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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 19 records

Open-Source Data for MAC-POSTS: Mobility Data Analytics Center - Prediction, Optimization, and Simulation Toolkit for Transportation Systems

MAC-POSTS (Mobility Data Analytics Center - Prediction, Optimization, and Simulation toolkit for Transportation Systems) is a toolkit for dynamic transportation network modeling. Developed by the Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC) at Carnegie Mellon University, this package implements many classic dynamic transportation network models, as well as new models proposed by MAC members. It has served as one building block for many other models and research projects. As such, this package used to be treated as an internal research project of the MAC lab, and admittedly, the code base is messy, and the interface is hard to use. However, we are working hard to make it a generally usable and useful toolkit for dynamic transportation network modeling. We would really appreciate any feedback, comments, suggestions, or criticisms.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

[Redesign of the Spacesuit Long Life Battery and the Personal Life Support System Battery]

This fall I was working on two different projects that culminated into a redesign of the spacesuit LLB (long life battery). I also did some work on the PLSS (personal life support system) battery with EC. My first project was redlining the work instruction for completing DPAs (destructive physical analysis) on battery cells in the department. The purpose of this document is to create a standard process and ensure that the data in the same way no matter who carries out the analysis. I observed three DPAs, conducted one with help, and conducted two on my own all while taking notes on the procedure. These notes were used to write the final work instruction that will become is the department standard. My second project continued the work of the summer co-op before me. I was testing aluminum heat sinks for their ability to provide good thermal conduction and structural support during a thermal runaway event. The heat sinks were designed by the summer intern but there was not much time for testing before he left. We ran tests with a heater on the bottom of a trigger cell to try to drive thermal runaway and ensure that it will not propagate to adjacent cells. We also ran heat-to-vent tests in an oven to see if the assembly provided structural support and prevented sidewall rupture during thermal runaway. These tests were carried out at ESTA (energy systems test area) and are providing very promising results that safe, high performing (greater than 180 Wh/kg) designs are possible. My main project was a redesign of the LLB battery. Another summer intern did some testing and concluded that there was no simple fix to mitigate thermal runaway propagation hazards in the current design. The only option was a clean sheet redesign of the battery. I was given a volume and ideal energy density and the rest of the design was up to me. First, I created new heat sink banks in Creo using the information gathered in the metal heat sink tests from the summer intern. After this, I made capture plates to hold the cells in place and I worked on nickel bussings for the electrical connections between the cells. Finally, I designed the test box enclosure that included sections for flame arresting materials. The battery brick design, which is the heart of the battery, promises to become the first for a manned spacecraft application to achieve greater than 180 Wh/kg. My work in redlining the DPA work instructions will also be used in selecting the cells for the battery. We had a few options of cells that would provide the necessary power output and needed to make a choice. We repeatedly charged and discharged cells for around a month until they went through 100 lifecycles. The plan is to compare the DPA results on fresh and cycled cells from each manufacturer to see if cycling introduces any differences. After the complete LLB design was approved, the parts were ordered and testing should begin the first week of December. Some of my side projects included working on the CAD data for the PLSS with EC and attending the NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop in Huntsville. I was also a member of the Tours and Lectures Committee for the USRA and Pathways interns. I coordinated Apollo Evening and was on the committee for touring KSC and seeing an Atlas 5 launch. I really enjoyed my time at JSC and I would like to continue working for NASA or another aerospace company in the future. I have worked other internships prior to this, but I think the heavy research and development focus is the best fit for me. I originally thought I would need to go to grad school to work in an environment like this, but I now see it is possible with a bachelor’s degree and hard work. I would like to go into the workforce and maybe continue my education with night classes.

Scharf, Stephanie↗

A Proposal to Investigate Outstanding Problems in Astronomy

During the period leading up to the spectacular launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-109) on 1 March 2002 6:22 am EST, the team worked hard on a myriad of tasks to be ready for launch. Our launch support included preparations and rehearsals for the support during the mission, preparation for the SMOV and ERO program, and work to have the science team's data pipeline (APSIS) and data archive (SDA) ready by launch. A core of the team that was at the GSFC during the EVA that installed ACS monitored the turn-on and aliveness tests of ACS. One hour after installation of ACS in the HST George Hartig was showing those of us at Goddard the telemetry which demonstrated that the HRC and WFC CCDs were cooling to their preset temperatures. The TECs had survived launch! After launch, the team had several immediate and demanding tasks. We had to process the ERO observations through our pipeline and understand the limitations of the ground based-based calibrations, and simultaneously prepare the EROs for public release. The ERO images and the SMOV calibrations demonstrated that ACS met or exceeded its specifications for image quality and sensitivity. It is the most sensitive instrument that Hubble has had. The ERO images themselves made the front page of all of the major newspapers in the US. During the months after launch we have worked on the SMOV observations, and are analyzing the data from our science program.

