ALBERT

Description: In 1998, a new failure mode for space solar arrays was discovered. A flowchart for this failure mode is presented. Since the discovery of this arc failure mode, many tactics have been used to defeat it. The arc thresholds and arc mitigation strategies must be determined in vacuum-plasma tank testing on Earth. Results from these tests must then be extrapolated to the space plasma environment. Thus, the test conditions on Earth must be adequate to reproduce the important aspects of the phenomenon in space. At Glenn Research Center, we have been testing solar arrays for their arc thresholds and sustained arcing thresholds. In this paper, we detail the test conditions for a specific set of tests-those aimed at qualifying the Boeing Solar Tile solar arrays to operate in space at very high voltages (300 V or more).

Description: Sensors are a mission critical element in many NASA programs and require some very unique properties such as small size, low power, high reliability, low weight. Low cost sensors offer the possibility of technology transfer to the public domain for commercial applications. One sensor application that is important to many NASA programs is the ability to point at a radiation source, such as the sun. Such sensors may be an integral part of the guidance and control systems in space platforms and in remote exploratory vehicles. Sun/solar pointing is also important for ground-based systems such as solar arrays. These systems are not required to be small and lightweight. However, if a sensor with a sun pointing capability was developed that is very small, rugged, lightweight and at the same time low cost, it certainly could be used in existing and perhaps many new ground based applications, The objective of the VCELL (Directionally Sensitive Silicon Radiation Sensor) research is to develop a new and very unique silicon based directionally sensitive radiation sensor which can be fabricated using conventional monolithic IC technologies and which will meet the above requirements. The proposed sensor is a novel silicon chip that is directionally sensitive to incident radiation, providing azimuth and elevation information on the incident radiation. The resulting sensor chip will be appropriate for integration into a silicon IC or useful in a hybrid structure to be interfaced with a standard IEEE 1451 bus interface IC to create an Intelligent Sensor. It is presently estimated that it will require about three man-years of effort to complete the VCELL research and development. This includes the optical, electrical, mechanical and silicon fabrication and testing as well as computer simulations and theoretical analysis and modeling including testing in simulated space environments, This report summarizes the sensor research completed this summer as part of the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. The primary effort was focused on activity necessary to fabricate prototype sensor. Fabrication activities included the design and development of a sensor fabrication process, the development of deposition and diffusion processes using the Thermco furnaces and solid sources, the development of preferential silicon etching processes, ordering necessary process supplies and chemicals, fabrication and tooling of necessary hardware items to support the required silicon process equipment in place in bldg. 4487 and bldg. 7804.

Description: Millimeter and submillimeter heterodyne receivers using state-of-the-art SIS detectors are capable of extremely large instantaneous bandwidths with noise temperatures within a few Kelvin of the quantum limit. We present the design for a broadband, sensitive, heterodyne spectrometer under development for the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The 180-300 GHz double-sideband design uses a single SIS device excited by a full bandwidth, fixed-tuned waveguide probe on a silicon substrate. The IF output frequency (limited by the MMIC low noise IF preamplifier) is 6-18 GHz, providing an instantaneous RF bandwidth of 24 GHz (double-sideband). The SIS mixer conversion loss should be no more than 1-2 dB with mixer noise temperatures across the band within 10 K of the quantum limit. The single-sideband receiver noise temperature goal is 70 K. The wide instantaneous bandwidth and low noise will result in an instrument capable of a variety of important astrophysical observations beyond the capabilities of current instruments. Lab testing of the receiver will begin in the summer of 2002, and the first use on the CSO should occur in the spring of 2003.

Description: This paper introduces the concept of polymorphic electronics (polytronics) - referring to electronics with superimposed built-in functionality. A function change does not require switches/reconfiguration as in traditional approaches. Instead the change comes from modifications in the characteristics of devices involved in the circuit, in response to controls such as temperature, power supply voltage (VDD), control signals, light, etc. The paper illustrates polytronic circuits in which the control is done by temperature, morphing signals, and VDD respectively. Polytronic circuits are obtained by evolutionary design/evolvable hardware techniques. These techniques are ideal for the polytronics design, a new area that lacks design guidelines, know-how,- yet the requirements/objectives are easy to specify and test. The circuits are evolved/synthesized in two different modes. The first mode explores an unstructured space, in which transistors can be interconnected freely in any arrangement (in simulations only). The second mode uses a Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA) model, and the circuit topology is sought as a mapping onto a programmable architecture (these experiments are performed both in simulations and on FPTA chips). The experiments demonstrated the synthesis. of polytronic circuits by evolution. The capacity of storing/hiding "extra" functions provides for watermark/invisible functionality, thus polytronics may find uses in intelligence/security applications.

Description: The Starshine 3 satellite will carry several power technology demonstrations. Since Starshine 3 is primarily a passive experiment and does not need electrical power to successfully complete its mission, the requirement for a highly reliable power system is greatly reduced. This creates an excellent opportunity to test new power technologies. Several government and commercial interests have teamed up to provide Starshine 3 with a small power system using state-of-the-art components. Starshine 3 will also fly novel integrated microelectronic power supplies (IMPS) for evaluation.

Description: Five types of small commercial cells were subject to capacity and resistance measurements under pulsed conditions and under a worst case application conditions. Results indicate that an 82S-102P array of 18650 cells will exceed the power/energy requirements for a proposed Space Shuttle EAPU battery system.

Description: Li-ion cells manufactured by YTP, SAFT, and MSA have completed 6714, 6226, and 3441 cycles, respectively. An increase in the charge voltage limit was required in all cases to maintain the discharge voltage. SAFT and MSA cells were capable of cycling at -10 C and 0 C with an increase in the charge voltage limit, whereas Yardney cells could not be cycled. Reconditioning improved the discharge voltage of SAFT and MSA cells; it is important to note that the effect has been temporary as in Ni-H and Ni-Cd batteries. It was demonstrated that the charge operation with VT clamp at battery rather than at cell level is feasible. Continuation of testing depends on the health of the cells and on the funding situation.

Description: This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of the development status of three battery systems for the X-38 crew return vehicle. Details are given on the design features, the lithium battery module, PCM composite heat sinks, carbon fibercore blocks for Qual battery, battery module base housing, heat sink characteristics, and battery qualifications.

Description: In order to meet the applications for space shuttle in future, two types of Samsung cells, with capacity 1800 mAh and 2000 mAh, have been investigated. The studies focused on: (1) Performance tests: completed 250 cycles at various combinations of charge/discharge C rates and discharge capacity measurements at various temperatures; and (2) Safety tests: overcharge and overdischarge, heat abuse, short circuit, internal and external short, and vibration, vacuum, and drop tests

Description: The Battery Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) was designed to meet the following requirements: a 6.5-year design life, 38,000 charge/discharge Low Earth Orbit cycles, 81-Amp-hr nameplate capacity, 4 kWh nominal storage capacity, contingency orbit capability, an operating temperature of 5 +/- 5 C standard orbit and 5+5/-10 C contingency orbit, a non-operating temperature of -25 to +30 C, a five-year Mean Time between failure, an on-orbit replacement using ISS robotic interface, and one launch to orbit and one return to ground. The ISS electrical power system is successfully maintaining power for all on-board loads. ISS Eclipse power is currently supplied by six Ni-H2 batteries (12 ORUs), which are operating nominally.