Engineering topics

Spaniol, Craig

Publications and source records attributed to Spaniol, Craig.

6 records

NASA NTRS1994

Magnetic Earth Ionosphere Resonant Frequencies

The Community College Division is pleased to report progress of NASA funded research at West Virginia State College. During this reporting period, the project research group has continued with activities to develop instrumentation capability designed to monitor resonant cavity frequencies in the atmospheric region between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. In addition, the project's principal investigator, Dr. Craig Spaniol, and NASA technical officer, Dr. John Sutton, have written and published technical papers intended to expand the scientific and technical framework needed for project research. This research continues to provide an excellent example of government and education working together to provide significant research in the college environment. This cooperative effort has provided many students with technical project work which compliments their education.

Spaniol, Craig↗

NASA NTRS1994

An active antenna for ELF magnetic fields

The work of Nikola Tesla, especially that directed toward world-wide electrical energy distribution via excitation of the earth-ionosphere cavity resonances, has stimulated interest in the study of these resonances. Not only are they important for their potential use in the transmission of intelligence and electrical power, they are important because they are an integral part of our natural environment. This paper describes the design of a sensitive, untuned, low noise active antenna which is uniquely suited to modern earth-ionosphere cavity resonance measurements employing fast-Fourier transform techniques for near-real-time data analysis. It capitalizes on a little known field-antenna interaction mechanism. Recently, the authors made preliminary measurements of the magnetic fields in the earth-ionosphere cavity. During the course of this study, the problem of designing an optimized ELF magnetic field sensor presented itself. The sensor would have to be small, light weight (for portable use), and capable of detecting the 5-50 Hz picoTesla-level signals generated by the natural excitations of the earth-ionosphere cavity resonances. A review of the literature revealed that past researchers had employed very large search coils, both tuned and untuned. Hill and Bostick, for example, used coils of 30,000 turns wound on high permeability cores of 1.83 m length, weighing 40 kg. Tuned coils are unsuitable for modern fast-Fourier transform data analysis techniques which require a broad spectrum input. 'Untuned' coils connected to high input impedance voltage amplifiers exhibit resonant responses at the resonant frequency determined by the coil inductance and the coil distributed winding capacitance. Also, considered as antennas, they have effective areas equal only to their geometrical areas.

Sutton, John F.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Magnetic Earth Ionosphere Resonant Frequencies (MEIRF) project

The West Virginia State College Community College Division NASA Magnetic Earth Ionosphere Resonant Frequencies (MEIRF) study is described. During this contract period, the two most significant and professionally rewarding events were the presentation of the research activity at the Sir Isaac Newton Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the second Day of Discovery Conference, focusing on economic recovery in West Virginia. An active antenna concept utilizing a signal feedback principle similar to regenerative receivers used in early radio was studied. The device has potential for ELF research and other commercial applications for improved signal reception. Finally, work continues to progress on the development of a prototype monitoring station. Signal monitoring, data display, and data storage are major areas of activity. In addition, we plan to continue our dissemination of research activity through presentations at seminars and other universities.

Spaniol, Craig↗

NASA NTRS1992

Classical electron mass and fields. II

Continued here is the development of a model of the electron (HYDRA), which includes rotational and magnetic terms. The atomic electron state is discussed and a comparison is made with a simple harmonic oscillator. Experimental data is reviewed that supports the possibility of a new lepton.

Spaniol, Craig↗

NASA NTRS1991

Classical electron mass and fields 2

Spaniol, Craig↗

NASA NTRS1989

Low frequency electric and magnetic fields

Following preliminary investigations of the low frequency electric and magnetic fields that may exists in the Earth-ionospheric cavity, measurements were taken with state-of-the art spectrum analyzers. As a follow up to this activity, an investigation was initiated to determine sources and values for possible low frequency signal that would appear in the cavity. The lowest cavity resonance is estimated at about 8 Hz, but lower frequencies may be an important component of our electromagnetic environment. The potential field frequencies produced by the electron were investigated by a classical model that included possible cross coupling of the electric and gravitation fields. During this work, an interesting relationship was found that related the high frequency charge field with the extremely low frequency of the gravitation field. The results of numerical calculations were surprisingly accurate and this area of investigation is continuing. The work toward continued development of a standardized monitoring facility is continuing with the potential of installing the prototype at West Virginia State College early in 1990. This installation would be capable of real time monitoring of ELF signals in the Earth-ionoshpere cavity and would provide some directional information. A high gain, low noise, 1/f frequency corrected preamplifier was designed and tested for the ferrite core magnetic sensor. The potential application of a super conducting sensor for the ELF magnetic field detection is under investigation. It is hoped that a fully operational monitoring network could pinpoint the location of ELF signal sources and provide new information on where these signals originate and what causes them, assuming that they are natural in origin.

Spaniol, Craig↗