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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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At least 199 records · Page 11

Design data for brazed Rene 41 honeycomb sandwich

Strength data, creep data and residual strength data after cyclic thermal exposure were obtained at temperatures from 78 K to 1144 K (-320 F to 1600 F). The influences of face thickness, core depth, core gage, cell size and thermal/stress exposure conditions on the mechanical design properties were investigated. A braze alloy and process was developed that is adequate to fully develop the strength of the honeycomb core while simultaneously solution treating and aging the Rene 41 fact sheets. New test procedures and test specimen configurations were developed to avoid excessive thermal stresses during cyclic thermal exposure.

Hepler, A. K.↗

Offset fed utilization of four quadrants of an axially symmetrical antenna structure

Theoretical calculations conducted for the use of the hoop column structure were in a quad antenna configuration. The coverage of the US 48 states by a C band Comsat system, which operates in the 3.7 - 4.2 GHz downlink and 5.925 - 6.425 GHz uplink frequency band is considered. This system provides most of its coverage toward major cities (10 or 18 spot beams) and the rest of its coverage on a contiguous basis for the remaining of the country. An alpha = .5 and .3 cell size (approximate component bandwidth) is assumed. Among the practically infinite possible beam topologies one plan for the area coverage and three plans for the spot beam coverage are analyzed.

Foldes, P.↗

Review of biased solar arraay. Plasma interaction studies

The Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) is proposed for a variety of space missions. Power for operating SEPS is obtained from large solar array wings capable of generating tens of kilowatts of power. To minimize resistive losses in the solar array bus lines, the array is designed to operate at voltages up to 400 volts. This use of high voltage can increase interactions between the biased solar cell interconnects and plasma environments. With thrusters operating, the system ground is maintained at space plasma potential which exposes large areas of the arrays at the operating voltages. This can increase interactions with both the natural and enhanced charged particle environments. Available data on interactions between biased solar array surfaces and plasma environments are summarized. The apparent relationship between collection phenomena and solar cell size and effects of array size on interactions are discussed. The impact of these interactions on SEPS performance is presented.

Stevens, N. J.↗

A quantitative assessment of resampling errors

Applications associated with digital geographic imagery are subject to great diversity in required cell size, cartographic projection, etc. The need for resampling remote sensing scaner data is evident in all but the most undemanding cases. It is shown that proper resampling of such data is dependent in important ways on the detailed knowledge of the original scanner's effective point-spread function and to the desired point-spread function of resampled data. When both of these are known, it is relatively straightforward to compute the resampling coefficients which do the best job of approximating the shape and position of the synthesized point-spread function. The resulting synthesized psf are compared with an ideal psf located at various interpixel positions and any differences observed as errors.

Dye, R. H.↗

Review of biased solar array - Plasma interaction studies

Possible high voltage surface interactions on the Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) are examined, with particular regard for potential effects on SEPS performance. The SEPS is intended for use for geosynchronous and planetary missions, and derives power from deployed solar cell arrays which are susceptible to collecting ions and electrons from the charged and thermal particle environment of space. The charge exchange plasma which provides the thrust force can also enhance the natural charged particle environment and increase interactions between the thrust system and the biased solar array surface. Tests of small arrays have shown that snapover, where current collection becomes proportional to the panel area, can be avoided by larger cell sizes. Arcing is predicted to diminish with larger array sizes, while the problems of efflux environments are noted to be as yet undefined and require further study.

Stevens, N. J.↗

Accelerator test of the coded aperture mask technique for gamma-ray astronomy

A prototype gamma-ray telescope employing the coded aperture mask technique has been constructed and its response to a point source of 20 MeV gamma-rays has been measured. The point spread function is approximately a Gaussian with a standard deviation of 12 arc minutes. This resolution is consistent with the cell size of the mask used and the spatial resolution of the detector. In the context of the present experiment, the error radius of the source position (90 percent confidence level) is 6.1 arc minutes.

