Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
TLC demonstrated a high performance remote Doppler Radar adjustable X-band to W-band transceiver chip that can perform well as a FMCW, super-heterodyne or pulse radar that meets space qualification specifications. This reconfigurable transceiver will serve as the basis for the precipitation & cloud measurement doppler radar system that will be developed, tested and delivered to NASA in this Phase II effort.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
ProtoInnovations, LLC proposes to develop a new type of planetary rover called a Lunar All-terrain Utility Vehicle ("LATUV") to assist extra-vehicular activities in future lunar missions. The vehicle will operate unmanned or with an astronaut driving onboard. It will have a roughly 4 m2 footprint and be able to about twice as fast as an astronaut can walk on the Moon. The vehicle will feature four-wheel, all-terrain mobility with traction control. A multi-purpose tool interface and interchangeable cargo bays will support a variety of mission payloads. The LATUV will be used for mission such as site preparation, emplacing beacons, equipment and commodity distribution, and sampling. Our phase I work showed the feasibility of a new, high-efficiency, high duty, lunar-relevant traction drive system; a simplified steer / suspension chassis capable of handling 2 m/s speeds in lunar gravity; interchangeable utility modules for earthmoving, sampling, emplacing, etc.; and traction control software for earthmoving tasks as well as slope- and obstacle-climbing. In Phase II we will produce a terrestrial LATUV prototype with two rocker modules and two central modules designed for earthmoving the emplacing beacons. ProtoInnovations brings an impressive amount of experience to the task of designing the LATUV. Two of our robots built for NASA Ames, dubbed K10red and K10black, are operating in the high Canadian arctic. Working at Carnegie Mellon University, members of our team have developed robots to operate in some of the harshest environments on Earth: surveying Antarctic ice fields, traversing the Atacama Desert, and exploring into an Alaskan volcano. In total, our robots have traveled roughly 500 km through some of the most difficult terrain on Earth. We've accomplished these tasks by building robots that are, above all else, controllable and reliable. Our team has experience building all of the subsystems involved in this project.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
We propose conducting further development for a Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFB) propulsion system. Phase I activities will concentrate on a revising a previous 5 lbf thruster to facilitate continuous operation with repeated restart. The thruster will utilize a novel new NOFB monopropellant. NOFB series monopropellant formulations have the following characteristics: 1) Non-toxic and readily manufacturable; 2) Vacuum specific impulse of 310+s (compared to monopropellant hydrazine's 235s); 3) Space-storable with wide temperature storage limits from <-77 C to >100 C; 4) High storage density at equivalent to twice as dense as monopropellant hydrazine depending on temperature; 5) Potentially highly throttleable due to very fast reaction kinetics; and 6) Self-pressurizing thereby simplifying the overall feed system architecture and reliability. Due to these desirable characteristics of NOFB monopropellants, Phase I funding is requested from the NASA SBIR program.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to significantly improve the performance of communication systems and networks for lunar and interplanetary exploration by engineering a novel communications tower using an emerging structures technology called Veritex<SUP>TM</SUP>. Veritex<SUP>TM</SUP> is a new structures technology based on shape memory polymer that offers the strength-to-weight ratio of high-performance composites and enables dramatic physical reconfiguration. One of the best applications of Veritex<SUP>TM</SUP> is to reduce the volume fraction of structures during shipping. CRG's Future Systems Group will use this technology to engineer a low mass, low packing volume, self-erecting communications tower technology for lunar and interplanetary exploration operations. The innovation of this proposal is in the scale-up of existing deployable structures technology from 3 to 30 meter scale and the engineering of a self-erecting tower. With this innovation in place, lunar communication challenges such as increased point-to-point range, reduced power requirements, large area coverage, and minimized dead-zones will be overcome. During Phase 1, CRG will demonstrate that this technology is both technically feasible and cost effective for lunar operations, maximizing return on investment for exploration operations. During Phase 2, CRG will prototype a large-scale, fully operational tower for demonstration purposes.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The Phase I project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the vapor compression hybrid two-phase loop (VCHTPL). The test results showed the high temperature-lift capability and robust operation under transient heat loads of the VCHTPL. At the end of Phase I, the VCHTPL technology reached the NASA's defined Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 (Component/breadboard validation in a laboratory environment). The principal Phase II objective is to elevate the VCHTPL technology to NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6: System/subsystem prototype demonstration in a relevant environment. This will be achieved through addressing the key technical and integration issues identified in Phase I of the proposed program. During Phase II, multiple generations of hardware will be designed, fabricated and tested to demonstrate the capability of the vapor compression loop technology in meeting the thermal performance, form factor, mass and reliability requirements for NASA's lunar missions. Five technical tasks plus a reporting task are planned to achieve the Phase II technical objectives.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
