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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

A generalized Flory-Stockmayer kinetic theory of connectivity percolation and rigidity percolation of cytoskeletal networks

Actin networks are essential for living cells to move, reproduce, and sense their environments. The dynamic and rheological behavior of actin networks is modulated by actin-binding proteins such as α-actinin, Arp2/3, and myosin. There is experimental evidence that actin-binding proteins modulate the cooperation of myosin motors by connecting the actin network. In this work, we present an analytical mean field model, using the Flory-Stockmayer theory of gelation, to understand how different actin-binding proteins change the connectivity of the actin filaments as the networks are formed. We follow the kinetics of the networks and estimate the concentrations of actin-binding proteins that are needed to reach connectivity percolation as well as to reach rigidity percolation. We find that Arp2/3 increases the actomyosin connectivity in the network in a non-monotonic way. We also describe how changing the connectivity of actomyosin networks modulates the ability of motors to exert forces, leading to three possible phases of the networks with distinctive dynamical characteristics: a sol phase, a gel phase, and an active phase. Thus, changes in the concentration and activity of actin-binding proteins in cells lead to a phase transition of the actin network, allowing the cells to perform active contraction and change their rheological properties.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Low-Cost Minisplit Heat Pump Connection System

This project was funded by SCE's Emerging Technologies Program, and evaluates the feasibility of a connection system that can pave the path to accelerated, cost-effective adoption of high-efficiency Minisplit Heat Pump (MSHP) systems. This report details the characterization of this connection system and a heat pump enabled with this technology in a laboratory setting, and assesses the energy and cost impact applicable to residential buildings in SCE service territory. The energy and economic analysis leverages NREL's ResStock TM modeling approach based on the EnergyPlus ® hourly simulation platform. The connection system can be incorporated into existing MSHP architectures. This reduces installation time from 10 to 20 man hours to approximately one hour or less, dramatically lowering total installation costs without adversely impacting heat pump performance. This report characterizes the connection system's leakage performance while connected and disconnected, as well as leakage over several connection/disconnection cycles, commensurate with manufacturer specifications for the individual components. The connector was incorporated into an off-the-shelf MSHP. Performance was compared to an identical unmodified heat pump. The connector had no impact on performance. Large-scale hourly energy simulations were performed for 22,574 homes across 15 counties in SCE service territory. The analysis was performed using baseline assumptions about the penetrations of window air conditioners (~18%) and six upgrade scenarios for these air conditioners. All scenarios assumed 100% adoption of the Connector-Supported Heat Pump (CSHP) in place of window air conditioners: MSHPs at Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 17, 25, and 33, and CSHPs at SEER 17, 25, and 33. Results show the increased adoption of high-efficiency heat pumps can result in up to 29% air conditioning energy savings for homes with window air conditioners.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimization of prefabricated component installation using a real-time evaluator (RTE) connection locating system

Prefabrication promises to industrialize the construction industry. By constructing elements within a manufacturing environment, producers can better control quality and maximize production efficiency. Since the major adoption of prefabrication, a wide variety of prefabricated components have been produced for varying applications such as new construction and exterior wall retrofits. While the production processes of these prefabricated components have seen much innovation, the installation process has remained relatively unchanged for decades. To innovate the installation process with modern technologies, a real-time evaluator (RTE) has been developed to reduce the installation cost of prefabricated components by reducing installation time, decreasing rework, and improving accuracy. The RTE uses developed software solutions with off-the-shelf hardware to assist erectors in completing an installation by measuring the real-time positions of connections and prefabricated components, providing installation guidance through a graphical user interface, and monitoring the accumulated installation errors. An overview of the RTE and proposed workflow is presented. A connection locating system that guides users in expediting the installation of connections is introduced. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the accuracy improvement and time savings of the RTE in installing connections for prefabricated components. RTE enabled a time saving of up to 37% compared to traditional connection installation methods using handheld measurement tools.

