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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

Two- and Three-dimensional High Performance, Patterned Overlay Multi-chip Module Technology

A two- and three-dimensional multi-chip module technology was developed in response to the continuum in demand for increased performance in electronic systems, as well as the desire to reduce the size, weight, and power of space systems. Though developed to satisfy the needs of military programs, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, the technology, referred to as High Density Interconnect, can also be advantageously exploited for a wide variety of commercial applications, ranging from computer workstations to instrumentation and microwave telecommunications. The robustness of the technology, as well as its high performance, make this generality in application possible. More encouraging is the possibility of this technology for achieving low cost through high volume usage.

Lyke, James↗

Measurements over distributed high performance computing and storage systems

A strawman proposal is given for a framework for presenting a common set of metrics for supercomputers, workstations, file servers, mass storage systems, and the networks that interconnect them. Production control and database systems are also included. Though other applications and third part software systems are not addressed, it is important to measure them as well.

Williams, Elizabeth↗

NASA STI Program Coordinating Council Twelfth Meeting: Standards

The theme of this NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Coordinating Council Meeting was standards and their formation and application. Topics covered included scientific and technical information architecture, the Open Systems Interconnection Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) open system environment procurement, and the Government Information Locator Service.

Source record↗

In-Situ Load System for Calibrating and Validating Aerodynamic Properties of Scaled Aircraft in Ground-Based Aerospace Testing Applications

An In-Situ Load System for calibrating and validating aerodynamic properties of scaled aircraft in ground-based aerospace testing applications includes an assembly having upper and lower components that are pivotably interconnected. A test weight can be connected to the lower component to apply a known force to a force balance. The orientation of the force balance can be varied, and the measured forces from the force balance can be compared to applied loads at various orientations to thereby develop calibration factors.

Commo, Sean A.↗

Integration of the White Sands Complex into a Wide Area Network

The NASA White Sands Complex (WSC) satellite communications facility consists of two main ground stations, an auxiliary ground station, a technical support facility, and a power plant building located on White Sands Missile Range. When constructed, terrestrial communication access to these facilities was limited to copper telephone circuits. There was no local or wide area communications network capability. This project incorporated a baseband local area network (LAN) topology at WSC and connected it to NASA's wide area network using the Program Support Communications Network-Internet (PSCN-I). A campus-style LAN is configured in conformance with the International Standards Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnect (ISO) model. Ethernet provides the physical and data link layers. Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are used for the network and transport layers. The session, presentation, and application layers employ commercial software packages. Copper-based Ethernet collision domains are constructed in each of the primary facilities and these are interconnected by routers over optical fiber links. The network and each of its collision domains are shown to meet IEEE technical configuration guidelines. The optical fiber links are analyzed for the optical power budget and bandwidth allocation and are found to provide sufficient margin for this application. Personal computers and work stations attached to the LAN communicate with and apply a wide variety of local and remote administrative software tools. The Internet connection provides wide area network (WAN) electronic access to other NASA centers and the world wide web (WWW). The WSC network reduces and simplifies the administrative workload while providing enhanced and advanced inter-communications capabilities among White Sands Complex departments and with other NASA centers.

Boucher, Phillip Larry↗

Exploration of operator method digital optical computers for application to NASA

Digital optical computer design has been focused primarily towards parallel (single point-to-point interconnection) implementation. This architecture is compared to currently developing VHSIC systems. Using demonstrated multichannel acousto-optic devices, a figure of merit can be formulated. The focus is on a figure of merit termed Gate Interconnect Bandwidth Product (GIBP). Conventional parallel optical digital computer architecture demonstrates only marginal competitiveness at best when compared to projected semiconductor implements. Global, analog global, quasi-digital, and full digital interconnects are briefly examined as alternative to parallel digital computer architecture. Digital optical computing is becoming a very tough competitor to semiconductor technology since it can support a very high degree of three dimensional interconnect density and high degrees of Fan-In without capacitive loading effects at very low power consumption levels.

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Silicon-Germanium Films Grown on Sapphire for Ka-Band Communications Applications

NASA's vision in the space communications area is to develop a broadband data network in which there is a high degree of interconnectivity among the various satellite systems, ground stations, and wired systems. To accomplish this goal, we will need complex electronic circuits integrating analog and digital data handling at the Ka-band (26 to 40 GHz). The purpose of this project is to show the feasibility of a new technology for Ka-band communications applications, namely silicon germanium (SiGe) on sapphire. This new technology will have several advantages in comparison to the existing silicon-substrate- based circuits. The main advantages are extremely low parasitic reactances that enable much higher quality active and passive components, better device isolation, higher radiation tolerance, and the integration of digital and analog circuitry on a single chip.