One of the great hurdles to further development and evaluation of nuclear thermal propulsion and power systems is the issue surrounding the release of radioactive material from the fuel during ground testing and its subsequent impact on test facility siting and operation. Therefore, the development of a crack resistant coating system on fuel elements for nuclear thermal propulsion that is insensitive to hydrogen corrosion and erosion is considered enabling. Ceramic Composites Inc. (CCI) proposes a systematic approach for CVD deposition and evaluation of a family of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and niobium carbide (NbC) coating systems for both uranium carbide-zirconium carbide solid solution [(U,Zr)C]-graphite composite fuel elements and advanced triple carbide (uranium carbide-ziconium carbide-niobium carbide) solid fuel elements designed for use in space nuclear power and propulsion reactors. The refractory metal coating systems developed in Phase I will be refined and an innovative deposition technique evaluated. The resulting surrogate fuel elements will be evaluated in high temperature hydrogen in concert with a more detailed performance modeling effort based on the Phase I modeling.
High-Density Diffraction Imaging and Non-Imaging Grating Elements for EUV and X-ray Spectroscopy Fabricated by DUV Reduction Photolithography Project
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Diffraction gratings are powerful tools for the spectral analysis of electromagnetic radiation. Properties of gratings are determined by available fabrication means ? which have not changed substantially in 50 years. Modern photolithography, now approaching nanometer resolution, may revolutionize the way many gratings are made and, through greater design flexibility, how gratings function. Over 1011 pixels, each smaller than 100 nm and collectively spanning areas of multiple centimeters, can be addressed individually with nanometer-scale absolute positioning accuracy by modern lithographic tools, thereby making it possible to create gratings with virtually any desired line curvature, variable line spacing, length and thickness ? features largely beyond traditional fabrication means. LightSmyth Technologies proposes to leverage these state-of-the-art photolithographic patterning tools to design flat imaging gratings that combine dispersive grating function with one- and two-dimensional focusing. Importantly, diffractive, aka holographic, focusing may have substantially lower aberration in low f-number or high incidence angle configurations. Line spacing and curvature do the focusing. This design and fabrication strategy will be applied to the development of gratings for NASA's NEXUS effort and other advanced grating products of value to NASA and the commercial markets ? all of which leverage on the innovative fabrication platform LightSmyth brings to the diffractive market.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The goal of this Phase II project is to deliver an integrated L-band transmit/receive (T/R) module which will be fabricated from a GaAs-based combined HBT/PHEMT epistructure. The T/R module will consist of a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, and two switches. The performance goal for the low noise amplifier is 30 dB gain with a less than 1.0 dB noise figure. The performance goal for the power amplifier is 30 dB gain, 34 dBm (2.5 W) output power, and efficiency greater than 60%. The performance goal for the switches is that they not materially affect the operation of the amplifiers. All components will be fully integrated on a single substrate. Post Phase II work includes the integration of a phase shifter, amplitude modulator, and control and interface circuitry on the same chip. We estimate the technology readiness level at the end of the Phase II program to be 6 or 7.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The Lunar Sulfur Capture System (LSCS) is an innovative method to recover sulfur compounds from lunar soil using sorbents derived primarily from in-situ resources. Most of the sulfur released from lunar soil during higher-temperature thermal treatment is trapped by the LSCS at lower temperatures on iron oxides present in lunar soil. As needed, small amounts of polishing sorbents are used to reduce equilibrium sulfur concentrations to the low ppm level. After sorbents become saturated, sulfur compounds are desorbed and converted to useful sulfur products. Sulfur is present in concentrations of about 0.1 percent in lunar soils and can be recovered by the LSCS as a useful product from in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The LSCS can capture and recover sulfur from lunar soil as a primary product during thermal desorption of volatile compounds or during thermal reduction ISRU processes used for oxygen production. Removal of sulfur compounds is required during ISRU to prevent electrolyzer damage, catalyst poisoning, and equipment corrosion. The LSCS is applicable to thermal ISRU reduction processes in which sulfur is released in forms such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide (COS), or carbon disulfide (CS2).
