Summary

Description

With the Titan Saturn System Mission, NASA is proposing to send a Montgolfiere balloon to probe the atmosphere of Titan. In order to better plan this mission and create a robust optimized balloon design, NASA requires the ability to more accurately evaluate the convective heat transfer characteristics of the balloon operating in Titan's atmosphere. Based on limitations and shortfalls of previous efforts, NASA has requested proposals for a test bed to support CFD validation. Near Space Corporation (NSC) proposes to develop an innovative Titan Montgolfiere Terrestrial Test Bed (TMTT) with an innovative integrated sensor and data collection system to provide the required validation. The balloon envelope design will leverage experience gained on past Titan prototypes, and incorporate a novel data acquisition system that will enable both direct and indirect measurements. A combination of embedded sensors and infrared imaging will be used to provide both local and global surface measurements. The embedded sensors will be used to calibrate the remote IR imaging, providing better visualizations with higher resolution and more accurate measurements. The ground work for the system will be provided with model experimentation in Phase I and followed by the development of a full-size test bed in Phase II.

Summary

Description

Rotorcraft design and optimization currently still rely largely on simplified (low-fidelity) models, such as rotor disk or wake models to reduce the turn-around time and allow exploration of a large parameter space. On the other hand, accurate noise prediction requires first principle, high fidelity simulations to capture small scales, highly unsteady aerodynamic sources of noise. This forces us to resort to component-wise acoustics computations, ignoring the fact that different components in the system affect each other in generating noise. The objective of this proposal is to develop high fidelity rotor noise simulation capabilities that allow multi-components noise prediction and exploration of a large parameter space inherent to design processes. The distinctive aspect of the present proposal is the use of a novel discretization method based on Adaptive Vorticity Confinement technique to counteract the numerical dissipation of the underlying spatial discretization scheme in a dynamic fashion. The concept has been proven successful in controlled flow setting, allowing direct comparison with analytical solution and laboratory experiment. The primary task in this project is to extend this concept to general flow and computational environment, focusing on Blade-Vortex Interaction noise prediction as initially targeted milestone.

Summary

Description

The overall objective of the Phase 1 effort was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the Advanced Carbothermal Electric (ACE) Reactor concept. Unlike state-of-the-art carbothermal reactors that use concentrated solar energy and/or laser energy to heat the regolith, the ACE Reactor uses an innovative method to electrically heat the regolith to temperatures over 1800:C within a thermally insulted environment, either with or without a crucible. Commercial high-temperature heating elements made from molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) are designed to only operate in oxidizing atmospheres where a protective layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) will form. In Phase 1, the ACE reactor used MoSi2 heating elements with a protective coating to allow them to operate in any type of environment (oxidizing, reducing, or vacuum). The ACE Reactor concept eliminates the problems encountered with traditional carbothermal hot-wall reactors and offers significant advantages over current carbothermal reactor approaches. By eliminating the need for a concentrated solar energy system, the ACE reactor offers a significantly lowers system mass and removes the need to keep optical surfaces clean. In addition to efficiently producing oxygen, the ACE reactor separates the processed regolith into metallic iron and a silicate glass that can be formed into structural components or shielding materials.

Summary

Description

The primary objective of the proposed Phase II effort is to develop and deliver a ruggedized, single-frequency, mJ-level, 2050-nm master oscillator power amplifier system suitable for coherent LIDAR applications. The laser system is based on a low-average power, pulsed, single-frequency, 2-um Ho-laser source. Pulsed operation of the Ho-oscillator is achieved via passive Q-switching using robust Cr2+-doped saturable absorbers. Development of such pulsed seed sources enables the design of compact, rugged, reliable and efficient LIDAR transmitters based on all-amplifier architecture. Direct diode-pumping using the latest 1.9-um diode laser technology provides improved oscillator reliability and compactness. Efficient, Tm:fiber laser pumped, bulk Ho:YLF single-stage amplifier provides energy scaling to mJ level. The choice of a 2-um Ho-laser material (as opposed to 1.5-um Er-lasers) enables efficient power/energy scaling of the pulsed seed oscillator output in high-gain Ho-amplifiers. This approach decreases the number of amplifying stages, simplifies the overall design and packaging, and improves the electrical efficiency of the complete laser system as compared to the current technology.

