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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Characterization of the thermal conductivity for Advanced Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Insulations

Advanced Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Insulations (TUFI) is discussed in terms of their thermal response to an arc-jet air stream. A modification of the existing Ames thermal conductivity program to predict the thermal response of these functionally gradient materials is described in the paper. The modified program was used to evaluate the effect of density, surface porosity, and density gradient through the TUFI materials on the thermal response of these insulations. Predictions using a finite-difference code and calculated thermal conductivity values from the modified program were compared with in-depth temperature measurements taken from TUFI insulations during short exposures to arc-jet hypersonic air streams.

Stewart, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A comparison of depth dependence of dose and linear energy transfer spectra in aluminum and polyethylene

A set of four tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs), with their detector heads at the centers of 0 (bare), 3, 7 and 9-inch-diameter aluminum spheres, were flown on Shuttle flight STS-89. Five such detectors at the centers of polyethylene spheres were flown 1 year earlier on STS-81. The results of dose-depth dependence for the two materials convincingly show the merits of using material rich in hydrogen to decrease the radiation exposure to the crew. A comparison of the calculated galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) absorbed dose and dose-equivalent rates using the radiation transport code HZETRN with nuclear fragmentation model NUCFRG2 and the measured GCR absorbed dose rates and dose-equivalent rates shows that they agree within root mean square (rms) error of 12.5 and 8.2%, respectively. However, there are significant depth-dependent differences in the linear energy transfer (LET) spectra. A comparison for trapped protons using the proton transport code BRYNTRN and the AP-8 MIN trapped-proton model shows a systematic bias, with the model underpredicting dose and dose-equivalent rates. These results show the need for improvements in the radiation transport and/or fragmentation models.

manned↗
NASA NTRS2012

As-Flown Shuttle Micro-Meteoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) Assessment History

The final flight of the Space Shuttle program was completed on July 21st of 2011. The reusable nature of the Orbiter vehicles has provided NASA with a unique opportunity to inspect and sample spacecraft surfaces exposed to the MMOD environment in low Earth orbit. This paper will provide details of MMOD damages found on Orbiter surfaces after recent flights, as well as putting these damages in context by providing historical comparisons of recent damage to previous flights. The Bumper threat assessment computer code is used by NASA to determine spacecraft MMOD penetration risk. The tool was used before each mission to estimate pre-flight MMOD risk for the Shuttle Program Office using planned vehicles attitudes and exposure times. This paper summarizes the efforts of the authors to assess the expected number MMOD impacts of selected particles sizes of 52 shuttle missions ranging from STS-50 (1992) through STS-133 (2011) using as-flown attitude data. The missions encompass the Shuttle/Mir precursors to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as the ISS assembly flights. The paper includes a comparison of observed MMOD impact damage to the predicted number of impacts from Bumper code assessments. This data can be used to validate engineering models of the orbital debris and micrometeoroid environment, such NASA s ORDEM debris model and MEM meteoroid model.

Hyde, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Heavy ion mutagenesis: linear energy transfer effects and genetic linkage

We have characterized a series of 69 independent mutants at the endogenous hprt locus of human TK6 lymphoblasts and over 200 independent S1-deficient mutants of the human x hamster hybrid cell line AL arising spontaneously or following low-fluence exposures to densely ionizing Fe ions (600 MeV/amu, linear energy transfer = 190 keV/microns). We find that large deletions are common. The entire hprt gene (> 44 kb) was missing in 19/39 Fe-induced mutants, while only 2/30 spontaneous mutants lost the entire hprt coding sequence. When the gene of interest (S1 locus = M1C1 gene) is located on a nonessential human chromosome 11, multilocus deletions of several million base pairs are observed frequently. The S1 mutation frequency is more than 50-fold greater than the frequency of hprt mutants in the same cells. Taken together, these results suggest that low-fluence exposures to Fe ions are often cytotoxic due to their ability to create multilocus deletions that may often include the loss of essential genes. In addition, the tumorigenic potential of these HZE heavy ions may be due to the high potential for loss of tumor suppressor genes. The relative insensitivity of the hprt locus to mutation is likely due to tight linkage to a gene that is required for viability.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS1991

