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NASA Exploration Space Grant Faculty Fellowship Project

>Introduction

The Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate is responsible for NASA space operations in and beyond low Earth orbit, developing new transportation systems, developing critical supporting capabilities, and performing scientific research to enable sustained and affordable human exploration. HEO manages cross-cutting activities related to Launch Services, Space Communications and Navigation and Rocket Propulsion Test in support of human and robotic exploration requirements.

NASA delivers a comprehensive Agency education portfolio, implemented by the Office of Education, the mission directorates, and the NASA field centers. Throughout the portfolio, NASA contributes to our Nation’s efforts in achieving excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Three outcomes serve to align all Agency education activities. This announcement maps to Outcome 1: Contributing to the development of the STEM workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s strategic goals.

The purpose of the Exploration Space Grant Project is to train and develop the highly skilled scientific, engineering, and technical workforce of the future needed to implement the U.S. Space Exploration Policy.

The following are areas critical to the future of space exploration. All senior design projects are linked to one of the five areas:

Human Research
- The Human Research Program (HRP) investigates and mitigates the highest risks to astronaut health and performance in exploration missions. The goal of the HRP is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration, and to ensure safe and productive human spaceflight. The scope of these goals includes both the successful completion of exploration missions and the preservation of astronaut health over the life of the astronaut.
- The Human Research Roadmap is a web-based document that allows users to search HRP risks, gaps, and tasks.
Engineering Research
- Spacecraft: Guidance, navigation and control; thermal; electrical; structures; software; avionics; displays; high speed re-entry; modeling; power systems; interoperability/commonality; advanced spacecraft materials; crew/vehicle health monitoring; life support.
- Propulsion: Propulsion methods that will utilize materials found on the moon or Mars, “green” propellants, on-orbit propellant storage, motors, testing, fuels, manufacturing, soft landing, throttle-able propellants, high performance, and descent.
- Robotic Systems for Precursor Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Missions: Navigation and proximity operations systems; hazard detection; techniques for interacting and anchoring with Near Earth Asteroids; methods of remote and interactive characterization of Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) environments, composition and structural properties; robotics (specifically environmental scouting prior to human arrival and later to assist astronauts with NEA exploration); environmental analysis; radiation protection; spacecraft autonomy, enhanced methods of NEA characterization from earth-based observation.
- Robotic Systems for Lunar Precursor Missions: Precision landing and hazard avoidance hardware and software; high-bandwidth communication; in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and prospecting; navigation systems; robotics (specifically environmental scouting prior to human arrival, and to assist astronaut with surface exploration); environmental analysis, radiation protection.
- Data and Visualization Systems for Exploration: Area focus on turning precursor mission data into meaningful engineering knowledge for system design and mission planning of lunar surface and NEAs. Visualization and data display; interactive data manipulation and sharing; mapping and data layering including coordinate transformations for irregular shaped NEAs; modeling of lighting and thermal environments; simulation of environmental interactions including proximity operations in irregular micro-G gravity fields and physical stability of weakly bound NEAs.
Processing and Operations
- Crew Health and Safety Including Medical Operations (Johnson Space Center (JSC))
- In-helmet Speech Audio Systems and Technologies (Glenn Research Center (GRC))
- Vehicle Integration and Ground Processing (Kennedy Space Center (KSC))
- Mission Operations (Ames Research Center (ARC))
- Portable Life Support Systems (JSC)
- Pressure Garments and Gloves (JSC)
- Air Revitalization Technologies (ARC)
- In-Space Waste Processing Technologies (JSC)
- Cryogenic Fluids Management Systems (GRC)
Space Communications and Navigation
- Coding, Modulation, and Compression (Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC))
- Precision Spacecraft and Lunar/Planetary Surface Navigation and Tracking (GSFC)
- Communication for Space-Based Range (GSFC)
- Antenna Technology (Glenn Research Center (GRC))
- Reconfigurable/Reprogrammable Communication Systems (GRC)
- Miniaturized Digital EVA Radio (Johnson Space Center (JSC))
- Transformational Communications Technology (GRC)
- Long Range Optical Telecommunications (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL))
- Long Range Space RF Telecommunications (JPL)
- Surface Networks and Orbit Access Links (GRC)
- Software for Space Communications Infrastructure Operations (JPL)
- TDRS transponders for launch vehicle applications that support space communication and launch services (GRC)
Space Transportation
- Optical Tracking and Image Analysis (KSC)
- Space Transportation Propulsion System and Test Facility Requirements and Instrumentation (Stennis Space Center (SSC)
- Automated Collection and Transfer of Launch Range Surveillance/Intrusion Data (KSC)
- Technology tools to assess secondary payload capability with launch vehicles (KSC)
- Spacecraft Charging/Plasma Interactions (Environment definition & arcing mitigation) (Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC))