Jenkins, T. L.↗

The acoustical structure of highly porous open-cell foams

This work concerns both the theoretical prediction and measurement of structural parameters in open-cell highly porous polyurethane foams. Of particular interest are the dynamic flow resistance, thermal time constant, and mass structure factor and their dependence on frequency and geometry of the cellular structure. The predictions of cell size parameters, static flow resistance, and heat transfer as accounted for by a Nusselt number are compared with measurement. Since the static flow resistance and inverse thermal time constant are interrelated via the 'mean' pore size parameter of Biot, only two independent measurements such as volume porosity and mean filament diameter are required to make the predictions for a given fluid condition. The agreements between this theory and nonacoustical experiments are excellent.

Lambert, R. F.↗

Honeycomb mirrors of borosilicate glass - Current results and plans for 7-8m diameter

The making of large astronomical mirrors with borosilicate glass honeycomb structure is discussed. Particular attention is given to a single casting technique for making borosilicate honeycomb mirror blanks up to 7 meters in diameter. Current work on the development of this technique involves the casting of blanks 60 cm in diameter which have the full thickness (33 cm), cell size (15 cm), and faceplate thickness (2.5 cm) needed for a 1.8-m mirror.

Angel, J. R. P.↗

High Rate Discharge Studies of LI/SO2 Batteries

A battery composed of twelve lithium/sulfur dioxide D size cells in series is forced discharged at 21 amperes. This current is established by the proposed use of the battery and represented a discharge condition which might produce venting. Discharge of the battery into voltage reversal results not only in cells venting but also in the violent rupture of at least one cell.

Barnes, J. A.↗

An implicit form for the Osher upwind scheme

Conservative upwind schemes for the Euler equations, such as the Osher scheme, accurately resolve flow discontinuities and correctly model the physics of the problem. However, these schemes require many more arithmetic operations per integration step than simple central-difference schemes and hence result in large computing times. An implicit version of the first-order- and second-order-accurate Osher schemes in two spatial dimensions and generalized coordinates is developed in this study. Because implicit schemes permit the use of large integration steps, in many cases they require fewer integration steps to reach steady-state (especially in calculations on grids with widely varying mesh-cell sizes). The implicit scheme developed in this study accelerated convergence speeds by almost an order of magnitude in the problems considered. Test cases include quasi-one-dimensional nozzle flow and supersonic flow past a cylinder.

Rai, M. M.↗

Modeling of bottom-related surface patterns imaged by synthetic aperture radar

A hydrodynamic electromagnetic model is developed in order to provide a qualitative and quantitative description of the relationship between Seasat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signatures and the bottom topography of the ocean in the English Channel region of the North Sea. The model is based on environmental data for winds, currents, and depth changes, and the SAR parameters of frequency polarization, incidence angle, and resolution cell size. The data are used as inputs and SAR backscatter changes are predicted for individual topographic changes on the ocean floor. It is found that the model estimates of backscatter values are in good agreement with actual Seasat SAR-observed backscatter values. A comparison of the model and actual data shows agreement to be within 1.5 dB. The model is considered to be valid for only shallow water areas (less than 50 meters in depth). It is suggested that for bottom features to be visible on SAR imagery at greater depths, a moderate-to-high velocity current of at least 0.4 m/s and a moderate wind no more than 7.5 m/sec must be present.

Lyzenga, D. R.↗

Honeycomb panel heat pipe development for space radiators

An assessment of the honeycomb panel heat pipe concept as a moderate temperature range, low-mass, highly efficient radiator fin for the NASA Space Station is presented, based on test results for a thin-wall (0.46 mm) all-welded stainless steel sample with core depth of 63.5 mm and a hexagonal-cell size of 127.7 mm. The 0.61 x 3.05 m test segment, operating with methanol as a working fluid, exhibited a maximum heat transfer rate of 600 W at 50 C and was isothermal to within + or - 2 C almost entirely throughout the surface. Tilt testing, which comprised relocation of the heater along one edge of the panel, resulted in maximum power levels of 70 and 50 W at panel elevations of 12.7 and 25.4 mm, respectively. As-designed panel performance is predicted to be from 500 to 1000 W over the range of operating temperatures; better performance is predicted for an open-channel design.