Ford, Holland↗

Thank You to Our Peer Reviewers in 2025

Peer reviewing is the foundation of modern scholarship, with external specialists being asked to fairly check and evaluate submitted work. This difficult and often time‐consuming activity is performed voluntarily, with the understanding that one's own scholarship shall benefit down the line from a careful analysis of its assumption, results, accuracy, and yes, language, as we are now evaluating someone else's work. At Space Weather, we pride ourselves on a fair but quick review process yielding high‐quality articles with a time from submission to first decision of less than 2 months. This would not be possible without the hard work of all our reviewers. Once a year, we take the occasion to name these reviewers to thank them for their service to the journal and the community.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Risk Management Implementation Tool

Continuous Risk Management (CM) is a software engineering practice with processes, methods, and tools for managing risk in a project. It provides a controlled environment for practical decision making, in order to assess continually what could go wrong, determine which risk are important to deal with, implement strategies to deal with those risk and assure the measure effectiveness of the implemented strategies. Continuous Risk Management provides many training workshops and courses to teach the staff how to implement risk management to their various experiments and projects. The steps of the CRM process are identification, analysis, planning, tracking, and control. These steps and the various methods and tools that go along with them, identification, and dealing with risk is clear-cut. The office that I worked in was the Risk Management Office (RMO). The RMO at NASA works hard to uphold NASA s mission of exploration and advancement of scientific knowledge and technology by defining and reducing program risk. The RMO is one of the divisions that fall under the Safety and Assurance Directorate (SAAD). I worked under Cynthia Calhoun, Flight Software Systems Engineer. My task was to develop a help screen for the Continuous Risk Management Implementation Tool (RMIT). The Risk Management Implementation Tool will be used by many NASA managers to identify, analyze, track, control, and communicate risks in their programs and projects. The RMIT will provide a means for NASA to continuously assess risks. The goals and purposes for this tool is to provide a simple means to manage risks, be used by program and project managers throughout NASA for managing risk, and to take an aggressive approach to advertise and advocate the use of RMIT at each NASA center.

Wright, Shayla L.↗

Conduit Coating Abrasion Testing

During my summer internship at NASA I have been working alongside the team members of the RESTORE project. Engineers working on the RESTORE project are creating ·a device that can go into space and service satellites that no longer work due to gas shortage or other technical difficulties. In order to complete the task of refueling the satellite a hose needs to be used and covered with a material that can withstand effects of space. The conduit coating abrasion test will help the researchers figure out what type of thermal coating to use on the hose that will be refueling the satellites. The objective of the project is to determine whether or not the conduit coating will withstand the effects of space. For the RESTORE project I will help with various aspects of the testing that needed to be done in order to determine which type of conduit should be used for refueling the satellite. During my time on the project I will be assisting with wiring a relay board that connected to the test set up by soldering, configuring wires and testing for continuity. Prior to the testing I will work on creating the testing site and help write the procedure for the test. The testing will take place over a span of two weeks and lead to an informative conclusion. Working alongside various RESTORE team members I will assist with the project's documentation and records. All in all, throughout my internship at NASA I hope to learn a number of valuable skills and be a part of a hard working team of engineers.