Hayes, Nolan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydrological connectivity: a review and emerging strategies for integrating measurement, modeling, and management

This review synthesizes methods for measuring, modeling, and managing hydrologic connectivity, offering pathways to improve practices and address environmental challenges (e.g., climate change) and sustainability. As a key driver of water movement and nutrient cycling, hydrologic connectivity influences flood mitigation, water quality regulation, and biodiversity conservation. However, traditional field-based methods (e.g., dye tracing), indirect measurements (e.g., runoff analysis), and remote sensing techniques (e.g., InSAR) often struggle to capture the complexity of catchment-scale interactions. Similarly, modeling approaches—including process-based and percolation theory-based models, graph theory, and entropy-based metrics—face limitations in fully representing these interconnected processes. Both modeling and measurement techniques are constrained by inadequate spatial and temporal coverage, high data demands, computational complexity, and difficulties in representing subsurface connectivity. Subsequently, we critique current management practices that prioritize isolated variables (e.g., streamflow, sediment transport) over system-wide strategies and emphasize the need for adaptive, connectivity-based approaches in water resource planning and restoration. Moving forward, we highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovations (e.g., AI-driven modeling, real-time monitoring), and integrated frameworks to improve connectivity measurement, modeling, and adaptive management to restore fragmented hydrologic networks. This integrated approach sets the stage for transformative water resource management, fostering proactive policy development and stakeholder engagement.

Dwivedi, Dipankar↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ethane-CO2 Mixture Adsorption in Silicalite: Influence of Tortuosity and Connectivity of Pores on Selectivity

Selective adsorption using nanoporous materials is an efficient strategy for separating gas mixtures. In a nanoporous material, pores can exist in different shapes and can have different degrees of inter-connectivity. In recent studies, both pore connectivity and tortuosity have been found to affect the adsorption and dynamical properties of ethane and CO2 in silicalite differently. Here, using Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate if these two attributes can affect the selective adsorption of one component from a mixture of ethane and CO2 in silicalite. For this, the adsorption of an equimolar mixture of ethane and CO2 is simulated in 12 models of silicalite—SnZm (n, m = 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; with n and m denoting, respectively, the fraction (out of 4) of straight and zigzag channels of silicalite that are available for adsorption)—differing in degrees of pore connectivity and tortuosity. The adsorption selectivity in this system is found to exhibit a reversal with the adsorption dominated by ethane at low pressures (below ~1 atm) and by CO2 at higher pressures (above ~10 atm). Pore connectivity is found to suppress the selective adsorption of CO2 at higher pressures and also shifts the selectivity reversal to higher pressures. The selectivity reversal results from a competition between the polarizability-affected adsorption at lower pressures and efficient packing at higher pressures. The efficient packing of CO2 is a compounded effect resulting from the larger effective pore volume available for CO2 due to its stronger interaction with the pore surface and smaller molecular volume. CO2 molecules show a preference to adsorb in non-tortuous pores, and this preference is found to be stronger in the presence of ethane. The effects of pore connectivity and tortuosity elucidated here should be applicable to a wide range of natural and engineered nanoporous materials, and this knowledge could be used to identify materials with better capability for separating and storing CO2 based on their pore attributes.

Gautam, Siddharth (ORCID:0000000314435382)↗
DOE OSTI2026

SuperLab 2.0 Showcase: Connecting Five Labs to Tackle Grid Complexity and Unlock Unique Grid Asset Potential