Summary

Description

The overall goal of the proposed effort is to develop and demonstrate rigorous model order reduction (MOR) technologies to automatically generate fully coupled, nonlinear, parameterized aeroservoelastic reduced-order models (ROMs) for smart material-based active structural control. The Phase I effort will focus on developing constituent nonlinear ROMs for aerodynamics, structural dynamics, and electromechanics of the smart materials, as well as an integration scheme for coupled aerodynamic, stru

Summary

Description

For this program, we propose to develop large pixel-count single photon counting detector arrays suitable for deployment in spacecraft terminal receivers supporting long-range laser communication systems at 1.5 um. To surmount the present obstacles to higher photon counting rate -- as well as the complexity of back-end circuitry required -- in using conventional single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), we will leverage initial success in monolithically integrating "negative feedback" elements with state-of-the-art SPADs to beneficially modify the device avalanche dynamics. This approach can achieve extremely consistent passive quenching, and appropriate implementations can lead to rather small avalanches (e.g., ~10^4 ? 10^5 carriers), for which reduced carrier trapping provides lower afterpulsing that will no longer limit the photon counting rate. When correctly implemented, this "negative feedback" avalanche diode (NFAD) design is also extremely simple to operate: with just a fixed dc bias voltage, the NFAD will autonomously execute the entire arm, avalanche, quench, and re-arm cycle and generate an output pulse every time an avalanche event is induced. Phase I of this program will be focused on specific pixel-level design advancements related to the reduction of afterpulsing and timing jitter. Along with pixel-level goals, we will also fabricate and characterize test structures to define design and process innovations that guarantee high pixel yield and uniformity on large-scale NFAD arrays. The proof-of-feasibility tasks defined in Phase I will position us to demonstrate space-qualifiable large pixel-count (e.g., 80 x 80) NFAD arrays during a Phase II effort. Design and performance goals have been defined to meet anticipated lasercomm requirements for future space missions.

Summary

Description

The original Sublimator Driven Coldplate (SDC) design sought to provide significant mass savings over a traditional pumped fluid loop by combining the functions of a cold plate and a sublimator and eliminating the fluid loop (Leimkuehler, et. al., "Design of a Sublimator Driven Coldplate Development Unit," 2008-01-2169). The target application was to provide heat rejection for the ascent module of the Altair lunar lander vehicle during the lunar ascent mission phase. However, in order to provide heat rejection for the ascent module during the rest of the mission, it is desirable to keep the ascent module integrated with the fluid loop in the rest of the Altair vehicle. Therefore, we propose an Integrated Sublimator Driven Coldplate (ISDC) that can function as both a standard flow-through cold plate and a Sublimator Driven Coldplate. The ISDC builds on the original SDC concept by adding coolant layers so that it can be integrated with the pumped fluid loop on the rest of the vehicle. This approach provides mass savings by (1) combining multiple pieces of hardware into a single piece of hardware and (2) providing additional fault tolerance without the need for redundant hardware.

Summary

Description

CRG has recently developed a new class of shape memory polymers (SMP) that are electrically activated, as opposed to the more mature thermally activated SMPs. Electrically activated shape memory polymers (EASMP) open a new design space of unexplored functionality beyond what has been considered for thermally activated materials.

Summary

Description

Electronically steerable antennas are key to effective radio transmission at millimeter-wave frequencies. To enable communication with rovers, robots, EVA astronauts, and other highly maneuverable elements in planetary surface explorations, steerable antennas must be capable of full 360 degree (panoramic) azimuth scan. For base stations and fixed communication terminals, the antenna must be capable of producing multiple independently-steerable beams. Multi-beam antennas with passive beam-forming networks present ideal candidates for these scenarios, and are preferable to phased-array antennas from the points of view of multi-user capability and DC power consumption. In the framework of this SBIR project, Freeform Wave Technologies, LLC proposes to develop a panoramically steerable multi-beam antenna technology for NASA's K- and Ka-band mobile radios. The proposed technology is based on novel quasi-optical beam-forming concepts and can lead to compact, light-weight, and highly versatile antenna topologies. Analytical and computational tools and methodology for designing the beam-forming network will be developed (phase I), and 16-element array prototypes with single and multiple steerable beams will be designed and manufactured (in Phase II) for 18-40 GHz and 25.5-27 GHz frequency bands, respectively.

