative loss, whereas the performance of high enthalpy engines such as the SSME, are hardly affected over a broad range of engine operation. Additionally, combustion enhancement by the radiative heating of the propellant has a significant impact in those propellants with high absorptivity. Finally, the areas of research related with radiation phenomena in bipropellant engines are identified.
Velocity, gust, and height data analysis from four-engine turbojet transport airplane
Airflow turbulence parameters were measured in the high pressure, high temperature flow stream leaving the compressor of an operating gas turbine engine. A water cooled hot film turbulence probe was used to determine the turbulence intensity and length scale in the compressor exit flow stream of the CF6-50 engine. Data were obtained only at idle operating conditions. At engine power levels above idle conditions, durability problems and erratic data readings were encountered with the turbulence measurement probes. Turbulence measurements were made at three radial immersions at a point 15.5 cm downstream of the compressor outlet guide vanes in the compressor exit diffuser. The passage height at this point is 5.54 cm. Data reduction was accomplished with a time-data fast Fourier transform (FFT) system. This system finds the power spectral density distribution (PSD) of a large number of data samples using a direct Fourier transform algorithm and finds the autocorrelation parameter for these data by doing an FFT analysis of the PSD curves for a series of time delay intervals.
The ideal cycle, its application to a practical machine, and the specific advantages of high efficiency, low emissions, multi-fuel capability, and low noise of the stirling engine are discussed. Certain portions of the Stirling engine must operate continuously at high temperature. Ceramics offer the potential of cost reduction and efficiency improvement for advanced engine applications. Potential applications for ceramics in Stirling engines, and some of the special problems pertinent to using ceramics in the Stirling engine are described. The research and technology program in ceramics which is planned to support the development of advanced Stirling engines is outlined.
Develop and test a rocket engine that operates on environmentally friendly propellants; Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Methane (LCH4). Due to modifications the rocket engine designed last summer (KJ_REX) is not the same rocket thruster tested this summer, but very similar. The new modified rocket thruster was built for NASA by Orion Propulsion Inc. (OPI), Huntsville, AL.
I.Current key activities: a) Constellation Level2-System Engineering. b) Lunar Architecture Team (LAT)2-technology assessment and architectural option for the lander. c) Mars Architecture Team-system engineering support, Science integration, precursor program planning. d) Lunar Lander Project Core Team-GN&C and Flight system engineering. e) Technology program-supporting multiple projects in robotics, power systems, aero entry technology. f) Mission Operation Project-Mission operations system engineering. g) Advanced Environmental Monitoring Instruments. H. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter instrument (Diviner). II. Mission Proposals a) Lunar Sample return. b) Lunar Gravity field mapper.
Studies at ESOC have demonstrated the feasibility of a flexible and powerful Engineering Database Management System in support for spacecraft operations documentation. The objectives set out were three-fold: first an analysis of the problems encountered by the Operations team in obtaining and managing operations documents; secondly, the definition of a concept for operations documentation and the implementation of prototype to prove the feasibility of the concept; and thirdly, definition of standards and protocols required for the exchange of data between the top-level partners in a satellite project. The EDMS prototype was populated with ERS-l satellite design data and has been used by the operations team at ESOC to gather operational experience. An operational EDMS would be implemented at the satellite prime contractor's site as a common database for all technical information surrounding a project and would be accessible by the cocontractor's and ESA teams.
Studies were performed in order to characterize the thrust augmentation potential of an ejector in a Pulse Detonation Engine application. A 49-mm diameter tube of 0.914-m length was constructed with one open end and one closed end. Ethylene, oxygen, and nitrogen were introduced into the tube at the closed end through the implementation of a fast mixing injector. The tube was completely filled with a stoichiometric mixture containing a one to one molar ratio of nitrogen to oxygen. Ethylene was selected as the fuel due to its detonation sensitivity and the molar ratio of the oxidizer was chosen for heat transfer purposes. Detonations were initiated in the tube through the use of a spark ignition system. The PDE was operated in a multi-cycle mode at frequencies ranging from 20-Hz to 50-Hz. Baseline thrust measurements with no ejector present were performed while operating the engine at various frequencies and compared to theoretical estimates. The baseline values were observed to agree with the theoretical model at low operating frequencies and proved to be increasingly lower than the predicted values as the operating frequency was increased. The baseline thrust measurements were observed to agree within 15 percent of the model for all operating frequencies. A straight 152-mm diameter ejector was installed and thrust augmentation percentages were measured. The length of the ejector was varied while the overlap percentage (percent of the ejector length which overlapped the tube) was maintained at 25 percent for all tests. In addition, the effect of ejector inlet geometry was investigated by comparing results with a straight inlet to those of a 38-mm inlet diameter. The thrust augmentation of the straight inlet ejector proved to be independent of engine operating frequency, augmenting thrust by 40 percent for the 0.914-m length ejector. In contrast, the rounded lip ejector of the same length seemed to be highly dependent on the engine operating frequency. An optimum operating frequency observed with the rounded inlet occurred at an operating frequency of 30-Hz, resulting in thrust augmentation percentages greater than 100 percent. The effect that the engine operating frequency had on thrust augmentation levels attained with an ejector was characterized and optimum performance parameters were established. Insight into the frequency dependent nature of the ejector performance was pursued. Suggestions for future experiments which are needed to fully understand the means in which thrust augmentation is achieved in a PDE-ejector configuration were noted.
