ALBERT

Description: Future NASA missions require high specific energy battery technologies, greater than 400 Wh/kg. Current NASA missions are using "state-of-the-art" (SOA) Li-ion batteries (LIB), which consist of a metal oxide cathode, a graphite anode and an organic electrolyte. NASA Glenn Research Center is currently studying the physical and electrochemical properties of the anode-electrolyte interface for ionic liquid based Li-air batteries. The voltage-time profiles for Pyr13FSI and Pyr14TFSI ionic liquids electrolytes studies on symmetric cells show low over-potentials and no dendritic lithium morphology. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that these ionic liquids have a wide electrochemical window. As a continuation of this work, sp2 carbon cathode and these low flammability electrolytes were paired and the physical and electrochemical properties were studied in a Li-air battery system under an oxygen environment.

Description: The field emission characteristics of niobium electrodes were compared to those of stainless steel electrodes using a DC high voltage field emission test apparatus. A total of eight electrodes were evaluated: two 304 stainless steel electrodes polished to mirror-like finish with diamond grit and six niobium electrodes (two single-crystal, two large-grain, and two fine-grain) that were chemically polished using a buffered-chemical acid solution. Upon the first application of high voltage, the best large-grain and single-crystal niobium electrodes performed better than the best stainless steel electrodes, exhibiting less field emission at comparable voltage and field strength. In all cases, field emission from electrodes (stainless steel and/or niobium) could be significantly reduced and sometimes completely eliminated, by introducing krypton gas into the vacuum chamber while the electrode was biased at high voltage. Of all the electrodes tested, a large-grain niobium electrode performed the best, exhibiting no measurable field emission (〈 10 pA) at 225 kV with 20 mm cathode/anode gap, corresponding to a field strength of 18:7 MV/m.

Description: This paper introduces the ISPAES algorithm for circuit design targeting a Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA). The use of evolutionary algorithms is common in circuit design problems, where a single fitness function drives the evolution process. Frequently, the design problem is subject to several goals or operating constraints, thus, designing a suitable fitness function catching all requirements becomes an issue. Such a problem is amenable for multi-objective optimization, however, evolutionary algorithms lack an inherent mechanism for constraint handling. This paper introduces ISPAES, an evolutionary optimization algorithm enhanced with a constraint handling technique. Several design problems targeting a FPTA show the potential of our approach.

Description: A low cost, flexible and modular spacecraft power system design was developed in response to a call for an architecture that could accommodate multiple missions in the small to medium load range. Three upcoming satellites will use this design, with one launch date in 1999 and two in the year 2000. The design consists of modular hardware that can be scaled up or down, without additional cost, to suit missions in the 200 to 600 Watt orbital average load range. The design will be applied to satellite orbits that are circular, polar elliptical and a libration point orbit. Mission unique adaptations are accomplished in software and firmware. In designing this advanced, adaptable power system, the major goals were reduction in weight volume and cost. This power system design represents reductions in weight of 78 percent, volume of 86 percent and cost of 65 percent from previous comparable systems. The efforts to miniaturize the electronics without sacrificing performance has created streamlined power electronics with control functions residing in the system microprocessor. The power system design can handle any battery size up to 50 Amp-hour and any battery technology. The three current implementations will use both nickel cadmium and nickel hydrogen batteries ranging in size from 21 to 50 Amp-hours. Multiple batteries can be used by adding another battery module. Any solar cell technology can be used and various array layouts can be incorporated with no change in Power System Electronics (PSE) hardware. Other features of the design are the standardized interfaces between cards and subsystems and immunity to radiation effects up to 30 krad Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and 35 Mev/cm(exp 2)-kg for Single Event Effects (SEE). The control algorithm for the power system resides in a radiation-hardened microprocessor. A table driven software design allows for flexibility in mission specific requirements. By storing critical power system constants in memory, modifying the system code for other programs is simple. These constants can be altered also by ground command, or in response to an anomolous event. All critical power system functions have backup hardware functions to prevent a software or computer glitch from propagating. A number of battery charge control schemes can be implemented by selecting the proper control terms in the code. The architecture allows the design engineer to tune the system response to various system components and anticipated load profiles without costly alterations. A design trade was made with the size, weight and power dissipation of the electronics versus the performance of the power bus to load variations. Linear, fine control is maintained with a streamlined electronics design. This paper describes the hardware design as well as the software control algorithm. The challenges of closing the system control loop digitally is discussed. Control loop margin and power system performance is presented. Lab measurements are shown and compared to the system response of a hardware model running actual flight software.

Description: Presented are the developmental efforts for MEMS sensors for a closed-loop active flow control in a low-speed wind tunnel evaluation. The MEMS sensors are designed in-house and fabricated out of house, and the shear sensors are a thermal type that are collocated with temperature and pressure sensors on a flexible polyimide sheet, which conforms to surfaces of a simple curvature. A total of 6 sensors are located within a 1.5 by 3 mm area as a cluster with each sensor being 300 pm square. The thickness of this sensor cluster is 75 pm. Outputs from the shear sensors have been compared with respect to those of the Preston tube for evaluation of the sensors on a flat plate. Pressure sensors are the absolute type and have recorded pressure measurements within 0.05 percent of the tunnel ESP pressure sensor readings. The sensors and signal conditioning electronics have been tested on both a flat plate and a ramp in Langley s 15-Inch Low-Turbulence Tunnel. The system configuration and control PC is configured with LabView, where calibration constants are stored for desired compensation and correction. The preliminary test results are presented within.