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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

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1980

Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG). Volume 5, appendix D: Cost-benefit considerations for providing dispersed storage and generation for electric utilities

Cost benefit considerations are extremely important in obtaining the acceptance of dispersed storage and generation (DSG) by the electric utilities. These considerations involved somewhat different economic analyses depending on whether the generation is utility, customer, or combined ownership. It is necessary to get acceptance of more easily understood methods for evaluating the economics of DSG because much of the benefits of DSG may accrue in the generation and transmission portions of the utility system while the costs tend to be centered in the distribution portion of that system. The influence of factors, such as reliability, capital costs, and other economic measures were also investigated.

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NASA NTRS1977

Impacts and Benefits of a Satellite Power System on the Electric Utility Industry

The purpose of this limited study was to investigate six specific issues associated with interfacing a Satellite Power System (5 GW) with large (by present standards) terrestrial power pools to a depth sufficient to determine if certain interface problems and/or benefits exist and what future studies of these problems are required. The issues investigated are as follows: (1) Stability of Power Pools Containing a 5 GWe SPS; (2) Extra Reserve Margin Required to Maintain the Reliability of Power Pools Containing a 5 GWe SPS; (3) Use of the SPS in Load Following Service (i.e. in two independent pools whose times of peak demand differ by three hours); (4) Ownership of the SPS and its effect on SPS Usage and Utility Costs; (5) Utility Sharing of SPS related RD and D Costs; (6) Utility Liability for SPS Related Hazards.

Winer, B. M.↗

NASA NTRS1976

A cost and utility analysis of NIM/CAMAC standards and equipment for shuttle payload data acquisition and control systems. Volume 1: Summary

The cost effectiveness of utilizing the Nuclear Instrumentation Modular (NIM) and the Computer Automated Measurement Control (CAMAC) equipment for Spacelab payload instrumentation was determined. Representative shuttle sortie payloads were analyzed for applicability and commonality. Modification of NIM/CAMAC equipment was analyzed for its suitability in Spacelab environments and to determine the cost. NIM/CAMAC equipment usage requirements for Spacelab payloads were converted to pool size requirements and time-phased equipment procurement requirements. A programmatic estimate of the pool equipment costs and a management plan were prepared for the pool concept. The implementation and impact of CAMAC software were assessed.

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NASA NTRS1990

Planetary spacecraft cost modeling utilizing labor estimating relationships

A basic computerized technology is presented for estimating labor hours and cost of unmanned planetary and lunar programs. The user friendly methodology designated Labor Estimating Relationship/Cost Estimating Relationship (LERCER) organizes the forecasting process according to vehicle subsystem levels. The level of input variables required by the model in predicting cost is consistent with pre-Phase A type mission analysis. Twenty one program categories were used in the modeling. To develop the model, numerous LER and CER studies were surveyed and modified when required. The result of the research along with components of the LERCER program are reported.

Williams, Raymond↗

NASA NTRS2015

Evolution of Archival Storage (from Tape to Memory)

Over the last three decades, there has been a significant evolution in storage technologies supporting archival of remote sensing data. This section provides a brief survey of how these technologies have evolved. Three main technologies are considered - tape, hard disk and solid state disk. Their historical evolution is traced, summarizing how reductions in cost have helped being able to store larger volumes of data on faster media. The cost per GB of media is only one of the considerations in determining the best approach to archival storage. Active archives generally require faster response to user requests for data than permanent archives. The archive costs have to consider facilities and other capital costs, operations costs, software licenses, utilities costs, etc. For meeting requirements in any organization, typically a mix of technologies is needed.

Magnetic Storage; Technology Evolution↗

NASA NTRS1990

Assessing the feasibility, cost, and utility of developing models of human performance in aviation

The purpose of the effort outlined in this briefing was to determine whether models exist or can be developed that can be used to address aviation automation issues. A multidisciplinary team has been assembled to undertake this effort, including experts in human performance, team/crew, and aviation system modeling, and aviation data used as input to such models. The project consists of two phases, a requirements assessment phase that is designed to determine the feasibility and utility of alternative modeling efforts, and a model development and evaluation phase that will seek to implement the plan (if a feasible cost effective development effort is found) that results from the first phase. Viewgraphs are given.

