Solid rocket propulsion

The solid rocket motor failure database; current programs; and shortfalls of solid rocket propulsion are examined. This presentation is represented by viewgraphs

A novel interplanetary communications relay

A case study of a potential Earth-Mars interplanetary communications relay, designed to ensure continuous communications, is detailed. The relay makes use of orbits based on artificial equilibrium points via the application of continuous low thrust, which allows a spacecraft to hover above the orbital plane of Mars and thus ensure communications when the planet is occulted with respect to the Earth. The artificial equilibria of two different low-thrust propulsion technologies are considered: solar electric propulsion, and a solar sail/solar electric propulsion hybrid. In the latter case it is shown that the combination of sail and solar electric propulsion may prove advantageous, but only under specific circumstances of the relay architecture suggested. The study takes into account factors such as the spacecraft's power requirements and communications band utilized to determine the mission and system architecture. A detailed contingency analysis is considered for recovering the relay after increasing periods of spacecraft motor failure, and combined with a consideration for how best to deploy the relay spacecraft to maximise propellant reserves and mission duration

SRM Internal Flow Tests and Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis has been performed on the aft slot region of the Titan 4 Solid Rocket Motor Upgrade (SRMU). This analysis was performed in conjunction with MSFC structural modeling of the propellant grain to determine if the flow field induced stresses would adversely alter the propellant geometry to the extent of causing motor failure. The results of the coupled CFD/stress analysis have shown that there is a continual increase of flow field resistance at the aft slot due to the aft segment propellant grain being progressively moved radially toward the centerline of the motor port. This 'bootstrapping' effect between grain radial movement and internal flow resistance is conducive to causing a rapid motor failure

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Tensegrity Robot Locomotion

Tensegrity robots, composed of rigid rods connected by elastic cables, have a number of unique properties that make them appealing for use as planetary exploration rovers. However, control of tensegrity robots remains a difficult problem due to their unusual structures and complex dynamics. In this work, we show how locomotion gaits can be learned automatically using a novel extension of mirror descent guided policy search (MDGPS) applied to periodic locomotion movements, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on tensegrity robot locomotion. We evaluate our method with real-world and simulated experiments on the SUPERball tensegrity robot, showing that the learned policies generalize to changes in system parameters, unreliable sensor measurements, and variation in environmental conditions, including varied terrains and a range of different gravities. Our experiments demonstrate that our method not only learns fast, power-efficient feedback policies for rolling gaits, but that these policies can succeed with only the limited onboard sensing provided by SUPERball's accelerometers. We compare the learned feedback policies to learned open-loop policies and hand-engineered controllers, and demonstrate that the learned policy enables the first continuous, reliable locomotion gait for the real SUPERball robot. Our code and other supplementary materials are available from http://rll.berkeley.edu/drl_tensegrityComment: International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2017. Project website link is http://rll.berkeley.edu/drl_tensegrit

Computer analysis of 3-phase induction motor operation on an open-delta distribution system

Open-delta/open-delta and open-wye/open-delta transformer banks are often used as an economic means of supplying simultaneous single-phase and 3-phase loads. If the 3-phase load is an induction motor and if these banks are used, the inherent voltage unbalance causes increased losses and uneven heating that may lead to motor failure. Two previously published theories are used to predict motor heating that is caused by the unbalanced voltages and the motor derating that is necessary to prevent insulation failure --Abstract, page ii

Independent Review Support for Phoenix Mars Mission Robotic Arm Brush Motor Failure

The Phoenix Project requested the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) perform an independent peer review of the Robotic Arm (RA) Direct Current (DC) motor brush anomalies that originated during the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project and recurred during the Phoenix Project. The request was to evaluate the Phoenix Project investigation efforts and provide an independent risk assessment. This includes a recommendation for additional work and assessment of the flight worthiness of the RA DC motors. Based on the investigation and findings contained within this report, the IRT concurs with the risk assessment Failure Cause / Corrective Action (FC/CA) by the project, "Failure Effect Rating "3"; Major Degradation or Total Loss of Function, Failure Cause/Corrective Action Rating Currently "4"; Unknown Cause, Uncertainty in Corrective Action.

Sounding rocket reliability reassessment

Sounding rocket reliability - failure mode

An evaluation of grease type ball bearing lubricants operating in various environments

Because many future spacecraft or space stations will require mechanisms to operate for long periods of time in environments which are adverse to most bearing lubricants, a series of tests has been completed to evaluate 38 grease type lubricants in R-4 size bearings in five different environments for a 1 year period. Four repetitions of each test were made to provide statistical samples. These tests were also used to select four lubricants for 5 year tests in selected environments with five repetitions of each test for statistical samples. In this completed program, 172 test sets have been completed. The three 5 year tests in: (1) continuous operation and (2) start stop operation, with both in vacuum at ambient temperatures, and (3) continuous vacuum operation at 93.3 C have been completed. In both the 1 year and 5 year tests, the best results in all environments have been obtained with a high viscosity index perfluoroalkylpolyether (PFPE) grease