› Pertinent Dates

› Eligibility Requirements

› Stipends, Reimbursements and Allowances

› Background and Purpose

› Responsibilities

› Application Submission

› Approved List of Exploration Projects

› Frequently Asked Questions

› Contact Information

Pertinent Dates

Application Deadline: January 9, 2012, 5:00 p.m. EST
Selection Notification: February 2012

Eligibility Requirements

Stipends, Reimbursements and Allowances

Please note: Applicants should be aware that stipend payments from other federal funding sources including research grants and contracts may not be accepted during the tenure of a summer faculty appointment.

Stipends:

Summer faculty participants receive a weekly stipend which is based on the status of the participant’s application. The levels for the 2012 faculty are as follows:
Pursuing a doctoral degree: $1,037
Assistant Professor: $1,300
Associate Professor: $1,500
Professor: $1,700

Travel Reimbursements:

A suitable relocation reimbursement for personal travel to the NASA field center will be determined for each awardee. Details will be provided at the time of the award

Daily Expense Allowance:

A daily expense allowance of $50 per workday is provided to participants who have obtained a temporary residence while working at a NASA field center. In order to receive this allowance, the temporary residence must be located greater than a fifty-mile distance (one way by the most direct route) from the participant’s permanent address.

Background and Purpose

The Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate is dedicated to creating new capabilities, supporting technologies and foundational research that enables sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration.

NASA delivers a comprehensive Agency education portfolio, implemented by the Office of Education, the mission directorates, and the NASA field centers. Throughout the portfolio, NASA contributes to our Nation’s efforts in achieving excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Three outcomes serve to align all Agency education activities. This announcement maps to Outcome 1: Contributing to the development of the STEM workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s strategic goals.

The purpose of the Exploration Space Grant Project is to train and develop the highly skilled scientific, engineering, and technical workforce of the future needed to implement the U.S. Space Exploration Policy.

The following are areas critical to the future of space exploration. All senior design projects are linked to one of the four areas:

Spacecraft- Guidance, navigation and control; thermal; electrical; structures; software; avionics; displays; high speed re-entry; modeling; power systems; interoperability/commonality; advanced spacecraft materials; crew/vehicle health monitoring; life support.
Propulsion- Propulsion methods that will utilize materials found on the moon or Mars, “green” propellants, on-orbit propellant storage, motors, testing, fuels, manufacturing, soft landing, throttle-able propellants, high performance, and descent.
Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems- Precision landing hardware, software, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), navigation systems, extended surface operations, robotics, (specifically environmental scouting prior to human arrival, outpost maintenance with and without humans present, and assist astronaut with geologic exploration) environmental analysis, radiation protection, spacesuits, life support, power systems.
Ground Operations- Pre-launch, launch, mission operations, command and control software systems, communications, landing and recovery.

Responsibilities

Through this project, the faculty fellows will gain extensive knowledge on the selected ESMD project, including the associated requirements, interfaces and issues affecting the design and potential solution(s), and be better prepared to enable students to complete an associated senior design project(s) during the 2012/2013 academic year at their institution. The awarded faculty’s responsibilities will be as follows:

Summer 2012:
- The faculty will work a continuous period of six (6) to twelve (12) weeks at the respective NASA facility associated with their selected project working side-by-side with a NASA expert. During these weeks the faculty will develop materials in support of the senior design project(s) surrounding the identified NASA Exploration project.
- Share and review all senior design project materials amongst themselves.
- Develop a single consolidated interim report compiling their findings
Academic Year 2012/2013:
- The faculty will be required to incorporate the Exploration project into an existing senior design or capstone course at their institution. The faculty will collect evaluation data to assess the effectiveness of the addition of the Exploration project into the existing course. The faculty will serve as the students’ main point of contact for the associated Exploration senior design project(s) and coordinate necessary requirements, design reviews, and final presentations with NASA.
- At the end of this implementation year, the faculty will provide NASA a white paper. The purpose of the white paper will be to share knowledge and lessons learned with other faculty. The paper will document the success of the implementation and any additional findings that may help others implement a similar Exploration Senior Design Project or further the designs produced by their students.