Stillwell, William↗

NASA NTRS1994

A low cost igniter utilizing an SCB and titanium sub-hydride potassium perchlorate pyrotechnic

A conventional NSI (NASA Standard Initiator) normally employs a hot-wire ignition element to ignite ZPP (zirconium potassium perchlorate). With minor modifications to the interior of a header similar to an NSI device to accommodate an SCB (semiconductor bridge), a low cost initiator was obtained. In addition, the ZPP was replaced with THKP (titanium sub-hydride potassium perchlorate) to obtain increased overall gas production and reduced static-charge sensitivity. This paper reports on the all-fire and no-fire levels obtained and on a dual mix device that uses THKP as the igniter mix and a thermite as the output mix.

R. W. Bickes, Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1976

A cost and utility analysis of NIM/CAMAC standards and equipment for shuttle payload data acquisition and control systems. Volume 3: Tasks 3 and 4

The modifications for the Nuclear Instrumentation Modular (NIM) and Computer Automated Measurement Control (CAMAC) equipment, designed for ground based laboratory use, that would be required to permit its use in the Spacelab environments were determined. The cost of these modifications were estimated and the most cost effective approach to implementing them were identified. A shared equipment implementation in which the various Spacelab users draw their required complement of standard NIM and CAMAC equipment for a given flight from a common equipment pool was considered. The alternative approach studied was a dedicated equipment implementation in which each of the users is responsible for procuring either their own NIM/CAMAC equipment or its custom built equivalent.

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NASA NTRS1978

Tech House

The members of the Swain family- Dr. Charles "Bill" Swain, wife Elaine, daughter Carol, 17, son "Chuck", 12, and dog Susie have an interesting assignment. They are active participants in an important NASA research program involving the application of space-age technology to home construction. b' Transplanted Floridians, the Swains now reside in NASA's Tech House, lo~atedat Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. Their job is to use and help evaluate the variety of advanced technology systems in Tech House. A contemporary three-bedroom home, Tech House incorporates NASA technology, the latest commercial building techniques and other innovations, all designed to reduce energy and water consumption and to provide new levels of comfort, convenience, security and fire safety. Tech House equipment performed well in initial tests, but a house is not a home until it has people. That's where the Swains come in. NASA wants to see how the various systems work under actual living conditions, to confirm the effectiveness of the innovations or to determine necessary modifications for improvement. The Swains are occupying the house for a year, during which NASA engineers are computer monitoring the equipment and assembling a record of day-to-day performance. . Tech House is a laboratory rather than a mass production prototype, but its many benefits may influence home design and construction. In a period of sharply rising utility costs, widespread adoption of Tech House features could provide large-scale savings to homeowners and potentially enormous national benefit in resources conservation. Most innovations are aerospace spinoffs: Some of the equipment is now commercially available; other systems are expected to be in production within a few years. Around 1980, a Tech House-type of home could be built for $45-50,000 (1 976 dollars). It is estimated that the homeowner would save well over $20,000 (again 1976 dollars) in utility costs over the average mortgage span of 20 years.

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NASA NTRS1976

A cost and utility analysis of NIM/CAMAC standards and equipment for shuttle payload data acquisition and control systems. Volume 2: Tasks 1 and 2

A representative set of payloads for both science and applications disciplines were selected that would ensure a realistic and statistically significant estimate of equipment utilization. The selected payloads were analyzed to determine the applicability of Nuclear Instrumentation Modular (NIM)/Computer Automated Measurement Control (CAMAC) equipment in satisfying their data acquisition and control requirements. The analyses results were combined with the comparable results from related studies to arrive at an overall assessment of the applicability and commonality of NIM/CAMAC equipment usage across the spectrum of payloads.

