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As the US is getting ready for the Next Generation (NextGen) of Air Traffic System, there is a growing concern that the current techniques for verification and validation will not be adequate for the changes to come. The JPDO (in charge of implementing NextGen) has given NASA a mandate to address the problem and it resulted in the formulation of the V&V of Flight-Critical Systems effort. This research effort is divided into four themes: argument-based safety assurance, distributed systems, authority and autonomy, and, software intensive systems. This paper presents an overview of the technologies that will address the problem.

The Energy Finite Element Analysis (EFEA) has been utilized successfully for modeling complex structural-acoustic systems with isotropic structural material properties. In this paper, a formulation for modeling structures made out of composite materials is presented. An approach based on spectral finite element analysis is utilized first for developing the equivalent material properties for the composite material. These equivalent properties are employed in the EFEA governing differential equations for representing the composite materials and deriving the element level matrices. The power transmission characteristics at connections between members made out of non-isotropic composite material are considered for deriving suitable power transmission coefficients at junctions of interconnected members. These coefficients are utilized for computing the joint matrix that is needed to assemble the global system of EFEA equations.

Silver biocide offers a potential advantage over iodine, the current state-of-the-art in US spacecraft disinfection technology, in that silver can be safely consumed by the crew. As such, silver may reduce the overall complexity and mass of future spacecraft potable water systems, particularly those used to support long duration missions. A primary technology gap identified for the use of silver biocide is one of material compatibility. Wetted materials of construction are required to be selected such that silver ion concentrations can be maintained at biocidally effective levels.

This project investigates methods to capture an astronaut's exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) before it becomes diluted with the high volumetric oxygen flow present within a space suit. Typical expired breath contains CO2 partial pressures (pCO2) in the range of 20-35 mm Hg (.0226-.046 atm). This research investigates methods to capture the concentrated CO2 gas stream prior to its dilution with the low pCO2 ventilation flow. Specifically this research is looking at potential designs for a collection cup for use inside the space suit helmet. The collection cup concept is not the same as a breathing mask typical of that worn by firefighters and pilots. It is well known that most members of the astronaut corps view a mask as a serious deficiency in any space suit helmet design. Instead, the collection cup is a non-contact device that will be designed using a detailed Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis of the ventilation flow environment within the helmet.

Carbosieve SIII was used to filter dichloromethane (DCM) from a simulated spacecraft gas stream. This adsorbent was tested as a possible commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) filtration solution to controlling spacecraft air quality. DCM is a halocarbon commonly used in manufacturing for cleaning and degreasing and is a typical component of equipment offgassing in spacecraft. The performance of the filter was measured in dry and humid atmospheres. A known concentration of DCM was passed through the adsorbent at a known flow rate. The adsorbent removed dichloromethane until it reached the breakthrough volume. Carbosieve SIII exposed to dry atmospheric conditions adsorbed more DCM than when exposed to humid air. Carbosieve SIII is a useful thermally regenerated adsorbent for filtering DCM from spacecraft cabin air. However, in humid environments the gas passes through the filter sooner due to co-adsorption of additional water vapor from the atmosphere.

This work describes the microbiological assessment and materials compatibility of a silver-based biocide as an alternative to iodine for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and future spacecraft potable water systems. In addition to physical and operational anti-microbial counter-measures, the prevention of microbial growth, biofilm formation, and microbiologically induced corrosion in water distribution and storage systems requires maintenance of a biologically-effective, residual biocide concentration in solution and on the wetted surfaces of the system. Because of the potential for biocide depletion in water distribution systems and the development of acquired biocide resistance within microbial populations, even sterile water with residual biocide may, over time, support the growth and/or proliferation of bacteria that pose a risk to crew health and environmental systems.

A lab-scale testbed for screening and characterizing the chemical specificity of commercial “off-the-shelf” (COTS) polymer adsorbents was built and tested. COTS polymer adsorbents are suitable candidates for future trace contaminant (TC) control technologies. Regenerable adsorbents could reduce overall TC control system mass and volume by minimizing the amounts of consumables to be resupplied and stored. However, the chemical specificity of these COTS adsorbents for non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (e.g., methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, acetone, etc) commonly found in spacecraft is unknown. Furthermore, the effect of humidity on their filtering capacity is not well characterized. The testbed, composed of a humidifier, an incubator, and a gas generator, delivers NMVOC gas streams to conditioned sorbent tubes.