Deliverables

Weekly Reporting during summer 2012 due by COB Friday of each week:
- Written status of project materials
- Teleconference status of project
A consolidated Interim Report is due on or before July 29, 2012. The report shall contain at a minimum:
- Purpose of Exploration Faculty Fellowship
- Overview of Exploration projects selected and senior design projects
- Significance of Exploration projects to NASA’s mission and Exploration objectives
- Overview of knowledge gained during summer experience
- A plan outlining how each faculty will incorporate their selected Exploration project and developed materials into a specific existing senior design or capstone course at their respective university
- Lessons learned throughout the summer experience
- Suggestions for changes/improvements for future faculty fellowships
Senior Design Project Materials due at the end of the summer fellowship:
- Notes detailing the project and background information
- Related research articles (.pdf)
- Related websites
The faculty will coordinate a minimum of three teleconferences between Senior Design Course students and the NASA technical expert to include:
- Requirements Review with NASA technical expert
- Design Review(s) with NASA technical expert
- Presentation of Final Project Results to NASA technical expert
Final White Paper due electronically to NASA by May 13, 2013 to include:
- Overview documenting implementation experience providing details to help others implement a similar Exploration senior design project(s)
- Assessment Plan results
- Final Senior Design Project(s) Results
- Information to help others further develop Senior Design Project(s) Results (if applicable)
- Additional findings
- Lessons learned

Travel

Work with the NASA Technical Expert for designated weeks at the respective NASA facility.

Schedule

Summer fellowship: Work for a continuous period of six (6) to twelve (12) weeks at a NASA field Center on a selected Exploration project from May 2, 2012 to July 29, 2012
Submit consolidated interim report to NASA: July 29, 2012
Implement Senior Design Project: 2012/2013 Academic Year
Submit white paper to NASA: May 13, 2013

Application Submission

Applications must be received no later than: January 9, 2012, 5 p.m. EST. Late applications will not be considered.

To submit an application click here Faculty Project Application

Approved List of Exploration Projects

› Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
› Johnson Space Center (JSC)
› Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
› Langley Research Center (LaRC)
› Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Design of an Autonomous Collision Avoidance System for Spacecrafts/Satellites Using Millimeter Phased Array Wave Radar System

GSFC1-11-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

This project has a goal to develop hardware & software for low frequency wideband step frequency ISAR radar. Low frequency ISAR is used to image interior structure of an unknown target such as asteroid/comet and other planetary bodies. ISAR consists of 3 basic subsystems: (1) Base band signal generation and base band I & Q data processing, (2) Analog RF front end, and (3) Antenna. Using either Xlinx/Altera FPGA board and Analog Devices' DDS chips entire base band operation will be programmed and implemented. The analog RF front end will be assembled from commercially available RF components. The data acquisition and processing will be implemented through the FPGA. Development of data processing algorithm to form a 2-D image of interior portion of a target will also be part of this project.

Johnson Space Center (JSC)

ARGOS Advanced Control Algorithms

JSC1-33-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

In preparation for returning to the moon, a means must be developed to allow astronauts to practice performing tasks in a reduced gravity environment, and engineers to evaluate systems, such as space suits, used in the performance of these tasks. To these ends, the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) is being developed. ARGOS will use electro-mechanical devices and sensors to compensate for the difference between earth and lunar gravity, while keeping the actuation point above the center of gravity during translations. Since mass constraints could result in lunar transport vehicle suspension systems that do not function in earth's gravity, it would be beneficial if ARGOS, or a similar system, could be used to perform "test drives" of development hardware. Of interest to NASA is a control algorithm that would allow multiple gravity compensation devices to work in tandem to support a large mobile system.