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NASA NTRS2008

Precision Cleaning - Path to Premier

ITT Space Systems Division s new Precision Cleaning facility provides critical cleaning and packaging of aerospace flight hardware and optical payloads to meet customer performance requirements. The Precision Cleaning Path to Premier Project was a 2007 capital project and is a key element in the approved Premier Resource Management - Integrated Supply Chain Footprint Optimization Project. Formerly precision cleaning was located offsite in a leased building. A new facility equipped with modern precision cleaning equipment including advanced process analytical technology and improved capabilities was designed and built after outsourcing solutions were investigated and found lacking in ability to meet quality specifications and schedule needs. SSD cleans parts that can range in size from a single threaded fastener all the way up to large composite structures. Materials that can be processed include optics, composites, metals and various high performance coatings. We are required to provide verification to our customers that we have met their particulate and molecular cleanliness requirements and we have that analytical capability in this new facility. The new facility footprint is approximately half the size of the former leased operation and provides double the amount of throughput. Process improvements and new cleaning equipment are projected to increase 1st pass yield from 78% to 98% avoiding $300K+/yr in rework costs. Cost avoidance of $350K/yr will result from elimination of rent, IT services, transportation, and decreased utility costs. Savings due to reduced staff expected to net $4-500K/yr.

Mackler, Scott E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

National launch system core vehicle

A new launch system is being defined to provide significant improvements in the national launch capability. The most challenging requirements are to reduce operational cost and increase system reliability, dependability, responsiveness while maintaining acceptable mission performance. System architecture studies have established that a family of vehicles is required to launch the required range of payloads. The vehicle design approach implements a design process that identifies the system design criteria and design concepts that enable the vehicle to meet the objectives of cost, reliability, safety and performance. The vehicle design features for the 50 to 100 K payload capability will utilize cost effective elements derived from existing vehicles, emerging technology and lessons learned to enable the system to be developed at a reasonable investment and to deliver payloads in an operationally efficient manner with high reliability.

Worlund, Armis L.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Autonomous Lunar PNT Simulator (ALPS)

In this paper we present a simulation tool that has been used to develop an architecture for a low-cost Position, Navigation and Time (PNT) system to provide PNT services on and around the Moon using non-dedicated low-cost orbital and ground assets. The simulation tool has been developed to be flexible and is capable of modeling and analyzing the many different capabilities and configurations that the non-dedicated assets could support. The tool models the creation of an ad hoc swarm, the localization of this swarm and the subsequent provision of PNT services from this swarm. We present results from several studies of select configurations chosen to reflect existing and future real-world needs and capabilities. Over the next few decades there is expected to be a substantial increase in Lunar missions supporting and inspired by NASA’s Artemis Program. It is expected that a large fraction of these missions will be low cost, utilizing rideshares and CubeSats, just as has seen in Earth orbit over the past decade. Many of these missions will need navigation capabilities but may be unable to support the large power, mass and weight that a weak GNSS or DSN based navigation solution would entail. As Lunar PNT service demand is not likely to be needed over the entire lunar surface 24/7, the creation of a dedicated Lunar GNSS constellation cannot be justified. Hence, our proposed architecture envisions utilizing existing Lunar science and exploration assets to create ad hoc and on demand Lunar PNT swarms capable of providing PNT services to low cost missions. The simulation reflects the two distinct parts of the architecture: the creation of a Lunar PNT swarm using non-dedicated existing assets, and the quantitative modeling of the quality of the PNT services that this swarm provides. To support the former, the simulation supports various swarm localization techniques, including centralized and distributed EKFs both of which support pluggable dynamics models. In modeling the PNT service performance the simulation adopts standard techniques from the GNSS community, including providing degree of precision (DOP) estimates for theoretical end users. Crucially, all asset capabilities, including clock accuracy, independent location self-knowledge and timing measurement precision can be set independently for each asset, reflecting the key concept of utilizing non-dedicated assets. The simulation is predominantly implemented in MATLAB, with GMAT being used for the propagation of orbital assets. The paper will present results from the simulation reflecting the tool’s flexibility and focusing on scenarios that match real-world proposed missions, including scenarios designed to provide PNT support to lunar surface missions similar to NASA Ames' forthcoming VIPER mission. The performance of centralized and decentralized swarm configuration and localization techniques will be compared. Finally, performance of the PNT service provided by an autonomous Lunar PNT swarm will be compared to existing radiometric and weak GNSS methods.