SuperLab 2.0 (5-Lab Demo) is a collaborative, national-scale experiment showcasing the coordination of geographically distributed energy assets in real time. The demonstration integrates 25 physical and digital assets, spanning wind, PV, batteries, electrolyzers, DC fast chargers, microgrid controllers, building automation systems, small modular reactor (SMR), control centers, and gas turbines, across five DOE national laboratories-NLR, INL, NETL, LBNL, and SNL. These assets are unified using Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), a low-latency, high-performance U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) network, and controlled via a centralized energy controller hosted at NLR's ARIES facility. The demonstration validates the ability to stress-test hybrid energy systems under dynamic scenarios to de-risk advanced control strategies for greater resilience and flexibility. SuperLab 2.0 (5-Lab Demo) showcased a major advancement in federated national laboratory collaboration, enabling real-time, cross-laboratory experimentation to coordinate geographically dispersed distributed energy resources (DERs) using various communication protocols and networks. SuperLab 2.0 (5-Lab Demo) built on previous demonstrations conducted between NLR-PNNL and NLR-INL connecting diverse assets including distant protection devices, a SMR simulator, and a high temperature electrolyzer (HTE). Previous demos were based on a single connection between two labs with minimal coordination challenges. The 5-Lab demo with a centralized controller, distributed testbeds across different geographical locations, and use of protocols-based communication represents a scenario closer to real-world grid operations that coordinate resources across a region to meet system needs. This experiment studied how local DER controllers interact with a centralized energy controller during normal and abnormal events to maintain reliability. The SuperLab team across the five labs implemented a notional power system model equivalent of transmission and distribution lines, represented by the data networks interconnecting the labs. Each lab continuously exchanged local parameters (such as P and Q) from its Hardware-In-Loop (CHIL) and Power Hardware-In-Loop (PHIL) assets through centralized energy controller at NLR, enabling real-time interaction and coordination across sites. By leveraging ESnet as the communication backbone, the team successfully operated the distributed assets as a unified power system, with each bus represented by a different laboratory. This setup mirrors how assets interact in real-world power systems across dispersed locations with various protocols and latencies. At each lab site, assets were operated using their own local controllers which were coordinated through an overarching operation and control layer of centralized energy controller, equivalent to how an energy management system (EMS) orchestrates assets across a regional or national grid. SuperLab's federated connectivity utilized a Digital Real-Time Simulators (DRTS)-type gateway to connect Controller Hardware-In-Loop (CHIL) and PHIL assets between labs. To enable this federated connection through ESnet, a deterministic network was established where latency variations were consistent. This consistency allowed the development of digital filters for the power system assets across CHIL and PHIL interfaces to avoid unstable and unreliable grid conditions. This report provides an overview of the cross-laboratory configuration and offers insights into interconnecting geographically distributed research assets to test them as if they were co-located. This experiment represents a step toward linking nine DOE national laboratories, enabling nation-wide simulations that can address utility-driven challenges with grid resilience, flexibility, and modernization.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1979

Connection and validation of narrow-band delta VLBI phase observations

Narrow-band differential very long baseline interferometry required phase connections between consecutive scans. An efficient computer aided scheme for this purpose is presented. This scheme is an iteration process alternating between a grand fit on many scans and integer quantization of the phase shift cycles to be assigned to the scans. Only linear simultaneous equations of a few unknowns need to be solved. A simulation analysis indicates that faultless phase connection can be expected when there is no localized systematic noise. When systematic noise of moderate level exists, the possible incorrect phase connection can be detected and connected for by comparing the connected phases from the two alternating observations, after removing the residual diurnal effects.

Wu, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Development of ISO connection-oriented/correctionless gateways

The project had two goals, establishment of a gateway between French and U.S. academic networks and studies of issues related to the development of ISO connection-oriented/connectionless (CO/CL) gateways. The first component involved installation of a 56K bps line between Princeton Univ. and INRIA in France. The end-points of these lines were connected by Vitalink link level bridges. The Princeton end was then connected to the NSFNET via the John Von Neumann Supercomputer Center. The French end was connected to Transpac, the French X.25 public data network and to the French IP research internet. U.S. users may communicate with users of the French internet by e-mail and may access computational and data resources in France by use of remote login and file transfer. The connection to Transpac enables U.S. users to access the SIMBAD astronomical database outside of Paris. Access to this database from the U.S. can be via TCP/IP or DECNET (via a DECNET to TCP/IP gateway) protocols utilizing a TCP/IP to X.25 gateway developed and operated by INRIA. The second component of the project involved experiments aimed at understanding the issues involved is ISO CO/CL gateways. An experimental gateway was developed at Wisconsin and a preliminary report was prepared. Because of the need to devote most resources to the first component of the project, work in this area did not go beyond development of a prototype gateway.

