National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Technology Transfer 1998 Program Solicitation
NASA Installation: Kenndy Space Center
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The Center of Excellence for Launch and Payload Processing Systems is continually advancing the state of the art in launch and payload processing hardware, software, and support activities. Development of innovative technologies needed to improve operational safety and reliability, reduce costs and shorten flight hardware processing turnaround times is critical to NASA’s continued excellence in launch and payload processing. NASA’s goals to achieve affordable access to space require greater efficiencies in ground operations for current and future space flight vehicles and payloads. The four primary goals of the Center of Excellence are to 1) assure that sound, safe, and efficient practices and processes are in place for privatized/commercialized launchsite operations; 2) increase the use of KSC’s operations expertise to contribute to the design and development of new payloads and launch vehicles; 3) utilize KSC’s operations expertise in partnership with other entities (government, industry, academia) to develop new technologies for future space initiatives; and 4) continually enhance core capabilities (people, facilities, equipment, and systems) to meet agency objectives and customer needs for faster, better, and cheaper development and operations of space systems.
Core technology challenges to support this Center of Excellence for this Solicitation include:
Remote Sensing of Electric Fields or Charges Aloft
Aerospace vehicles in flight, especially during the launch phase, are extremely vulnerable
to natural and triggered lightning. Currently the threat of lightning can only be inferred
from the presence of actual lightning, high surface electric fields, or disturbed weather
conditions. Airborne measurements of electric fields aloft are technically possible but
prohibitively expensive. A cost-effective method for remotely measuring electric fields or
charge aloft from the ground is required. NASA requires a prototype system meeting
operational specifications. An operational system must measure the magnitude of either the
charge or the electric field in and around precipitating and non precipitating clouds at
altitudes from near the surface to above 50,000 feet above ground level. The system must
provide the data in near real-time with a data latency of 5 minutes or less and an error
less than +100%/-50%.
Active Power Factor Correction Technology
Electrical power quality is becoming increasingly critical to NASA. The most significant
threat to power quality comes from the nonlinear power supplies used in virtually all data
processing hardware at the Kennedy Space Center. High harmonic distortion causes erratic
equipment operation, and in some cases results in fire and/or electrical shock hazards.
Innovative solutions are needed which target declining power quality in the space
shuttle’s main processing centers and thereby improve system performance. A
fundamental issue is the fact that as current harmonics increase the RMS value of the
current waveform, they do not deliver any real energy in watts to the load. The result is
that, in new systems, designs must account for higher harmonic distortion levels by the
use of larger distribution hardware (K-factor rated transformers, larger conductors,
larger breakers etc.). The switched mode power supply designs used today in PCs and most
rack mounted equipment is of a 1970s vintage and is a major producer of input current
harmonic distortion. Current power supply designs realize a power factor of approximately
70% as a result of high harmonic distortion. The traditional approach for problem
mitigation involves filtering or electrical isolation. Technology now exists that would
correct this distortion problem at its source rather than cleaning or containing it after
its generation. This initiative would develop a power converter circuit topology to
mitigate injected distortion by synthesizing a purely sinusoidal input current. The use of
an advanced power converter eliminates the additional stresses on the power distribution
system caused by harmonic distortion. As a result, new power distribution designs
won’t require derating for harmonic loads and will therefore save on overall project
costs. Further, in existing power distribution systems, this technology can significantly
reduce the load on the electrical system. This initiative should develop a power converter
circuit topology to mitigate injected distortion by synthesizing a purely sinusoidal input
current. The intent is to prototype a converter with low input distortion, higher
efficiency, and higher reliability than the power supplies commonly available today.
Development of such circuits, at a higher power capacity, could significantly improve
power quality at KSC’s data processing centers.. The new prototype circuit should
realize power factors near 100%, a significant improvement. The design should be of
suitable physical size and power capacity to replace standard PC and/or rack-mounted power
supplies commonly available.