LET analyses of biological damage during solar particle events

The effects of nuclear reactions on integral low-linear-energy-transfer (LET) protons spectra are studied, behind typical levels of spacecraft and body shielding, for the historically largest flares using the high-energy transport code BRYNTRN in conjunction with several biological damage models. The cellular track model of Katz provides an accurate description of cellular damage from heavy ion exposure. The track model is applied with BRYNTRN to provide a LET decomposition of survival and transformation rates for solar proton events. In addition, a fluence-based risk coefficient formalism is used to estimate Harderian gland-tumor induction in rodents and cataractogenesis in rabbits from solar flares, and a LET analysis is used to assess the relative contribution from target fragments on these biological endpoints.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Skeletal Micro-RNA Responses to Simulated Weightlessness

Astronauts lose bone structure during long-duration spaceflight. These changes are due, in part, to insufficient bone formation by the osteoblast cells. Little is known about the role that small (approximately 22 nucleotides), non-coding micro-RNAs (miRNAs) play in the osteoblast response to microgravity. We hypothesize that osteoblast-lineage cells alter their miRNA status during microgravity exposure, contributing to impaired bone formation during weightlessness. To simulate weightlessness, female mice (C57BL/6, Charles River, 10 weeks of age, n = 7) were hindlimb unloaded up to 12 days. Age-matched and normally ambulating mice served as controls (n=7). To assess the expression of miRNAs in skeletal tissue, the tibia was collected ex vivo and cleaned of soft-tissue and marrow. Total RNA was collected from tibial bone and relative abundance was measured for miRNAs of interest using quantitative real time PCR array looking at 372 unique and well-characterized mature miRNAs using the delta-delta Ct method. Transcripts of interest were normalized to an average of 6 reference RNAs. Preliminary results show that hindlimb unloading decreased the expression of 14 miRNAs to less than 0.5 times that of the control levels and increased the expression of 5 miRNAs relative to the control mice between 1.2-1.5-fold (p less than 0.05, respectively). Using the miRSystem we assessed overlapping target genes predicted to be regulated by multiple members of the 19 differentially expressed miRNAs as well as in silico predicted targets of our individual miRNAs. Our miRsystem results indicated that a number of our differentially expressed miRNAs were regulators of genes related to the Wnt-Beta Catenin pathway-a known regulator of bone health-and, interestingly, the estrogen-mediated cell-cycle regulation pathway, which may indicate that simulated weightlessness modulated systemic hormonal levels or hormonal transduction that additionally contributed to bone loss. We plan to follow up these findings by measuring gene expression of miRNA-regulated genes within these two pathways with the aim of furthering our understanding of the function of miRNAs in the skeletal response to spaceflight.

musculoskeletal system↗
NASA NTRS2016

Regulation of Bone Formation During Disuse by miRNA

Astronauts lose bone structure during long-duration spaceflight. These changes are due, in part, to insufficient bone formation by the osteoblast cells. Little is known about the role that small (approximately 22 nucleotide), non-coding micro-RNAs (miRNAs) play in the osteoblast response to microgravity. We hypothesize that osteoblast-lineage cells alter their miRNA status during microgravity exposure, contributing to impaired bone formation during weightlessness. To simulate weightlessness, female mice (C57BL/6, Charles River, 10 weeks of age, n = 6) were hindlimb unloaded for 12 days. Age-matched and normally ambulating mice served as controls (n=6). To assess the expression of miRNAs in skeletal tissue, the right and left tibia of the mice were collected ex vivo and cleaned of soft-tissue and marrow. Total RNA was collected from tibial bone and relative abundance was measured for miRNAs of interest using quantitative real time PCR array looking at 372 unique and well-characterized mature miRNAs using the delta-delta Ct method. Transcripts of interest were normalized to an average of 6 reference RNAs. Preliminary results show that hindlimb unloading decreased the expression of 14 miRNAs to less than 1.4-2.9X control levels and increased the expression of 5 miRNAs relative to the control mice greater than 1-2-1.5X (p less than 0.05, respectively). Using the miRSystem we assessed overlapping target genes predicted to be regulated by multiple members of the 19 differentially expressed miRNAs as well as in silico predicted targets of our individual miRNAs. Our miRSystem results indicated that a number of our differentially expressed miRNAs were regulators of genes related to the Wnt-Beta Catenin pathway-a known regulator of bone health-and, interestingly, the estrogen-mediated cell-cycle regulation pathway, which may indicate that simulated weightlessness induced systemic hormonal changes that contributed to bone loss. We plan to follow up these findings by measuring gene expression of miRNA-regulated genes within these two pathways with the aim of furthering our understanding of the function of miRNAs in the skeletal response to spaceflight.

bone↗
DOE OSTI2022

Materials for Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (A-USC) Steam Turbines --- A-USC Component Demonstration