Summary

Description

Spacecraft and lunar bases generate a variety of wastes containing water, including food wastes, feces, and brines. Disposal of these wastes, as well as recovery of water, is necessary. However, evaporation of water also evaporates compounds with foul odors, some of which are much more volatile than water. Even apart from a water recovery system, foul odors sap crew morale, and must be eliminated. NanoScale<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <sup>REG</sup> Corporation has developed a formulation of its proprietary sorbents, termed OdorKlenz<sup>TM</sup> , that has been shown to effectively remove odorous compounds from air by destructive adsorption. NanoScale proposes development of a similar formulation, built around nanocrystalline metal oxides manufactured by NanoScale's proprietary procedures, such as NanoActive TiO2, NanoActive MgO, and NanoActive ZnO, to remove foul odors in a system that can recover water from wastes. The odor control system will function during waste storage, and also during water recovery . In Phase I, NanoScale will demonstrate feasibility by developing a formulation of metal oxides capable of removing odorous compounds from food and sanitary wastes, and compatible with a water recovery system. Specific test compounds include skatole (3-methylindole, found in feces), putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane, in rotten protein), ammonia (urine), ethanethiol, hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs, flatus), butyric acid (rancid butter), and butyraldehyde. Gas streams containing these compounds will be passed through beds of the metal oxide formulation, with concentrations measured by GC, before and after passing through the bed. In Phase II, the odor control system will be integrated into the specific details of spacecraft and envisioned lunar stations. Then, brassboard hardware will be developed and evaluated. NanoScale, having pioneered the synthesis and manufacture of nanocrystalline metal oxides for destructive adsorption of hazardous compounds, is uniquely qualified to perform the proposed work.

Summary

Description

This proposal addresses the need for miniature, narrow-linewidth, deep UV optical sources that operate at very low ambient temperatures for use in advanced in situ planetary science instruments for non-contact detection and classification of trace amounts of organic, inorganic, and biogenic materials using Raman and native fluorescence spectroscopic methods. The sources include aluminum gallium nitride semiconductor lasers and ultra-narrow-linewidth transverse excited hollow cathode lasers emi

Summary

Description

To meet multiple mission needs with limited resources, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is pursuing smaller and more affordable spacecraft. The reduction of size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) of the radio frequency (RF) components required for a particular mission area allows the instrumentation package to be made more compact.

Summary

Description

The innovation in this proposed effort is the development of refractory coated or lined low density structures. Lightweight structures are desirable for space transportation vehicle systems in order to reduce launch costs, increase mission flexibility/efficiency, and add robustness with respect to the ability to add weight or additional materials to the mission with minimum sacrifice in performance. The use of thin refractory coatings over low density structures will yield a lightweight alternative to current solid monolithic components. Thus, offering an increase in mission flexibility by allowing greater speeds, greater range, and bigger payloads. Additional studies will be conducted to seek materials that offer higher temperature use, lower weight, and lower cost. The higher maximum temperatures may eliminate the need for cooling air, while simultaneously increasing engine efficiency. These benefits result in increased fuel savings. The advanced materials study will include refractory metals and ceramics. The manufacturing processes for the monolithic ceramics and refractory metal materials will include vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) and EL-Form electrodeposition.