Alterovitz, Samuel A.↗

Heterostructure solar cells

The performance of gallium arsenide solar cells grown on Ge substrates is discussed. In some cases the substrate was thinned to reduce overall cell weight with good ruggedness. The conversion efficiency of 2 by 2 cm cells under AMO reached 17.1 percent with a cell thickness of 6 mils. The work described forms the basis for future cascade cell structures, where similar interconnecting problems between the top cell and the bottom cell must be solved. Applications of the GaAs/Ge solar cell in space and the expected payoffs are discussed.

Chang, K. I.↗

HgCdTe 256x256 NWIR FPA

Researchers developed a HgCdTe 256x256 focal plane array (FPA) which operates in the 1 to 5 micron band. This is presently the largest demonstrated HgCdTe FPA. The detector material is HgCdTe on sapphire (PACE-1 technology) which has a low thermal expansion mismatch with silicon. The multiplexer is a CMOS FET-switch device processed through a commercial silicon foundry. The multiplexer input is direct injection and the charge capacity is about 2 times 10 to the 7th power electrons. The kTC limited read noise is 400 electrons. Researchers demonstrated high background imaging using the device. The broadband quantum efficiency is measured to be 59 percent. Dark currents less than 0.1 pA were measured at 77 K for detectors processed on PACE-1 material with 4.9 microns cutoff. The dark currents decrease as the temperature is lowered, and researchers are presently studying the T less than 77 K characteristics. The interconnect yield is greater than 95 percent. The devices are available for astronomical applications.

Vural, Kadri↗

Robust stabilization of marginally stable positive-real systems

This paper investigates the stability of the negative feedback interconnection to two positive-real systems which have poles in the closed left-half of the complex plane. A new definition of marginally strict positive real systems is introduced, and sufficient conditions are obtained for the stability of the feedback interconnection of such systems, using the Lyapunov method. The conditions obtained have direct applications to dynamic dissipative controllers for flexible spacecraft and are the least restrictive ones published to date.

Joshi, Suresh M.↗

Considerations for Multiprocessor Topologies

Choosing a multiprocessor interconnection topology may depend on high-level considerations, such as the intended application domain and the expected number of processors. It certainly depends on low-level implementation details, such as packaging and communications protocols. The authors first use rough measures of cost and performance to characterize several topologies. They then examine how implementation details can affect the realizable performance of a topology.

INTERPROCESSOR COMMUNICATION↗

Power Actuation and Switching Module Test Results

The X2000 Power System Electronics (PSE) is a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) task to develop a new generation of power system building blocks for use on future deep-space missions. The effort includes the development of electronic components and modules that can be used as building blocks in the design of generic spacecraft power systems. All X2000 avionics components and modules are designed for use in centralized or distributed spacecraft architectures. The Power Actuation and Switching Module (PASM) has been developed under the X2000 program. This component enables a modular and scalable design approach for power switching applications, which can result in a wide variety of power switching architectures using this simple building block. The PASM is designed to provide most of the necessary power switching functions of spacecraft for various Deep Space missions including future missions to Mars, comets, Jupiter and its moons. It is fabricated using an ASIC process that is tolerant of high radiation. The development included two application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and support circuitry all packaged using High Density Interconnect (HDI) technology. It can be operated in series or parallel with other PASMs. It can be used as a high-side or low-side switch and it can drive thruster valves, pyrotechnic devices such as NASA standard initiators, bus shunt resistors, and regular spacecraft component loads. Each PASM contains two independent switches with internal current limiting and over-current trip-off functions to protect the power subsystem from load faults. During turnon and turnoff each switch can limit the rate of current change (di/dt) to a value determined by the user. Three-way majority-voted On/Off commandability and full switch status telemetry (both analog and digital) are built into the module. This paper is a follow up to the one presented at he IECEC 2004 conference that will include the lessons learned and test results from the development.

X2000↗

A Solar Thermophotovoltaic Electric Generator for Remote Power Applications

We have successfully demonstrated that a solar thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system with a SiC graybody emitter and the monolithic interconnected module device technology can be realized. A custom-designed solar cavity was made to house the SiC emitter and the Monolithic Integrated Module (MIM) strings for testing in a Stirling dish solar concentrator. Five 1x1-cm MIMs, with a bandgap of 0.74 eV, were mounted on a specially designed water-cooled heatsink and were electrically connected in series to form a string. Two such strings were fabricated and tested, as well as high-performance 2x2-cm MIMs with a bandgap of 0.74 eV. Very high output power density values between 0.82 and 0.90 W/ square cm were observed for an average emitter temperature of 1501 K.

