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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 sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1992

Space Station Freedom as an engineering experiment station: An overview

In this presentation, the premise that Space Station Freedom has great utility as an engineering experiment station will be explored. There are several modes in which it can be used for this purpose. The most obvious are space qualification, process development, in space satellite repair, and materials engineering. The range of engineering experiments which can be done at Space Station Freedom run the gamut from small process oriented experiments to full exploratory development models. A sampling of typical engineering experiments are discussed in this session. First and foremost, Space Station Freedom is an elaborate experiment itself, which, if properly instrumented, will provide engineering guidelines for even larger structures which must surely be built if humankind is truly 'outward bound.' Secondly, there is the test, evaluation and space qualification of advanced electric thruster concepts, advanced power technology and protective coatings which must of necessity be tested in the vacuum of space. The current approach to testing these technologies is to do exhaustive laboratory simulation followed by shuttle or unmanned flights. Third, the advanced development models of life support systems intended for future space stations, manned mars missions, and lunar colonies can be tested for operation in a low gravity environment. Fourth, it will be necessary to develop new protective coatings, establish construction techniques, evaluate new materials to be used in the upgrading and repair of Space Station Freedom. Finally, the industrial sector, if it is ever to build facilities for the production of commercial products, must have all the engineering aspects of the process evaluated in space prior to a commitment to such a facility.

Rose, M. Frank↗

DOE OSTI2022

Interim Mechanical Properties Data from FY2022 ORNL Testing of A709 with Precipitation Treatment for ASME Code Case Data Package

A collaborative research and development effort in support of the Alloy 709 Code Case qualification in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors is being conducted at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory. A recent assessment on the Alloy 709 development and testing effort concluded that the mechanical properties of Alloy 709 with the precipitation treatment continued to outperform those of Type 316 stainless steel. The assessment also affirmed the recommendation for its Code qualification. This report provides the detailed integrated data generated to date on the two commercial heats of Alloy 709 in plate product form with precipitation treatment condition that were used as the basis for this assessment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has continued to perform a subset of the Code Case testing for tensile properties, creep rupture, fatigue, and creep-fatigue. This report also updates the key Alloy 709 Code Case testing status and results in FY 2022 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1988

Requirements and test results for the qualification of thermal control coatings

Paint type coatings are often used as engineering materials in critical satellite temperature control applications. The functional features of coatings used for temperature control purposes must remain stable throughout the satellite manufacturing process and the satellite mission. The selection of a particular coating depends on matching coating characteristics to mission requirements. The use of paint coatings on satellites, although having an extensive history, requires that the paint be qualified to each application on an individual basis. Thus, the qualification process through testing serves to ensure that paint coatings as engineering materials will fulfill design requirements.

Brzuskiewicz, J. E.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Ceramic applications in turbine engines

Development testing activities on the 1900 F-configuration ceramic parts were completed, 2070 F-configuration ceramic component rig and engine testing was initiated, and the conceptual design for the 2265 F-configuration engine was identified. Fabrication of the 2070 F-configuration ceramic parts continued, along with burner rig development testing of the 2070 F-configuration metal combustor in preparation for 1132 C (2070 F) qualification test conditions. Shakedown testing of the hot engine simulator (HES) rig was also completed in preparation for testing of a spin rig-qualified ceramic-bladed rotor assembly at 1132 C (2070 F) test conditions. Concurrently, ceramics from new sources and alternate materials continued to be evaluated, and fabrication of 2070 F-configuration ceramic component from these new sources continued. Cold spin testing of the critical 2070 F-configuration blade continued in the spin test rig to qualify a set of ceramic blades at 117% engine speed for the gasifier turbine rotor. Rig testing of the ceramic-bladed gasifier turbine rotor assembly at 108% engine speed was also performed, which resulted in the failure of one blade. The new three-piece hot seal with the nickel oxide/calcium fluoride wearface composition was qualified in the regenerator rig and introduced to engine operation wiwth marginal success.

