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At least 1,639 records · Page 91

Users manual for AUTOMESH-2D: A program of automatic mesh generation for two-dimensional scattering analysis by the finite element method

AUTOMESH-2D is a computer program specifically designed as a preprocessor for the scattering analysis of two dimensional bodies by the finite element method. This program was developed due to a need for reproducing the effort required to define and check the geometry data, element topology, and material properties. There are six modules in the program: (1) Parameter Specification; (2) Data Input; (3) Node Generation; (4) Element Generation; (5) Mesh Smoothing; and (5) Data File Generation.

Hua, Chongyu↗

Radiation Transmission Properties of In-Situ Materials

The development of a permanent human presence in space is a key element of NASA's strategic plan for the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). The habitation of the International Space Station (ISS) is one near-term HEDS objective; the exploration and settlement of the moon and Mars are long-term goals of that plan. Achieving these goals requires maintaining the health and safety of personnel involved in such space operations at a high level, while at the same time reducing the cost of those operations to a reasonable level. Among the limiting factors to prolonged human space operations are the health risks from exposure to the space ionizing radiation environment. In order to keep the risk of radiation induced cancer at acceptable levels, it is necessary to provide adequate shielding from the ionizing radiation environment. The research presented here is theoretical and ground-based experimental study of the neutron production from interactions of GCR-like particles in various shielding components. An emphasis is placed here on research that will aid in the development of in-situ resource utilization. The primary goal of the program is to develop an accurate neutron-production model that is relevant to the NASA HEDS program of designing technologies that will be used in the development of effective shielding countermeasures. A secondary goal of the program is the development of an experimental data base of neutron production cross sections and thick-target yields which will aid model development.

Heilbronn, L.↗

Applying optimization software libraries to engineering problems

Nonlinear programming, preliminary design problems, performance simulation problems trajectory optimization, flight computer optimization, and linear least squares problems are among the topics covered. The nonlinear programming applications encountered in a large aerospace company are a real challenge to those who provide mathematical software libraries and consultation services. Typical applications include preliminary design studies, data fitting and filtering, jet engine simulations, control system analysis, and trajectory optimization and optimal control. Problem sizes range from single-variable unconstrained minimization to constrained problems with highly nonlinear functions and hundreds of variables. Most of the applications can be posed as nonlinearly constrained minimization problems. Highly complex optimization problems with many variables were formulated in the early days of computing. At the time, many problems had to be reformulated or bypassed entirely, and solution methods often relied on problem-specific strategies. Problems with more than ten variables usually went unsolved.

Healy, M. J.↗

Preliminary Reactor Physics Assessment of the HTR Module with 14% Enriched UCO Fuel

The high temperature reactor (HTR) Module (Lohnert, 1990) is a graphite-moderated, helium cooled pebble bed design that has been extensively used as a reference template for the former South African (Matzner, 2004) and current Chinese (Zhang et al., 2009) HTR programs. This design utilizes spherical fuel elements packed into a dynamic pebble bed, consisting of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) coated uranium oxide (UO2) 500 µm fuel kernels with a U-235 enrichment of 7.8% and a heavy metal loading of 7 g per pebble. This fuel type was previously qualified for use in Germany for pebble bed HTRs, as well as undergoing re-qualification in South Africa for the PBMR project. It is also the fuel type being tested for use in the high temperature reactor (HTR-PM) under construction in China. In the United States, however, a different TRISO fuel form is the subject of a qualification program. The U.S. experience with HTRs has been focused upon the batch-fueled prismatic reactor in which TRISO particles are embedded in cylindrical compacts and stacked inside the graphite blocks which comprise the core. Under this type of operating regime, a smaller TRISO with a different composition and enrichment performs better than the fuel historically used in PBRs. Fuel kernels and compacting techniques more suited to prismatic core duty are currently being developed and qualified under the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) fuel development program and in support of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant project. Interest in the pebble bed concept remains high, however, and a study was undertaken by the authors to assess the viability of using AGR fuel in a pebble bed reactor. Using the German HTR Module as the reference plant, key neutronic and thermal-hydraulic parameters were compared between the nominal design and one fueled with the fuel that is the focus of the AGR program.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