The U.S. Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (A-USC) Consortium was formed in 2001 as a government/industry program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) and cost shared by industrial and not-for-profit partners. The purpose of the consortium was to advance the state of the art for power generation by evaluating and developing materials that allow the use of advanced steam cycles in coal-based power plants. These advanced cycles, with steam temperatures up to 1400°F (760°C), can increase the efficiency of coal-fired boilers from an average of 35% (current U.S. fleet) to more than 45% higher heating value (HHV) (>49% lower heating value [LHV]). The increase in a plant’s efficiency is limited unless new materials able to withstand these higher operating temperatures and pressures are identified and approved for use. The A-USC Consortium identified these needed materials during earlier phases of the program. It developed the welding and joining techniques along with manufacturing processes for casting and wrought products made from these new high-nickel alloys. It subjected these materials to extensive laboratory and steam loop testing. It then obtained ASME code approval for their use in U.S. boiler systems. The program’s successes leave this last remaining activity (ComTest Phase 2) that the U.S. utility industry has recommended to be accomplished prior to commercialization. The focus of the activity is the evaluation and demonstration of commercial readiness for “full scale” components to be made from these nickel-based alloy materials and provided by a U.S. domestic supply chain that is new to working with these alloys. According to studies completed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the cost of an A-USC plant is approximately 20% higher than a non-A-USC plant because of its use of nickel-based alloys needed for the high temperature operating conditions. However, CO 2 reductions of approximately 30% from the current fleet average provide a strong incentive for its consideration. The actual costs and perceived value for CO 2 abatement will determine whether new or retrofitted plants are undertaken, although decisions to build A-USC plants in India would indicate its economic feasibility while also being part of a global carbon emissions strategy. The work by the A-USC Consortium, prior to the start of the ComTest project, has included lab scale and pilot scale materials testing, both in air and oxy-combustion. This testing has included air-cooled and steam-cooled “loops” that were installed into existing operating utility boilers to gain exposure of these materials to realistic conditions of high temperature and corrosion caused by the constituents in the coal ash. The A-USC Consortium also gained ASME Code approval of the Inconel 740 material, has cast and extruded the largest high nickel precipitation hardened alloys, and developed unique welding techniques to avoid problems identified by the competing European program. However, as valuable as these material test loops and accomplishments have been for obtaining information, their scale is below that required to minimize the risk associated for a U.S. utility to build a multibillion-dollar A-USC power plant. To reduce the final identified risk barrier to full-scale commercialization of these advanced materials and systems, the A-USC Consortium (guided by a utility industry advisory committee) has identified the key areas of the technology they desire to see as being capable of full-scale manufacturing and/or fabrication from an identified, capable U.S. domestic supplier base. A significant amount of work was accomplished during Phase 1 to identity the components, as well as the component size, that would be manufactured from advanced alloys such as Inconel 740H or Haynes 282 alloys. Pathways to supply these components for ComTest have been identified, as well as any further development that would be required. The Phase 2 effort used Phase 1 findings for designing these key full-scale components for A-USC boilers and turbines to include large castings; extrusions, forgings, fabrication of water walls and steam loops with headers from advanced materials, raw material (such as pipe extrusion billets) are at the commercial readiness level to permit advancement to a demonstration project. The Phase 2 work scope was addressed by a diverse team, including government, industry, and not-for-profit partners. The work scope under Phase 2 addressed fabrication of components identified as being outside of the proven capabilities of the existing supply chain, including the following: Steam turbine rotor forging and Haynes 282 nozzle carrier casting Superheater and reheater header and tube assemblies Large-diameter pipe extrusions and forgings Test valve articles to support ASME Code approval. In addition, key fabrication steps were completed, including boiler weld overlays and simulated field repairs. Throughout, extensive inspection and quality assurance testing of the components were performed. The team worked to advance ASME Code approval for key components and processes. Although much of the focus of ComTest Phase 2 was the high-temperature nickel-based alloy materials, a broader range of materials were incorporated, which would be representative of the materials used in full-scale A-USC power plant applications and have cross-cutting applicability on other high-temperature power generation options, such as advanced nuclear, supercritical CO 2 cycles, and central solar receivers. This report that has been submitted is organized in the following manner: Section 1 contains an Executive Summary. Section 2 discusses the ComTest project background and organization. Section 3 discusses project management and reporting. Section 4 discusses the procurement of nickel-based alloy and other A-USC materials and components. Section 5 discusses the fabrication of procurement of nickel-based alloy and other A-USC materials and components. Section 6 discusses the fabrication of cast nickel-based A-USC steam turbine components. Section 7 discusses the fabrication of forged nickel-based A-USC steam turbine piping and steam pipe components. Section 8 discusses the qualification of pressure relieve valves (PRVs) for A-USC power plants. Section 9 discusses proposed plans for future evaluation of A-USC components. Section 10 contains the summary and conclusion.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1992