Understanding the effects of dynamic thermal and vacuum regeneration on VOC desorption kinetics is needed for the development of regenerable trace contaminant control air revitalization systems. The effects of temperature and vacuum quality on the desorption kinetics of ethanol from Carbosieve SIII were examined using 1 hour regeneration cycles. The effect of vacuum quality on ethanol desorption was studied by exposing adsorption tubes loaded with ethanol to low pressures (1.0, 0.5, 0.3, and 0.12 atm) at various thermal regeneration temperatures (160, 100, 70, and 25 °C). At 1 atm of pressure, ethanol removal was found to increase from 2% at 25 °C, to 25% at 70 °C, to 55% at 100 °C, and to 77% at 160 °C. Decreasing the atmospheric pressure from 1 to 0.1 atm for 1 hr did not significantly enhance Carbosieve SIII regeneration at ambient temperatures (25 °C). However, heating the adsorbent at low pressures enhanced its regeneration.

During the past two decades the occurrence of ice accretion within commercial high bypass aircraft turbine engines under certain operating conditions has been reported. Numerous engine anomalies have taken place at high altitudes that were attributed to ice crystal ingestion such as degraded engine performance, engine roll back, compressor surge and stall, and even flameout of the combustor. As ice crystals are ingested into the engine and low pressure compression system, the air temperature increases and a portion of the ice melts allowing the ice-water mixture to stick to the metal surfaces of the engine core. The focus of this paper is on estimating the effects of ice accretion on the low pressure compressor, and quantifying its effects on the engine system throughout a notional flight trajectory. In this paper it was necessary to initially assume a temperature range in which engine icing would occur.

Due to numerous engine power-loss events associated with high-altitude convective weather, ice accretion within an engine due to ice-crystal ingestion is being investigated. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada are starting to examine the physical mechanisms of ice accretion on surfaces exposed to ice-crystal and mixed-phase conditions. In November 2010, two weeks of testing occurred at the NRC Research Altitude Facility utilizing a single wedge-type airfoil designed to facilitate fundamental studies while retaining critical features of a compressor stator blade or guide vane. The airfoil was placed in the NRC cascade wind tunnel for both aerodynamic and icing tests. Aerodynamic testing showed excellent agreement compared with CFD data on the icing pressure surface and allowed calculation of heat transfer coefficients at various airfoil locations.

A new technique is proposed for computing particle concentrations and fluxes with Lagrangian trajectories. This method calculates particle concentrations based on the volume of a parcel element, or cloud, at the flux plane compared against the initial volume and is referred to as the Lagrangian Parcel Volume (LPV) method. This method combines the steady-state accuracy of area-based methods with the unsteady capabilities of bin-based methods. The LPV method results for one-dimensional (1D) unsteady flows and linear two-dimensional (2D) steady flows show that a quadrilateral element shape composed of a single parcel (with four edge particles) is capable of accurately predicting particle concentrations. However, nonlinear 2D flows can lead to concave or crossed quadrilaterals which produce significant numerical errors.

Particle trajectory and ice shape calculations were made for the Energy Efficient Engine (E₃) using the LEWICE3D Version 3 software. The particle trajectory and icing computations were performed using the new "block-to-block" collection efficiency method which has been incorporated into the LEWICE3D Version 3 software. The E₃ was developed by NASA and GE in the early 1980s as a technology demonstrator and is representative of a modern high bypass turbofan engine. The E₃ flow field was calculated using the NASA Glenn ADPAC turbomachinery flow solver. Computations were performed for the low pressure compressor of the E₃ for a Mach .8 cruise condition at 11,887 meters assuming a standard warm day for three drop sizes and two drop distributions typically used in aircraft design and certification. Particle trajectory computations were made for water drop sizes of 5, 20 and 100 microns.

Selecting the appropriate atmosphere for a spacecraft and mission is a complicated problem. NASA has previously used atmospheres from Earth normal composition and pressure to pure oxygen at low pressures. Future exploration missions will likely strike a compromise somewhere between the two, trying to balance operation impacts on EVA, safety concerns for flammability and health risks, life science and physiology questions, and other issues. Life support systems and internal thermal control systems are areas that will have to respond to changes in the atmospheric composition and pressure away from the Earth-like conditions currently used on the International Space Station. This paper examines life support and internal thermal control technologies currently in use or in development to find what impacts in design, efficiency and performance, or feasibility might be expected.