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Over the past decade, researchers have been making great strides in the development of algorithms that detect and compensate for damaged aircraft. Before these algorithms can be used in civil aviation, progress is needed to (a) ensure that these innovative and frequently non-deterministic algorithms will always perform as expected and (b) address challenges associated with integrating these algorithms into an overall avionics system. The authors addressed the second challenge by developing an integration approach called Operational Envelope Safety Assurance (OESA). In Phase I, the authors showed that OESA can integrate control, path planning, diagnostics, and structural health monitoring algorithms in a way that ensures the subsystems will never issue commands that put the aircraft outside its safe-operating envelope. In Phase II, the authors will formalize the approach, develop a general set of OESA subsystem specifications, and demonstrate safe integration of algorithms developed by other researchers under related research efforts. Phase II will culminate in real-time high-fidelity demonstrations of an integrated controller for a NASA testbed (either the Langley AirSTAR GTM or the Dryden A-53 F-18 testbed) and will set the stage for Phase III flight tests.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Radiant Acoustics' patented technology for micro-interferometry enables a nano-g intertial sensor for NASA's emerging needs. The proposed sensor system is 1000x more sensitive than commercial sensors. The sensor combines silicon micromachining (i.e. MEMS) and nanotechnology-based infrared vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to form a robust sensing architecture functioning in a fundamentally different way than any existing sensor systems by using an optical interferometer within a 5 mm^3 package. Working prototypes have been fabricated and characterized. This Phase I proposal is to develop our proven laboratory innovation into a product for NASA and other commercial markets. All Key Personnel are Full time Employees of the company.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
In-space valves are required to provide precise mass flow control, wide throttling range and handle rapid on-off control. These requirements can result in significant unsteady, transient effects both on the fluid mass flow rate, as well as the torque required. However, there currently are no analytical or numerical modeling tools that can predict the unsteady/transient performance of these valves; current design tools are limited to quasi-steady models and empirical correlations. The innovation proposed here is a high-fidelity, comprehensive numerical tool that can characterize the transient performance of these flight valves and provide design support. An innovative approach to modeling valve motion in a broad range of valves designs including showerhead, ball and butterfly valves is proposed; this will permit simulations of transient valve operations and the resulting mass flow history and pressure drop. Unsteady effects at partial valve openings due to both turbulence interactions as well as multi-phase cavitation are addressed with an advanced numerical framework that incorporates both advanced LES models and real-fluid cryogenic effects. The tools and technology developed here would directly impact design support efforts for the J-2X upper-stage engine in the Ares launcher envisioned under the Constellation program for the mission to the moon.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Radiation or passively cooled thrust chambers are used for a variety of chemical propulsion functions including apogee insertion, reaction control for launch vehicles, and primary propulsion for planetary spacecraft. The performance of these thrust chambers is limited by the operating temperature and thermal-chemical response of the available materials. The Phase I efforts focused on performing design and analysis services to address multiple areas related to the development of lightweight high temperature non-eroding materials for liquid propulsion combustion chambers. We showed through theoretical thermal-structural calculations that monolithic HfO2 and ZrO2 are the best performing ceramic thermal barriers for Ir/Re combustion chambers within liquid engines. In the Phase II effort, MR&D proposes to use the lessons learned from the Phase I studies to evaluate material options, optimize the design, demonstrate scale up to and fabrication of a full scale combustion chamber for the NASA 3000-5000 lb LOX/CH4 engine, and ultimately hot-fire the chamber at NASA. This will be in direct support of NASA MSFC Lunar Lander Ascent Stage engine. The Phase II tasks include: 1) Detailed thermal-structural design and analyses; 2) Addressing fabrication stresses/strains; 3) Addressing vibration stresses/strains; 4) Performing material characterization; 5) Performing any design revisions based on the material property characterization as it becomes available; 6) Fabrication of a full scale combustion chamber that reflects the best performing materials and geometry resulting from the thermal-structural design studies; 7) Performing pretest predictions and assisting with instrumentation for the hot-fire test; and 8) Performing posttest data correlation and suggesting design improvements.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