Summary

Description

For this project Superior Graphite Co. (Chicago, IL, USA), the leading worldwide industrial carbon manufacturer and the only large scale battery grade graphitic carbon producer in the USA, will develop, explore the properties of, and demonstrate the enhanced capabilities of novel nanostructured SiLix-C anodes, capable of retaining high capacity at a rapid 2 hour discharge rate and at 0oC when used in Li-ion batteries. By thye end of Phase I we have demonstrated advanced anode materials with the specific capacity in excess of 1000 mAh/g, minimal irreversible capacity losses and stable performance for 20 cycles at C/1. We are confident that by the developing and applying a variety of novel nano-materials technologies, fine-tuning the properties of composite particles at the nanoscale, optimizing the composition of the anodes, and choosing appropriate binder and electrolytes we will be able to revolutionize Li-ion battery technology. In order to achieve such a breakthrough in power characteristics of Li-ion batteries, the team will develop new nanostructured SiLix-C anode materials to offer up to 1200 mAh/g at C/2 at 0oC and a long cycle life with less than 20% fading when cycled for 2000 cycles at C/2 at 0oC

Summary

Description

IAI is actively developing Software Defined Radio platforms that can adaptively switch between different modes of operation by modifying both transmit waveforms and receiver signal-processing tasks on the fly. The proposed software reconfigurable radio implementation technique and the system design will leverage IAI's experience in SDRs, RF design, signal processing and firmware design. Our innovation focuses on implementing maximum transceiver functionalities digital reconfigurable devices (FPGA), and minimizing the number of analog components. Our SDR designs are based on COTS components and are modular in nature. This makes it easier to upgrade smaller units of the design with development in state-of-the-art, instead of re-designing the entire SDR platform. The proposed innovations are: ? STRS implementation on COTS SDR platforms to realize NASA objectives of simultaneously capturing the benefits of SDR technology and the economies and benefits of an open architecture standard. ? Integration of cognitive capabilities (with focus on STRS compliant implementation) for the SDR which have been developed under the Phase-I contract. This would include Adaptive Modulation and Coding, Automatic modulation recognition and Spectrum Sensing. ? Reconfigurable digital transceiver design using high-speed FPGAs. This would enable multi-mode operation and scalable architecture for SDRs.

Summary

Description

Up to 65% of the lunar soils are comprised of agglutinates. Although the importance of agglutinate in simulants is often debated, the fact is that agglutinates account for a large portion of the lunar soil and have known effects on final material properties. Increasing the fidelity of terrestrially manufactured simulant can reduce mission risk. Zybek Advanced Products, Inc., is proposing an important innovation to the agglutinate manufacturing process to address mission-critical needs for lunar regolith simulants that achieve NASA's cost and quantity objectives, provide reproducible production processes, and supply required particle size distributions. Additional value is provided to the program by ZAP's unique knowledge of simulant mechanical and material properties gleaned from its production of simulant components for NASA. The majority of ZAP's work completed to date has been focused on high volume, bulk lunar simulant components, including glass, agglutinates and melt breccias. The primary purpose of this SBIR proposal is to innovate the agglutinate manufacturing process to provide significantly higher quality material that will contain nanostructure Fe0. This innovation will leverage ZAP's current investment in the high-volume simulant manufacturing and provide the industry with more accurate simulants that will reduce future mission risks.

Summary

Description

Procedures are the accepted means of commanding spacecraft. Procedures encode the operational knowledge of a system as derived from system experts, testing, training and experience. In current Space Shuttle and ISS operations procedures are displayed using applications separate from the applications used to display commands and telemetry. This means that procedures cannot interact with commands and telemetry to help an operator's situation awareness. This leads to slower procedure performance and greater opportunity for errors. TRACLabs is building on existing NASA Constellation program technology to combine procedures, commanding and telemetry into a single, consistent framework in which to operate space vehicles. Instead of viewing procedures in static displays, flight controllers will have interactive, reconfigurable procedure displays and assistants that can be tailored for specific situations. The displays will have different views tailored to specific operations, including browsing, assigning, editing, executing and monitoring procedures. A procedure executive automates some procedure execution and provides procedure assistance. Automation is always under the control of the flight controller via level of automation feature. Each step or instruction of a procedure can be labeled as manual, automated or consent. This will increase the efficiency of procedure performance and reduce procedure errors.