Fatemi, Navid S.↗

A Solar Thermophotovoltaic Electric Generator for Remote Power Applications

We have successfully demonstrated that a solar thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system with a SiC graybody emitter and the monolithic interconnected module device technology can be realized. A custom-designed solar cavity was made to house the SiC emitter and the MIM strings for testing in a Stirling dish solar concentrator. Five 1x1-cm MIMs, with a bandgap of 0.74 eV,were mounted on a specially designed water-cooled heatsink and were electrically connected in series to form a string. Two such strings were fabricated and tested, as well as high-performance 2x2-cm MIMs with a bandgap of 0.74 eV. Very high output power density values between 0.82 and 0.90 W/sq cm were observed for an average emitter temperature of 1501 K.

Fatemi, Navid S.↗

Thermophotovoltaic Cell Technology Transferred to the Department of Energy Laboratory and a Commercial Manufacturer

Researchers in the NASA Lewis Research Center's Photovoltaic Branch have developed novel photovoltaic device, called a Monolithically Interconnected Module (MIM), for use in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) power systems. TPV power systems function by heating an emitter to produce light. This light is then converted into electricity by a photovoltaic device or a solar cell. Possible heat sources for the system include concentrated solar energy, the combustion of various fuels, and nuclear decay. NASA has an interest in TPV systems for deep space (nuclear-powered) and near-Sun (solar-powered) missions. There also are many commercial and military applications for TPV, given its potential for high efficiency, low noise, and reliable power. The Monolithically Interconnected Module consists of many small solar cells that are series-interconnected on a common substrate. The cells are fabricated from indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), which can convert the near-infrared portion of the emitter output spectrum into electricity. The InGaAs devices are deposited on an indium phosphide (InP) substrate that provides electrical isolation. On the bottom the InP substrate is an infrared reflector that returns all the photons that are not converted by the InGaAs device back to the emitter where they are absorbed. This process helps maintain the emitter temperature and dramatically improves the system efficiency. Monolithically Interconnected Module InGaAs thermophotovoltaic cell developed by Lewis. Compared with conventional TPV cells, this TPV device has higher output voltages and lower resistive losses, higher output power density, simplified thermal management, improved reliability, and higher efficiency. The Monolithically Interconnected Module was initially developed under an internally funded effort (Director's Discretionary Fund). Development is now being funded by another government agency, and prototype devices are being produced by a commercial solar cell manufacturer.

Wilt, David M.↗

34% Efficient InGaP/GaAs/GaSb Cell-Interconnected-Circuits for Line-Focus Concentrator Arrays

While monolithic multi-junction cells are preferred for flat plate arrays, mechanically stacked multi-junction cells are superior for solar concentrator applications. Reasons for this are that the mechanical stacked configuration with high efficiency Gallium Antimonide cells allows utilization of a much wider range of the solar energy spectrum, and the ability to use voltage matched interconnects results in full use of low bandgap cell currents. Herein, data are presented for simple two terminal voltage-matched circuits using InGaP/GaAs/GaSb stacked cells showing 34% average circuit efficiency for a lot of 12 circuits given prismatic covers. These circuits have been designed to fit into the ultralight Stretched Lens Array being developed by NASA. With these new cell-interconnected-circuits, we project that the power density at GEO operating temperature can be increased from 296 W/m2 to 350 W/m2 while maintaining the specific power at 190 W/kg at the full wing level.

Fraas, L. M.↗

Efficient parallel architecture for highly coupled real-time linear system applications

A systematic procedure is developed for exploiting the parallel constructs of computation in a highly coupled, linear system application. An overall top-down design approach is adopted. Differential equations governing the application under consideration are partitioned into subtasks on the basis of a data flow analysis. The interconnected task units constitute a task graph which has to be computed in every update interval. Multiprocessing concepts utilizing parallel integration algorithms are then applied for efficient task graph execution. A simple scheduling routine is developed to handle task allocation while in the multiprocessor mode. Results of simulation and scheduling are compared on the basis of standard performance indices. Processor timing diagrams are developed on the basis of program output accruing to an optimal set of processors. Basic architectural attributes for implementing the system are discussed together with suggestions for processing element design. Emphasis is placed on flexible architectures capable of accommodating widely varying application specifics.

Carroll, Chester C.↗