Browsing by Author "Espinosa, Nicolas"
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Item Exploration Portable Life Support System Hatch Component Design Challenges and Progress(2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2020-07-31) Todd, Kristina; Hostetler, John; Espinosa, Nicolas; Chullen, CindaAs the design for the Exploration Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) is developed, there are obvious gaps in technologies which need to be fulfilled to meet the new exploration requirements. Various Exploration Portable Life Support System (xPLSS) Hatch components have been at a stall in technology development for many years and require innovative ideas. The xPLSS Hatch consists of the Feedwater Supply Assembly, Trace Contaminant Control System, and the Thermal loop filters. The lag in development of these hatch components is due to the previous misconception that these were simple components, which would require little effort. As the design has progressed, there have been various changes in requirements along with challenges, which will be covered throughout this paper. NASA has plans to go to the moon and as the mission extends further out of Lower Earth Orbit, durability and extensibility will become some of the most important requirements. The development of each of these components is relevant not only to the xEMU, but also to the International Space Station (ISS), Gateway, and commercial space businesses. As the xPLSS is being designed, built, integrated and tested at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) technology solutions will have a direct incorporation path as the xPLSS is matured to meet design and performance goals. The status and future work for the hatch components will also be presented in this paper.Item Robust Liquid Volume Sensor for Flexible Bladders in Microgravity(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Ramsey, Marc; Chullen, Cinda; Desjardins, Eric; Callender, David; Wilbur, Jed; Espinosa, Nicolas; Buckey, JayThe Portable Life Support System (PLSS) on the Advanced Space Suit (AEMU) will carry consumable cooling water maintained at ambient pressure within an array of soft-walled, flexible reservoirs known collectively as the Feedwater Supply Assembly (FSA). To ensure uninterrupted thermal control, it is critical to monitor the volume of water remaining for the duration of an extra-vehicular activity (EVA), but no known sensor is suitable for this task. Existing measurement techniques are unacceptably sensitive to the motion and varying geometry of the reservoir in microgravity, or to electromagnetic interference within the suit environment. This represents a critical technology gap for NASA’s suit development. We have developed a compact, low power sensor that accurately measures the volume of liquid in the FSA or any soft-walled bladder. The novel acoustic detection technique provides a measurement of absolute liquid volume that is insensitive to gravity, the motion and geometry of the reservoir, the presence of gas pockets, and electromagnetic interference. In ground tests, the sensor achieved continuous measurement with accuracy on the order of 5% full scale under prototypical EVA conditions. These results were fully repeatable over six long duration experiments conducted on different days without recalibration. We are currently developing a pre-production version of the sensor and planning a sub-orbital spaceflight qualification test