Summary

Description

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is directed toward development of a novel microfiltration filter that has distinctively narrow pore size distribution, low flow resistance, low pressure drop and simple regeneration process. The regeneration process, which requires minimal material and energy consumption, can be completely automated and the filtration performance can be restored within a very short period of time. The overall system filtration efficiency is targeted towards the HEPA standards, where the HEPA filters cannot be regenerated effectively.

Summary

Description

A recent breakthrough in combustion stability analysis (UCDS) offers the potential to predict the combustion stability of a scramjet. This capability is very important due to the extreme scramjet operational environment, which makes cut-and-try development approaches impractical. With UCDS, it will be possible to accurately predict the scramjet pressure oscillation amplitudes, along with critical parameters, including the unsteady wall heat flux. The UCDS tools were recently applied to the Ares I thrust oscillation issue in support of NASA's Thrust Oscillation Focus Team (TOFT). After validating the UCDS capabilities by analyzing the RSRM, GTL applied the tool to identify a relatively minor motor modification that should eliminate the organized motor oscillations. Building upon this validation, GTL took the first step towards extending UCDS to scramjets in the Phase I effort. While a variety of issues and challenges were uncovered during the effort, the effort confirmed that the UCDS framework is fully applicable to scramjets. However, the effort also revealed that the DCR scramjet is far more complicated and difficult to analyze than a typical rockets. In the Phase II effort, GTL proposes to address the key issues that were identified during the Phase I effort.

Summary

Description

Aurora Flight Sciences, along with MIT consultants Professor Dava Newman and Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, propose to develop an EVA space suit simulator for use in partial gravity training and experimentation. Our space suit simulator will provide a lightweight, low form-factor solution to microgravity and partial gravity EVA experimentation and training. We will utilize magnetorheological (MR) fluids as our damping device in order to minimize weight and space, and will careful select supplementary stiffness devices to best emulate the mechanical properties of the EMU. We propose to develop this simulator by first characterizing the joint torque requirements using MIT's unique database of joint torques obtained from 1990 to present with the Robotic Space Suit Tester (RSST). After conducting this literature survey, we will obtain test samples of MR fluids and stiffness components, in order to recognize the best method of simulating the mechanical characteristics of a pressurized EMU. These stiffness and damping components will be tested on MIT's RSST in a simplified configuration (single-axis joint) to verify consistent emulation of the EMU joint. Identification of the stiffness and damping technologies will allow us to provide a top-level conceptual design of a full space suit simulator, including all joints as well as the garment in its entirety.

Summary

Description

As a means to enhance aviation safety, numerous adaptive control techniques have been developed to maintain aircraft stability and safety of flight in the presence of failures or damage. The techniques apply a wide array of adaptations from simple gain scheduling to on-line learning algorithms. While the ready availability of low cost, reduced scale UAV systems have allowed for many successful flight test demonstrations, applications to piloted aircraft have been more limited. Flight evaluations of various adaptive control applications conducted by NASA and others have shown great promise. In some cases; however, unfavorable pilot-vehicle interactions including pilot-induced oscillations have occurred. Susceptibility to such interactions is more likely when the pilot interacts with a highly nonlinear vehicle that may no longer have predictable response characteristics. To alleviate these unfavorable interactions, Systems Technology, Inc. (STI) proposes the Smart Adaptive Flight Effective Cue or SAFE-Cue that will provide cues to the pilot via an active control inceptor with corresponding command path gain adjustments. The SAFE-Cue will alert the pilot that the adaptive control system is active and provide guidance through a force feedback cue and command attenuation via a command path gain adjustment as a means to retain pilot-vehicle system stability and performance.

Summary

Description

Challenges arise in the propulsion systems for the new exploration architecture. The currently operational and proven storable hypergolic systems raise toxicity concerns. Because MMH is a carcinogen, measures must be taken to prevent exposure of personnel to the fuel from the time of its synthesis to the time of it neutralization. This extra care translates into increased expense for the mission. Replacing the MMH in the propulsion systems with an equally energetic, sasfer fuel would considerably reduce risk and cost on exploration missions. Ionic liquids offer promising candidates for dense, energetic, and safe rocket fuels. In the proposed work ORBITEC will demonstrate the feasibility of developing hypergolic ionic liquid fuels for propulsion systems used in the Exploration architecture. We will develop one set hypergolic with a storable oxidizer, nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and one set hypergolic with a cryogenic oxidizer, liquid oxygen (LOX). We will test the hypergolicity and the material properties. The resulting sets of propellants will be ready for performance testing early in the Phase II work to enable achieving a technical readiness level (TRL) of 5 by the end of the Phase II work.