NextGen proposes an approach to significantly enhance aeroelastic analysis capabilities over what is commonly available in linear analysis environments such as NASTANTM The approach to accomplish this builds upon an existing software framework that allows the integration of varying-fidelity aerodynamic modeling capability with varying videlit structural models. The approach utilizes inherently nonlinear aerodynamic predictions schemes that are incorporated into the aeroelastic solution strategy. Potentially large (geometrically nonlinear) structural deflections under the influence of nonlinear aerodynamic can be analyzed using the approach. Hierarchical levels of analysis capabilities are included, ranging from simple yet powerful empirical approaches to the complete coupling of high-order CFD codes and nonlinear structural models. An aeroservoelastic solution framework will be developed in Phase I resulting in a prototype nonlinear aeroelasticity method suitable for a proof-of-concept demonstration. The developed methods will be demonstrated on test cases of recent research interest, such as the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) F/A-18 aircraft.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The objective of this proposed effort is to demonstrate the promise of advanced C/SiC and SiC/SiC composites having improved environmental durability and longer life at higher allowable stress levels without using problematic external barrier coatings. Both oxidation inhibited C/SiC and SiC/SiC composite material systems are proposed for this effort on the basis that: (1) C/SiC offers the highest use temperature and lowest cost of all currently available refractory composite systems, and (2) SiC/SiC offers the highest durability and longest life. Each material system offers unique performance/cost benefits and limitations, and each has been identified as a viable candidate for advanced propulsion and thermal protection system component applications. Oxidation resistant C/SiC and SiC/SiC composite plates will be fabricated incorporating a recently developed, 2nd generation oxidation inhibited matrix produced by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). Test samples from each material system will be prepared and experimentally evaluated in high-temperature tensile stress oxidation environments. The tensile stress rupture results will be compared to "baseline" uninhibited C/SiC and SiC/SiC composites to establish the performance benefits of the proposed approach.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Spaceports, spacecrafts for planetary missions, future projects on the moon and mars ? they all need to monitor mission critical propellants. This project established the feasibility of a tapered optical fiber-based sensor (TOFS) that can be fitted into narrow orifices of plumbing junctions to detect the leakage of cryogenic fluids such as hydrogen. Complete reversibility and response/recovery time of less than 30 seconds for the hydrogen sensor were demonstrated in Phase I. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirmed that the sensor suffered no degradation upon soaking in liquid nitrogen (LN2, 77 K). Tests with LH2 will be conducted in Phase II. The underlying sensor technology will support NASA goal of reducing vehicle and payload cost, and increase safety of operations by measuring hydrogen in real-time and in situ. A prototype device will be engineered, field-tested and delivered to NASA in Phase II establishing technical maturity approaching TRL 6. InnoSense LLC has received a strong endorsement letter from a major Aerospace company in support of the project. InnoSense LLC has also received Phase III follow-on funding commitment totaling $500,000 from commercialization partners. An engineering team having 80 person-years of cumulative experience in developing commercially viable products has been assembled for this project.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Leveraging Phase I SBIR successes, in Phase II, a single photon sensitive LIDAR receiver will be fabricated and delivered to NASA. In Phase I, high-gain, electron-initiated avalanche photodiodes (e-APDS) were designed, manufactured, and characterized over a range of temperatures. The e-APDs, sensitive from 1064 nm to 4300 nm, were fabricated in single-layer p-type HgCdTe films grown using liquid phase epitaxy on IR-transparent CdZnTe substrates. Variable-diameter e-APDs, large-area 250-micron diameter e-APDs, and segmented 1-mm x 1-mm e-APDS - each with sixteen 250-micron x 250-micron pixel elements - were mounted to ceramic submounts, tested, and characterized. Under receiver bias, the e-APDs exhibited exponentially increasing gain that exceeded 1250. The devices showed exponentially increasing gain as a function of cutoff wavelength, and with decreased temperature - in agreement with our models for HgCdTe e-APDs. In Phase II, we will optimize HgCdTe films for 1.5?3.6 micron response and fabricate 250-micron diameter e-APD elements, designed for operation with gains exceeding 1250, without excess noise. These e-APDs, when integrated with custom-designed <100 e- rms noise transimpedance amplifiers and optimized to match the e-APDs' capacitance, will realize single photon sensitive LIDAR receivers for NASA LIDAR applications.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