Wearable Smart Fabric Communication & Health Monitoring System Investigation

JSC1-54-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

NASA is pursuing developing the technology for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Present spacecraft crew communication systems require hand held communication devices plug into spacecraft communications systems. This results in communication cables intrusively floating in the crew space as well as limiting the freedom to float around the crew cabin. In addition. monitoring of the crew health vitals will be important. As part of this research/investigation is to recommend types of health monitoring sensors and where in the garment they should be placed with the understanding that confort is an important criteria. It is desired that the crew communication & health devices be built into the crew-worn garments, thus freeing up the crewmembers hands and eliminating interfering floating cables. This project seeks a faculity person to investigate design concepts/prototypes for a Wearable Smart-fabric Crew-communication & Health Monitoring System (WSCHMS). It is desired that the WSCHMS be of a smart fabric design(sewed into garment) that provides full-duplex digital wireless voice & data communications. In addition, the prototype design goals are : should be power efficient (battery life of at least 2 hours in continuous mode of operation);contain simple controls for power on/off, volume control, and enable/disable voice communications; provide visual indicator of power status; operate with a minimum wireless range should be at least 20 ft; maximum weight of the WSCHMS ,including battery, should weigh no greater than 12 oz.; voice communications should operate with a background noise of 60 dB; and speaker peak volume output at least 80 dBSpl @ 1 ft. Provide 8 channels of health data. Both voice and data is transmitted wirelessly at a rate that allows reconstitution of the actual voice and data signals. The deliverables are: design concepts and future smart-fabric design projects that can be submitted to the Exploration design challenge).

Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Regolith Excavation, Handling & Sub –Surface Access

KSC1-05-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

The feedstock required for O2 production on the moon is Lunar Regolith (soil). 100 metric tons (MT) of Lunar Regolith will be required each year for Oxygen Production of 1 MT. In addition up to 2,000 MT of regolith excavation will be required per year in the initial stages of Outpost construction. This project will investigate concepts for Lunar Regolith excavation and handling equipment and propose solutions in the form of completed designs and prototypes. These prototypes must use lightweight materials which can withstand extreme space environments and be tough enough to interact with the regolith. In addition, there is a high degree of interest in lunar volatiles as resources for a human presence. Sub-surface access and acquisition devices to capture and deliver these samples to a characterization instrument are necessary tools to determine if water ice and other volatiles are present on the moon. Regolith is a resource that can be used in many ways including but not limited to radiation shielding, habitation and structures, construction of landing pads, roads, berms, trenches, and materials feedstock for fabricating spare parts and solar power plants. In addition, regolith is a resource that may be beneficial on Mars and other Near Earth Objects.

Dust Mitigation Technologies for Planetary Exploration

KSC1-14-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Previous experiences during Apollo as well as durning unmanned exploration missions to the moon and Mars indicate that dust is a significant problem since it clings to surfaces (space suits, robots, and virtually all machinery) and affects system operations. Dust must be removed in order for solar panels, thermal radiators, optical instruments, seals, joints, habitat hatches, and other equipment to operate efficiently and remain active for long durations. Dust motion must be controlled to bring regolith for sampling and to deliver regolith to science instruments. The NASA Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at KSC is developing active dust mitigation technologies to prevent dust accumulation on surfaces exposed to the external environment and affected by mission operations on dusty planetary surfaces. This ongoing project seeks to escalate and test current prototypes to representative sizes for applications to spacesuits, viewports, optical systems, solar panels, and thermal radiators. Testing is performed in the lunar and Mars simulation chambers in our KSC laboratories.

Life Support Systems

KSC1-16-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Life support research and development explores both physico-chemical and biological methods for providing breathable air, clean water and food to sustain space exploration. Work at Kennedy Space Center has traditionally focused biological, or so-called bioregenerative approaches for life support. These include growing plants in protected or controlled environments to produce food and oxygen, use of microbial systems for treating wastewater, and use or microbial approaches for treating solid waste. Related engineering tasks include containment concepts or structures for plant systems and managing these at relevant conditions for space exploration (e.g., hypobaric pressures), providing energy efficient lighting to the plants, design and operation of bioreactors for water and solid waste treatment, and monitoring and control strategies for all of these systems.

Corrosion Resistant Flame Trench Refractory

KSC2-13-SD, Ground Operations

Design and materials expertise in developing component level system/testbed for testing refractory materials that must provide acceptable performance and maintain integrity during and after exposure to both launch event and local atmospheric conditions, without spalling, minimal cracking, and a low rate of reinforcement corrosion. Expertise is also needed for developing materials modifications and/or treatments designed to enhance the exposure resistance of these refractory materials.

Robotic Corrosion and FOD Management Tools

KSC2-14-SD, Ground Operations

Degradation processes are continually assaulting the structural integrity of space complex facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Inspection of these exploration support structures is labor intensive and frequently hazardous in nature. Simply operating the facilities used to develop more durable materials for these structures is a large effort in itself. The Beachside Corrosion Test Site has several hundred test panels of coatings and other materials being evaluated in coastal outdoor exposure. Extensive photography of these panels exposes highly specialized personnel to various natural and remote locality hazards. There is a need to develop automated tools to support the operations of this massive test site.