The challenges of missions to the Moon and Mars presents NASA with the need for more advanced life support systems, including better technologies for CO2 removal in spacecraft atmospheres and extravehicular mobility units (EMU). Amine-coated single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) have been proposed as a potential solution because of their high surface area and thermal conductivity. Initial research demonstrated the need for functionalization of SWCNT to obtain optimal adherence of the amine to the SWCNT support phase [1]. Recent efforts focus on the development of new methods to chemically bond amines to SWCNT. Synthesis and characterization methods for these materials are discussed and some preliminary materials characterization data are presented. The CO2 adsorption capacity for several versions of SWCNT supported amine-based CO2 scrubber materials is also determined.

Unlike a terrestrial electric utility which can purchase power from a neighboring utility, the Space Station Freedom (SSF) has strictly limited energy resources; as a result, source control, system monitoring, system protection and load management are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the SSF Electric Power System (EPS). These functions are being evaluated in the DC Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Testbed which NASA LeRC has developed at the Power System Facility (PSF) located in Cleveland, Ohio. The testbed is an ideal platform to develop, integrate, and verify power system monitoring and control algorithms. State Estimation (SE) is a monitoring tool used extensively in terrestrial electric utilities to ensure safe power system operation.

Currently the U.S. is sponsoring production of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for the Cassini mission to Saturn; the SP-100 space nuclear reactor power system for NASA applications; a thermionic space reactor program for DoD applications as well as early work on nuclear propulsion. In an era of heightened public concern about having successful space ventures it is important that a full understanding be developed of what it means to “flight qualify” a space nuclear system. As a contribution to the ongoing work this paper reviews several qualification programs, including the general-purpose heat source radioisotope thermoelectric generators (GPHS-RTGs) as developed for the Galileo and Ulysses missions, the SNAP-10A space reactor, the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA), the F-1 chemical engine used on the Saturn-V, and the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs). Similarities and contrasts are noted.

NASA and the U.S. Army have designed, developed, and tested a Computer Aiding for Low-Altitude Helicopter Flight guidance system. This system provides guidance to the pilot for near-terrain covert helicopter operations. The guidance is presented to the pilot through symbology on a helmet mounted display. This system has demonstrated the feasibility of a pilot-centered concept of terrain flight guidance that preserves pilot flexibility and authority. The system was developed using extensive piloted simulation and then implemented in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter for flight development and evaluation. A close correlation between simulation and actual flight was found; however, in flight overall pilot workload increased and performance decreased. This paper presents a description of the basic system design, simulation, and flight evaluations.

The Technology Test Bed and Hydrogen Cold Flow facilities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama provide unique testing capabilities for the aerospace community. Located at the Advanced Engine Test Facility (AETF), these facilities are operated and maintained by MSFC Propulsion Laboratory personnel. They provide a systems and components level testing platform for validating new technology concepts and advanced systems design and for gaining a better understanding of test article internal environments. A discussion follows of the particular capabilities of each facility to provide a range of testing options for specific test articles.

Long duration manned space missions will require integrated biological and physicochemical processes for recovery of resources from wastes. This paper discusses a hybrid regenerative biological and physicochemical water recovery system designed and built at NASA's Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) at Johnson Space Center (JSC). The system is sized for a four-person crew and consists of a two-stage, aerobic, trickling filter bioreactor; a reverse osmosis system; and a photocatalytic oxidation system. The system was designed to accommodate high organic and inorganic loadings and a low hydraulic loading. The bioreactor was designed to oxidize organics to carbon dioxide and water; the reverse osmosis system reduces inorganic content to potable quality; and the photocatalytic oxidation unit removes residual organic impurities (part per million range) and provides in-situ disinfection. The design and performance of the hybrid system for producing potable/hygiene water is described.

For reasons of safety as well as cost, increasingly lengthy space missions at unprecedented distances from Earth in the 21st century will require reductions in consumables and increases in the autonomy of spacecraft life support systems. Advanced life support technologies can increase mission productivity and enhance science yield by achieving reductions in the mass, volume, and power required to support human needs for long periods of time in sterile and hostile environments. Current investment in developing advanced life support systems for orbital research facilities will increase the productivity of these relatively near-term missions, while contributing to the technology base necessary for future human exploration missions.