Landweber, Lawrence H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The Central Nervous Connections Involved in the Vomiting Reflex

The vomiting reflex may be elicited by a number of different types or classes of stimuli involving many varieties of receptor structures and considerable diversity in afferent pathways and central connections. Central relay or mediating structures thus may vary widely according to the type of initial emetic stimulus. The emetic circuits which have been most completely delineated to date are probably those in which the Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone (CTZ) in the Area Postrema (AP) functions as a key mediating structure. Even in this system, however, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the nerve tracts and central nervous connections involved. Knowledge of most other emetic circuits subserving the emetic reflex resulting from many diverse types of stimuli such, for example, as emotional stress (e.g. psychogenic vomiting, Wruble et al. 1982), pain (e.g. testicular trauma), and chemical or mechanical irritation of the gastrointestinal tract or urinary tract is quite incomplete at this time, thus precluding any very adequate description of their central connections at present. One physiological system, however, which has received considerable attention recently in relation to the vomiting reflex elicited by motion stimuli is the vestibular system. Due to the paucity of data on central nervous connections of several or the non-vestibular types of emetic stimuli cited above, we will devote most of our attention in this brief review to the central connections of the vestibular system which seem likely to be involved in the vomiting response to motion stimuli. However, the latter part of the review will be concerned with the concept of the reticular vomiting centre in relation to the ParviCellular Reticular Formation (PCRF), and will thus probably pertain to all of the many classes of emetic stimuli since it will address the question of the final common emetic pathway.

Brizzee, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Continuously Connected With Mobile IP

Cisco Systems developed Cisco Mobile Networks, making IP devices mobile. With this innovation, a Cisco router and its connected IP devices can roam across network boundaries and connection types. Because a mobile user is able to keep the same IP address while roaming, a live IP connection can be maintained without interruption. Glenn Research Center jointly tested the technology with Cisco, and is working to use it on low-earth-orbiting research craft. With Cisco's Mobile Networks functionality now available in Cisco IOS Software release 12.2(4)T, the commercial advantages and benefits are numerous. The technology can be applied to public safety, military/homeland security, emergency management services, railroad and shipping systems, and the automotive industry. It will allow ambulances, police, firemen, and the U.S. Coast Guard to stay connected to their networks while on the move. In the wireless battlefield, the technology will provide rapid infrastructure deployment for U.S. national defense. Airline, train, and cruise passengers utilizing Cisco Mobile Networks can fly all around the world with a continuous Internet connection. Cisco IOS(R) Software is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1996

Spherical Joint Piston and Connecting Rod Developed

Under an interagency agreement with the Department of Energy, the NASA Lewis Research Center manages a Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Technology (HDET) research program. The overall program objectives are to reduce fuel consumption through increased engine efficiency, reduce engine exhaust emissions, and provide options for the use of alternative fuels. The program is administered with a balance of research contracts, university research grants, and focused in-house research. The Cummins Engine Company participates in the HDET program under a cost-sharing research contract. Cummins is researching and developing in-cylinder component technologies for heavy-duty diesel engines. An objective of the Cummins research is to develop technologies for a low-emissions, 55-percent thermal efficiency (LE-55) engine. The best current-production engines in this class achieve about 46-percent thermal efficiency. Federal emissions regulations are driving this technology. Regulations for heavy duty diesel engines were tightened in 1994, more demanding emissions regulations are scheduled for 1998, and another step is planned for 2002. The LE-55 engine emissions goal is set at half of the 1998 regulation level and is consistent with plans for 2002 emissions regulations. LE-55 engine design requirements to meet the efficiency target dictate a need to operate at higher peak cylinder pressures. A key technology being developed and evaluated under the Cummins Engine Company LE-55 engine concept is the spherical joint piston and connecting rod. Unlike conventional piston and connecting rod arrangements which are joined by a pin forming a hinged joint, the spherical joint piston and connecting rod use a ball-and-socket joint. The ball-and-socket arrangement enables the piston to have an axisymmetric design allowing rotation within the cylinder. The potential benefits of piston symmetry and rotation are reduced scuffing, improved piston ring sealing, improved lubrication, mechanical and thermal load symmetry, reduced bearing stresses, reduced running clearances, and reduced oil consumption. The spherical joint piston is a monolithic, squeeze-cast, fiber-reinforced aluminum piston. The connecting rod has a ball end that seats on a spherical saddle within the piston and is retained by a pair of aluminum bronze holder rings. The holder rings are secured by a threaded ring that mates with the piston. As part of the ongoing research and development activity, the Cummins Engine Company successfully completed a 100-hr test of the spherical joint piston and connecting rod at LE- 55 peak steady-state engine conditions. In addition, a 100-hr transient cycle test that varied engine conditions between LE-55 no-load and LE-55 full-load was successfully completed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2005