Tanzer, H. J.↗

Lidar observations of vertically organized convection in the planetary boundary layer over the ocean

Observations of a convective planetary boundary layer (PBL) were made with an airborne, downward-looking lidar system over the Atlantic Ocean during a cold air outbreak. The lidar data revealed well-organized, regularly spaced cellular convection with dominant spacial scales between two and four times the height of the boundary layer. It is demonstrated that the lidar can accurately measure the structure of the PBL with high vertical and horizontal resolution. Parameters important for PBL modeling such as entrainment zone thickness, entrainment rate, PBL height and relative heat flux can be inferred from the lidar data. It is suggested that wind shear at the PBL top may influence both entrainment and convective cell size.

Melfi, S. H.↗

Solution of elliptic partial differential equations by fast Poisson solvers using a local relaxation factor. 1: One-step method

An algorithm for solving a large class of two- and three-dimensional nonseparable elliptic partial differential equations (PDE's) is developed and tested. It uses a modified D'Yakanov-Gunn iterative procedure in which the relaxation factor is grid-point dependent. It is easy to implement and applicable to a variety of boundary conditions. It is also computationally efficient, as indicated by the results of numerical comparisons with other established methods. Furthermore, the current algorithm has the advantage of possessing two important properties which the traditional iterative methods lack; that is: (1) the convergence rate is relatively insensitive to grid-cell size and aspect ratio, and (2) the convergence rate can be easily estimated by using the coefficient of the PDE being solved.

Chang, S. C.↗

Large-cell Monte Carlo renormalization of irreversible growth processes

Monte Carlo sampling is applied to a recently formulated direct-cell renormalization method for irreversible, disorderly growth processes. Large-cell Monte Carlo renormalization is carried out for various nonequilibrium problems based on the formulation dealing with relative probabilities. Specifically, the method is demonstrated by application to the 'true' self-avoiding walk and the Eden model of growing animals for d = 2, 3, and 4 and to the invasion percolation problem for d = 2 and 3. The results are asymptotically in agreement with expectations; however, unexpected complications arise, suggesting the possibility of crossovers, and in any case, demonstrating the danger of using small cells alone, because of the very slow convergence as the cell size b is extrapolated to infinity. The difficulty of applying the present method to the diffusion-limited-aggregation model, is commented on.

Nakanishi, H.↗

Agricultural applications for thermal infrared multispectral scanner data

The use of the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data in agricultural landscapes is discussed. The TIMS allows for narrow-band analysis in the 8.2-11.6 micron range at spatial resolutions down to 5 meters in cell size. A coastal plain region in SE Alabama was studied using the TIMS. The crop/plant vigor, canopy density, and thermal response changes for soils obtained from thermal imagery are examined. The application of TIMS data to hydrologic and topographic issues, inventory and conservation monitoring, and the enhancement and extraction of cartographic features is described.

Pelletier, R. E.↗

Diffraction Analysis of Antennas With Mesh Surfaces

Strip-aperture model replaces wire-grid model. Far-field radiation pattern of antenna with mesh reflector calculated more accurately with new strip-aperture model than with wire-grid model of reflector surface. More adaptable than wire-grid model to variety of practical configurations and decidedly superior for reflectors in which mesh-cell width exceeds mesh thickness. Satisfies reciprocity theorem. Applied where mesh cells are no larger than tenth of wavelength. Small cell size permits use of simplifying approximation that reflector-surface current induced by electromagnetic field is present even in apertures. Approximation useful in calculating far field.

Rahmat-Samii, Yahya↗