Effects of fragmentation parameter variations on estimates of galactic cosmic ray exposure: Dose sensitivity studies for aluminum shields

Initial studies of the sensitivities of estimates of particle fluence, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent to fragmentation parameter variations are undertaken by using the LaRC galactic cosmic ray transport code (HZETRN). The new results, presented as a function of aluminum shield thickness, include upper and lower bounds on dose/dose equivalent corresponding to the physically realistic extremes of the fragmentation process and the percentage of variation of the dose/dose equivalent as a function of fragmentation parameter variation.

Townsend, Lawrence W.↗
DOE OSTI2026

User’s Manual for RESRAD-RDD&IND Code Version 2: Vol. 2—User’s Guide for RESRAD-RDD&IND Code

Version 2.0 of the RESRAD-RDD&IND computer code is designed to support the implementation of protective action guides (PAGs) after a nuclear emergency incident including a radiological dispersal device (RDD) and/or an improvised nuclear device (IND) incident (EPA 2017). Eight different group types, addressing various decisions, are available for selection. The RESRAD-RDD&IND code calculates radiological doses, stay times, etc., for the selected group that the user wishes to focus on. (That is, the results for all the groups are not calculated simultaneously, and the input for those other groups do not matter, although some parameter values are shared between groups.) Version 2.0 has a user-friendly interface so that the RESRAD-RDD&IND code can be used with minimal training. For example, the user can select the major characteristics of the problem-event type, source term, and decision type from the left side of the interface and then calculate the results with the default assumptions for the exposure scenarios. More in-depth analysis would include specifying site-specific exposure scenario characteristics in the right side of the interface. The procedures for data entry and results viewing are self-explanatory. This is because common window maneuvering features and text instructions were incorporated in the interface design. General and context-specific help are available to aid users entering parameter values, as well. The RESRAD-RDD&IND computer code gives the user the option to select either an RDD or IND incident for analysis. For an RDD event analysis, 11 radionuclides (Am-241, Cf-252, Cm-244, Co-60, Cs-137, Ir-192, Po-210, Pu-238, Pu-239, Ra-226, and Sr-90) are included. These 11 radionuclides are the radionuclides most likely used for an RDD. More than 90 radionuclides can be selected for an IND event analysis. Initial default concentrations are provided for 44 radionuclides for a uranium-fueled IND event. These 44 radionuclides are those that would contribute significantly to the radiation dose associated with a uranium-fueled bomb detonation. The radionuclides generated from ingrowth of these 44 initial radionuclides are also automatically included in the analysis. Pu-239, Cs-134m, Ru-105, and Rb-89 and their progeny can be selected for analysis if they are detected and their concentrations are determined. This user’s guide, which is Volume 2 of the User’s Manual for RESRAD-RDD&IND Code Version 2, provides instructions to users on how to install the RESRAD-RDD&IND code, navigate the interface, and use the various features, including those discussed above, to set up an analysis and view/print the results in text outputs. Volume 1 of the User’s Manual for RESRAD-RDD&IND Code Version 2 (Yu et al. 2026), which contains descriptions of the methodology and theoretical basis for dose modeling and the mathematical equations implemented in the code, can be accessed and viewed through the Help menu in the code or can be downloaded from the RESRAD website (https://resrad.evs.anl.gov).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Deterministic Electron, Photon, Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Transport Suite for the Study of the Jovian System

