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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Biological and physiological problems in aviation space medicine - decompression sickness, enzyme changes, weightlessness, fatigue, and radiation protection
Research reports on flight mechanics, fluid mechanics, planetary environments, rarefied gas dynamics, solar physics, selenography, and thermodynamics
Radioisotopic lung scanning for locating pulmonary aeroemboli following decompression
Reliability testing of aerospace problems including sampling, distribution functions, and accelerated life tests
Color-IR aerial photographs of arid-zone vegetation have been used to estimate the amount of green plant material on the ground. The purpose has been to estimate plant cover as it varies with time and space and relate this vegetative measure to hydrologic conditions. Aerial photographs of the 6000-acre target area were taken periodically over a period of 3 years. Results of densitometric analyses are presented.
A lift fan exhaust suppression system to meet future VTOL aircraft noise goals was designed and tested. The test vehicle was a 1.3 pressure ratio, 36 inch (91.44 cm) diameter lift fan with two chord rotor to stator spacing. A two splitter fan exhaust suppression system thirty inches (76.2 cm) long achieved 10 PNdB exhaust suppression in the aft quadrant compared to a design value of 20 PNdB. It was found that a broadband noise floor limited the realizable suppression. An analytical investigation of broadband noise generated by flow over the treatment surfaces provided very good agreement with the measured suppression levels and noise floor sound power levels. A fan thrust decrement of 22% was measured for the fully suppressed configuration of which 11.1% was attributed to the exhaust suppression hardware.
Computer code is used to determine heat transfer multiplication factors, special flow field simulation techniques, different heat transfer methods, different transition criteria, crossflow simulation, and more efficient thin skin thickness optimization procedure.
Preliminary designs and the supporting analysis for both the Aeromaneuvering Orbit-to-Orbit Shuttle (AMOOS) and the Aeromaneuvering Recovery System (AMRS) are presented. The AMOOS design is shown to yield from twice to almost three times the high energy, round-trip payloads as a purely propulsive vehicle of the same weight. Typically AMOOS can perform a crew rotation mission to equatorial geosynchronous orbit in one space shuttle launch. The flight test program analysis modeled parameters such as maximum dynamic pressure, heating rates, guidance, stability and recovery. Two model flight schedules were developed, one consisting of four flights and the other of two flights. The former is considered a very low risk, high information return program whereas the latter is a minimal cost program consistent with reasonable data returns and chance of success. The AMOOS and AMRS guidance scheme developed using linear regulator theory proved a precise and accurate guidance scheme. Both it and a classical linear system's based scheme were evaluated using 65 simulated trajectories in which the position in the entry corridor and the atmospheric density were varied randomly.
For abstract, see N76-18209.
The effect of geometry variations in the design of external deflectors for use with over-the-wing (OTW) configurations was studied at model scale and subsonic jet velocities. Included in the variations were deflector size and angle as well as wing size and flap setting. A conical nozzle (5.2-cm diameter) mounted at 0.1 chord above and downstream of the wing leading edges was used. The data indicate that external deflectors provide satisfactory takeoff and approach aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics for OTW configurations. These characteristics together with expected good cruise aerodynamics, since external deflectors are storable, may provide optimum OTW design configurations.
A recent experimental investigation has identified the aero/acoustic characteristics of exhaust nozzles for duct heating turbofan engines over a range of simulated flow conditions. Jet noise and performance levels are summarized for a series of coannular nozzles representing both acoustically suppressed and unsuppressed designs operating in a static environment. The basic coannular nozzles were found to provide inherent noise suppression. Multi-element suppressor nozzles provided additional noise suppression, but with appreciable thrust loss. The impact of these results on the advanced supersonic transport studies is also presented, indicating potentially large reductions in take-off gross weight or community noise footprints.
The effect of geometry variations in the design of external deflectors for use with OTW configurations was studied at model scale and subsonic jet velocities. Included in the variations were deflector size and angle as well as wing size and flap setting. A conical nozzle (5.2-cm diameter) mounted at 0.1 chord above and downstream of the wing leading edges was used. The data indicate that external deflectors provide satisfactory take-off and approach aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics for OTW configurations. These characteristics together with expected good cruise aerodynamics, since external deflectors are storable, may provide optimum OTW design configurations.
The effects on acoustic characteristics of nozzle type and location on a wing for STOL engine over-the-wing configurations are assessed at full scale on the basis of model-scale data. Three types of nozzle configurations are evaluated: a circular nozzle with external deflector mounted above the wing, a slot nozzle with external deflector mounted on the wing and a slot nozzle mounted on the wing. Nozzle exhaust plane locations with respect to the wing leading edge are varied from 10 to 46 percent chord (flaps retracted) with flap angles of 20 (takeoff altitude) and 60 (approach attitude). Perceived noise levels (PNL) are calculated as a function of flyover distance at 152 m altitude. From these plots, static EPNL values, defined as flyover relative noise levels, are calculated and plotted as a function of lift and thrust ratios. From such plots the acoustic benefits attributable to variations in nozzle/deflector/wing geometry at full scale are assessed for equal aerodynamic performance.
Progress is reported in the following areas: laser weapon effects, solar silicon solar cell concepts, and high voltage hardened, high power system technology. Emphasis is placed on solar cells with increased energy conversion efficiency and radiation resistance characteristics for application to satellite power systems.
The acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics of several exhaust systems suitable for duct burning turbofan engines are evaluated. Scale models representing unsuppressed coannular exhaust systems are examined statically under varying exhaust conditions. Ejectors with both hardwall and acoustically treated inserts are investigated.
Data are presented from a series of wind-tunnel and flight experiments concerning natural and induced turbulence around an airplane, and the effects on propagation characteristics of an emitter mounted in the airplane. Some of the papers are concerned with phase distortion of the propagating radiation, and others deal with mechanical jitter of the optical elements when exposed to open-cavity turbulence. The results include both aerodynamic and optical measurements and a consideration of the relationship between the two. Primary emphasis is on the dynamic disturbances, but theoretical and experimental evaluations of steady-state distortions are also presented.
The splitter-plate arrangement used in tests in the 6 x 6 foot wind tunnel and how it was configured to study boundary layers, both heated and unheated, shear layers over a cavity, separated flows behind spoilers, accelerated flows around a turret, and a turret wake are described. The flows are characterized by examples of the steady-state pressure and of velocity profiles through the various types of flow layers.
Density variations in the aircraft boundary layer, turret wakes and shock waves create distortion of an optical wavefront through associated refractive index variations. Such effects can be observed directly through optical flow visualization. The application of holographic interferometry, wave shearing interferometry, and laser shadowgraph to observe and quantify such effects is described. Examples of the results from five different wind tunnel tests are presented. The examples show that diagnostics have provided valuable qualitiative and quantitiative data. These include (1) wake dimensions, (2) optical strength of the flow field, (3) turbulence characterization, (4) shock location, and (5) direct observation of areo-optical effects.