The performance of a turbocharged rotary engine at power levels above 75 kW (100 hp) was studied. A twin rotor turbocharged Mazda engine was tested at speeds of 3000 to 6000 rpm and boost pressures to 7 psi. The NASA developed combustion diagnostic instrumentation was used to quantify indicated and pumping mean effect pressures, peak pressure, and face to face variability on a cycle by cycle basis. Results of this testing showed that a 5900 rpm a 36 percent increase in power was obtained by operating the engine in the turbocharged configuration. When operating with lean carburetor jets at 105 hp (78.3 kW) and 4000 rpm, a brake specific fuel consumption of 0.45 lbm/lb-hr was measured.
Climate change and rapidly rising energy demand, driven in part by artificial intelligence and data-centre growth, create an urgent need for stable, low-carbon, and abundant power. Fusion is a promising long-term solution, yet its commercialisation faces a fundamental paradox in today’s investment environment: pilot plants are essential to de-risk physics, engineering, and operations, but their limited lifetime energy output and high upfront costs make them difficult to finance. This paper presents Tokamak Energy’s response: ST-E1, a pre-concept design for a low-aspect-ratio tokamak power plant engineered specifically to overcome this challenge. ST-E1 is designed from the outset for phased operation—pilot and commercial phases, with an upgrade phase in between—with emphasis on commercial viability, maintainability, nuclear engineering, modularity, and upgradability. A key design principle is the deliberate separation of long-lived assets, such as the magnet cage and vacuum vessel, from replaceable in-vessel systems. This provides an attractive and credible investment approach to generate operational data and de-risk key technologies while preserving most capital-intensive assets for later commercial phases. The architecture supports continuous optimisation toward high net electric power (targeting 800–1000 MW net electric), a normalised capital expenditure of $\$$ 12–14k/kW of net electric power, and high availability (targeting > 80%). A tokamak core with a 5 m major radius, aspect ratio of 2.3, and on-plasma axis toroidal field of 5.25 T was selected to meet these objectives. This paper summarises the ST-E1 design philosophy, principal features, and development methodology. It introduces a Focus Collection of 11 papers detailing the pre-concept design of the entire tokamak and corresponding plant.
Short highlights in the following areas are included: Nuclear Security; Science, Technology and Engineering; Mission Operations; and, Community Relations.
The Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate (MO&DSD, Code 500), the Space Sciences Directorate (Code 600), and the Flight Projects Directorate (Code 400) have developed a new approach to combine the science and mission operations for the FUSE mission. FUSE, the last of the Delta-class Explorer missions, will obtain high resolution far ultraviolet spectra (910 - 1220 A) of stellar and extragalactic sources to study the evolution of galaxies and conditions in the early universe. FUSE will be launched in 2000 into a 24-hour highly eccentric orbit. Science operations will be conducted in real time for 16-18 hours per day, in a manner similar to the operations performed today for the International Ultraviolet Explorer. In a radical departure from previous missions, the operations concept combines spacecraft and science operations and data processing functions in a single facility to be housed in the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics (Code 680). A small missions operations team will provide the spacecraft control, telescope operations and data handling functions in a facility designated as the Science and Mission Operations Center (SMOC). This approach will utilize the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) architecture for both spacecraft and instrument commanding. Other concepts of integrated operations being developed by the Code 500 Renaissance Project will also be employed for the FUSE SMOC. The primary objective of this approach is to reduce development and mission operations costs. The operations concept, integration of mission and science operations, and extensive use of existing hardware and software tools will decrease both development and operations costs extensively. This paper describes the FUSE operations concept, discusses the systems engineering approach used for its development, and the software, hardware and management tools that will make its implementation feasible.
Current aircraft engine controllers are designed and operated to provide desired performance and stability margins. Except for the hard limits for extreme conditions, engine controllers do not usually take engine component life into consideration during the controller design and operation. The end result is that aircraft pilots regularly operate engines under unnecessarily harsh conditions to strive for optimum performance. The NASA Glenn Research Center and its industrial and academic partners have been working together toward an intelligent control concept that will include engine life as part of the controller design criteria. This research includes the study of the relationship between control action and engine component life as well as the design of an intelligent control algorithm to provide proper tradeoffs between performance and engine life. This approach is expected to maintain operating safety while minimizing overall operating costs. In this study, the thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of a critical component was selected to demonstrate how an intelligent engine control algorithm can significantly extend engine life with only a very small sacrifice in performance. An intelligent engine control scheme based on modifying the high-pressure spool speed (NH) was proposed to reduce TMF damage from ground idle to takeoff. The NH acceleration schedule was optimized to minimize the TMF damage for a given rise-time constraint, which represents the performance requirement. The intelligent engine control scheme was used to simulate a commercial short-haul aircraft engine.