Summary

Description

Installation effects arising from propulsion airframe interaction are known to produce substantial variations in the in-situ jet noise. A hybrid LES/RANS computational framework is proposed for prediction of noise from the engine and airframe, and interactions between airframe and propulsion systems. The basis of LES (large eddy simulation) is that the energy-bearing turbulent eddies in the dominant noise-generating region are directly captured in the simulation. Since LES must resolve the turbulent eddies it requires a grid which captures these motions; the number of grid points needed for LES is much larger than those for RANS and thus a brute-force LES of the entire noise producing region in a propulsion-airframe interaction problem is not feasible. However, the noise generation physics of these flows allows a logical assembly of a hybrid simulation tool where low-fidelity models (RANS) in one region of the flow are combined with turbulence-resolving models (LES) in other regions of the flow. Acoustic effects are another segment of propulsion-airframe interaction problem. Sound generated by various components of engine is altered by the presence of wing, fuselage, deployed flap etc. In the present proposal, alteration of sound due to the presence of airframe is added through application of Boundary Element Method (BEM) and an acoustic projection technique (FW-H surface method). To demonstrate the feasibility of using this framework, we focus on simulating flow configuration corresponding to a separate-flow nozzle of by pass ratio 5 with round fan and nozzle operating at the takeoff cycle point of with freestream Mach number of 0.28. Simulation results will be validated against experiments carried out in the Low Speed Aeroacoustics Wind Tunnel (LSAWT) at NASA Langley's Jet Noise Laboratory (JNL). The high-fidelity model developed and validated in Phase I will be extended to explore more complex engine/airframe configurations in Phase II.

Summary

Description

A real-time life-use consumption monitor is proposed for aircraft engine systems. The life monitor will process power data available on the aircraft to calculate the accumulating in-flight power loading which the engine experiences. This power loading reduces the available life of the engine. Under emergency in-flight conditions and/or foreign object damage, engine loads and temperatures can increase rapidly as a sign of decreased remaining engine life and reliability. The life monitor will calculate and display in the aircraft the remaining time for safe operation under these conditions. At present, fatigue life analysis techniques are primarily used as design-analysis tools These techniques have not been adapted for in-service use with an aircraft to date. The reliable use of aircraft engines can be extended with more accurate knowledge of their remaining component and system fatigue lives. Early identification of engines in need of repair due to heavy use will improve their in-service safety. By developing a life monitoring system which can be associated with a specific engine system and have as input the loads and load durations of that system, the reliability and safety of that system can be improved.

Summary

Description

Microcosm, in conjunction with the Scoprius Space Launch Company (SSLC), will develop a Unibody Composite Pressurized Structure (UCPS) for in-space propulsion that constitutes a clean break from traditional spacecraft design by combining what were traditionally separate spacecraft primary and secondary support structures and metal propellant tanks into a single unibody, all-composite construction that is stronger, much lighter weight, more robust and reliable, and capable of supporting much higher pressures and smaller volume than previous approaches. The single, all-composite structure will include linerless, high-pressure propellant tank(s), composite bosses, flanges, longitudinal and circumferential stringers with integral shelves, holding mechanisms, and attach features to support all of the spacecraft equipment and replace the separate, mission-critical primary support structure, tanks, struts, straps, braces, clamps, and brackets traditionally required to hold subsystem parts in place. The new structure has nearly 0 CTE over a temperature range from cryogenic to over 100 C. Phase I will determine requirements, create a preliminary UCPS design relevant to a potential SMD mission, and test material compatibility with various in-space propellants. Phase II will build two UCPS structures employing test masses for spacecraft components, and complete qualification and burst testing on one of them (including 0-g testing).