Foreign object debris (FOD) is a constant and demanding threat to safety at the launch pads. FOD originates from both natural and operational processes. Robotic tools can be developed to provide continual monitoring and/or collection of FOD by using mechanical, magnetic, electrostatic, and vacuum capture devices that are mounted on perpetually roving device platforms providing a continuous survey of the facilities. FOD that is not device-recoverable could alternatively be reported with a GPS coordinate to facilitate removal by site personnel. Other mounted devices could also provide visual inspection at various levels of the launch pads, actively searching for evidence of corrosion or other signs of degradation. The faculty fellow would spend the period at KSC becoming familiar with these maintenance needs in order to mentor senior design teams in creating robotic tools aimed at facilitating the management of these threats to safe ground operations.

Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) Analyis of the Launch Environment

KSC3-1-SD, Propulsion

The exhaust plume from a launch vehicle rocket engine generates severe acoustic waves, which cause acoustic loading on the ground structures and vehicle payload. Prediction and reduction of the acoustic levels in the near field of launch vehicle lift-off is an important factor that should be taken into consideration early in the design process of the space launch complex.

High-fidelity prediction technique such as computational aeroacoustics (CAA) can be used to resolve the acoustic flow field in an accurate manner. CAA prediction can be computationally intensive and often prohibitive for a large domain as in launch environment. However, recent advances in computational resources and methodology have allowed CAA to overcome these difficulties.

Orion to Ground Systems Mockups

KSC4-1-SD, Spacecraft

Help design, fabricate, and build mockups of the Orion spacecraft needed to prove out operations at the Kennedy Space Center. Mockups are a valuable tool to help reduce risks associated with design and processing a new spacecraft. Will work with both JSC and KSC designers to come up with innovative ways to simulate the Orion and Ground Systems designs that can be used to test procedures that will be used to get Orion ready for launch.

Langley Research Center (LaRC)

Lidar Systems for Sensing Trace Gases

LARC1-17-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Lidars for sensing water vapor, ice, and several atmospheric trace gases are being investigated. Students will develop computer models for evaluating the merits of several lidar techniques for optimum system development. There could be some test experiments, provided students have requisite training in using lasers that includes laser safety training and eye exams.

DIAL for Water Vapor Detection

LARC1-18-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Mid-IR Laser-Based Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for Water Vapor Detection-Students will be involved in developing the capability (modeling and simulation) of sensing water vapor on Mars and in other planetary atmospheres using lidars. (There could be some test experiments provided students have requisite training in using lasers that include laser safety training and eye exams).

Modeling and Simulation for ASCENDS

LARC1-25-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Lidar performance modeling and simulation for ACTIVE SENSING OF CO2 EMISSIONS OVER NIGHTS, DAYS, AND SEASONS (ASCENDS) program. Tasks include direct detection lidar performance simulation, instrumentation modeling, investigation of modulation techniques to support CO2 and O2 lidars.

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

X-TOOLSS

MSFC1-20-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Use of the NASA eXploration Toolset for Optimization Of Launch and Space Systems (X-TOOLSS) software for design optimization of conceptual space systems. NASA X-TOOLSS is based on genetic and evolutionary algorithms, which have proven successful for global optimization of complex systems, and for applications where unique and innovative designs are sought. An advantage of NASA X-TOOLSS and genetic/evolutionary optimization is that the design space is not limited to existing designs and approaches. Example applications of interest for NASA X-TOOLSS include habitats for the Moon and Mars, lunar surface mobility and power systems, lunar descent module and lander concepts, and thermal/structural design of small satellites and other spaceflight hardware.