A deterministic suite of radiation transport codes, developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), which describe the transport of electrons, photons, protons, and heavy ions in condensed media is used to simulate exposures from spectral distributions typical of electrons, protons and carbon-oxygen-sulfur (C-O-S) trapped heavy ions in the Jovian radiation environment. The particle transport suite consists of a coupled electron and photon deterministic transport algorithm (CEPTRN) and a coupled light particle and heavy ion deterministic transport algorithm (HZETRN). The primary purpose for the development of the transport suite is to provide a means for the spacecraft design community to rapidly perform numerous repetitive calculations essential for electron, proton and heavy ion radiation exposure assessments in complex space structures. In this paper, the radiation environment of the Galilean satellite Europa is used as a representative boundary condition to show the capabilities of the transport suite. While the transport suite can directly access the output electron spectra of the Jovian environment as generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Galileo Interim Radiation Electron (GIRE) model of 2003; for the sake of relevance to the upcoming Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM), the 105 days at Europa mission fluence energy spectra provided by JPL is used to produce the corresponding dose-depth curve in silicon behind an aluminum shield of 100 mils ( 0.7 g/sq cm). The transport suite can also accept ray-traced thickness files from a computer-aided design (CAD) package and calculate the total ionizing dose (TID) at a specific target point. In that regard, using a low-fidelity CAD model of the Galileo probe, the transport suite was verified by comparing with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for orbits JOI--J35 of the Galileo extended mission (1996-2001). For the upcoming EJSM mission with a potential launch date of 2020, the transport suite is used to compute the traditional aluminum-silicon dose-depth calculation as a standard shield-target combination output, as well as the shielding response of high charge (Z) shields such as tantalum (Ta). Finally, a shield optimization algorithm is used to guide the instrument designer with the choice of graded-Z shield analysis.

Norman, Ryan B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Test Driven Development of Scientific Models

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development process that promises many advantages for developer productivity and has become widely accepted among professional software engineers. As the name suggests, TDD practitioners alternate between writing short automated tests and producing code that passes those tests. Although this overly simplified description will undoubtedly sound prohibitively burdensome to many uninitiated developers, the advent of powerful unit-testing frameworks greatly reduces the effort required to produce and routinely execute suites of tests. By testimony, many developers find TDD to be addicting after only a few days of exposure, and find it unthinkable to return to previous practices. Of course, scientific/technical software differs from other software categories in a number of important respects, but I nonetheless believe that TDD is quite applicable to the development of such software and has the potential to significantly improve programmer productivity and code quality within the scientific community. After a detailed introduction to TDD, I will present the experience within the Software Systems Support Office (SSSO) in applying the technique to various scientific applications. This discussion will emphasize the various direct and indirect benefits as well as some of the difficulties and limitations of the methodology. I will conclude with a brief description of pFUnit, a unit testing framework I co-developed to support test-driven development of parallel Fortran applications.

Clune, Thomas L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SpaceX Dragon 1 Post Flight MMOD Inspection Campaign

Introduction The SpaceX Dragon 1 spacecraft performed 20 resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) between 2012 and 2020. After each mission, a team from the NASA John-son Space Center Hypervelocity Impact Technology Group inspected each Dragon 1 capsule for hypervelocity impact damage features. Data from these inspections are collected into a database that includes impact feature dimensions as well as the location on the vehicle. Additional details on the type and size of particle that produced the damage site are provided when sampling data and definitive spectroscopic analysis results are available. Observation data can be compared with impact estimates from risk assessment codes as a check on the micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) environment predictions. Scope A general description of the areas of the vehicle that were inspected are provided as well as mission details such as exposure duration and launch dates. The paper documents the general inspection procedure for collection of data and the post inspection data analysis process. It also provides details of the observation data collected as well as the results of analysis of intact samples collected for spectroscopic analysis to discern the source of the impacting particle. A comparison between observed impacts and the expected number of damage features calculated by Bumper 3 with the latest MMOD environments are also presented. Findings Statistics on the >300 impact features documented in the database will provide insight into the depth to diameter ratios and other relationships. The quality of the comparison between the observations and code predictions are dependent on several factors. The paper provides de-tails of each of these variables. (1) Damage equations (2) Impact condition assumptions a. Projectile density b. Impact speed c. Impact angle (3) Analysis results a. pre-flight vs. on-orbit damage b. MMOD vs. non-MMOD Conclusions and Recommendations The ISS visiting vehicle impact database is an ongoing project. SpaceX provides crew rotations as well as resupply and cargo return with the Dragon 2 spacecraft. Sierra Space is manifested for resupply and cargo return services starting in 2023. Boeing is expected to provide crew rotations as well. All of these spacecraft will provide additional opportunities for post flight MMOD inspections of space exposed hardware. Acknowledgements Over the course of the inspection campaign various personnel at the SpaceX Texas Test Site in McGregor and at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne CA provided valuable support to this activity.