Medial vestibular connections with the hypocretin (orexin) system

The mammalian medial vestibular nucleus (MVe) receives input from all vestibular endorgans and provides extensive projections to the central nervous system. Recent studies have demonstrated projections from the MVe to the circadian rhythm system. In addition, there are known projections from the MVe to regions considered to be involved in sleep and arousal. In this study, afferent and efferent subcortical connectivity of the medial vestibular nucleus of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was evaluated using cholera toxin subunit-B (retrograde), Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (anterograde), and pseudorabies virus (transneuronal retrograde) tract-tracing techniques. The results demonstrate MVe connections with regions mediating visuomotor and postural control, as previously observed in other mammals. The data also identify extensive projections from the MVe to regions mediating arousal and sleep-related functions, most of which receive immunohistochemically identified projections from the lateral hypothalamic hypocretin (orexin) neurons. These include the locus coeruleus, dorsal and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei, dorsal raphe, and lateral preoptic area. The MVe itself receives a projection from hypocretin cells. CTB tracing demonstrated reciprocal connections between the MVe and most brain areas receiving MVe efferents. Virus tracing confirmed and extended the MVe afferent connections identified with CTB and additionally demonstrated transneuronal connectivity with the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the medial habenular nucleus. These anatomical data indicate that the vestibular system has access to a broad array of neural functions not typically associated with visuomotor, balance, or equilibrium, and that the MVe is likely to receive information from many of the same regions to which it projects.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2001

Piston and connecting rod assembly

A piston and connecting rod assembly includes a piston crown, a piston skirt, a connecting rod, and a bearing insert. The piston skirt is a component separate from the piston crown and is connected to the piston crown to provide a piston body. The bearing insert is a component separate from the piston crown and the piston skirt and is fixedly disposed within the piston body. A bearing surface of a connecting rod contacts the bearing insert to thereby movably associate the connecting rod and the piston body.