From Paper to Production: An Update on NASA's Upper Stage Engine for Exploration

In 2006, NASA selected an evolved variant of the proven Saturn/Apollo J-2 upper stage engine to power the Ares I crew launch vehicle upper stage and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle Earth departure stage (EDS) for the Constellation Program. Any design changes needed by the new engine would be based where possible on proven hardware from the Space Shuttle, commercial launchers, and other programs. In addition to the thrust and efficiency requirements needed for the Constellation reference missions, it would be an order of magnitude safer than past engines. It required the J-2X government/industry team to develop the highest performance engine of its type in history and develop it for use in two vehicles for two different missions. In the attempt to achieve these goals in the past five years, the Upper Stage Engine team has made significant progress, successfully passing System Requirements Review (SRR), System Design Review (SDR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR). As of spring 2010, more than 100,000 experimental and development engine parts have been completed or are in various stages of manufacture. Approximately 1,300 of more than 1,600 engine drawings have been released for manufacturing. This progress has been due to a combination of factors: the heritage hardware starting point, advanced computer analysis, and early heritage and development component testing to understand performance, validate computer modeling, and inform design trades. This work will increase the odds of success as engine team prepares for powerpack and development engine hot fire testing in calendar 2011. This paper will provide an overview of the engine development program and progress to date.

Kynard, Mike↗

Space Shuttle OMS engine valve technology

Valve technology program to determine shutoff valve concepts suitable for the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engine of the Space Shuttle. The tradeoff studies selected the electric torque motor operated dual poppet and ball valves as the most desirable valve concepts for the OMS Engine Shutoff Valve. A prototype of one of these concepts was built and subjected to a design verification program. A number of unique features were designed to include the required contamination insensitivity, operating fluid compatibility, decontamination capability, minimum maintenance requirement and long service life capability.

Wichmann, H.↗

Banning artwork program user's manual

A manual containing computer programs for designing circuits is presented. A description of the pattern library, the plotter used to draw the circuit patterns, and program control cards is given. Sample printouts and cards are shown.

Taylor, J. F.↗

The application of remote sensing to resource management and environmental quality programs in Kansas

Activities of the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program (KARS) designed to establish interactions on cooperative projects with decision makers in Kansas agencies in the development and application of remote sensing procedures are reported. Cooperative demonstration projects undertaken with several different agencies involved three principal areas of effort: Wildlife Habitat and Environmental Analysis; Urban and Regional Analysis; Agricultural and Rural Analysis. These projects were designed to concentrate remote sensing concepts and methodologies on existing agency problems to insure the continued relevancy of the program and maximize the possibility for immediate operational use. Completed projects are briefly discussed.

Barr, B. G.↗

Arbitrary aircraft-geometry generator

Computer program helps designers to generate detailed configuration geometry with much flexibility in choices of configurations and details of description. Input requirements, program turnaround time, and costs are kept low. It consists of routines that generate fuselage and planar-surface (winglike) geometries and routine that determines true intersection of all components with fuselage.

Edwards, C. L. W.↗

NASA Ames Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program

The Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP) is described. This program is designed to provide engineering experience for gifted female and minority high school students. The students from this work study program which features trips, lectures, written reports, and job experience describe their individual work with their mentors.

Powell, P.↗

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon® Design Challenge is a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design high-performance buildings that push the boundaries of the industry. In the 2020 Design Challenge, DOE piloted the Design Partners Program, a low-risk opportunity for builders and building owners to harness student innovation and explore zero energy design for current or upcoming projects. Design Partners provide a student team of architects and engineers with project requirements. By the end of the Design Challenge, Design Partners receive a zero-energy design alternative and cost estimate for their project. The collaboration allows Design Partners to incorporate innovative concepts such as grid-interactivity, resilience, and low embodied carbon in a low-risk environment. It also provides the future generation of engineers and architects with invaluable experience designing a building for a client under real-world circumstances. This article summarizes the current policy, technology, health, and economic trends that make zero energy buildings desirable and feasible, and presents the value of the Solar Decathlon to industry. We highlight innovative solutions 2020 Design Partner pilot projects are bringing to the building industry.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

High Temperature Additive Architectures for 65% Efficiency (Final Report)