James L Hyde↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the Dissolution of Cr and Fe at 550°-750°C in FLiNaK and FLiBe

Assessing the compatibility of 316H stainless steel with molten fluoride salts has been identified as a key research topic for molten salt reactor development. Current developers are interested in 316H stainless steel due to its ready availability and ASME code qualification. Previous studies of 316H stainless steel compatibility in molten fluoride salts have shown general agreement that Cr is selectively removed from the alloy during the exposures in molten salts. However, the extent of Cr dissolution depends on the initial purity of the salt and Fe also readily dissolves in the salt. In order to model dissolution, it is necessary to understand how time and temperature affect the dissolution rates of the alloying elements which may lead to saturation of these elements in the salt. To study the dissolution of 316H, Cr and Fe specimens were exposed in FLiNaK and LiFBeF2 (FLiBe) salt at three different temperatures (550°-750°C) and three different durations (100-2000 h) in isothermal capsule experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2001

COSIM: A Finite-Difference Computer Model to Predict Ternary Concentration Profiles Associated With Oxidation and Interdiffusion of Overlay-Coated Substrates

A finite-difference computer program (COSIM) has been written which models the one-dimensional, diffusional transport associated with high-temperature oxidation and interdiffusion of overlay-coated substrates. The program predicts concentration profiles for up to three elements in the coating and substrate after various oxidation exposures. Surface recession due to solute loss is also predicted. Ternary cross terms and concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients are taken into account. The program also incorporates a previously-developed oxide growth and spalling model to simulate either isothermal or cyclic oxidation exposures. In addition to predicting concentration profiles after various oxidation exposures, the program can also be used to predict coating life based on a concentration dependent failure criterion (e.g., surface solute content drops to 2%). The computer code is written in FORTRAN and employs numerous subroutines to make the program flexible and easily modifiable to other coating oxidation problems.

Nesbitt, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

COSIM: A Finite-Difference Computer Model to Predict Ternary Concentration Profiles Associated with Oxidation and Interdiffusion of Overlay-Coated Substrates

A finite-difference computer program (COSIM) has been written which models the one-dimensional, diffusional transport associated with high-temperature oxidation and interdiffusion of overlay-coated substrates. The program predicts concentration profiles for up to three elements in the coating and substrate after various oxidation exposures. Surface recession due to solute loss is also predicted. Ternary cross terms and concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients are taken into account. The program also incorporates a previously-developed oxide growth and spalling model to simulate either isothermal or cyclic oxidation exposures. In addition to predicting concentration profiles after various oxidation exposures, the program can also be used to predict coating fife based on a concentration dependent failure criterion (e.g., surface solute content drops to two percent). The computer code, written in an extension of FORTRAN 77, employs numerous subroutines to make the program flexible and easily modifiable to other coating oxidation problems.

Nesbitt, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Development of Graphical User Interface for ARRBOD (Acute Radiation Risk and BRYNTRN Organ Dose Projection)

The space radiation environment, particularly solar particle events (SPEs), poses the risk of acute radiation sickness (ARS) to humans; and organ doses from SPE exposure may reach critical levels during extra vehicular activities (EVAs) or within lightly shielded spacecraft. NASA has developed an organ dose projection model using the BRYNTRN with SUMDOSE computer codes, and a probabilistic model of Acute Radiation Risk (ARR). The codes BRYNTRN and SUMDOSE, written in FORTRAN, are a Baryon transport code and an output data processing code, respectively. The ARR code is written in C. The risk projection models of organ doses and ARR take the output from BRYNTRN as an input to their calculations. BRYNTRN code operation requires extensive input preparation. With a graphical user interface (GUI) to handle input and output for BRYNTRN, the response models can be connected easily and correctly to BRYNTRN in friendly way. A GUI for the Acute Radiation Risk and BRYNTRN Organ Dose (ARRBOD) projection code provides seamless integration of input and output manipulations, which are required for operations of the ARRBOD modules: BRYNTRN, SUMDOSE, and the ARR probabilistic response model. The ARRBOD GUI is intended for mission planners, radiation shield designers, space operations in the mission operations directorate (MOD), and space biophysics researchers. The ARRBOD GUI will serve as a proof-of-concept example for future integration of other human space applications risk projection models. The current version of the ARRBOD GUI is a new self-contained product and will have follow-on versions, as options are added: 1) human geometries of MAX/FAX in addition to CAM/CAF; 2) shielding distributions for spacecraft, Mars surface and atmosphere; 3) various space environmental and biophysical models; and 4) other response models to be connected to the BRYNTRN. The major components of the overall system, the subsystem interconnections, and external interfaces are described in this report; and the ARRBOD GUI product is explained step by step in order to serve as a tutorial.

Kim, Myung-Hee↗