Review of NASA's Aerospace Technology Enterprise An Assessment of NASA's Aeronautics Technology Programs (2004) / Chapter Skim
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2 Assessment of the Vehicle Systems Program
2 Assessment of the Vehicle Systems Program
Pages 9-42
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NASA No. and Project Name FY03 FY04 Vehicle Systems 604.6 573.5 1.0 Breakthrough Vehicle Technologies 124.2 115.3 2.0 Quiet Aircraft Technology 41.4 60.2 3.0 Twenty-first Century Aircraft Technology 46.0 42.0 4.0 Advanced Vehicle Concepts 72.5 41.0 5.0 Flight Research 91.4 85.4 6.0 Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology 87.8 90.0 7.0 Propulsion and Power 141.3 139.6 SOURCE: Information provided by R
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3.0 21 st Century Aircraft Technology (TCAT) 4.0 Advanced Vehicle Concepts (AVC)
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Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology. Focuses on identifying, developing, and validating highpayoff turbine engine technologies to reduce .
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12 AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONA UTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS Preliminary assessment of tasks using questionnaires 1 ! 1 First Panel Meeting Update (validate)
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In other areas of the VSP, industry state of the art has overtaken NASA capabilities, which raises the question of whether NASA should continue to pursue those competencies. NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology and the VSP have a top-level aeronautics vision that was being finalized at the time of this review.
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Labor and operating costs above the core maintenance level should be charged directly to the project or task that requests the test service. AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONAUTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS Finding: Full-Cost Accounting.
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The committee believes that the sunset provision is appropriate for some technology projects, but not all. It urges OMB and NASA to devise a new method for ensuring that the nation's funds are spent efficiently.
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~ -:, · ~ AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONAUTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS Finding: Use of Milestones by the Vehicle Systems Program. NASA does not always use milestones as decision points for continuing a project or task, reevaluating a project/task plan or test procedures, or canceling a project or task outright.
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Task Name Task No. Task Name 1.1.1 Micro-Adaptive Control 6.2.17 Lean Direct-Injection, Low-NOx Combustor 1.1.3 Adaptive Structural Morphing Concepts 1.2.1 Physics-Based Flow Modeling 6.3.6 Average Passage Modeling 1.2.2 Fast, Adaptive Aerospace Tools 6.3.7 Dual Spool Turbine Facility 1.2.5 Computational Aeroelasticity, Modeling, and 6.4.1a Materials and Structures Turbine Airfoil System/ Scaling Low Conductivity 1.3.1 Biomimetics/Nanotechnology 6.4.1b Materials and Structures Turbine Airfoil Systeml 1.4.3 Tire Mechanics/Dynamics Advanced Airfoil Alloy Development 1.4.4 NASAJDoD Collaborative Activities 6.4.3b Computational Materials Science—Ceramic 1.6.2 Robust Avionic Architectures 6.5.1 Active Flow Control 1.6.3 Control of Complex Air Vehicles 6.7.1 Rotating Machinery Clearance Management 1.6.6 Ageless Structural Systems Technology 7.1.2 Hot/Smart Materials for Aeropropulsion 2.2.1 Impact Modeling 7.1.3 Morphing Structures for Self-adaptive 2.2.3 Low Noise Flight Procedures Aeropropulsion 2.3.5 Engine Systems and Advanced Concepts 7.1.5 Miniature Autonomous Sensors and Actuators for 3.2.1 High-Speed Slotted Wing Smart Propulsion Systems 3.2.3 Ground-to-Flight Scaling 7.1.7 High Power Motor Control Inverter for 3.3.1 Tailored Structures Aeropropulsion 4.1.4 Active Vibration Suppression 7.1.13 Interstage Turbine Burner 4.2.1 Intelligent Flight Control System: C-17 7.2.2 Nanotechnology 4.2.2 Intelligent Flight Control System: NF-15 7.4.1 Aspirating Flow Control 4.3.1 Flight 2/Return to Flight 7.4.2 Compressor Flow Control 5.1.1 Flight Research Productivity 7.4.3 Intelligent Flutter Control 5.2.1 Active Aeroelastic Wing 7.4.5 Combustor Technologies 5.2.2 Autonomous Aerial Refueling 7.4.9 Active Combustion Control 5.5.1 Hellos 7.5.1 Foil Bearing Development/Testing/Analysis 6.2.14 Benchmark Test with Liquid Spray Injector 7.6.3 Metallics 6.2.15 Combustor Code 7.6.4 Instrumentation 6.2.16 Large Eddy Simulation of a Gas-Turbine Model 7.7.2 Crack-Resistant Materials Combustor TABLE 2-3 VSP Marginal Tasks That Need Improvement Task No.