Byrd, J. A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Performance of the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) Programmable UV Laser Source Engineering Test Unit (ETU)

NASA’s Dragonfly mission will sample surface materials from multiple sites on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in exploration of its potential for prebiotic chemistry. We report on the performance of our short-pulsed UV laser transmitter, developed for the Dragonfly’s on-board Mass Spectrometer (DraMS). Our engineering test unit (ETU) has completed flight qualification and demonstrated its operational science requirements, such that the final flight unit build can begin. The Titan Hydrocarbon Analysis Nanosecond Optical Source (THANOS) ETU laser produces 266 nm laser pulses at programmable energy levels in order to create high resolution laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) measurements. The laser operates in short bursts of 1-50 pulses, each at < 2 ns pulse width, at a 100 Hz repetition rate. Creating a sealed Titanium unit, capable of operation on the extreme environment of Titan’s surface was a major engineering challenge. The laser successfully demonstrated its ability to meet all operational requirements in terms of pulse energy, beam pointing on target and repeatability even after extensive environmental testing.

Matthew W Mullin↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Performance of the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) Programmable UV Laser Source Engineering Test Unit (ETU)

Matthew Mullin↗

NASA NTRS2005

Design and Qualification of the AMS-02 Flight Cryocoolers

Four commercial Sunpower M87N Stirling-cycle cryocoolers will be used to extend the lifetime of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02) experiment. The cryocoolers will be mounted to the AMS-02 vacuum case using a structure that will thermally and mechanically decouple the cryocooler from the vacuum case. This paper discusses modifications of the Sunpower M87N cryocooler to make it acceptable for space flight applications and suitable for use on AMS-02. Details of the flight model qualification test program are presented. AMS-02 is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector containing a large superfluid helium-cooled superconducting magnet. Highly sensitive detector plates inside the magnet measure a particle's speed, mass, charge, and direction. The AMS-02 experiment, which will be flown as an attached payload on the International Space Station, will study the properties and origin of cosmic particles and nuclei including antimatter and dark matter. Two engineering model cryocoolers have been under test at NASA Goddard since November 2001. Qualification testing of the engineering model cryocooler bracket assembly including random vibration and thermal vacuum testing was completed at the end of April 2005. The flight cryocoolers were received in December 2003. Acceptance testing of the flight cryocooler bracket assemblies began in May 2005 .

Shirey, Kimberly↗

NASA NTRS2012

Wear of Steel and Ti6Al4V Rollers in Vacuum

This investigation was prompted by results of a qualification test of a mechanism to be used for the James Webb Space Telescope. Post-test inspections of the qualification test article revealed some loose wear debris and wear of the steel rollers and the mating Ti6Al4V surfaces. An engineering assessment of the design and observations from the tested qualification unit suggested that roller misalignment was a controlling factor. The wear phenomena were investigated using dedicated laboratory experiments. Tests were done using a vacuum roller rig for a range of roller misalignment angles. The wear in these tests was mainly adhesive wear. The measured wear rates were highly correlated to the misalignment angle. For all tests with some roller misalignment, the steel rollers lost mass while the titanium rollers gained mass indicating strong adhesion of the steel with the titanium alloy. Inspection of the rollers revealed that the adhesive wear was a two-way process as titanium alloy was found on the steel rollers and vice versa. The qualification test unit made use of 440F steel rollers in the annealed condition. Both annealed 440F steel rollers and hardened 440C rollers were tested in the vacuum roller rig to investigate possibility to reduce wear rates and the risk of loose debris formation. The 440F and 440C rollers had differing wear behaviors with significantly lesser wear rates for the 440C. For the test condition of zero roller misalignment, the adhesive wear rates were very low, but still some loose debris was formed

Krantz, Timothy L.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Development of the European Service Module Propulsion Subsystem for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

2013, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) entered into an international partnership to develop the European Service Module (ESM) for use on NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), also known as Orion. The MPCV will be used as the principal spacecraft for future human space exploration missions beyond low earth orbit. The ESM Propulsion Subsystem (PSS) is a pressure-fed, bi-propellant propulsion system, being developed by Airbus Defense and Space under contract to ESA. For this effort, NASA is responsible for the traditional role of insight/oversight to ensure that the PSS delivered by Airbus meets all MPCV Program requirements. In addition, the NASA Propulsion team also has some unique responsibilities that are a result of the Implementing Agreement (IA) between NASA and ESA for development of the ESM. These responsibilities include: (1) providing the main engine and Thrust Vector Control (TVC) assembly for the PSS. This is being accomplished through the delta qualification and re-use the Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engine and TVC assembly; (2) procurement and delivery of the Auxiliary engines (R-4Ds) for the PSS. These engines are being procured by NASA from Aerojet-Rocketdyne via Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the MPCV, per an Airbus-provided specification; and (3) conducting the integrated systems hot-fire test which will qualify the end-to-end PSS for flight on MPCV. This test is being conducted at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) using an Airbus-provided test article known as the Propulsion Qualification Model (PQM).

Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle↗

NASA NTRS2009

Advanced Development Program for a 625 lbf thrust engine for Ares First Stage Roll Control System

NASA's new Ares Launch Vehicle will require twelve thrusters to provide roll control of the vehicle during the first stage firing. All twelve roll control thrusters will be located at the inter-stage segment that separates the solid rocket booster first stage from the second stage. NASA selected a mono propellant hydrazine solution and as a result awarded Aerojet-General a contract in 2007 for an advanced development program for an MR-80- series 625 Ibf vacuum thrust monopropellant hydrazine thruster. This thruster has heritage dating back to the 1976 Viking Landers and most recently for the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory. Prior to the Ares application, the MR-80-series thrusters had been equipped with throttle valves and not typically operated in pulse mode. The primary objective of the advanced development program was to increase the technology readiness level and retire major technical risks for the future flight qualification test program. Aerojet built on their heritage MR-80 rocket engine designs to achieve the design and performance requirements. Significant improvements to cost and lead-time were achieved by applying Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles. AerojetGeneral has completed Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews, followed by two successful rocket engine development test programs. The test programs included qualification random vibration and firing lite that significantly exceed the flight qualification requirements. This paper discusses the advanced development program and the demonstrated capability of the MR-80C engine. Y;

Dawson, Matt↗

DOE OSTI2023

Progress Report on Alloy 709 Base Metal Code Case Testing at ORNL in FY 2023

A collaborative research and development effort in support of the Alloy 709 Code Case qualification in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors is being carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne). In FY 2023, ORNL has continued to conduct a subset of the Code Case testing for tensile, creep rupture, fatigue and creep-fatigue on Alloy 709. This report also updates the key Code Case testing status and results on the first two commercial heats and the preliminary results on the third commercial heat of Alloy 709. The three commercial heats of Alloy 709 are all in plate product form.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Summary of FY 2024 A709 Code Case testing at ANL, INL and ORNL

A collaborative research and development effort in support of the Alloy 709 Code Case qualification in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors is being carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Key testing data for the Alloy 709 100,000-hr near-term Code Case submittal to ASME is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, with design parameters anticipated to be finalized in FY 2025. This report summarizes the testing results for three commercial heats of Alloy 709 conducted across three laboratories, reviews the current testing status, and outlines the remaining data needed to support the first Alloy 709 Code Case submittal to ASME. The Alloy 709 Code Case plan remains on schedule.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS1966

LEM electronics reliability.

Lunar Excursion Module /LEM/ reliability program, discussing engineering, manufacturing and techniques of design and qualification testing of electronic components

QUALITY CONTROL↗

NASA NTRS2004

Supporting Weather Data

Since its founding in 1992, Global Science & Technology, Inc. (GST), of Greenbelt, Maryland, has been developing technologies and providing services in support of NASA scientific research. GST specialties include scientific analysis, science data and information systems, data visualization, communications, networking and Web technologies, computer science, and software system engineering. As a longtime contractor to Goddard Space Flight Center s Earth Science Directorate, GST scientific, engineering, and information technology staff have extensive qualifications with the synthesis of satellite, in situ, and Earth science data for weather- and climate-related projects. GST s experience in this arena is end-to-end, from building satellite ground receiving systems and science data systems, to product generation and research and analysis.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2018

Context Cameras for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) Instrument

We have developed an adaptable camera platform that takes advantage of screened and qualified commercial off the shelf (COTS) components (CMOS sensor, rad-tolerant microcircuits, lenses) to significantly shorten development time of space-borne visible imaging systems while reducing the overall cost and risk of the development. This modular camera platform is implemented as a suite of two visible-light cameras for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) instrument at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Internal Context Camera (ICC) and External Context Camera (ECC) provide contextual engineering imaging support for the calibration of the OCO-3 instrument, intended to significantly reduce the duration of the mission’s calibration campaign. The OCO-3 mission has taken advantage of the design and qualification work performed by JPL’s Mars 2020 Enhanced Engineering Camera (EECam) team in reusing the qualified COTS CMOS imaging sensor, proven electronic designs, and scalable field-programmable gate array (FPGA) firmware to meet OCO-3’s mission requirements and resource availability. We will be presenting the steps taken by JPL to design, build, and test the Context Cameras for the OCO-3 mission. We will highlight the design deviations from the Mars2020 EECams and discuss the methodology of tailoring the EECam design for the OCO-3 requirements. Camera imaging capabilities, including focal plane and optical performance, will be presented, as well as a summary of the calibration and environmental test results. Finally, we will discuss the potential for future applications for the Context Cameras.