Long-Term Radiation Protection for Lunar Habitats

MSFC1-29-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

This project will investigate methods for designing a habitat that can have additional radiation protection added over time to permit longer and longer mission durations at a permanent outpost site on the lunar surface. Radiation protection options have included adding water to interior cavity walls, water bags on the exterior (perhaps frozen), compacted trash on the exterior, flattened logistics bags added like blankets over the exterior, bagged regolith or a loose regolith covering over the exterior, or combinations of all of these methods. The initial habitat will start with a 5g per cm^2 water wall around the sleeping compartment as a minimum protective shelter for the crew during solar proton events (SPE). The goal will be to eventually reach 20g per cm^2 of any material over the entire habitat for protection from both SPE and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). Publically available information on the design of International Space Station (ISS) modules and current published designs for lunar outpost modules should be used as a basis for the outpost concepts. Crew size will start at a minimum of 4 for 12 days and will increase to longer crew rotations for year-round occupancy supporting 8 crew during rotations. In analyzing each approach designers will be required to minimize crew extra-vehicular activity (EVA) time, minimize additional mass deliveries to the surface, utilization of residual resources from Lander propulsion and power systems, utilization of crew logistics waste products (logistics bags, plastic wrap, etc.) and utilization of local regolith and natural terrain features. In addition, designers will need to consider how to handle supporting utilities that are usually attached to the exterior of the modules (solar panels, radiators, communications equipment, etc.). The text "Human Spaceflight: Mission Analysis and Design" edited by Larson and Pranke should be used as a reference for logistics, Lander, and habitat design basics.

Application of simulation virtual reality tools for robotic manipulation design

MSFC1-31-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

The MSFC Human Factors Engineering team uses mockups and simulation for worksite design and task evaluation. The simulation capability includes immersive VR tools: head-mounted display, haptic interface, gloves, and motion tracking. There are several areas in which summer faculty research is needed: improvement of integration among and between the VR tools, and extension of capability of one or more of the tools. The end result of these activities will be to enable the use of the VR tools to operate a robotic manipulator in a simulated microgravity environment (i.e., a frictionless environment). The manipulator will be operated to accomplish one or more specific microgravity tasks: grapple of an uncooperative target, component removal-and-replacement, or drilling into another object under frictionless conditions. Experience with VR interfaces and/or human interfaces to manipulators will be helpful. Skills that will be useful but are not required include: human or robotic task analysis, worksite analysis, CAD model conversion, VR, and programming. Participants who may wish to improve skills in one of these areas will be given the opportunity to do so.

Extension of Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program’s (GFSSP) Fluid Property Database

MSFC3-20-SD, Propulsion

This effort focuses on the development of additional capabilities for GFSSP. GFSSP is a thermo-fluid code used to evaluate system performance by a finite volume based network analysis method. The program was developed primarily to analyze the complex internal flow of propulsion systems and is capable of solving many problems related to thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. GFSSP is integrated with thermodynamic programs that provide fluid properties for sub-cooled, superheated and saturation states. For fluids that are not included in the thermodynamic property program, look-up property tables can be provided. The purpose of the senior design project is to generate thermodynamic and thermo-physical property data base using REFPROP, a thermodynamic property program that is widely used in Industries.

Aeroelastic Coupling Analysis of Rocket Nozzle during Hot-Firing Tests

MSCFC-21-SD, Propulsion

Transient nozzle lateral forces, are known to cause severe structural damages to the engine and its supporting flight hardware to almost all liquid rocket engines during their initial testing. A mechanism that often generate high structure loads is the aeroelastic interaction between flow-induced wall pressure fluctuations and the mechanical eigenmodes of the nozzle and thrust chamber. An asymmetric distribution of the wall pressure in the circumferential direction could cause an elastic deformation of the nozzle, which in turn exacerbates the asymmetry of the wall pressure distribution further. The closed loop process can cause a significant amplification of the lateral force, leading to structure failure. The ability to understand and analyze the fluid/structure interaction physics is crucial to help ensuring the integrity of the nozzle and thrust chamber assembly during any new rocket engine development.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a senior design project defined?

An Exploration Senior Design Project is defined as a course that is linked to one of the four Exploration areas of emphasis: Spacecraft, Propulsion, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems and Ground Operations.

Where do you find the list of approved Exploration Senior Design Projects?

Is it required that the entire class center on the senior design or capstone project?

Can you submit an application on an existing NASA project that is not on the list of approved Exploration Senior Design Projects?

Can you apply for more than one project?

How can I contact the NASA Technical Expert for additional project information?

Is there a deadline for the NASA Technical Experts to submit projects?

How can I provide the technical information for the application when I haven’t started working on the project?

When is the deadline for submitting an application?

Faculty Project Application

Who should submit the application?

NASA will accept the application from either the university or the faculty member. Faculty should discuss this requirement with the university before submitting the application.

Where can faculty find the proposal format requirements?