Sullivan, Mary K.↗

International Space Station Evolution Data Book: Baseline Design - Volume 1

The International Space Station (ISS) will provide an Earth-orbiting facility that will accommodate engineering experiments as well as research in a microgravity environment for life and natural sciences. The ISS will distribute resource utilities and support permanent human habitation for conducting this research and experimentation in a safe and habitable environment. The objectives of the ISS program are to develop a world-class, international orbiting laboratory for conducting high-value scientific research for the benefit of humans on Earth; to provide access to the microgravity environment; to develop the ability to live and work in space for extended periods; and to provide a research test bed for developing advanced technology for human and robotic exploration of space. The current design and development of the ISS has been achieved through the outstanding efforts of many talented engineers, designers, technicians, and support personnel who have dedicated their time and hard work to producing a state-of-the-art Space Station. Despite these efforts, the current design of the ISS has limitations that have resulted from cost and technology issues. Regardless, the ISS must evolve during its operational lifetime to respond to changing user needs and long-term national and international goals. As technologies develop and user needs change, the ISS will be modified to meet these demands. The design and development of these modifications should begin now to prevent a significant lapse in time between the baseline design and the realization of future opportunities. For this effort to begin, an understanding of the baseline systems and current available opportunities for utilization needs to be achieved. Volume I of this document provides the consolidated overview of the ISS baseline systems. It also provides information on the current facilities available for pressurized and unpressurized payloads. Information on current plans for crew availability and utilization; resource timelines and margin summaries including power, thermal, and storage volumes; and an overview of the ISS cargo traffic and the vehicle traffic model is also included.

Jorgensen, Catherine A.↗

Thick graded interfaces increase wear resistance in Ti/TiN nanolayered thin films

Multilayered composites with nanoscale layer thickness incorporating titanium and titanium nitride (Ti/TiN) are used as a model system to study the effects of heterophase interface structure on elastic and plastic deformation, as well as wear behavior. Here, in this work, hardness, modulus, and wear rate under dry reciprocating sliding contact are quantified as a function of Ti-TiN heterophase interfacial nitrogen gradient thickness for Ti/TiN multilayers with 10–80 nm layer thickness. Hardness and modulus are found to be inversely proportional to layer thickness and independent of interface gradient for most specimens. Wear rate is found to be inversely proportional to interface gradient thickness at constant layer thickness, demonstrating that control of nanoscale interface structure is a valid approach to enhancing wear behavior. The materials studied in this work wear comparably or slower than other Ti- and TiN-based composites in the literature, providing a promising avenue for engineering wear-resistant materials for use in industrially relevant applications.

Graded interfaces↗

Amateur Radio On The International Space Station (ARISS) - The First Educational Outreach Program On ISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) represents the first educational outreach program that is flying on the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts and cosmonauts will work hard on the International Space Station, but they plan to take some time off for educational activities with schools. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA s) Education Division is a major supporter and sponsor of this student outreach activity on the ISS. This meets NASA s educational mission objective: To inspire the next generation of explorers.. .as only NASA can. The amateur radio community is helping to enrich the experience of those visiting and living on the station as well as the students on Earth. Through ARISS sponsored hardware and activities, students on Earth get a first-hand feel of what it is like to live and work in space. This paper will discuss the educational outreach accomplishments of ARISS, the school contact process, the ARISS international cooperation and volunteers, and ISS Ham radio plans for the future.

Conley, Carolynn Lee↗

International Space Station (ISS) Risk Reduction Activities

As the assembly of the ISS nears completion, it is worthwhile to step back and review some of the actions pursued by the Program in recent years to reduce risk and enhance the safety and health of ISS crewmembers, visitors, and space flight participants. While the ISS requirements and initial design were intended to provide the best practicable levels of safety, it is always possible to reduce risk -- given the determination and commitment to do so. The following is a summary of some of the steps taken by the ISS Program Manager, by our International Partners, by hardware and software designers, by operational specialists, and by safety personnel to continuously enhance the safety of the ISS. While decades of work went into developing the ISS requirements, there are many things in a Program like the ISS that can only be learned through actual operational experience. These risk reduction activities can be divided into roughly three categories: (1) Areas that were initially noncompliant which have subsequently been brought into compliance or near compliance (i.e., Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris [MMOD] protection, acoustics) (2) Areas where initial design requirements were eventually considered inadequate and were subsequently augmented (i.e., Toxicity Level 4 materials, emergency hardware and procedures) (3) Areas where risks were initially underestimated, and have subsequently been addressed through additional mitigation (i.e., Extravehicular Activity [EVA] sharp edges, plasma shock hazards) Due to the hard work and cooperation of many parties working together across the span of nearly a decade, the ISS is now a safer and healthier environment for our crew, in many cases exceeding the risk reduction targets inherent in the intent of the original design. It will provide a safe and stable platform for utilization and discovery.