GE Power (GEP) proposed a development program that targets advanced high temperature additive components that contribute towards the DOE’s goal for advanced gas turbines that are capable of 65%, or greater, efficiency in combined cycle application. GEP proposed to leverage state-of-the-art additive manufacturing to develop novel and innovative component airfoil and end wall architectures that provide cooling flow savings while maintaining the component durability expected in today’s gas turbines. The objective of this program was to develop advanced component designs and architectures enabled by additive manufacturing, and the materials systems and additive manufacturing technology required for these designs. This Phase I program leveraged existing design and analysis knowledge and techniques for additive materials and methods and utilized extensive analytical evaluations to develop and refine designs for advanced turbine hot gas path (HGP) components. The design will be the basis for development and testing in a potential Phase II program. The goal of this Phase I program was to establish a feasible conceptual design for advanced additive turbine hot section components along with a technology maturation plan involving testing to address risk areas and needed validation. It was approached through two primary elements: 1) conceptual design and analysis of wall architectures, advanced airfoil cooling concepts, and advanced system-level concepts, and 2) investigation of additive modalities and associated materials systems. The Phase I program has concluded with the down-select of a primary design concept for a potential Phase II program.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Shuttle Entry Air Data System

The SEADS system (Shuttle Entry Air Data System) is being developed to provide research quality hypersonic (M greater than 3.5) air data. SEADS will accomplish this through the instrumentation of the orbiter's baseline nose cap. The SEADS development program consists of (1) the design and testing program required to define a reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) nose cap penetration concept which will not degrade nose cap performance, (2) the definition of analytical techniques and design criteria for array definition and flight data analysis, (3) the verification of these analytical techniques and array criteria through a comprehensive wind-tunnel test program, (4) the demonstration of the system concept through detailed testing, and (5) the analyses and tests required to flight-certify the SEADS system.

Siemers, P. M., III↗

AEDAM: Whole Program Adaptive Error Detection and Mitigation—Year 3 Report

In Year 3, MIT was primarily responsible for the effort on Software Characterization, with the following milestones: 1. Completed design of domain-specific language for fault models 2. Completed design of program logic for verification 3. Completed evaluation of relational verification system for jacobi, steepest descent, and conjugate gradient 4. Completed development of relational verification system 5. Completed evaluation of relational verification system

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Structured programming: Principles, notation, procedure

Structured programs are best represented using a notation which gives a clear representation of the block encapsulation. In this report, a set of symbols which can be used until binding directives are republished is suggested. Structured programming also allows a new method of procedure for design and testing. Programs can be designed top down, that is, they can start at the highest program plane and can penetrate to the lowest plane by step-wise refinements. The testing methodology also is adapted to this procedure. First, the highest program plane is tested, and the programs which are not yet finished in the next lower plane are represented by so-called dummies. They are gradually replaced by the real programs.

JOST↗

Reactor Physics Characterization of the HTR Module with UCO Fuel

ABSTRACT The HTR Module [1] is a graphite-moderated, helium cooled pebble bed High Temperature Reactor (HTR) design that has been extensively used as a reference template for the former South African and current Chinese HTR [2] programs. This design utilized spherical fuel elements packed into a dynamic pebble bed, consisting of TRISO coated uranium oxide (UO2) fuel kernels with a U-235 enrichment of 7.8% and a Heavy Metal loading of 7 grams per pebble. The main objective of this study is to compare several important reactor physics and core design parameters for the HTR Module and an identical design utilizing UCO fuel kernels. Fuel kernels of this type are currently being tested in the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as part of the larger Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project. The PEBBED-THERMIX [3] code, which was developed specifically for the analysis of pebble bed HTRs, was used to compare the coupled neutronic and thermal fluid performance of the two designs.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Parametric analysis of diffuser requirements for high expansion ratio space engine

A supersonic diffuser ejector design computer program was developed. Using empirically modified one dimensional flow methods the diffuser ejector geometry is specified by the code. The design code results for calculations up to the end of the diffuser second throat were verified. Diffuser requirements for sea level testing of high expansion ratio space engines were defined. The feasibility of an ejector system using two commonly available turbojet engines feeding two variable area ratio ejectors was demonstrated.

Wojciechowski, C. J.↗