NASA's future missions to investigate the structure and evolution of the universe require highly efficient, very low temperature coolers for low-noise detector systems. We propose to develop a highly efficient, lightweight space magnetic cooler that can continuously provide remote/distributed cooling at temperatures in the range of 2 K with a heat sink at about 15 K. The proposed magnetic cooler uses an innovative cryogenic circulator that enables a lightweight magnetic cooler to operate at a high cycle frequency to achieve a large cooling capacity. The ability to provide remote/distributed cooling not only allows flexible integration with a payload(s) and spacecraft, but also reduces the mass of the magnetic shields needed. The circulator has heritage in Creare's space-proven micro-turbomachinery technology which has demonstrated long-life (>10 years) with no-discernable emitted vibrations. The proposed system will be lighter than current multistage ADRs. In Phase I, we proved the feasibility of the magnetic cooler by showing its high thermal efficiency, light weight, and high reliability through detailed component design and system performance analysis. In Phase II, we will design, build, and test a prototype circulator module at design conditions. We will deliver the circulator module to NASA for integration into a prototype magnetic cooler.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
To meet the ever-increasing power demand of today's spacecraft systems, an integrated power electronics system capable of interfacing, and simultaneously controlling, three power ports will be designed and demonstrated in Phase I of the proposed project. This new proposed power electronic architecture employs a single-stage power topology, thus allowing cost-effective control of power flow with improved efficiency, power density, and reliability. This is achieved by modifying the switching patterns and control strategy of suitable conventional isolated converters, fully utilizing digital power electronics control methods. The result is multi-function utilization of converter components for increased capabilities with minimal effects on losses, size, weight and cost for such components. Moreover, existing engineering design concepts can be easily used to optimize the new proposed power topologies in a fashion similar to the conventional mother topologies including soft-switching techniques, component selection, and magnetic design procedures at higher switching frequencies. Each of these topologies is capable of performing simultaneous control of two of its three ports from battery or ultra-capacitor charge regulation, solar array peak power tracking, and/or load voltage regulation. Such converters are valuable alternative for designers of power systems requiring multiple power sources, or interfaced to power storage devices.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The Small Business Innovative Research Phase I proposal seeks to develop a dual channel, compact mid-infrared laser spectrometer for planetary atmosphere exploration. The device will be capable of measuring trace gases at 3.3 and 4.6 um without the need for cryogens. By using novel, fiber-coupled, solid state lasers, performance will be improved over traditional tunable diode laser sensors.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
In stark contrast to current stagnation-based methods for capturing airborne particulates and biological aerosols, our demonstrated, cost-effective electrospray technology employs an entirely different approach based on the remarkable effectiveness of small, highly charged liquid droplets formed from an electrospray source to "getter" both particles and polar molecules dispersed in a gas. Less capable and expensive collection system technologies are generally based on stagnation of high velocity ambient airflow on a collecting surface. The momentum of particles and heavy molecules precludes their following gas streamlines during this stagnation. Instead, they concentrate and are trapped on the detector's surface if the surface is "sticky," or concentrated in the surface boundary layer, which can be separated from the mainstream flow and collected. Typically, current separation methodology collects about 50 percent of the particles between 1.0 and 10 microns in diameter from a flow of 500 L/min with a power consumption of up to 500 watts; i.e., about 1 watt of power is required for a small fan to compress 1 liter of air per minute to produce the high velocity airflow necessary for effective trapping of small bio-particles and heavy molecules. However, our electrospray technology consumes negligible power and achieves virtually 100 percent particle collection. In fact, we have demonstrated that the power efficiency of electrospray gettering for a single electrospray emitter to collect 100 percent of the particles, often without a fan, at 10,000 times greater than the power efficiency of state of the art systems.
