Engineering topics

Woods, D. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Woods, D. C..

27 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1978

Effluent monitoring of the December 10, 1974, Titan 3-E launch at Air Force Eastern Test Range, Florida

Surface and airborne field measurements of the cloud behavior and effluent dispersion from a solid rocket motor launch vehicle are presented. The measurements were obtained as part of a continuing launch vehicle effluent monitoring program to obtain experimental field measurements in order to evaluate a model used to predict launch vehicle environmental impact. Results show that the model tends to overpredict effluent levels.

Wornom, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1978

A technique for measuring in situ size distribution of aerosols

A multistage cascade impactor instrument employing piezoelectric crystals for real-time aerosol size distribution measurements is described in this paper. The instrument measures the aerosol mass concentration as a function of particle size in 10 size intervals ranging from 0.05 micrometers to 25 micrometers in diameter. The particles are then analyzed for elemental composition and morphology by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Examples of particle size distributions in rocket motor exhaust plumes measured with the instrument are presented together with the elemental composition and morphology obtained by SEM.

Woods, D. C.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Morphology and elemental composition analysis by size of rocket particulate effluent

Particulate samples collected on six stages of a quartz crystal microbalance cascade impactor mounted in an aircraft traversing the plume of a large solid-fueled rocket are analyzed, postflight, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersed X-ray (EDXRA). The results indicate the morphology and elemental composition of the particles fall into several distinct groups. Those larger than about 0.5 micron in diameter and nearly spherical in shape contain, among elements with atomic numbers of 11 and higher, only aluminum, suggesting they are aluminum oxide formed in the solid rocket fuel combustion. Still larger but less symmetrical particles contain only sodium and chlorine. Particles much smaller than 0.5 micron seem to end up as agglomerates after impaction (or during the impaction process), and show a complex elemental make-up of Na, Al, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe and Zn. The unagglomerated single particles smaller than 0.2 micron, on the other hand, show no evidence of elements above atomic number 11 at all, suggesting they may be carbon or hydrocarbon particles.

Chuan, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Rocket effluent size distributions made with a cascade quartz crystal microbalance

Airborne particulate size distribution measurements were made in the stabilized ground cloud from a Titan III C rocket just after launch from the Kennedy Space Center on May 12, 1977. The measurements were made from aboard a small twin engine aircraft instrumented with particle and gas sensors. The plume was followed for about 1 hour while making multiple passes through the cloud at varying altitudes. The results obtained with a ten-stage cascade quartz crystal microbalance impactor show that the mass concentration as a function of particle diameter is bimodal with the first maximum between 0.05 micrometers and 0.1 micrometers and the second maximum between 0.8 and 1.0 micrometer. Scanning electron microscope analysis were performed on the material collected and show distinctly different kinds of particles in the two modes.

Woods, D. C.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Instrumentation of sampling aircraft for measurement of launch vehicle effluents

An aircraft was selected and instrumented to measure effluents emitted from large solid propellant rockets during launch activities. The considerations involved in aircraft selection, sampling probes, and instrumentation are discussed with respect to obtaining valid airborne measurements. Discussions of the data acquisition system used, the instrument power system, and operational sampling procedures are included. Representative measurements obtained from an actual rocket launch monitoring activity are also presented.

Wornom, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Atmospheric particulate measurements in Norfolk, Virginia

Characterization of atmospheric particulates was conducted at a site near the center of Norfolk, Virginia. Air quality was measured in terms of atmospheric mass loading, particle size distribution, and particulate elemental composition for a period of 2 weeks. The objectives of this study were (1) to establish a mean level of air quality and deviations about this mean, (2) to ascertain diurnal changes or special events in air quality, and (3) to evaluate instrumentation and sampling schedules. Simultaneous measurements were made with the following instruments: a quartz crystal microbalance particulate monitor, a light-scattering multirange particle counter, a high-volume air sampler, and polycarbonate membrane filters. To assess the impact of meteorological conditions on air quality variations, continuous data on temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction were recorded. Particulate elemental composition was obtained from neutron activation and scanning electron microscopy analyses of polycarbonate membrane filter samples. The measured average mass loading agrees reasonably well with the mass loadings determined by the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board. There are consistent diurnal increases in atmospheric mass loading in the early morning and a sample time resolution of 1/2 hour seems necessary to detect most of the significant events.

Storey, R. W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Preferential concentration of certain elements in smaller aerosols emitted from aircraft engines

Aerosols from aircraft engines were collected with an eight-stage cascade sampler for a period of 24 h. The aerosol samples from each stage were analyzed for their elemental composition using the proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique. Seventeen elements (Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr, Nb, Sn, and Pb) were positively identified and quantitated at each stage. Six elements (S, Ca, Fe, Zn, Sn, and Pb) showed a fractional concentration increase with decreasing aerosol size. Similar, but less well-defined, trends were also observed for V and Ni. Silicon and chlorine, on the other hand, showed an opposite trend. Neutron-activation analysis of bulk aerosol samples collected every 2 h over the same period showed a correlation between concentration of Si, Ca, V, Ti, Zn, Br, and Sn and the density of air traffic at the airport. Analysis of the aviation-fuel samples by PIXE indicates that major fractions of Pb, Sn, Br, Zn, Ni, Fe, V, Ca, and S observed in these aerosol studies come from the aircraft engine exhaust.

Jolly, R. K.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Effluent sampling of Scout D and Delta launch vehicle exhausts

Characterization of engine-exhaust effluents (hydrogen chloride, aluminum oxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide) has been attempted by conducting field experiments monitoring the exhaust cloud from a Scout-Algol III vehicle launch and a Delta-Thor vehicle launch. The exhaust cloud particulate size number distribution (total number of particles as a function of particle diameter), mass loading, morphology, and elemental composition have been determined within limitations. The gaseous species in the exhaust cloud have been identified. In addition to the ground-based measurements, instrumented aircraft flights through the low-altitude, stabilized-exhaust cloud provided measurements which identified CO and HCI gases and Al2O3 particles. Measurements of the initial exhaust cloud during formation and downwind at several distances have established sampling techniques which will be used for experimental verification of model predictions of effluent dispersion and fallout from exhaust clouds.

Hulten, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Thermal stress studies using optical holographic interferometry

The application of holography to thermal stress studies is discussed. Interference fringes as produced by holograms and their interpretation are reviewed in relation to workpiece displacement. Three potential mechanisms are given to explain thermal displacement as detected by holographic methods. Results of some thermal stressing studies are reported, including tests on a live rocket motor.

Harris, W. J.↗