Brogdon, James William↗
NASA NTRS2005

Series-Connected Buck Boost Regulators

A series-connected buck boost regulator (SCBBR) is an electronic circuit that bucks a power-supply voltage to a lower regulated value or boosts it to a higher regulated value. The concept of the SCBBR is a generalization of the concept of the SCBR, which was reported in "Series-Connected Boost Regulators" (LEW-15918), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 23, No. 7 (July 1997), page 42. Relative to prior DC-voltage-regulator concepts, the SCBBR concept can yield significant reductions in weight and increases in power-conversion efficiency in many applications in which input/output voltage ratios are relatively small and isolation is not required, as solar-array regulation or battery charging with DC-bus regulation. Usually, a DC voltage regulator is designed to include a DC-to-DC converter to reduce its power loss, size, and weight. Advances in components, increases in operating frequencies, and improved circuit topologies have led to continual increases in efficiency and/or decreases in the sizes and weights of DC voltage regulators. The primary source of inefficiency in the DC-to-DC converter portion of a voltage regulator is the conduction loss and, especially at high frequencies, the switching loss. Although improved components and topology can reduce the switching loss, the reduction is limited by the fact that the converter generally switches all the power being regulated. Like the SCBR concept, the SCBBR concept involves a circuit configuration in which only a fraction of the power is switched, so that the switching loss is reduced by an amount that is largely independent of the specific components and circuit topology used. In an SCBBR, the amount of power switched by the DC-to-DC converter is only the amount needed to make up the difference between the input and output bus voltage. The remaining majority of the power passes through the converter without being switched. The weight and power loss of a DC-to-DC converter are determined primarily by the amount of power processed. In the SCBBR, the unswitched majority of the power is passed through with very little power loss, and little if any increase in the sizes of the converter components is needed to enable the components to handle the unswitched power. As a result, the power-conversion efficiency of the regulator can be very high, as shown in the example of Figure 1. A basic SCBBR includes a DC-to-DC converter (see Figure 2). The switches and primary winding of a transformer in the converter is connected across the input bus, while the secondary winding and switches are connected in series with the output bus, so that the output voltage is the sum of the input voltage and the secondary voltage of the converter. In the breadboard SCBBR, the input voltage applied to the primary winding is switched by use of metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) in a full bridge circuit; the secondary winding is center-tapped, with two MOSFET switches and diode rectifiers connected in opposed series in each leg. The sets of opposed switches and rectifiers are what enable operation in either a boost or a buck mode. In the boost mode, input voltage and current, and the output voltage and current are all positive; that is, the secondary voltage is added to the input voltage and the net output voltage can be regulated at a value equal or greater than the input voltage. In the buck mode, input voltage is still positive and the current still flows in the same direction in the secondary, but the switches are controlled such that some power flows from the secondary to the primary. The voltage across the secondary and the current into the primary are reversed. The result is that the output voltage is lower than the input voltage, and some power is recirculated from the converter secondary back to the input. Quantitatively, the advantage of an SCBBR is a direct function of the regulation range required. If, for example, a regulation range of 20 percent is required for a 500-W supply, th it suffices to design the DC-to-DC converter in the SCBBR for a power rating of only 100 W. The switching loss and size are much smaller than those of a conventional regulator that must be rated for switching of all 500 W. The reduction in size and the increase in efficiency are not directly proportional to switched-power ratio of 5:1 because the additional switches contribute some conduction loss and the input and output filters must be larger than those typically required for a 100-W converter. Nevertheless, the power loss and the size can be much smaller than those of a 500-W converter.

Birchenough, Arthur G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Magnetic Connectivity of the Sun to the Heliosphere

A prime research focus of the upcoming Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions will be to determine how the heliospheric magnetic field and plasma connect to the Sun's corona and photosphere. For much of the heliosphere this connection appears to be well understood. The quasi-steady fast wind emanates from so-called coronal holes, which appear dark in X-rays and are predominantly unipolar at the photosphere. However, the connection to the Sun of the slow, non-steady wind is far from understood and remains a major mystery. We review the existing theories for the sources of the nonsteady wind and demonstrate that they have difficulty accounting for both the observed composition of the wind and its large angular extent. A new theory is described in which this wind originates from the continuous opening and closing of narrow open field corridors in the corona, which gives rise to a web of separatrices (the S-Web) in the heliosphere. Note that in this theory the corona - heliosphere connection is intrinsically dynamic, at least, for this type of wind. We present numerical simulations of the model and describe observational tests. We discuss the implications of our results for the competing slow wind theories and for understanding the corona - heliosphere connection, in general.

Antiochos, S. K.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space Transformation -- Localizing the Remote and Connecting the Isolated