Moore, Douglas↗

NASA NTRS1999

Development of a 12-Thrust Chamber Kerosene /Oxygen Primary Rocket Sub-System for an Early (1964) Air-Augmented Rocket Ground-Test System

Airbreathing/Rocket combined-cycle, and specifically rocket-based combined- cycle (RBCC), propulsion systems, typically employ an internal engine flow-path installed primary rocket subsystem. To achieve acceptably short mixing lengths in effecting the "air augmentation" process, a large rocket-exhaust/air interfacial mixing surface is needed. This leads, in some engine design concepts, to a "cluster" of small rocket units, suitably arrayed in the flowpath. To support an early (1964) subscale ground-test of a specific RBCC concept, such a 12-rocket cluster was developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The small primary rockets used in the cluster assembly were modified versions of an existing small kerosene/oxygen water-cooled rocket engine unit routinely tested at MSFC. Following individual thrust-chamber tests and overall subsystem qualification testing, the cluster assembly was installed at the U. S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) for RBCC systems testing. (The results of the special air-augmented rocket testing are not covered here.) While this project was eventually successfully completed, a number of hardware integration problems were met, leading to catastrophic thrust chamber failures. The principal "lessons learned" in conducting this early primary rocket subsystem experimental effort are documented here as a basic knowledge-base contribution for the benefit of today's RBCC research and development community.

Pryor, D.↗

DOE OSTI2023

FINITE ELEMENT MODEL MESH REFINEMENT EFFECTS ON QUALIFICATION OF NUCLEAR GRADE GRAPHITE COMPONENTS

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides the full and simplified design-by-analysis probabilistic assessments for determining acceptance of nuclear grade graphite core components. The assessments can be characterized by three parts: (1) a component stress distribution, often determined by a finite element (FE) model; (2) a Weibull probability density function (pdf) that characterizes the experimental tensile strength distribution; and (3) the post-processor, which combines the FE model and the Weibull strength distribution in accordance with the full and simplified assessments to determine component acceptance. It is known that the level of mesh refinement in FE models can affect the modeled component’s calculated stress distribution. Depending on the component geometry, the stress distribution may converge with sufficient refinement. It was previously unknown whether the acceptance decision resulting from the full and simplified assessments might change even with sufficient mesh refinement. This study explores that question using experimental strength results for a dog-bone geometry for two graphite grades, IG-110 and PCEA. The simplified assessment has two criteria that must be met, the first limits the combined membrane stress by the allowable stress and the second limits the peak equivalent stress by the allowable stress scaled by the ratio of flexural to tensile strength. In the application of the simplified assessment, convergence of the peak equivalent stress required extreme mesh refinement, however, the acceptance decision was not affected. It is hypothesized that more complex geometries with stress concentrations may present mesh refinement effects on the simplified assessment acceptance decision. Mesh refinement did affect the acceptance decision in the full assessment for the applied pressure loadings in this study. This work suggests component stress distribution convergence is not a sufficient criteria for POF convergence in the full assessment and that mesh refinement should continue until the POF has converged, especially where the resulting POF is bordering the SRC acceptable POF limit.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA NTRS2008

Ares First Stage "Systemology" - Combining Advanced Systems Engineering and Planning Tools to Assure Mission Success

Ares is an integral part of NASA s Constellation architecture that will provide crew and cargo access to the International Space Station as well as low earth orbit support for lunar missions. Ares replaces the Space Shuttle in the post 2010 time frame. Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket topped by the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. The Ares I first stage is a single, five-segment reusable solid rocket booster derived from the Space Shuttle Program's reusable solid rocket motor. The Ares second or upper stage is propelled by a J-2X main engine fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This paper describes the advanced systems engineering and planning tools being utilized for the design, test, and qualification of the Ares I first stage element. Included are descriptions of the current first stage design, the milestone schedule requirements, and the marriage of systems engineering, detailed planning efforts, and roadmapping employed to achieve these goals.

Seiler, James↗