System and Component Software Specification, Run-time Verification and Automatic Test Generation Project
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
This proposal is for the creation of a system-level software specification and verification tool. This proposal suggests a major leap-forward in usability of modeling, code generation, Runtime Verification (RV), and Automatic Test Generation (ATG) from the component-level to the system-level. 1. We will create a specification and run-time verification environment for system-level specifications using J-MSC assertions and distributed assertions. J-MSC assertions are a UML-based system-level formal specification language. In phase-I we demonstrated J-MSC assertion and distributed assertion specification and monitoring. In phase-II we will construct an editor, code-generator, and run-time monitor for J-MSC assertions and for distributed assertions. 2. We will create system-level verification environment, compliant with the de-facto JUnit testing framework, including: ? RV of J-MSC assertions for system verification combined with statechart-assertions for the component level. ? RV of distributed assertions. ? System-level white-box ATG of UML controller models and assertions: white-box ATG for a plurality controller modules and for a plurality of controller instances. ? Combined black-box/Matlab and white-box ATG, with support for both open-loop and closed loop techniques. ? White-box ATG based on real-time contracts of system components.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are attractive candidates for use as power sources in aerospace applications because they have high specific energy ( up to 200 Wh/kg) and energy density (~ 500 Wh/L) and long cycle life (1,000 ? 30,000 cycles currently depending on the depth of cycling). However, at temperatures below about ?10<SUP>o</SUP>C, their charge/discharge performance is severely degraded which hinders their use in deep space and planetary missions. This decrease in performance may be due to the precipitation of ethylene carbonate (EC) at low temperatures, which may prevent the migration of Li+ ions between the electrodes during charge and discharge. We propose to determine the cause of the EC precipitation. Appropriate electrolyte systems will be designed to prevent phase separation of the electrolyte at low temperatures during charge and discharge.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
This SBIR project will demonstrate and develop a novel micro-pump capable of controlled and selective chemical transport. Phase I will create, characterize, and model a robust and readily fabricated low-power miniaturized pump achieving "forceless" dissolved ion transport compatible with microgravity conditions. The compact technology will be extremely versatile, low-cost, stable, easily tailorable, and readily scaleable to higher fluxes via structure duplication and application in parallel. The device will be physically stable, chemically inert, and pH insensitive while its small dimensions result in lower power consumption and reduced mass. The result will be a more versatile and general pump capable of moving a variety of drugs. Phase I will explore the pump performance, stability, and design optimization using selected ionic compounds as model transport subjects by running designed experiments exploring pump operations as a function of key pump structural and operation variables. This data will determine the controlling variables, their effects on the system performance, and will be utilized with first-principles system physics analysis to develop a pump operation model. This model will allow rapid technology configuration exploration, operation performance refinement, and will provide critical insights into preferred, better optimized, structures to be evaluated during Phase II.
Published By National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Issued más de 9 años ago
Summary
Description
The new Presidential directive to place humans on Mars and establish bases on the moon will require advances in space nuclear power generation. Nuclear power generation has a combined advantage in power density, low fuel/mass ratio, mission duration and cost over any other generation method for these missions. To meet the needs of reactor safety, health monitoring and performance, light-weight, real-time, in-core neutron and gamma monitoring sensors need to be developed. Luna is proposing to further develop a real-time miniature gamma and neutron dosimeter. This hybrid sensor will measure gamma and neutron dose independently, as well as temperature at the same location. The transducer will be less than 5mm long and 1mg in mass. This dosimeter will enable real-time determination of reactor power level, health and remaining fuel as well as shielding effectiveness. During the Phase I, Luna demonstrated feasibility of the proposed dosimeter material systems in a nuclear reactor determining that minimum dosimeter resolutions (based on material measurements) of 0.57MRad gamma and 0.83x1014n/cm2 can be accomplished with EFPI based sensors. Phase II will optimize the sensor designs and demodulation system for performance and cost, considering space hardening constraints, and demonstrate the system in high radiation and high temperature environments.