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Background The goal of the Breakthrough Vehicle Technologies (BVT) project is to enable a more efficient and Revolutionary Metallic Materials and Structures Lightweight Multifunctional Structures Hydrocarbon Fuels Processing and Fuel Characterization Power Management and Distribution Testbed Mechanical Components Cycle Analysis Materials and Structures 7.8.3 7.8.4 7.8.s 7.8.6 7.8.7 7.8.8 7.8.9 Instrumentation and Control Combustion/Pulse Detonation Engine Testbed Inlets Nozzles Combined Cycles/Ejectors Hybrids Acoustics environmentally friendly air transportation system.
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I J This technology-oriented task has developed strong collaborations with a diverse range of academia and industry players. It has shown some gains that can be leveraged in the Twenty-first Century Aircraft Technology project.
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. AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONAUTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS others.
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Aviation Assessments Task (1.5.1) This task provides overall analyses activity within the program mainly as a service for project managers, allowing them to assess technical progress and the relevance of various programs to the objectives of NASA's Aeronautics Technology Theme—Protect the Environment, Increase Mobility, Explore New Aerospace Missions, and Support National Security.
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The tasks in this subproject were assessed to be adequate by the committee. Quiet Aircraft Technology Pro lest (2.0)
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FIGURE 2-3 NASA technology readiness levels. The TRIM of a NASA research product is specified according to the above criteria.
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For example, the committee questioned NASA research in cabin noise abatement given manufacturers' ongoing investments in this area and the limited resources NASA has to pursue the very ambitious goals of the task. AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONA UTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS Program Plan At the project level, Quiet Aircraft Technology (2.0)
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The project generally has a solid, successful technical team in place and very good industry, university, and FAA participation. Examples of exemplary recent achievements include the development of chevrons and swept stators along with the identification and verification of continuous descent approach procedures in the Community Noise Impact Reduction subproject (2.2~.
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Specifically, in the Propulsion Finding: Prioritizing Quiet Aircraft Technology Research. Funding constraints appear to be limiting the program content in QAT, confining the work to low technology readiness levels and thereby inhibiting technology transition.
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Research by the Community Noise Impact Reduction subproject (2.2) on continuous descent approach noise abatement proceilures was exemplary and offered excellent opportunity for near-term return on investment.
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, in its buckling stability and damage tolerance tasks, also validates its predictive models using NASA test resources. User Connections The Twenty-first Century Aircraft Technology project has made good progress toward the goal of maximizing cost sharing with public and private funds, AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONAUTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS as well as making use of interagency partnerships.
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Finding: Technology Assessment Tools. The tools being used by the subproject appear to be insuff~cient to perform the detailed systems analyses and assessments required to measure the results of research by the Twenty-first Century Aircraft Technology project against the goal of 20 percent CO2 reduction.
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Green Efficient Aircraft Power Subproject (3.4) Finding: High-Performance Laminates.
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This element was well leveraged, cost effective, and in sync with the long-range goals. In summary, the committee applauds the vision behind the Green Efficient Aircraft Power subproject (3.4)
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Program Plan At the project level, Quiet Aircraft Technology (2.0) has clearly defined goals.
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is conducted at NASA Dryden. The project is focused primarily on 33 testing and validating, in a realistic flight environment, technologies and tools developed at NASA's other research centers.
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Full-scale flight test capability at NASA Dryden is an important catalyst in getting industry to embrace new technologies and to move technologies into the marketplace. If this last step in the test and validation process becomes unaffordable, industry will be unwilling to take new technologies beyond technology readiness level 5 or 6.
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mainly in the Green Efficient Aircraft Power (3.4) and Pulse Detonation Engine Technology (7.8)
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., ~ ' .! ' .i AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONA UTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS Program Plan Plans for the majority of projects and subprojects are appropriate, with meaningful milestones and reviews.
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As a general observation, the committee had concerns that NASA's approach to integrating discrete technologies is not consistent with accepted industry practice for systems integration. Emissions Reduction Subproject (6.2J The strengths of this subtask include unique facilities such as high-pressure combustor rigs at NASA Glenn.
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As a consequence of funding limits, NASA's current plan for the Emissions Reduction subproject (6.2) is to downselect to a single contractor for emission reduction technology work at a relatively low technology readiness level.
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Integrated Component Technology Subproject (6.6) This subproject benefits from having manufacturers with a stake in the process through the use of flexible contracting mechanisms.
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. AN ASSESSMENT OF NASA 'S AERONA UTICS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS The committee is concerned that the number of projects being pursued is too great and inconsistent with current funding levels.
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Recommendation: Oil-Free Turbine Engine Technology. To make the subproject more effective, NASA should make contact with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Versatile, Affordable Advanced Turbine Engine program in order to help leverage the Oil-Free Turbine Engine Technology subproject (7.5~.
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Finding: Pulse Detonation Technology. Much of the eiTort of the Pulse Detonation Engine Technology subproject (7.~)
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