Kelley Elizabeth Hashemi↗

NASA NTRS1979

Economics of hydrogen production and liquefaction updated to 1980

Revised costs for generating and liquefying hydrogen in mid-1980 are presented. Plant investments were treated as straight-forward escalations resulting from inflation. Operating costs, however, were derived in terms of the unit cost of coal, fuel gas and electrical energy to permit the determination of the influence of these parameters on the cost of liquid hydrogen. Inflationary influence was recognized by requiring a 15% discounted rate of return on investment for Discounted Cash Flow financing analysis, up from 12% previously. Utility financing was revised to require an 11% interest rate on debt. The scope of operation of the hydrogen plant was revised from previous studies to include only the hydrogen generation and liquefaction facilities. On-site fuel gas and power generation, originally a part of the plant complex, was eliminated. Fuel gas and power are now treated as purchased utilities. Costs for on-site generation of fuel gas however, are included.

Baker, C. R.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A 3D Simulation Platform for Decentralized Decision-Making in Advanced Air Mobility

This paper presents a general purpose, plug-and-play simulation platform for the use of future aviation stakeholders, such as urban airspace planners, air vehicle operators, ground operation managers, air traffic controllers and aviation researchers. The presented simulator platform is envisioned to serve as a toolkit to visualize, evaluate, and configure future advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. Highlighting features of this toolkit include a modular architecture that allows multiple smart unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to remotely connect to the simulation server and participate in decentralized decision-making scenario simulations. As an example of the decentralized decision-making scenario, an inter-agent negotiation-based conflict resolution use case is considered in this paper, where the UASs leverage the on-board/on-the-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capability to continually build situational awareness, and use this information to predict future conflicts and resolve them through machine-to-machine negotiation. As such operations are non-existent at scale currently, the presented simulation platform offers a viable and cost-effective alternative for assessing the efficacy of AAM research outcomes and challenges in future shared airspace usage. The simulation platform allows plug-n-play connectivity with AI and non-AI compute modules representing individual UAS’s flight control. Each module can interact with the simulation platform independently to communicate current and desired future states, situational awareness, and conflict resolution utilization costs for inter-agent negotiation. The simulation environment orchestrates realistic operational scenarios with spatiotemporal details, dynamic events, tactical conflict-resolution methods, interfaces for customizing air traffic control parameters, and information exchange uncertainties. In the future, this can serve as a community focused cloud simulation platform, incorporating multi-stakeholder airspace constraints from regulatory, government, city, and local agencies.

Aditya N Das↗

NASA NTRS2022

A 3D Simulation Platform for Decentralized Decision-Making in Advanced Air Mobility

Aditya Das↗

NASA NTRS1975

Study of the application of hydrogen fuel to long-range subsonic transport aircraft, volume 2

The feasibility, practicability, and potential advantages/disadvantages of using liquid hydrogen as fuel in long range, subsonic transport aircraft of advanced design were studied. Both passenger and cargo-type aircraft were investigated. To provide a valid basis for comparison, conventional hydrocarbon (Jet A) fueled aircraft were designed to perform identical missions using the same advanced technology and meeting the same operational constraints. The liquid hydrogen and Jet A fueled aircraft were compared on the basis of weight, size, energy utilization, cost, noise, emissions, safety, and operational characteristics. A program of technology development was formulated.

Brewer, G. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

NASA technology utilization house

Following systems and features, which are predicted to save approximately $20,000 in utility costs over twenty year period, are incorporated into single-level, contemporarily designed, energy efficient residential structure: solar heating and cooling; energy efficient appliances; water recycling; security, smoke, and tornado detectors; and flat conductor electrical wiring.

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