In motivating the Space Transformation theme for this year’s 4S symposium, the organizers provided the following context, “Transformation of economies are driven by a change in values and accelerated by new technologies.” These words rang particularly true when I read them at the beginning of the holiday season. Like so many others, I was in the early phases of my Christmas shopping procrastination campaign, and I’d just been reflecting on how Amazon Prime was the transformational tool I’d been waiting for. Basic limiting principles of time and space, supply and demand, were all but erased by the Amazon Prime phenomenon. Coupled with emerging 3D printing and other adaptive manufacturing technologies, a transformation from deliberate planning to “think it … have it” had occurred, empowering me to procrastinate longer than I’d ever dreamed possible. The organizers went on to ponder, “Will space transformation also affect society?”, just as our team at the Air Force Research Lab’s (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) were working alongside partners within our larger Integrated Capabilities Directorate, NASA’s Flight Opportunities and Small Spacecraft Technology programs, and DARPA’s Luna-10 program to develop technologies and execute demonstration missions that leverage the space domain to genuinely connect even the most remote and austere domains on the timeline of need. Picking apart the miracle that is Amazon prime, where does the model fail, and why? More relevantly to the theme of this year’s symposium, how can the space domain be used to overcome its limitations and minimize its weaknesses? Perhaps it is best assessed in the context of Use Cases. What are the Amazon delivery cost, schedule, and cargo limiters to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Station, or the Lunar South Pole Research Station? This paper will explore enabling infrastructure that allows Amazon prime to thrive and assess the transformational enabling technologies that would be necessary to extend that miracle to the truly remote or the truly austere. Localizing the Remote • First, it will evaluate the ability of the on-going AFRL Rocket Cargo and Space Initiatives Ringside Seats systems, coupled with Astrobotic’s Xodiak and Xogdor capabilities, developed to support the NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP), to supply orbital/suborbital delivery to both improved and austere sites on the Earth and Moon. • Then, it will add the surface terminal distribution leg, with an examination of Lunar Outpost’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), equipped with Mobile Autonomous Robotic Swarm (MARS) software, and Intuitive Machine’s Hopper, developed with support of AFRL and NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Connecting the Isolated From there, it will focus on the destination, asking what implied destination services are required to support highly assured autonomous delivery. • Specifically, it will highlight Astrobotic’s Skymage mesh-networked publish and subscribe communication and navigation service, as well as AFRL’s on-going developments of radioisotope and reactor nuclear-sourced thermoelectric power generation and distribution systems under development under the Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-orbit Nuclear Power (JETSON) program by Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse, Intuitive Machines, and Zeno Power, to provide the power service to locations well off the grid. • Finally, the paper will connect to the “human machine”. What connects the remote or in-situ human consumer to the remote domain? What connects the diverse international government and commercial services to each other? The former will focus on AFRL’s OraCloud feeding their Space Defense Control and Characterization System (SDCCS) and Lunar Station’s MoonHacker systems, while the latter will focus on the BlueHalo/Tensor LunX Technology Platform for the Cislunar Commodity Marketplace. In 1984, Krafft Ehricke famously remarked that, “If God wanted man to become a spacefaring species, He would have given man a Moon.” This paper is not about the Moon, but is about humans as a spacefaring species, shedding the pesky land/air limitations of the Amazon Prime model … so that we can all live a procrastinator’s “think it … have it” existence.

Charles Finley↗
DOE OSTI2018

Photovoltaic system with improved AC connections and method of making same

An alternating current (AC) harness for a photovoltaic (PV) system includes a wire assembly having a first end and a second end, the wire assembly having a plurality of lead wires, and at least one AC connection module positioned at a location along a length of the wire assembly between the first end and the second end. Further, the at least one AC connection module includes a first connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a first PV module of the PV system. The at least one AC connection module also includes a second connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a second PV module of the PV system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Switch-connected Dragonfly network

A switch-connected dragonfly network and method of operating. A plurality of groups of row switches is organized according to multiple rows and columns, each row including multiple groups of row switches connected to form a two-level dragonfly network. A plurality of column switches interconnect groups of row switches along respective columns, a column switch associated with a corresponding group of row switches in a row. A switch port with a same logical port on a row switch at a same location in each group along the respective column connects to a same column switch. The switch-connected dragonfly network is expandable by adding additional rows, an added row comprising a two-level dragonfly network. A switch group of said added row associated with a column being connects to an available port at an existing column switch of said column by corresponding added S path link with no re-cabling of the switched network required.

Heidelberger, Philip↗