Fodroci, Michael↗

The Value of Successful MBSE Adoption

The value of successful adoption of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) practices is hard to quantify. Most engineers and project managers look at the success in terms of cost. But there are other ways to quantify the value of MBSE and the steps necessary to achieve adoption. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been doing Model-Based Engineering (design, structural, etc.) for years, but the system engineering side has not. Since 2010, GRC has been moving from documents centric to MBSE/SysML. Project adoption of MBSE has been slow, but is steadily increasing in both MBSE usage and complexity of generated products. Sharing of knowledge of lessons learned in the implementation of MBSE/SysML is key for others who want to be successful. Along with GRC's implementation, NASA is working hard to increase the successful implementation of MBSE across all the other centers by developing guidelines, templates and libraries for projects to utilize. This presentation will provide insight into recent GRC and NASA adoption efforts, lessons learned and best practices.

MBSE↗

Long-Term International Space Station (ISS) Risk Reduction Activities

As the assembly of the ISS nears completion, it is worthwhile to step back and review some of the actions pursued by the Program in recent years to reduce risk and enhance the safety and health of ISS crewmembers, visitors, and space flight participants. While the initial ISS requirements and design were intended to provide the best practicable levels of safety, it is always possible to further reduce risk given the determination, commitment, and resources to do so. The following is a summary of some of the steps taken by the ISS Program Manager, by our International Partners, by hardware and software designers, by operational specialists, and by safety personnel to continuously enhance the safety of the ISS, and to reduce risk to all crewmembers. While years of work went into the development of ISS requirements, there are many things associated with risk reduction in a Program like the ISS that can only be learned through actual operational experience. These risk reduction activities can be divided into roughly three categories: Areas that were initially noncompliant which have subsequently been brought into compliance or near compliance (i.e., Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris [MMOD] protection, acoustics) Areas where initial design requirements were eventually considered inadequate and were subsequently augmented (i.e., Toxicity hazard level-4 materials, emergency procedures, emergency equipment, control of drag-throughs) Areas where risks were initially underestimated, and have subsequently been addressed through additional mitigation (i.e., Extravehicular Activity [EVA] sharp edges, plasma shock hazards). Due to the hard work and cooperation of many parties working together across the span of more than a decade, the ISS is now a safer and healthier environment for our crew, in many cases exceeding the risk reduction targets inherent in the intent of the original design. It will provide a safe and stable platform for utilization and discovery for years to come.

Forroci, Michael P.↗

System Administration Support/SWORDS G2

The Soldier-Warfighter Operationally Responsive Deployer for Space (SWORDS) rocket is a dedicated small satellite launcher that will minimize danger and complexity in order to allow soldiers in the field to put payloads of up to 25kg into orbit from the field. The SWORDSG2 project is the development of a model, simulation, and ultimately a working application that will control and monitor the cryogenic fluid delivery to the SWORDS rocket for testing purposes. To accomplish this, the project is using the programming language environment Gensym G2. The environment is an all-inclusive application that allows development, testing, modeling, and finally operation of the unique application through graphical and programmatic methods. In addition, observation of the current cryogenic fluid delivery system in the Kennedy Space Center Cry Lab has allowed me to gain valuable experience of fluid systems and propelant delivery that is valuable to our team when developing amd modeling our own system.The ultimate goal of having a test-ready application to show to the heads of the project, and demonstrating G2's capabilities, by late 2014 will require hard work and intense study and understanding of not only the programming aspect but also the physical phenomena we want to model, observe, and control.