Renewed interest in hypersonic propulsion systems has led to research programs investigating combined cycle engines that are designed to operate efficiently across the flight regime. The Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine is a propulsion system under development at the NASA Lewis Research Center. This engine integrates a high specific impulse, low thrust-to-weight, airbreathing engine with a low-impulse, high thrust-to-weight rocket. From takeoff to Mach 2.5, the engine operates as an air-augmented rocket. At Mach 2.5, the engine becomes a dual-mode ramjet; and beyond Mach 8, the rocket is turned back on. One Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine variation known as the "Strut-Jet" concept is being investigated jointly by NASA Lewis, the U.S. Air Force, Gencorp Aerojet, General Applied Science Labs (GASL), and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Work thus far has included wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigations with the NPARC code. The CFD method was initiated by modeling the geometry of the Strut-Jet with the GRIDGEN structured grid generator. Grids representing a subscale inlet model and the full-scale demonstrator geometry were constructed. These grids modeled one-half of the symmetric inlet flow path, including the precompression plate, diverter, center duct, side duct, and combustor. After the grid generation, full Navier-Stokes flow simulations were conducted with the NPARC Navier-Stokes code. The Chien low-Reynolds-number k-e turbulence model was employed to simulate the high-speed turbulent flow. Finally, the CFD solutions were postprocessed with a Fortran code. This code provided wall static pressure distributions, pitot pressure distributions, mass flow rates, and internal drag. These results were compared with experimental data from a subscale inlet test for code validation; then they were used to help evaluate the demonstrator engine net thrust.
The project demonstrated the ability to improve boiler performance and reliability through the integrated use of condition-based monitoring (CBM) and predictions of the impacts of coal quality on boiler operations at a full-scale coal-fired power plant. The advanced tool developed actively monitors and manages coal quality and overall boiler conditions that maximizes availability and maintains generating capacity while reducing cost. The tool is used to forecast and alert plant operators and engineers about poor boiler conditions which may occur as a result of incoming coal and/or current power plant operating conditions. The Combustion System Performance Indices (CSPI) and CoalTracker (CT) programs predicts fireside performance of the plant including slagging, fouling, erosion, slag flow, strength development (sintering/densification), and slag layer thickness based on the composition of delivered coal. CT program is tailored for each plant and is used to track the coal from the point of delivery to the burner. The most successful application of the CSPI-CT has been at plants where the coal composition is determined through the use of a full stream elemental analyzers based on prompt gamma neutron analysis (PGNAA). The CSPI-CT program information is used by coal procurement, coal mining and plant operations personnel to select and blend coal properties for the best plant performance.
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) resilience framework has been developed to broadly apply to EEDS so that all elements of systems that contain distributed wind can be part of the resilience evaluation. The users or audience for this framework can include any stakeholders associated with the EEDS. Not all electrical energy systems have the same stakeholders; customers, owners, and operators are generally present but have different interests. Considering the broad electrical grid, customers, regulators, investors, utility planners, engineers, and operators each have an interest in system resilience driven from different motivating factors. This document focuses on the planning stage of the framework. In this document, each step is explained briefly before demonstrating its application to the St. Mary’s-Mt. Village system. The framework can be used for many types of resilience planning. It can be used to evaluate current overall resilience, or the resilience of certain subsystems. It can be used to explore existing resilience weak points and propose mitigations. It can also be used to evaluate the resilience benefits of a new investment. We use the latter application for this case study. Although the wind turbine in St. Mary’s has already been installed, the resilience benefits that the turbine provided were not well defined. It was installed with the main objective to generate electric power from a renewable resource in an effort to reduce the local dependency on fuel oil as the sole source of electric power generation, which is a resilience goal on its own, but there are other ways in which the turbine can add resilience to the system, as well as scenarios of interest to analyze how resilient the wind turbine itself is against different hazards. In this case study, we analyze the operation of the St. Mary’s power system both with the wind installed and without the wind installed during different resilience hazards of interest. This allows us to compare the performance with wind and without wind and to quantify the resilience benefits provided by wind. Our MIRACL partners at PNNL will then take the resilience benefits and assign value to the resilience provided by wind based on costs and costs avoided in the different scenarios.
Three fuel blends conforming to AN-F-58 specifications were tested in order to determine the influence of boiling temperatures and aromatic content on altitude performance in single combustor of 4000-pound-thrust turbojet engine. At simulated engine conditions from an altitude of 30,000 to an altitude of 60,000 feet and 85-percent rated engine speed, the three AN-F-58 fuels showed little difference in performance.