Engineering topics

Brantley, L. W., Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to Brantley, L. W., Jr..

6 records

NASA NTRS1984

STS flight experiments data base

In response to a request of the Space Station Task Force, a data base has been developed, utilizing experiment definitions from all NASA Centers, with emphasis on candidate STS flight experiments that relate to the development and operation of initial and growth versions of a Space Station. Experiments are also included for Shuttle enhancement, for servicing and operations of advanced vehicles such as OMV and OTV, for generic technology such as large structures, control and pointing, heat rejection, for life sciences and for physical sciences and applications. Criteria for selection activity are defined.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Mount for continuously orienting a collector dish in a system adapted to perform both diurnal and seasonal solar tracking

A collector dish is continuously oriented toward the sun in a system adapted to perform both diurnal and seasonal solar tracking. The mount is characterized by a rigid, angulated axle having a linear midportion supporting a collector dish, and oppositely extended end portions normally related to the midportion of the axle and received in spaced journals. The longitudinal axis of symmetry for the midportion of the axle is coincident with a seasonal axis while the axes of the journals are coincident with a diurnal axis paralleling the earth's polar axis. Drive means are provided for periodically displacing the axle about the diurnal axis at a substantially constant rate, while other drive means are provided for periodically indexing the dish through 1 deg about the seasonal axis whereby the position of the dish relative to the axle is varied for accommodating seasonal tracking as changes in the angle of inclination of the polar axis occurs.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Solar energy trap

An apparatus is described for trapping solar energy for heating a fluid that could be subsequently used in turbines and similar devices. The apparatus includes an elongated vertical light pipe having an open end through which the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from the sun passes to strike a tubular absorber. The light pipe has a coated interior surface of a low absorptivity and a high reflectivity at the visible wavelengths and a high absorptivity/emissivity ratio at infrared wavelengths. The tubular absorber has a coating on the surface for absorbing visible wavelengths to heat the fluid passing through. Infrared wave lengths are radiated from the tubular absorber back into the light pipe for heating fluid passing through a tubular coil wound around it.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Large-scale solar thermal collector concepts

Thermal collector could be used ultimately to power steamplant to produce electricity. Collector would consist of two major subsystems: (1) series of segmented tracking mirrors with two axes of rotation and (2) absorber mounted on centrally located tower.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Solar-energy absorber: Active infrared (IR) trap

Efficiency of solar-energy absorbers may be improved to 95% by actively cooling their intermediate glass plates. This approach may be of interest to manufacturers of solar absorbers and to engineers and scientists developing new sources of energy.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Solar-energy absorber: Active infrared (IR) trap without glass

Absorber efficiency can be improved to 90% by removing glass plates and using infrared traps. Absorber configuration may be of interest to manufacturers of solar absorbers and to engineers and scientists developing new sources of energy.

Brantley, L. W., Jr.↗