cryogenic fluids↗

Leading Your Leaders

Even though working on a problem has been your primary effort for the past year, your leadership may have heard about this once in a briefing a decade ago. Now they are basically clueless. Pretend that you are talking to your daughter's fifth-grade class. Explain how your complicated gizmo works. If possible, do not use acronyms. Define your terms. Put your work in context. Assume your leader has no idea what you do, who you work for, or what your gizmo does. That is a good place to start. Remember, taking the next century to study the problem or spending the Gross National Product to invent a new solution are probably not going to be acceptable solutions. Real engineers and technicians build real hardware that works in the real world in a reasonable manner within a reasonable time at a reasonable cost. True, skimping on time or money can cause mistakes, but folks whose gizmos are delayed unreasonably or cost more than is practical get their programs canceled, force the business into bankruptcy, or give the market over to the competition. Real engineers and technicians always consider cost and schedule in their work. Raising questions is important. However, we are in the business of doing things. Engineers and technicians are paid to get things done. Yes, you have to identify the problem, frame the design, identify the tests, perform the analysis, and assemble the hardware. But the goal is to solve the problem. Nobody ever said flying in space was easy. We make it look easy the same way that an Olympic champion makes her sport look easy: by working hard at improving performance every day. Better are the results of a well-defined test. Remember that a test on a laboratory bench is always an approximation of reality, and rules similar to those for good analysis also apply. One should always be mindful of Mechelay's rule: "It is better to be stupid than to run a stupid test." Often we try to overtest. If a piece of hardware passes an unbelievably difficult test, then life is good. More often when an unbelievably difficult test fails, we are left with a very long discussion of why and what was wrong in the design or execution of the test. Make sure that the test is well defined. Even then, it is important to explain to your leaders what inherent accuracy (or error) the test conditions or equipment have and what the assumptions or initial conditions were for the test. Test results without a good understanding of the test's accuracy or the pedigree of the test assumptions are worth very little. Finally, there is flight test data. Always limited, never at the edge of the envelope, it still shows how the real hardware works in a combined environment. Flight experience is dangerous because it typically doesn't show how close to the edge of the cliff the equipment is operating, but it does demonstrate how the hardware really works. A flight test is the ultimate test, again taken with the knowledge that it is probably not the extreme but something more like the middle of the environmental and systems performance. Good understanding of a problem and its solution always relies on a combination of all these methods. Be sure to lead your leaders by using all the tools you have at your disposal. At the end of the day, decisions in space flight always come down to a risk trade. Our business is not remotely safe, not in the sense that the public, the media, or our legislators use the term. Everything we do has a risk, cost, schedule, or performance trade-off. For your leaders to make an appropriate decision, you need to educate them, lead them, talk with them, and engage them in the discussion until full understanding takes place. It's your job. *

Hale, Wayne N.↗

Nikki A. Thiele

“The best advice I have ever been given is: ‘The faster you go, the behinder you get.’ This was a favorite phrase of my graduate school advisor, and one that I say often to myself, even years later… My biggest inspiration is my father, Wayne Thiele, who taught me how to work hard and never give up…” Here, find out more about Nikki Thiele in her Introducing… Profile.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Weapon Material Program: FY24 Annual Report

The Weapon Material Program (WMP) framework was started in July of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, along with other Mission Support organizations. The first year was about building the organization with the right people, identifying needs, and developing a vision for expectations. It was also a year to move forward with new equipment and technology for weapon material processes. With numerous improvements, WMP is building world-class systems for production, warehousing, and analytical testing. FY 2023 was a year of development. The WMP was a new organization defining its identity, its focus, and its mission. At the end of FY 2023, WMP evaluated its current position and its immediate needs along with its future goals. The entire organization set out on this FY 2024 journey to success. The lack of funding, staffing, and visibility dramatically impacted weapon material operations, testing, and qualifications. This neglect required numerous areas to be addressed and improvement plans to be developed and implemented. WMP processes, procedures, and overall business operations were dramatically in need of updating, revision, and formal documentation. This included all areas: technology, equipment, facility modifications/upgrades, and testing improvements. To ensure organizational improvement and forward momentum in FY 2024, WMP executed a multi-faceted strategic vision. Action items included the following: • Filling open positions with capable personnel who would contribute to a more robust organization • Establishing more formal operations and problem-solving techniques • Improving departmental procedures to align with expanding scope • Improving training • Establishing collaboration meetings with other departments/organizations • Focusing on the importance of identifying and mitigating concerns with At-Risk Materials (@RM) • Leading modernization eff orts for Blending and Packaging (B&P) We are on the verge of a transformational improvement in all of our processes in support of the mission. The following area achievements outlined in this report reflect the hard work toward achieving the goal of “being the material Subject Matter Experts in the nuclear enterprise”.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Quantum Computing and Simulations for Energy-Related Applications

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an emerging field that has the potential to cause revolutionary advances in many areas of science and engineering, and nations around the world are vying for dominance in the field. To support DOE urgent task to make sure the U.S. wins the quantum race, in Spring of 2019 NETL started to establish and maintain QIS competency by focusing on energy-related applications. After more than five years’ hard-working, NETL QUEST (quantum for energy systems & technologies) team has made great progress on quantum sensing and quantum computing for energy applications. Significant outcomes have been achieved. To report our research progress and to propose new research directions, in this presentation at the American Physical Society (APS) annual meeting, I'm highlighting the progress of QUEST team on quantum computing for energy-related applications.

quantum computing↗